The survival rule of a concubine's daughter 90 has been reported to the emperor and is preparing for a fierce battle.

  Originally, Fang Jinglan was delighted to have married off his daughter and thought that his younger daughter had finally found a good husband. He was humming a tune while drinking with old friends when suddenly someone stumbled in, shouting: "Something terrible has happened! The bride was kidnapped halfway!"

  One sentence stirred up a thousand waves, the Fang Mansion was shocked and lost its color, under the clear blue sky and in broad daylight, who would be so bold as to dare to rob someone of their bride?

  A martially dressed servant, actually a close attendant brought back from the border by Zhiyi, panted heavily and said: "Just as we were about to arrive at the He family's gate, suddenly King Jing appeared out of nowhere, claiming he wanted to rob the bride and got into a fight with General. Then, taking advantage of his numerical superiority, King Jing snatched the young lady away."

  Everyone was stunned for a moment, "Elopement?"

  When he finally realized that the bride had indeed been taken away by King Jing, Fang Jinglan was furious and sorrowful, and let out a low roar: "What kind of sin did I commit in my previous life?! Why does King Jing insist on making things difficult for me?!" However, all he could do was vent his frustrations once, scolding Li Xiao ten times in his heart, but not daring to publicly berate him.

  The King's Mansion, he must have eaten the bear's heart and leopard's gall to dare to come and argue, but if he doesn't get a fair deal, won't his daughter's reputation be completely ruined?

  The old lady was pinched on the people by the servants after fainting, and she woke up after a while. With the support of Xia Lin's family, she came to Fang Jinglan with a trembling voice and said: "This is really unreasonable. Even if it's the King's Palace, you can't do this. No, we must go to the Wangfu to reason."

  Fang Jinglan hesitated, if he had not been dismissed from office before, he could have gone to the door to reason with them. But now, as a small official smaller than a sesame seed, he really did not dare to call the shots with the Jing Wang Fu...

  Zhili was calm and collected, furrowing his brow for a moment before suddenly asking the messenger: "Where is my second brother?"

  "General, General has gone to rescue people all the way." Just as he was saying this, Zhiyi came back, still holding a new set of wedding clothes in his arms, and like Qing, Lao Taikun and several other women rushed forward, "This, what's going on? Qing'er is fine, how did she end up like this?"

  Not only is his face covered in bruises, but his whole body is also covered in dust, and he's still dazed. I wonder if he's suffered some kind of torture?

  Zhī Yì said in a low voice, "Nothing, just over-frightened and fainted." Then he pushed away the crowd and some onlookers, and put Rú Qíng back onto Old Lady Sōnghè's bed. He then invited the doctor to carefully take her pulse again, and came to the same conclusion: she had only been frightened into a faint, there was no major issue, and after waking up, drinking a bowl of calming soup would be fine.

  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but then they suddenly thought about the marriage between the Fang and He families. Can it still work out?

  He rubbed his temples, looking exhausted as he sat down. "The truth is... the enemy had a large army and we were already in disarray before the battle even started. After my sister was taken away, I immediately chased after them from behind, but unfortunately, their horse was one of the best in the land, and they disappeared into thin air in the blink of an eye. Later, I heard that Li Xiao took Ruoqing to 'Baishantang', so I rushed over there and brought her back."

  The old lady suddenly became angry and said, "What's going on here? Why would Jing Wang do such a shocking thing? What did Qing'niang do to offend him?"

  Li guessed, "Could it be that previously because... Fourth Sister refused my elder brother's proposal, so this is..."

  She glanced at him sideways and said decisively, "Impossible, King Jing's heart is not that narrow."

  Li sneered coldly: "Yes, as for designing his women one after another and letting bygones be bygones. His elder cousin indeed wouldn't be so petty."

  Her face turned pale, her body shook violently, and she looked at Li Xian with a mixture of incredulity and grievance. However, Li Xian didn't look at her, his brow furrowed tightly, "What's going on? Why would my brother make such an astonishing move?"

  Everyone in Fang's household was shocked and angry, as if they had finally found a perfect match after going through so much trouble, only to have this unexpected twist. For Jinglan, it was indeed a blow. He paced back and forth, frustrated, but couldn't make sense of anything.

  Zhili Mu Liao Hui, with a pair of sword-like eyebrows, asked in a deep voice, "Does Li Xiao have any explanation for the reason behind the forced marriage?"

  Zhī yì cuì méi, miàn sè fù zá, shuō bù chū de gǎn shòu, "zhè ge pǐ zi, tā shuō xiǎng qǔ rú qíng wéi wáng fēi."

  Translation:

  He furrowed his brow, with a complex expression on his face, and an indescribable feeling, "This guy, he said he wants to marry Ruo Qing as the king's concubine."

