Tian Gui Escapes: The Abdominal Black Two Treasures 64 Gong Tang Against Thin

  The Baichang National Envoy, with over a hundred people, set off towards the Dongling Kingdom. Before departing, King Xian received from Emperor Qingxiang of Baichang the peace treaty to be handed over to Emperor Li Zimo of Dongling.

  This trip by King Xian can be said to be a heavy responsibility and a long way. Baichang has always been a tributary country of Dongling. Only because Dongling is powerful, Baichang cannot help but rely on Dongling to maintain its position among the 36 countries. Also, Baichang was just a vassal state of Dongling a long time ago, and later became independent. Therefore, in the eyes of the imperial family of Dongling, Baichang has never been like an independent country, but rather a subsidiary of Dongling.

  When Baichang became independent, it signed several treaties with Dongling. Among them was one that Baichang could not tolerate, which not only stipulated that Baichang had to pay tribute to Dongling, but also required Baichang's court and national defense to report to Dongling no matter what changes occurred. It can be said that when the Emperor Qingxiang ascended to the throne, he had to be recognized by the Emperor of Dongling before he could ascend to the throne.

  It seems that Bai Chang's so-called independence is nothing but a mere formality. This has caused the royal family of Bai Chang to be deeply grieved and indignant for many years.

  Until the generation of Emperor Baichang, a wise king appeared in the imperial family. The wise king established a considerable reputation among various countries. Seeing that the time had come, the internal decision of Baichang was to let the wise king try to negotiate with Dongling, so that Baichang could have true autonomy.

  The wise king set out with a hundredfold confidence, amidst the cheers of Qingxiang Emperor and the people, making a promise to complete his mission.

  Hua Zhengke persuaded the royal family to let his own people join the delegation of the wise king.

  After the team set off, King Xian specially boarded Mrs. Hua's carriage to comfort her. Mrs. Hua's reputation was well-known in Baichang, and people all over the world knew about the strong personality of Mrs. Hua's daughter, Tie Zhuan. It is likely that Mrs. Hua can support him in front of Emperor Dongling.

  However, he himself seemed to have forgotten that he had a rather big grudge against Mrs. Hua.

  The old lady Hua didn't even offer him a cup of tea, and said: "After I've been in seclusion for so many years, I come back to hear that Your Highness is planning to make Shu'er the consort?"

  At that time, Hua Yu Yan jumped into the river and died because of his letter of dismissal. In a fit of anger, Hua Lao Tai Jun went to the imperial palace and grabbed the collar of Xian Wang, saying: "If her granddaughter has any accidents, he will be buried with her." Later, when they found Hua Yu Yan, she was already pregnant, and as a woman, her reputation was completely ruined. Hua Lao Tai Jun was angry again and rushed to the imperial palace, asking Xian Wang to take more than half of the responsibility. In the end, after repeated negotiations between the royal family and the Hua family, Xian Wang agreed that before Hua Yu Yan could find a husband to marry, he would not discuss the matter of selecting a new queen or establishing a new queen.

  The wise king suddenly remembered this matter, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, but his tone was very calm: "Old lady, this matter is not decided by me, it's your own Huajia family who proposed it to the empress."

  "Who?" The old lady immediately gave her son a stern look.

  Hua Zhengke hastily stuck to her ear, softly explaining: "Mother, this matter is long-winded, mainly the son is considering that the fat water does not flow into the outsider's field. Anyway, at the time, King Xian will eventually marry a concubine, since he has been ashamed of Xiyan, why not remarry our family's daughter Shu'er?"

  But little did he know that these words earned him a severe reprimand from Old Lady Mei, who struck him on the head with her cane: "You rascal! There's no need to mention it, such a stupid idea must have been suggested by Liu!"

  Hua Zhengke said with a hint of grievance: "Mother, her idea didn't harm the Hua family. Can't our Hua family producing an imperial consort suppress other noble families? When Xian Wang becomes emperor in the future, Shu'er will be the empress and I'll be the emperor's father-in-law. Won't the entire country of Baichang have to show utmost respect to you as the empress dowager?"

  "Everyone says that it's for the good of our family, but only I remember Shu'er and forget about Yican. This kind of flattery and boot-licking is not worthy of our family's legacy. Our ancestors would be ashamed if they knew how you're all behaving now." The old lady's anger grew as she spoke, her sons having all grown up to be useless, each one more corrupt than the last, only knowing how to take advantage of small benefits and forgetting the fundamental values of their family. She couldn't even protect her own granddaughter. Pointing at her son's head, she continued: "Do you really think that your scheme with the Liu family is for Shu'er's good? Look at the situation now, where is Shu'er?"

  "Shu Er, Shu Er..." Hua Zheng Ke's voice trembled with each word, leaving her speechless.

