Chapter 104: Deceiving the Emperor!

Su Wan remained composed and said, “What is there to fear? When soldiers come, we will use generals to block them; when water comes, we will use earth to cover it.”

She looked towards the direction of the palace and curled her lips: “Now that Qinglan has exposed the issue of the dowry, she is the one disgracing the royal family. It has nothing to do with me.”

Xiao Tao was bewildered and didn’t understand the meaning of Su Wan’s last sentence.

Su Wan patted her forehead and didn’t explain, “Go prepare the carriage.”

“Young lady…” Xiao Tao felt a sense of unease, but seeing Su Wan’s confident and determined gaze, she believed Su Wan had a plan. Suppressing all her panic, she hurriedly went to order the carriage, fearing any delay might disrupt Su Wan’s plan.

Despite her young age, Xiao Tao was efficient, and soon Su Wan was seated in the carriage.

“Young lady, where are you going?” Xiao Tao lifted the curtain and climbed into the carriage.

“To the palace,” Su Wan said nonchalantly. “To stop Qinglan from filing the complaint.”

Xiao Tao’s eyes lit up, and she quickly signaled to a servant that they didn’t need the old lady’s help anymore.

The carriage sped towards the palace.

Xiao Tao’s heart was in her throat as she lifted the carriage window curtain, staring at the rapidly approaching carriage ahead. Her eyes suddenly brightened: “Young lady, that’s the lady’s carriage ahead. We’ll catch up soon!”

“Really?” Su Wan lifted the curtain on the other side and saw that they were indeed close to catching up.

Xiao Tao excitedly patted the carriage wall and instructed the driver, “Go faster, stop the lady’s carriage.”

Su Wan saw the carriage ahead, seemed to notice them and suddenly sped up. She squinted her eyes: “No need, just maintain this distance.”

“Huh?” Xiao Tao was puzzled, not understanding Su Wan’s intention. “Young lady, aren’t we supposed to stop the lady?”

“Yes, but we didn’t stop her, did we?” Su Wan said indifferently.

Xiao Tao looked at Su Wan with a wronged expression, and her eyes filled with grievance.

Su Wan didn’t explain, but lifted her hand to pinch Xiao Tao’s cheek: “Be good.”

Xiao Tao’s eyes widened, and her cheeks instantly turned red.

Su Wan took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve, removed a fingernail-sized amount of powder, and spread it evenly on her cuff.

The carriage came to a stop.

Su Wan jumped out of the carriage first and said to Xiao Tao, who was climbing out, “Stay here and wait for me to come back.”

Holding a jade token, Su Wan entered the palace without any hindrance.

——

On the other side, Qinglan had already entered the palace and arrived at Yangxin Hall.

“Eunuch Li, I have an urgent matter to see the Emperor. Please inform him,” Qinglan said, slipping a money pouch into Eunuch Li’s hand.

Eunuch Li, who had a fair face without a beard and held a horsetail whisk, was Emperor Jing’s trusted eunuch and the head eunuch.

He pushed the money pouch back and, with a smile, said, “The Emperor is meeting with a Daoist master. I will inform him.”

Qinglan was grateful and tearful.

Eunuch Li knocked on the door and entered the Yangxin Hall.

In the center of the hall was a low table, with two yellow prayer mats. Emperor Jing sat cross-legged on one mat, with several sticks of incense and candles burning on the low table, shrouding his face in a cloud of smoke.

The Daoist master sat cross-legged opposite him and placed a red pill in front of the Emperor: “Your Majesty, this is a freshly prepared elixir from this morning, which can prolong life.”

“Every time I take one of these pills, I feel a bit younger and more energetic than before. I no longer get tired as easily,” Emperor Jing said, trusting the Daoist master immensely, and he took the pill.

“Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven, naturally blessed by the heavens, which allows the elixir to have its full effect. I shall take my leave now and not disturb Your Majesty’s cultivation,” the Daoist master said, bowing and then leaving.

