It has to be said that what he said addressed the very questions everyone wanted to ask. After all, marrying a princess meant becoming the emperor's son-in-law. Why would he risk his head to do something like this with them?
Who would give up a good, peaceful life to follow them and risk their entire family's extermination? Are they tired of living such a comfortable life, or have they lost their minds?
Upon hearing this, Elder Qing stood up again, feeling as if he had an excuse to question Xiao Jian, "Yes, does that mean they've reached a cooperation agreement with you? If we rashly barge into the group, we won't even make it into the palace; we'll be the first to be discovered. Who will take responsibility for that? Will you?"
As soon as Elder Qing said this, the entire courtyard fell silent. Yes, although their goal was to assassinate the dog emperor, they couldn't just lose their lives without even entering the palace.
Xiao Jian sneered, his gaze meeting Elder Qing's, whose expression was distant yet whose aura was imposing. "If we hadn't reached an agreement, would I have led you all to your deaths? We all have grudges against this dog emperor. Naturally, we'll settle our scores. Would I pass up such a golden opportunity and drag you all down a path to your deaths?"
Xiao Jian spoke with such sincerity and earnestness, his eyes wide open, that everyone present was taken aback by his demeanor. Those around him were moved by his spirit of dedication.
Even the elder who had spoken up for him at the beginning stepped forward and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Elder Qing, you are the most senior member of the White Lotus Sect. How can you, as an elder, wrongly accuse Xiao Jian without any evidence? He is our benefactor."
Elder Qing was now caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, and Xiao Jian remained aggressive and unwilling to back down. In the end, Elder Qing had no choice but to give up and said indifferently, "No matter what I say or do, it's all for the good of our White Lotus Sect. He joined us midway, and I don't believe he has no personal feelings whatsoever."
But now, no one present would listen to Elder Qing's advice. Seeing this scene, Elder Qing knew that his chances were slim, and for a moment his spine bent. "Fine, since you won't listen to what I say, then you can go. I won't participate."
After speaking, Elder Qing turned and left without looking back. Some of those present were on Elder Qing's side, and a few wanted to stop him, but after taking a step forward, they turned back under the watchful eyes of the crowd. They couldn't risk incurring the wrath of the masses for the sake of Elder Qing.
Seeing this, Xiao Jian curled his lips in a smug and mocking smile. He had long known that Elder Qing was a cowardly and afraid-of-death man. He feared that before the plan could be perfectly implemented, Elder Qing would instigate trouble among the White Lotus Sect members and prevent them from obeying his orders. In order for the plan to be perfectly resolved and for him to avenge his parents' deaths, he had no choice but to temporarily kick this elder out.
Next, they made arrangements in a flurry of activity, specifying who would be in which part of the team and who would be there to meet them.
Finally, everything was ready, and they were just waiting for their wedding day to arrive.
Meng Dan had been unusually happy these past few days, even muttering replies in his sleep. Xiao Jian didn't want to find out what he was saying. Anyway, in at most two days, that damned emperor would be gone.
The day before their wedding, Xiao Jian set up a long table in the middle of the courtyard, on which two memorial tablets were placed. He also bought an incense burner and incense early in the morning.
That evening, Xiao Jian slowly knelt on the prayer mat in front of the table, his expression extremely devout. "Father and Mother, if you have spirits in heaven, please bless your son so that I can reach the palace, kill the dog emperor, and avenge you. Please also bless your son so that I can find my sister." After saying this, Xiao Jian kowtowed deeply.
Meanwhile, Elder Qing, though angry, couldn't allow the entire White Lotus Sect to follow Xiao Jian to their deaths. So he secretly settled down in a residence in the capital.
He also summoned some of his trusted people and said, “Listen to me, be careful tomorrow, be alert, and absolutely do not rush to the front in everything. Xiao Jian is too dangerous and cunning. If you find anything wrong, leave as soon as possible.”
Elder Qing became increasingly suspicious, but unfortunately, he hadn't yet figured out why Xiao Jian happened to be passing by that place that day, or why he happened to save the people from their sect. Why would someone who didn't know them protect them all the way back here? Wasn't that too strange?