  "Shu Er has been missing for a long time, did King Xian ever worry about her even half a bit?"

  While eavesdropping on Old Lady Hua scolding her son, Xian Wang was initially in a mood to watch the commotion, but before he knew it, the old lady turned her spearhead at him, leaving his face embarrassed for a while.

  The old lady Hua turned a blind eye to these people and waved her sleeve, saying: "Please ask the palace owner to leave. I'm old, my body is not good, and I'm tired from traveling, I need to rest."

  The wise king patiently made his bow and then exited the old lady's carriage.

  Hua Zhengke was about to follow, when the old lady suddenly grabbed a tea cup and threw it at his head: "You scoundrel! What kind of karma did Yuxi have to have a father like you?! Don't forget, the heir of the Hua family is regardless of gender, Yuxi is the eldest daughter, who do you want to establish? Except for Yuxi, don't even think about it."

  The Liu family had always been worried, and now they heard the old lady speaking like this, and they were about to spit out a mouthful of blood. They had struggled for so many years, and it was not easy to become a stepmother! For Hua Zhengke, she had given birth to four daughters, and finally gave birth to a son, but now he was being rejected by the old lady!

  I should have killed Huayexuan earlier!

  The envoy team took eight days to arrive at Dongling. Before that, the mansion of Princess Chang had already become lively. As entrusted by Empress Hu, Princess Chang undertook the heavy responsibility of hosting the summer lantern festival. Early in the morning, Princess Chang was discussing the guest list with her husband while her daughter was tugging at her sleeve, begging her to let Li Zimo withdraw the imperial edict that forbade him from entering the palace.

  "They all say that the emperor's temper is strange, compared to the previous emperor, it's even more so. This is what you brought upon yourself, I won't be able to speak for you in front of the emperor. Besides, just wait three days and go out for a walk on the streets, visit some families, and it will all pass. The Grand Princess patted her daughter's mischievous hand, "If you're really bored, return to your chambers and learn how to embroider flowers. Don't think that just because you're a county princess, when you get married, there won't be anything in the dowry that you embroidered yourself."

  "Sister." Li Ji Yao said with a sense of grievance, "I didn't do anything wrong. Older brother is being too harsh on me."

  "You still say you didn't do anything wrong?" The Empress Dowager slanted a glance at her daughter, "Don't you think about who you've provoked? You've provoked the favorite of the current Emperor."

  The Marquis of Ningyuan, Li Yongkang, interrupted and followed the Empress Dowager's education to her daughter: "Don't say anything more. The Emperor is doing this for your own good. When someone becomes famous, they attract a lot of gossip. Many people are watching Yan Shangshu closely. If you get involved with him, you'll be afraid of being dragged into trouble. The Empress Dowager and I are worried that no one will be able to protect you when the time comes."

  "Who is staring at Shangshu? What is Shangshu doing?" asked Li Jiyao, blinking her confused big eyes.

  The princess and her husband both shook their heads and sighed. Their daughter was good in every way, but she had been overprotected by them since childhood, so that her mind was too simple.

  Li Ji-yao saw that neither of them paid attention to her, so she stomped her foot and walked out. Her maid San Qi followed her and saw her pacing back and forth in the courtyard, unable to sit down. She then made a small suggestion: "Young Mistress, why don't you go visit Madame Gong's place?"

  The Grand Princess's estate and the Palace people weren't exactly familiar with each other, because the Palace people were all detached in nature, not fond of socializing, which made everyone behind their backs say that the Palace people were worldly unsoiled immortals, with more derogatory meaning than praise.

  Li Ji-yao, however, had a close relationship with the Empress Dowager in her early years. Later on, she would often sneak into the palace to visit the Empress's family home. In the Empress's residence, watching the Empress's skilled hands embroider flowers was also a delightful and enjoyable thing.

  The suggestion of Sanqi dispelled Li Jiuyao's depression. Li Jiuyao clapped her hands in approval, got into the sedan chair and rushed to the Palace.

  It just so happened that only Madame Wang was at home, and she was in the courtyard with all the servants of the Wang family, sunning the books from the study to prevent dampness. Row upon row of books were spread out on the ground.

  "The county master has arrived." The house slave reported as he entered the door.

  Madam Wang hastily smoothed out her clothes and went out to greet them.

  Li Ji-yao entered and immediately grabbed Madame Wang to play chess.

  Madam Wang followed her wishes and set up a chessboard, playing five-stone chess with her.

  In Go, Li Jiuyao's moves were decent, unlike Weiqi which was a mess from the start. The naive and innocent young lady couldn't keep her mouth shut, and she poured out her grievances to Madame Gong, saying that Emperor Li Zimo had no reason to ban her from entering the palace, and even her own parents said it was justified. In short, this young lady didn't think there was anything wrong with Hua Yexing, but rather felt sorry for her because of how others were gossiping about her.

