Surprisingly, the first person to reject was Empress Dowager Yi De.
Xuan Li, who had been acting as if he had nothing to do with it, was stunned. The gentle smile on his face froze for a moment. Everyone else was puzzled, but Jiang Xin Zhi secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Since Empress Dowager Yi De had spoken, even the Emperor would not easily refute it. No matter how much Imperial Consort Chen was favored, the Emperor would never go against Empress Dowager Yi De's wishes for her.
Imperial Consort Chen's life in the palace had always been smooth sailing. She didn't have any conflicts of interest with Empress Dowager Yi De. In addition, she had an excellent reputation in the palace, so everyone liked her. Other than the Empress, Empress Dowager Yi De was not close to these concubines, so they had been living in harmony. Who would have thought that today, in front of all the civil and military officials and their families, this most distinguished woman of the Great Jin dynasty would mercilessly refute her suggestion? If it had been Empress Dowager Yi De, then it would have been fine. But Jiang Ruan had actually refused as well. What was wrong with her?
The corners of Imperial Consort Chen's lips curled into a smile as she re-examined Jiang Ruan. Initially, she had observed that Jiang Ruan was able to advance and retreat appropriately. Her mannerisms and mannerisms did not seem to be those of an unfavoured young miss of the Minister's household. In addition to Xuan Li's evaluation of her, she also believed that Jiang Ruan was only a somewhat intelligent young girl. But now, it seemed that not only was she smart, but she was also very bold. Meeting Imperial Consort Chen's smiling gaze, Jiang Ruan also smiled back. Her smile was humble and calm, as if it contained a different kind of emotion in her eyes. Imperial Concubine Chen's movements became slightly sluggish. This was the first time she had encountered such a gaze in the world.
That was — provocation!
Yet, his provocation was filled with the determination to win.
Empress Dowager Yi De's sudden words caused Xiao Shao, who was about to get up, to stop. "Ah," Mo Cong said in surprise, "Doesn't the Empress Dowager, the Senior, never care about these trivial matters? That's strange. Could it be that the Eldest Miss of the Jiang Family is so adorable that even the Empress Dowager treats her differently? "
Xiao Shao looked pensive as his pitch-black eyes locked onto Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan never did things that she was not sure of. She had long expected that Empress Dowager Yi De would refute her. But, how did she know?
Everyone present was puzzled, but no one had the guts to ask the question in their hearts. Jiang Ruan's gaze turned slightly cold. Naturally, she knew why.
Imperial Consort Chen thought that she was absolutely safe, so in front of all the civil and military officials, she unscrupulously proposed to take her into the Eighth Prince's residence. However, her attire and appearance today were extremely similar to Princess Yuan Rong's. If it was anything else, it would have been fine, but it just had to be marriage. In such a situation, how could Empress Dowager Yi De not think of the past when Princess Yuan Rong was forced to marry into another country?
She had purposely dawdled like that, appearing embarrassed and unwilling. Wasn't it to remind Empress Dowager Yi De, to remind her that Princess Yuan Rong had sacrificed her own happiness all her life in exchange for the stability of the Great Jin dynasty? How could Empress Dowager Yi De remain indifferent to a forced marriage?
Empress Dowager Yi De would sympathize with her, but at the same time, she would loathe Imperial Consort Chen from the bottom of her heart!
No matter how much Imperial Consort Chen was favored, after offending such a noble woman in the Imperial Palace, how could she be as successful as she was in the past?
Life was so precious, and she lived every minute and every second of it within her calculations. How could she be reconciled to the marriage proposed by Imperial Consort Chen?
Imperial Consort Chen did not speak, but only looked at the Emperor with a pair of beautiful eyes. That pair of watery eyes seemed to be covered with the misty rain of the Jiangnan water village, aggrieved and sad. With just one look, it made one's heart ache.
As expected, the Emperor said, "Imperial Mother, why?"
"Aijia wants to reward the eldest daughter of the Jiang fu today. The meaning of Imperial Consort Chen's words is not to reward, but to plunder." Empress Dowager Yi De said indifferently. Her tone was already somewhat sharp, "The eldest daughter of the Jiang family is Deputy General Jiang's treasure. How could he be willing to marry off his own younger sister so early?"
Jiang Xin Zhi was startled, but in his heart, he was somewhat grateful to Empress Dowager Yi De. Without caring about anything else, he stood up and bowed deeply to the Empress Dowager. "Many thanks for Empress Dowager's consideration, but this general is indeed unwilling to betroth my younger sister so early."
