Chapter 22: Audience with the Emperor
This voice interrupted Yin Xu's words directly. His face changed and he immediately said to Ye Qiongying:
"Just wait, I'll be back soon! Ask the maid to prepare the things and wait for me to come back, then we can get divorced!"
After saying this, he left in a hurry.
Only then did a look of worry finally appear on Ye Qiongying's face.
Why would someone come to the palace at this time?
This didn’t happen in my previous life.
The emperor in the palace was known as a tyrant at a young age. Even when he attended court, he was unwilling to have much contact with people and always kept a distance from them behind a curtain.
Except for the eunuchs in the palace, few people outside remember what he looks like. They only know that the current emperor has a very handsome appearance.
But no family was willing to send their daughter to the palace.
This is true even for officials who don't care about their daughters' lives.
If they could gain benefits by sending their daughters to the palace, they certainly wouldn't care whether their daughters who were accompanying the tyrant were dead or alive. At most, they could have a few more children, or find some beauties outside and adopt them as adopted daughters. Anyway, there were plenty of ways to do it.
but……
How could they understand the tyrant's thinking?
The fear was that the woman sent in would not receive the emperor's favor, but would accidentally anger the emperor, resulting in the execution of her entire family.
If this matter happened to other emperors, it would be possible to discuss it. After all, a normal monarch would calculate the pros and cons and would not easily make such a cruel decision.
But your Majesty today is different.
That's really daring to kill!
Those who died in front used their lives to prove this truth to their colleagues behind them.
But the tyrant's health did not seem to be very good. Before Ye Qiongying was imprisoned by Yin Xu and Leng Qianqian in her previous life, she heard that the emperor in the palace was seriously ill, and rumors went around that he would not live much longer.
Of course, even if the other person was destined to have a short life, at least he would live longer and happier than she did.
After all, before her death, Yin Xu was still planning on marrying Leng Qianqian into the mansion. If the emperor passed away, he wouldn't dare to do so even if he had the courage.
Why would the tyrant suddenly send someone to the Marquis' Mansion to look for Yin Xu at this time?
She didn't think that there could be anyone other than the tyrant in the palace who could send someone to the Marquis' Mansion to deliver a message.
Ye Qiongying narrowed her eyes, called Wen Ping in, and whispered a few words into her ear.
Wenping quickly took the order and went out.
Not long after, the maid came back trotting and said to Ye Qiongying:
"Master, the Marquis was called away by a eunuch in the palace. It is said that he is going to the palace!"
Who else could I go to the palace to see besides the emperor?
Wen Ping said excitedly:
"With the state of the Marquis now, will he offend the emperor and behead him? Or, His Majesty knows what he has done and wants to stand up for you, the master? After all, our Ye family has also made great contributions to Da Qi."
Ye Qiongying tapped Wen Ping's face:
"Don't talk nonsense. Words can cause trouble, understand? It's impossible for the Ye family. Yin Xu hasn't divorced me yet. I handed over the housekeeper position myself. We were just discussing the divorce, so it shouldn't have anything to do with these things."
If this were true, the emperor of the previous life would have taken action.
Wasn't her situation much worse then than it is now?
Of course, it is also possible that the Loyalty and Bravery Mansion had done too much to save face in the early stages, and in the later stages... the emperor himself was in poor health, and it was even more impossible for him to investigate what had happened to a girl from the Ye family.
"I don't want him to anger His Majesty and die in the palace," Ye Qiongying threw the elegantly written divorce letter on the table aside with disdain. "If he dies like this, won't I be forced to stay in the Marquis' Mansion to be his widow, and help him take care of the burdens in this mansion? Rather than letting him die quickly, I want him to come back quickly, and after a smooth divorce, I want him to say goodbye to this mess once and for all."
"That's true," Wen Ping nodded. "If the Marquis dies, wouldn't you have to support Leng Qianqian for nothing? You won't be able to get back the money you owed me. This won't do!"
Ye Qiongying laughed:
"Yes, there is also an IOU written by him. I didn't even think of that. You, you are just thinking about asking him to pay back the money, right?"
Wen Ping did not hide her feelings at all:
"Isn't that right? The master's money cannot be wasted on people like them!"
While the master and servant were chatting happily, Yin Xu followed the white-faced eunuch in front of him into the palace with an uncertain heart.
He also didn't know why His Majesty suddenly asked him to come over.
He was well aware of the reputation of being a tyrant.
Two years ago, he had seen with his own eyes the young man chop off the head of a courtier with a gloomy face and walk over the blood.
The fallen head rolled a few times and stopped right in front of Yin Xu. The dead man's wide-open, bloodshot eyes faced him.
Yin Xu couldn't sleep at night during those days. As soon as he closed his eyes, he could think of the gray dead face, and even smelled blood everywhere.
It took a long time for this problem to be cured.
His mother and Ye Qiongying, who was very considerate at the time, even invited a master to exorcise evil spirits for him and bought him a talisman to wear to comfort himself.
Yin Xu has never taken off the amulet until now.
"Eunuch, I wonder if His Majesty..." Yin Xu asked as he stuffed a purse over inconspicuously.
Of course, there was silver in it.
The eunuch who led the way turned even paler, and waved his hands in fear, quickly distanced himself from Yin Xu:
"My Lord, please don't hurt me! The palace has strict rules and we are not allowed to accept benefits in private. Otherwise... His Majesty has invited you, so you should leave quickly and don't think too much."
This kind of thing was indeed common in the past.
Now... those who are not well-behaved in the palace have grass three feet high on their graves.
Those who stayed behind were already scared out of their wits, so how could they dare to accept any benefits!
After he said this, Yin Xu, who was already overthinking, thought even more and became more panicked.
I can't even give out money, does that mean...
He felt a chill on his back, and before he knew it, his legs began to tremble.
But they arrived at the palace very quickly. The two of them rushed all the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. After the young eunuch went in to pass the message, he came out and invited Yin Xu in, while he stayed outside the hall.
Yin Xu walked in tremblingly, only to find that, besides him, there were many other court officials here.
But without exception, everyone looked panicked, looking at each other but not daring to speak. It was obvious that no one knew why the emperor suddenly called everyone over.
Damn.
Could it be that someone has done something and got caught, and then they are implicated as well?
Other emperors might consider the overall situation and only kill the leader.
Their Majesty really dares to massacre the court and then replace it with new people!
Yin Xu relaxed a lot. At least, he was not facing the emperor alone. He felt safer with other people around.
Just as I was thinking this, I heard the emperor sitting above suddenly speak:
"Marquis Zhongyong?"