  Madam Wang listened to her, left and right, Yan Shangshu, heard her describe the scar on Hua Yu's face, and suddenly called out in a low voice from behind Linglong: Isn't this the mother and son they met at the inn before?

  "Linglong, what did you say? Have you seen Yan Shangshu?" Li Jiyao grabbed Linglong's low cry and asked.

  Madam Gong stood in front of Linglong, smiling slightly: "Young Mistress, she's confused. Yan Shangshu is a palace servant who serves the Emperor. How could a maid like her possibly meet him on the street?"

  "It's also." Li Ji Yao didn't suspect, raised an eyebrow and said, "My imperial brother has that kind of temper, people he likes, must be tied to his side. I let her come out of the palace to find me, but I think it's difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven."

  Madam Wang's mouth corners were slightly raised in a smile.

  "Is Duke Gong going home for dinner?" Li Jiuyao asked, seeing that her maid Sanqi was urging her to return to the mansion for a meal, but she didn't feel like going back.

  Madam Wang shook her head: "He's busy with official duties and probably won't be back."

  Li Ji Yao clapped her hands happily: "This way I can stay here for dinner."

  Sanqi could only roll his eyes at this master of his who didn't have any rules at all.

  Madam Wang would certainly not refuse her to stay.

  Li Ji-yao stuck out her small tongue at Madame Wang: "In my household, neither my father nor mother has time for me, they're all busy preparing the lantern festival for the Empress Dowager. On that day, I'll run to your house again to hide, okay?"

  County Master

  "When attending banquets, they would often invite me to go, and I'm fed up with it. What's the point of going there? Apart from accompanying those people in idle chatter, the rest of the time is spent eating, and every time I eat until my stomach is bloated. When I get back, I still need to ask a doctor for medicine, it's not worth it." Li Ji-yao couldn't stop complaining.

  The princess's mother looked at her age and said softly, "The young lady is not young either. I think the princess and the prince are both hoping to start looking for a future husband for the young lady."

  Li Ji Yao blinked: "Madam, how did you help my sister-in-law find a future husband back then?"

  The county master spoke without reserve. The imperial concubine picked up her handkerchief to cover the corner of her mouth and coughed lightly. Sanqi quickly pulled back his master. Li Jiuyao regretted it and sincerely apologized: "Madam, this county master is indeed reckless in speech. However, I also miss the empress. I really miss her. Last time when I entered the palace to see Yan Shangshu, we met like old times, and I felt that she was very similar to the empress, kind-hearted, intelligent, and most importantly, as clever as the empress. Sun Ruyu and Lin Muyong wanted to take advantage of her, but she easily resolved it, which made me feel relieved."

  Madam Gong listened quietly to her words, and in front of her eyes, it seemed as if the faces of Hua Yuexuan and her mother had reappeared. After Li Jiuyao finished speaking, Madam Gong mentioned: "The princess last time, didn't she say she wanted that painting? I had someone re-mount it, originally planning to have Linglong send it to the Princess's residence. Since the princess came over today, I'll let Linglong take it out from the house and let the princess bring it back."

  "Is that painting...the self-portrait of Empress Dowager?" Li Ji Yao's eyes sparkled with excitement.

  Madam Gong smiled and nodded slightly. In an instant, Linglong took out a scroll from the house. Li Jiuyao received it with both hands, carefully stroking it, saying: "I want to hide it away, absolutely cannot let my imperial brother find out, otherwise, he will snatch it again."

  These words made Madame Gong listen with a raised corner of her mouth and a subtle bitterness in her heart.

  In the palace, Hua Xiyue gave Lü Cui medicine, seeing that the patient's fever had basically subsided and she let out a long sigh.

  Li Shunde came over to find her and said that His Majesty wanted her to go over.

  These past few days, for some unknown reason, that dog emperor suddenly changed his mind and stopped bothering her every day, allowing her to quietly stay in the house and treat Green Jade's injuries. Now, he has suddenly called for her again, but she doesn't know what it's about.

  Having packed his clothes, he followed Li Shun-de and asked on the way: "Mr. Li, where are we going?"

  "The Cloud-Sharing Hall where the Holy One receives foreign envoys."

  The king's delegation entered the Eastern Capital, but did not receive a particularly warm welcome. In line with Li Zimo's frugal style, foreign delegations, unless they were from major powers or vassal states coming to pay homage, were only given simple receptions. The king's carriage procession entered the East City Gate, and there were no civilians or troops lining up on both sides of the road to welcome them, only a Minister of Rites sent by Li Zimo as the receptionist and guide. The procession of over 100 people and horses blended into the streets of the Eastern Capital, and the people of Dongling, having seen many delegations come to pay homage to their emperor, did not take King Xian's delegation seriously at all.