There was a sudden sigh in the hall. No matter what Empress Dowager Yi De said, she was, after all, the Empress Dowager, and what she said was not important. However, Jiang Xin Zhi had just performed a meritorious deed, yet he had already refuted the Emperor's most beloved Imperial Consort. Both brother and sister did not know what was good for them. It was simply ridiculous.
Naturally, Xia Yan was extremely delighted. She couldn't wait for Jiang Xin Zhi and his sister to fiercely offend Imperial Consort Chen. It would be even better if they provoked the Emperor so much that he would order them to die. On the other hand, Jiang Su Su's face regained some color. When she had first heard that Imperial Consort Chen had taken a liking to Jiang Ruan to be the Eighth Prince's wife, she had almost fainted. She could not understand why such a cultured, refined, and outstanding man would want Jiang Ruan, that sinister and cruel orphan with a face full of foxy charm, to be the Imperial Consort. Now that the Empress Dowager had stopped her, she slowly regained her composure.
Needless to say, Jiang Li's eyes were full of jealousy. She was jealous of Jiang Ruan's luck, and hated herself for not having such an accomplished older brother. Jiang Dan, on the other hand, lowered her head and vigorously picked at her fingernails. She looked extremely nervous.
Zhao Guang had just calmed down when he was startled by Jiang Xin Zhi's words.
Guan Liang Han frowned and muttered, "Sister maniac. Being so protective, those who don't know would think that she's his daughter. "
Even the Emperor's eyes flashed with a trace of displeasure. It was true that Jiang Xin Zhi had performed meritorious deeds, and he also admired this brave and resolute young man. However, this did not mean that he could tolerate Jiang Xin Zhi's disrespect towards the Imperial Consort. If there was no imperial power in his eyes, then even an astonishing talent could not remain in the Jin Kingdom's court.
Under the many disapproving gazes, Jiang Ruan turned her head to look at Jiang Xin Zhi and smiled lightly. No matter what happened, in this life, she still had Jiang Xin Zhi by her side. He would stand by her side without any leeway. Even if he had to go against the whole world, he would not hesitate to protect her.
Jiang Xin Zhi saw that Jiang Ruan could still smile, and his heart was somewhat relieved.
When Imperial Consort Chen heard Empress Dowager Yi De's words, she giggled, "That's true, this concubine had actually forgotten about this matter. It's just that Deputy General Jiang, no matter how much you dote on Miss Jiang, there will be a day when that Miss Jiang will marry, won't there? " She looked at Jiang Ruan with a smile. Her gaze was like the continuous drizzle of Jiangnan, with the slight chill of early spring, pervasive and slowly drilling into one's heart. Imperial Consort Chen said, "Miss Jiang, why are you unwilling?"
"Ruan niang's status is lowly, and I really feel that I am not worthy of His Highness's Dragon and Phoenix emblem. I am ashamed." Jiang Ruan lowered her head, and her tone was quite sincere.
Xuan Li's gaze moved. Jiang Ruan was clearly making up an excuse. How could Jiang Ruan be someone who felt lowly? He was also puzzled. Why did a little girl who was still wet behind the ears always have a faint hostility towards him? Xuan Li believed that in everyone's hearts, he had a gentle and amiable appearance, and that countless women adored his gentle jade-like appearance. Even though Jiang Ruan was still young and did not understand the relationship between a man and a woman, where did this hostility come from? Had he ever behaved improperly in front of Jiang Ruan? Could it be because of Jiang Su Su?
Thinking of this, he slowly relaxed. If it was only because of Jiang Su Su, it would be very easy to gain her trust.
Imperial Consort Chen sighed softly, "Child, what are you talking about? If Xiao Ba had not personally come to ask, why would I suddenly bring up this matter?"
Everyone was shocked. It was actually the Eighth Prince who had taken the initiative to bring it up!
Xuan Li frowned and put away the gentle and refined smile on his face. He got up and walked into the hall. His brows were handsome, his bearing was refined, and he carried the unique noble and gentle temperament of the royal family. His face was solemn and solemn as he solemnly knelt down in front of the Emperor, "Reporting to Imperial Father, this is exactly what I was thinking." He glanced at Jiang Ruan, and his expression became somewhat gentle, like the spring breeze in early spring, "When I saw Eldest Jiang Miss on Ling Long Boat, I was overwhelmed by her brilliance and beauty. After returning to the palace, I fell in love with her for four years. I was afraid that Eldest Jiang Miss would blame me for being impetuous, so I asked Imperial Mother to help me. "Xuan Li said," I am willing to take Eldest Jiang Miss as my wife, to care for her, protect her, and love her for the rest of my life. "
He turned to Jiang Ruan and slowly enunciated each word, "Miss Jiang, are you willing to be my, Xuan Li's, wife?"
