Chapter 91: The Empress Dowager's Edict

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  Qing Jin understood the comforting and pleading meaning in her grandmother Shen's eyes, she avoided Shen's gaze, she didn't know why Emperor Ming would issue such an edict, but this edict, she couldn't accept.

  She had already been engaged to her cousin, Junmu Xi, and it was impossible for Emperor Ming not to know about this matter. She had a faint sense of foreboding in her heart, as if a large net was closing in on her. Once she accepted the imperial edict, she would find it difficult to escape. In her mind, she recalled the feeling of being consumed by fierce flames in her past life.

  Her body couldn't help but tremble, that kind of fear which had clearly already passed, yet when she opened her eyes again, it was as if the terror was starting all over, as if trapped in an endless horror game, unable to escape the helpless feeling of being bound by fate. No, she didn't want to go through this again, she couldn't compromise.

  She couldn't help but feel a deep sadness and resentment in her heart, why did he not let her go, she had never thought of revenge from start to finish, only wanting this life's family to be good, just wishing for peaceful years, a quiet life, but why wouldn't he let her off?

  Qing Jin resolutely refused to lower her head and was unwilling to accept this absurd imperial edict!

  She finally reacted, looking at her mother-in-law's gaze towards her daughter, and glancing at Qingjin's pale face. She stood up without hesitation, standing in front of Qingjin, and said, "Since no one dares to speak, I will say it myself. Qingjin is my daughter, I am her mother, and I must protect her." With a natural air of the lady of the Hou Manor, she fearlessly asked the imperial envoy, "Is this edict from the Emperor...?"

  "Mother!" Qing Jin had originally made up her mind not to intervene, but seeing Jun Shi blocking her way, she still chose to stand out and timely stopped her mother, Jun Shi.

  Some things can't be avoided just because you don't want to face them, especially fate. It always tells us in an irresistible way that when we fall into a certain situation, we either choose to go down together or compromise.

  Qing Jin walked out from behind her mother, Jun Shi. She swept a glance over the crowd in the hall, her eyes scanning each of their faces before finally landing on her mother's. In a calm tone, she said: "Mother, this is Qing Jin's matter, let Qing Jin make the choice!"

  After finishing this sentence, look at Ning Xuan beside his mother Jun Shi, and also pray for her grandmother...

  That person really knows how to grasp people's weaknesses. If it were just her, she wouldn't mind going down together in flames, but with the people standing beside her being the loved ones she owed from her past life and wanted to protect in this life, how could she?

  She thought of this and solemnly bowed to her father-in-law who was reading the imperial edict. "Please continue reading the imperial edict, sir!"

  "Jing'er..." Mr. Jun called out from behind Qing Jing, if his daughter was unwilling, he would take her and their son back to their old home in Lingnan. His daughter had already been engaged, yet the Emperor had assigned their family's daughter as a concubine to one of the princes, it was simply too presumptuous!

  Qing Jin heard Jun Shi's cry, and with great effort, she suppressed the urge to rise up. She had already owed them a lifetime. She couldn't harm them again; being human shouldn't be so selfish.

  So although she heard Jun's shout, knowing the pampering contained in Jun's words, Qingjin's heart became even calmer. Right, she couldn't, her eyes gazing calmly at the eunuch reading out the imperial edict.

  Mr. Jun saw his daughter's straight back and knew the determination under Qingjin's straight back, a flash of comfort in his eyes, with a hint of dimness, slowly knelt down.

  The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict saw Qingjin kneeling down and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. To be honest, he also didn't quite understand this imperial edict. The eldest daughter of Duke Anji had already been betrothed, so why did this imperial edict suddenly appear, ordering her to become the concubine of the third prince? Someone's legitimate wife was inexplicably turned into a concubine; who could accept that?!

  However, he was just a small eunuch who delivered imperial edicts. To say, marrying into the royal family was definitely better than marrying into an ordinary family. Fortunately, the people of Anji Houfu did not say anything that clearly refused the edict, otherwise, it would have been really difficult for him to handle.

  To know that the Anji Marquis Manor has been unstoppable since Gu Huaiyi came out, now another imperial son's wife and concubine have come out, next is another imperial son's concubine with a title, the future of Anji Marquis Manor is boundless!

  Since everyone is now willing to accept the edict, he was happy to pretend that what had just happened had not been seen. He unfolded the imperial decree and continued reading it aloud to the crowd in front of the Anji Marquis's mansion.

  Just as the eunuch finished reading out the remaining imperial edict and was about to hand over the edict in his hands to Qingjin.

  "The imperial edict has arrived——" Another eunuch from the palace came to deliver an imperial decree.

  Qing Jin suddenly lifted her head and looked at the eunuch who had just entered, this eunuch was vaguely familiar to Qing Jin. Just as she was thinking when she had seen this eunuch before, he looked at the people of Anji Hou Fu who were still kneeling on the ground and said: "The Empress Dowager decrees that the old lady of Anji Hou Fu, Gu Shen Shi, enter the palace for an audience!"

  "This old servant has received the imperial edict, Long live the Empress Dowager, may she live for a thousand years, ten thousand years, and forever!" Shen Shi heard the eunuch's words as soon as he entered, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She then glanced in Qing Jin's direction and immediately understood the Empress Dowager's summons, which was likely related to this granddaughter's sudden change in marriage.