  "What?" Fang Jinglan's anger turned into joy, and he took two steps forward, running to Zhiyi's side, "Did King Jing really say that?"

  Zhi Yi nodded solemnly, "He indeed said that. Also said... after the New Year's Day, he will personally come to our door to apologize and propose marriage to Fang Fu in person."

  One shocking piece of news after another left everyone stunned, even the broad-minded old lady felt her brain wasn't big enough to handle it. She couldn't care about her demeanor anymore, grabbed Zhiyi's hand and asked: "Brother Yi's meaning is that this King Jing actually dared to kidnap his bride in public because he can't forget his beloved? Can I guess that?"

  "Really, is that so?" If it were true, she would also turn her anger into joy. If a sister became a princess, it would be of great benefit to her and her children. And for someone like Ruoqing, she would wholeheartedly support it with both hands.

  "It shouldn't be, right? What kind of person is the King of Jing?" Rumei instinctively thought it was unlikely. Speaking from the heart, Rumei indeed had a good temperament and was considerate of others, thinking about the bigger picture, and was indeed lovable. But after all, she was just a concubine's daughter, what made her, a mere concubine's daughter, catch the eye of the King of Jing?

  "No, Princess Jing is still alive and well, would she agree to let a concubine-born daughter become the legitimate daughter-in-law of the Wang family?" Ruxi also thought it was unlikely, what made her think she could get Li Xiao's attention without any effort?

  Li also felt shocked and a sour feeling in her heart, "It must be that the King of Jing is angry because we rejected the royal family's proposal earlier, so he's taking revenge."

  Everyone spoke up, and again extinguished Fang Jinglan's joy. He looked eagerly at Zhiyi, wanting to hear the closest reason to the truth from his mouth.

  Understand the meaning, frown, but don't speak, just remain silent.

  Everyone stared at him eagerly, and finally the old lady couldn't help but ask: "Second brother, have you thought of any important clues?"

  Zhi Yi gazed slowly at the crowd, imprinting on his mind the various expressions of joy, shock, complexity, and discontent. He then turned to face Li Jing Lan and spoke in a calm tone: "Li Xiu's public proposal was intended to prevent our family from forming an alliance with the He family. Father, how do you plan to appease the He family next?"

  Fang Jinglan was stunned, and suddenly said heavily: "This King Jing is too excessive... Now that things have become like this, the marriage of Qing'er can only be called off."

  Although guessing that Li Xiang indeed had a crush on Yu Ru, it's hard to say how true his feelings were. To avoid another incident like the Jiang family affair, he chose his words carefully and said, "As for Li Xiang, no matter what, we must get an explanation from him."

  ……

  In fact, the young master of their own family suddenly led a large group of people to rush and snatch someone else's bride in broad daylight, which also shocked the Jing Wang Fu to almost fall from their chairs.

  The Empress Dowager Cixi, who was chatting with the Old Master Wang over tea, almost jumped up from her sandalwood chair despite her many years of training in composure upon hearing this.

  "What did you say? Say it again." Old Master Jing was also shocked, his eldest son's temper was indeed not good, but as he grew older, he became more and more stable. Unexpectedly, just two days after putting his heart at ease, this young man had done something earth-shattering again. Compared to the time when he publicly flogged the husband of Princess Fu Guo, using a horse whip to drag the son of Duke Rong in the mountains for two miles, this public elopement was even more shocking. This scoundrel, really, would not rest until he had driven him to his death.

  The attendant who had transmitted the message repeated it again, and Old Master Jing took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to draw his sword, and shouted: "Where is the bride?"

  The bride was frightened out of her wits, and Wang Ye took her to see a doctor. Later, she was taken back by the bride's brother.

  The old king let out a gentle sigh of relief, fortunately, no more irreparable things happened.

  "Where is that scoundrel now?"

  "Your Majesty..." The guard was just muttering, when Li Xiao rushed in with a disheveled black robe, and knelt down on both knees in front of the two elders, "Father King, Mother Queen, your son went to snatch a bride today."

  Old King Jing's hair stood on end with rage, pointing at him, his voice trembling, "You scoundrel, you deliberately went to ruin someone's wedding and still have the nerve to proclaim it to the world? Is this something to be proud of? Hmm?"

  The Queen Dowager Jing finally reacted and had another idea, she tried to speak in a gentle tone: "Xiao Er, Mother knows you've never been impulsive or reckless. There must be another reason for today's events, right? Tell Father and Mother about it, if there really is another reason, Mother will help you resolve this matter."

  "Damn it, even if you have grievances, you can't ruin someone's marriage! And to do such a thing in public? Does he think he's a bandit?! In my day, the King of Yan and the King of Liao were arrogant, but not as reckless as him. He's ruined his father's reputation for life! If this hadn't happened in the capital, it would be okay, but this is under the Emperor's nose! A dignified prince like him, actually stealing someone's bride in public... if the Emperor finds out, he'll be lucky to just lose a layer of skin. All these years, I've been teaching him to be cautious and protect himself, but instead, he goes and makes such a huge mistake! This unfilial son, this good-for-nothing, this..."

