"Old Madam, you don't need to use my brother to pressure me."
Princess Xianning Li Yunting said this as she slowly walked down the steps. She glanced at the crowd with disdain, some of whom were frightened by her gaze and stepped back involuntarily.
"You really have a good eye for talent, and the son-in-law you chose is exactly what I want," she said, changing the subject with a hint of joking, "How about I exchange Zhang Xianzhi for your son-in-law?"
Upon hearing this, Hong Yingrong's face darkened. "Princess, be careful with your words. The laws of the Great Zhou don't allow you to do whatever you want!"
At this moment of tense confrontation, a carriage from the palace came galloping.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Eunuch Chang Bao, who was standing beside the Empress Dowager, stepped down from the carriage in a solemn manner, holding a bright yellow imperial edict in one hand.
"May the old lady be blessed with good health!" He first bowed respectfully to Hong Yingrong.
Then he turned his gaze to Zhang Xianzhi: "Oh, why is this Duke still kneeling here? Quick, help him into the mansion!" As he said this, he raised the whisk in his hand, and the eunuchs behind him immediately stepped forward to support Zhang Xianzhi.
"Let's see who dares!" Li Yunting shouted sternly, trying to stop it.
However, Eunuch Chang Bao remained unmoved.
He slowly unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and read it aloud in public in front of the gate of the princess's mansion.
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: As a member of the royal family, the Princess should set an example and strictly abide by the law. However, I have recently heard that the Princess has become arrogant and reckless, which has truly failed my expectations and brought disgrace to the Imperial Family.
To enforce the law and serve as a warning to others, effective immediately, Princess Xianning will be demoted to Princess of the County and fined three years of her fiefdom as a warning. I order her to return to her residence to reflect on her mistakes. If she commits any further illegal acts, I will punish her severely. I hope she will take good care of herself and not disappoint me again.
So ordered! "
As Eunuch Chang Bao's rhythmic voice fell, the place fell into silence.
Li Yunting's face turned pale. She stared at the imperial edict in Eunuch Chang Bao's hand with wide eyes as if in disbelief. Her lips were slightly open, but she couldn't say a word.
The onlookers were whispering to each other. Although they didn't dare to talk loudly, the mockery and ridicule in their eyes were not concealed at all.
Hong Yingrong secretly breathed a sigh of relief at this moment. She looked at Li Yunting deeply, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, but she did not speak in the end.
"County Lady, please accept the imperial edict." Eunuch Chang Bao walked up to Li Yunting and handed her the imperial edict.
Li Yunting stretched out her hand stiffly to take it, her fingers trembling slightly, as if she was trying hard to suppress the anger and unwillingness in her heart.
"I... your humble servant accepts your order and thanks you." She uttered these words with difficulty, and each word seemed to carry endless bitterness.
Eunuch Chang Bao nodded and turned to Zhang Xianzhi, "Master Zhang, please stand up as well. The Empress Dowager has ordered that today's matter be dropped. If anyone dares to use this as an excuse to cause trouble again, they will not be forgiven."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhi looked at Eunuch Chang Bao calmly, then slowly stood up.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." He bowed respectfully.
As Eunuch Chang Bao left, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed.
Li Yunting was still standing there, she tightly grasped the imperial edict in her hand, the anger in her eyes subsided and was no longer suppressed.
"Come here!" Following this command, a figure quietly emerged from the darkness. He bowed his head and responded respectfully, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Tell King Linjiang that I want that thing."
The secret guard took the order, nodded slightly, then flipped over lightly, jumped onto the wall, and disappeared without a trace in an instant.
As the night deepened, Li Yunting stood in the courtyard of the Princess's Mansion. Her figure looked particularly lonely in the hazy moonlight. Her pride and noble status seemed meaningless at this moment, leaving only endless anger and unwillingness burning in her heart.
Soon, the secret guard returned. His figure quietly appeared behind Li Yunting and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, Prince Linjiang said that he will make arrangements as soon as possible and will deliver the things to you when the time comes."
When Li Yunting heard this, a trace of determination flashed in her eyes. She took a deep breath, tried to calm the anger in her heart, then turned and walked towards Fanyuan Pavilion where she lived.
At this moment, she knew that she needed to be calm and patient. Only in this way could she regain everything that belonged to her.
…
At the Qiao Mansion in the capital, Jiang Lun and his mother Qiao came to visit his grandfather Qiao Sanhe and his uncle and aunt, bringing cakes and fine tea.
A hint of joy flashed in Qiao Heyuan's eyes. Among these carefully selected gifts, there were not only exquisite pastries from Jingzhong Daoxiangzhai, but also the finest tea balls that her grandfather loved.
Seeing the cakes her cousin brought, she secretly cheered in her heart, because these were her favorite foods.
Aunt Yang warmly took Jiang Lun's hand and asked about his well-being. In order to help her cousin out of the predicament, Qiao Heyuan hurriedly interrupted and directed him to the study to see his grandfather.
"Brother Lun, Grandfather is waiting for you in the study."
Jiang Lun took the tea ball prepared for his grandfather and politely apologized to his aunt, "Aunt, please forgive me. I will go pay my respects to my grandfather first."
Mother Qiao smiled and nodded: "Go ahead, your aunt is here to accompany me."
After bowing respectfully, Jiang Lun walked quickly towards his grandfather's study in the backyard, his steps a little more hurried than usual.
A few days ago, he wrote a letter to his grandfather, mentioning Zhang Xianzhi's fiancée, Miss Liu, and hoped that his grandfather could check the files of the Ministry of Justice at that time to see if there were any doubts.
Yesterday, he received a reply letter, and his grandfather Qiao Sanhe invited him to have a chat.
Therefore, today, Jiang Lun and his mother came to the Qiao Mansion under the pretext of a visit, but in fact they wanted to discuss this matter with his grandfather.
In the study in the backyard, Qiao Sanhe was teasing the insects in the cricket jar with a piece of straw with great interest.
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