Starting with Intercepting and Marrying the Eldest Princess - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: “We’re Both Dogs, Why is the Gap So Big?…”

“Xie Mao is incompetent, and Wang Yan has misled me!” Every time the Emperor recalled what happened at the night banquet that day, he would be furious. So, he simply skipped court and went to the garden to clear his mind for a few days.

Wang Wan knelt on the ground, looking at the Emperor with tearful eyes.

“Your Majesty, my father is utterly loyal to Your Majesty, and this concubine has admired Your Majesty for a long time. My father unintentionally disrupted Your Majesty’s plan this time. The fault truly lies with this concubine for not communicating with my father in time. The fault lies with this concubine, a mere woman, for being unable to help Your Majesty alleviate your worries…”

The Emperor’s previously uncertain expression suddenly eased. Concubine Wan made sense. This matter truly couldn’t be blamed on that old scoundrel Wang Yan. It was his fault for not daring to tell Wang Yan his dark plan. It was understandable that Wang Yan came up with a method that could both kill Xie Jing and strike at the Xie family.

It was just a pity.

His Imperial Sister was truly cunning and deep.

How could he not know whether Xie Jing was Xie Fan’s son or not?

But the Grand Princess had made full arrangements long ago, waiting for the night banquet.

How did Imperial Sister know that the matter of exposing Xie Jing’s identity would definitely happen at the banquet?

This matter was solely initiated by Wang Yan, and even he, the Emperor, was not privy to the details. Could it be that Wang Yan has also sided with Imperial Sister?

The Emperor felt this was impossible.

If the Wang family was Imperial Sister’s person, why would they place their daughter next to him?

Moreover, the Xie family has now defected to Imperial Sister, and the North-Pacifying Marquis has reached some unknown deal with her. If the Wang family was also Imperial Sister’s person, then he might as well just let Pei Shujing take the throne!

The Emperor paced back and forth. He walked to the garden gate and stared at the Imperial Guards standing sentry for a long time. Suddenly, he turned and quickly walked up to Wang Wan, asking in a low voice: “If I want to kill Xie Jing, how should I do it?”

Wang Wan’s eyelids twitched. She said: “Your Majesty, this matter requires careful deliberation.”

“I don’t want careful deliberation! I want to seize the opportunity while Pei Shujing is complacent and teach her a bloody lesson!”

The Emperor thought sinisterly: You, Pei Shujing, aren’t you protecting Xie Jing? Don’t you two enjoy a little romantic fun? Then you must really like Xie Jing, right?!

But I will kill Xie Jing, and let you know that this is the consequence of opposing me!

Wang Wan lowered her head and said gloomily: “Does Your Majesty remember the advice Xie Mao once gave you?”

The Emperor’s eyes lit up. He quickly helped Wang Wan to a seat: “Concubine Wan means?”

Wang Wan nodded: “Send Xie Jing out of the city to suppress bandits. Hasn’t Xie Jing already formed the Vermillion Bird Camp for some time? It’s time to test it.”

The Emperor thought for a while, a sense of helplessness rising in his heart: “The Vermillion Bird Camp was originally made up of North-Pacifying soldiers. How can mere bandits do anything to them?”

“Precisely because they were originally North-Pacifying soldiers, does Your Majesty believe they would respect an Imperial Son-in-Law? Of course, Your Majesty makes a very good point. Bandits indeed cannot harm those soldiers. This concubine suggests that we can deploy the Imperial Guards to hide in the dark. As the Vermillion Bird Camp is suppressing the bandits, they can attack the Vermillion Bird Camp from behind. This is the praying mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”

The Emperor suddenly turned around, pacing back and forth and silently thinking. After a while, the Emperor struck his fist against his palm, praising: “Excellent, excellent, excellent! This plan is ingenious!”

“My dear Concubine, you are truly my military strategist!”

