Chapter 196 [VIP]
The Empress slammed her hand on the table in anger: "Kneel down!"
Xie Danling knelt down, her lips pursed stubbornly, her back ramrod straight.
Now that everything was out in the open, Xie Danling stopped pretending to be a good girl. She loosened her grip on her clothes and snorted, "Is Sun Nian so unmarriageable that she has to trouble you, Mother, to help her snatch a husband?"
"Isn't there still the eldest prince, Duoling? The Queen Mother also thinks this marriage is good, so it's suitable for your niece."
She wasn't worried that the Empress would force Sun Nian onto Can Can.
Can Can is a prince, and the Empress dares not make decisions for him. Even though the royal family is very wealthy, none of its members hold official positions. Cousin Xing has no official rank or post, so issuing an imperial decree would be quite troublesome. After all, a single imperial edict back then forced Mother to marry Father.
"As for my cousin from the Wang family, I will not allow it," Xie Danling said coldly, repeating her statement.
"presumptuous!"
The noise was quite loud, drawing attention.
Gu Zhizhuo looked at Xie Danling, and after the eunuch bowed and explained what had happened, he said, "...Her Majesty the Empress said that the Fifth Princess should give up her marriage to the Wang family's son to Miss Sun."
Gu Zhizhuo's expression darkened.
What a joke! Not content with tricking his aunt, he actually tried to trick his cousin too!
The marriage between my mother and my aunt was arranged by the late emperor. He personally wrote to my maternal grandfather and discussed it repeatedly for a year before finally issuing the decree. My aunt was betrothed to Prince Rong as his principal wife, but later, for some unknown reason, she became a concubine.
Therefore, the late emperor felt deeply guilty towards the Wang family and never forced them to serve in office or live in seclusion.
Bang!
It was the sound of porcelain breaking.
The empress clutched her chest, burning with rage.
"At such a young age, you defy me at every turn. Do you think I can't handle you?"
The empress raised her hand and slapped him.
Xie Danling stubbornly raised her face.
"Meow!"
An angry meow suddenly rang out, and the tabby cat darted out like a black shadow, extending its sharp claws and scratching at it.
The cat is a good cat.
Xie Danling stayed with Gu Zhizhuo for a while. Gu Zhizhuo was very busy running between the military camp, the capital, and the Taiqing Temple, and Xie Danling was the one who played with it.
Three deep claw marks suddenly appeared on the back of the empress's hand.
She was startled and bumped into the table, the cups and bowls clattering loudly, and wine spilled lightly onto the Empress's dress, leaving her in an unprecedentedly disheveled state.
"Kill it."
The Empress pointed angrily at the cat, which arched its back to block Xie Danling's view and hissed menacingly.
The head maids and nannies all gathered around.
Immediately following was the head eunuch's shrill voice: "Who dares to move!"
Are you blind? Don't you even know whose cat this is?
They treat it like a precious treasure, they can't even be bothered to touch it!?
The surrounding eunuchs stepped forward, eyeing them menacingly.
Everyone: ?
I don't understand.
How come, in the short time they were stunned, the eunuchs were about to fight with the Empress's men?
What did they miss?
Duke Wei's heart pounded. He couldn't help but glance at Xie Yingchen. He was still there, and the coup hadn't even started yet... right?
The music and dance suddenly stopped, and the hall was filled with the sounds of wind and cranes.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
Gu Zhizhuo spoke, breaking the silence.
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and the surroundings were very quiet. As soon as she spoke, everyone turned to look at her.
"You're sick, you should go back and rest properly, don't overwork yourself."
Upon hearing this, the Empress was stunned.
Gu Zhizhuo sat below her, three steps away.
Gu Zhizhuo was below, and she was above.
Ironically, in that instant, she felt that she was the one who was inferior to others.
In a daze, she recalled that when she was still a concubine of Prince Rong, she went to the palace to pay homage one year. She had a dispute with Consort Wang, who was then the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess said, "Consort Sun is ill. Take her to rest."
"Take Her Majesty the Empress to rest."
The two voices overlapped, one in the mind, and the other in reality.
