Jiang Ting was in so much pain that he couldn't even speak.

He raised his head with great effort and looked at Jingle. Her appearance was still the same as when she was young, with skin as white as jade and a gorgeous appearance. Especially her peach blossom eyes, which made her look proud but not arrogant, but more charming. When Jiang Ting saw her for the first time, he was surprised and happy. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before in his life.

Unfortunately, she was too proud, as dazzling as the sun in the sky. In front of her, Jiang Ting always felt like he couldn't raise his head.

She was a noble lady from the royal palace, a princess, and he was just a son-in-law.

Originally, Jiang Ting thought that he only needed to wait until the old prince passed away. As long as he could change the marriage from a marriage, he would be able to hold his head up high in front of her. Who could have expected...

Heaven does not grant one's wishes.

Jiang Ting supported himself with his elbows. Jingle's condescending look made him feel even more embarrassed.

"Throw him out." Jingle brushed his sleeves and said nonchalantly, "Jiang Ting is no longer a guest of honor at the Zhenbei Palace. From now on, there is no need to let him into the palace."

Jingle's powerful and powerful kick almost stunned the guards. They immediately clasped their fists and obeyed the order. Without waiting for Jiang Ting to stand up, one of them grabbed one of his arms and dragged him out. When the guards at the gate opened the door, they grabbed him and threw him outside, and threw the crutch out as well.

Jiang Ting fell heavily to the ground, with his crutch at his hand. He used the crutch to support himself several times but failed to stand up.

He had never suffered such humiliation in his life, and his face turned blue and white.

"Guest of honor?"

A low, hoarse voice came from above. Jiang Ting looked over subconsciously and saw a calm and resolute face. When the face looked at him expressionlessly, he felt that it was not a smile.

This man's appearance was unfamiliar to Jiang Ting. Jiang Ting recognized the people in the palace, but had never seen him before.

Hearing Ji Mingyang calling him a guest of honor, Han Qianzhi couldn't help but look at him a few more times. He did look a bit decent, but his eyes made people feel uncomfortable.

He curled his lips in disapproval, thinking that Ji Mingyang's luck was really bad. If the late emperor had not been so meddled, this Jiang guy would never have been able to compare to Ji Mingyang.

"General Ji, Captain Han."

The guard who threw Jiang Ting out clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Jiang Ting is no longer a guest of honor."

"No?" Han Qianzhi blurted out in surprise, and looked at Jiang Ting again. No wonder he was so fierce, was he chased out by the princess? !

The guard simply said, "Yes." He glanced at Jiang Ting with disdain and said, "The princess asked us to throw it out."

Ji Mingyang nodded, without asking any more questions, walked across Jiang Ting, and entered the mansion with Han Qianzhi.

The hostility in Jiang Ting's eyes became even stronger. His lips moved slightly as he murmured, "Chu Wu..." She was the one who disregarded the relationship between husband and wife.

The door closed, breaking his gaze.

The guard reported to Jingle, "Princess, the person has been thrown out."

Jingle just said "OK" and ignored it. She turned to Ji Mingyang and the others and said warmly, "Ji Mingyang, Han Qianzhi, you are back."

Ji Mingyang and Han Qianzhi now live in the palace.

Ji Mingyang said quickly, "Yes. I have already settled everyone down."

"If you are not used to the place, tell me. There is a chef from Northern Xinjiang in the palace. He can cook whatever you want. Also, Ji Mingyang, you have just recovered from a serious illness. I asked someone to make you some nourishing soup and send it to you later." Jingle paused and said, "Han Qianzhi, keep an eye on him for me. If he is not feeling well, call a good doctor. We are all family in the palace. There are no so many rules to break. Just treat it as Northern Xinjiang."

Jingle smiled brightly and spoke openly, without a trace of gloom on her face.

The two of them hurriedly said, "Thank you, Princess."

"Then you guys go and have some rest. I'm leaving first." Jingle treated them as his own family and without any greetings, he took Nanny Lan back home.