He joyfully tried to embrace Wang Wan, but Wang Wan subtly slipped away: “Your Majesty, the priority is to select a reliable Imperial Guard general to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

The Emperor nodded emphatically: “My dear Concubine speaks wisely. I already have a candidate in mind. It is General Wan Yue, the commander of the Imperial Guards. I will summon Wan Yue now.”

Wang Wan smiled softly: “Why doesn’t Your Majesty write a secret memorial to General Wan?”

The Emperor asked confusedly: “What do you mean?”

“Your Majesty, the Grand Princess’s influence is vast. There are countless people loyal to her in the palace. If you openly summon General Wan to discuss this matter, even if the Grand Princess doesn’t know the specifics, she will certainly be wary if she connects it to the Imperial Son-in-Law going out of the city to suppress bandits.”

“Why not notify General Wan with a secret memorial? This appears solemn, compels General Wan to give his best effort, and conceals the matter from the palace’s view, preventing the Grand Princess from learning of it.”

The Emperor sighed: “Having my dear Concubine by my side is worth three Xie Maos.”

Wang Wan smiled sweetly and said coquettishly: “As long as Your Majesty doesn’t think this concubine is too vicious.”

The Emperor laughed heartily on the surface, but his mind was elsewhere.

One incense stick later, Wang Wan left the garden with a secret memorial. She arranged for someone to deliver it to Wan Yue. After waiting a while, she slowly walked behind a rockery and deeply carved the character “一” (one) into the stone behind it.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw someone staring intently at her from the front. Wang Wan’s heart skipped a beat. She was relieved once she saw who it was.

“What, does Her Majesty the Empress of Daxia also engage in petty acts?”

Sun Yuan ignored Wang Wan’s sarcasm. Instead, she strode forward, bypassed Wang Wan, and walked behind the rockery.

She pointed: “What does this ‘one’ mean?”

Wang Wan’s eyes darted around. She curled her lips: “Why doesn’t the Empress guess herself?”

Sun Yuan walked up to Wang Wan, enunciating each word: “Your mouth is so sharp. One day, I will smash your teeth!”

Wang Wan smiled, placed a finger under Sun Yuan’s chin: “If that day truly comes, please feed me porridge, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Sun Yuan slapped her hand away and looked at her with disgust: “Disgusting!”

Wang Wan watched Sun Yuan’s fierce look and couldn’t help but smile faintly. She slowly leaned close to Sun Yuan’s ear and whispered: “…”

Sun Yuan frowned: “Is your voice hoarse? Can you speak louder.”

Wang Wan shrugged: “I’ve already told you the matter. Who is to blame if you can’t hear?”

Sun Yuan pursed her lips: “Repeat it again.”

“Want to know? Call me ‘Sister.'”

“Get lost!”

“Imperial Son-in-Law.”

“Imperial Son-in-Law…”

Xie Ning was casually strolling around the Grand Princess’s Residence. Since Pei Shujing could walk, there was no need to hide it anymore. The maids in the front courtyard could finally enter the back courtyard.

“Broth… Imperial Son-in-Law, Her Highness is calling you.”

Xie Jingqiu was now also working for the Grand Princess, although she was currently in the learning phase with Xiao Yu.

Xie Ning smiled: “Why call me Imperial Son-in-Law? If Jingqiu doesn’t mind, you can treat me as your true older brother.”

Xie Jingqiu whispered timidly: “I, I don’t mind.”

The two chatted and laughed the entire way, or more accurately, Xie Ning spoke, and Jingqiu laughed in agreement.

Upon reaching the study, Xie Ning immediately straightened her expression, displaying a very bright smile as she quickly walked in: “Your Highness, Your Highness, I’m here!”

Pei Shujing narrowed her eyes: “Who allowed you to smile so brightly?”

Xie Ning’s smile instantly vanished. She said with a straight face: “Your Highness, I’m here.”

Pei Shujing asked with interest: “Are you very happy?”

“Of course.”

Xie Ning was naturally happy. Her current situation was incomparably better than before.