Before she could pull herself out of her reverie, the head eunuch of Huazhang Palace said in a sarcastic tone, "Your Majesty, you are not feeling well, so please don't push yourself."
Miss Gu is definitely standing up for the cat!
Miss Gu is so kind!
Of course, they couldn't afford to lose momentum and embarrass the cat.
"Did you hear me? Take Her Majesty the Empress to rest now."
"Meow!"
The cat swung its tail, its golden eyes like amber.
"How dare you!" The Empress slammed her hand on the table, glaring angrily. "Are you planning a rebellion?"
Some people hesitated and looked at Xie Yingchen. Xie Yingchen placed his hands clasped on the table in front of him, looking down at everyone with an imposing presence. Everyone lowered their heads to avoid his sharp edge.
Cheng En Gong's throat tightened, he shrank his neck, and his eyes darted around.
Gu Zhizhu smiled slightly and said gently, "Your Majesty, your upper and lower face are flushed and dark, your eyes are fixed, and your lips are twitching. This is a sign of a stroke. You should rest well and not do anything reckless."
What she said, whether true or false, was quite convincing.
Oh, so it hasn't reached the point of forcing a resignation yet. Thank goodness. They were terrified.
"Go and summon a royal physician for Her Majesty the Empress to give her a proper examination."
"yes."
The head eunuch agreed and dragged the empress away, half-pushing and half-pulling her.
The Empress's eyes widened in fury: "Release me!"
“A stroke can be serious or minor, so don’t delay.” Gu Zhizhuo sighed softly. “Sick people are bound to be stubborn, and we can’t just let them do whatever they want.”
Duke Wei flattered without distinguishing right from wrong: "Miss Gu's medical skills are superb, what you say is absolutely right."
"How dare you..."
The sound gradually faded away.
Duke Cheng'en peeked in the direction the Empress had been taken away. The marriage hadn't been arranged yet! Now that the Empress is gone, what will happen to Nian'er's marriage?
When Xie Jing returned from changing, he was dumbfounded. He had only heard bits and pieces of what was going on, and he was still somewhat dazed.
"Mother!"
Having failed to catch the Empress, Xie Jing hesitated for a moment before striding forward to Gu Zhizhuo.
He braced his hands against the table, leaned down, and said angrily, "Don't go too far. This palace is not your place to make decisions..."
"The Third Prince."
Xie Yingchen interrupted, "If you can't speak properly, then go down and let the imperial physician take a good look at you."
Xie Jing: !
Xie Yingchen rarely paid him any attention, as if in his eyes, he, the legitimate son of the Empress, posed no threat to him whatsoever.
"Third brother." The eldest prince Xie Lang quickly came over to pull him away. "Third brother, you've had too much to drink. Quickly apologize to the Crown Prince." After saying that, he smiled ingratiatingly at Xie Yingchen. "Eldest cousin, my third brother has a low alcohol tolerance. Please forgive him."
"Stop fooling around. Do you want to embarrass yourself in front of the Princess of Xiliang?" Xie Lang whispered in his ear, then pulled him away.
Xie Jing shook him off.
He stood there motionless, neither moving nor speaking.
Why won't he listen to reason? Xie Lang said with a forced smile, "Elder brother, I'll take him away right now."
The Duke of Cheng'en was terrified. He instinctively looked at the Prince of Jin, hoping the prince would reprimand her. This young lady, Gu, was so unruly and disrespectful, showing no understanding of a woman's proper conduct. An impeachment! The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion must be impeached for failing to properly discipline its daughter!
The Prince of Jin drank his wine quietly, without saying a word.
The emperor is useless.
None of the emperor's sons were of any use.
Xie Jing is indecisive and useless; all he does is stand there and make a fool of himself.
Xie Lang was even worse; he didn't even know how to scheme. When he realized he had no hope, he immediately became a leisurely member of the imperial clan, fearing that Xie Yingchen would take his anger out on him in the future, and he behaved as obediently as a dog.
Ha, such a destiny forcibly obtained through evil magic deserves to be short-lived.
The Prince of Jin downed another cup of wine and wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth.
Under the flickering candlelight of the glass lamp, the clear wine on my hands seemed to be tinged with bright red.
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands lightly twice, and the music started up again, as if nothing had happened.
