Chapter 425

Indeed, before Emperor Longqing could say anything, several old generals outside had already begun storming the palace gate.

Emperor Longqing's face flashed with a thin anger, but he still swallowed it.

Now the borderlands are unstable; these old fellows are certainly hateful, but they would not go so far as to betray Southern Qi and commit disloyal and unjust acts.

He could only suppress the killing intent in his heart and ordered them to be let in.

Soon after, several elderly military commanders slowly entered the Hall of Nourishing the Heart, all kneeling before Emperor Longqing to kowtow and pay respects.

Emperor Longqing used to grant them seats, but today he resented them and coldly had them rise and stand after straightening up.

"What is this, my beloved officials?" Emperor Longqing coldly glanced at the few who had come uninvited.

On the side, Empress Dowager Ning'an's complexion was also unpleasant, her heart feeling heavily weighed down.

Originally they wanted to use the bestowed marriage to test Xiao Yin, to see whether he was truly poisoned or merely pretending.

Now upon inspection, it really was a pretense, having deceived all of them.

In that case, the earlier incident involving Princess Yuanqing and the Third Prince was plotted by Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling.

Thinking of how Gu Jiu Ling was burned to death in the Chongwen Tower, in the end Gu Jiu Ling was unharmed.

The Duan family was nearly bloodbathed, the emperor lost all face, and the royal clan was humiliated.

In the end, the one who actually benefited turned out to be Xiao Yin?

This time, Empress Dowager Ning'an almost hated Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling to the point of blood.

Precisely because it involved Consort Duan using the secret passage of Chongwen Tower to commit so many despicable acts.

Clearly, both mother and son knew that Gu Jiu Ling might have used Chongwen Tower to do something shameful.

Yet they simply could not charge her with the crime of deceiving the sovereign.

If they wanted to pin the crime of deceiving the sovereign on Gu Jiu Ling, fine—let them re-examine everything related to Chongwen Tower.

Then Consort Duan's affair with a lover would be brought up again and again.

Each time it is spoken, Emperor Longqing loses face once.

The person who originally set up the scheme intended precisely to make Emperor Longqing dare not lose face by investigating this matter.

Now Chongwen Tower has become Emperor Longqing's reverse scale; if he is not foolish, he will not investigate Chongwen Tower again.

Now placed before them is the matter of suddenly arranging two princess consorts for Xiao Yin—what is to be done?

Moreover, this matter was brought forward by his own mother consort; Emperor Longqing turned his gaze toward Empress Dowager Ning'an.

"I never expected Ninth Brother to have such fortune, with two princess consorts arriving one after another to enter the gate—Mother Empress, please see how this should be handled…"

Emperor Longqing truly does not know what to do?

He feels suffocated to the extreme, yet he can do nothing about Gu Jiu Ling and Xiao Yin.

These two little brats will have plenty of opportunities in the future.

Next time he catches them with a handle, he will certainly not allow Xiao Yin and his wife and children to live on.

Empress Dowager Ning'an's complexion was also not good; she closed her eyes, looked at the few people kneeling before her, and then slowly said: "Since such a great blunder has occurred, it is also heaven's arrangement."

"But the Lin family's bestowed marriage has already been settled; if we call off the engagement this time, Lin Miss's reputation will be harmed, and thereafter a young lady will be ruined."

"Moreover, Ninth Lord is indeed unconscious now; this joyous occasion must still be pressed forward!"

"Empress Dowager!"

"Mother Empress!"

Lin Ru Jun and Gu Jiu Ling almost shouted at the same time.

Gu Jiu Ling first lifted her gaze to Empress Dowager Ning'an and said: "Mother Empress, the Prince's poisonous concubine can be cured; my medical skills are evident throughout Shang Jing."

If she hadn't said this, it would have been better; the more she said it, the more it felt like a dagger stabbing Empress Dowager Ning'an's heart.

She now does not want Xiao Yin, this great hidden danger, to stay alive; dead would be best.

Yes, precisely because Gu Jiu Ling's medical skill is superb, her heart feels blocked.

Whether Xiao Yin is feigning illness or truly ill.

