Baili Xi gave a mocking laugh and said, "I knew it. I really was fooled by my sister's weak and cowardly facade before. She speaks the gentlest words but does the most ruthless things—that's her true face!"
Zhang Lie said, "Madam, what should we do? If she changes her mind and refuses to help us, then we should..." He was about to say what he had been thinking: to start an uprising.
Baili Xi sneered, "She's not favored by the young emperor anyway. If she doesn't help us, what other options does she have?"
Zhang Lie thought about it and agreed, saying, "When I heard that she brought you into the palace, I thought she wanted to keep you there. I was really shocked."
Baili Xi said disdainfully, "She doesn't have that ability. She summoned us to the palace just to make me propose a divorce. However, she has been subservient to you for a long time, so she still wants your consent, which is why she sent someone to tell me."
She used the excuse of giving me beads to get Lord Jiang to bring me to the palace. However, she called Zhang Qi out alone…” Then she turned to Zhang Qi and asked, “Qi’er, what did Baili Nian say to you when she called you out?”
Zhang Qi said, "This woman is very strange. She called me to a deserted side hall, made me take off my upper body, and stared at my back for a while."
"Your back?" Baili Xi was slightly surprised. "Does she know you have a butterfly-shaped birthmark on your back?"
Zhang Qi shook his head, looking quite puzzled, and said, "I don't know either!"
Chu Nian used her spiritual power to probe the situation on their carriage and sneered inwardly: So these two are both acting geniuses; they were quite convincing just now.
This time, she brought the family of three into the palace, and basically did everything she was supposed to do. Zhang Lie's talk of detaining them was unrealistic for her.
She wouldn't openly break ties with Zhang Lie's family until she had sufficient military power and combat strength of her own.
Baili Xi, with her level 12 Xuan Qi, is enough to withstand a thousand troops. Who can hold her back?
A eunuch outside reported: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Grand Tutor Jiang Bai heard that there was trouble in Cining Palace, so he came to check on the situation."
Chu Nian was about to say, "Everything's alright now, let the Grand Tutor go back!" But the young emperor was overjoyed and exclaimed, "The Grand Tutor is here? Quickly, let him in!"
Chu Nian said helplessly, "It's so late, I want to rest." I've been acting here for so long, using both my mental energy and acting skills, is it easy for me?!
The young emperor said with considerable resentment, "Why didn't Mother suggest resting when she was facing Zhang Lie just now?"
Chu Nian: "Wasn't Zhang Lie already dragged away by his wife?"
The eunuch had already gone to deliver the imperial decree when Jiang Bai swaggered in, his wide robes billowing. He knelt before Chu Nian and the young emperor, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" three times before being led by the emperor to the spot where Zhang Lie had been sitting.
Chu Nian was still sitting behind the curtain. The young emperor was sitting not far in front of her, to her left.
"Grand Tutor, you've come to Cining Palace so late. Do you have something important to discuss with the Empress Dowager?" Before Chu Nian could speak, the young emperor asked first.
Chu Nian had also asked this question, but seeing the little emperor's excited, starry eyes, she decided to quietly remain a background figure.
Jiang Bai said, "I was originally summoned to the palace by order of the Empress Dowager to summon Lady Weiwu and the Crown Prince. I did not expect to hear that Your Majesty came to Cining Palace in a hurry. I was worried that something had happened here, so I came to see what was going on."
The young emperor was still annoyed by the mention of this matter. He sighed and said, "Grand Tutor, the Marquis of Weiwu has been acting improperly. I think he is just coveting the Empress Dowager's gentleness and beauty. Do you have any ideas about this?"
"Uh, this..." Jiang Bai was clearly a little embarrassed.
The young emperor said, "Grand Tutor, please speak freely."
Jiang Bai said, "Your Majesty, since ancient times, whenever foreign officials have coveted the palace, there has only been one way to deal with it."
The young emperor asked, "What method?"
Jiang Bai coughed lightly, then turned to Chu Nian and said, "This matter still requires the Empress Dowager's approval."
The young emperor hurriedly said, "The Empress Dowager is an honest and upright person. Asking her won't do you any good. You should tell me quickly what a good idea is!"
Jiang Bai then extended his hand and made a chopping motion.
The young emperor said, "Kill them? This method suits my taste perfectly, it is..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Bai interrupted him in a low voice: "What I mean is, cut it off."
The young emperor pondered, "Does the Grand Tutor mean that after killing him, he should be dismembered? That's not entirely impossible..."
"Pfft!" Chu Nian's sudden laughter interrupted the little emperor's words: This little emperor is adorably silly.
The young emperor turned his head and looked over, somewhat bewildered.
Chu Nian was covering her mouth in exasperation when she saw him looking over, so she frankly said, "Sorry, I burst out laughing. You don't need to mind me, please continue." As it turns out, being a background character isn't so easy after all.
The young emperor asked, utterly bewildered and confused, "Mother, you have always favored Marquis Weiwu. Right now, the Grand Tutor and I are discussing how to kill him. Why aren't you worried about Marquis Weiwu at all? You even laughed out loud?"
Chu Nian coughed lightly and could only say, "I just found the conversation between the Emperor and the Grand Tutor quite interesting."
The little emperor continued with a blank look: "What's interesting about it?"
Chu Nian pondered for a moment and said, "Uh, it feels a bit... nonsensical."
Jiang Bai turned his head to look in another direction: he was secretly laughing, genuinely!
Seeing this, Chu Nian felt that he really resembled Chen Zhao at this moment: it felt like their cores were the same.
The young emperor asked in surprise, "How is that completely irrelevant?"
Jiang Bai had no choice but to explain, "Your Majesty, I misunderstood. I didn't mean dismemberment, but rather... castration."
The young emperor was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening. He pointed at Jiang Bai and laughed, "Grand Tutor, you're so wicked!"
Jiang Bai chuckled softly.
Chu Nian said helplessly, "Don't be so happy. What kind of person is Marquis Weiwu? Would he make you castrate him? If it were that easy, I would have killed him already."
The young emperor thought, "It seems that Mother really trusts him a lot!"
Chu Nian was even more helpless and said, "What I said is clearly the truth."
Jiang Bai asked, "But I wonder what brilliant plan the Empress Dowager has?"
Chu Nian: "I am exhausted and just want to sleep. I can't think of any brilliant ideas."
After hearing this, Jiang Bai stood up and bowed, saying, "In that case, I will take my leave. Your Majesty has had a long day and certainly needs to rest."
The young emperor said, "In that case, Grand Tutor, please come with me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation first. We will come up with a practical solution before you return."
"This..." Jiang Bai hesitated, "Your Majesty, it's getting late..."
The young emperor said, "If all else fails, you can stay in my palace for the night. My bedchamber has plenty of rooms for you."
Jiang Bai then smiled and said, "Since Your Majesty has given the decree, then I have no choice but to respectfully obey."
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