Such a handsome young man was professing his love in front of all the civil and military officials. Moreover, he was the Eighth Prince, who had always been clean and virtuous. Countless young ladies present loved and hated him at the same time. They loved such a handsome man with outstanding bearing and deep feelings. They hated that they were not the eldest di daughter of the Jiang fu and had such great luck.
After listening to the Eighth Prince's words, Jiang Su Su was on the verge of collapsing. At first, she had been secretly delighted, but now, it had been replaced by a bone-deep hatred. She had never been as jealous of Jiang Ruan as she was right now. A crazy jealousy! What right did Jiang Ruan have to snatch away her status as the eldest di daughter, and also to snatch away her sweetheart?
Jiang Ruan looked at Xuan Li indifferently. Since her rebirth, Xuan Li was like a fly that had eaten into her stomach. She always avoided him as much as she could. This was the first time she was so close to him. There was clearly not a trace of ease in his eyes, but the words he said were so moving and sincere. In a trance, time flowed back, and she returned to her previous life. The peach blossoms in Ning Shui Valley were pink and passionate. She did not know what to do. Xuan Li stood under the peach blossoms and looked at her with a gentle and considerate smile. He said, "Ruan 'er, I really like you."
I really like you. His words were so pleasant to hear. He only said that he liked her, but did not mention marriage. He said that he could not give her a status, so she believed him and was considerate of his difficulties. In her previous life, how she wished she could hear Xuan Li say, "Are you willing to be my wife?"
In order to become his wife, in order to be worthy of a word of his love? She wronged herself by entering the murderous palace in place of Jiang Su Su. She was abused, humiliated, ridiculed, and ruthlessly trampled into dust.
How could he turn a blind eye? When he finished using her, he announced that she was a demoness who brought calamity to the country. When he saw her fall miserably in the main hall, did he remember that day in Ning Shui Valley, under the peach tree, those words, "Ruan 'er, I really like you."
In this life, she finally heard those words, "Are you willing to be my wife?" But so what? She no longer cared about it.
Xuan Li looked at Jiang Ruan. He was confident that Jiang Ruan had not been doted on by her father since she was a child. Her mother had died early, and she had lived in a rural residence for five years. For such a person, as long as someone treated her a little better, she would be deeply grateful and like them. It was very easy to move her heart.
But as he looked at Jiang Ruan, his smile suddenly and slowly froze.
What kind of a pair of eyes were those? They were as beautiful as a clear spring in a mountain stream, but they were as desolate as black poppies that bloomed in a wasteland. The emotions surging in those eyes were intense yet calm. It was not love or affection, nor did it belong to any kind of joy. It was not love, it was hate.
Xuan Li stared blankly. He had not seen wrongly. It was hate, a hate that seemed to be in the bones, a hate that could not wait to devour his flesh and blood and drink his blood. And within that hate, there was a kind of disgust, as if he was some rotten thing.
His expression slowly froze. Why?
Under such a strong emotion, complicated gaze of love and hate, Xuan Li's mind was a kind of blank, as if he did not know how to face it next. Facing Jiang Ruan's gaze, his heart unexpectedly gave birth to a faint fear.
Why was this?
He tried his best to figure it out, but then he saw the young girl in front of him suddenly reveal a sneer at him. With a faint sneer, she said in a powerful and resonant voice, "I. Am. Not. Willing."
Jiang Ruan proudly raised her chin. Her tone was clearly humble, but her expression was like that of a high and mighty princess, "I am indebted to Your Highness's kind intentions, but this subject's daughter's ambition does not lie here. Your Highness's words have caused this subject's daughter's heart to be frightened, and I really do not dare to claim such a high position." As she finished speaking, she bent down and kowtowed to the Emperor, "I hope that Your Majesty will grant my wish."
No matter how passionate Xuan Li's words were, her heart was like stone, and her posture remained unmoved.
The smile on Imperial Consort Chen's face deepened, and the light in her eyes fluctuated. Unexpectedly, she did not appear to be angry at all.
