verbal dispute
Upon hearing about the verbal dispute, Queen Chen Yun of Qiankun Kingdom took the initiative to go there in person.
Arriving at the Honglu Temple, one sees calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, wooden chairs and tea tables placed on the southeast sides, and a patterned yellow carpet on the floor. When the sunlight shines in, one sees not the luxurious furniture, but the tension between several people.
On the east side, the fifth princesses Li Changyan and Yan Ruoxi stood on both sides of the hall, and standing between the two women with their hands on their hips was the fifth prince consort Nalan Si.
Looking at the south side, Wei Ningshuang was standing with her hands on her hips, her legs crossed, looking away at Xuanyuan Haonan who was sitting opposite her.
When everyone saw the queen coming, they all bowed.
"It's really murderous." Then Chen Yan stretched out his hand and motioned everyone to sit down.
Li Changyan stared at the jade bracelet on Chen Yun's hand. It was the legacy of the late empress dowager, and also symbolized the majesty and recognition of the queen. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Sister-in-law! Changle is just angry."
"Is Concubine Yan angry that she and her husband still have feelings for each other?"
After hearing what Chen Yun said, Nalan Si hurriedly looked at Li Changyan beside him, and unconsciously touched the belt around his waist. Chen Yun also saw it.
"If that were the case, I would have no complaints. I would simply consider it a case of not knowing the person well. But a few days ago, you were spreading rumors everywhere that my father was a traitor! How could a child like me tolerate this?"
Looking at Nalan Si's expression again, he looked impatient and helpless, while Li Changyan beside him just frowned slightly.
Li Changyan glanced at Yan Ruoxi and said, "First, the prince consort is no longer involved with you, so why did you flirt with him so many times? Second, this princess is right. General Yan once threatened the prince consort with the news that the Tufan Kingdom was about to advance eastward, forcing him to marry his daughter as soon as possible. The emperor didn't even know that the Tufan Kingdom was about to advance eastward, so how did he know?"
Yan Ruoxi, who was so angry that she leaned back, swallowed back the words that were about to come out, then stood up and walked to Li Changyan. Nalan Si immediately stood in front of Li Changyan.
Yan Ruoxi's eyes changed gently like the rippling water. Her former lover stood before her for another woman. Yan Ruoxi sneered, and then her smile became more and more presumptuous. It was as if she was mocking her own naivety, the naivety of admiring someone from the past.
Yan Ruoxi suppressed her emotions and said calmly, "When did Dad ever say such a thing? Why would he say such a thing? Could it be that the Fifth Princess doesn't know the situation of the Twelve Cavalry Generals? Ah, no, maybe she is just deliberately bullying me."
Yan Ruoxi and Li Changyan leaned forward with suppressed anger. From the way they looked at each other, it was like sparks colliding. Neither of them would give in, and even their hairpins were slightly raised.
Chen Yun asked, "So after General Yan mentioned this matter, how did you two handle it?"
Li Changyan looked away and said, "I heard it from someone in the palace. Without concrete evidence, we won't deal with it. But rumors are just rumors, and there must be a reason for them. Imperial sister-in-law, you're a woman too. How can you understand a woman who wouldn't be angry about her husband being seduced and threatened by a vixen?"
"No evidence? How could a princess be so rude to her brother's concubine? She's talking about it but she doesn't say anything. She must know about General Yan's affairs, otherwise why would she be so inconsistent?" Thinking of this, Chen Yun smiled slightly and said, "Oil and water can't mix, mainly because water is a polar molecule, while oil and fat are non-polar. According to the principle of like dissolves like, oil and water can't mix. In other words, since they are from different worlds, why is the princess's mansion so upset about it?"
Xuanyuan Haonan sneered, then said: "What an incompatible statement. The truth is right, but Queen, please forgive me for saying this. In your Majesty's harem, apart from the Queen, how many people are selfless?"