  This encounter poured a basin of cold water on the heart of Xian Wang, who had come to Dongling with great ambition and confidence. The sweat in his palm made him feel the difficulty of this task, which was not what he had expected.

  It is said that every year, Bai Changguo would pay homage to the Eastern Mausoleum several times, both major and minor. Generally, it was a minister appointed by the Emperor of Bai Changguo who led the delegation. Therefore, not every visit resulted in an audience with the Emperor himself. When Emperor Qingxiang ascended to the throne, he had once visited the Eastern Mausoleum, and it is said that the meeting left him with an unbearable mental scar, after which Emperor Qingxiang avoided direct meetings with the Eastern Mausoleum royal family. As the Crown Prince, this was Xian Wang's first visit to the Eastern Mausoleum to pay homage to the Emperor of the Eastern Mausoleum.

  He only remembered that many years ago, when he was still young, he followed his master to the Tianxia Xianjian Conference to learn and practice. At the conference, Li Zimo was only a few years older than him, wearing a white robe with an ethereal and elegant demeanor, appearing as a noble guest, the stunningly beautiful youth in white clothes amazed everyone.

  The wise king got off his sedan chair, adjusted his jade crown, and with a firm gaze, followed the ceremonial attendants to the Cloud Soaring Palace.

  Yunxiang Hall is not the largest hall in the imperial court of Dongling Kingdom. When the emperor of Dongling Kingdom holds court and receives foreign guests and officials, it is the Daming Hall that is opened. Yunxiang Hall only exists as a secondary hall, relatively small, generally used by Li Zimo for private meetings with envoys. In Xian Wang's view, Li Zimo's willingness to meet him in person was already a considerable courtesy, his first step towards success.

  Step into the hall, the bright and shiny jade stone floor, the surrounding majestic nine dragons entwined pillars, all show the prosperous and powerful atmosphere of Dongling country.

  The wise king and four or five white Changguo ministers knelt down, waiting for a string of footsteps to appear from the left side door.

  "You're welcome."

  Immediately following the low and powerful dragon's roar, Xian Wang and the others who were kneeling slowly stood up, raised their eyes, and saw that the man in front of them was tall and slender, wearing a plain-colored dragon robe that seemed to oppress people, like a great mountain pressing down on everyone's heads.

  Xian Wang knelt down on one knee and said, "White Chang Guo's Crown Prince Ruan Hao pays his respects to the Emperor of Dongling. This time, I have brought with me the tribute that White Chang is presenting to Dongling, a total of 122 boxes, including silver, treasures, and precious stones. The list has already been handed over to the Minister of Ceremonies of Dongling."

  The wise king finished speaking and quietly waited for Lizi Mo to speak up.

  Li Zimo fell silent for a long time, only using his dark, deep-set eyes to measure him. A hint of sarcasm played on the corner of his lips: "Does the virtuous king have anything else to say to me besides offering tribute?"

  Since that layer of paper has been torn open, King Xian Su Yan's expression turned solemn: "This time I came, I brought the protocol book that Emperor Bai Chang of the White Dynasty wants to re-sign with Dong Ling."

  "Does your country want to formally get rid of its vassal status under Dongling?"

  "Yes."

  A cold laugh escaped from the thin lips of Xian Yan: "What makes you, Bai Changguo, think you have the nerve to negotiate with me? Are you colluding with Xi Zhen?"

  The wise king's palm sweated even more: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. Bai Changguo's actions are the will of the people of Bai Changguo, and have nothing to do with Xizhen or other countries. Bai Chang will not become a vassal state of any great power."

  "You say it's the will of the people? More than four-fifths of the people on White Changguo land originally belonged to the Donglingguo ethnic group. To put it bluntly, the true outsiders should be your White Changguo royal family."

  The wise king frowned: "Your Majesty's words are different. The people of White Chang Country support the royal family, and White Chang Country is peaceful and harmonious."

  "I previously went to Baichang in disguise, and I thought that Baichang was a country of peace and prosperity, with the wise king assisting Emperor Qingxiang in governing the country. Indeed, the wise king's reputation is renowned throughout the world, and he is the hope of the people. Unfortunately, what I have come to understand is completely different.

  The sharp gaze fell on the wise king's elegant face, and when thinking about the various rumors regarding that mother and son, it flew again to Hua Zhengke, who was kneeling behind the wise king. "Wise King, you have taken a woman as your concubine, haven't you?"