As soon as Jingle left, Han Qianzhi nudged Ji Mingyang with his elbow and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "The princess and Yi... the one surnamed Jiang got divorced?"

Ji Mingyang didn't say anything, just said, "Let's go." Then he walked forward without looking back. Han Qianzhi shrugged and hurried after him.

Jingle returned to the main courtyard. Chu Yuanyi was still waiting anxiously. When he saw her, he hurried over to greet her: "Mom!" He leaned over to look behind her and asked expectantly, "Where's Dad?"

Jingle looked him straight in the eye and said sternly, "Brother Yi, your father and I have already divorced. He is no longer a member of our Zhenbei Palace, so he naturally cannot live in the palace anymore. Therefore, he moved out."

Chu Yuanyi's eyes widened in disbelief: "But, mother, didn't you promise..."

Jingle looked at him without saying a word, her expression seemed to be asking: What did I promise?

Chu Yuanyi was stunned. Indeed, she had not promised anything. She just went there because he dragged her there.

He really couldn't understand, and said anxiously: "Mom, did Dad do something to make you angry? I'll go and ask him to apologize to you, okay? Mom..."

"Brother Yi," Jingle sighed and interrupted him, "Listen to me, this has nothing to do with compensation or not."

"I have been suffering from chest pain for the past four years. You know that this is because your father gave me the herb Heart-Erosion Herb for four years."

Chu Yuanyi was a little skeptical at first, but after she finished speaking, his expression turned into shock.

"He also stole things from your eldest brother's study and gave them to the emperor, trying to kill our family..."

She told him everything.

Chu Yuanyi: "..."

He shook his head uncontrollably and murmured, "It's impossible, mother, you must be mistaken."

The half-grown boy was almost as tall as her, but he still didn't know the seriousness of things. His overly naive look made Jingle sigh again, feeling a little sad.

At that time, her father took Achen to live in the northern border, while she and Ayi stayed in the capital as hostages.

The emperor used the mother and son to control their father, so that he dared not rebel. He even brought Yi Ge'er into the palace when he was five years old, saying that he was a playmate for the eldest prince. Later, the eldest prince died young and there were no other princes in the palace, so Chu Yuanyi was sent back. At that time, Jingle had already noticed that Chu Yuanyi's personality was a little crooked.

Later, my father died in battle, and the Zhenbei Palace was devastated.

That was the most difficult period for the Zhenbei Palace.

Even if Achen was still there, it would not be easy for Chu Yuanchen, who was only fifteen years old, to independently lead the Northern Frontier.

Although Jingle could not be with her son to fight the enemy together with him, she also could not let her son suffer from the enemy from all sides because of the emperor's suspicion.

Jingle knew very well that the emperor could tolerate Chu Yuanchen, who was both civil and military, because he still needed the Chu family to guard the border. However, he would never tolerate the Chu family having another equally outstanding child. Therefore, the emperor raised Chu Yuanyi to be naive.

This is what the emperor is most relieved about. If Chu Yuanyi is outstanding, the emperor will not allow him to grow up.

There were too many spies buried in the palace back then.

Therefore, Jingle weighed the pros and cons and temporarily gave up on changing his personality and reduced his homework load a lot, making him like a spoiled young child.

Even so, Jingle never relaxed her education on him, and she never hid from him the predicament and situation faced by the Chu family.

However, Chu Yuanyi was too far away from the northern border and too far away from the imperial court. Although he knew everything, he had no sense of reality at all. He had been living a good life in the capital, so he never expected that things would be so cruel.

Chu Yuanyi didn't want to believe what he heard: "Impossible. Mom. You lied to me, didn't you?"

Jingle calmly asked back, "Brother Yi, why would I lie to you?"

Chu Yuanyi: "..."

"You are different from your elder brother, but you can't think that you should be protected by your elder brother because of this. You can't be ignorant." Jingle said calmly, "Every word I said is true. My divorce with Jiang Ting is also true. Since he doesn't take the Zhenbei Palace seriously, then our Zhenbei Palace doesn't need him."

