Chapter 224 - Intelligence, Unshakeable Ability, and Spiritual Power VS Hongmen Banquet
Chapter 224 Intelligence, Unshakeable Ability, and Spiritual Power VS Hongmen Banquet
That’s what little Shishu told me to say. I really didn’t want to say it. It’s true. I’ll be too embarrassed to say such neauseating words out loud.
Laughter sounded in the palace hall. Everyone was used to Shangguan LingRan behaving unscrupulously. His words were very much in line with his personality.
After the laughter, most people felt pity for Zi You. But there were some people who took joy in her misfortune and some people were jealous of and hated Zi You.
For example, Taizi, Third Wangzi, and the Emperor’s eyes were like a poisonous snakes’ as they looked at Yi He (Shangguan LingRan). They hated that they couldn’t rush over and devour Shangguan LingRan.
Wang Yiping looked contemptuous. She was thinking, ‘Haha…… I was wondering what kind of excellent man you’ll find. So, he’s a dandy and an idiot. And you want some “one person for one lifetime.” You’ll probably have to call those prostitutes “sister” from now on.’
Yu daren was the most depressed right now! One of his most outstanding daughters was reprimanded by the Emperor because of Shangguan Lingluo’s matter. She was now seventeen years old, but no one proposed marriage yet. Even those poor scholars didn’t want her.
Now, this younger daughter whom he pinned high hopes on was even more miserable. He was afraid that even if she married into Duke Yongnan fu, she wouldn’t end up well. She would be a disdained master.
Not to mention, Zhao HongXiang was already demoted to be a commoner. Not only was it impossible for a son-in-law like this to help him in the future, but he might even implicate him.
So, right now, he could only harden his heart and sever his and Lanxuan’s father-daughter relationship. A daughter was a pawn used to further his own interests. Once she lost this ability, she was useless. You couldn’t blame him being ruthless. You could only blame her for her presposterous actions!
The Empress looked at Zi You and Shangguan LingRan flirting like a couple. She was so angry that she couldn’t help but glare fiercely at Taizi.
She scolded her son fiercely in her heart. Idiot! I told you to take care of Shangguan LingRan earlier. But you said that he’s not a threat. Now, look. It’s a big problem if he marries Mu Zi You! I, She Fengrong, has been shrewd my whole life. How can I give birth to such a fool?!
The Empress looked at her son and then at the Emperor. She was even angrier. This stupid man only knows how to be in a woman’s arms all day long and make merry. He just thinks about his imperial power without having any strategies at all.
Mu Zi You is so powerful now. Aren’t you worried?
She saw that the Emperor and Taizi weren’t planning on doing anything to Zi You. Forget it. She couldn’t count on these two darned men! She had to do it herself and find a way to get rid of the big problem Mu Zi You.
Actually, this celebration banquet was originally a Hongmen Banquet.*** The Emperor was going to be instigated by the Empress and We Jieyu regardless of Taizi’s opposition to make trouble for Mu Zi You, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi.
[Hongmen Banquet = a banquet set up with the intentions of murdering a guest; from a historical event in 206 BC when future Emperor Liu Bang escaped a murder attempt by Xiang Yu]
Sixty experts were hidden on both sides of the hall and were ready to rush in at any time to assassinate Mu Zi You, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi. But the Emperor had completely forgotten about this matter. He didn’t want to target Mu Zi You and the others anymore.
The Empress thought about the sign that they had agreed on. The sign was a cup breaking. So, she took advantage when the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were admiring the plum blossom painting to throw a cup to the floor.
The sixty experts heard the cup landing on the floor and waited for their leader to give orders.
But the leader was in a difficult spot as he scratched his head. What was going on? What did the Emperor mean? Didn’t they agree that the Emperor would throw a cup? The cup fell, but it was the Empress who threw it. So, should they still rush in or not?
The leader didn’t give the order. The Emperor heard the sound of the cup breaking and sobered. That’s right. There were sixty experts on both sides of the palace hall to kill Mu Junyuan, his son, and Mu Zi You.
However, the Emperor had changed his mind. He didn’t want to kill them now. Why didn’t this darned Empress listen to him and threw the cup of her own accord?
The Emperor glared fiercely at the Empress. He called Eunuch Yu over and whispered to him.
Eunuch Yu quickly trotted over to stop those experts.
A sharp light flashed in Zi You’s eyes. She and Shangguan LingRan already knew that there were assassins waiting to ambush them on both sides of the palace hall.
However, they didn’t put them in their eyes. Let’s not mention sixty experts. They wouldn’t be bothered even if it was 600 or 6,000 experts.
So, they chatted and laughed and didn’t take those people seriously. If Xuanwu Emperor smartened up and didn’t do anything stupid, he could live another day or two. But if he wanted to die today, they would fulfill his wish.
It seemed that Xuanwu Emperor had changed his mind. Let him live a few more days then.
