The platform was in a mess.
The Secretary-General deliberately threatened the imperial concubines with the possibility of marriage, and the concubines present were also greatly frightened.
It was not until they heard loud laughter from the Yelu tribe from the audience that they breathed a sigh of relief when they learned that Li De had canonized the seventh princess as Princess Wen Zhao and sent her to the Yelu tribe.
Just as she came to her senses, a group of Jinwu Guards suddenly rushed up to the second floor and held down Concubine Rong who was whispering with a palace maid.
Several eunuchs came forward and asked the officials and their families to step aside.
The officials' wives were eager to leave the place of trouble as soon as possible, so they quickly got up and moved from the flying pavilion to another attic in a short while.
Only the concubines, the princes' wives and the wives of the Li clan were left on the balcony.
Concubine Rong was furious and shouted at him.
The concubines looked at each other, and Crown Princess Zheng Biyu frowned and stood up.
The Jinwu Guards bowed to everyone and said, "The emperor has ordered that Concubine Rong is vicious and has conspired to poison Concubine Xie. The evidence is solid, and we are here to arrest her and bring her to justice."
Everyone was in awe.
At this time, there was a sound coming from the stairs, and Princess Wen Zhao Li Yaoying climbed onto the platform surrounded by her entourage and walked step by step to Concubine Rong.
Everyone looked at her anxiously.
Yao Ying looked down at Concubine Rong without saying a word.
Concubine Rong started to struggle and scream, "You framed me! I did not poison Xie! I want to see His Majesty!"
The eunuch shouted, "The emperor has canonized Concubine Xie as the empress, so you must address her as Her Royal Highness."
Concubine Rong's face turned pale.
Yao Ying said calmly: "I know you won't plead guilty."
She glanced at the Jinwu Guards.
The two men clasped their fists in response, walked down the platform, and soon pulled the two middle-aged women onto the balcony.
The middle-aged woman knelt down in front of Concubine Rong with two plops, shaking like a sieve.
One of them cried, "I am a servant of the Li family. I met Concubine Rong more than ten years ago. Concubine Rong is of low status and often resents the Xie family in private. Fifteen years ago, the former empress passed away. Concubine Xie... no, Her Majesty the Empress became ill due to depression and often took medicine. Concubine Rong pretended to take care of the Empress and secretly gave the Empress Brahman medicine without telling the eldest son. After I found out, Concubine Rong lied to me that Brahman medicine has a calming effect and is not something that harms people. I was afraid that Concubine Rong would kill me to silence me, so I didn't dare to speak out. I also saw that the Empress did not show any signs of poisoning, so I believed it to be true and did not report Concubine Rong."
After she finished speaking while crying, another woman continued tremblingly: "I am Rong Fei's maid. The Brahman medicine that Rong Fei used to poison the Queen was bought by me from the Hu people. The medicine does have a calming effect, but it is extremely harmful and cannot be used too much... The Queen took the medicine every day, and within a few months she became dazed and crazy. Later, even the King of Qin could not recognize her... I was worried and advised Rong Fei to stop, but Rong Fei always said that it would be better if the Xie family died out, so that no one would laugh at her for being a slave..."
The concubines recognized the two women as Concubine Rong's maids. They frowned and looked at Concubine Rong with disgust and contempt.
Concubine Rong's face turned purple: "Nonsense! You are slandering me!"
Yao Ying ignored her and looked at the concubines with a clear gaze: "Concubine Rong poisoned my mother, there are witnesses and evidence. As a son, how can I sit by and watch such a villain poison my mother?"
Without waiting for the concubines present to speak up to clear themselves, she called the female official in charge of the palace affairs.
"How should the law punish them?"
The female official's voice was loud and clear: "As a maid and concubine, Concubine Rong poisoned her former master and mistress. She is insidious and vicious, and has lost all conscience. According to the law, she should first have her hands cut off and then be thrown into prison to be punished."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Jinwu Guards drew their swords. A bright cold light flashed and blood gushed out.
Suddenly, screams were heard everywhere.
Concubine Rong's eyes bulged out and her face was filled with disbelief and panic. After a moment's pause, she realized the severe pain and screamed several times in agony before being dragged away by the Jinwu Guards.
