Chapter 26 I Became the Goddess's Son-in-Law?! (Twenty-Six)

"Marquis Huaiyi, what else do you have to say?" In the Golden Palace, Marquis Huaiyi, Marquis Ningyang, and their families were brought into the hall. Several boxes were placed on the floor; these were just items that had been moved from the warehouse...

"Marquis of Huaiyi, what else do you have to say?"

In the Golden Palace, Marquis Huaiyi, Marquis Ningyang, and their families were brought into the hall. Several boxes were placed on the hall; these were just some of the weapons that had been moved out of the warehouse, which Marquis Huaiyi had secretly commissioned craftsmen to make over the years.

To prevent artisans from leaking secrets, each batch of artisans who finished forging weapons would be killed to silence them. Now, the identities of these artisans who died suddenly have been verified. In just a few years, Marquis Huaiyi has massacred nearly a thousand people, which is truly chilling.

"Your Majesty, it was all the Marquis of Ningyang and his wife. Yes, they were the ones who instigated me to do this!" Seeing that there were witnesses and physical evidence, the Marquis of Huaiyi was eager to deny it and shifted the blame onto the Marquis of Ningyang.

"Your Majesty, I was instigated by Marquis Huaiyi. He first met Master Yuanyi and introduced him to me. I was misled by them and gradually came to believe that rebellion was not impossible! Marquis Huaiyi wants evidence of rebellion, but my family has plenty of it. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Majesty!"

Marquis Ningyang pulled his wife's arm, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to the Emperor.

Lady Ningyang looked somewhat unwilling, but she still knelt down reluctantly.

"We, your subjects, have committed heinous crimes. We beg Your Majesty to punish us. We will have no complaints no matter how Your Majesty decides our punishment."

When Marquis Huaiyi saw that Yin Qiang had confessed his crime, he also began to feel afraid. Thinking that the emperor would take pity on their past relationship, he also hurriedly pulled Yin Qiang to kneel down before the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I am not afraid of dying, but my son..." He did not want his lineage to end.

The Emperor snorted coldly and said, "Don't talk to me about your son. You're the one who corrupted him. All the blame lies with you, and you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."

Marquis Huaiyi trembled all over and stopped speaking. Yin Qiang also lost his usual arrogant and sinister demeanor, his face was as pale as a ghost, and he knelt beside his father like a drowning dog.

Ultimately, all male members of the two marquisates aged fifteen and above were executed, while the women and children under fifteen were exiled to Lingnan.

The Emperor is fair in his rewards and punishments. Since he punished the Marquis of Huaiyi and others for serious crimes, he naturally rewarded the Si family as well.

Si Xuansu and Jiang's son-in-law deserve much credit for stopping this rebellion.

The Emperor deeply recognized the Si family's loyalty and patriotism, so he bestowed upon Si Xuansu the title of First-Class Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, a hereditary title, and granted him a certificate of immortality, an imperial token that was equivalent to seeing the Emperor, and a national treasure sword, which would allow him to execute treacherous officials without prior approval.

As a result, the Si family became incredibly prestigious. It would be rare for a marquis to emerge in hundreds of years, let alone a female marquis.

This is truly a name that will be remembered in history and will be celebrated for generations to come.

The Emperor had not forgotten Jiang Yiqing, but all the good things had been given away. Gold and silver treasures were not what the Si family needed. Apart from bestowing a title upon him, the Emperor did not know what else to give him.

He then asked Jiang Yiqing, "I wonder what kind of reward Mr. Jiang would like?"

Since seeing the imperial edict, Jiang Yiqing felt at ease. She spoke privately with Si Xuansu and decided to tell the Emperor about her true gender.

After all, for the sake of long-term planning, it's better to tell the Emperor than to keep it a secret. This is a good opportunity to inform him.

"Your Majesty, I dare not ask for any reward. I just hope you will not be angry."

