Di Jingcheng's tension gradually subsided, and he said calmly, "I will only have one wife in this life, A Zi, and my body and soul belong to her. Please believe me, clan leader, my heart for A Zi is as clear as day."
“We Yi people don’t believe in heaven and earth. We can say what we mean and do what we mean. People’s hearts are hard to fathom, especially since you are in a high position. In the past, when our Azi was wronged, there was no one to seek justice. She even lost her life because of it. We will not gamble with Azi’s life and happiness.”
"Clan leader, I have already issued an edict to dismiss the harem. I will only have one wife, Azi, in this life. Moreover, if I betray Azi, you may do as you please." Di Jingcheng lowered his head, hoping to gain the approval of Azi's family.
Cheng Yi and Qing He stood to the side, their hearts filled with bitterness. They had both seen the Emperor's sincerity towards the Empress, yet now he was behaving so humbly.
Ranlayobu and Nalan Mingzhu exchanged a glance.
“Even if you are the emperor, we dare not do anything to you, otherwise our little tribe would hardly survive.” Nalan Mingzhu’s eyes narrowed slightly. They were meeting this person for the first time, and they couldn’t help but doubt his words.
"Now that I'm here, I'm just an ordinary person seeking your approval. I hope you can give me a chance to take care of Azi." As Di Jingcheng spoke, he suddenly knelt down, startling Cheng Yi and Qing He.
"Master, you..." The two men tried to step forward to help the man up.
Di Jingcheng blocked the two, his gaze fixed firmly on the person in the hall. Chengyi and Qinghe had no choice but to kneel down with him, their heads bowed.
Azi was shocked and wanted to step forward, but was stopped by the old woman and Nalan Mingzhu.
Azi shook Nalan Mingzhu's hand, shook her head, and looked at Di Jingcheng kneeling on the ground: "Mother!"
"Azi, be good. Don't worry, your father knows what he's doing."
Ranlayob was somewhat satisfied to see him kneel, but it was far from enough.
"You seem very sincere, but kneeling down won't dispel our doubts."
"I am willing to accept all tests, as long as you can approve of me." Di Jingcheng knew that the experienced man in front of him was going to test him, so he accepted. He could endure anything for A Zi.
Ranlayobu stood up, pulled Azi away, and left with a casual remark: "In that case, go to the ancestral hall and kneel down first."
Upon hearing this, Azi struggled desperately to break free from her father's grasp, tears welling in her eyes: "Father, please don't do this! He's very good to me! I believe him!"
"If you dare to cause any more trouble, I'll kick him out right now, and you can forget about ever seeing him again!" Ranlayob said sternly.
Azi dared not disobey any longer, letting her parents pull her away, turning back to look at Di Jingcheng. Di Jingcheng, afraid she would worry, gave her a reassuring smile.
The old woman took Di Jingcheng to the Yi ethnic ancestral hall, which was located at the foot of the mountain. Behind the ancestral hall was a huge dragon tree, which gave people a great sense of oppression when they looked up.
The old woman led the group through the back door to the ancestral hall filled with memorial tablets: "This is it."
"You can speak Chinese?" Qinghe asked, somewhat puzzled.
“I learned some things from Azi’s mother,” the old woman said softly, her Mandarin slightly accented, but still clear enough to be understood.
“Our little Azi was born smart and beautiful. She grew up pampered and never suffered any grievances. The people and things in the village are also very simple, so she is also a bit simple-minded.”
“Azi is indeed very good,” Di Jingcheng agreed, a smile appearing on his face.
"So, don't hold any grudges against the clan chief. He and his wife love Azi the most. They don't want Azi to suffer injustice for nothing."
“I know everything, thank you, Grandma.” Di Jingcheng walked to the center of the ancestral hall and knelt down, his knees resting on a patch of grass. He stood straight, his expression serious and earnest.
The old woman looked at the determined young man in front of her. He seemed like a good person, but his background was quite impressive, which made her uneasy.
"I'm leaving now." The old woman left, leaving only the three of them—the mistress, the servant, and the maid—in the ancestral hall.
Cheng Yi and Qing He knelt behind Emperor Jingcheng: "Your Majesty, how can you kneel again and again?"
In the silent ancestral hall, Di Jingcheng looked devoutly at the memorial tablets above, all written in characters he could not understand.
"You don't need to kneel. This is my own business. I'm just an ordinary person now, asking to marry the woman I love."
“But no one kneels at the ancestral hall when a wedding is being held!” Cheng Yi had never seen a noble emperor so humble and subservient, and he felt very distressed.
"Stop talking! If you keep talking, get back to Nanzhou!" Di Jingcheng said coldly.
Qinghe bit her lip: "But..."
Cheng Yi shook his head at her. The master's decisions are never changed. Just stop there, otherwise it would be overstepping his bounds.
As Di Jingcheng looked at the complex words, he sincerely begged for their forgiveness and recognition, hoping only to repent for the sins he had committed.
As for Azi, she was taken back to her room. Ranlayobu instructed the maids in the house to watch over her and not to allow her to look at Di Jingcheng.
She was extremely anxious and could only lie on her bed and cry. She had to think of a way to go see Cheng.
As night fell, Azi, exhausted from crying, ate a few bites of the food her maid had brought her and paced anxiously back and forth in her room. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice outside—it was Brother Yimeng!
She quickly opened the door: "Brother Yimeng! You're finally here!"
Shi Ge Yimeng walked in a somewhat strange way, but when she saw A Zi, she smiled happily and said, "A Zi, are you alright?"
Azi hastily wiped away her tears, saving Yimeng, and the maid beside her did not stop her.
"Brother Yimeng, I'm fine. How about you?"
Shi Geyimeng, enduring the pain in her knees and back, shook her head: "What could possibly be wrong with me! It's good that Azi is alright. Did you come back by yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Azi lowered her head in disappointment: "No, Acheng came too. However, he was punished by Father and made to kneel in the ancestral hall."
Upon hearing this, Yi Meng secretly realized he was too late.
He quickly pulled Azi into the room and locked the door: "How long have you been kneeling?"
Azi lowered her voice: "Brother Yimeng, can you go and check on him for me? If I run away, my father will probably be even angrier and dislike him even more."
"Don't worry, I'll go right away. You just listen to the clan leader and the others, or he'll be in big trouble," Yimeng instructed.
Azi nodded: "Thank you, Brother Yimeng!" She felt much more at ease. She knew her father well; kneeling in the ancestral hall meant no food or drink.
Shi Geyi quietly arrived at the entrance of the ancestral hall. Looking at the towering wall and the pitch-black sky, he knew he had no choice but to climb over. He took a few steps back, mustered all his strength, and with a running start, scaled the high wall.
His back and knees ached terribly from the strain. Cheng Yi stood in the corner, watching the young man grimacing against the wall with amusement. If he wasn't mistaken, this man had a close relationship with the Empress.
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