There was a long bloodstain on the ground.
The concubines looked at the bloody right hand that fell on the carpet at the end of the bloodstain. Their faces turned pale, their bodies went limp, and they collapsed on their seats.
The Seventh Princess actually had Concubine Rong's hand chopped off!
Yao Ying stood in front of the crowd and looked around. She was covered in Rong Fei's blood, which was dripping down her twelve pomegranate red skirts that were sprinkled with gold.
She used to be terrified of the sight of blood, but now she couldn't show any cowardice or hesitation.
"The Queen is ill and cannot take care of the palace affairs. The palace is damp. The Queen will move to a Buddhist temple outside the palace to recuperate." Yao Ying's eyes swept across the faces of the concubines one by one, and finally fell on Concubine Xue's face. "I have already informed the emperor that Concubine Xue will temporarily take charge of the Feng Seal. From now on, Concubine Xue will be responsible for the affairs of the six palaces."
Concubine Xue was surprised.
The other concubines were as shocked as she was, but then they reacted with jealousy and resentment on their faces: Empress Xie was unable to manage affairs and moved out of the Taiji Palace, and the Phoenix Seal was handed over to Concubine Xue. Doesn't that mean Concubine Xue has become the deputy empress who holds real power?
Concubine Xue also reacted, her trembling face revealing her unconcealed surprise.
Yaoying turned and left.
She had sent someone to send Xie Manyan to the Ligong Buddhist Temple, where the environment was quiet and peaceful, far away from trouble, and the guarding servants were all loyal servants of the Xie family in Jingnan. Xie Manyan would be safe living there.
She also carefully selected the candidate for vice-president.
Concubine Xue Guifei was the daughter of Li De's subordinate. She had been married twice before marrying Li De and gave birth to a son and a daughter. She was the only one in the harem who could not become the empress.
She was kind, fair, and smart. She knew that she would never be crowned as empress, so she had to use Xie Manyan's name to intimidate other concubines. Naturally, they would not dare to neglect Xie Manyan, so she was the most suitable candidate for vice empress.
This was also what Li De wanted to see. He had always been wary of concubines from aristocratic families. He felt more at ease knowing that Concubine Xue, who had no one to rely on, was in charge of the harem.
The banquet below the stage was still harmonious, with laughter and clinking of glasses.
Yao Ying lifted her skirt and left the hall through the passage behind the pillars. Suddenly, she felt a gaze as sharp as a knife circling around her. Her heart sank and she glanced at the gaze.
Just happened to meet each other's eyes.
He was a foreign man with a bunted hairdo and a cape, wearing a round-necked foreign guest robe with floral patterns. He had a high nose, deep eyes, broad shoulders and a strong body. He drank nonchalantly while gazing at her.
It's like sizing up prey.
Under the candlelight, his deep eyes seemed to glow with a faint golden color.
Yao Ying immediately retracted her gaze, quickened her pace and walked out of the hall, with a vague feeling of uneasiness surging in her heart.
Xie Qing followed her and said, "That man is the son of Chief Yelu."
Yaoying closed her eyes, her palms felt cold.
Chief Yelu was old, and his sons were in their prime.
She walked quickly down the long stairs. A figure flashed by from the side. A rough big hand reached out and tightly grasped her hand.
Yaoying raised her head.
Li Xuanzhen grabbed her hand and gritted his teeth, "Where is Yunniang?"
The moonlight poured down, shrouding Yaoying's beautiful face as she looked up.
Li Xuanzhen glared at her and was suddenly stunned.
Yaoying's face was calm, her eyes were as dark as deep pools under the moonlight, and a few bright red blood beads were scattered on her creamy cheeks.
The bloodstains are gorgeous, making the skin look even whiter than snow.
It's like a flower blooming in thick mist, stretching out its graceful figure in the hazy light.
elegant.
Bright.
And a bit of seduction.
Li Xuanzhen's fingers trembled.
Yao Ying said coldly: "The Crown Prince should ask His Majesty, I was not the one who took Zhu Luyun away."