  Xian Wang was taken aback, the matter of Hua Xiuyan's affair, although it made Hua Xiuyan a laughing stock among the old and young in the city of White Chang, but it wouldn't spread abroad, let alone reach the ears of Emperor Dongling. Could it be that Emperor Dongling had been to the imperial capital of White Chang?

  He Bai Changguo was completely unaware of this matter. Not only were his palms sweating, but beads of sweat had also formed on his forehead.

  "Wise king, tell me, is it so, or is it not?"

  "Yes." The wise king did not bat an eye and did not think he needed to take responsibility for this matter.

  "What's her excuse?"

  "She is not the woman who belongs in my heart."

  "Why then make a marriage contract with her?"

  "This is an order from your parents." The wise king nodded, still not thinking he was in the wrong.

  Her eyes slightly sank: "Since it's like that, your parents are not worthy of being parents. They agreed with you to marry her and encouraged you to divorce her. After she was divorced by you and had nothing to do with you, six years later, she returned home, but was sent by your parents to be killed in the back mountain of the White Chang Imperial Palace."

  The wise king was shocked, not because he had just learned that his parents had sent troops to kill Huā Yù Yán's mother and son, but because Lí Zǐ Mò had actually found out about this matter. Also, why did Lí Zǐ Mò know about this matter? When did Lí Zǐ Mò start paying attention to Huā Yù Yán's mother and son?

  "This, this——" Hua Zhengke, who was kneeling behind King Xian, stared blankly at the king with both eyes.

  Was the White Chang National Imperial Family actually the real culprit who wanted to harm his daughter?

  "I want to ask how I would know if it's true or not? Because I happened to witness all of this in the mountains behind. This matter has pained me deeply, and I think that such ruthless and brutal slaughter of innocent people within their own country, those who view the law as nothing but straw, are actually the Emperor and Empress of the White Changguo imperial family. Such people being the model for the imperial family to rule over the commoners, how can the people below live in peace?"

  Xian Wang stood up and cupped his hands: "Does the Emperor have any evidence for all that he has said? If not, then it is slander against me, the White Chang Imperial Family."

  With a calm sweep of his eyes over Xian Wang's righteous words, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "Li Shunde, have someone bring the prisoner and witnesses to the palace."

  In an instant, two women, dressed in prison attire and wearing shackles on their feet, were pushed onto the hall and brought before King Xian.

  Hua Zhengke saw her second daughter's face and jumped up: "Shu'er?!"

  "Father!" Hua Shu'er cried out loud, "Quickly save your daughter! Your daughter didn't want to kill her sister, it was the Emperor and Empress who wanted to kill her sister, your daughter saw it with her own eyes."

  Xian Wang Mu took a step back, his eyes staring at Hua Shu'er in horror, who was now bald and emitting a foul odor like a crazy old woman.

  Hua Zhengke stood in the middle, looking at Li Zimo sitting on the dragon chair at the top, and then looked at Xian Wang, not knowing which side to curry favor with.

  "Lord of Flowers."

  Hua Zheng hurriedly knelt down: "Your subject is here."

  "Tell me, is your daughter lying?"

  Hua Zhengke lifted up her two sleeves and wiped away the sweat covering her face.

  "Father!" Hua Shu'er saw the situation and rushed up, crawling on the ground, crawling to Xian Wang's feet. Before Xian Wang could jump away, she wrapped her arms around his legs, "Your Highness! Your Highness, Shu'er became like this for you, for the Empress Dowager, you can't abandon Shu'er!"

  The wise king lowered his head, only to see her dirty face and that bald forehead, feeling nauseous in his stomach, he used force to push away her hands with his shoes, but Hua Shu'er held on tightly.

  "Your Highness, Your Highness, aren't you a renowned wise king? How can you abandon Shu'er? Shu'er is your fiancée!"

  "Nonsense! I, the king, never agreed to marry you! You are a wicked and ugly woman, how can you be worthy of me!"

  Upon hearing this, Hua Zhengke's disbelieving eyes shot towards Xian Wang: "Your Highness!"

  The wise king took a deep breath, inwardly acknowledging that the current situation was a complete destruction of his and the White Chang National Royal Family's reputation by the Hua family. And all of this was due to the man sitting on the dragon chair - Li Zimo!

  The wise king's angry eyes looked towards the dragon chair, thinking that he would see Li Zimo's triumphant face, but unexpectedly, the other party returned with a hint of accusation, more humiliating than mocking him.

  This man, isn't he just trying to suppress Baek Sung and his country?

  The wise king's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and one sentence couldn't help but fly out of his mouth: "Your Majesty, the eldest sister of the Hua family, isn't she also in Dongling?"

  "Does King Xian want to see her? Isn't she the one you divorced?" Yun Mei's eyebrows rose slightly.