Wei Ningshuang responded coldly, "When will it be the turn of His Majesty of Yanyou to worry about the internal affairs of Qiankun Kingdom? It is His Majesty who has not returned to deal with state affairs for a long time, and has to involve us girls in trivial matters, okay?"
"Family matters?" Xuanyuan Haonan glanced at Wei Ningshuang with disdain, then took out a jade pendant from his arms.
"Since the Queen is here, please explain whether this jade pendant belongs to the Yan Mansion of your Twelve Cavalrymen. It was found on the battlefield with us at the end of last year. Therefore, I dare not disturb your private affairs today. However, we must give a reasonable explanation for our state affairs."
After this sentence, everyone fell silent and no one dared to answer the question casually.
"What should I do? I know nothing. I'm not sure if it's blackmail. But if I offend the emperor of another country, I'll be in trouble. By the way, my fifth sister mentioned it just now." Just as Chen Yan was thinking secretly in her heart, she looked at Li Changyan, only to see that Li Changyan's expression looked very solemn, and her fingers kept twisting the edge of her clothes.
Chen Yun lowered his head and thought, "Is it her?" Then he raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, the owner of the jade pendant is deceased. Someone has misappropriated it. Now, the idea here is that those who actively report clues will be treated leniently and even without corporal punishment."
After hearing what Chen Yun said, Xuanyuan Haonan disagreed. He moved uncomfortably and sat down. "Queen! We are not here to listen to your decision."
"I understand. Your Majesty, please first answer whether you agree with the handling method. This concerns the way the Yanyou Kingdom handles it."
Xuanyuan Haonan hesitated for a moment and nodded.
Chen Yun continued, "Very well. Since Your Majesty agrees to this approach, it demonstrates that our exchanges are based on peace and harmony between our two countries. I hope that if anyone causes trouble and refuses to confess the truth, regardless of whether they are royal relatives, they will be sent to your country as slaves and will no longer be accepted. Furthermore, the truth will be investigated, and we will have a basis for handling the matter."
"Then your country's fifth prince consort and fifth princess have said... that General Yan, during his lifetime, sent people to lurk in neighboring countries, then took bribes from those officials, bringing shame upon Qiankun Nation. Queen, you must consider carefully whether this was a frame-up or deliberate."
Chen Ying frowned and looked at Nalan Si and Li Changyan. Their eyes did not meet Chen Ying's, but their expressions were surprisingly calm.
"When did those people say these things? Are they sick? How can members of the royal family speak nonsense? No, so to speak, the fifth princess and the fifth prince consort instigated remarks to create the illusion of a war between Tufan, Yanyou and the Qiankun Three Kingdoms. But what good will this do to Nalan Si and Changle?" Thinking of this, Chen Yan stood up.
"Fifth Princess, Fifth Prince Consort. Although Consort Yan Xian is a concubine, she is also your sister-in-law. A person's status is the rules, and yet you are causing trouble out of nothing. Where is your own status? How many people have ruined their families because of their wild imaginations? Do I need to give you examples? Where is your former virtue and wisdom? Why do you have to curse like a commoner? Isn't it shameful?"
"Empress sister-in-law!"
"If you still think your sister-in-law is the queen, you two should apologize now!"
The loud noise made by the bracelet on Chen Yun's hand when he slammed the table, coupled with the pressure brought by the ups and downs of his soft voice, made everyone afraid.
Li Changyan and Nalan Si had no choice but to bow their heads and admit their mistakes.
Wei Ningshuang looked at Xuanyuan Haonan with pride, but he did not look happy. After all, everyone present could hear that these words were apparently blaming Li Changyan and Nalan Si, but in fact they were indirectly blaming Wei Ningshuang and Xuanyuan Haonan.
"Since the Queen is so understanding, I apologize for my previous disrespect to the Imperial Concubine. However, I hope the Queen will respond as soon as possible."
"must."