  The Empress Dowager Jing Tai had recovered from her shock at the age of sui, and she tried to ask her son in a calm tone, "Xiao Er, what's wrong with you? Why did you have to rush into marriage? And weren't you in Qi Zhou? Didn't you say you'd be back in the capital in a few days? How did you get back so quickly? And, and how could you do something so reckless?"

  Li Xiu smiled bitterly, "Mother, the act of stealing a bride is not something that children should think about. Because this stolen bride will become the queen of my son, and the daughter-in-law of the king and queen."

  The old king and queen of Jing were shocked, and they all asked whose daughter had been kidnapped. Suddenly, the queen's mind flashed, "Is the girl you kidnapped the daughter of the Fang family?"

  Li Xixi said: "It's really this person. Mother, I've liked her for a very long time. Originally, I also asked Old Lady Fu to come and propose on my behalf, but unfortunately the Fang family refused my proposal and instead engaged their daughter to the He family. I know that once the engagement is set, it's not easy to back out of the marriage. And as for the He family...I've been secretly observing them for a long time, and couldn't find any opportunity to make a move, so I had no choice but to resort to this tactic."

  Queen Jingtao shook her head repeatedly, "You child, how can you still be so stubborn..." She also couldn't find the right words to say, as her son had done something so shocking and unconventional. She didn't know what to do for the best either, so she turned to ask for her husband's opinion.

  The old king slowly sat down and asked: "Fang's family? Which Fang's family?"

  Li Xue replied, "Father King, you've forgotten. It's Fang Zhiyi's younger sister. Fang Zhiyi, Father King should still have an impression of him, right? In the early years, Father King also praised him, saying that this son is not a mediocre talent, and if slightly promoted, he will definitely achieve great things. Now, it has indeed come true as Father King expected. Zhiyi is now the newly appointed second-grade general of the imperial court. He guards Datong, his prestige shakes all directions, making the Mongolian barbarians dare not easily enter the pass. And the daughter-in-law my son wants to marry is Zhiyi's younger sister."

  "Ah, so it's him. He's become a General now? Haha, he's really impressive. I remember he was half a year younger than you, and yet he's achieved so much."

  Li Xiu saw his father's delight and hurriedly followed with a smile, saying that he had been deeply loved by Zhiyi for many years. Two years ago, he even went to Datong and stayed at Zhiyi's place for two whole years before returning to the capital. Now, as Li Xiu was getting married, Zhiyi rushed back from the border just to personally send off his sister on the flower sedan chair. Being able to make Zhiyi love his younger sister so much, her character and temperament must be of the highest quality.

  The Queen Mother looked at her excited son with a bad taste, and finally understood why the mother-in-law had never gotten along with the daughter-in-law since ancient times.

  Old Master Jing was not unaware of his son's excitement, and he said in a hateful tone: "Since the other family's daughter is so good, why didn't you propose marriage earlier? Why wait until she's on her way to get married before trying to steal her away?"

  Li Xiu smiled bitterly, "The child had indeed asked Mrs. Fu to visit and propose a marriage, but unfortunately the Fang family was afraid of the Wang family's door-to-door... and was rejected..." This was also the biggest setback Li Xiu had ever received in his life. As for daughters-in-law and women, it had always been him who wanted or didn't want them, but he never thought that when he took the initiative for the first time, he would end up losing face so badly. It couldn't be denied that the self-esteem of this proud prince was severely damaged, so after being rejected for the first time, he planned to throw Ruoxi out of his mind... but who knew that the annoying little girl would accidentally enter his life again...

  Old Master Jing said with a sneer, "Good for the Fang family to reject you. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't marry her off to someone like you either. Look at you, when your proposal is rejected, you resort to force. What sin did I commit in my past life that I ended up with an unfilial son like you?"

  "Your Majesty, now that my son has ruined the reputation of this young lady and stolen her hand in marriage, he should take responsibility for it. From a young age, you have taught me to be considerate of the people and to prioritize the reputation of young ladies. I have grown up and never brought shame to you in this regard. Therefore, please forgive my son this one transgression, considering that he has finally found a suitable match."

  King Jing's life had only one formal wife, two concubines and three sons. The eldest son was the one he was most proud of.

  He looked at his eldest son, who was very similar to himself, and said slowly: "You have been intelligent since you were young, and from the age of three, I have personally taken care of you. You did not disappoint me, but unfortunately, you developed a proud and arrogant personality. Take marriage for example, your mother and the empress dowager have also racked their brains for your sake. But you don't think any of the girls are good enough, and you can always find fault with them... Now it's good that you've gone to fetch one back yourself... Alright, the person is your choice. With such high standards, I believe her character won't be bad either. However, as your father, I must say something unpleasant: if this girl marries into our family and makes any mistakes, I will hold you responsible first."