  Huā Yùyán stood behind the screen in the Cloud Soaring Palace, listening to everything that was happening on the other side of the screen. Her slender eyebrows furrowed, and a certain part of her heart felt like it had broken through the ice. Why did he have to take charge and speak out for the mother and son? Thinking about all that had happened in the past few days, there were some things that really made her look down on him. However, she actually knew that he was a person with warmth in his heart.

  "Yu Yan." Suddenly, Hua Zheng Ke called out loudly outside the screen, "Yu Yan, are you here?"

  Hua Yu Yan furrowed her brow, lowered her head and turned away. Hua Zheng Ke had not personally harmed her, but by indulging in Liu Shi's actions, he was no different from an accomplice. This kind of father, she had never had any feelings for him to begin with. She would be more than happy to sever ties with this father on behalf of the original Hua Yu Yan.

  "Yù tiān huā zhèng kē jiū rán hái zài diàn nèi zhè yàng jiào dào: 'xī yán, nǐ kuài chū lái ā! Kuài jiě shì yí xià, bāng shū ér tuō zuì, gào dōng líng dì jūn, cǐ shì nǎi liú kòu zuò wéi, yǔ shū ér, yǔ xián wáng diàn xia, dōu wú guān xì. Wǒmen bù néng wū jiàn hǎo rén!'"

  Translation:

  "Yue Tianhua was still in the palace and shouted: 'Xiyan, come out quickly! Quickly explain, help Shuer clear her name, tell Emperor Dongling that this matter is the doing of bandits, it has nothing to do with Shuer or Xianwang. We can't frame good people!"

  This was probably the best plan that Hua Zhenguo could think of, so he wouldn't offend anyone on either side and could also save his second daughter's life. As for his eldest daughter, her reputation had already been ruined, and even if she lost her life, what would be the difference?

  A surge of air rose in her chest, she turned around, and faced him. Gong Xiangru's quiet eyes were looking at her. For some reason, as soon as she saw the man in front of her, a warm current flowed through her icy and almost dead heart. So, she brushed past him and walked out from behind the screen into the hall.

  "Yu Yan!" Hua Zhengke was overjoyed, thinking that this useless daughter of his still listened to him after all.

  Huā Yù Yán stopped in her tracks, not walking any further. Her light eyebrows scanned the group of people before her, among whom were supposed to be her relatives, but she only felt a chill.

  At the same time, upon meeting her somewhat cold gaze, Hua Zhengke's face stiffened for a moment, and a bad premonition hung over his head. Hua Shu'er clung to Xian Wang's thigh and wailed uncontrollably. Xian Wang's two eyes only stared at Hua Xiuyan's back as she faced the man sitting on the dragon chair, his face feeling like it had been scraped by something, leaving him with a burning pain.

  "I swear to the heavens, every word I speak is true, and I stake my life on it. The ones who wanted to kill me and my son are the White Changguo royal family, as well as the Second Miss of the Hua family, Hua Shuer, and her maid, Guirong."

  Her icy eyebrows made one think of the pain that must be hidden in her heart. Her fingers pressed against the cloud-shaped brow. He had originally intended to use her. The fingertips pressed again on the brow: "This matter, I hope that after King Huan returns to his country, he will give me a result with the Emperor of White Changguo. Otherwise, I will make public the scandal that occurred in White Changguo."

  The wise king stumbled, realizing that if the truth were to be revealed to the world, the reputation he had worked so hard to maintain would be completely ruined. Once his reputation was destroyed, his position and identity would undergo a catastrophic change.

  "The dragon robe brushed against the chair as he stood up: 'Everyone withdraw. These two offenders have violated our country's laws and will be executed according to our country's laws.'"

  Several people came up and dragged Hua Shu'er down. Hua Shu'er stretched out her hand and shouted to Hua Zhengkui, "Dad, dad, they're going to kill me!"

  Hua Zhengke suddenly rushed forward and slapped Hua Xiyuan on the back of her head just as she was about to turn around and leave.

  It came too suddenly, and Huā Yùyán subconsciously dodged but couldn't completely avoid it, being swept by the wind from Huā Zhèngkē's fingertips on her left cheek. Just as she was about to counterattack in anger, a strong gust of wind blew up inside the hall at the same time, sweeping Huā Zhèngkē away and sending him flying out of the hall, tumbling down the steps, and heavily falling onto the jade stone outside the hall, spitting out a mouthful of blood, with a deathly pale face, probably having all his internal organs shattered.

  Inside and outside the palace, everyone stood still, not daring to move a single inch.

  In an instant, Hua Xiyue turned her head back, only to see that the faintly shining dragon robe had already been withdrawn into his sleeve, with his back to her, walking out of the Yunxiang Hall. Her slender eyebrows slightly furrowed, she followed after him.