"Brother Yi, you are the second young master of the Zhenbei Palace." Jingle looked at him and emphasized, "Mother has always told you that you are a member of the Chu family. You should understand what is most important and understand the difficulties our palace is facing now."

Jingle finished what he had to say, paused for a moment, and then continued: "If you can't figure it out for the moment, think about it again."

Chu Yuanyi sat there in a daze. At that moment, it seemed as if the sky was falling.

Jingle touched his soft head and said gently, "You go back first. If you don't understand, you can always come to me. But..."

She emphasized this point and said, "Jiang Ting will never return to Zhenbei Palace. This will not change."

Chu Yuanyi slowly stood up and floated away like a wandering soul.

Jingle rubbed her wrinkled brows, and her forehead ached slightly.

Nanny Lan comforted her, "Princess, don't worry, the Second Young Master will figure it out."

Jingle smiled bitterly and said, "I hope so."

Chu Yuanyi was not like Chu Yuanchen, who trained hard in the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter. She even had less homework, but she taught him everything she should have. It was just that this child...

"I'm afraid he won't understand."

Chu Yuanyi appears to be sensible and gentle on the outside, but he is actually weak-willed and cannot take on any responsibility. That would be fine, but he is still a bit stubborn and cannot be persuaded no matter how hard you try.

"Forget it. I'll continue teaching slowly," Jingle said. After all, the current situation is much better than it was four years ago, and she doesn't need to live in fear anymore.

As she spoke, she smiled and said, "Recently I saw him playing with Yan Ge'er, and he actually learned some skills from Yan Ge'er. Let his brother take him out for a walk in the future, and he should be able to understand some things..."

"Mom, what are you whispering about me?"

Slender fingers lifted the door curtain, and Chu Yuanchen walked in with a smile. After greeting, he lifted his robe and sat down.

Jingle's eyes fell on the purse on his waist for a moment, and she said with a smile, "You're back so soon?"

"I said a few words and then took the people from Beiyan to see the emperor. The emperor couldn't wait to send me out." Chu Yuanchen asked someone to give him a glass of cold water and leaned lazily on the armrest of the armchair. "If he wants to ask, let him ask. I just came back to accompany my mother."

He said, winking at her.

She was so sweet-mouthed that Jingle covered her mouth and laughed.

Chu Yuanchen took the water cup and drank a few sips to get rid of the alcohol. He said, "Prince Xue's body will be temporarily placed in Huangjue Temple. That cenotaph has bad feng shui, so I refuse."

The emperor originally proposed that Xue Chongzhi be buried in the dug-up cenotaph.

"We have to..." Chu Yuanchen paused, his eyes dim and gloomy, and said, "Look for it again."

Jingle also thought so and said, "I'll go burn some incense for Uncle Xue in a few days."

Chu Yuanchen put down the water cup: "Next, we just have to wait for the emperor to issue an edict of apology."

The late emperor's edict of guilt was of vital importance. Not only was it to vent his anger, but it was also to let the people know that the late emperor was not the flawless monarch they believed him to be.

Only in this way will they be more receptive to things in the future.

After Chu Yuanchen finished speaking, Jingle also said, "I have already driven Jiang Ting out."

Chu Yuanchen slowly clenched his hand on the tea table into a fist, his expression did not change, and he smiled carelessly, "It's up to you, Mom."

"It's just that your brother still can't accept it. If you have time in a few days, take him out for a walk to relax." Jingle said, "A boy can't always stay at home like a girl."

Chu Yuanchen looked at her with a smile and joked, "You wrote to me at that time saying that you wanted to give me a sister, but now you are not happy about it?"

Jingle couldn't help but smile with her hands covering her mouth, and the worry between her brows also dissipated a little.

When she was pregnant, the nanny around her said that her belly looked like that of a girl. She even specially prepared a lot of small skirts and completely forgot to prepare clothes for boys. Even the swaddling clothes were embroidered with flowers and butterflies. In the end, she had no choice but to wear Chu Yuanchen's old clothes for a few months.

