Chapter 196 Chapter 196 is the only genuine version...

The queen slammed the table in anger and said, "Kneel down."

Xie Danling knelt down, pursed her lips stubbornly, and kept her back straight.

Now that the words were out in the open, Xie Danling stopped pretending to be a good girl. She loosened her grip on the corner of her clothes and snorted softly, "Is Sun Nian unable to get married? I'll have to trouble you, my mother, to help her find a husband."

"There's also Prince Duoleng. Queen Mother also thinks this is a good match, so give it to your niece."

She was not worried that the Queen would force Sun Nian on Cancan.

Cancan was a prince, and the Queen didn't dare to make decisions about him. And no matter how wealthy the Wang family was, no one had ever entered the government. Cousin Xing had no official position, so if an imperial decree were issued, it would be quite troublesome. After all, it was an imperial decree that forced Mother to marry Father.

"As for my cousin from the Wang family, I won't give him up." Xie Danling repeated with a cold face.

"presumptuous!"

The noise was quite loud and attracted people's attention.

Gu Zhizhuo stared at Xie Danling. After the eunuch leaned over and explained what had happened, he continued, "...The Empress said that the Fifth Princess should give up her marriage with Young Master Wang to Miss Sun."

Gu Zhizhuo's face darkened.

What a joke! Not satisfied with cheating on my aunt, I'm even trying to cheat on my cousin!

The marriage between my mother and my aunt was arranged by decree of the late Emperor. He personally wrote to my grandfather, repeatedly discussing it for a year, before issuing the decree. When my aunt was promised to Prince Rong, she was the principal wife. Later, for some unknown reason, she became a concubine.

Therefore, the late emperor felt very guilty towards the Wang family, and he no longer forced the Wang family to stay away from the world and not take up official positions.

Bang!

It was the sound of breaking porcelain.

The queen clutched her chest, seething with rage.

"You're so young, yet you're always disobedient. Can't I discipline you?"

The queen raised her hand and slapped him.

Xie Danling raised her face stubbornly.

"Meow!"

An angry cat cry suddenly sounded, and the tabby cat jumped out like a black shadow, stretching out its sharp claws and scratching it.

The cat is a good cat.

Xie Danling lived with Gu Zhizhuo a while ago. Gu Zhizhuo was busy running around in the military camp and Taiqing Temple in the capital, and it was Xie Danling who played with him.

Three deep claw marks suddenly appeared on the back of the queen's hand.

She was startled and bumped into the table, causing cups and dishes to clatter. Wine spilled on the queen's dress, making her look more embarrassed than ever.

"Kill it."

The queen pointed at the cat in frustration. The cat arched its back and stood in front of Xie Danling, hissing intimidatingly.

The senior palace maids and maids all gathered around.

Then, the chief eunuch shouted shrilly: "Who dares to move?"

You are so blind that you don't even see whose cat this is.

They hold it in their hands, worshipping it like a little ancestor, and yet they dare to hit it!?

The eunuchs around came forward one after another, staring eagerly.

Everyone:?

I don't understand.

How come while they were distracted, the eunuchs were about to start a fight with the Queen's men?

What did they miss?

Duke Weiguo's heart was beating fast, and he couldn't help but glance at Xie Yingchen. He was still there, and he hadn't started forcing the emperor to abdicate... right?

The dance and music suddenly stopped, and the hall was filled with panic.

"Her Majesty the Queen."

Gu Zhizhuo spoke, breaking the silence.

Her voice was neither too high nor too low, and the surroundings were very quiet. As soon as she opened her mouth, everyone looked at her at the same time.

"You are ill, so you should go back and have a good rest. Don't work too hard."

When these words were spoken, the queen was shocked.

Gu Zhizhuo was sitting down below, three steps away from her.

Gu Zhizhuo was below and she was above.

But at that moment, she felt that she was the one who was inferior to others.

In a trance, she recalled that when she was still the concubine of Prince Rong, she went to the palace to pay tribute one year. She had some disputes with the then Consort Wang, and the Crown Princess said: "Concubine Sun is ill, take her down to rest."