But those people had been manipulated too deeply and couldn't listen to Elder Qing's advice at all. They said righteously, "Elder Qing didn't expect you to be this kind of person. You slandered Xiao Jian behind his back because we didn't want you to participate?"
"Yes, Xiao Jian said long ago that this plan was foolproof. How could we not sneak into the palace while blending into the wedding procession? Now that we've gotten into the palace, how can we avenge our great grudge without killing that dog of an emperor?"
"Hmph, I think Xiao Jian should have kicked you out long ago. After all, your presence here only ruins our plans."
"Yes, let's not listen to this anymore. Tomorrow is the real day."
Elder Qing watched helplessly as they gathered, unable to dissuade them. Tomorrow was their wedding day; some chaos was inevitable, but this was the imperial palace, after all. With so many imperial guards, how could they possibly escape? Alas, it was fate. Let them be. It seemed the White Lotus Sect would cease to exist.
Elder Qing, his back hunched, slowly made his way back to his room, sighing at the impermanence of life. He had done all he could; he had not wronged anyone in the sect. The rest was up to fate.
The next morning arrived quickly amidst everyone's anticipation.
Today is indeed an auspicious day, as it was calculated by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Today is a day with clear skies and refreshing air, suitable for groundbreaking, weddings, and all sorts of good things to do.
The people in Shufangzhai started preparing early in the morning, after all, they were the only mistress, and they naturally had to make thorough preparations for her wedding day.
Several days in advance, Shufangzhai was already decorated with red silk and lanterns, all in anticipation of this day.
Since Ziwei had no mother, the Emperor ordered a concubine to act as Ziwei's mother and to do her makeup. After all, Consort Ling was a relative of the Fu family, and Ziwei was going to marry the eldest son of the Fu family. No one in the palace was more suitable than Consort Ling.
Xiao Yanzi was so excited about Ziwei that she couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning. Besides being happy for Ziwei, she was also worried about her future.
To be honest, she initially entered the palace to deliver a message to Ziwei, letting the Emperor know that he had a daughter among the common people. But even after returning the title of Princess to Ziwei, she still couldn't bear to leave the palace, precisely because she couldn't bear to part with her Emperor father, such a noble person, who condescended to feed her medicine.
Time and again, they rescued her from dire straits. Whether it was the Empress Dowager or the Empress, whenever she was wronged, she firmly believed that her father would come to her rescue.
But ever since that big secret was exposed, the Emperor has lost the favor he once had for her. Little Swallow wonders what will become of her in the palace after Ziwei leaves. After all, she's now a palace maid; she can't just leave whenever she wants.
Xiao Yanzi got up very early and woke Ziwei up early to do her makeup. Jin Suo thought Xiao Yanzi was clumsy, so she pushed Xiao Yanzi aside.
Little Swallow frowned slightly, but since it was Ziwei's special day, she didn't say anything and happily went outside to get some apples.
Consort Ling stared blankly at Xiao Yanzi's lively figure for a moment, remembering that she had protected her, saying that she was the Emperor's hidden gem and that she and the Emperor had a slight resemblance in their features.
But who would have thought she wasn't? She had spent so much effort and time slowly climbing to the rank of concubine, only to fall to the bottom overnight. It would be a lie to say she didn't resent it, but should she really resent her? It was because of those few words that she assumed she was the emperor's daughter.
In the end, I was too eager for quick success. I wanted to rely on this to advance my rank, but I never thought that this would not lead to advancement. Instead, I might fall and be shattered to pieces.
The moment Ziwei saw Consort Ling, she finally felt a sense of peace. In this palace, Ziwei trusted no one but Consort Ling.
Not only because Consort Ling treated them very well when they first entered the palace, but also because Consort Ling was a relative of Er Kang's family. Relatives would certainly not be wary of each other.
So when Ziwei saw Consort Ling, her eyes lit up instantly, as if she had seen a family member. She even pulled her close and said, "Consort Ling, I'm so nervous. What should I do later?"
Consort Ling looked at the elegantly made-up Ziwei before her and found it hard to imagine what she had looked like when she first entered the palace. She only remembered that before the Emperor's incognito tour, he had visited Shufangzhai many times, and she had thought that she would have another sister in the palace.