In the palace hall, cups clinked and laughter sounded, which concealed all the schemes.
Even when the people there talked about Zhao HongXiang, Yu Lanxuan, and Wu Jieyu, it was like they were talking about clowns.
In the desperate battle, Zi You and Shangguan LingRan used their intelligence and spiritual powers to shock everyone and win.
After the banquet ended, Mu YingRui went to look for Zi You in the General’s Manor. He asked incredulously, “You’er, tell me the truth. Is your mother really a goddess?”
Zi You looked mockingly at him and sneered. “Do you want mother to come over and slap you a few more times?”
Mu YingRui’s face instantly turned red like a monkey’s butt. After a while, he asked softly, “Is your stepmother’s child really a deformed fetus?”
Zi You sneered again. “If you don’t believe me, wait until she gives birth. You’ll understand everything then.”
“But…… But how did it happen?” Mu YingRui wanted a son. He wanted one until he was about to go crazy. But why didn’t things go according to his wishes?
This time, Zi You’s attitude was very good. She patiently answered him. But her words were like a dagger stabbing in his heart and being pulled out. Every stab was dripping with blood. “She was supposed to be pregnant with twins, but the child became deformed.”
“Why is it deformed?”
“There’s only one reason. The child is the offspring of relatives. The offspring of siblings or cousins will cause deformities. If I’m not wrong, this child isn’t yours, father. It’s her half-brother’s.”
Because of Zi You’s words, Mu YingRui’s face changed from ashen to green and finally purple.
Zi You could hear the sounds of his teeth gnashing. Sure enough, Mu YingRui said, “That slut! I want to get rid of that b*stard! I’m going to kill them!”
“No.” Zi You said slowly, “She won’t be reconciled if you get rid of the child now. You know better than me how cunning Nee Wang is. You should wait until you have evidence of her affair with her brother. It won’t be too late for you to make a move then. But don’t wait too long, father.”
Indeed, he didn’t need to wait for long. The next day, while Zi You was treating patients in the free medical clinic, Weishali reported, “Master, Nee Wang returned to her maiden family.”
Zi You slightly sneered. It seemed that Wang Yiping couldn’t sit still anymore. She had heard what Zi You said last night. Although she wasn’t very convinced, she still had doubts. That was why she went to find Wang Shengmin and her yiniang mother.
Zi You slowly instructed, “Continue to monitor.”
Then she got up and went into her changing room. She disguised herself as female medical team member Huayun and said to Muling, “See patients for me. I’m going out.”
“Yes, Master,” Muling replied. They quickly exchanged places.
Soon, Zi You, disguised as Huayun, got into a horse carriage and galloped towards the General’s Manor.
No one noticed any of this. The free medical clinic was full of patients. The fact that Zi You was the descendant of a goddess had soon spread throughout all of the capital.
The people who wanted to see a doctor almost reached the Palace when they lined up. It could only be described as a vast sea of people.
The city’s general had no other choice but to dispatch soldiers here to maintain order.
They heard that Zi You would only see ten patients per day. A lot of official and noble households sent her invitation cards and were willing to pay more if she would visit them.
Zi You warned the servants in the fu, “Hand all the invitation cards to me. You’re not allowed to privately accept any money. If I find out, you will be flogged to death!”
The servants didn’t have that courage, but Mu YingRui dared to. He used the excuse that his father was ill, so he stayed at home.
He looked at all the invitation cards and money sent to invite Zi You and didn’t care about his wife making him a cuckold anymore. He accepted everything and patted his chest to make a guarantee. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell You’er to go over to your fu.”
Soon, he accepted more than 10,000 silvers. Just as he was being happy, Zi You returned.
Zi You heard the doorman say, “The servants wanted to return the invitation cards and money, but First Laoye refused and accepted all the invitation cards and money.”
Zi You waved to Shiyun and Rong Yunhe. “Return all the invitation cards and money and apologize to everyone.”
Then she went to Mu YingRui’s study. She looked at his greedy eyes and him counting money and slapped her hand down on a table angrily. She shouted, “Father, you’ve gone too far! How dare you accept this money? Rong Yunhe, Shiyun, take all the invitation cards and money away.”
Rong Yunhe and Shiyun went over to take the money. Mu YingRui’s hands wrapped around it and didn’t let them take it. Even his body was splayed over the table. “Are you stupid, You’er? If you don’t accept this money, then aren’t you working for nothing? You have to treat them sooner or later anyway. If you ask me, why go to the whatever free medical clinic? Why do you bother with those poor people?”
Even Shiyun looked contemptuous at his greedy appearance.
Zi You was too lazy to talk to him. She had Shiyun and Rong Yunhe take the invitation cards and money away. Then she said to Mu YingRui, “You still have the heart to think about money? Your wife went to her maiden family to have a tryst with her brother. You’re still not going to take a look?”