"That's an interesting question. You've rendered a great service, so why should I be angry?"

Jiang Yiqing reached out and removed her disguise, and the emperor and his ministers gradually saw the figure of a beautiful young woman.

Si Xuansu was dressed in black, while this person was dressed in white. Both of them had extremely outstanding appearances. Standing together, one naturally had a smile on her face, while the other, though not very talkative, had affection in her eyes. The two were similar in style and dazzling, like a perfect couple. The magnificent hall seemed to be overshadowed by the presence of these two.

The Emperor had probably never seen anything so bizarre before; his brows furrowed, and anger flared in his eyes. No one had ever dared to deceive him like this before—no, no one had dared to deceive him like this before, but lately, more and more people were trying to fool him!

"Your Majesty, my disguise as a man was a last resort. I had no intention of deceiving you. Please forgive me," Jiang Yiqing said, her tone neither humble nor arrogant, yet full of deep meaning.

"You still say you didn't intentionally deceive me? Then tell me, how did you helplessly commit the crime of deceiving the emperor?" The emperor suppressed his anger and asked.

If it were anyone else, they would have fainted upon hearing the words "crime of deceiving the emperor," but Jiang Yiqing rested her chin on her hand, looking relaxed, and thought about it seriously.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yiqing replied, “My brother had a sweetheart, so he eloped on the day of his wedding to Xuan Su. My parents and I did not want to break our promise to the General's Mansion, so I took my brother's place and married into the General's Mansion. My father-in-law and mother-in-law are very magnanimous; they not only did not blame my family, but also took good care of me. In this matter, everyone wanted to be a good person; no one wanted to be a bad person, let alone deceive the Emperor. No one wants to do that. Your Majesty, do you think my brother should abandon his sweetheart and marry into the Marquis's Mansion? I should not break my promise to the General's Mansion, allowing the Marquis of Huaiyi and his son Yin Qiang, a pair of treacherous officials, to get what they wanted. The General's Mansion has not done anything wrong. This matter is interconnected, which is why we have kept it from Your Majesty until now. In fact, it was all unintentional. Please, Your Majesty, understand.”

After his anger subsided, the Emperor came to his senses. In any case, even with the imperial edict, he couldn't control her unless she contradicted herself. Besides, Si Xuansu and Jiang Yiqing were not simple people, which was obvious to everyone.

As long as they have no intention of rebelling, the emperor is only going against them because he feels his position is too secure.

"Most importantly, after all the twists and turns, a true marriage was actually formed?" The Emperor's anger turned into a smile as he spoke.

“That’s exactly right.” Si Xuansu and Jiang Yiqing said in unison, “Please grant our request, Your Majesty.”

"Alright, I forgive you."

Jiang Yiqing smiled and looked at Si Xuansu, while Si Xuansu said to the Emperor in a firm voice, "Furthermore, I request Your Majesty to grant us this marriage."

"Didn't you get married?" the Emperor asked.

Everyone was surprised, and Jiang Yiqing looked at her in astonishment. After all, she had already been married before, so why did she want to get married again?

"Before, due to the interference of Marquis Huaiyi, the wedding was rushed and no grand ceremony was held. This time, I wish to hold the wedding in a more relaxed manner, and I hope Your Majesty can fulfill this regret in my heart." Si Xuansu held Jiang Yiqing's hand, and the deep affection in his eyes was evident.

Jiang Yiqing was stunned at first, then a sweet feeling welled up in her heart. She couldn't help but smile and whispered, "Xuan Su, thank you."

"Very well, Minister Si, since you are such a kind and righteous person, why shouldn't I play matchmaker? I will have someone draw up a marriage proposal and bestow a marriage upon the two of you." The Emperor laughed heartily.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the two said in unison.

Although it is unknown how historians will comment, the story of Si Xuansu and Jiang Yiqing bathing together in the Yangchi Pool will be etched in history, becoming an indelible mark for future generations.