Ink Burns

Chapter 278 Using Another's Strength Against Another (Part 2)

If the first imperial edict issued by the late emperor on his deathbed is invalid, then on what basis is the next one valid? After all, the emperor ascended the throne without issuing an edict.

If the conflict between the aunt and niece in the imperial shrine that day was still beneath the surface of an undercurrent, today's dispute has brought their power struggle, gratitude and resentment to the forefront for all to see.

The emperor wanted to use the private army system to bring down Jing'an and completely get rid of his aunt's control, but instead he was defeated by General Jing'an.

Princess Jing'an's face sagged, the excess flesh trembling with a sense of pleasurable comfort: she was just old, not dead!
Since she could tear the delicious power from her brother's mouth, and then stand firm step by step, supporting one "one of her own" after another to rise to high positions, and planting one "voice" after another in the court, she could do whatever she wanted. She lost her lover, but gained the nourishment of power. She could live outside the rules. She could set rules for her daughter and transfer power to the next generation: Cui Bainian promised her that Linniang would give birth to a son, the first son would be surnamed Xu, and the second son would be surnamed Cui.

Men fight tooth and nail for power, profit, and the right to have children, and she wants it all: anything men are willing to fight tooth and nail for must be something good.

Otherwise, why have men for thousands of years insisted on advising women to be obedient, docile, and gentle?

She is by no means a brainless, delicate princess, much less a spoiled brat like Liu Hezhou or Xue Changfeng who have enjoyed a smooth life thanks to their family's influence!
Her power was earned through her own meticulous and step-by-step efforts!

She was born noble, yet she was not allowed to have power; her status was her ladder, while her gender was her obstacle.

She emerged from power and then struggled back into it; the effort she put in is beyond description!

Jing'an was relaxed and at ease, letting out a long breath that conveyed the satisfaction of playing a good hand.

This dying body, in its twilight years, still managed to intimidate Xu Quyan, so it could be considered to have served its purpose.

Xu Quyan, her weak, timid, and young nephews and nieces.

With a frightened and uneasy face, he maliciously gained her trust and then tried to kick her away—what a disgusting rat, who is good at using harmless means and a pitiful appearance to secretly steal the fruits of other people's hard work!

Everyone lowered their heads. Xue Xiao took a deep breath: Since the pretense of civility has already been exposed, what's wrong with taking a gamble? Jing'an has committed this crime openly. As long as they keep pressing on and don't fall into Jing'an's verbal traps, there's no need for them to prove their innocence in the imperial throne. If they want to fight to the death, then fight to the death. Let's fight one punch to avoid a hundred punches in the future. If we take this situation with a tough stance, then victory is in my hands!
"Grand Princess—"

Before Xue Xiao could finish speaking, Emperor Yongping unexpectedly said, "Since the late emperor agreed, Aunt should have informed him in a timely manner. Instead, this misunderstanding has only made the court officials laugh at the imperial family."

Jing'an's hearty laughter, like a shimmering pearl emerging from an oyster shell, eagerly awaited everyone's glimpse of her victory: "A joke? I, Jing'an, am never a joke—"

Emperor Yongping interrupted softly: "When the late emperor passed away, the imperial physician diagnosed him with a deficiency of essence and blood, a weak and feeble pulse, and the ability to swallow medicine was already the last gasp of his strength."

Emperor Yongping hinted at something but stopped short. After a moment's hesitation, he changed the subject and spoke in a very dignified manner: "Now, only my aunt is left to listen to the late emperor's last words. Many things and many words are no longer clear to me. Today, all the officials are here, and Wang Hanlin, who is compiling the history, is also here. My aunt, why don't you repeat the late emperor's last words in their entirety? This will also save you from many disputes in the years to come."

Emperor Yongping's voice was gentle, like raindrops in winter gently tapping on the bluestone steps.

Jing'an raised his head slightly, revealing his bloodshot eyes.

As a person's body declines, strange oils and odors will be secreted unconsciously from the eyes, skin, and nasal cavity.

