Xiao Ling exposed his injured wrist, "This is evidence that the imperial concubine connived at her subordinates to injure her son."
Concubine Zhang said anxiously: "Don't confuse right and wrong! Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, things are not what she said. I have witnesses, and everyone present can testify."
Concubine Zhang hurriedly turned around to call for the accompanying servants, but she heard Xiao Ling sigh.
"Your Majesty, just send the people here. Anyway, most of them were yours at that time. Naturally, you have the final say. Poor Yun, the guard, can't even get out of bed now and can't testify for me. So, Mo'er and I naturally said
She is nothing more than a royal concubine."
Mo'er lowered her head severely, looking aggrieved.
Concubine Zhang was about to make a quibble, but the Empress Dowager sternly stopped her: "You dare to humiliate the princess in public, without caring about the Ai family or the emperor at all. Madam Zhang, you are so brave!"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was angry, Concubine Zhang cried so hard that she looked at Emperor Zhou Yuan who was silent.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you have to make the decision for me."
Emperor Zhou Yuan was about to speak when he heard Xiao Ling cough so weakly that he almost lost his breath.
"Yun'an is protecting Xiaoling Zhouquan under my will, how can you torture him?"
As soon as Emperor Zhou Yuan said these words, Concubine Zhang cried silently.
"Besides, Xiao Ling has always been sensible and has a delicate body. How can you bully her?"
"Cough...cough...cough..." Xiao Ling covered her face with her hands, coughed in a low voice, and secretly glanced back at Concubine Zhang.
"Considering that this is your first offense, I will be banned for three months. In addition, these two slaves will each receive thirty blows."
The Empress Dowager thought that Concubine Zhang was too noisy, so she ordered her to be kicked out. The whole Cining Palace instantly became much cleaner.
Xiao Ling was ill and did not stay. The Empress Dowager ordered Qing Lai to return to Qianling Palace.
When Xiao Ling recovers, it will be almost the New Year.
"Jiu Feng, be careful when you come down."
Ye Sili stood outside the eaves and looked up at Mu Jiufeng who was climbing up the ladder, carefully directing every move he made.
"Yes, yes, yes, go further to the left, go to the left, go to the left, oh, it's crooked, go to the right..."
Under her "random" command, Mu Jiufeng finally hung up the lantern. He was about to jump down easily, but he saw Ye Sili below carefully holding the ladder for him.
"Don't worry, I'll hold you steady."
Mu Jiufeng walked down the ladder obediently, "I am also a martial arts practitioner after all, but you can't believe me like this."
"Forget it." Ye Sili saw that he landed smoothly, then turned around and sat on the mat to continue working on the lantern, "I have never seen any martial arts practitioner as lazy as you."
Mu Jiufeng looked unconvinced. He glanced at Gu Liyou, who was sitting on the ground making a lantern and gradually couldn't hold back his smile, and complained: "Why am I lazy? It's just that you didn't pay attention."
The second half of the sentence was spoken more and more quietly. Ye Sili looked at her writing seriously and did not pay attention to what he said.
"These lanterns should be enough, right?" Gu Liyou raised his head and looked at the finished products around him and said.
Ye Sili looked up and said, "Let's make a few more and give some to Xiaoling when the time comes. This year's Spring Festival will definitely be lively and prosperous."
New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve.
The lights in Yugong's mansion were brightly lit.
"Grandpa, Happy New Year." Ye Sili toasted Ye Zhongyao with a glass of wine.
"Grandpa, Happy New Year." Gu Liyou also poured a glass of wine.
Ye Zhongyao's eyes fell on the two of them repeatedly, and he smiled and said: "You two want to get me drunk together?"
Ye Sili smiled and shook her head, "How can my grandfather's drinking capacity be comparable to mine? But maybe Ayou can give it a try."
"Hey..." Ye Zhongyao wrapped his clothes tightly, and the little cotton-padded jacket in this winter was leaking. "No wonder Mu Jiufeng and the fifth princess won't accompany you this year. It's because you prefer Liyou so much.
Who else can bear it?"
Hearing this, Ye Sili glanced at Gu Liyou next to him and said shyly: "Grandpa, don't make fun of me. Jiu Feng was clearly caught by his uncle and aunt, and Xiao Ling and A Yu also attended according to the emperor's order.
How come the family dinner has become my fault?"
Seeing his granddaughter's appearance, Ye Zhongyao was filled with joy and added a glass of wine to himself, "Since ancient times, lovers have been hard to find. Liyou told me about you before. Grandpa asks you again, are you serious?
"
A lover is hard to find...
Ye Sili turned to look at Gu Liyou, and when their eyes met, Ye Sili smiled slightly, "Because it's hard to find a lover, so when I found him, I recognized him."
Gu Liyou's voice was gentle, "Grandpa, I also truly love Ah Li."
A glass of warm wine fell into his throat, and his chest and abdomen were burning. Ye Zhongyao just asked: "No matter what happens in the future, can you really protect her?"
Ye Sili was the only bloodline in the Ye family, and Ye Zhongyao was very fond of her. Seeing that she was approaching the age of hairpins, many princes, grandsons, and princes who wanted to get married were dismissed by Ye Zhongyao.
The original words Ye Zhongyao complained to his friends were: "How can those wine bags and rice bags be worthy of my little Li?"
Because Gu Liyou became famous at a young age, many boudoir girls from famous families were interested in this marriage, but Ye Zhongyao dismissed them all.
