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  As soon as the words fell, Pei Jingxuan lifted the door curtain and entered the house, accompanied by a cold and chilly air all over his body.

  Although he wore a smile on his face, his eyebrows occasionally furrowed, showing that he was somewhat troubled. Today, the Emperor had urgently summoned this "action-impaired" Prince Anping to enter the palace, and must have given him some thorny trouble. With many people around, she didn't ask about it immediately, but instead asked Concubine Sheng and others to lay out dinner as usual.

  Yan's nanny had served Old Master Zhu for half his life and was considered knowledgeable and perceptive. She knew that Pei Jingchen and Ming Xuan must have something to say, so she tactfully retreated, leaving only a small maid standing in the corridor to await further instructions.

  Pei Jingxuan skillfully ladled a bowl of soup for Ming Xuan, and asked with concern, "Is the vomiting still severe today?"

  Ming Xuan took a sip, warmed her stomach with the wine, and then smiled as she told Pang Lai about what had happened. "I had expected that Yang Shi would not let things go easily. Not only did she embezzle silver from the public coffers, but she also refused to leave the Town National Duke's estate, occupying the main house and refusing to yield. Second Aunt was furious, but there was nothing she could do. After all, Yang Shi is the birth mother of the Empress Dowager, who can really drive her out?"

  She felt a little relieved, "Fortunately, we moved out of the house early, and these troubles can be watched from the wall, with a clear body."

  Yang's reliance on her recent widowhood and illness as an excuse for not moving is a rather subtle matter.

  If the second wife is driven out, it would be disrespectful to her elder brother and sister-in-law. Even if the matter becomes public, there won't be many self-righteous scholars who will come forward to criticize Pei Xiaqing, the Duke of Town, for being unkind, unjust, disloyal, and unfilial. The second wife has obtained this title as if it fell from the sky, and she wouldn't dare take a single step that would invite criticism from officials.

  If Yang Shi still refused to move after the death of the Crown Prince, public opinion would have turned against her. Her reputation was already bad, and she had been arrogant and domineering in the past, relying on her titles as the mother of the Crown Prince and Empress Pei. The noblewomen of Shengjing City had flattered her because they did not dare to offend her, but now that the Yang family had fallen, the title of Duke had passed to someone else, and even though Empress Pei was respected as a national mother, she still had to follow social norms and be fair.

  Those aristocratic women had never suffered less at the hands of Yang, and now that they have a legitimate reason, would they not secretly curse him to death?

  No matter how tough Yang is, she will eventually have to move out, unless she abandons all her dignity.

  Pei Jingchen's eyes flashed with disgust, "Yang Shi's treacherous heart is not dead, this is to make the second house uncomfortable, but she is indeed foolish and shallow, until now she doesn't understand. Now everyone still has some tolerance for her, just because she is the mother of the Empress Dowager. But if she continues to stir up trouble like this, it will not only affect the children of the first house, but also the status of the Empress in the palace. If one day the Empress gives up on Yang Shi and abandons her, then she will be worse off than a dead dog..."

  Empress Pei had no children and did not receive the emperor's favor, although she was forced to hold the imperial seal, in reality, she had little power within the palace. Consort Hui gave birth to the eldest son, and it was inevitable that she would covet the position of mistress of the inner palace. Empress Pei was furious and even provoked a few sentences in front of the emperor, saying that Yang Shi's actions now were giving others an opportunity to strike at her.

  If the queen wants to keep her position, she must intervene to calm down this matter. If Yang is not willing, the queen will have to sacrifice a pawn to save the chariot.

  "Thinking of this, Pei Jingchen said again, 'If you're not feeling well with your pregnancy, if you don't want to attend the banquet at the Town Country Public House, then just don't go. Next time she says so, just say you're not feeling well and that's it.'"

  Ming Xuan smiled and agreed, "Don't worry, I know how to take care of myself."

  After finishing dinner and washing up, Pei Jingxuan leaned against the headboard, facing Ming Xuan in front of the copper mirror, "The King of Lin Nan is critically ill, please ask the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to return to Lin Nan. The Emperor refused to let them go, today he summoned several close ministers to enter the palace, wanting to discuss countermeasures. Han Xiu was there, and my uncle was also there. The Emperor's intention is that by holding the Crown Prince of Lin Nan in the capital, he can restrain the King of Lin Nan. When the edict to withdraw the fiefdom comes down, with the Crown Prince and his wife as hostages, the King of Lin Nan will not dare to make a big fuss."

  He lowered his eyes slightly, "Besides, Prince Lin Nan has always had a reputation for being brave and fierce. The Emperor is also afraid of releasing a tiger back into the mountains."

  Ming Xuan was slightly startled, "If King Lin Nan has made up his mind to rebel, yet still sent the Crown Prince to the capital, this means they had already planned something. If the Emperor detains the Crown Prince, it might even become a pretext for King Lin Nan..."

  Besides, in this world, there are fathers like Pei Shizi who kill their wives and children. If the great cause is more important than kinship in Lin Nan Wang's heart, then sacrificing his son might be something he would be willing to do. She just didn't say these words out loud, fearing they would stir up Pei Jing Xuan's concerns.

  Pei Jingchen let out a sigh, "The external war has just subsided, and the internal war is about to begin. The continuous wars are not a blessing for the people. However, my brother-in-law has investigated that Lin Nan Wang had long been harboring rebellious intentions, raising private troops in various places within the Zhou Dynasty's borders, and setting up armories. His ambition is not small, this situation may have been brewing for decades, just waiting for the day... This war cannot be avoided, I only hope that the infighting within the imperial court will not harm innocent people."

