The Emperor Emeritus bestowed upon him a dragon plaque symbolizing half of the imperial seal, meaning that throughout the land, apart from the Emperor Emeritus, Mo Yunhan was not required to kneel before anyone else.
He was proud and aloof, and having been trained in the military since childhood, he was resolute and unyielding.
After returning to the capital and entering the imperial court, he never performed the kowtow ceremony.
Touched, Mo Yunzhao firmly grasped his arm and pulled him up.
"Little Jiu, if I agree, Father will definitely blame me."
"Even my imperial brother won't protect his younger brother?"
Mo Yunhan showed a rare display of weakness.
Mo Yunzhao's eldest son is almost the same age as Mo Yunhan, and his brotherly affection suddenly bursts forth at this moment.
"You like her that much?"
"Yes, I like her very much. I beg my royal brother to grant us this marriage. I have already promised her that I will never marry anyone else in this life."
Mo Yunhan's words were like a feather gently brushing against Mo Yunzhao's heart.
How could the offspring of such a lowly woman be fit to inherit the royal lineage?
No one in the entire court would agree to it.
This move not only thwarted the Emperor Emeritus's ambitions but also the ambitions of the court officials who secretly supported Mo Yunhan.
It will also create discord between Mo Yunhan and the Emperor Emeritus, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.
He sighed, feigning difficulty.
"Give me some time to think about it."
Mo Yunhan urged, "Your Majesty, Father just summoned me and gave me a deadline to choose a princess consort by tomorrow. I will accompany you back to the Imperial Study now. Please write this to me immediately, affix the imperial seal, and settle this matter."
"So urgent?"
Mo Yunzhao felt something was off.
Mo Yunhan didn't give him time to think, lowering his brows as if filled with helplessness.
“When I left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Father was coughing. If he tried to force me with his health, I would have had no choice but to comply, only to end up with a lifetime of sorrow. I do not blame you.”
Upon hearing this, Mo Yunzhao also became anxious.
Throughout the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, only the Emperor Emeritus truly had the ability to control Mo Yunhan.
Back then, it was the retired emperor who summoned him back from the battlefield with an imperial edict, stripped him of his military power, and put him in charge of military and political affairs.
Otherwise, with Mo Yunhan's abilities, he could have subdued most of the Zhou army.
If the Emperor Emeritus were to use his illness as leverage, Mo Yunhan would certainly comply and marry the noblewoman of a court official as his concubine.
This is the last thing he wanted to see.
"Little Jiu, your imperial brother will never let you live a lonely life. Come, let's go to the imperial study."
A glint of light flashed in Mo Yunhan's eyes as he took a step forward.
Hiding in the shadows, Ye Shisan was stunned by his master's actions and almost lost his breath, giving himself away.
...
Inside the inner hall of Kunning Palace.
The man wearing a veil reappeared in the bedchamber.
"Your Majesty, the person who destroyed the magic array has been found. Her name is Jiang Qingwan, and she is the woman in the recent scandal in the capital where the Ninth Prince forcibly abducted a commoner."
The Empress Dowager, who was washing her hands, raised her head upon hearing this.
"So, what happened to Xiaoran was also her doing?"
"Exactly."
The Empress Dowager gave a cold, curt smile.
"Then kill him. You go yourself."
At that moment, a wisp of black mist drifted over and landed on his shoulder, transforming into a crow.
He tilted his head slightly, his smile deepening.
“I have a better way. She ruined my life, so I’ll use her to fill this hole.”
The Empress Dowager waved her hand wearily.
"I don't care what you do, but the supply of the Emperor's elixirs must not be stopped."
"yes!"
The man nodded slightly, then turned and disappeared silently behind the bed curtains.
The Empress Dowager summoned Granny Gui.
"Tomorrow I will host a banquet to invite Princess Xiaoran and Madam Song to the palace to admire the flowers. This marriage should be arranged."
Granny Gui hesitated and asked, "Would the Emperor Emeritus allow it?"
The Empress Dowager scoffed lightly.
"Xiao Ran's grandfather once followed the retired emperor in his campaigns, and even risked his life to be his sword. Now that he's dead and the family has fallen, he can no longer be associated with him? There is no such cold-hearted monarch in this world."
Granny Gui's eyes flickered, and she instantly understood.
"As Your Majesty commands."
...
Underdrains have a long history in Beijing.
A major natural disaster occurred a century ago.
Countless natural pits have been created in the original underground culvert, and with numerous entrances and exits, many unidentified people have hidden there to make a living.
After decades of changes and transformations, a sizable ghost market has been formed.
Ye Qi and Jiang Qingwan each carried a white lantern to light the way.
“Madam Jiang, the Ghost Market has its own rules, and those who come here must abide by them. So whatever you're going to do, let me know in advance.”
"good."
This was Jiang Qingwan's first time visiting a place like this.
She saw things differently from others.
Besides the filthy things, the underground drain was also filled with deathly, resentful, and malevolent energy.
The tangled, messy strands, not formed by a single person or object, are quite interesting.
"Night Seven, if someone dies in the culvert, will the authorities investigate?"
Ye Qi shook his head.
"People living in the underground canal are not registered with the government. But if someone from outside the underground canal dies here, the government will investigate if there is evidence or clues."
He looked over suspiciously.
"Who do you want to kill here?"
Jiang Qingwan gave him a disdainful look.
How evil must she be to come here and kill people in the middle of the night?
"I just feel that there are a lot of wandering ghosts here."
Knowing that she could see things that others couldn't, Ye Qi felt a chill run down her spine from those words.
"Is...is there a ghost?"
"You have a talisman, what are you afraid of?"
Jiang Qingwan glanced at him again, then took out a blank talisman from her purse, twisted it, and wrapped it around her finger. After a moment, it transformed into a small golden butterfly, which detached from her fingertip and flew into the darkness.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