Xie Jing remained motionless, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot, staring intently at Gu Zhizhuo.
Amidst the ringing of bells, Princess Jiaye of Xiliang approached.
She had long, flowing hair with several silver bells tied to her braids, and dozens of delicate bracelets and anklets on her wrists and ankles that jingled as she walked.
Apart from having a slightly darker complexion than the noble ladies of Daqi, she was exceptionally beautiful, with thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and extremely vibrant lip color.
“Miss Gu, I’m new here and a little shy because of the language barrier. I just kept asking His Highness the Third Prince to drink a few more cups with me. His Highness must have had too much to drink and can’t walk.” Jia Ye spoke fluent Mandarin. “This cup is to apologize.”
She held a silver pot, filled it with wine, and drank it all in one gulp.
She poured the wine into the glass, leaving not a drop.
"You have a good capacity for alcohol," Gu Zhizhuo complimented.
"No, no, I can't hold my liquor at all." Jia Ye rubbed her forehead, as if she was about to collapse. "Your Highness, could you come out with me for some fresh air?"
Xie Jing was slightly taken aback.
He had actually been regretting it for a while, but he couldn't back down, so he could only continue standing there. He hadn't expected Jia Ye to come over and save face for him.
A wave of tenderness washed over him, and he agreed.
"Miss Gu, let me sober up before I come back to learn from you." Her laughter was clear and melodious, her braids flying with her movements. She pulled Xie Jing away, brushing past Duo Leng who was standing in front of the palace gate.
She stepped out of the door and said with a smile, "Brother, don't just stand there, come inside. Let's go for a walk."
Duo Leng had been standing in front of the palace gate for a while, witnessing firsthand how the Empress of Daqi was taken away because of Gu Zhizhuo's words, and not a single civil or military official in the entire hall uttered a single word of dissent. Even the Empress's own son just stood there, fuming. —If it were him, he would have already drawn his sword against the person who insulted his mother.
He knew before he came to Daqi that Xie Yingchen, the grandson of the crown prince, was locked in a fierce struggle with the emperor of Daqi.
The king hadn't originally intended for him to escort the bride; it was only after he overheard the king discussing the matter with his confidants that he took the initiative to request it.
This is an opportunity for him.
As long as he can stir up internal strife in the Great Qi, the Great Liang can continue its eastward advance and seize territory in the Western Frontier. Once he has achieved this feat of territorial expansion, even the king will not dare to do anything to him.
Even if all else fails, he can still make the Western Frontier his own territory and make other plans.
After arriving in Daqi, he discovered that the two were not only fiercely fighting, but also locked in a life-or-death struggle.
In particular, Xie Yingchen even possessed the deadly weapon of a musket!
The Emperor of Daqi was being pressed further and further, to the point that he accepted all the conditions proposed earlier. Some of these conditions even seemed excessive to Duoleng himself, and he was just waiting for Duoleng to bargain, but to his surprise, Duoleng agreed to them all.
After being called out by Jia Ye, Duo Leng had no choice but to steadily walk into the hall. Dozens of tiny braids of hair rose with his movements and then fell back down to his chest.
Looking at the current scene, it seems that the Emperor of Daqi has reached a point where he must fight to the death.
"The eldest prince."
The Duke of Cheng'en was jumping around wildly. When he saw him return, he hurriedly came over to greet him, wanting to ask how his talk with the Emperor had gone, but he changed his words to, "How is your wound?"
He repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Oh, you're a guest from afar, we've really been too kind to you."
Duo Leng casually responded with a few words and sat down at the table.
The large bowl of strong liquor made his head throb slightly.
With the Emperor of Daqi so weak, helping him would obviously be extremely risky.
But if we win...
He glanced outside the hall; the twilight had deepened, and Xie Jing was nowhere to be seen.
The weaker the successor to the Great Qi dynasty, the more he can achieve. Not only with firearms, but he can even make the Great Qi dynasty submit to him.
The temptation is too great, so great that it's impossible to resist.
In contrast, Xie Yingchen, that black-hearted scoundrel, is much harder to deal with.
"please."