  A gaze from behind is the wise king's.

  Mrs. Hua was getting anxious in the inn where the delegation was staying. Because she was not a white Changguo official, she could not directly face the sage and could only let her son follow Xian Wang to ask about the emperor's intentions first. Zhang Fu accompanied her on both sides, also worried about the safety of Hua Yu Cai and her mother.

  After a long time, Hua Zhengke was carried back by several people with wooden boards, his life hanging in the balance.

  "Master!" Zhang Fu knelt down, trying to wake up Hua Zhengkui.

  Hua Zhengke's eyes were tightly closed and he couldn't respond. Liu heard the news and rushed over, throwing herself on Hua Zhengke's body and wailing, shouting "Who did this?"

  Mrs. Hua hastily stuffed the Hua family's Resuscitation Pills into her son's mouth, then ordered Liu to stop wailing and asked those who had carried Hua Zheng back about the circumstances of his death.

  Another envoy who witnessed everything in the temple said: "Never mind, it's all because of your family's young lady."

  "What's wrong with your face?" The people of Huajia were all shocked.

  "Yes. She accused Emperor Taizong of saying that the White Changguo imperial family and her sister wanted to kill her and her son, now, Emperor Dongling is protecting her."

  Liu's family heard this and felt dizzy, after being supported by the maid, two rows of teeth were shaking: "She, she, she - Ta Jun, you see, this is Xi Yan, she wants to kill, kill her father and her sister -"

  Old Lady Hua's white eyebrows furrowed: "Is this true? This is impossible. I must see Yexi myself."

  "How did she appear in the imperial palace of Dongling Kingdom?"

  "Now that I know she's in the hands of the Eastern Palace Lord, she is my granddaughter and I am her grandmother. How can the Emperor not let us meet?" The old lady's words were sharp and decisive, without any hesitation, she flung her sleeve and went out to request an audience with the Emperor immediately.

  Just as the old lady stepped out of the threshold, a glamorous and wealthy woman was seen walking towards her in the corridor. Following behind her, Liu Shi immediately knelt down and paid respects: "Princess Su E".

  The title of the second most beautiful person in the world is known to everyone, but this old lady from the flower family is surprisingly unimpressed by famous people. She put on a vigilant gaze towards the sudden visitor.

  Jin Suqiong gazed at the old lady and smiled: "Is this the old lady of the Hua manor? I have long admired your great name."

  The queen mother replied with courtesy: "Your Majesty, I am just a humble old woman, not worth mentioning. What brings you here today?"

  "This palace happens to live nearby, coincidentally heard that Mr. Hua was seriously injured, because this palace had some dealings with the Hua family before, couldn't bear it, hurriedly brought medicine over to see if I can be of any help."

  It turned out that the lady was kind enough to treat someone's injury. Mrs. Hua yielded the way out of courtesy. Liu's family kowtowed in gratitude. Jin Suqing entered the house and saw the seriously injured Hua Zhengke, sighing: "How did this happen?"

  Someone whispered something in Jin Suqin's ear.

  Jin Suqing sighed again: "Master Hua is unaware of this."

  "What's going on?" The entire Hua family perked up their ears, could it be that Hua Zhengke's injury had another inside story.

  "Yes, at present, this young lady of the Huahua family is a favorite of the Emperor and has been appointed as the Imperial Secretary. Are you all not aware of this?"

  The Liu family's fortunes were declining. Her daughter was dying, while Hua Xiyan had become a high-ranking official in the imperial court. How could she not be out of breath?

  "How is this possible?"

  In her understanding of her granddaughter, Huā Xīyàn is a waste, but she wouldn't have any dislike for this granddaughter just because she's a waste. In Jīn Sùqīng's words, Huā Xīyàn has talent worth eight dou.

  Chang Fu then thought of Hua Yu Nian's series of unusual behaviors after returning to the Hua residence and quietly whispered into Old Lady Hua's ear.

  The old lady's face gradually became heavy.

  Jin Suqing's gaze swept over the faces of each member of the Hua family, finally settling on Old Lady Hua.

  The wise king paced back and forth inside the house, as the name Yan Shangshu had recently become very famous in the Eastern Capital. Before long, it reached his ears. He finally sat heavily on a chair, frowning tightly, with a clear misty color: The woman he didn't want was treated like a treasure by the Emperor of Dongling?

  If he didn't know Li Zimo, he would have thought that Li Zimo's brain was flooded. But Li Zimo would never do anything that wasn't in his own interest, what is the reason?

  "Hehe." Xian Wang suddenly let out a few chuckles.