Fortunately, I finally have a daughter-in-law, who is also delicate, cute and well-behaved, no different from a lady.

Thinking of his daughter-in-law, Jingle said solemnly, "Now that you are back, you should take a good rest for a few days while I pick an auspicious time. It is time to go to the Sheng family to pay the betrothal gift."

Jingle pondered and said, "When Najib was married, you were not here and the date was set very quickly. I always felt that I was a little negligent. This time, we must prepare well. The betrothal gifts cannot be too casual. I have made a list. You can take a look at it later. If it is not enough, just add some more."

Chu Yuanchen asked with a playful smile: "Mom, when is the wedding date set?"

After the betrothal ceremony, it is time to ask for a date.

Jingle: “…”

This boy, can't wait to get married?

Thinking of this, Jingle was eager to try, and said, "Madame Lan, go get me the almanac."

Nanny Lan went there happily, and soon brought back a thick almanac.

Jingle flipped through the pages with great interest.

Chu Yuanchen just sat there watching her flipping through the pages, stroking the purse around his waist with his hand. The purse seemed to still retain her body temperature. His fingers slowly stroked the embroidery thread on it, and the corners of his mouth curled up high.

"Achen." Jingle asked happily, "What do you think about October 18th?"

Chu Yuanchen was in high spirits and asked happily, "Wedding?"

Jingle raised her head from the almanac and looked at him, feeling that she had given birth to a stupid son.

Jingle: "Pay the betrothal gift."

Chu Yuanchen leaned back in boredom, and sat there in an awkward position, which made Jingle feel very uncomfortable.

Hey, I'd better not let my daughter-in-law see me like this, otherwise she will definitely dislike me.

Without asking Chu Yuanchen's opinion, Jingle set the date for the betrothal payment on October 8th. He also chose the day when Sheng Xing'an was on vacation and sent someone to the Sheng Mansion to inquire about the Sheng family's opinion.

After Sheng Xing'an agreed, he called Sheng Xiyan to the main courtyard and told her about this.

The three letters and six ceremonies were already halfway through, and the two families had already reached a tacit understanding to wait for Chu Yuanchen to return to the capital before accepting the invitation, so Sheng Xiyan was not surprised at all.

She noticed that Sheng Xingan looked a little unhappy, as if he was worried about something.

Sheng Xiyan thought about it carefully and it seemed that he had been a little less energetic since the day Chu Yuanchen returned to Beijing.

Before this, he was obviously still looking forward to her marrying into the Zhenbei Palace as soon as possible, but now, he seemed to have a little more uneasiness in his expression.

Sheng Xiyan understood immediately and asked, "What is father worried about?"

Sheng Xingan looked at her deeply, waved his hand to send everyone away, and said seriously: "Sister Yan, tell me, what is the situation with the Zhenbei Palace and the emperor?"

Reason told Sheng Xingan that he should discuss it with his staff instead of asking a young lady who had just come of age. However, facing Sheng Xiyan's calm gaze, he asked the question unconsciously.

His reaction confirmed Sheng Xiyan's guess.

Obviously, what happened that day must have made everyone in the court suspicious.

I have to say that the late emperor and the present emperor have done a good job of saving face. Whether in the court or among the people, most people talk about the emperor's deep favor to the vassal kings.

Sheng Xiyan didn't beat around the bush with him, but asked directly: "Father, are you worried that the Zhenbei Palace and the emperor are at odds with each other?"

Sheng Xingan didn't expect that she could see so clearly. He stroked his beard and said, "What happened that day..."

He didn't know how to open his teeth.

The prince of Zhenbei used Xue Zhongzhi's coffin to force the emperor to give in step by step, and the emperor even vomited blood because of it, but after that day, the two of them seemed to have nothing happened, and they were happy and harmonious. He also discussed with his staff, and they all felt that the relationship between the emperor and the Zhenbei Palace was not as harmonious as they saw.

"Father." Sheng Xiyan asked with a smile, "If this is true, what will you do?"

She paused and said, "What can the Sheng family do?"