The Duke of Cheng'en repeatedly offered him wine, spoke to him in a low voice, and flattered him with a face full of obsequiousness.
"Your Highness, I offer you a toast."
Duke Wei was the first to raise his cup.
He started by downing the wine in one gulp, then turned the cup upside down and laughed heartily, "Your Highness, I can only drink this one cup today, you must do me the honor."
Xie Yingchen picked up the warm water in front of him and took a sip.
"good!"
Duke Wei shouted exaggeratedly, as if he had downed some strong liquor in one gulp.
The atmosphere at the table suddenly became lively again.
Before long, people came over to offer toasts, but Xie Yingchen only drank lukewarm water. They saw this and, blind to his true intentions, cheered him on.
With neither the emperor nor empress present, the atmosphere at the banquet was more relaxed. Some drank, some chatted, and some nobles, having drunk too much, secretly started playing drinking games.
Xie Danling returned carrying the cat, and said angrily, "What are you thinking, wanting Cousin Xing to marry Sun Nian! The Wang family isn't stupid. Why do they have to tie themselves to the Chengen Duke's Mansion? Besides, I hate Sun Nian."
"Meow!"
Xie Danling patted the kitten's head, peeled shrimp for it, and fed it to its mouth.
"Yaoyao, you don't know." Xie Danling was really angry. She pulled her sleeve and made her come closer. The two whispered to each other, "A few days ago, my cousin and I went to the temple fair and happened to run into Sun Nian."
“I ignored her and went to guess riddles with my cousin Xing. He won me this huge revolving lantern, which is painted with all sorts of raccoon dogs. It’s so pretty.” After saying that, he looked down at the cat and explained, “It’s not as pretty as you.”
"Mimi~"
Gu Zhizhu handed her the fruit syrup to moisten her throat.
"And then what?"
“My cousin Xing said he would buy me some clay figurines, so I waited for him by the bridge. But I ran into Sun Nian again.” She got angrier and angrier as she spoke, and continued with a fierce face, “Sun Nian said that my cousin Xing was someone she had found through the process of finding a husband, and that since I didn’t even have a verbal marriage agreement with my cousin Xing, I shouldn’t keep bothering him.”
I can't be bothered with her.
"Hmph, this is supposed to be about finding a son-in-law after the imperial examination results are announced? It's not a play."
Wang Xing mentioned this incident, and Gu Zhizhuo found it baffling at the time, assuming that Sun Nian was overwhelmed by the marriage arrangements at the Prince of Jin's residence and was wandering around aimlessly.
"And then what happened?"
Gu Zhizhuo then brought the topic back.
"She fell down and pretended that I pushed her." Xie Danling had seen this kind of thing many times in the palace. She slammed her hand on the table and said, "When she turned around, sure enough, Cousin Xing was standing behind her, holding a clay figure! She cried and told Cousin Xing that I pushed her."
Xie Danling grew angrier the more she thought about it. Mimicking Sun Nian's tone, she said in a affected manner, "Young Master Wang, Cousin Danling didn't mean it; it's my fault. After we parted at the teahouse last time, seeing you again, I wanted to come and say hello, but perhaps Cousin Danling misunderstood..."
“And another thing!” Xie Danling continued, holding the handkerchief, “My cousin Danling has been willful since she was little, so please don’t blame her.”
"snort!"
Gu Zhizhuo stroked the jade bracelet on his wrist.
"I won't let this go unpunished!" Xie Danling said, hands on her hips. "I picked her up and pushed her into the pond."
Qingmei, who was standing behind serving, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"She said it was me who pushed it, so I pushed it to her to show her!"
"It has to be done properly."
Gu Zhizhuo applauded her, praising her for her wisdom, courage, and extraordinary intelligence, which made Xie Danling blush and feel very proud.
"What about Cousin Xing?"
“Sun Nian brought a lot of maids and guards with her, but my cousin Xing helped me block them so they wouldn’t come over and bother me while I was pushing people.”
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to push it so smoothly.
"We'll leave after we finish pushing!"
Haha. Just kidding! Cousin Xing is her own cousin; if he didn't help her, why would he help someone else?
Cousin Xing just likes to dress in bright colors, which hurts her eyes, but she's not blind.
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