  He turned his face, somewhat apologetically, and said, "Since marrying me, there hasn't been a single day of peace. In the past, at that mansion, it's not necessary to mention, every day was spent competing with Yang in wit and bravery. Now, after finally moving out, because of this king title on my body, I'm going to be drawn into these troubles again. A person in a whirlpool, unable to control their own fate, for the next period of time, I fear even tranquility will not be possible."

  The emperor granted him the title of King Anping, and it was nothing more than the influence he had in the military as the former King Xiangchu. Even though he still claimed to be recovering from his leg injury, the emperor would always call him to discuss matters big or small, whether he liked it or not. He had waded into this muddy water and become one of the emperor's men, unable to shake off these affairs.

  It didn't matter before, but now that Ming Xuan is pregnant, it's a critical time. He's afraid of being dragged into these disputes and affecting his wife and child. Since he was young, he has been used to being hurt and poisoned, and if others came at him, he wouldn't be afraid. However, he couldn't allow his wife and child to suffer even the slightest fright or harm, not even letting Ming Xuan worry or fear.

  Ming Xuan smiled gently, her eyes shining with warmth. "Just because I'm pregnant, does that mean I've become a tofu? Whether the emperor's intention to make me Anping Wang is peaceful or not, it's already done now. As the mistress of this household, if I couldn't withstand any storms, what would that be? Moreover, being a mother makes one strong. Just rest assured, I will take good care and absolutely won't let our child suffer even half a bit of harm."

  Although she said so, her husband cherished and loved her dearly, this deep affection made her heart flow with sweetness.

  Pei Jingchen's expression suddenly solidified, "Right, today the Emperor asked me about the yellow-robed girl in front of everyone."

  Ming Xuan was shocked, "Will the Emperor wear yellow clothes? And yet he asks in public, what does this mean?"

  Huang Yi came to the Anping Wangfu with Ming Xuan and his wife, and since then, she had always been inside the mansion. She was either chatting idly with Ming Xuan or tinkering with her "little darlings" in her room, never taking a step out of the mansion gates. Even when Gu Yuanjing thought about her, it was only to see her, and he had never let anyone catch a glimpse of her outside, so as not to let people with ulterior motives discover her identity and make an issue out of it regarding Lin Nan.

  Although Miao Village is located in Lin Nan, it has an unassuming influence. However, they have always been isolated from the world and are unwilling to get involved with mundane affairs. Gu Yuanjing and Pei Jingchen had anticipated that if her identity were to be made public, it would attract the Emperor's attention, so they had a mutual agreement that even if Huang Yi's identity were to be revealed, it would have to wait until after this wave of withdrawing the fiefdoms has passed, otherwise it could easily bring trouble to Miao Village and put Huang Yi in danger.

  Huang Yi was originally a free-spirited and unrestrained person, how could she bear to be restricted by others? But for Gu Yuanjing, she could endure what others couldn't. She restrained all her eccentricities, changed out of her usual clothes and put on the attire of a noble lady from the Zhou dynasty, treating Ming Xuan with utmost care and consideration. In her free time, she even followed Dan Hong Su and other maids to learn the etiquette and rules of the Zhou nobility, and even learned how to serve others. She had made up her mind to be with Gu Yuanjing and was constantly striving for it.

  This depth of emotion and perseverance, let alone Gu Yuanjing, even Ming Xuan and Yan Yanyan couldn't help but feel heartbroken and admire.

  Ming Xuan originally did not think highly of Gu Yuanjing and Huang Yi's relationship. In the strict ceremonial system of the Zhou Dynasty, Gu Yuanjing was not only a noble descendant but also a trusted minister of the emperor, so his marriage could not be decided by himself to a large extent. Moreover, Huang Yi was not only a woman from another tribe but also skilled in using poisonous substances, and everyone who heard her name would retreat three steps back. How could she play the role of a wife of a noble family in the Zhou Dynasty?

  And with Huang Yi's strong character, it is clear that she absolutely does not want to be a concubine.

  Gu Yuanjing couldn't bear to part with her either.

  But after Huang Yi's efforts and persistence, Ming Xuan couldn't help but be moved by her dedication. She thought that if Huang Yi was willing, Gu Yuanjing had also gained the recognition of the Miao Village Chief, then no matter what method, she would be willing to go all out to help this pair of lovers. Also because of this sympathy and fondness for Huang Yi, she became even more cautious, not letting others see through her intentions, revealing a hint in front of the Emperor, fearing that the Emperor might harbor thoughts of using Huang Yi.

  Unexpectedly, the Emperor has actually recovered.

  Pei Jingchen shook his head, "The true identity of Huang Yi is only known to me, my uncle, Yan Niang and Dan Hong. To others, we just say she's the daughter of mother's old friend who came to Shengjing to seek refuge with us. But that day at the Zhen Guo Gong Fu flower hall family banquet, she suddenly appeared and directly accused grandfather of being poisoned and in critical condition, I'm afraid it will make people suspect something."

  He paused, "The Emperor used to be so concerned about his grandfather, who would have thought that he had planted a mole in the Pei Mansion. Huang Yi was with his uncle when they went to the South Hill Villa, following this lead and investigating further, if the Miao Village chief is searching everywhere for his beloved daughter, it's possible that the Emperor knows Huang Yi's identity. But he asked so openly, I couldn't understand his intention at the time..."

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