The oil seeping from her eyes was trying to break down her makeup, revealing mottled, uneven, grayish-white eye bags and reddened eyelids.

Jing'an's eye bags twitched involuntarily as she looked up at Emperor Yongping at the head of the table. A flicker of mockery and ridicule crossed her eyes: her cowardly, weak, and deceitful nephew couldn't even muster the courage to confront her! Despite having victory firmly in his grasp, he couldn't shake off his cowardly nature. Xu Quyan always sought a roundabout approach, a "safety net"—safety? Haha, the gentry can be safe, the wealthy merchants can be safe, but the emperor, you have the dragon throne beneath your buttocks! How can an emperor be so devoid of spirit!

"Three—"

Jing'an slowly suppressed his smile, drawing out his words, "The late emperor left three instructions, the first being the succession, which is known to all."

She deliberately didn't elaborate!

She just wanted to disgust Xu Quyan!

We must make the whole world suspicious!
Jing'an paused slightly: "Secondly, they are private soldiers; thirdly, the Xu family cannot fight amongst themselves, fratricide is unacceptable to our ancestors, and those who violate this rule will not be allowed to enter the imperial mausoleum!"

Jing'an rolled his eyelids upwards and looked at Emperor Yongping, his eyes dark and unfathomable: "During the Taiji Palace coup in the early Tang Dynasty, Li Longji killed his aunt, Princess Taiping. From then on, the prosperous Tang Dynasty began to decline. The lessons of the past should guide the future. The late emperor was wise and left the last words that the imperial family should not fight among themselves. Your Majesty, we should all keep these words in mind!"

Yuan Wenying kept her head down, and upon hearing Jing An's words, her palms began to sweat: What was he doing?! Jing An was keeping a secret weapon for himself! Even if "Qing Feng" was exposed, as a member of the Xu family, she and her family could at least save their lives!

What about them?
They are not members of the Xu family!

"Qingfeng" has already suffered repeated defeats. The Cui family has the Northern Frontier Army as their backup, and Jing'an is the Xu family. What do they have?! When the truth comes out, are they just waiting for the "trigger" to cause them to die from poisoning?!

Lessons from the past should guide future actions. Are there few such dramatic excerpts in history books?

The instigator, a high-ranking member of the royal family, was pardoned; at most, he was fined a salary deduction. What's the difference between that and punishing himself with three cups of wine? None of his lackeys will escape!
".yes."

After a moment of silence, Emperor Yongping finally spoke in a calm and steady voice, "What my aunt said makes perfect sense." He acknowledged the truth.

Jing'an lowered his eyelids and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Wang Hanlin, who was compiling historical records, noted down today's small meeting and concluded that those who pursued the Xishan camp were servants of the Grand Princess Jing'an who had defected.

And this is recorded in history: Emperor Zhaode personally instructed his relatives, saying that the royal family members are of one blood and one branch, and should not act like bean stalks that fight each other.

The officials filed out, and Jing'an, supported by an eunuch, walked slowly behind them. When they reached the covered walkway, he caught a glimpse of Xue Xiao, who was bowing deeply, his suppressed anger suddenly becoming apparent.

"Lord Xue, please wait." Jing'an said.

Xue Xiao paused, turning halfway to the side. The bloodstains on his face looked out of place against the bright and clean backdrop of the hall.

Jing'an's lips curled slightly: "Lord Xue risked his life all night, only to earn me a get-out-of-jail-free card—"

A soft, hushed laugh escaped her throat: "Thank you so much."

Jing'an paused slightly: "It's like thanking you for joyfully welcoming a wife we ​​forced upon you, hahaha! And you even get along so well with her!"

Jing'an burst into laughter, the powder clinging to her skin like moldy bread shedding mildew. As she laughed, she seemed to tire, and with a long sigh, she stopped laughing: "Lord Xue, oh Lord Xue, what can I say about you—the king you were so loyal to doesn't care about your feelings, nor your wounds, but only uses you as a pawn, making you a checkmate whenever he wants, a pawn whenever he wants."