Although the Emperor was angry at Jiang Ruan's unappreciative action, he could not force Jiang Ruan to agree to Xuan Li in front of all the civil and military officials. He waved his hand somewhat irritably, "Since this is the case, it means that you and Lao Ba are not fated to be together."
Xuan Li's expression did not look good. He did not expect that today's matter, which he had a well-thought-out card up his sleeves, would be ruined by Jiang Ruan's cold and hard words. He looked at Jiang Ruan inquiringly. He really did not understand why Jiang Ruan had rejected him without even thinking. Her expression did not loosen in the slightest, so why did she reveal such hatred towards him? If it was only for Jiang Su Su, why did she hate him so deeply?
Jiang Ruan took in Xuan Li's expression and sneered silently in her heart. In this life, he still used the same method as in her previous life, hoping to buy her heart and let her work for him. How could there be such a cheap thing in this world? Did Xuan Li think that just because he was willing to condescend to deceive others, others should be deeply grateful to him?
Mo Cong shook his head, and said in a rather regretful tone, "This Eighth Prince is really infinitely romantic. Unfortunately, he met the Jiang family's poisonous … Miss. He is destined to be ignored. "
Xiao Shao looked at Jiang Ruan indifferently. Those who practiced martial arts had good eyesight. Just now, he had clearly seen the gaze that Jiang Ruan had used to look at Xuan Li. There was not the slightest trace of love in it, but the hatred made people feel somewhat puzzled. How could she hate Xuan Li so much? For a moment, it made people feel as if she had almost disappeared, as if she did not originally belong to this world.
Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Xiao Shao suddenly frowned. His many years of intuition made him sensitive to the fact that something was wrong in the air. He gently pressed the dagger at his waist. During the palace banquet, officials were not allowed to carry weapons, but he was an exception. The Emperor made an exception and allowed him to bring one.
Xuan Li and Jiang Ruan bowed and regretfully returned to their seats. Their sad appearance made the palace womenfolk feel extremely distressed. On one hand, they rejoiced that Jiang Ruan had not accepted Xuan Li, but on the other hand, they secretly cursed Jiang Ruan for not knowing what was good for her, for making such a celestial being sad.
Jiang Ruan and Jiang Xin Zhi smiled slightly. After this incident, the Emperor's mood had also been greatly disturbed. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Begin the banquet."
The palace maids serving the dishes entered in a line, each carrying a tray in their hands. Among them, the palace maid in the lead had a graceful figure, clear and elegant features, and was dressed differently from the other palace maids. Behind her were two palace maids dressed differently, each of them carrying a tray as they walked towards the Emperor. One of them stood in place, while the other two began to pour wine for the Empress and Empress Dowager.
The palace maid beside the Empress took out silver chopsticks and prepared to dip them in the wine. The palace maid in the lead was in the midst of pouring wine. Her hand had just lifted the wine pot when she suddenly pulled out a dagger from under the white cloth and ruthlessly thrust it towards the Emperor's chest.
With a 'chi' sound, a strong gust of wind mixed with something came over, causing the palace maid's dagger to deviate and miss the fatal spot. Unexpectedly, it was a golden button.
On the high seat, almost at the same time, Xiao Shao flew up and rushed towards the Emperor's side. Guan Liang Han's expression froze, and he fiercely slammed the table and stood up. The surrounding matrons had never seen such a scene before, and they all shrieked in alarm. The palace maids dressed in pink were simultaneously startled, and a few of them suddenly flew up, pulling out the flexible swords hidden at their waists, and rushed straight towards the Emperor's face.
"Dog Emperor, hand over your life!" the women shouted.
They had actually mixed in with the palace maids serving the banquet!
There were at least a few hundred palace maids serving the palace banquet today, and with such chaos, the palace hall was in a complete mess. The Emperor was greatly shaken, and the imperial bodyguards desperately shouted, "Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor! "
The Emperor's side was protected impeccably, but the assassins did not limit themselves to only taking the Emperor's life. They actually started a massacre in the palace hall, killing whoever they caught. The women's side of the banquet were all defenseless women and young ladies, and the assassins specifically targeted the women's side of the banquet. For a moment, only the sound of flesh and blood could be heard, and screams and shouts could be heard incessantly. Just by listening to the sounds, one could tell how desperate the situation was.
