Chapter 364: Complaint
Chapter 364: Complaint
The Grand Princess left the Qi King's mansion in a rage, and the Queen sent people to escort her all the way back, fearing that she might still be angry and something might happen on the way.
Meanwhile, they also had to make some preparations at their mansion.
After the banquet, they needed to see off the guests.
The Qi King and Queen couldn't leave temporarily, so they finally asked King Qing to go to the palace and persuade them.
It wasn't that they wanted to let the Jinyang Hou Mansion off the hook, but rather, they wanted to calm the Grand Princess's emotions and prevent her from getting too angry.
King Qing readily nodded in agreement.
By the time the guests had left, the sunset's glow had already spread across the land.
The Qi King, holding Sui Sui, bid farewell to the last guest. After a long while, he finally began walking back with the child in his arms, talking to the Queen as they walked. "I have to make a trip to the palace. If I don't have time, I won't come back tonight, so you'll have to take care of things at the mansion."
The Queen, understanding his concern for the Grand Princess, gently assured him, "Don't worry, I'll handle things here."
The Qi King naturally trusted the Queen, so he quickly tidied up, kissed Sui Sui's forehead, soothed the little girl, and then changed into a new set of clothes before heading to the palace.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the palace was tense.
In a fit of anger, the Grand Princess had gone straight to the palace to lodge a complaint, and when the Emperor heard it, his expression turned grave.
Soon, the news reached the Empress Dowager as well.
She hadn't been in good health lately due to the incident with Princess Jiaoyang.
Every day, she had to take medicine to stabilize her breathing.
When she heard this news, she felt dizzy and nearly fainted.
Thankfully, Aunt Xu quickly fetched the medicine and helped the Empress Dowager calm down.
Once the Empress Dowager regained her senses, she pounded her bed in anger. "This is outrageous! How could the Xie family bring such a calamity upon themselves by marrying that troublemaker!"
In this matter, even Xu Mingxian's biological mother hadn't stepped forward, but Xie Furen, as his aunt, had gone all out with both money and effort.
It was said that she even behaved disrespectfully in front of the Qi King, which was simply disgusting!
The Empress Dowager had no good impression of the Xie family, and the Emperor was still handling the matter.
However, what truly angered her was the involvement of Xie Furen!
If they had known this would happen, they would have given much more consideration before allowing Xie Furen to become the new wife.
Now, after so many years, and with children born to her, the matter was not easy to handle.
Divorcing her?
What would happen to the children born to Xie Furen?
If any of those children turned out to be exceptional in the future, and this incident created a rift, it would spell trouble for the Xie family.
So, how should they deal with Xie Furen?
She definitely couldn't be kept around.
If this were her first mistake, the Xie family might have been more forgiving.
But was this her first time?
Over the years, Xie Furen had made countless foolish decisions, and the Empress Dowager couldn't even remember how many times she had cleaned up after her.
And now, this...
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager tried her best to regulate her breathing and not let her health deteriorate further.
She wearily closed her eyes, considering summoning Minister Xie to the palace, but fearing that doing so at this critical juncture might provoke the Emperor's displeasure and the Grand Princess's dissatisfaction.
Thinking of the Grand Princess, the Empress Dowager rubbed her temples in distress. "I wonder how things are going with Su Xiuyi?"
Su Xiuyi was the name of the Grand Princess.
After murmuring to herself, the Empress Dowager asked Aunt Xu, "Are the imperial physicians all attending to the Emperor?"
Aunt Xu gently nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty, they are all there."
"Your Majesty, with that temper of Su Xiuyi..." The Empress Dowager trailed off, a weary expression on her face as she pressed her forehead again.
With a sense of resignation, she thought, 'I'm already ill. Must I deal with these matters, too?'
'Oh well, let it be.'
However, as the matter involved the Xie family, she knew she couldn't avoid getting involved.
A strong sense of fatigue washed over her.
Aunt Xu, standing by her side, looked at her empathetically and gently stroked her head. "Your Majesty, please do not worry yourself. His Majesty will handle the matter, and your health is of utmost importance."
Hearing Aunt Xu's words, the Empress Dowager, without opening her eyes, coldly humphed. "That Su Xiuyi has a terrible temper. She even dared to talk back to the former emperor in front of the court officials. Now, with the Emperor being her junior, who knows what she might do."
Aunt Xu smiled gently and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured. The Grand Princess Su Xiuyi holds the Emperor dear and will not create a ruckus."
The Empress Dowager, with her eyes closed, let out a soft hum, indicating her disagreement.
Seeing this, Aunt Xu stopped speaking and gently reduced the force of her strokes.
The Grand Princess Su Xiuyi did not hail from a royal background.
Her father had been the Imperial Guard Commander under Emperor Wen, perishing while saving the Emperor.
Before his demise, the Guard Commander had only his young daughter, Su Xiuyi, with no other close relatives.
Even on his deathbed, the Guard Commander remained concerned about Su Xiuyi's well-being.
Grateful for his valiant rescue, Emperor Wen adopted Su Xiuyi as his daughter, raising her by his side and educating her personally.
Additionally, Emperor Wen posthumously bestowed the title of 'Guardian Duke' upon the Guard Commander, allowing his descendants to inherit the title for three generations.
Due to this reason, the Grand Princess's second son, following his mother's surname, inherited the title of Guardian Duke.
Although the Grand Princess Su Xiuyi was not of royal descent, her status was nonetheless noble, and being the Emperor's aunt, her influence was considerable. If she were to create a stir, it would undoubtedly be a headache for the Emperor.
The Emperor...
He was indeed facing a headache!
After entering the palace, the Grand Princess Su Xiuyi did not throw a tantrum or berate anyone in the Emperor's presence.
Instead, she sat there, reminiscing about the past and sighing about the fleeting nature of life. Given her advanced age, she estimated that she didn't have many years left to live.
Only then did she slowly bring up the topic of Su Ninglan.
The Grand Princess presented the matter as objectively and rationally as possible, keeping her personal emotions in check.
The calmer she seemed, the more it felt like the prelude to a storm.
Hearing her out, the Emperor felt a chill running down his spine, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
The Emperor couldn't very well lash out at his aunt, so he could only curse the Jin Yang Hou and Minister Xie, the girl's uncle, in his mind.
King Qing, who had come to the palace intending to mediate if the Grand Princess became too agitated, was left speechless by her unexpected calmness.
King Qing: ...
By the time King Qi rushed into the palace, the Emperor had already prepared a banquet to host the Grand Princess.
Seeing the Grand Princess's eerily calm face, King Qi's heart skipped a beat, and he hesitated to join the meal.
However, the Grand Princess smiled and waved him over.
King Qi: ...!
Oh no, he dared even less now!
King Qi: Oh heavens, what do I do now?!
Waa, Your Highness, save me!
Alas, the Qi Queen could not save him.
At that moment, she was having dinner with her two Concubine Wives, accompanied by their children.
After the meal, Su Sui grew weary from playing with her brothers and dozed off in her seat.
Concerned, the Qi Queen personally carried Su Sui back to her chamber.
Ren Shu Han followed discreetly behind them, unable to let go of his worries.
Ren Concubine Wife glanced at them a couple of times before withdrawing her gaze, her thoughts trailing off to...
Ren Zi Nan, that good-for-nothing fellow! How dare he take a kept woman?! And to share her, too?! Just wait, and I'll teach him a lesson!
The second update will be at 7 PM.
(End of Chapter)
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