  Upon hearing the new eunuch's words, Qing Jin immediately recalled where she had seen this eunuch before. This eunuch wasn't the one who accompanied the Empress Dowager on her birthday in the palace? It seems that this eunuch should be someone by the Empress Dowager's side.

  Thinking of what the eunuch had just said, Qingjin raised her head and respectfully addressed him: "Your Excellency, I am Gu Qingjin, the eldest daughter of the Anji Marquis's manor. May I ask if it is possible for me to accompany my grandmother to pay respects to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?"

  After this eunuch finished transmitting the imperial edict, he was just about to leave when he heard Qing Jin's question. His gaze turned towards Qing Jin, "Miss Gu Er?"

  "It is your servant's daughter!" Qing Jin replied respectfully.

  "Madam Gu's request, our family does not dare to promise privately. When the Empress Dowager issued the edict, she only said that she wanted to see Old Madam, and nothing else was instructed." Which means it was refused.

  Qing Jin understood the meaning of Gong Gong's words in an instant, and without any inappropriate expression, she politely said: "Thank you, Gong Gong, I understand!"

  The old man nodded at Qingjin and then turned around and left, after which the other old man who had arrived first also left.

  After the two imperial envoys left, Shen Shi returned to Chaoxia Yuan and changed into a set of clothes for entering the palace. As she was about to leave, she pulled Qingjin's hand and said: "Qingjin, don't worry, Grandmother will definitely ask clearly what is going on!"

  Upon hearing Shen's words, Qingjin nodded obediently towards Shen. Since the Empress Dowager summoned her grandmother to the palace at this time, it was possible that she had objections to this marriage. She hoped that her grandmother could persuade the Empress Dowager and have her advise the Emperor to withdraw this imperial decree.

  After Shen followed the imperial edict into the palace, Qing Yao walked to Qing Jin's side, with a certain inexplicable light flashing in her eyes, and asked: "Second sister, were you with the third prince before..."

  Qing Jin heard Gu Qing Yao's words and looked straight at her, saying: "Fourth sister, be careful with your words!"

  Qing Yao heard Qing Jin's words and wanted to ask more, but hesitated for a moment before calling out to Qing Jin with a hint of grievance: "Second sister..."

  Although the imperial edict just now was not handed over to Qingjin due to the sudden arrival of people in the Empress Dowager's palace, knowing that there was such an imperial edict made Qingjin feel somewhat annoyed. At this time, Gu Qingyao still came up to ask questions, and Qingjin originally didn't want to respond. Seeing Qingyao's slightly wronged face after she finished speaking those four words.

  Qing Jin didn't have the mood to play along with her, so she pretended not to see her distress and spoke to Qing Yao in a light tone: "I'm feeling a bit unwell, I'll head back to my room first. Fourth sister can stay for a while longer!" After saying that, she didn't wait for Qing Yao to respond and left the main hall of the An Ji Marquis's residence with Yuanyang.

  "Second Miss is really too much, the young lady just wanted to show some concern for her, but Second Miss didn't give the young lady any face. It's really... when you think about it, Second Miss is only the concubine of the Third Prince, while the young lady is the proper princess consort of the Sixth Prince, a true member of the imperial family. What does Second Miss have to be proud of?" Green Tea, the maid standing beside Qing Yao, spoke up in defense of her mistress after seeing Qing Jin leave.

  Qing Yao heard the words of the maid, Lu Cha, and immediately spoke up: "Don't say that, Second Sister and Brother-in-law are already engaged, who knew the Emperor would issue such an edict, and Brother-in-law can't find anyone, it's understandable that Second Sister is in a bad mood."

  "It's only girls who like to think of others in a good light, but who knows if Second Miss is aware that First Miss might be betrothed to the Crown Prince and feels unbalanced inside. She had secretly met with Third Prince before, which made him take notice. You should know that Second Miss has always been high and mighty in our estate, and Old Master is a hereditary duke. Usually, Second Miss is considered the highest person in our estate. Maybe she's jealous of First Miss. Otherwise, among so many princes, why would Second Miss be betrothed to Third Prince, who still holds a title as a side consort? Maybe it was Second Miss herself who secretly manipulated things to make Third Prince take notice, and that's how she ended up being betrothed to him by the Emperor... Your family may be good, but how can they compare to the imperial family?"

  Qing Yao's eyebrows furrowed upon hearing the personal maid's words: "How dare you, Second Sister is not someone you can casually make up stories about."

  The personal maid saw Qingyao frowning and held back from saying anything else, but muttered to herself, "Miss, don't be deceived by Second Miss."

  "All right, all right, you go down first!" Qingyao sent away her personal maid.

  But in her heart, she couldn't help but think of what her personal maid, Green Tea, had said. She thought about the time at the plum blossom banquet when her second sister, Qingjin, hastily left as soon as she mentioned the Third Prince.

  At that time, she still thought that her second sister had something going on, but now thinking about it, her second sister's discomfort at the time was so abnormal. Thinking back to when the third prince invited her to take a walk, but didn't say anything, and then left in a hurry, there was a kind of suspicion in her heart. Qingyao couldn't help but suspect that after she left, the third prince might have gone to see her second sister Gu Qingyu. It has to be said that women are sometimes unusually sensitive to this kind of thing.