Ling Xiao smiled, but her words struck a nerve: "I wouldn't dare go with you. Who knows, you might stab me to death!"
Yan Xun was startled and quickly said, "Why would you think that?"
"Because I've thought about doing it!" Ling Xiao said matter-of-factly.
Before he could finish speaking, the wooden window was suddenly flung open with force, striking Yan Xun squarely on the left side of his face.
The smiling beauty inside the carriage looked at him with a mocking gaze, while Yan Xun felt a sharp pain on his face, a burning sensation emanating from his flesh.
Without even looking, Yan Xun knew his face was swollen, and he was filled with rage but couldn't vent it.
If she really is that person's daughter, and is hostile to the Yanfei faction, I must not act rashly.
Otherwise… A hint of fear flashed in Yan Xun’s eyes.
The current emperor is a cold-blooded and ruthless monster; the Yan family will definitely pay with their lives.
Another person arrived on horseback, bowing his head and inviting Ling Xiao to get out of the carriage and rest, breaking the silence.
Yan Xun awkwardly replied, "You're joking," then turned and left. The next second, his eyes darkened, and he felt a surge of humiliation.
The system sighed, "The male protagonist in this original timeline is truly a hypocrite."
"Hehehehe," Ling Xiao sneered a few times. "I know this kind of person best. They're the most generous and kind as long as their own interests aren't harmed, but once they're offended, they'd want to grind the person to dust."
The system nodded and casually asked, "How do you know so much?"
"Because that's the kind of person I am," Ling Xiao said, not ashamed but proud.
The system understood; this was a showdown between a vicious woman and a hypocritical man.
From Jinling to the capital, the caravan passed through several cities without stopping, only sending people to replenish food and water. Ling Xiao ate and slept well the whole way.
Governor Zhao dared not neglect Ling Xiao, so he scoured the mansion for valuables and stuffed them into the caravan without hesitation, ensuring that the man would not suffer any hardship.
The closer they got to the capital, the more Yan Xun made his moves, constantly showering them with tenderness and pleas for forgiveness. If Ling Xiao hadn't been so indifferent to beauty, any real young girl would probably have surrendered long ago.
That day, an announcement came: "Miss, we've arrived in the capital."
Ling Xiao looked up at the majestic city walls of the capital, her eyes filled with interest.
………………
She really said that.
The kneeling person, drenched in cold sweat, their forehead touching the cold floor, struggled to remain calm as they answered:
"The princess said that for her to enter the palace, all officials must pay homage, making her famous throughout the land."
The speaker was uneasy; these words were too much, and His Majesty was not one to be easily swayed.
Laughter came from the head of the table. The emperor burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. "So this temperament is more like mine than Yue'er's!"
The emperor was deeply moved and turned to ask, "Does the princess look like me?" Zhao Rui had confidently stated that the princess resembled her parents very much—he dared not say that Ling Xiao did not look like her father.
It is inauspicious for a son to be unlike his father.
The speaker's tone was stunned as he said, "She is exactly like the late empress."
The person sent by the emperor to fetch his beloved daughter was naturally a trusted confidant who had been by his side for many years and was also very familiar with Empress Zhangde.
Having witnessed all the past grievances and entanglements, and seeing that face reappear, how could one not feel a pang of sorrow?
The emperor's smile froze, and he asked incredulously, "She looks just like Yue'er?"
"Your subject dares not speak falsely."
After the visitor left, the emperor remained seated motionless until the lanterns were lit and the palace maids who were changing the candles were astonished to find the emperor with tears streaming down his face.
The next day, the emperor held a banquet and instructed his attendants, "I am delighted. Please invite the court officials, princes, princesses, and members of the imperial family to the palace to share in my joy."
Those who received the summons were all greatly alarmed, because in the past ten years or so, apart from the three major festivals and two birthdays, no one had ever been invited to hold a palace banquet.
The emperor is such a cold-blooded and ruthless person, this time it's probably not going to be a good thing.
Everyone was filled with unease, and the princes of the royal family were so frightened that they were as trembling as quails.
To put it simply, the late emperor was very fertile, with a total of twenty-five sons and thirteen princesses. To this day, there are eight living children, both male and female!
It can't be that the father killed the son, so what happened to all those princes' children? Hmm, you all know the answer, right?
His Majesty is a proponent of gender equality in certain respects.
Some people, barely suppressing their fear, slipped money to the eunuch who delivered the message, then cautiously inquired, "How has His Majesty been these past few days?"
The eunuch gave him a strange look and said in a deep voice, "Of course, that's excellent. His Majesty's decree states that he wishes to share the joy with the nobles."
The person asking the question gave a smile that was more like a grimace: "Tong Le, I'm afraid you'd rather kill us to amuse His Majesty."
Unlike these people, the Duke of Yan's mansion and Consort Yan in the palace were fully aware of the Emperor's intentions.
They already knew that Empress Zhangde had another daughter, but it seemed they had discovered something and set their sights on the Yan family.
"It is common knowledge that Her Majesty and the late Empress were on good terms. Before His Majesty, we have a clear conscience."
The Duke of Yan gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the table, speaking with great force, but his hands inside his sleeves were trembling uncontrollably.
Yan Xun remained silent. In his view, His Majesty was not a foolish ruler, no matter how much he loved Empress Zhangde and treated her daughter well.
The Crown Prince is also born to Consort Yan. Even if His Majesty does something to the Yan family for the sake of the Crown Prince, the country is of paramount importance.
Besides, the mistake Consort Yan made back then wasn't that big. For so many years, the Yan family has paid homage to Empress Zhangde and held annual sacrifices to her. Isn't that enough?
"Alright, His Majesty will definitely be introducing that princess at tomorrow's banquet, so let's be careful."
As soon as Yan Xun spoke, the girl in green beside him looked dissatisfied and muttered:
"What princess? A bastard without even a title! My cousin is His Majesty's apple of his eye."
"Shut up!" the Duchess of Yan snapped, and seeing her daughter still defiant, a tear rolled down her cheek as she pointed at her and said:
"What do you know? Back then, Empress Zhangde was the most powerful woman in the palace. If she hadn't wanted to die young, your cousin would have been forced to have an abortion."
What the Duchess of Yan didn't say was that Consort Yan's pregnancy with Jingning was already dishonorable, and it was one of the reasons that Empress Zhangde died of depression.
The girl was startled and nodded while tears streamed down her face.
Compared to them, Consort Yan remained relatively calm. "Times have changed. I am now the mother of the Crown Prince. His Majesty will not take offense at the words of a mere child."
Moreover, she really didn't do anything back then. She just secretly helped when others framed Empress Zhangde for having an affair, and afterwards she helped them clear their name.
Who would have thought the Empress would have such a fiery temper, arguing with His Majesty and giving birth to her child outside the palace?
As for her getting into the Emperor's bed through the Empress's influence and becoming pregnant with Jingning, that was perfectly natural; she was His Majesty's rightful concubine.
The fifth day of the eighth lunar month is auspicious for weddings, sacrifices, and burials, but inauspicious for planting and travel.
The Emperor's Grand Banquet.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