Li Xuanzhen looked down at her, his eyes slanted and gloomy: "Seventh sister is so calculating, she made a deal with me first, and then made a deal with the emperor."
Yao Ying smiled slightly and said, "Brother, a Hu tribe like the Yelu tribe will not be loyal to the Wei Dynasty. Even if they marry into the Wei Dynasty, they may still rebel at any time. I am marrying on behalf of Zhu Luyun. This trip is more dangerous than good. Of course, I must take the opportunity to ask the emperor for some reward."
She shook off Li Xuanzhen's hand.
"The deal between us was that I took the initiative to offer to marry you off. Now that the marriage has been granted, you have gotten what you wanted. I have not broken my promise, have I?"
Yaoying knew that Donggong dared not reveal their deal.
So, she might as well make the most of this deal.
Li Xuanzhen loosened his fingers.
Yaoying walked past him.
Li Xuanzhen's voice came from behind: "Seventh sister, I will not let you see Li Zhongqian before you marry Chief Yelu."
Yao Ying stopped and turned her back to her elder brother.
"Li Xuanzhen, I knew this would happen."
When the deal was made, Wei Ming hinted that she was only allowed to send someone to confirm that Li Zhongqian was still alive, and she was not allowed to meet Li Zhongqian.
The last time she and her brother met was when she sent him off to war. Her brother took away the new saddle she bought for him and waved his golden hammer at her, looking very heroic.
It's fine this way, meeting each other will only add to the sadness.
Yao Ying smiled and walked away step by step without turning back to beg Li Xuanzhen.
She heard footsteps behind her, and the tall figure of Li Xuanzhen chased after her, grabbed her hand again, and pulled her over.
He looked at Yao Ying, his eyes darker than the night: "Seventh sister, do you regret it?"
Yao Ying signaled Xie Qing, who was about to draw his sword, not to step forward. She raised her head and looked at Li Xuanzhen: "Your Highness, I have no regrets."
She paused for a moment and said softly, "I only regret that when I first met you in Chibi, I thought you were a good person who would help the weak and fight against the strong, Brother Changsheng."
Li Xuanzhen seemed to be stung by something, and his expression suddenly became fierce.
"I told you, don't call me that!"
Yao Ying chuckled and slowly pried open Li Xuanzhen's cold fingers: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I won't mention this name again. The Yang Changsheng I knew six years ago is already dead."
She flicked her sleeves and turned away.
Li Xuanzhen stayed where he was, digging his fingers deeply into his palms.
The Secretariat drafted the imperial edict overnight. The court officials bargained with the Yelu tribe for several days over how many cavalry the Yelu tribe should provide and when the wedding would be held. The Yelu tribe quickly compromised, saying that as long as the seventh princess married, they could make concessions.
Within a few days, the marriage decree was officially issued.
All the dowry prepared for Princess Fukang became Yaoying's dowry. Because Yaoying was now a legitimate princess, the court wanted to control the Yelu tribe, so Li De ordered the dowry to be thicker, and Zheng Biyu and Concubine Xue were in charge of the preparation.
Yaoying did not ask about the dowry, but only asked Zheng Biyu to help her find some Hu maids who could speak Hu language.
"There is no common language on the grasslands, and there are various tribal languages under the Turkic language. Find a few more Hu maids who speak Hu language and tell them that if they are willing to follow me to the Yelu tribe, they will be good girls from now on."
The Hu maids in the palace and those kept by noble families were all female slaves with lowly status, and they could never get rid of their lowly status in their entire lives.
Zheng Biyu said: "Since they are slave girls, they can only obey orders. Why should we deprive them of their citizenship?"
Yao Ying didn't explain much.
When the maid Chunru and others heard that she was going to take the Hu maid with her, they knelt down and begged her to take them with her as well: "Princess, why don't you take us with you, but take those lowly Hu maids with you?"
Yao Ying sighed.
Because she didn't know what would happen to her after she married into the Yelu tribe.
Even though she was a princess of the Wei Dynasty, when the Yelu tribe was annexed by other tribes, she was nothing more than a trophy of other tribes.
She couldn't protect her own maids, so why should she take them with her on a journey of no return?