The thought that she herself had recommended this sister to enter the palace made her furious, but she had to pretend to be happy for the emperor.
But when she returned from her tour, the Emperor didn't react to her at all. Consort Ling initially thought she had angered the Emperor during the tour, but at the time she didn't think much of it.
Little did she know that she would have been better off as one of the emperor's concubines. She never imagined that she was actually the emperor's daughter. She had been kept in the dark and had even fallen from the rank of concubine to that of lowly concubine.
Regardless, today is her important wedding day. The Emperor specifically requested her to come, so Consort Ling had no choice but to put on that hypocritical and kind face again, and her warm and gentle hand held Ziwei's slightly trembling and sweaty hand.
Consort Ling gently reassured her, "Don't worry, everything will be alright. There will be a nanny by your side to tell you what to do next."
Ziwei's heart finally calmed down a little, as if she had taken a reassuring pill. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she looked up at Consort Ling and said, "Your Majesty, I have a request."
Consort Ling was also somewhat at a loss. Today was their special day, so what did they want? However, she was still willing to hear the details, so she nodded and gestured for Ziwei to speak.
Ziwei glanced at the people on her left and right, and then told them to step back.
Apart from the people from Shufangzhai, everyone else stood still, not moving an inch. After all, there was no such rule in the palace, especially not for a wedding ceremony; there was no reason to dismiss those around one of the attendants.
Consort Ling was also aware of this rule, so she frowned tightly. If her eyes could turn into knives, they would probably have already stabbed Ziwei hard.
They're about to get married and start a family, and he's still so immature and doesn't know any manners? Could it be that he's planning to sabotage her at the last moment?
Consort Ling was somewhat annoyed. If it weren't for wanting to leave a good reputation and impression in front of the Emperor, she wouldn't have taken on this hot potato.
Lately, the Emperor has been visiting the Empress's palace much more often, and she's gradually developing a sense of crisis. The fact that the Emperor would even prefer to visit Consort Xiang or other concubines' palaces—how could she not be suspicious?
She is now pregnant, and the Emperor only visits her once a month. She knows he is angry with her, but she truly knows nothing about their secret affair. She can only try again and again to salvage her reputation and image.
"If there's anything you need, Princess, you might as well tell me right here." Consort Ling almost couldn't keep up her feigned kindness, so she could only suppress her anger and speak slowly and deliberately.
Ziwei looked around, bit her lip lightly, and looked somewhat embarrassed.
Seeing Ziwei's appearance, Consort Ling's temples throbbed with pain. She now truly understood what it meant to be speechless and unable to express her suffering. She also understood the Empress's feelings of being unable to defend herself back then.
Yes, from an outsider's perspective, isn't it just Consort Ling bullying Ziwei?
"Princess, please feel free to speak your mind. I will do my best to help you if it is within my power," Consort Ling said "kindly" through gritted teeth.
Ziwei hesitated for a moment, knowing that if she didn't speak now, she would never have the chance to speak later. "Your Majesty, do you think I can bring two palace maids with me when I get married?" Ziwei looked up at Consort Ling with hopeful eyes.
Two palace maids? Consort Ling immediately realized, "Yes, Ziwei has married out, so these servants in Shufangzhai will probably be reassigned to various palaces without the Emperor's order."
Xiao Yanzi was demoted to a palace maid, and unless she received a pardon from the emperor, she could only leave the palace at the age of 25.
If the servants in Shufangzhai were to be redistributed, it would be uncertain where Xiaoyanzi would end up. If she were assigned to one of the concubines who were at odds with them, then Xiaoyanzi would truly suffer.
Consort Ling glanced at Ziwei, surprised that she was actually so loyal and righteous. She had taken over her identity and even her father's place, and now the tables had turned and she was genuinely considering Ziwei's feelings?
But how much sincerity is mixed in this sisterhood, and how much self-interest is intertwined?
Consort Ling feigned being moved, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, but not a single tear fell. Everyone in the palace was shrewd; if she didn't act like this, she truly didn't know if she would have had the chance to sit in Consort Ling's position.
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