Once Gu Jiu Ling returns to the prince's residence, Xiao Yin's true illness, or his heart ailment, can be properly resolved.

Empress Dowager Ning'an's heart almost bled with hatred; just as she was about to speak, Lin Ru Jun on the side kowtowed loudly and said: "Empress Dowager, your servant girl marrying Prince Rui bears no resentment; this is what your servant ought to do."

"Prince Rui, in his early years, fought on the battlefield and is a great hero; your servant girl is willing to bring good fortune to Prince Rui."

"But our Lin family's ancestral precept states that Lin family women do not become concubines; to become a concubine is to sever all ties with the Lin family!"

"Since your servant girl intends to enter Prince Rui's residence, she will be his principal consort; when Gu Jiu Ling disappeared earlier, and now your servant girl marries and returns, that side would have Gu Jiu Ling become a concubine!"

Gu Jiu Ling's thoughts paused; she instantly gave Lin Ru Jun a thumbs-up on the case, the little lass is quite good at acting.

She clutched the two little babes and burst into tears: "Impossible! I have already given birth to the little Commandery Princess and the little Heir Apparent; why should I be a concubine, and how will my son and daughter manage themselves in the future?"

"I cannot be a concubine, Miss Lin; in everything there is a first and a later—you, who came later, should be the concubine!"

"Empress Dowager, absolutely not!" Lady Lin the Elder instantly collapsed into tears before Empress Dowager Ning'an.

She struck the ground hard with her cane, weeping: "Empress Dowager, the Lin family's ancestral precept was set by the old Lin patriarch back then."

Lin Qingxue had been a minor concubine of the Gu minister's residence earlier; later she thrived in the minister's residence, also cut off ties with the Lin family, and was not tolerated by the Lin family.

"Now Ru Jun is even more the Lin family's legitimate daughter; she absolutely cannot become a concubine!"

"If she becomes a concubine, your servant wife… your servant wife will dash herself to death here today, unable to face the Lin family's ancestors."

Lady Lin the Elder was about to crash into the pillar, but Lin Ru Jun and others hurriedly embraced her.

Gu Jiu Ling also burst into tears, looking at Gu Kang and saying: "Forget it, though I dislike this brother of mine, after all he is my blood relative; the two children likely cannot enter the imperial household now, so you take them back to the Gu family to raise them to adulthood, and I will not live on."

Gu Jiu Ling, summoning her strength, stuffed the two little babes into Kang's embrace, then also lunged toward the pillar.

Gu Kang today entered the palace to see what commotion his elder sister was stirring up, and could lend her a hand if needed.

He guessed his elder sister might stage many dramas, but never imagined it would be this sort of crying, making trouble, and attempting suicide.

"Enough! Enough! Better to die than to be a concubine!"

Lin Rujun also went crashing into the pillar.

Three women, a stage drama— in an instant they sounded like wailing ghosts and howling wolves, nearly overturning the roof of the Hall of Nourishing the Heart.

Empress Dowager Ning An's face grew ever darker; she originally did not want to give the Lin family an advantage.

Previously, the Lin family had supported Empress Li; Empress Dowager Ning An, in order to let her niece ascend, directly attacked Empress Li.

The Lin family held her weakness; she had long wanted to discipline the Lin family, so this imperial marriage gave them no chance to resist.

She originally had Lin Rujun become a concubine, which caused a rift between the Lin family and Xiao Yin.

At that point it would only add trouble for both sides; unexpectedly, it had escalated to this extent.

If this continues to escalate, it will become unsightly.

Empress Dowager Ning An's face grew even darker; clearly, the two women could not both enter Rui Wangfu.

She realized that today's affair left her with no recourse.

Otherwise, both her inner substance and outward reputation would be completely gone.

Empress Dowager Ning An fiercely closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and said: "Forget it; since it's come to this, Miss Lin should go to the Peach Blossom Hermitage in the outskirts to take the veil and cultivate; after all, her reputation will be damaged, and future marriage prospects will be hard to mention—better to cultivate and nurture her temperament."

"Your Majesty! Empress Dowager!" Suddenly, Wang Gonggong rushed in panic-stricken steps and exclaimed loudly: "The Grand Princess has arrived!"