"Take the Queen down to rest."

Two voices overlapped, one in the mind and the other in reality.

Before she could pull herself out of her memories, the chief eunuch of Huazhang Palace said sarcastically, "Empress, your health is not good, so don't force yourself."

Miss Gu is indeed supporting the cat!

Miss Gu is so nice!

Of course, they can't afford to lose momentum and embarrass the cat.

"Did you hear that? Why don't you take the Queen down to rest?"

"Meow!"

The cat swung its tail, and its golden cat eyes were like amber.

"How dare you." The Queen slammed the table and glared, "Are you planning a rebellion?"

Someone looked hesitantly at Xie Yingchen, who clasped his hands on the table before him, looking down upon them with a commanding presence. Everyone lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.

Duke Cheng'en's throat tightened, he shrank his neck, and his eyes were vague.

Gu Zhizhuo smiled slightly and said gently, "Empress, you are very weak. Your face is flushed and dark, your eyes are fixed, and your lips are twitching. These are the symptoms of a stroke. You should rest well and don't do anything reckless."

What she said was quite convincing, whether it was true or not.

Oh, so it hasn't gotten to the point of forcing the emperor to abdicate yet. Not bad, not bad. They were scared to death.

"Go and call a doctor for the Empress to take a good look at her."

"yes."

The chief eunuch agreed and half pushed and half pulled the queen away.

The Queen's eyes were bloodshot: "Let me go!"

"A stroke can be serious or minor, so don't delay." Gu Zhizhuo sighed softly, "Sick people are inevitably stubborn, and we can't just let the patient's temper run wild."

The Duke of Wei flattered her without distinguishing right from wrong: "Miss Gu is a skilled doctor, and what she said is absolutely right."

"How dare you..."

The sound gradually faded.

Duke Cheng En looked in the direction where the queen was taken away. The marriage hadn't been granted yet! Now that the queen was gone, what would happen to Nian'er's marriage?

Xie Jing was stunned when he came back from changing clothes. He only heard most of what was said and was still a little dazed.

"Mother!"

After failing to catch up with the queen, Xie Jing hesitated for a moment, then strode forward to Gu Zhizhuo.

He leaned over with his hands on the table and said angrily, "Don't go too far. It's not your turn to make decisions in this palace..."

"The Third Prince."

Xie Yingchen interrupted, "If you can't learn to speak properly, go down and let the imperial physician take a good look at you."

Xie Jing:!

Xie Yingchen rarely paid attention to him, as if in his eyes, he, the legitimate son of the Empress, posed no threat to him.

"Third brother." The eldest prince Xie Lang hurried over to pull him back. "Third brother, you've had too much to drink. Hurry and apologize to the Crown Prince." After saying that, he smiled ingratiatingly at Xie Yingchen and said, "Cousin, my third brother can't drink much. Please bear with me."

"Stop messing around. Do you want to embarrass yourself in front of Princess Xiliang?" Xie Lang whispered in his ear and pulled him again, trying to pull him away.

Xie Jing shook him off.

He stood there motionless, neither moving nor speaking.

Why wouldn't you listen? Xie Lang smiled apologetically and said, "Brother, I'll take him away right away."

Duke Cheng'en was terrified. He subconsciously looked at Prince Jin, hoping he would come forward and reprimand her. "Miss Gu, a mere woman, is so lawless, unruly, and uncalm, she has no understanding of a woman's duties. Impeach her! Impeach the Zhenbei Palace for not raising their daughter properly!"

The King of Jin drank his wine quietly without saying a word. The Emperor was useless.

None of the emperor's sons are useful.

Xie Jing was too indecisive to stand up. What good was he doing standing there, other than embarrassing himself?!

Xie Lang was even worse. He didn't even know how to curry favor with others. When he realized that he had no hope at all, he immediately became an idle member of the royal family. He was afraid that Xie Yingchen would vent his anger on him in the future, so he behaved like a dog.

Oh, this kind of destiny that is forcibly obtained by evil magic is not destined to last long.

Prince Jin drank another glass of wine and wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth.

