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In the Cining Palace, Wang was throwing a tantrum, her hair completely disheveled, the phoenix crown lying on the ground, and her first-rank lady's robe wrinkled beyond recognition, covered in tears and snot.
Empress Wei furrowed her brows, gradually feeling anger rising within her.
This Empress is the Empress Dowager; how can you, a mere first-rank lady, act without any semblance of decorum? You come here to cause a scene without regard for the court's reputation. Are you intentionally trying to embarrass This Empress?
Just as she was about to explode, she heard a eunuch outside raising his voice, announcing, "The Emperor has arrived!"
The Prince is here! Empress Wei felt a surge of joy but soon began to worry again. In these troubled times, if another scandal broke out, there would be no place for her and the Prince to hide their faces. Hopefully, the Prince has some tricks up his sleeve to deal with this unruly woman!
She calmly returned to her phoenix chair and instructed the palace maids to lower the crystal curtain in front of her.
Upon hearing that the Emperor had arrived, Wang was not surprised but rather delighted; she wanted to create enough chaos to draw the Emperor's attention.
Zhao Gou strode into the hall with an imposing presence, accompanied by someone in a bright red robe cinched with a dragon-head gold belt and wearing a tall ancient crown of an unfamiliar style. Wang was taken aback when she saw Qin Xiang signaling her with his eyes; she immediately understood that this person was the troublesome National Guardian Master.
She rushed forward and grabbed Li Hong's robe hem, shouting loudly, "Return my Grand Master! If you don't return him, I will risk my life today!" With that, she lunged at Li Hong.
Li Hong had already heard the commotion but did not expect this unruly woman to be so fierce and reckless. He was startled and quickly dodged back, frowning as he asked, "Who are you? Are you Qin Hui's wife?"
Wang jumped up aggressively and continued to pounce towards Li Hong with astonishing agility. She shouted, "Our master welcomed back the Empress Dowager; even if there is no merit, there is hardship endured. Moreover, everything is by imperial decree. What right do you have to make things difficult for him? If I must die today, I will make sure we clarify this matter! If you’re a Celestial Master, don’t dodge!"
Li Hong was taken aback as he watched Wang charge at him with her short legs. He felt overwhelmed and called out to Zhao Gou while dodging, "This is outrageous! When did a madwoman come into the palace? Quickly get her out of here!"
"Who dares!" Wang shouted after failing to touch even the corner of Li Hong's clothing after all her efforts. She straightened up and gasped for breath as she declared, "Xie Er, bring over the Sovereign's personal decree for the Celestial Master to see! If golden words can be retracted, I might as well die alongside our Grand Master! I fear no punishment!"
Qin Xiang did not dare to cause a scene; he knelt on the ground and pleaded softly with his mother not to make trouble. At that moment, he crawled over to Li Hong's feet and looked up with tears in his eyes. "Mother is worried about Father; I hope the Celestial Master will show mercy and spare my father. If there is any wrongdoing, I will bear it all myself. This decree was indeed written by the Sovereign himself; once you see it, you will know my mother speaks true. Alas, she is just frantic; please forgive her disrespect before Your Majesty." As he spoke, he wiped his tears and held up the yellow silk-wrapped secret letter high for Li Hong to see.
Li Hong took the document and immediately realized that Qin Xiang was not lying. He couldn't help but glare fiercely at Zhao Gou.
Zhao Gou's face flushed, and he hurriedly ran to Empress Wei, lifting his clothes and kneeling down. "I am unfilial, causing my mother to be frightened."
Qin Xiang had a sudden idea and lamented, "The Sovereign is most filial. Although I am incompetent, I have always regarded the Sovereign as a model for all filial sons in the world. Today, my mother, in a fit of confusion, caused a disturbance before the Sovereign. I take full responsibility for all her sins. I ask the Sovereign to forgive my father and mother for the sake of my being a son." After saying this, he knocked his head on the ground with loud thuds, looking extremely sorrowful and sincere, until blood began to flow from his forehead.
Zhao Gou indeed felt pity in his heart and looked towards Li Hong.
At that moment, there was a sudden thud as Wang Shi collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide open, mumbling, "He's dead, he's dead. Our master is already dead. I won't live either..." As she spoke, she began to tear at her hair and clothes, seemingly going truly mad.
