Su Jinli, Jiang Yan, and Su Qingyao worked tirelessly to reverse the situation. At court, Jiang Yan, leveraging his connections and reputation, privately communicated with several upright ministers, earnestly expressing his deep affection for Su Jinli and the harm this decree would cause them, pleading with them to speak up for him when they raised the matter before the Emperor. These ministers, already admiring Jiang Yan's talent and character, expressed their willingness to help.
Su Qingyao, on the other hand, traveled between the various mansions in the capital, befriending the families of the ministers. Using her intelligence and eloquence, she told them the love story of Su Jinli and Jiang Yan, which moved the wives so much that they promised to persuade their husbands to speak up for Jiang Yan in court.
Su Jinli was also busy. She used her connections at the bookstore to contact some of the most prestigious scholars in the capital. These scholars, who had supported Su Jinli's bookstore, wrote articles after hearing about the incident, spreading the love between Su Jinli and Jiang Yan in the capital and the inappropriateness of arbitrarily separating them, thus forming a powerful force of public opinion.
However, just as they were filled with anticipation, shocking news arrived. A minister fiercely impeached Jiang Yan in the court, accusing him of being ungrateful. He claimed that the emperor's intention to marry the princess was a favor to him, yet he had been ungrateful and attempted to disobey the order, committing a crime of treason. This impeachment was like a huge rock dropped into a calm lake, causing a flurry of discussion throughout the court.
Su Jinli and Jiang Yan were shocked when they learned of this. Jiang Yan said solemnly, "Jinli, it seems someone is determined to marry the princess to me this time to suppress me, even resorting to impeachment."
Su Jinli held Jiang Yan's hand tightly and said, "Jiang Yan, we can't just sit there and wait for death. It's obvious that someone is behind this and deliberately framing you. We have to find a way to deal with it quickly."
Jiang Yan pondered for a moment and said, "I will go to court tomorrow and explain clearly to the emperor in person, expressing my loyalty to the court and the unwavering love between you and me. I will never let these false accusations fall on me."
Su Jinli nodded, her eyes revealing determination. She said, "I'll go with you. I want to personally explain to the emperor that our love for each other is deep and sincere, and we will not allow anyone to destroy it."
The next day, before dawn, Su Jinli and Jiang Yan rose to attend court. Dressed in formal attire and with a solemn expression, Su Jinli entered the palace with Jiang Yan.
The atmosphere in the court was tense and oppressive. Jiang Yan was the first to step forward. After paying his respects to the Emperor, he said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to listen to me. Regarding the princess's marriage, I find it difficult to comply. It's not that I'm ungrateful, but Su Jinli and I are deeply in love. We've been together through thick and thin since we were married, and she's the only one in my heart. If I betray her and marry the princess, it would be against my will and a violation of moral principles."
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, his expression solemn, and he did not immediately express his opinion. At this time, the minister who impeached Jiang Yan stood up again and said, "Your Majesty, Jiang Yan's actions are clearly disobeying the imperial order and showing disrespect to Your Majesty. The princess's marriage is a royal favor, but he has refused it in every possible way. This is truly disrespectful!"
Seeing this, Su Jinli also stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive my intrusion. Jiang Yan and I are truly in love and have supported each other since our marriage. Our relationship is deep. If Your Majesty forces the princess to marry, it will not only ruin our happiness, but also let the world see that the royal family is forcibly separating a couple, which will damage the royal reputation. I hope Your Majesty will understand."
After hearing this, the ministers in the court began to whisper and discuss. Some ministers felt that Jiang Yan and Su Jinli were indeed deeply in love and should not be separated; others believed that Jiang Yan's actions were suspected of disobeying the emperor's order and should be severely punished.
At this moment, the Queen Mother, supported by her maids, slowly walked into the court. Seeing this, the Emperor quickly stood up to greet her and said, "Mother, why are you here?"
The Queen Mother smiled slightly and said, "I heard that the court was in an uproar over Jiang Yan and Jin Li's affairs, so I came to see you. Your Majesty, Jiang Yan and Jin Li are a loving couple, and this is obvious to all in the capital. If you force the princess to marry, won't you be laughed at by the world? Besides, the princess is a princess of wealth and status, and she wouldn't want to marry someone who already has someone in her heart."
The Emperor fell into deep thought after hearing the Queen Mother's words. The Queen Mother then turned to the ministers and said, "My dear ministers, love cannot be forced. Jiang Yan is loyal to the court and has made many contributions to the country. We cannot let this matter chill the hearts of our ministers."
After hearing the Queen Mother's words, the ministers nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the minister who had impeached Jiang Yan dared not say anything more.
The Emperor pondered for a moment before finally speaking, "In that case, I withdraw my order to marry the princess to Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan, Su Jinli, you two are truly deeply in love, and I do not wish to be the one to separate them. I hope you can continue to support each other and serve the court in the future."
Su Jinli and Jiang Yan were overjoyed when they heard this and quickly knelt down to express their gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
The crisis was finally resolved, and Su Jinli and Jiang Yan felt relieved. Leaving the palace, Su Jinli looked at Jiang Yan, tears in her eyes, and said, "Jiang Yan, we've finally gotten through this difficult time."
Jiang Yan held Su Jinli's hand tightly and said, "Jinli, thanks to you, the Queen Mother, and those who helped us. From now on, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together."
Back at the mansion, Young Marquis Su and Su Qingyao had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the two return safely and the crisis resolved, Young Marquis Su jumped up excitedly and said, "Sister, Brother Jiang Yan, I knew you could handle this!"
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