Hongyu acted decisively, rushing forward to embrace the Emperor.
With a whoosh, an arrow shot out and struck Hongyu squarely in the back.
"Quickly, go after the assassin!" The Emperor ignored the stares of others and rushed into the government office with Hongyu in his arms.
------
It was already late afternoon (3-5 PM).
Upon returning to the Mu family, Chen Yu went straight to Jinxiu Garden to visit Old Madam Mu.
Since General Mu passed away, Madam Mu has become depressed. Upon hearing that Shuxiang and Chenjing would be entering the palace the next day, she was heartbroken and fell ill.
Sure enough, Madam Mu summoned Mu Nanfeng to her room for questioning.
"Nanfeng, has Yanghua entered the palace?"
"Mother, Yanghua didn't ask the Emperor to withdraw the decree. I... I'm afraid that if I go to the palace to plead with the Emperor to rescind the order, I'll be targeted by ministers with ulterior motives, who might accuse our Mu family of disobeying the imperial decree. Only Yanghua can handle this matter; after all, she is the Emperor's own sister."
“Alas… why is Yanghua so stubborn? They say serving the emperor is like walking on thin ice, and the emperor favors Lady Yu. I fear that Shuxiang and Chenjing will be plotted against if they enter the palace. If anything happens to Shuxiang and Chenjing, how can I face your deceased father…”
As Madam Mu spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
Shen Yu was also saddened. Before she could even open the door, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.
She turned around and saw Third Master Bai walking briskly towards her, panting, and saying, "Miss Chenyu, hurry to the yamen, Madam Yu has been ambushed and is injured."
"Please call a doctor, or even the imperial physician."
Master Bai shook his head. "It's no use. It's a rare poison from the north. The Emperor has ordered you to go and treat it."
The imperial decree could not be disobeyed! Chen Yu had no choice but to go, but she had other plans in mind.
In the backyard of the government office.
The Emperor sat on the edge of the bed, holding Hongyu's hands in his own, his eyes welling up with tears. To him, Hongyu was his destined benefactor; if it weren't for her persuasion to go to Jiangnan, he would never have had the chance to inherit the throne.
Hearing Chen Yu enter, he kept his eyes fixed on Hong Yu and sternly ordered, "I command you to detoxify Hong Yu! Quickly!"
Shen Yu was startled, never expecting that the kind-hearted Song Hua would be so dignified after becoming emperor. Because she needed to negotiate with the emperor, she was too nervous to speak and knelt on the ground.
Seeing that Hongyu's breathing was becoming increasingly rapid and her body was beginning to convulse, the Emperor became anxious and turned to Chenyu, shouting angrily, "Hurry up! If Hongyu dies, I will punish you!"
Chen Yu, filled with fear, mustered her courage and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty... I have a request."
We'll talk about this after Hongyu wakes up.
The Emperor... will not allow it; even if the fish sinks, he will not save Hongyu.
Bang!
The Emperor abruptly stood up, knocking Yuan Deng to the ground, and approached Chen Yu angrily, shouting, "You dare to negotiate with me? You're threatening me!"
Shen Yu's palms were sweating and her whole body was trembling, but if she didn't stop Shuxiang and Chenjing from entering the palace, her mother would be so angry that she would die.
She kowtowed, her forehead touching the ground, pleading, "Your Majesty, please rescind the decree; Shuxiang and Chenjing are not allowed to enter the palace."
Why? Isn't this what your Mu family has always dreamed of?
[The Mu family is large, but this is not my mother's intention. My mother knows her children well; they are quiet, shrewish, and difficult to get along with. Shuxiang is just a servant girl. Neither of them is worthy to enter the palace to serve the Emperor. I implore the Emperor to withdraw the decree.]
"Help me..." Hongyu cried out weakly.
The Emperor panicked, no longer bothering to dwell on Shen Yu's offense or investigate why the Mu family had gone back on their word. He hastily granted Shen Yu's request, saying, "Very well! I rescind the decree. Quickly save Hong Yu."
Shen Yu was delighted, but remembering Shen Jing's narrow-mindedness and vengeful nature, she had no choice but to negotiate with the Emperor again: "Your Majesty must also help Shen Yu keep this a secret and absolutely must not betray Shen Yu, lest the Mu sisters become enemies."
The emperor had no choice but to nod.
The next day at noon, the Emperor saw that Hongyu was out of danger and then allowed Chenyu to leave the government office.
When Chen Yu returned to Xixiang Garden, she saw maids and servants busy in the courtyard, moving tables and chairs, carrying bedding, and even carrying bundles she had never seen before.
Could it be that someone is going to move into Xixiangyuan?
Something's not right. A case happened at her residence in Guhe Village, so Mu Nanfeng made her stay at the Mu family's West Alley Garden.
This West Alley Garden is located on the westernmost side of the Mu family estate. By blocking the small gate leading to the Mu family home, it becomes a separate courtyard. Therefore, Old Madam Mu promised that when she had time, she would register the West Alley Garden under Chen Yu's name.
In that case, the Mu family can't possibly let anyone else move in, right?
Upon seeing this, Cuiwei ran to inquire with the maid. It turned out that Yanghua's aunt, Gu Liaoshi, had moved in with her two daughters.
Shen Yu speculated: She begged the Emperor to withdraw the decree, and Yang Hua's plan failed. It is likely that Aunt Liao's two daughters were other pawns that Yang Hua had found.
That's true.
Yesterday, Yang Hua was terrified to learn that the Emperor had forbidden Shuxiang and Chenjing from entering the palace.
With no one in the Emperor's harem, Prince Xiang, after much deliberation, chose Bao Qianqiu as his empress. Bao Qianqiu is dignified, virtuous, upright, and kind; having her manage the harem would surely save a lot of infighting.
Therefore, King Xiang, together with his ministers, recommended Bao Qianqiu to enter the palace.
Instead, Kong recommended his youngest daughter, Kong He'er, to enter the palace.
The Emperor granted both of his fathers' requests.
This made Yang Hua uneasy. If she didn't plant her own people, she feared that the Mu family would be ignored by the emperor in the future.
After thinking for a long time, she finally thought of Aunt Liao.
Aunt Liao had two daughters and relied on her husband's inherited property to make a living. Now, both girls had grown into beautiful young women, the perfect age to enter the palace. Therefore, Yang Hua ordered someone to bring Aunt Liao and her two daughters to the Mu family overnight.
The door opened, and Yang Hua strode in, pulling Chen Yu aside to whisper in a corner:
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