The original words he complained to his friends were: "How can those vulgar fans be worthy of my family, Liyou?"
Therefore, he thought about all the beauties and talents in Kyoto, but he really couldn't find anyone who was worthy of his two children.
Just when he was depressed, Gu Liyou proposed marriage to him, which surprised him.
This is really good.
Xiao Li has always been smart and clever, and is not as fragile as a common woman raised in a boudoir who has never seen the world. Although she does not know martial arts, her courage and talent have not brought shame to the Ye family at all.
Liyou had joined the army with him since he was a child, and his martial arts skills and troop formations were even better than those of others. In addition, he had seen the relationship between Liyou and Xiaoli over the years.
With Liyou here, no one else can bully Xiaoli.
From now on, he would feel more at ease when the Ye family army is handed over to the two of them.
Gu Liyou looked serious and promised Ye Zhongyao: "I will take good care of Ah Li and my grandfather."
In the eighteenth year of Xining, on the night of New Year's Eve, he made such a promise in the Yugong Mansion.
However, the palace banquet, which was also decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, was not as harmonious.
"In my opinion, the fifth princess has already reached the age of getting married. Now that the eldest son of Wu wants to marry her, it would be a good match."
Such harsh words were naturally spoken by Concubine Zhang, who was grounded two months ago.
Mo'er knelt down next to Xiao Ling, poured tea, and complained in a low voice: "The emperor thought that today was New Year's Eve and specially allowed her to attend the banquet, but why did she keep making things difficult for the princess and wanted to push you into a pit of fire? Who knows?
The Wu eldest son has been mentally deficient since he was a child, and he only learned to eat with chopsticks a while ago. Concubine Zhang actually wants to give the princess to such a person."
Xiao Ling glanced at Concubine Zhang lightly and whispered: "Shhh - everyone at the banquet has many eyes, please be careful what you say."
"yes."
Xiao Yu, who was sitting opposite her, also looked unhappy. He wanted to say something for his sister, but when he saw Xiao Ling shaking her head at him, she had no choice but to give up.
Since the last incident, Xiao Ling has become more and more cautious and does not want to get into trouble, so she doesn't bother to answer Concubine Zhang's words. Anyway, she can't decide whether she will get married or who she will get married to. Of course, she can't do it.
Concubine Zhang is not allowed to make the decision.
Sure enough, as soon as Concubine Zhang said these words, the Empress Dowager's expression changed, "This is a family banquet. You, a concubine, should not be attending. Thanks to the kindness of the Emperor, you are allowed to come and see the world, but you can't help but talk nonsense."
"The princess's marriage is related to the government and the country. How can you allow a concubine like you to talk too much?"
"According to the Ai family, if you really think that the Wu eldest son is a good son, how about the Ai family make a decree for you and marry your daughter to him in a few years when she grows up?"
Concubine Zhang's face changed in panic, "I made a mistake for a moment, the Queen Mother must not be angry."
Family banquets in the palace were always not peaceful, so Xiao Ling was too lazy to argue with them. When they had finished speaking, Xiao Ling left first on the grounds of being ill, and specifically called Xiao Yu away.
Xiao Yu accompanied Xiao Ling back to Qianling Palace. Neither of them used their chopsticks much during the dinner. At this time, he ordered Mo'er to cook some food and bring it to them.
Although Xiao Ling has always been favored, there are not many maids and followers in Qianling Palace. There were quite a few in the beginning, most of them were spies installed by various palaces. Later, when Xiao Yu had some real power, he used some means to get rid of them. Now the palace
Naturally, there are some informants specially left behind, but after all, there are not many available people in Qianling Palace.
The jealous concubines in the harem often turned the war to Qianling Palace, which was weak and easy to bully and had no backer. Over the years, Xiao Ling had learned a lot about the methods of the harem, including poisoning, frame-up, falling into the lake, and making mistakes... Fortunately, she and her fourth brother
Great destiny.
Therefore, Xiao Ling habitually asked Mo'er or Yun An to prepare food most of the time, so that he could at least feel at ease with it.
"I haven't eaten at Qianling Palace for a few days. I didn't expect Mo'er's cooking skills to improve so quickly." Xiao Yu tasted the food Mo'er had just prepared and smiled at Mo'er with a beaming smile.
Mo'er's face turned red and she lowered her head silently before speaking.
Xiao Ling glared at Xiao Yu, "Don't just tease Mo'er all day long. How old are you? If you don't quickly marry a wife and open a new mansion, you still stay in the palace all day doing nothing."
Although Xiao Ling is a younger sister, she always treats Xiao Yu like an old mother. Even she herself feels that Xiao Yu should be her younger brother.
"You still have the nerve to accuse me?" Xiao Yu pointed at himself and Xiao Ling, "It's just a matter of half a pound, okay?"
Xiao Ling rolled her eyes at him with disgust, but saw him pause at the chopsticks he had just held in his hand, and then raised his eyes to look at her, but his expression was not as playful as before.
"But to be honest, now that you have reached the age of talking about marriage, how do you plan for marriage?"
There have been a lot of rumors in the court in the past few months, but if the emperor does not issue an order, the rumors will always remain rumors.
Yun An looked at Xiao Ling and heard her sigh softly, "Fourth brother, you and I are both sons and daughters of the royal family. Do we really have the final say in our marriage?"