Xue Xiao raised his head slightly, his eyelashes lowered silently, as if he had not heard Jing An's words.

Jing'an seemed to have found an outlet for his emotions, and he spoke faster and faster: "...From a young age, he was neither loved by his father nor his mother. He was born into the most vicious family of his maternal uncles. After struggling to grow up, he never knew that the wife you doted on and married into the family was actually a lowly person of humble origins, whose parents were unknown!"

Liu Shanyue has rebelled!
Xue Xiao is still alive, which is enough to prove this point!
Now that Liu Shanyue has turned against her, she no longer needs to cover for Liu Shi. On the contrary, she will make a scene and cause Xue Xiao and Liu Shi to fall apart: she does not believe that Liu Shi has told Xue Xiao about her true origins. Liu Shi would never tell Xue Xiao, and Xue Xiao would never tolerate Liu Shi's ulterior motives in getting close to her from the beginning. Once the two of them turn against each other, she will make her happy!

"You've already found out about 'Qingfeng', haven't you?"

Jing'an laughed nonchalantly, leaning down and lowering his voice: "She is 'Qingfeng.' I wonder where the Zhu family found her. She's very good at serving men, isn't she? Perhaps she was doing that before. Now that she's with you, Xue Qishu, it's a case of specializing in one's craft. Even her early education has come in very handy."

"boom--!"

Xue Xiao braced himself against the old woman's neck with one hand, then lunged forward and charged down the steps!

Jing'an cried out in alarm and grabbed at the sky with both hands to save his life.

The eunuchs who were bowing their heads in the porch quickly rolled over to the ground, using their bodies as a shield to protect Jing'an from the disaster!
Two eunuchs rushed over, grabbing Xue Xiao from either side and pleading urgently, "Lord Xue! Lord Xue! He's in the palace now!"

"Lord Xue! This is the Grand Princess!"

"The Grand Princess?" Xue Xiao looked up and squinted, his long, vertical eyelashes crinkling together, but unable to hide his fierce gaze: "It's the Grand Princess who we're going to kill!"

"Master Xue!"

Behind him came Wu Dajian's urgent voice: "What are you doing! The Emperor has summoned you! You should go!" He then bowed and reassured Jing'an: "Lord Xue has always been arrogant, Your Highness, please don't take offense. The Emperor will surely give you an explanation."

Supervisor Wu quickly reached out to pull Xue Xiao away.

Xue Xiao finally released his grip and turned to leave. As he did so, Jing An covered his neck and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Outsiders all say that you and the Emperor are a perfect match, like Bo Ya and Zi Qi. Only I know that you and the Emperor are not on the same path!"

Xue Xiao was ridiculed by the public as a "mad dog," but in reality, he was upright, honest, and open-minded!
Her weak and timid nephew, with his gentle and refined appearance, was like a damp soul climbing inch by inch up a deep well, clinging to a soaked rope!
These two people are bound to fall apart sooner or later!

Xue Xiao paused on the ground, and after a moment, his wide sleeves billowed out, and he moved on without hesitation, cutting through the wind!

Wu Dajian bowed and led the way. Inside Linde Hall, the curtains were fully drawn. Xue Xiao stood in front of the outer corridor with his hands hanging down, his eyes fixed straight ahead. The curtains three zhang away moved slightly, making a soft rustling sound like a large rat gnawing on stored grain.

A short while later, a hurried figure emerged from behind the rolled-up curtain.

Yuan Wenying.

Xue Xiao lowered his eyelids and lifted the curtain to enter.

There is a slight ginseng scent in the room.

Emperor Yongping removed his jeweled crown and sat back against the large, square desk made of rosewood. His wide dragon robe leaned against the cold, hard chair back. The young emperor tilted his head back slightly, closed his eyes, and spoke wearily: "Sit—would you like some more tea?"