  Li Xixi said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. As for Qinger, I have seen her many times before, and she has always been a clever and sensible girl. She is filial, considerate, and lovely, even the Empress Dowager can't help but praise her. Apart from her family background, there's nothing else to criticize."

  The Queen Mother hummed and said in a mysterious tone, "I do like her indeed. I've been observing for so long, and she's really not bad. However, son, didn't you snatch her back from the He family? She's entered your household with such reluctance; will she truly be devoted to you?"

  Li Xiuji stayed for a moment, then said: "Mother, don't worry. As long as I am sincere and treat her well, I believe she won't hold a grudge against me for too long."

  ……

  After persuading his parents, Li Xixin's confidence grew, and he was about to drag the King of Jingtao's consort to Fangfu with all his might, saying it was to show his sincerity.

  Old Master Jing sneered and said, "Something like this has happened, not proposing to the Fang family is indeed inexcusable. This matter will be handled by your mother. However, marrying a wife is one thing, but violating house rules is another. Wang Naifu, go fetch my rattan stick."

  Li Xuli jumped up, "Father, I'm all grown up, how can you...how can you..." Before he could finish speaking, Old Master Wang had already rebuked him, "Even if you live to be 70 or 80 and make a mistake, as your father I have the right to scold you. Now hurry off!" The last sentence was shouted at Wang Nafu.

  Wang Nafu trembled with fear, glanced at Li Xiao nervously, and went to carry out the order. Before long, he brought back a thin bamboo stick.

  Li Xuding took a glance, his eyes wide with surprise. This bamboo stick was not unfamiliar to him, and it had been accompanying him for many years. It was very fine, and also very ordinary, made from the fine bamboo of Shu, which had been infused with oil, making it durable and resistant to insects, with elasticity but also flexibility, yet when struck on the body, it was painful to the bone, compared to a whip, it lacked a bit of ferocity, striking the body wouldn't cause injury or damage, but it was heart-wrenchingly painful.

  Li Xiu swallowed hard, watching as his father took the bamboo stick in hand, gently tapping it, seemingly searching for a feeling, and couldn't help but turn half of his face black, looking at Queen Jingtao with a pleading expression.

  When he was young, he was mischievous and didn't know how many times he was scolded by his father. As the years went by, the number of times he got beaten decreased, and it had been over a decade since he last felt the pain of being hit with a bamboo stick. Now that he's at this age, he still gets beaten up, if word gets out, how embarrassing would that be?

  The queen looked around, unsure of what to do for a moment. As a traditional good wife and mother, she should listen to her husband's words and not interfere too much in her son's affairs. However, now that her husband wanted to hit their son, she was torn between being a wife and a mother. After some thought, maternal love took over, and she tried to persuade her husband, "It's rare for Xiao Er to have found a girl he likes. He's already a father himself, how can you still scold him like when he was a child? Your Majesty, please spare him this time. When the daughter-in-law enters our household, she'll give birth to several more big fat grandsons, and that will be the end of it."

  ……

  In the end, with his mother's strong backing, Li Xiu narrowly escaped a flogging. Taking advantage of the momentum, for fear that delay would lead to more troubles, that night he hastily went with Princess Jing Tai to the Fang residence to propose marriage. Princess Jing Tai could not withstand her son's repeated pleas and finally had to change into her outer garments, have someone harness the carriage, and set off for the Fang residence in the middle of the night.

  Just as they were about to leave the palace, a small eunuch came rushing in, "Your Highness, the Emperor has issued an edict, summoning you to enter the palace."

  The Empress Dowager stopped in her tracks and asked her son, "At this hour, could it be that the Emperor still has urgent business to attend to?"

  Li Xiu thought for a moment and said, "The child returned from Qizhou, only to rush to the imperial palace to report back to the emperor, and has not yet reported on the outcome of this mission. I reckon the summons is just to ask about the progress of this task."

  The little eunuch said, "Your Highness, General Town and Imperial Censor He Shouye have entered the palace and reported to the Emperor that you have taken General Town's sister and He Shouye's future daughter-in-law by force, ruining a good marriage and damaging the girl's reputation. They want the Emperor to intervene on their behalf. The Emperor has summoned you to the palace for this matter."

  Li Xiao was surprised, "I didn't expect them to act so quickly. But this is also good, let the emperor take care of it, and it will save me a lot of trouble."

  The Empress Dowager shot him a glance, and whispered anxiously: "You this useless thing, now all the barbarian kings are being cautious, you instead go against the grain, aren't you afraid that those officials will impeach you?"