The Hu maids were captured and sold as slaves by the Hu merchants. Many of them missed their hometowns and wanted to return to their homeland, but they were unable to escape from their slavery due to their low status. If she had to take a few maids to the Yelu tribe, she might as well pick a few Hu maids.
Everyone takes what they need.
Chunru is like a few people crying their hearts out.
Yaoying is not soft-hearted.
Two days later, Zheng Biyu sent someone to deliver the selected Hu maids to the palace. All of them were pretty and nimble. The two youngest ones were named Tali and Ayi.
Yao Ying questioned them one by one and confirmed that they all voluntarily asked to marry her in order to get rid of their slave status and return to their hometown. She then ordered the chief secretary to prepare a house for them to live in.
Before the wedding, Chief Yelu personally led his troops to the battle, vowing to present Ashina's head to the Wei Dynasty.
The Wei Dynasty successfully formed an alliance with the various Hu tribes.
With the help of the iron cavalry of the Hu tribes, the Wei army was unstoppable. Within two months, they successively recovered Huizhou and Shanzhou, killed 20,000 enemies, and rescued a large number of captured Han people as slaves. Several Hu tribes entrenched in Liangzhou fled at the sight of them.
Half a month later, Chief Yelu executed the leader of the He clan, sent He's head back to Chang'an, and demanded that the Wei Dynasty fulfill its promise.
The Ministry of Rites set the wedding date.
Zheng Biyu told Yao Ying: Although Chief Yelu is still fighting, the wedding will still be held as scheduled. Chief Yelu's son will take her to the Yelu tribe's garrison, and when Chief Yelu returns to the tent, they will complete the wedding according to the customs of the Yelu tribe.
Yaoying nodded calmly.
She sorted out all the account books and handed them over to the housekeeper.
Part of the money accumulated over the years was used to bribe ministers in the court, so that night the ministers who sympathized with the Xie family used the situation to force Li De to agree to pass Li Zhongqian on to the Xie family.
The remaining Yao Ying have been stored in different places in case of emergency.
As for the land, house, and bookshop, they were all managed by loyal servants.
When Li Zhongqian returns, everything in the Xie family will be in order and he won't have to worry too much.
As the wedding date drew closer, Yaoying went to the monastery.
She was afraid that Xie Manyan would be sad, so she hadn't come to see Xie Manyan for some time. Xie Manyan could no longer recognize her.
There are many ginkgo trees planted in the imperial palace. In early autumn, golden leaves are falling down, covering the entire courtyard.
Palace maids and eunuchs accompanied Xie Manyan to pick ginkgo leaves under the tree.
Xie Manyuan smiled happily and said, "Erlang, Qi Niang, pick more. Mother will teach you how to make ginkgo soup."
The palace maids and eunuchs responded with a smile.
Yao Ying stood deep in the winding corridor, looked for a long time, then turned around and left the temple.
Back at the palace, the chief secretary, who had just returned from the Eastern Capital, wiped his eyes and said, "Erlang's injury has healed a lot, but he still can't get up."
The people of Southern Chu were good at using poison, and Li Zhongqian was poisoned too deeply. After waking up, he was in a state of confusion and could not even sit up.
Wei Ming placed him in Dongdu, and Yao Ying sent Xie's family to Dongdu to guard him until she got married. Wei Ming would release him, and the family would send Li Zhongqian back to Jingnan.
Yao Ying asked the chief secretary, "Brother, do you recognize anyone?"
The chief secretary's eyes were red: "Erlang sometimes sleeps and sometimes wakes up. Sometimes he sleeps for two or three days. I watched over him for several days, but he didn't recognize me."
Yaoying sat there in a trance for a while, and said, "When my brother gets better, don't tell him about my marriage far away. He is injured now and can't even get out of bed. If you tell him, he will get angry and how can he recover?"
Changshi nodded in response, "Princess...wait until Jilang is well?"
When Li Zhongqian wakes up and finds that Yao Ying has not visited him, he will definitely be suspicious.
Yao Ying sat in front of the window and closed the account book: "Keep it a secret for as long as possible. Tell my brother, he is my only hope, he must be well."
