"Your Majesty! I am the current Duke Yang of Qi!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell silent.
Duke Yang of Qi?
The Yang family was confused.
The Shen family also widened their eyes as if they had heard some fairy tale.
The people were even more confused.
"Duke Yang of Qi...is a woman?"
"That's not right. Even if she's a girl, her age doesn't match. What's going on..."
Just as people were talking about it all around.
Yang Zhao's voice rang out again: "My mother, Qi Yun... was personally conferred the title of Duke Yang of Qi by the late Emperor."
"Back then, the late emperor, concerned that my mother was a woman and feared that the world would misunderstand her, or that she would be harmed by those with ulterior motives, issued a decree allowing her to not attend court. If she didn't want to, she would never have to show her face to the world. The title of Duke Yang of Qi would be hereditary forever!"
"Ten years ago, my mother passed away, and at the age of eleven I inherited her title and became 'Duke Yang of Qi'."
Yang Zhao then performed the ritual of lord and subject before Emperor Wenyuan. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I... have been mindful of my mother's dying words: to keep a low profile and do good deeds. I must not reveal my identity, fearing that I would be unacceptable to the world. Therefore, I have not performed the ritual of subject before Your Majesty until now."
"As for my accusation of murder against the Shen family, it's because they drugged me into the lake, nearly strangled me to death due to the bandit incident, and then, for the sake of their mistress and their son, they favored a concubine over my wife. After that incident came to light, they began to slander my reputation and wanted to divorce me..."
"Everyone knows that a divorced woman has no other options except a white silk scarf."
"The Shen family is trying to murder me!"
It’s true!
This world is so harsh on women.
The best outcome of a divorce is to have your hair cut off and become a nun, but once you are divorced, there is really no way out.
Unless your family is big enough to accommodate you.
But how many families in this world would tolerate divorcing a daughter? Even if your loving father and brothers could tolerate it, those relatives with daughters waiting to be married would definitely not allow it...
"If a woman's reputation is slandered and she is divorced without any fault, it is indeed tantamount to murder."
"Not only that, but it will also drag down the people of my mother's tribe. This is even more abominable than simple murder..."
Yang Zhao then continued, "If Your Majesty requires evidence to prove my identity as 'Duke Yang of Qi,' you can ask the Duke of Zhenguo to testify. He was present when the late emperor bestowed honors upon my mother, and he also met with me privately after my mother passed away."
Duke of Zhenguo?
Emperor Wenyuan stood up suddenly upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, I can prove that the young lady is Duke Yang of Qi. I was once a subordinate of the former Duke Yang of Qi." However, at this moment, someone suddenly stood up in the crowd.
"Even ordinary people can prove it."
"I am the owner of Yunxianlou, and I can prove it..."
“…”
People kept standing up around the crowd.
Someone soon discovered it.
"Isn't that the owner of the Liujin Store?"
"And Yunxian Tower..."
The people were immediately surprised when they heard and looked. Yunxianlou had just issued a bounty a few days ago, and almost everyone present knew the owner.
"No wonder Yunxianlou was so generous back then..."
"If it weren't for the bounty from Yunxianlou, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to find my child..."
Emperor Wenyuan looked at the shopkeepers and managers who had stood up, his gaze fell on Yang Zhao, and a deep undercurrent flashed in his eyes...
The most surprised people were probably the Yang family.
Especially Wei, whose eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Duke Yang of Qi? How is it possible..."
Old Madam Yang also widened her eyes in astonishment. A wry, self-deprecating smile crossed her face as she thought of something: "...No wonder...you're the one who brings disaster upon yourself!"
She closed her eyes deeply, and the Buddhist beads in her hand had been broken by her, and fell to the ground...
The Shen family was even more shocked and surprised, but then they showed joy...
Duke Yang of Qi is actually the wife of their Shen family?
Isn’t this equivalent to their Shen family?
But just as this beautiful thought passed through their minds, a sharp voice of disbelief rang out: "Impossible, how could you be that Qi Yanggong, impossible..."
Old Madam Shen’s face turned pale and blue, and she kept repeating “impossible”.
The head of the Shen family came back to his senses at this time, and the joy in his eyes suddenly turned into a torrent of anger. He rushed over and slapped Old Madam Shen in the face: "You vicious woman, this is all your fault, why don't you go and apologize!"
"Yes, go and apologize."
"Ah Zhao is our Shen family's wife after all. If it weren't for you and Lan Jie'er messing around, A Zhao and Li'er would still be a loving couple. You should go and apologize to A Zhao..."
Old Madam Shen's face flushed red.
At this time, the Yang family also reacted.
They straightened their backs and pointed at the Shen family angrily: "How dare you, the Shen family, apologize!"
"When I kindly suggested a divorce earlier, what did you say? You were just a little bitch, throwing dirty water on my daughter from the Yang family. Now that you know our Ah Zhao is the Duke of Qi Yang, you're trying to apologize?"
"Get out! Stop dreaming!"
The Shen family members were not angry at this time. Instead, they flattered each other and said, "A Zhao is still our Shen family wife after all. She is a member of our Shen family..."
"Yes, even if she is Duke Yang of Qi, she is still the wife of our Shen family. Her name is also in our Shen family tree. This identity is set in stone..."
The Shen family was shameless to the extreme at this time.
They kept calling Yang Zhao the wife of the Shen family and a member of the Shen family, and they just wanted to tie Yang Zhao up and kill him in their Shen family.
As for the previous sins.
As long as Yang Zhao is there, they are not afraid at all.
Seeing the Shen family's ugly faces, the people present felt that their worldviews had been refreshed...
But Yang Zhao smiled in his heart.
Because the time has come.
She exchanged a glance with Yang Huaijin, placed her hands on her forehead, and was about to bend over and kowtow to Emperor Wenyuan when...
"The Queen Mother has arrived—"
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