  "Mother, at my current age, if I'm overly cautious and careful everywhere, it would indeed make people suspicious." He paused for a moment before continuing: "As for those officials who are speaking out against me, let them speak out. At worst, I'll just retreat and reflect on my actions, and that will be the end of it."

  Actually, as long as the barbarian king doesn't do anything that would make both heaven and man angry, and just does some small evil deeds, he basically won't lose any hair. For the emperor, as long as the barbarian king doesn't rebel, doesn't interfere with politics, and doesn't form cliques, other evil behaviors are all tolerable. As for those officials who wield their pens, he also has his own ways to deal with them.

  The Empress Dowager Cai could not persuade him, and had to give up. However, she thought that her son was indeed too reckless this time, and estimated that entering the palace would not have a good outcome. She ordered Song Jiang's family, "Go, bring the bamboo sticks from the king's study. This scoundrel deserves to be punished by domestic law."

  ……

  After being punished by the family law, Li Xiu followed the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict into the palace. The Empress of Jing also temporarily did not go to the Fang Mansion. However, the Fang Mansion was not peaceful at this time either. After Li Xiu's public bridal kidnapping incident, where she got on the wedding sedan chair and was then carried back by someone, all the guests were discussing it endlessly. Some said that the marriage between Ruo Xin and the He family would probably not work out. Others said that Li Xiu might have taken a liking to the young lady from the He family, but some also said that this was impossible - how could the Jing Wang Fu be so casual about marrying a concubine's daughter from a minor official's household as their princess? Even if they had opinions about Ruo Xin, at most she would become a concubine, and at best a secondary wife.

  Under the rumors, Fang Jinglan was also anxious and furious. The second son went to the palace again to find the emperor and report it, but even if he got justice for his daughter, the fact that his daughter's reputation was ruined could not be changed. As for the marriage with the He family, it was probably over.

  And Li Xiao, that damned guy a thousand times over... actually he originally wanted to use public opinion to force Li Xiao to marry Ru Xin, but Zhi Li stopped him.

  "Zhiyi and San Shu have already entered the palace for an audience. Father should wait until Zhiyi returns from the palace before making any further discussions."

  Fang Jinglan thought to himself, after such an incident, he was also at a loss for what to do, and couldn't even find his bearings. Entering the palace, with his current lowly position, he wouldn't even be able to get past the main gate of the imperial palace. Trying to reason with the King of Jing would likely end in him being chased away before he could even get close, and going to the government office to file a complaint was also unrealistic. The only viable option was for Zhiyi, who was deeply favored by the emperor, to enter the palace and pay his respects.

  However, Fang Jinglan had another concern.

  "Does His Majesty have a good relationship with Li Xiu? Will he stand on our side?"

  Zhī Lǐ didn't think it was as bleak as his father did, and calmly said: "With Second Brother and Third Uncle around, the Emperor will definitely handle it with discretion." Zhī Yì was one of the main generals on the border, and Hé Shǒu Yè was a representative of the literary officials. With the support of the powerful eunuchs and remonstrance officials behind him, if the Emperor really favored Lǐ Xiǎo, these officials would not let it go easily. Most of the officials lived simple lives but had proud bones, their greatest skill being to jointly remonstrate in front of the Emperor, making even the Emperor fear them a little. These officials looked down on the powerful nobles who relied on their status to bully others, and all the nobles in the capital feared them. As long as they were targeted, they would be bitten until they bled or lost a layer of skin. Zhī Lǐ had experienced the skills of these officials before.

  As for the Jing Wang Fu, I had a private conversation with Zhiyi this afternoon and my brother and I have come to some preliminary conclusions. However, for fear of being overly optimistic, it's better not to say anything for now.

  The father and son sat in the hall, one silent and the other pacing back and forth, sighing sorrowfully, their anger and grief intertwined. Just then, a maid came out to report, "Old Master, Fourth Miss has awakened."

  ……

  Inside Songhe Hall, Ruqing woke up and couldn't help but be bombarded with questions from everyone: "After Li Xiong robbed you, did he do anything to you?"

  As soon as I thought of Li Xiu's evil appearance, I couldn't help but feel sad and cried all the way.

  The Jiang family had a greedy and shameless woman named Yun, and the Zhao family also had an even more despicable and shameless woman. The Chen family later produced a short-lived old woman who was not worth mentioning, and her son was also a person of low character. And then there was the Li family's young master, who was a short-lived ghost... Now, after much difficulty, they finally found a decent in-law family like the He family, which was perfect in every way, even with a luxurious wedding sedan chair. But unexpectedly, a "programmed" villain appeared halfway through and ruined the marriage, not only that but also completely destroyed her reputation. And Li Xiang, that despicable, flirtatious, shameless, lowly, and vile scoundrel, he was more despicable than Jiang Yunran, more shameless than Zhao Yunhan, and more lowly than Chen Lang. He ruined her chastity with his hard thing... Just thinking about it makes me blush with anger, not shyness, but indignation. This scoundrel is really too shameless, too lowly.