These two questions were extremely sharp and directly hit Sheng Xingan's heart. His heart beat wildly for several times, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Sheng Xiyan became more profound and subtle.

He couldn't help but follow her thoughts.

The engagement was granted by the Queen Mother, and there is no way to go back on it.

She was destined to marry into the Zhenbei Palace. No matter what happened in the Zhenbei Palace, the Sheng family would not be able to deny any involvement.

Even if a married woman would not bring down her mother's family and cause them to be exterminated, her career and future would undoubtedly be cut off.

Thinking of this, Sheng Xingan felt a chill in his heart.

All his life, he dreamed of making the Sheng family rise and become the new nobles of the Great Rong Dynasty, so that by the time his sons and grandsons came along, they would also be a well-known and prominent family.

For him, the end of his career was more painful than having someone strangled him.

His face turned pale and blue, and his fingers on the tea table trembled almost invisibly.

He calmed down and asked, "What about the Zhenbei Palace..."

Sheng Xiyan smiled slightly: "I don't know, haven't I not married yet?"

Sheng Xingan couldn't help but ask: "Aren't you afraid?"

If something really happened, Sheng Xiyan would be convicted together with the Zhenbei Palace.

Sheng Xiyan's almond eyes were clear and bright: "Father, there is a saying, have you ever heard of it..."

"Wealth and honor are found in danger."

Sheng Xingan's heart skipped a beat.

Sheng Xingan looked at Sheng Xiyan with dark eyes.

He had never taken this daughter seriously, but now, facing life and death, Sheng Xiyan's calm and indifferent smile made him feel as if he had never known her.

Sheng Xiyan said calmly, "Father, how long have you been in this position of Minister of Rites?"

Sheng Xingan: “…”

"How many more years do you need to endure?"

Sheng Xiyan softened her tone and smiled faintly, "Don't you want to take it a step further?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of seduction in it, which made Sheng Xingan's heart beat faster.

The third rank was a hurdle for most people in the court, a hurdle that they could never overcome until their death. Many people were extremely poor throughout their lives, only to remain at the third rank and retire in depression.

And once you can get over it, becoming a prime minister is just around the corner.

Sheng Xiyan observed his expression and said with a smile: "Father, if there is a chance for you to go further, how much are you willing to pay?"

She wiped the nonexistent dust off her fingers with a handkerchief and said nonchalantly, "Last time I heard you say that the Prime Minister will retire in three years. You don't have much time left."

The Prime Minister is old and will soon retire, and the other people in the Cabinet are of similar age to Sheng Xingan. Even if Sheng Xingan can make it to the Cabinet on his own, he will never be the Prime Minister until his death, unless he can become the Prime Minister in these three years, which is simply impossible for him.

Sheng Xiyan's mouth curled higher, her beautiful almond eyes looked straight at him, and she said, "Father, are you satisfied with the Prime Minister?"

She stopped talking.

Sheng Xingan picked up the teacup and absentmindedly skimmed the tea foam with the tea lid.

Almost every word Sheng Xiyan said touched his heart.

If the emperor and the Zhenbei Palace were in harmony with each other, it would not be difficult for him to make further progress with the support of the Zhenbei Palace.

If the emperor and the Zhenbei Palace are really at odds with each other, then once the Zhenbei Palace wins, the Sheng family will not only have the merit of following the emperor, but also the heir of a country.

The Sheng family will really be able to soar to success!

Fortunes are found in danger.

He was right. If he wanted to make further progress, he could only rely on the Zhenbei Palace.

Even if the Zhenbei Palace was defeated, as long as he didn't make any false accusations, at most his career would be hopeless. Anyway, what difference would it make if he remained at the third rank until his death and had no career hope? !

"Sister Yan, I'll ask your mother to make you a few more sets of clothes. You can't be shabby on the betrothal day..."

Sheng Xiyan covered her mouth with a handkerchief and yawned. Seeing his increasingly enthusiastic and ambitious eyes, she thought: Okay, Sheng Xingan should not come to make trouble again.