At the morning court session, many ministers arrived early. Prince Yu, Prince Gong, and Prince Chun were among the first to enter the Hall of Mental Cultivation. They were all anxious about whether Xiao Guai could successfully defend himself.
The little guys had never seen anything like this before, and they were furious with Dong Eqi.
"Second Brother, will Xiao Guai succeed?" Long Xi hadn't slept all night, fearing that Qing Yan would be tricked.
Fuquan shook his head, "It's hard to say!"
Even if Fei Yanggu were to stay, the three of them wouldn't worry, as Xiao Guai always does unexpected things.
"Second Uncle, don't worry, everything will be alright." Yin reassured his three irritable uncles after receiving the news from Yin.
During the morning court session, Emperor Kangxi calmly allowed Xiao Guai to defend himself. Today, Qingyan wore a light purple palace dress, with her hair tied with silk threads of the same color, and wore no jewelry whatsoever.
Seeing this, many court officials wondered if something was really wrong at Qingyan.
"Your Majesty, I, Ulanara, respectfully wish Your Majesty good health!" Qingyan bowed politely, and Kangxi nodded, gesturing for her to rise.
"Ulanara clan, today I am making an exception and allowing you to defend yourself. Are you ready?" Kangxi was also feeling uneasy. Qingyan had not interfered in the Ulanara family's political affairs, and even if he had sent someone, the little one certainly wouldn't know.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I am ready!" Qingyan replied calmly.
Everyone looks out for themselves!
"Dong'e Seventy, is this your secret memorial?" Kangxi looked at the memorial respectfully presented by Li Dequan, and seeing the thick stack of official documents tucked inside, his mood instantly soured.
Fuquan and others were worried that they might have obtained evidence against Ulanara.
As Kangxi read through the secret memorial, his brows furrowed even more deeply, and his anger intensified.
Yin and she exchanged a glance, both of them looking completely bewildered, sensing that Dong E Qi Shi was preparing to feign peace.
“Gai Shan!” Kangxi looked at Yuanwailang Ma Jiashi Gai Shan with a dark cloud on his face. Yin and the others understood that Rongfei’s side probably wanted to put their people on Qingyan’s head.
"Your servant is here!" Gai Shan was still shaken. Consort Rong had persuaded her family to send many people to the Dong E family residence. Not only were they sent to Dong E's side, but they also sent people to the side of Dong E's favored concubines and illegitimate daughters.
Kangxi looked at the detailed records, some of which even involved people in the palace.
"This servant is guilty!" Dong E Qishi first apologized to Kangxi, "This servant's wife misjudged people and misunderstood Princess Ulanara."
At seventy, Dong E was definitely capable of admitting his mistakes and correcting them; he would not act recklessly.
Kangxi's eyes turned cold. Qingyan pursed his lips. "If you only speak now, who knows what rumors will spread outside?" Several censors who were close to Consort Dong'e were already stirring up trouble. They hoped to find something to use against Qingyan.
"Outrageous!" The censor from Dong E's side stepped forward and rebuked, "Do you think you can resolve this misunderstanding in a moment? The reputation of the Ulanara clan has also been tarnished."
As soon as the words were spoken, some ministers frowned. Qingyan's reputation was tarnished, and she certainly couldn't become the Fourth Prince's wife.
"Your Majesty, this servant believes that it is the proper way to allow the Fourth Prince to get married after the mourning period." The old ministers of the Hanlin Academy stepped forward; they were all there to uphold the dignity of the Huang family.
Emperor Kangxi gave a cold snort; these people really have a lot of ulterior motives.
"Hehe, there's no need for you to worry too much, sir. Xiao Guai's reputation won't be damaged, but the Third Princess's reputation..." Yin said coldly, standing beside Qingyan.
The methods are becoming increasingly despicable, but fortunately, it won't be long before Xiao Guai can stay by his side.
"Fourth Prince, you can't say that. This matter needs to be considered carefully!" The old minister was unwilling to give up and still wanted to advise him from the side.
"Outrageous! My daughter has always been well-behaved, how come she's been portrayed like this in the mouths of people like you?" Fei Yanggu, dressed in military attire, appeared at the entrance of the Golden Palace. Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief; Fei Yanggu's arrival was just in time. "This servant Fei Yanggu greets Your Majesty!"
Fei Yanggu knelt down respectfully to pay his respects. He had rushed back on horseback because he was worried that Xiao Guai would be bullied.
"Get up!" Fei Yanggu's murderous aura intensified, and Dong Eqishi understood that the fierce generals on the grasslands had been almost completely rectified.
"This servant has not failed in his mission. The princes have written their greetings!" Fei Yanggu said casually, and Kangxi understood that the matter was resolved.
After the banquet, I was filled with fear. What should I say if Fei Yanggu doesn't return?
"Little darling, Father is back!" Fei Yanggu, with his flamboyant nature, noticed Qingyan standing to the side with slightly red eyes and recalled the old minister's earlier harassment. He turned to the other man and said, "Lord Wang, instead of investigating those behind the rumors, you want to severely punish the victims. Aren't you afraid of alienating people?"
Fei Yanggu's gaze was so piercing that Lord Wang was utterly terrified.
Last night, Gai Shan didn't say anything; their only goal was Qing Yan, and Fei Yang Gu certainly wouldn't come back.
He was conflicted; should he bully a girl who had just come of age, or risk the reputation that women valued most...?
"Lord Ulanara, you have misunderstood!" Lord Wang was worried that Fei Yanggu would directly use the whip. Kangxi felt guilty. If he hadn't summoned Qingyan to the palace, he probably wouldn't have let her suffer such an undeserved disaster.
"Misunderstanding?! Probably not. She's acting all self-righteous in front of Xiaoguai, as if she's done something shameful!" Fei Yanggu glared at him angrily.
Wang Kui was the second-place scholar in the imperial examination of the sixth year of the Shunzhi reign, which meant he was quite learned. However, he was too pedantic and was sent to the Hanlin Academy by the Kangxi Emperor. Who would have thought that such a person would be the first to cause trouble?
Fei Yanggu was puzzled that this person was not from the Dong E Seventy-One School. Wang Kui looked down on military generals, thinking they were all brutes.
"No, no!" Wang Kui noticed that Fu Quan, Long Xi, and Chang Ning were all staring at him angrily. Instantly, he regretted it immensely. How could he have agreed to Gai Shan's idea?
"This humble woman has a question, and I humbly request your guidance, sir!" Qingyan looked at Wang Kui, but Fei Yanggu pressed him, and the man clearly backed down.
Emperor Kangxi waved his hand, telling Qingyan to make himself at home.
“My lord, since my father left the capital, I have been living in the palace. There have been no rumors in the palace. Why do you say that everyone knows?” Qingyan looked at him, clearly someone had mentioned it behind her back.
Fei Yanggu narrowed his eyes. If someone deliberately dug a trap and let Xiao Guai fall into it, he would never let that person go.
Kangxi recalled the Gaishan Mountain he had been squinting at!
"No, no, no, Princess Ulanara has misunderstood. No one said it to me," Wang Kui quickly explained.
The lackeys standing in the court assembly were all shrewd individuals. Judging from Wang Kui's appearance, they all knew that someone must have said something behind his back to make Wang Kui step forward and cause trouble.
Yin felt uneasy. These people weren't serving the people properly; instead, they were preoccupied with matters in her own backyard. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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