  The old lady had no choice but to hold Ruoxi gently and comfort her. After a while, Ruoxi finally stopped crying, her eyes were already swollen like walnuts. The old lady gently wiped away her tears, with a sympathetic expression, "Good child, don't cry anymore, crying can't solve the problem. Tell grandma, what do you plan to do now?"

  As if she wanted to cry again, what else could she have planned? Now her reputation is ruined like this. This damn Li Xiao, a thousand times, ten thousand times.

  The old lady asked again: "Foolish child, don't cry. Just now we all discussed it carefully, and the He family also came to express their attitude. The matter is still very beneficial for you."

  As if her emotions had calmed down, she stopped crying and gazed at the old lady with tearful eyes.

  The old lady said: "Something like this happened, the He family was very angry and claimed to go to the Jingwang Mansion to ask for justice, or to ask the emperor to evaluate this reason."

  Ru Qing hesitated and said: "What does the He family mean..."

  The old lady smiled with relief: "After such a thing happened, the He family did not blame you and still wanted to hire you as the daughter-in-law of the He family."

  But then she worried and said: "However, Li Xiao is a prince..."

  "The He family has been in power for generations, and as a civil official in the imperial court, they can control half of the country's power. If they were to join forces with the spoken officials, they could pin a crime on Li Xiao, such as strong robbery, and that would be enough to bring him down."

  After careful consideration, he felt that the He family was too naive. No matter how Li Xiu spoke, he was still the emperor's own brother, and when the emperor ascended to the throne, King Jing had contributed both financially and physically. Just for this reason, the emperor would not make things too difficult for Li Xiu. Moreover, the people in the King Jing's mansion were all clever and well-versed in the art of being a minister, and with the Empress Dowager sitting in the palace, it was possible that...

  The old lady said, "Those officials, don't underestimate them at all. If they really want to exert their power, even the emperor will have to be afraid of them for a while. As long as they insist on accusing Li Xiu of crimes such as bullying men and women, seizing property by force, and forcibly taking famous women, even if the emperor wants to protect him, it will be impossible."

  Wiping away her tears, she asked again: "And what about Second Brother? What did he say?"

  The old lady said: "Your second brother has already entered the palace to pay his respects. Please ask His Majesty to preside over justice."

  As if biting one's lip and reporting to the emperor, does this work?

  ……

  As the fragrance returned to Xieyuanju, she quietly and elegantly served her as she washed up, and tried to comfort her, but Ruoyu was listless and couldn't muster up any energy.

  "Miss, don't think wildly anymore. It's not your fault that this thing happened. Moreover, the He family has not blamed you for it and still acknowledges you as their daughter-in-law. As for Li Xiao, I believe Second Master will avenge you."

  "Things probably aren't that simple."

  Li Xuan can snatch once, can't he snatch a second time? Moreover, she still has the handle in his hand, what if, what if he's anxious or desperate, and publicly declares that he peeked at her bathing, she'll only have to die to prove her innocence.

  Linglong thought optimistically, "Will Jing Wang dare to rob our family's daughter in public? Will he look down on us?" This question had been lingering in her mind for a long time, but she knew that her master had always been more fearful than fond of Li Xiao, so she didn't dare say it out loud.

  Yuqin also thought it was possible. Earlier in the Hongguo Temple, she had such a guess, but for the sake of the girl's reputation, she had been suppressing it in her heart and didn't dare to say it out loud.

  Linglong thought that every time Li Xiang saw his own daughter, he would always find fault with her everywhere, which should be the so-called "beating is affectionate and scolding is lovely".

  Yuqin thought: After her sister-in-law drowned, Li Xiu's panic was not fake. This is called being flustered with concern. Also, in the side room of Hongguo Temple, when Yuqin was resting inside, Li Xiu tried to rush in several times but was stopped by Empress Jing each time, and even got into a dispute with her in the end.

  But Chen Xiang retorted, "This person is a scoundrel who will stop at nothing. It's not a good thing to be liked by such a person. Firstly, he has been divorced before, and secondly, he has concubines and a bunch of children, including an eldest illegitimate son. The Wang family is also very noble, so even if our girl becomes the official wife, she will still have to tread carefully like walking on thin ice."

  At that time, Linglong Yuqin was speechless, as if she had been wronged again. Shen Xiang was right, Li Xiao was a second-hand goods with a bad record (divorced) and a bunch of concubines, and his temper was not good either. He had a poisonous tongue and loved to bully people, especially her... Such a man, even if she wanted to give him to someone else, she didn't have the ability to train him into a loyal and devoted husband who only loved his wife.

