frightfiction Chapter 1313 Barely
Chapter 1313 Barely
"A forced relationship is never sweet," Zhan Miao said calmly. "What my brother wants is a queen who can stand by his side, not a woman who is already in love and is depressed. Cheng Yanran has the courage to pursue her own happiness, and that courage is more valuable than becoming a queen."
She paused, a sly glint in her eyes: "Besides, today's performance may not have been a waste of effort."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhan Qingning understood what she meant: "You mean, Liu Rumei?"
“Exactly.” Zhan Miao sneered. “Liu Rumei is jealous that Cheng Yanran obtained the token, so she will definitely not let it go. If she dares to frame us again, we can take this opportunity to get rid of this trouble completely.”
As expected, rumors spread throughout the capital the following morning that Cheng Yanran had returned the sapphire bracelet because of her immoral private life, which she had discovered by the princess and thus hastily fled. The rumors intensified, with some even claiming that Cheng Yanran had an affair with a border general, thus tarnishing the reputation of noble families.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was immediately thrust into the spotlight. Cheng's father was so angry that he fell ill and was bedridden. Cheng Yanran was also subjected to gossip and had to endure strange looks whenever she went out.
Inside the Liu residence, Liu Rumei listened to the news brought by her servants and clapped her hands triumphantly, laughing loudly: "Cheng Yanran, let's see how you turn things around this time! Without the princess's favor, you can forget about ever climbing up to imperial power in this lifetime!"
Her maidservant flattered her, saying, "Miss is wise! Cheng Yanran is completely finished now, and the position of Queen will surely be yours!"
A glint of greed flashed in Liu Rumei's eyes. Just as she was about to speak, a commotion erupted outside the door. Zhan Miao, accompanied by guards, stormed in angrily: "Liu Rumei, how dare you! You dare spread rumors and slander Miss Cheng's reputation!"
Liu Rumei's expression changed, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Your Highness, you have wronged me. I did not spread this rumor!"
"Not you?" Zhan Qingning stepped forward and threw a piece of paper in front of her. "This is the confession of the servant you sent to spread rumors that we intercepted. There's also a letter in your own handwriting on it. You still want to deny it?"
Liu Rumei stared at the words on the paper, her face turning deathly pale. She collapsed to the ground, stammering, "I...I didn't..."
Zhan Miao's eyes were icy: "Liu Rumei, you are driven by jealousy, and have repeatedly provoked and caused trouble. You have even gone so far as to spread rumors to slander the daughter of a loyal and virtuous man. If you are not punished today, it will be difficult to quell the public's anger!"
She turned to the guards and ordered, "Take Liu Rumei back to the palace and hand her over to His Majesty for judgment!"
The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Liu Rumei away. Liu Rumei cried and struggled, "Zhan Miao, I won't let you get away with this!"
Watching Liu Rumei being led away, Zhan Qingning breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally, this trouble is gone."
Zhan Miao frowned slightly: "This is just the beginning. There are probably others pulling the strings behind Liu Rumei."
She knew perfectly well that Liu Rumei was naive and wouldn't dare to act so recklessly on her own. There must be the shadow of a powerful family from the Li Kingdom behind this.
As the talent show draws ever closer, the undercurrents in Beijing are growing ever stronger.
Meanwhile, inside the imperial study, ink splattered onto the bright yellow memorials, spreading out in a dark hue.
Zhan Xuan slammed his vermilion brush down, rose irritably, and paced back and forth. The hem of his dragon robe swept across the ground, creating a gust of wind: "Selection of concubines, selection of concubines, in the end all it's all trouble! Cheng Yanran returned the token, Liu Rumei caused a scene at the banquet, now the entire court is eyeing my harem, I can't live like this anymore!"
The chief eunuch shrank his neck, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Since the start of the selection process, prominent families in the capital have been vying openly and secretly for the opportunity to send their daughters to participate. Today, the Zhang family impeaches the Li family's daughter for misconduct, and tomorrow the Wang family reports that the Zhao family's daughter concealed her medical history. The court is in chaos and has lost all its former solemnity.
A gentle knock came at the palace door, and Ye Li, dressed in a moon-white court robe, slowly entered, holding a scroll in his hands. His expression was gentle but could not hide his solemnity: "Your Majesty, this is the latest list of candidates for the Noble Lady selection. I have ordered people to verify the family background and character of each candidate, and have eliminated three people whose backgrounds are questionable."
Zhan Xuan glanced at the list, his tone still impatient: "So what if we've verified it? We just finalized a few candidates today, and rumors are already spreading tomorrow. I think we should just cancel this talent show!"
Ye Li bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The imperial selection is related to the succession of the royal family and the stability of aristocratic families. How can it be canceled so easily? It's just that there have been many disturbances recently. I think the problem may be that it has been too ostentatious."
"Openly?" Zhan Xuan raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Does this mean I have to choose a queen secretly?"
"Your Majesty misunderstands," Ye Li quickly explained. "That was not my intention. It's just that the imperial concubine selection has become the focus of the capital, with young men from prominent families vying to curry favor with the emperor, which has inadvertently created opportunities for those with ulterior motives. Take Liu Rumei's spreading of rumors, for example. Although it wasn't a major crime, it still disrupted the order. I believe that the most urgent task is to proceed discreetly and reduce unnecessary attention."
Zhan Xuan stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowed: "You mean, you want me to humble myself and appease those powerful families?"
"Your Majesty, I wish to avoid the turmoil and select a truly suitable person," Ye Li said earnestly. "Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne, and your foundation is not yet stable. If you were to antagonize the powerful families over the selection of candidates, it would be a greater loss than a gain. It would be better to temporarily slow down the selection process, stabilize the court first, and then make further plans."
"Slow down the pace?" Zhan Xuan's face darkened. "Ye Li, don't you know why I'm in such a hurry to hold a talent selection?"
Ye Li's face suddenly turned pale and ashen. He bowed and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, I know that you did this to quell those rumors, but Your Majesty, you really shouldn't have wronged yourself!"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Why don't you let me return to the Sheng Dynasty? If I'm not by your side, those rumors will eventually disappear!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence.
Ye Li didn't dare to look up; he knew he had angered Zhan Xuan.
Sure enough, a moment later, a mocking voice rang in his ears: "Very well, it seems I have trapped Minister Ye. Since you want to leave, then I will not stop you any longer. Get out!"
He shouted angrily, turned around, and left.
Ye Li turned and staggered away, looking utterly dejected.
Zhan Miao happened to enter the palace and was quite surprised to see him in this state.
She asked in surprise, "Ye Li, who bullied you?"
Ye Li's eyes were terribly red, but he didn't want to lose his composure in front of Zhan Miao.
He was frustrated because he didn't know how to help Zhan Xuan solve his current predicament.
He shook his head instinctively: "No, no one bullied me!"
Seeing that he was in low spirits and could barely stand, Zhan Miao quickly stepped forward to support his arm, her voice softening: "Looking at you, it's not that you haven't been bullied, it's that your heart is completely torn apart."
She led Ye Li to sit down in the corridor of the side hall and handed him a cup of warm tea: "My brother has always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside. If he really wanted you to leave, why would he be so angry as to turn away? Those rumors say that you are arrogant because of the emperor's favor and that you are bewitching the emperor. His eagerness to select a concubine is just to shut up the world and protect you. He doesn't really want to wrong himself."