Changshi nodded while crying.
In the blink of an eye, it was the wedding day.
Yao Ying, wearing a brooch and a skirt with a diadem, was made up by the palace maids to look rosy and gorgeous. Under the gaze of Li De and the civil and military officials, she was helped by Xie Qinghui to board a luxurious carriage decorated with gold foil and jade bi.
Xie Qing insisted on following Yao Ying to the Yelu tribe.
"I have no ambition to achieve great things, I only wish to follow the princess, protect her, and follow her to the ends of the earth."
Yao Ying persuaded him to stay.
For the first time, Xie Qing showed an angry expression: "Princess, do you look down on my ambition? A gentleman dies for his friend. Am I not a loyal and righteous person?"
Yao Ying was helpless, knowing that even if she sent him away, he would still secretly follow her out of Yumen Pass, so she had to nod and let him stay.
The wedding date arranged by Qin Tian happened to be a bright and sunny autumn day, with clear skies and bright air, and cranes soaring into the sky.
The carriage set out from the palace gate and slowly drove out along the long street.
Xie Qing, who was riding beside the carriage, suddenly knocked on the window and said, "Princess, look."
Yaoying was so overwhelmed by the jewels and jewelry on her head and the swaying steps that she couldn't lift her head. She was sitting there in a daze. When she heard the noise, she lifted a corner of the gauze curtain and looked out.
She was stunned.
Both sides of the long street were filled with people, men and women, old and young, rich young men in bright clothes and poor people in tattered clothes.
They stood on the bank of a long street that stretched from the imperial palace to outside the palace gates. It was a vast expanse of darkness, and at first glance, there was no end in sight.
There were officials and minor clerks in the court who came from humble backgrounds and had received favors from Yao Ying.
There was the dandy young man who rode a horse and chased Yao Ying in the past.
There were civilians rescued by Yao Ying time and time again.
There were disaster victims who had begged for porridge from the Xie family’s porridge stall during the famine.
There was a woman who escaped the fate of becoming a slave because of Yao Ying's help.
They did not cheer, nor did they sing and dance to the loud and cheerful drum music. Instead, they stood there quietly, watching the carriage go away with solemn expressions and tears in their eyes.
Yao Ying's eyes were filled with tears and she waved to everyone.
More than one person asked her: Why would you save someone you have nothing to do with?
There are heroes in this world.
There are many ungrateful and vicious people.
There are more ordinary people who have their own selfish desires, are cowardly and timid, and are selfish, but they are also ordinary people who are grateful, repaying, and helping each other.
Yaoying is also an ordinary person, a person who survives in troubled times. She once fled with refugees, was rescued by strangers in times of crisis, was treated with sincerity, and she also wants to treat others with her own sincerity.
So, why would we stand by and watch someone die when we can do it ourselves?
The living people standing before her were her answer.
There were Jinwu guards guarding the road all along, so the common people could not see clearly what was happening inside the carriage, but some people still caught a glimpse of Yao Ying's gently waving hand.
An old woman cried out, "Seventh Princess, take care!"
Frail girl, marrying far away in a foreign land, you must take care of yourself!
This shout was like cold water splashing into an oil pan, creating a huge wave of sound.
"Seventh Princess, take care!"
One by one, they shouted out.
One by one, they knelt down in front of the carriage.
Everyone looked at the carriage and said over and over again: "Seventh Princess, take care!"
They could not think of any other blessings, and only wished that the Seventh Princess would be safe and sound.
Qin Fei, Governor Pei and others dressed in armor and escorted the carriage out of the city gate.
The noise, crying, shouting and yelling combined into a torrent that swept over. Just as it subsided a little, a new wave of tremendous momentum arose in a short while.
Governor Pei turned his head to look at the carriage.
Yao Ying never showed up, she just stretched out a slender hand and waved it gently.
Commander Pei's heart was moved, and he suddenly remembered the poem that Prime Minister Zheng and his ministers recited when they bid farewell to the Seventh Princess at the palace gate:
The princess of Wei was sent out to marry a princess, and she alone could defeat a million soldiers.