When the army entered Beijing, they were warmly received by the people, who generously showered them with flowers and fruits.
The imperial court was filled with praise. The Su and Wen families already had a strong foundation, and after their sons made great contributions, naturally people would speak up for them.
No one noticed that after Wen Xin returned to the capital, the first place he went was to Prime Minister Wang's residence, but he left with a displeased expression.
After that, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the ministers of various departments, and the Nine Ministers either refused to see the letters that came to their door or talked about other things.
Xu's eldest son escorted Wen Guojiu to the door, then waved goodbye and returned to his father's study.
Xu Yan, dressed in casual home clothes, sat comfortably behind his desk, a white jade chess piece between his slender fingers, which he hesitated to put down.
The flickering candlelight blurred the fine lines on Xu Yan's face in its dim yellow light.
"Sent off"
"Yes," the eldest son of the Xu family nodded, then asked with a puzzled look, "Why didn't Father tell Lord Wen about the goddess's miracle? Perhaps he would have understood then."
Wenxin repeatedly visited important officials, persuading them to submit petitions opposing the goddess, using contemptuous language and regarding the goddess as a blatant liar who deceived heaven.
In the eyes of the eldest son of the Xu family, who believed it wholeheartedly, this brother-in-law of the emperor in the Wen family had gone astray.
"You think no one else mentioned it? That old codger Wang Xiang definitely brought it up insincerely, but that Wen family brat has changed his tune."
Xu Yan gave a sarcastic snort, the chess piece clattering onto the board. "Since that's the case, why waste your breath?"
What he didn't say was that some people might be pushing this Imperial Uncle Wen to test the Goddess's bottom line.
How would a goddess descend to the mortal realm to undergo tribulation react when faced with those who slander and defame her, calling her a fraud?
There was another reason: without any opposition or dissent, how could their piety and faith in the goddess be highlighted?
The best way for believers to please God is to offer up the corpses of heretics and unbelievers.
………………
"I heard there's been some unrest among the public these past few days?"
Lady Yang was startled, and cold sweat broke out on her back.
Since the army returned to Beijing, General Su and Wen Guojiu have been spreading rumors, claiming that the Goddess of Mount Tai is a fraud.
This nonsense should have disappeared quickly, but for some reason it has only gotten worse.
Ordinary people were fine with believing in gods and ghosts, but once rumors started circulating, things got really messy.
In the marketplace, people everywhere spout nonsense, implying or even explicitly stating that His Majesty and the court officials have been deceived by a swindler.
Although many people still defended the goddess, the Buddhist community was extremely active and did everything in its power to protect her.
But no one can guarantee that the goddess won't be angered by this, or that blood will flow like a river...
Now even the goddess knows.
Despite her anxiety, Lady Yang maintained a composed expression and said, "Your Highness is overthinking it; it's just the ravings of some ignorant people."
Ling Xin, who was meticulously combing the hair of her idol, suddenly turned cold, but her hands became even gentler.
These people are all deceitful bastards who deceived the goddess!
A general and the emperor's brother-in-law, under their protection, harmed the goddess, and no one punished them.
According to her, these blasphemers should be torn to pieces!
"Nonsense? Only a madman would talk nonsense, don't you think?" A pair of dark eyes seemed to contain endless madness and darkness, striking straight into the deepest part of people's hearts.
Seeing that Lady Yang dared not speak further, Ling Xiao calmly said, "Tomorrow at the morning court, have Li Yue reserve a seat for me."
"Yes," Lady Yang answered hastily, not daring to question it at all. After leaving, she walked faster and faster until she was almost running towards the palace where the emperor lived.
"Host, do you want the love potion, the disfigurement powder, or this fertility pill...?"
The system sensed trouble brewing and actively recommended items to help Ling Xiao's career.
The "Warm Love Balm" is, as the name suggests, a product for that kind of thing. It's produced by the system and is extremely effective, guaranteeing that after using it, you'll be able to stay up all night like the male protagonist of a certain Tang.
It's a perfect tool for palace intrigue, but its only drawback is that it takes effect immediately once applied, no matter where you are.
Needless to say, disfigurement powder is a surefire way to strike at your love rival; a small group of people can turn a beauty into a demon.
"No rush, we'll just improvise," Ling Xiao waved his hand.
She lightly touched the props accumulated from the previous series of actions with her finger. The abundance of these props would make a low-level host envious if they saw them.
It covers almost 80% of the props that can be produced on a palace drama film set!
"How dare they spread rumors about me! This goddess will naturally give them a grand commemoration!"
In his eyes, the black energy on the host's body became more active than ever before.
……………………
The emperor put down his pen. "Is that what the goddess said?"
"Not a single word of it is false."
"Yan Pei, I recall there was a throne in the storeroom?"
The head eunuch spoke slowly and naturally:
“That’s right. It was made by the last emperor of the previous dynasty. It was inlaid with rare treasures. The red gold alone cost three thousand taels. The founding emperor said it was too extravagant, so he never used it.”
Li Yue chuckled; his youthful appearance gave him a unique kind of handsomeness.
“My aunt is of noble status, so naturally only the best things are worthy of her.”
Yan Pei understood immediately and ordered his men to bring out the throne and place it next to the emperor's throne.
The extremely luxurious and prestigious throne subtly diminished the size of the imperial throne, causing the accompanying disciples to tremble with fear.
"Master, isn't this overstepping our bounds?"
The head eunuch gave him a sharp rap on the head:
"You don't know anything. If a goddess wants to attend court, do you think she can just get any chair?"
Not long after, the emperor kept the news tightly under wraps, and the outer court was completely unaware that Ling Xiao was going to court.
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