  Yuqin also felt that Chenxiang was right and fell silent in sorrow.

  Linglong alone remained optimistic, "Wait for the second master to return, and you'll know the result. Don't worry, miss, the second master is so fond of you, he will definitely help you get justice."

  As if with a sigh of resignation, he could only think this way now.

  Zhi Yi returned very late and saw that the Fang residence was still brightly lit, feeling somewhat surprised, he asked the pale-faced servants who were staying up late, "It's so late, why haven't you gone to sleep yet?"

  The old lady sighed, "After this incident, who can still sleep? Second brother, go to the palace and see how things are going?"

  Everyone gazed at him eagerly, although anxious in their hearts, they deeply understood the temperament of knowing righteousness and didn't dare to rush him. They could only watch as he slowly sat down, his face sinking like water. His darkly handsome face was filled with a heavy expression, and everyone's heart also rose up...

  Finally, after a long silence, he opened his golden mouth: "After some time, the King's Mansion will lead the matchmaker to propose."

  Everyone was shocked and looked at each other, seeing in each other's eyes an uncontrollable surprise, "Is King Jing going to marry Ruqing?"

  Fang Jinglan was also delighted to jump up, but he tried his best to restrain himself, putting on an angry face. "Li Xiao did such a thing, ruining my daughter's reputation and fame, just because she married into the imperial family? What does the Emperor say?"

  Zhili glanced at her empty father with a slight curve of the corner of her mouth, but didn't speak, silently looking at Zhiyi, "How did the Emperor deal with it?"

  Zhī Yì hummed lightly: "Indeed, you guessed it. The Emperor was originally on Li Xī's side, but it wouldn't be good to completely disregard He Dàrén's face either. So, he just gave Li Xī a light punishment and ordered him to marry Rú Qíng with great fanfare, thereby preserving Rú Qíng's reputation."

  Zhi Li frowned, "Is that all? Would Lord He agree to this?" Something like this had happened, and the He family might not want a daughter-in-law like Ruqing anymore. However, for the sake of the scholar's reputation, they would have to make things right no matter what.

  Zhi Yi's expression was strange: "...... Lord He is indeed furious. When he spoke to the point of agitation, he knelt down in front of the Emperor and refused to get up."

  Zhili clenched his fists and suppressed the urge to beat him up, asking in a low voice: "What's going on? Can't you just tell me everything at once?"

  Fang Jinglan and You looked at their eldest son with a sympathetic gaze, finally someone had spoken out the voice in his heart.

  Zhi Yi looked at his father and brother with a heavy heart, then looked at Old Lady Li and Madame He, and suddenly asked: "What about Qing?"

  Everyone was shocked, and at the critical moment, they were asked some irrelevant questions. He Chao endured the heart-wrenching pain and said: "Fourth sister just woke up and cried so sadly. Now she has fallen asleep."

  Zhi Yidao said: "Trouble sister to persuade her well, let her cheer up, maybe the palace will pass her into the palace."

  The old lady was shocked, "This, Qing Niang has never entered the palace before, and she doesn't know any of the rules in the palace?"

  "He asked: 'Is it that the Emperor wants to summon Fourth Sister?' The mighty Emperor, summoning a woman who is about to get married, isn't in line with etiquette."

  "As a prince, Li Xiao's future queen will definitely be someone who can pass through the palace gates."

  Everyone gasped, oh my god, it turned out to be the master of the harem who dominated the world with three generations of old, middle and young empresses. Even if He Shi thought she was used to big scenes, she didn't dare guarantee that she wouldn't be nervous in front of the three generations of empresses.

  But the old lady had another worry, of course, how could the people present understand the old lady's other worries. Fang Jinglan stroked his beard and worried: "Qing'er has never seen the world since she was a child, this time she really wants to enter the palace to see the three empresses, I'm afraid..."

  Zhilai had a different idea, "Fourth sister has been clever and sensible since childhood, and deeply influenced by Hua's teachings. When meeting the empress dowager, there shouldn't be any major issues, at most she'll just get a fright. What I don't understand is why Li Xiu would suddenly rush to marry her, and also, after snatching He family's daughter-in-law, how could Third Uncle let it go so easily?"

  He looked at the elder brother with a hint of admiration in his eyes, and said calmly: "Li Xiao only said that he liked Yu Qing, and wanted to formally marry her as a clan woman. However, the He family had already arranged for her to be betrothed to the He family beforehand, so this was the only way out. As for Lord He, he was indeed extremely angry, but the Emperor had already punished Li Xiao and placated Lord He. When they left the palace, although Lord He still seemed somewhat resentful, he was much better."

  "What punishment will His Majesty inflict on Li Xiao?" This was also what everyone wanted to know.