Under the flickering candlelight of the glass lamp, the transparent wine on the hand seemed to be added with a touch of bright red.

Gu Zhizhuo clapped his hands twice, and the dance music started again, as if nothing had happened.

Xie Jing still didn't move, his feet seemed to be rooted, staring straight at Gu Zhizhuo.

Amid the sound of bells, Princess Jiaye of Xiliang came over.

Her long hair was loose, with several silver bells tied to her braids. She also wore dozens of thin bracelets and anklets on her wrists and ankles, which jingled when she walked.

Apart from her skin being slightly darker than the noble lady of Daqi, she was exceptionally pretty, with thick eyebrows, deep eyes and bright lips.

"Miss Gu, I'm new here and a bit shy because I don't speak the language. I just pestered His Royal Highness the Third Prince to drink a few more cups with me. I'm afraid His Royal Highness is drunk and can't walk." Jia Ye spoke in standard official language. "This cup is an apology."

She took the silver pot, filled herself with wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

She overturned the glass, emptying it of all wine.

"You have a good alcohol tolerance." Gu Zhizhuo praised.

"No, no, I can't drink much." Jia Ye stroked his forehead, as if he was about to fall. "Your Highness, can you accompany me out for some fresh air?"

Xie Jing was slightly stunned.

He had actually regretted it a long time ago, but he couldn't leave the stage, so he could only continue standing. He didn't expect Jia Ye to come over and protect his face.

His heart softened and he agreed.

"Miss Gu, wait until I sober up and come back for advice." She laughed sweetly, her braids flying as she moved. She pulled Xie Jing along and walked away, passing Duoleng who was standing in front of the palace gate.

She stepped out of the door and said with a smile, "Brother, don't just stand there. Come in. Let's go for a walk."

Duoleng had been standing in front of the palace gate for a while, witnessing firsthand how Empress Daqi was escorted away because of a single remark by Gu Zhizhuo. Not a single official in the palace said a single "no," and even the Empress's own son simply stood there, fuming. If it were him, he would have drawn his sword against the person who insulted his mother.

Before he came to Daqi, he knew that the Crown Prince Xie Yingchen was fighting fiercely with the Emperor of Daqi.

The king had not originally planned to have him come to see off the bride, but he took the initiative to request it after he overheard the king and his confidants talking about this matter.

This is an opportunity for him.

As long as he could stir up internal strife in Daqi, Daliang could continue his eastward advance and seize the territory of the western border. Once he had achieved this feat of expanding the territory, even the king would not dare to do anything to him.

At worst, he could make Xinjiang his own territory and make other plans.

After arriving in Daqi, he discovered that the two men were not only fighting fiercely, but also in a situation where the fight would not stop until one of them died.

Especially since Xie Yingchen actually had the powerful weapon, the musket!

The Emperor of Daqi was being pressed so hard that he had just accepted all of the conditions proposed by him. Some of these conditions even Duoleng himself felt were excessive, and he was just waiting for him to bargain, but he didn't expect him to agree to them all.

Exposed by Jiaye, Duoleng had no choice but to walk steadily into the hall. Dozens of tiny braids rose up with his movements and then fell down in front of his chest.

Looking at the current scene, it seems that Emperor Daqi has reached the point where he will die if he doesn't fight.

"The eldest prince."

Duke Cheng'en was jumping up and down. When he saw him coming back, he hurried over to greet him. He wanted to ask how the talk with the emperor went, but when the words came to his lips, he changed them to, "How is your wound?"

He bowed repeatedly: "Ah, you are a guest from far away, I am really neglectful."

Duoleng responded casually with a few words and sat down at the table.

The large bowl of liquor gave him a dull headache.

The Emperor of Daqi is so weak that helping him would obviously be a huge risk.

But if you win...

He glanced outside the palace. The night was already dark at dusk, and Xie Jing was no longer visible.

The more cowardly the successor to Daqi is, the more he can do. Not only can he use muskets, but he can even make Daqi submit to him.

The temptation is too great, so great that it is irresistible.

In comparison, Xie Yingchen, a black-hearted man with evil intentions, is difficult to deal with.

