Bold
The chief eunuch suddenly challenged, "How dare you! Why don't you kneel before His Majesty?"
Jiang Yi was taken aback, and quickly lifted her skirt and knelt down.
A wise person knows when to yield. At this time, you can't fight head-on. After all, the person in charge holds the power of life and death over everyone. Once he speaks, no one can save you.
Qi Junyuan stepped forward to speak for Jiang Yi: "Father, please calm down. Miss Jiang is ignorant of etiquette and did not intend to offend you."
Wu Yuan glanced at the person kneeling on the ground and echoed, "His Highness the Crown Prince is absolutely right. I hope His Majesty will forgive him."
Emperor Liang asked in a deep voice, "It seems that you two know her."
Qi Junxu replied respectfully, "Yes, Miss Jiang once accompanied Young Master Lin to my birthday banquet. Last time, she was wounded by an arrow at Zhengwu Gate, and it was the Grand Preceptor who helped treat her. That's how we met."
"I see." Emperor Liang rose from his dragon throne, took two steps forward, and looked down at Jiang Yi: "You may rise."
Jiang Yi bowed her head to the ground, closed her eyes and opened them again, letting out a soft breath: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Only then did Jiang Yi get a clear look at Emperor Liang's appearance. He was majestic and cold, even more so than He Wei, making it almost impossible for anyone to look directly at him.
There was a faint sense of familiarity between her brows and eyes, but Jiang Yi couldn't quite put her finger on it. She just felt like she had seen similar features somewhere before.
A young eunuch trotted into the hall: "Your Majesty, Lord Xi Chen requests an audience."
Emperor Liang stood with his hands behind his back. "Let him in."
"yes."
The little eunuch dashed out, and a moment later, a person wearing a golden mask walked steadily towards him.
Jiang Yi's heart was pounding. He Lin had finally arrived!
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities, Xi Chen. This is the young lady you wounded with an arrow back then, and also the wife of He Lin, the second young master of the General's Mansion."
He Lin wore a mask, making it impossible to see his facial expression.
He spoke in a flippant tone, turning to face Jiang Yi: "Oh? So this is Miss Jiang. Last time the situation was urgent, and I had no choice. I hope you will forgive me."
Jiang Yi stared into those familiar dark eyes, and wanted to laugh when she saw him pretending not to recognize her. She pursed her lips and tightened them as if afraid of laughing out loud.
It's just acting, anyone can do that!
"Lord Xi Chen, there's no need for such formalities. I have no intention of blaming you."
"No matter what, it was my fault for shooting the young lady. I will definitely visit her in person another day to apologize to Young Master Lin and the young lady."
Jiang Yi endured the hardship and nodded haphazardly.
He even went to the emperor's door to apologize in person. Wasn't he just going home on the way? He made it sound so real. This guy actually talked nonsense in front of Emperor Liang. He's really something.
Strangely enough, ever since He Lin appeared, all her tension and worry vanished. It was as if with this person by her side, she was no longer afraid of anything, and she felt completely relaxed.
Jiang Yi secretly glanced at Wu Yuan, whose expression was even calmer. He stood quietly beside Qi Junyuan, with the aloofness of a celestial being, making him seem unapproachable.
As expected, those who can be friends with He Lin are all award-winning actors.
“Miss Jiang, I heard that when Ma Zhang was about to be beheaded, you braved the wind and snow to see him off, and even brought him his favorite Xiaoyao wine. I am very curious, this man kidnapped you and injured you before, so why did you go out of your way to see him off? You should know that he is a traitor. If there is no reasonable explanation today, I will not let you off easily.”
Jiang Yi secretly gasped. As expected of the emperor, he knew such things, even what kind of wine she had brought. She admired him.
Wait, could it be that He Lin is using the emperor to interrogate her?!
“Your Majesty, when I was kidnapped by the prince, he told me a story. After hearing it, I felt sorry for the man in the story and wanted to know his fate. I was so curious that I dared to ask him all the way to the execution ground.”
Emperor Liang narrowed his eyes dangerously: "You think that man is pitiful?"
Jiang Yi looked him back without any hesitation: "Yes, pitiful, but not only pitiful, there are also hateful and respectable aspects."
The two's conversation, which was disjointed and incomplete, left the listener completely confused.
Although He Lin did not know what Jiang Yi's story was, he keenly sensed the change in the man's emotions. It was anger that was not easily revealed, and the air suddenly turned a few degrees colder.
The chief eunuch hunched his head even lower and dared not even breathe.
This story is clearly related to Emperor Liang.
Only Jiang Yi in the main hall was unaware of the tense atmosphere. Or perhaps she was aware of it, which is why she deliberately spoke up to provoke Emperor Liang. Her actions were far too bold.
Sometimes even He Lin admired Jiang Yi's courage. It wasn't just youthful arrogance, but rather a confidence and pride that came from within.
"His Majesty summoned me here today not just to have Lord Xi Chen apologize, but also because His Majesty is eager to hear the story the Prince has to tell, isn't he?"
Emperor Liang remained silent, concealing his clenched fist beneath his dragon robe.
The chief eunuch, who seemed to know Emperor Liang inside and out, stepped forward and shouted, "You audacious Jiang Yi, do you know your crime?"
The people in the hall were puzzled and their gazes fell on Jiang Yi.