Jiang Su Su had long been so frightened that she hid under the table, watching as a dainty young lady was chopped into two pieces before her eyes. She was so frightened that her face was ashen, but her temperament was much steadier than Jiang Li, who only knew how to scream. Xia Yan was also scared to death. She hugged Jiang Su Su in her arms and hid under the table. The two of them hid under the corpses, and at a glance, nothing could be seen.
Jiang Dan was also scared to death, but she did not hide, nor did she scream like Jiang Li. In the midst of the chaos, she unexpectedly showed a trace of calmness. After thinking for a moment, as if she had made up her mind, she lifted her skirt and ran towards the men's side of the banquet.
No one had expected such an unforeseen event, and the Emperor had been moved extremely quickly. They had originally thought that the assassins would stop, but who knew that they would be so deranged as to kill without hesitation. When the palace hall was in chaos, it was even easier for something to happen. In the midst of the chaos, Jiang Xin Zhi could no longer see Jiang Ruan's figure. However, as the Deputy General, he could not abandon a room full of women and children. He could only help the poor resist the assassins while he secretly searched for Jiang Ruan's figure.
The sons of the Zhao family also joined in the battle, but who knew that these assassins also seemed to have received sophisticated training. They were not in a hurry to deal with people who had martial arts skills, and they specifically made their way towards the women and children. The imperial bodyguards and generals had to consider that they could not accidentally injure the families of the courtiers, so it was inevitable that they would show mercy. This gave these assassins an opening, and they became even more unscrupulous.
Zhao Jin and Wen Fei Fei came from a military family, so in the face of such a situation, they did not panic and showed a rare calmness. Zhao Jin said, "Fei Fei, take the other sisters and leave first. I will go look for Ruan meimei and Ying 'er."
Wen Fei Fei hesitated, "Can you do it alone?"
"It's alright, I will be careful." Zhao Jin settled the sisters down and picked up the flexible sword that had fallen from a slain assassin. Coincidentally, she saw Dong Yinger being forced into a corner, and the flexible sword in the assassin's hand was about to pierce Dong Yinger's chest. Anxious, Zhao Jin threw the flexible sword towards the assassin's back. She threw it with great force, and the assassin could not dodge in time. He was suddenly stabbed, and the sword in his hand slid down powerlessly. Dong Yinger had long been frightened to the point of tears. At this moment, seeing Zhao Jin was like seeing her savior, "Jin 'er."
Zhao Jin hurriedly ran over to help her up, "Are you alright?"
Dong Yinger looked behind her, and her eyes widened in fear. Zhao Jin felt that something was wrong, and when she turned around, she saw a fierce face, "Go to hell!" Immediately after, a silver light flashed, and Zhao Jin closed her eyes in despair.
Unexpectedly, she felt her body lighten, and heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. She opened her eyes in shock, and saw a young man carrying both her and Dong Yinger in one hand. With a long sword in his hand, he danced extremely well. Zhao Jin was born in a military family, and had looked down on her elder brothers and father practicing swordsmanship. However, she had never seen anyone who danced with a sword so beautifully. His facial features were not as rough as those of her father and brother, but had the elegance and handsomeness of a scholar. However, within that handsomeness, there was also a trace of determination and courage.
Dong Yinger was also stunned, and a captivating blush suddenly appeared on her cheeks.
Jiang Xin Zhi rescued the two of them and placed them in a corner, "Stay here, don't move." After saying this, he did not look back and joined the battle.
Dong Yinger asked softly, "Who is he?"
Zhao Jin shook her head, "I don't know." Looking at the back of that tall figure disappearing from the palace hall, she unexpectedly felt a little nervous and worried for this stranger.
Not to mention the situation on this side, Jiang Ruan had covered herself extremely well when she arrived at this moment. Although the Emperor had moved, the Empress was still here. There were many imperial bodyguards by the Empress' side, so there was no need to worry. When Jiang Ruan turned her head, she saw a few assassins pushing Empress Dowager Yi De into a corner. She did not know why, but they all seemed to want to deal with Empress Dowager Yi De.
Xuan Li had just settled Imperial Consort Chen down, and when he saw this scene, he was stunned and was about to run over.
Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows, and without saying anything, when the assassin in the middle was about to stab Empress Dowager Yi De's chest, she exclaimed, "Empress Dowager!" Her movements were faster than her voice, and she suddenly rushed over, pushing Empress Dowager Yi De to the side, and straightened her body to meet the tip of the sword.
She turned her head and smiled coldly at the astonished Xuan Li.
Look, the show has just begun.
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