"please."

Duke Cheng'en toasted him repeatedly, spoke to him in a low voice, and was full of flattery.

"Grandson, I offer you a toast."

Duke Wei was the first to raise his glass.

He started, drank it all in one gulp, turned the cup over, and said with a loud smile, "Grandson, this is all I can drink today. Please do me the honor."

Xie Yingchen picked up the warm water in front of him and took a sip.

"good!"

The Duke of Wei shouted exaggeratedly, as if he had drunk some strong liquor in one gulp.

The banquet suddenly became lively again.

After a while, people came over to toast him, but Xie Yingchen drank all warm water. They saw it and cheered blindly.

Since the emperor and empress were not there, the atmosphere at the banquet was more relaxed. Some drank, some chatted, and some of the nobles who were drunk quietly started drinking and making toasts.

Xie Danling walked back with the cat in her arms, angrily saying, "What are you thinking of when you want Cousin Xing to marry Sun Nian? The Wang family isn't stupid. Why does it have to be tied to the Cheng'en Mansion for no reason? And Sun Nian is so annoying to me."

"Meow!"

Xie Danling touched the kitten's head, peeled shrimp for it with her own hands, and fed it to its mouth.

"Yaoyao, you don't know." Xie Danling was truly angry. She pulled her sleeve and asked her to come closer. The two of them whispered, "A few days ago, my cousin and I went to the temple fair together and happened to run into Sun Nian."

"I ignored her and went to guess lantern riddles with my cousin Xing. He won me this huge revolving lantern. It has all kinds of cats painted on it. It's so pretty." After saying that, he lowered his head and explained to the cat, "Not as pretty as you."

"Meow~"

Gu Zhizhuo handed her the fruit juice to moisten her throat.

"And then?"

"My cousin Xing said he'd buy me a little clay figurine, so I waited for him by the bridge. Unexpectedly, I ran into Sun Nian again." She grew increasingly angry as she spoke, her face furious as she continued, "Sun Nian said she'd found my cousin Xing through a lottery, and that since I didn't even have a verbal engagement with him, I shouldn't have kept pestering him."

"I don't bother with her."

"Humph, it's still a play about finding a son-in-law. This isn't a play."

When Wang Xing mentioned this incident, Gu Zhizhuo felt puzzled at the time and thought that Sun Nian was running around because he was worried about the marriage at the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

"What happened next?"

Gu Zhizhuo brought the topic back.

"She fell, and she pretended I pushed her." Xie Danling had seen this kind of thing many times in the palace. She snorted and slammed the table. "But when I turned around, Cousin Xing was standing right behind her, holding the clay figurine in his hand! She cried and told Cousin Xing that I pushed her."

The more Xie Danling thought about it, the angrier she became. She imitated Sun Nian's behavior and said in a pretentious tone, "Master Wang, cousin Danling didn't mean it. It's my fault. After we parted at the teahouse last time, I wanted to come over and say hello to you. Maybe cousin Danling misunderstood..."

"There's more!" Xie Danling continued to study, holding the handkerchief. "Cousin Danling has been willful since she was young. Don't blame her."

"snort!"

Gu Zhizhuo stroked the jade bracelet on his wrist.

"I won't suffer this loss!" Xie Danling said, hands on her hips. "I just picked her up and pushed her into the pond."

Qingmei, who was standing behind serving, couldn't help laughing out loud.

"She said it was me who pushed it, so I pushed it to her!"

"It has to be done."

Gu Zhizhuo applauded her enthusiastically, praising her wisdom and intelligence, which made Xie Danling blush and feel proud.

"What about Cousin Xing?"

"Sun Nian brought a lot of maids and guards with her. Cousin Xing helped me block them and prevented them from coming over to disturb me while I was pushing people."

Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to push it so smoothly.

"We'll leave after we finish pushing!"

Haha. Just kidding! Cousin Xing is her biological cousin. If he doesn't help her, then why would he help others?

Cousin Xing just likes to wear colorful clothes. It hurts her eyes when she sees them, but he is not blind.