She smiled and asked, "May I ask, sir, what crime have I committed?"
"you……"
"Alright," Emperor Liang interrupted, turning to sit high on his dragon throne. He gently turned the jade thumb ring on his thumb and said, "I have some free time today, so let's hear Ma Zhang's story. Tell me."
Jiang Yi smiled and paced back and forth in the main hall a few times. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft as she began to tell the story: “Once upon a time, there were two brothers who had gone through thick and thin together. One was a prince, and the other was the son of a general. They met when they were young and fought for their common ideals. Later, after winning a battle and returning in triumph, they promised to support each other and be brothers for life.”
"But fate had other plans. The two men both fell in love with the same woman. The prince seized the opportunity, ascended the throne, and married her as his concubine. The other man, heartbroken, fled to a distant land. When news of his beloved arrived again, it was to learn that she had died in a palace intrigue, and even her child had perished. He rushed back that very night, stormed into the palace, and confronted the emperor, only to be met with an unexpected answer. The man did not believe him, and the two broke off their relationship. He vowed to avenge the woman, enduring decades of hardship and biding his time, but ultimately could not escape his fate and died in a war..."
After Jiang Yi finished speaking, the hall was completely silent, so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly.
Having said all that, who wouldn't realize that the prince and general in the story refer to Emperor Liang and Ma Zhang?
"Your Majesty, are you satisfied with this story? To put it bluntly, it's nothing more than a cliché love-hate entanglement."
"presumptuous."
His voice was deep and cold, as if it were coated with a layer of ice.
Everyone in the hall knelt down, except for Jiang Yi, who remained standing.
Despite Jiang Yi's calm demeanor, she was actually terrified inside. After all, the person above her held the power of life and death, and no one could help but be afraid. The consequences of angering him were simply unimaginable.
When the emperor is enraged, at best the nine gates of the capital will be destroyed, at worst a million corpses will lie in wait and blood will flow for miles...
Jiang Yi pinched her palm hard, repeatedly reassuring herself: Don't panic, don't panic, I'm the female lead! Everything will be alright!
After a long silence, Emperor Liang finally spoke: "Isn't the ending of this story too hasty? How do you know he died in a rebellion, rather than being captured and beheaded? After all, rebellion is a capital offense."
Jiang Yi forcibly suppressed her inner tension and fear, and slowly uttered two words: "Guess."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"I guess he would rather die in that war than admit that he has done wrong all these years. There is no logic to loving someone."
Emperor Liang fell into deep thought, his eyes seemingly shrouded in a gray mist, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
"Everyone, get out of here. You stay."
Emperor Liang dismissed everyone except Jiang Yi.
As He Lin turned around, he glanced at her. Jiang Yi secretly blinked, indicating that she was fine.
In front of the Taiji Hall, the three people stopped and looked back.
Qi Junyuan was still in shock. He truly hadn't expected He Lin's wife to be so audacious, not only using a story to criticize the court, but also daring to subtly mock his father, the Emperor!
If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't even have the courage to mention Ma Zhang's name...
He had a younger brother named Qi Junheng, who was the son of Consort Su. However, he unfortunately died at the age of five, so it seems that Jiang Yi's story is true.
"Wu Yuan, do you think He Lin knows what his wife said in the main hall?"
Wu Yuan glanced casually at Xi Chen, who was wearing a mask beside him, and smiled faintly: "You should know, right?"
"Now it seems that Miss Jiang is indeed forthright and outspoken. What do you say, Lord Xi Chen?"
He Lin: "Mm."
A hint of mockery appeared in Wu Yuan's eyes...
Inside the palace, Emperor Liang descended the steps one by one.
"I am very curious, why did Ma Zhang specifically tell you this story?"
Jiang Yi guessed that he would ask that question, so she pulled up her right sleeve slightly, revealing a jade bracelet on her wrist.
Before Jiang Yi could speak, Emperor Liang stepped forward and grabbed her forearm, his eyes filled with a sinister and icy gaze: "I ask you, where did you get this bracelet from?"
"May I ask Your Majesty, was that woman named Su Wan? It's a pity that this bracelet doesn't belong to her, but to her younger sister, Su Tong."
Su Tong?!
Emperor Liang remembered that his Wan'er did indeed have a twin sister named Su Tong.
"What did you say?"
Jiang Yi thought to herself that she had guessed correctly, and continued to explain: "Your Majesty heard me right. Lady Tong is indeed Consort Su's younger sister. The two sisters each have one of these bracelets. This one is a gift from Lady Tong to me. It was after seeing the bracelet on my wrist that the Prince decided to tell me that story."
"What, Madam Tong?"
"Does Your Majesty not know that General He Wei's second wife is none other than Consort Su's younger sister, Su Tong?"
...
"Young lady, this is where I'll take you. Have a safe journey."
Jiang Yi's lips twitched. Wasn't it said that those who could reach the position of chief eunuch in the palace all had a brilliant mind? Why were they speaking to her so rudely, as if they were attending her funeral?
Recalling her conversation with Emperor Liang, Jiang Yi felt that her death was near.
Oh my god, how could anyone cause such a huge disaster!
She couldn't help but slap her own mouth; what a slip of the tongue! Why can't she remember?! She deserves a beating!
Upon seeing the three people standing at the bottom of the steps, Jiang Yi gave a wry smile, lifted her skirt, and ran down.
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