After the meeting, when Yan Ruoxi and the maid returned to the palace, Nalan Si came to her. The maid wanted to stop him, but was stopped by Yan Ruoxi.
Yan Ruoxi came to Nalan Si and asked, "Fifth Prince Consort, what's the important matter?"
"Ruoxi, I was just acting. Although my tone was a bit harsh, I didn't mean to be hostile to you."
"It's alright. Also, please address me as Consort Yanxian."
"Can you please stop being so distant? I know you were forced into the harem. But I was also forced into marriage, and the emperor's order cannot be disobeyed. As long as you are willing to divorce, the princess..."
Yan Ruoxi raised her hand to stop him from continuing. "Alright, stop. The Fifth Prince Consort might have a misunderstanding. First, although all the concubines in the harem are not as favored as the Empress, I am the Palace Master of Quling Palace. I have such status, and you...cannot overstep your bounds. Second, my heart has been broken since the day you chose the princess. Please don't continue to pester me."
Yan Ruoxi was leaving, but when the two were silent, they just brushed past each other, which made Nalan Si feel conflicted. He didn't know whether he was dissatisfied or still had admiration for her. He immediately turned around and held Yan Ruoxi's hand.
"You won't get the emperor's warmth!"
"Since the Yan family was wiped out and I was abandoned by you, everything has changed. Fortunately, Your Majesty has shown me favor. And..." Yan Ruoxi retracted her hand, "It's not that I don't have any feelings for Your Majesty."
Then, Yan Ruoxi left. She recalled the vows they had made to each other. It was happy, but it was a thing of the past. Instead of turning her back on the man who had broken her heart, she breathed a deep sigh of relief alone. This was Yan Ruoxi. A concubine who had finally let go of the past.
Nalan Si knew that he could never get back his lost love, so he closed his eyes and lowered his head.
Elsewhere, the sun's shadow over the Honglu Temple gradually set in the west. In Wei Ningshuang's bedroom, her son, Li Mingqing, was writing in ink. Outside, Xuanyuan Haonan's boot heel crushed the last white plum blossom on the steps.
Xuanyuan Haonan broke directly into Wei Ningshuang's bedroom. The palace maid blocked the door with her body and shouted, "Your Majesty Xuanyuan, you must not do this! Your Majesty Xuanyuan! Such behavior will damage the reputation of both countries!"
"Ningshuang, can you please come out and talk? Bring our prince with you."
At this time, Wei Ningshuang came out with a sword and put it around Xuanyuan Haonan's neck.
"Your Majesty Xuanyuan, the eldest prince is studying at the Hanlin Academy today. If you have anything to say, please speak frankly and avoid suspicion as soon as possible."
Xuanyuan Haonan pretended to smile and said, "Ningshuang, your parents are seriously ill, go home and visit them! I will protect them for you."
"Since I was divorced, I have only had one home, and that is here. My parents no longer have anything to do with me."
Seeing that the weak one was unwilling to obey, Xuanyuan Haonan's expression turned fierce and said, "If you don't go back, the Wei family will be confiscated. Then the radical General Jia Di will send troops to Qiankun Kingdom."
"You'll always find an excuse to send troops. You used the Yan Mansion token as an excuse, but what other excuses will you come up with in the future? You keep saying you're doing this for the people of Yanyou, yet you always put them in dire straits!"
"How can you, a second-married woman, have the audacity to discuss state affairs here? Your ambition is as vast as the ocean. Don't forget, you are a scourge to the nation! The Emperor of Qiankun will kill anyone who is not yours!"
"Your Majesty and I are but subject and wife. If you wish to kill me, I will not compromise, nor will I utter a single word. But please do not insult those around me. He is a wise ruler, and would never imitate the beasts and kill at will."
At this time, the sword edge had already left a small bloody mark on Xuanyuan Haonan's neck.
"There's one more thing I forgot to say. Women are just as capable as men. Even without men, I can still be at the peak of my career. Please go back."
