Chapter 205 Rebellion

"What do you know?" Meng Xingyuan said with a dark expression, "The imperial decree has been issued. If I disagree, am I supposed to send my whole family to their deaths? Don't say such things again, or more than a hundred people in the Meng family will lose their lives because of your words!"

Compared to the lives of more than a hundred people in the entire mansion, his daughter's marriage was of course not so important.

He had already figured it out while escorting Eunuch Chu back this short distance.

If this matter were negotiable, the Emperor would certainly have summoned him to the palace for questioning; issuing a decree directly would mean there was no possibility of further discussion.

Since we can't change the outcome, we might as well accept it.

The rank of Consort Gui is not low. Even if Meng Xiyao is not favored after entering the harem, with her father in the court, she will not suffer too much injustice.

Moreover, the fact that he even sent his daughter into the harem further proves his loyalty, and the emperor should not punish the Meng family again in the short term.

Du Shiyin whispered, "How about Xiyao starts feigning illness tomorrow, or she can choose someone from the blind dates she's been on and say she's already been on one..."

Du Shiyin knew that imperial power was supreme, but she still held a sliver of hope that things could take a turn for the better.

She promised her eldest daughter that she would find a good marriage for Meng Xiyao. Although the emperor was the supreme ruler, he was still old and had a large harem, so he was not a good match for Xiyao.

Meng Xingyuan said irritably, "What illness can be hidden from the imperial physicians? You couldn't make a decision for months, and now that the imperial decree has arrived, where are you going to find such a person?"

Who dares to compete with the Emperor for a woman?

Even if there were truly such fearless individuals, they could not overcome imperial power.

Looking at Meng Xiyao, who was sitting quietly to one side with her eyes down, unusually well-behaved, Meng Xingyuan said earnestly, "Xiyao, don't blame your father for being heartless. Now that the imperial decree has been issued, your father has no choice but to sacrifice you. Although you have entered the harem, the title of Consort is an honor that many women can never obtain in their entire lives. You are still young, and you may still have the opportunity to be promoted."

Although Meng Xiyao knew that Meng Xingyuan would advise her to accept her fate, she still felt a little bitter upon hearing this.

She didn't want to disobey the imperial decree and harm the entire Meng family, but she also didn't want to become a concubine.

Yesterday, there were several handsome young men waiting for her to choose from, but today she was chosen by the Emperor and had no chance to refuse.

Women in the palace could only advance in rank if their fathers or brothers performed meritorious service or if they had offspring.

Her father's official rank had reached its limit, and he had little chance of making meritorious contributions. She also did not want to bear children for the emperor.

Moreover, in that deep palace, competing with so many women for an old man, even if one could rise in rank, it wouldn't mean much.

The atmosphere inside the room became heavy for a moment.

Meng Qingyu lowered her voice and said, "What do you mean there's nothing we can do? Father is just a coward. Didn't my eldest brother-in-law already rebel? In my opinion, we should have my third sister go to him. He'll definitely protect her for her sake. If the Emperor causes trouble for the Meng family again, we can all just join forces with him and rebel against him together..."

He adored his eldest sister and brother-in-law. He had heard that his brother-in-law was no longer mentally challenged and had even become a local leader. If his mother hadn't forbade it, he would have wanted to meet him long ago.

This emperor is so wicked. Even at his advanced age, he still forces his third sister to become a concubine. She should rebel against him like her eldest sister's husband.

"Shut up!" Meng Xingyuan was terrified, his face turning ashen. He slapped Meng Qingyu across the face. "Who told you all this nonsense? The Northern Frontier King and your eldest sister divorced a long time ago. It has nothing to do with us. When you go to be the Ninth Prince's study companion, keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, it's one thing if you die, but don't let so many people in the Meng family be harmed!"

No one had ever seen Meng Xingyuan so angry in the mansion, and for a moment they dared not utter a sound.

Meng Qingyu covered her face, stopped talking, but still glared fiercely at Meng Xingyuan, her face full of resentment.

Meng Xingyuan was furious and was about to ask the family to discipline the boy again, but then he remembered that the troublesome boy he had captured had not yet been dealt with, so he had no choice but to coldly order Du Shiyin to discipline him first.

Although Meng Qingyu was impulsive, she was not stupid.

Of course, he would only say these words in front of his own family. Once in the palace, he would be too quick to speak and would not say a word if he was not allowed to speak.

After Meng Xingyuan left, he became even more submissive. Du Shiyin was reluctant to punish him, and only carefully gave him some instructions on what to do after entering the palace.

Meng Xiyao was even more at ease, and took the initiative to reassure Du Shiyin and her son that there was no need to worry, that there would always be a way out, and that they had not yet reached the end of their rope.

As Meng Xingyuan walked toward the place where Zheng Qingshan was imprisoned, he kept thinking about what Meng Qingyu had said, and the more he thought about it, the more resentful he became of Meng Lingge.

If this child hadn't caused a scene on their wedding day by announcing their breakup and marrying someone else, and if they hadn't chosen Wen Zhiming, none of this trouble would have happened.

They're already divorced, so if she finds out she's pregnant, she should terminate the pregnancy as soon as possible. How can she keep the child and give others leverage against her?

If he weren't afraid that the Meng family had been imprisoned by the Emperor and that sending a letter would be risky, he would have written a letter to persuade Meng Lingge to abort the child in her womb.

The thought of imprisonment, coupled with the suspicious look in Eunuch Chu's eyes, sent a chill down Meng Xingyuan's spine. He immediately ordered his guards to have the servants in the manor disguise themselves as petty thieves and escort the two men to the government office.

The servant, who was dressed up, received a reward. He had only impersonated someone who had committed a minor theft, so he readily agreed.

The eunuch hiding outside the door saw the group leave before emerging from the shadows to report back to the palace.

Guan Yi'an was chained in the woodshed. The guards had originally brought him back and locked him in the side room, but when Guan Yi'an woke up and looked through the window, he found himself in the Meng residence, which terrified him.

Just then, the crowd outside spread the news and went to kneel before the imperial edict. Seeing that no one was guarding him, he climbed onto the roof beam of the side room and climbed out.

As soon as he landed, he was spotted by the guards in the mansion. He took off running, shouting for help as he ran, hoping to attract the attention of the eunuch who was delivering the imperial decree.

This way, they could not only escape the Meng family mansion but also see the emperor as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, he was caught after running only a short distance, and he didn't attract anyone's attention until the guards knocked him unconscious.

When he woke up again, he was in the woodshed, his hands and feet still firmly chained to the window.

Guan Yi'an couldn't understand why the Meng family would arrest him. His current identity was Zheng Qingshan. Although he had a plan to deal with the Meng family, he had not yet implemented it and had only told Princess Qiongxiao about it.

Princess Qiongxiao said she wouldn't concern herself with court affairs. Even if she didn't join him in dealing with the Meng family, there was no reason for her to betray him and inform on him to the Meng family.

That woman's mind is only occupied with matters of love between men and women. She doesn't even care about her own wealth or the safety of the royal family. How could she possibly have so many other concerns?

Or does Meng Xingyuan already know his true identity?

Before he could figure it out, Meng Xingyuan had already pushed open the door and entered with two of his men.

Seeing Meng Xingyuan's angry expression and unfriendly gaze, Guan Yi'an felt extremely flustered and panicked.