Eunuch Li waited until everyone had left before announcing, “Your Majesty, the Lady of Marquis of Dingyuan requests an audience.”

Emperor Jing’s face darkened with displeasure. “If she has matters to discuss, she should go to the Empress or the Regent.”

Eunuch Li watched the Emperor stand up, noticing the mix of white strands in his otherwise black hair. Though he was only in his forties, he looked over fifty. His eyelids were dark, his lips had a purplish tint, and he seemed overall very gloomy.

Eunuch Li lowered his gaze and spoke in a very subdued tone, “Your Majesty, I must report something. The rumor that the Crown Princess is the illegitimate daughter of the Lady of Marquis of Dingyuan spread like wildfire yesterday. She might be here about that matter.”

“Illegitimate daughter?” Emperor Jing’s face grew even more somber with displeasure. “The Regent never mentioned this to me. He only said that Su Jihong’s stepdaughter’s biological father was a scholar. If that’s the case, even if this girl has good fortune for the nation and benefits my pursuit of immortality, we cannot allow the royal family to be ridiculed.”

A gleam appeared in Eunuch Li’s eyes. The Emperor’s dissatisfaction with Su Mixue meant there were only two options: either abolish the Crown Princess or depose the Crown Prince.

“Would you like to see her?”

The Emperor asked, “Where is the Crown Prince?”

Eunuch Li replied, “The Crown Prince has gone to Guangling.”

Emperor Jing pondered for a moment and then waved his sleeve. “Let her in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Eunuch Li stepped out and informed Qinglan, “The Emperor will see you now.”

Qinglan didn’t dare act presumptuously in front of Eunuch Li. She thanked him, adjusted her appearance, and then stepped into the Yangxin Hall.

She kept her eyes downcast, not daring to look directly at the Emperor. Kneeling on the ground, she said, “Your Majesty, please seek justice for your subject. My family’s legitimate daughter returned to the capital, bearing a grudge against the Crown Princess for taking her engagement. She spread rumors that the Crown Princess is the illegitimate daughter of my husband and me. Today, she even slandered me, saying I stole her dowry to give to the Crown Princess.”

“The Marquis lies bedridden, and his life hanging by a thread. Though she possesses excellent medical skills, she refuses to treat him unless I hand over her dowry. If I don’t, she threatens to expose us, and claims the royal family seized her dowry.”

“I am wronged, and it’s one thing for my reputation to be ruined, but she aims to tarnish the royal family’s name. I had no choice but to come to you, Your Majesty, to stop her from causing a scene and making matters irreparable.”

Emperor Jing’s temples throbbed as he listened. He pressed his fingers to his forehead. “Is Su Mixue Su Jihong’s biological daughter, or is she the daughter of your late husband?”

Qinglan attempted to argue, “Your Majesty, I did not—”

Emperor Jing declared, “Deceiving the Emperor is a capital offense!”

Qinglan’s face turned deathly pale, and tears streamed from her eyes. She didn’t dare hide anything but also couldn’t tell the whole truth. She sobbed pitifully, “Your Majesty, the Marquis and I shared a single night together. Later, the old lady accused me of seducing the master and expelled me from the marquis’s mansion. After returning home, my mother married me off to my late husband. Shortly after our marriage, I discovered I was pregnant. I truly don’t know who the Crown Princess’s biological father is.”

Emperor Jing thought the Marquis of Dingyuan was indeed foolish for marrying such a lowly woman, causing so much trouble. However, he then considered who the Marquis’s original wife was and decided to quell this storm.

His head throbbed with sharp pain, like a knife was digging into his nerves. He said coldly, “Go back. I will quell the rumors. If she causes more trouble over the dowry, I will see justice done for you.”

Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to bow and thank the Emperor for his grace.

“Nonsense!” Su Wan burst into the hall, ignoring the eunuchs’ attempts to stop her. She knelt down, “Your Majesty, this is only my stepmother’s side of the story. I did ask her for my dowry, but did she tell you the truth about it?”