  It turned out that Zhiyi sneered and said, "Li Xiu entered the palace with scars on his body and face, which were apparently left by flogging. The emperor asked him about it, and it turned out that he had been severely punished by Old Master Wang. Moreover, there was an unhealed arrow wound on his shoulder. It was originally caused by being shot by bandits while serving in Qizhou. The wound had not healed yet, but he rushed to the capital to force a marriage, which led to the wound reopening. The emperor pitied him for his injuries and did not mind the forced marriage, thinking that Old Master Wang had already punished him. He lamented that his sister was indeed deeply in love with Li Xiu, so he spared him from punishment, only scolding him a few times, ordering him to reflect on his actions behind closed doors, and personally apologizing to Mr. He. The matter was thus settled."

  He Shouye was appeased by Li Xiu's personal apology and promise to visit him in person to apologize again. The Emperor also advised He Shouye to show magnanimity, and after a heartfelt plea, he forgave Li Xiu and agreed to their union. Later, the two families formally broke off the engagement and returned the betrothal gifts and dowry.

  Everyone was shocked and amazed, Fang Jinglan finally put his heart back in his stomach. Since the emperor had agreed to Li Xiao's marriage to Ruqing, and the He family had also generously consented, wouldn't Ruqing's marriage into the Jingwang Fu save face for the Fang family and preserve her reputation?

  "Wait until tomorrow when the Jing Wang Fu comes to propose, Father mustn't agree under any circumstances."

  Fang Jinglan was taken aback, "What's going on here?" Could it be that one can't even put on airs in front of others in their own home?

  Zhi Yi let out a cold hum, "Li Xiao used extreme measures to force the Fang family to marry off their daughter. We'll also use extreme measures to make him understand that marrying a daughter of the Fang family isn't going to be easy."

  Fang Jing was silent for a while, then said: "Then, what should I do for you, Father?"

  Zhi Yidao said: "To say that Ruxue is afraid of Li Xiu's methods, and was so frightened that she fell ill and couldn't get out of bed. Furthermore, Father can say in front of the King's wife that although Ruxue looks weak, she has a strong personality, and even if her reputation is ruined, it's not easy to change the engagement. The King's family is noble and high-ranking, but Ruxue is just a humble-born daughter who hasn't seen the world, so it's hard for her to take on the responsibility of being the wife of the King's son. Moreover, the King acts strangely, while Ruxue is weak and has no one to rely on, with a soft and gentle personality... in short, Father must push her away."

  Fang Jinglan was stunned for a moment, in fact, he also wanted to show off a couple of times, but what if, what if he provoked the Jing Wangfu, wouldn't it be a mess?

  Zhi Yi sneered, "Father can rest assured. Li Xiu dared to publicly steal the bride, and has already shown that he is not a man of his word. The higher we hold our heads, the more it shows outsiders that our family is not one that covets power and status. Moreover, what we are doing now is not for the sake of the Jing Wang Fu, but for the eyes of others to see. Otherwise, people would think that we are like eggs that flies won't land on."

  Fang Jing was deeply moved and inspired.

  Old Lady He also expressed her approval, nodding politely and saying: "Second Brother's idea is indeed good. Ever since Li Xiang rushed to the wedding, many guests have been whispering behind our backs whether Fourth Sister had provoked him or not... it made me so angry..."

  Zhi Yidao said: "So, for the sake of his sister's reputation, no matter how sincere the attitude of the Jing Wangfu is, Father will politely decline them all."

  Thinking of the prestige of the Jing Wang Fu, and thinking that he was almost idle at home, Fang Jinglan only felt a bitter taste in his mouth...

  Zhili added, "Anyone can say face-saving words, but if Father were to put on a scholar's proud and indignant air again, I believe the effect would be even better."

  Fang Jinglan's eyes lit up, and he hesitated for a moment, this was his specialty after all.

  The old lady glared at the three of them with a mixture of anger and amusement, cleared her throat, and finally concluded, "Alright, since the He family has unconditionally forgiven Li Xiao, the top priority now is to negotiate with the He family and cancel the engagement. This matter will be handled by the madam."

  Li twisted her handkerchief and reluctantly agreed.

  The old lady glanced at her, knowing what she was thinking, and didn't expose it. She said: "If tomorrow the King of Jing's mansion really sends someone, our whole family must pretend to be angry, do you all understand?"

  Everyone secretly smiled, but also obediently responded. The old lady said with satisfaction, waving her hand and saying tiredly: "Alright, that's it for now. It's getting late, go rest. There's still a tough battle to fight tomorrow."

  ……

  By the way

  After reading the comments, everyone is like they've taken stimulants, I'm the same, last night didn't sleep well, just thinking about the plot all night, but there's a reason for it, Li Xuan wouldn't marry Ruoxi so quickly, you guys need to be patient