Li Hong had never seen such a fierce woman in his life; her tantrums and cries were so wild that they seemed genuine madness. He couldn't possibly argue with a madwoman, so he could only clasp his hands together towards Zhao Gou and say, "Your Majesty can decide."
Zhao Gou was eager to settle the matter peacefully and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Let Qin Qing's family take this first-rank lady away and strictly guard her so she cannot enter the palace to disturb the Empress Dowager!"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Wang Shi suddenly stopped acting mad. She jumped up and immediately kowtowed to Zhao Gou. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for not killing me or my husband." Wiping her nose and tears, she stood up and began to tidy her disheveled long hair.
Li Hong understood; she wasn't mad at all! He couldn't help but admire her. It was said that fierce women had extraordinary courage, and indeed it was true; she dared to cause a ruckus in the palace. This Grand Master's wife was not someone to be underestimated! However, thinking she could use this secret letter to spare Qin Hui was truly wishful thinking!
With a thought, flames suddenly erupted from the secret edict in his hand, causing screams to fill the hall. Wang Shi's voice was the loudest as she shouted, "It can't be burned!" and lunged forward.
Li Hong's flames were True Fire; before Wang Shi could reach him, the secret edict was completely reduced to ashes without a trace left behind. Wang Shi was stunned into silence.
Li Hong clapped his hands nonchalantly and said, "The secret edict is gone."
Zhao Gou nearly burst out laughing while Wang Shi felt like crying; her trump card had vanished just like that. If anything happened in the future, how could she protect her family? But she was quick-witted; with a turn of her eyes, she exclaimed, "Does burning the secret edict mean there’s no evidence left? Anyway, since the Sovereign has said he won't kill our family with his golden words, then I shall express my gratitude! I will leave the palace now and wait for my husband to return so I can persuade him to resign from office and return home to farm out this remaining life!"
Li Hong calmly said, "As a Grand Master of the first rank and one of the Three Dukes, can a woman like you just resign from office at will? Does Qin Hui let his wife make all the decisions? Enough of this nonsense today; your Grand Master is waiting outside. Hurry and help him back home. In a few days, there will naturally be a decree from the Emperor."
Qin Hui was almost dragged in, his knees swollen and unable to walk. Hearing that Lady Wang was causing a scene with the Empress Dowager, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief; at least his life was spared.
Seeing his fierce wife come out, he felt an inexplicable warmth towards her colorful, plump face as the three of them slowly supported each other out of the palace.
Li Hong watched their retreating figures with a frown, unable to believe that there was no way to deal with Qin Hui and his fierce wife!
Zhao Gou shook his head vigorously. "His family... tsk tsk, truly impressive. Even I have to admire it. Well, Celestial Master, this matter is indeed something I handled poorly. Let's all live peacefully and enjoy our lives."
Li Hong nearly fainted. "You are the Emperor! The Emperor must care for the common people. What do you mean by just living peacefully?"
Seeing Li Hong's shocked expression, Zhao Gou realized he had inadvertently spoken his mind and cursed himself for it. He quickly sought an excuse to leave.
Back at the Emerald Cold Hall, Chuming and Chuxuan gathered around. After Li Hong recounted what had happened, everyone gasped in astonishment at such a fierce woman existing in the world; it was truly unbelievable.
Chuxuan angrily said, "Does that mean Qin Hui gets off so easily?"
Li Hong pondered for a moment. "Of course not; this matter seems to require a more indirect approach."
The group huddled together for a brief discussion, and soon smiles appeared on their faces.
At that moment, Liu Zhong came to report: "Zhao Xiang requests to see the Celestial Master; he says he has found descendants of Yue Fei."
Li Hong's spirits lifted.
Qin Manor.
In the bedroom, Qin Hui couldn't help but scream in pain.
Having knelt on the gravel floor all night, small stones were deeply embedded in his flesh. Each one pulled out felt like a tooth being extracted from Qin Hui, causing him to cry tears and snot, his body trembling from the agony.