Ning Ningshuang put away the sword and turned back to the bedroom.
Xuanyuan Haonan left in boredom. He glanced back at the palace door as he left, muttering to himself, "Thank you for making me even more resolute in denying the excuse the Queen will find. Wait for the declaration of war!"
In the bedroom, Chen Yun sat on the bed with a book in his hand, staring blankly at the unlit candlestick. Li Lin came over and lay down beside Chen Yun.
"I feel like I'm becoming less and less like an emperor." Li Lin complained bitterly, and Chen Yun saw it all.
Chen Yun hugged Li Lin on his lap and asked, "What's wrong? Are you in trouble?"
"Wei Xianchao always says I'm not, and now even Yuchi Muyan denies my thoughts. It's too difficult."
Looking closely at Li Lin's expression, tears were about to seep out of his eyes. Chen Yan smiled slightly in annoyance.
"Come here! Quickly reward Yuchi Muyan and Wei Xianchao with five bolts of silk, a white jade vase, and five bolts of silk cloth each. Send them to their homes as a token of their loyalty."
Hearing that Chen Yun not only refused to comfort him but also rewarded the ministers who bullied him, Li Lin turned away unhappily. "Why did the Queen reward me? Am I wrong?"
"These ministers have their own achievements and personal strengths. It's precisely because Your Majesty is doing the right thing that the ministers offer their advice. Isn't it true that the advice of capable men is about problems? Isn't the advice of good ministers also about the problems of the country? This will benefit state affairs, not harm them. They should be rewarded."
"It's too difficult to be an emperor. No one cares about me. I don't want to be one anymore!" After saying this, Li Lin lay down and hugged Chen Yin.
Chen Yun stroked Li Lin's back and said, "Don't be willful. You are now second only to one person and above ten thousand people. As long as there are people supporting you, you will break through the smog."
"So you will be by my side even in your sixties?"
"Not only will I be by your side. I will also hold you and protect you."
"Shouldn't I be the one protecting you?"
"I don't expect you to protect me, I just want you to be happy. Even if I'm just a commoner, I'm willing to do that."
Li Lin sighed, "Zhen Yin probably thought so too! She and my brother had a deep bond. Ultimately, I had to separate them. I blame myself."
"One day, the hurt feelings will fade. That's just human!"
"But so much of our relationship, identity, and governance is fake. How tiring is that? It's better to make the fake real."
After hearing Li Lin's words, Chen Ying seemed to be distracted as if he was thinking about something.
Li Lin looked up at Chen Yun, only to see him facing forward with a frown on his face. He shook Chen Yun, and he came back to his senses.
"Ah, I was just thinking about General Yan. Today was supposed to settle the gossip in the harem. Unfortunately, Xuanyuan Haonan was here, and he used the evidence from the Yan Mansion as an excuse to make trouble. Now even the Yanyou Kingdom, far away in the northeast, has this item, which means someone is spreading it. But all this happened after General Yan's death. Why? There is only one possibility, fake play becomes real."
Li Lin immediately became curious, "Oh? What's the purpose?"
"We now suspect that it was done by the fifth sister, but we cannot rule out the possibility that other officials and eunuchs were involved. After all, the Twelve Cavalry Generals have offended many people in the past! The Yan family has been wiped out, and the generals of the Yan family have been redistributed. If they want to gain vested interests from the dead, then there are only two possibilities."
Li Lin's eyes became sharp, as if he realized something important: "There are spies who destroy the country, and there are loyal ministers who throw bricks to attract jade."
"Lure? Lure whom? Who will lead them out? How? Why? Your Majesty, if we want to solve the above problems, we suggest that we should first distinguish between friend and foe. Tomorrow, I will arrange for Concubine Ning to perform a scene, and we will know everything."
"Queen, I am confident in leaving the full power to you. Go ahead and do it! Let's see who dares to challenge the imperial power."
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