The Xie family had defected. Her only open enemy was the Emperor, and after the night banquet, it was proven that the Grand Princess was capable of protecting her and wanted to protect her.

How could she not be happy?

Pei Shujing scoffed coldly and threw an imperial decree at her: “Then you’re rejoicing too early. It’s not too late to be happy after reading this.”

As expected, Xie Ning’s heart slowly sank: “Suppressing bandits outside the city?”

What Xie Mao told her that day had come true. Recalling Xie Mao’s warning that the Emperor might take desperate measures, Xie Ning couldn’t sit still.

“Your Highness, what is the Emperor’s purpose?”

Pei Shujing nonchalantly tapped the table: “Nothing more than arranging an ambush for you.”

Seeing that Pei Shujing actually knew, Xie Ning was relieved. She patted her chest and guaranteed: “Your Highness, don’t worry. I will definitely protect myself!”

Pei Shujing carefully observed the spot where Xie Ning’s palm had landed, then sneered: “It had better be so. This Princess needs you to do one thing.”

“Please say it, Your Highness! I guarantee I will complete the mission!”

Xie Ning patted her chest again. Pei Shujing secretly observed once more.

Since a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind, she was becoming increasingly suspicious that the person in front of her was a woman.

But no matter how she looked, this person’s chest didn’t move in the slightest…

That shouldn’t be.

Could she really be overthinking it?

“Your Highness?”

Xie Ning waited for a moment without hearing Pei Shujing continue. She looked up and saw the person staring at her chest with a puzzled look.

This made Xie Ning’s scalp tingle. Fortunately, she bound herself very tightly every day, so she hadn’t revealed any flaws.

Pei Shujing snapped back to attention after Xie Ning’s reminder. There was no embarrassment on her face. She said casually: “The Emperor plans to send Wan Yue to lead the Imperial Guards to ambush you. This Princess needs you to kill Wan Yue and take a secret letter from him.”

“How does Your Highness know he will definitely have a secret letter on him?”

Pei Shujing smiled contemptuously: “Dare he put it anywhere else?”

Just as the Grand Princess expected, when Wan Yue received the secret memorial, he was utterly distressed.

He had also noticed some changes in the capital recently. It was rumored that the Emperor and the Grand Princess were at odds.

These matters originally had nothing to do with him. To put it nicely, he was the Son of Heaven’s Imperial Guard. To put it plainly, he was a guard dog.

Now, the Emperor wanted him, the guard dog, to ambush the Vermillion Bird Camp?

Has the Son of Heaven gone mad at such a young age?

Who were the people in the Vermillion Bird Camp originally? And what kind of trash were his Imperial Guards…

But he couldn’t refuse. If he showed the slightest reluctance, the Emperor could easily dispose of him, simply because he was the Emperor’s guard dog.

“…Yesterday, he insulted his father and exterminated his ancestors. Today, he forces my loyal ministers’ hearts away and steals my weapons. The reason why I have not issued an explicit decree and carried out heavenly punishment is truly to allow him to reform and to show my benevolence.”

“…Lord Wan is a righteous and valiant minister. You have been through countless battles, guarded my imperial gates, and have never failed or erred. My heart is very pleased. If you act as the oriole behind the mantis, everything will be successful. When you return, songs and dances will follow you. Lord, do not worry.”

The gist was that Xie Jing had previously forced his father Xie Mao to kneel and now forces the Xie family to turn against me. The five hundred North-Pacifying soldiers in the Vermillion Bird Camp were also stolen from me. The reason I haven’t punished Xie Jing is because of my broad mind. As long as you, Wan Yue, follow the plan, you will surely succeed in ambushing and killing Xie Jing. When you return, I will treat you with good wine and meat.

Setting aside whether this plan would succeed, even if it did, there would be no reward, only a meal of good wine and meat?

Wan Yue fell into deep thought. We’re both dogs, why is the gap so big?

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