Two imperial physicians were sweating profusely. One quietly advised, "Please bear with it a little longer, Grand Master. It will be over soon. If we don't remove these small stones, Grand Master's legs will be ruined."
Qin Hui had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure. However, with each stone pulled out, he couldn't help but let out a heart-wrenching cry that sent shivers down the spines of the maids and servants standing outside.
After finally cleaning the wounds and applying medicine, with a pain-relieving pill held in his mouth, he began to feel a cooling sensation in his legs, and Qin Hui finally regained his composure.
Once the physicians took their leave, only the three family members remained in the bedroom.
Madam Wang's eyes were bright; she appeared not only sane but also quite clever. She whispered, "Master, this time Celestial Master even burned the imperial decree, and the Emperor hasn't said a word. It seems the tide has turned. We must quickly find a way out; staying in Lin'an will surely endanger our lives. How about..."
Qin Hui understood her meaning and shook his head firmly while lying straight: "No way. As soon as we leave Lin'an, those Celestial Masters will definitely move to kill our family. Only by staying here, under the Emperor's watchful eye, can we temporarily preserve our lives. The Sovereign is known for being merciful; he won't spare anyone who seeks to usurp his throne, but as long as we align with his wishes, we can do anything else without issue. We must endure! Endure until the Celestial Masters leave Lin'an again! Hmph, I refuse to believe they will stay here forever."
Madam Wang nodded slowly, deep in thought: "You are right, Master; it seems my understanding is too shallow. However, there is one thing I have noticed: I believe those Celestial Masters won't recklessly kill people, especially not me as a woman. When I saw Chu Hongzi, the National Protector, he was furious to the point of exploding but clearly had no way to deal with me. This indicates they want to use the Emperor's hand against us. So you are correct; you must continue to endure. As long as the Emperor does not act against you, they cannot harm us."
"You are very right." Qin Hui turned to Qin Xiang: "Xie Er, you must not go out these days. Take a leave from the Hanlin Academy and stay at home honestly. Once this calms down, your father will allow you to take that woman as a concubine. But until then, you absolutely must not go out and cause trouble."
Qin Xiang obediently nodded. She felt both surprised and delighted—surprised that her father knew about her dealings with the top courtesan of Lianxiang Courtyard, which made her break into a cold sweat; delighted that her father actually agreed to let her enter the Qin Family, which was truly unexpected.
Wang was immediately furious, realizing what her son had been up to outside. Just as she was about to explode, she saw Qin Hui gently shaking his head at her.
After sending Qin Xiang away, Qin Hui said, "Xie Er is a good child; having a concubine isn't really a big deal." Seeing Wang's eyes widen in anger, he quickly added, "I mean, Xie Er having a concubine isn't a big deal; I certainly have no such thoughts myself. I must thank you, Madam. If it weren't for you, I would have been manipulated to death by those Celestial Masters. Your great kindness, risking your life for me, I will always remember."
Wang then turned her anger into joy. "Fine, Xie Er's wife is gentle and weak; she hasn't produced any offspring for the Qin Family yet, so let him have a concubine." She paused and asked, "But what do you mean by saying Xie Er shouldn't go out? Do you think those Celestial Masters will cause trouble?"
"Exactly. It is said that Chu Hongzi, the National Protector, is friends with Yue Fei. He has come specifically to take revenge for Yue Fei!" Qin Hui's eyebrows twitched in fear.
"Those lingering spirits! Even in death, they still cause trouble; no wonder..." Wang wanted to continue cursing but noticed Qin Hui glaring at her fiercely and quickly stopped.
Qin Hui slowly said, "Madam, remember that disaster comes from the mouth!" After speaking, he gestured for Wang to help him lie down.
Once Wang left the room, Qin Hui opened his eyes and began to calculate. These Celestial Masters were looking for gold in Lin'an; perhaps he should not only refrain from obstructing them but also secretly arrange forces to assist Chu Hongzi. This way, they could leave Lin'an sooner.
At that time, he would still be the one in charge! Qin Hui smirked with satisfaction.
What he didn't know was that Chuming was above Qin Manor, listening intently to every word exchanged between him and his family.
Chuming was puzzled by one thing: what did the shrewish Wang mean by a backup plan? He turned and flew toward the palace.
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