  "Your Highness?" Chang Qing was worried and saw that his master had returned from the imperial court, looking like a different person, seemingly a bit disheartened.

  Xian Wang loosened his tightly clenched fist, which was full of sweat, and narrowed his eyes: "I want to write a letter, you immediately help me send it back to the White Chang country and hand it over to my father emperor. Does Emperor Dongling want an explanation from me? I'm not one who can't afford it!"

  With the arrival of the Huas, the true identity of this Yan Shangshu as the eldest miss of the Hua family's waste was immediately spread throughout the Kyoto aristocratic circle.

  The host of the Lantern Festival, Princess Chang, was in a dilemma. The invitations had already been sent out one by one. Whether or not Li Zimo would come was not something she could decide, but since she had accepted the entrustment of Empress Hu, she came up with an idea and also sent an invitation to Hua Xiyan, thinking that maybe it could lure Li Zimo into coming. Who knew that such an ending would suddenly occur? Now recalling the invitations would be inappropriate.

  Returning to the Yongning Palace, Hua Yuxuan soon received a lantern festival invitation from the residence of Princess Chang. Li Shunde watched as she opened the invitation and quietly reminded her: "Miss Yu would do best to mention this to His Majesty."

  Huā Yùyán's fingers tightened on the invitation, suddenly recalling everything that had happened in the Cloud Soaring Palace today. Her impression of this man had changed slightly, and she asked: "Where is Your Majesty?"

  "His Majesty is busy reading the memorial." Li Shunde sighed softly, referring to how Lei Zimo would become a workaholic once he started working.

  Huā Yù Yán stepped into the office, but stopped at the door without entering. She saw a figure with an air of absolute concentration, reflected on the screen. The man was so focused that his surroundings seemed to be shrouded in a layer of ice that excluded everything else. Interrupting someone's work was something she was least good at doing, so she withdrew her steps and turned around to ask Li Shùn Dé: "I heard that His Majesty has agreed, and I can see my son anytime."

  "Yan Niang, the Emperor has not restricted you and your mother from meeting since day one," said Li Shun De. "You can go see her whenever you want, just let the servants bring you there."

  She clearly didn't want to give her son a sweet head start, and let the son who finally agreed to study hard be in vain. Seeing that the timing is now suitable, Huajiu Yan prepares to go and visit her son.

  Liu Aunt brought her to Guangyang Hall. As the Crown Prince's study companion, Xiao Mu's daily life was now all in Guangyang Hall, with only one wall separating it from the Crown Prince's bedroom.

  Huā Yùyán walked to her son's room, and a small eunuch hastily helped her push open the door and shouted inside: "Young master, your mother has come to visit you."

  "Little table, what did you say?" asked the foodie with a mouthful of delicious palace snacks, mumbling unclearly.

  His mother wasn't being held captive by that emperor in order to coerce him into studying.

  Little pig Ni Ni looked out of the window and saw the shadow of her mistress. She poked her snout at Little Master: It's your mother.

  As soon as Hua Yexi stepped across the threshold of the house, she saw her son with a mouthful of bread crumbs staring at her with his big eyes wide open. Immediately after, he threw away the bun in his hand and rushed towards her: "Mother!"

  This time, Hua Yu Yan didn't pinch her son's ear, and let him wrap his two small hands around her body. Xiao Yan rubbed against her warm body: "Mom!" Rubbing all the leftovers from snacks that hadn't been eaten clean onto her clothes.

  Huā Yùyán grabbed her son's collar and pulled him onto a chair, asking: "I heard you can recite the Three Character Classic?"

  "Of course," Xiao Yan said with a pleased smile. "What's difficult about it?"

  "Emotions, you've been deceiving girls all along?"

  "Mother..."

  "My daughter is really foolish, being deceived by her son..." Hua Xiyan turned around, covering her face with her sleeve.

  Little Wooden was struck by lightning all over his body. His small mouth managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Mom, don't act and deceive me."

  Is it easy for her to play a role and urge her son to study? Turning back, she pinched her son's puffy face: "Let you act first and deceive your mother!"

  Little Wooden quickly dodged and hid under the table, begging for mercy: "Mother, Mù Mù was wrong."

  The mother and son duo were performing a cat-and-mouse game around the table when suddenly, from the doorway came the respectful voice of a young eunuch: "The Crown Prince has arrived."

  Li Dongyun walked into the house with a birdcage in one hand and a package of pastries in the other, taking small steps. The room was in disarray, with a woman lifting up the table and grabbing Huamu Rong's sleeve, pulling her up along with a child. He was taken aback for a moment, but then a glimmer of light flashed across his eyes, and he smiled elegantly: "So it's Yan Shangshu who has arrived."

  Digression

  The next chapter should be able to write about the turning point...