Si Xitong drank the tea she poured, and when she felt that she had walked away, she got up and left Lanzhang Palace, following her for a while.
Unexpectedly, Xie Shangguang stopped them at the main gate.
"Madam, please don't go out and cause trouble for me."
She watched as Xie Lanzhi descended the cloud ladder at the south gate, her last figure disappearing from sight. She stopped and did not chase after her.
"Was it Lan Zhi's order?" Si Xitong quickly guessed.
Xie Shangguang nodded with difficulty: "Actually, the Marshal instructed me a few days ago to guard the Lanqi Hall of Lanzhang Palace and not to go anywhere."
Si Xitong gazed in the direction where her figure disappeared, then closed her eyes and sighed deeply: "She has never acted like this in the Southern Region. Her current actions are probably due to the circumstances."
Xie Shangguang thought his mistress had misunderstood, so he quickly explained, "That's not how it is, mistress. Please don't let this cause you to become estranged from the marshal. You know that the person she cares about most in the whole world is you."
"She must have had something to say for not telling you."
Si Xitong remained silent. She gazed deeply in the direction Xie Lanzhi had left before obediently returning to the palace.
Xie Shangguang, as his lackey, was at a loss.
The mistress's brother is also a troublesome fellow. The mistress and the Grand Marshal will have to work incredibly hard from now on.
And there's more...! That arrogant guy actually ordered this young general around, doing this and that!
When did he become his servant?
This scene was witnessed by a palace servant, who quickly left.
Prince Dun's Mansion.
Xie Guang was summoned to the East Courtyard by Xie Yan for questioning, and he appeared impatient all morning.
Xie Yan said, "She's so distant from you, and you haven't said a word? When did you become so cowardly?"
Xie Guang frowned and said, "Wherever the Grand Marshal wants to move me, I'll go. Should I say a word? Do you want to die?"
"Death?" Xie Yan asked as if he had heard a joke. "What are you afraid of now, just for the sake of saving face and gaining the title of a wise ruler?"
"I don't know what you're trying to imply," Xie Guang said. "But Seventh Uncle, this isn't the Southern Region, so you'd better watch what you say."
Seeing his slow reaction, Xie Yan reminded him, "As her confidant, how can you be so distant from her? Do you really think it's okay?"
"What's the problem? If the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die." Xie Guang could recite a few lines whenever he came to Tianjing.
Xie Yan immediately said with exasperation, "Get out! Go back to your military camp. You're a disgrace."
Xie Guang clasped his hands in a fist salute, feeling utterly bewildered.
When he left the mansion, he met Jiang Jinshi. Since Wu Qiu became the Vice Minister of War, Jiang Jinshi was also brought into the Ministry of War and is now the Left Assistant Minister.
"Why does the General look so worried?"
Xie Guang glanced inside the mansion and scoffed, "The old man's hint was so obvious, how could I not understand? He just wanted to say that the Grand Marshal is not like the Marshal of the past."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshi immediately whispered a reminder: "General, you must not utter this matter again."
"This general knows I was the first to suffer, how could I be foolish again!" Since moving into Prince Dun's mansion, Xie Guang has enjoyed a level of treatment that no other member of the Xie clan could match. It must be said that he was very pleased with this treatment in Tianjing.
But when he realized that he was the first person in the Xie family to doubt the Grand Marshal, and when he was pinned to a target and shot with flying knives, he understood a truth with his life!
It's her business how the Grand Marshal changes things, but to say she's an incompetent ruler is to be blind.
Anyone who dares to cross her boundaries will pay a heavy price.
But I never expected that his lesson wouldn't teach others to cherish their lives.
Xie Guang's attitude greatly angered Xie Yan.
This idiot actually thinks that person is still the same as before.
He was standing by the pond, scattering a handful of bait. Colorful carp swarmed around, jostling for the food. The cluster of fish created a dense, dazzling display.
Elder Zong, Xie Shiyi, arrived as agreed.
Since Xie Yongxin's incident, it has become a consensus within the Xie family to avoid Xie Yan, as they do not want to be used as a punching bag by him.
Xie Yan held a very high position within the clan, even surpassing the three great generals: Xie Ji, Xie Guang, and Xie Xia. All three were his juniors and had to respectfully address him as Seventh Uncle Xie.
In his youth, he was Xie Zhengrong's deputy general and one of the most qualified to inherit Xie Ying's lineage.
Because Xie Ying killed all the direct descendants, the illegitimate descendants naturally succeeded him.
Xie Shiyi respectfully asked, "I wonder why Seventh Brother summoned me here?"
"I've been in the capital for a while, and I've seen that all the Xie family members are blinded by its extravagance. So I wanted to have a serious discussion with you about the Xie family's... future." Xie Yan grabbed another handful of bait and scattered it generously: "What the Marshal needs now is no longer sharp claws and fangs, but elegance. How can my Xie family abandon the spirit of sealing the wolf's lair!"
Xie Shiyi immediately regretted coming. He shouldn't have come. He had already been targeted by Xie Yan for following Xie Yongxin's methods, and now trouble was piling up again.
He lowered his head and said meekly, "Seventh Brother, did you send me here because Yongxin is criticizing the head of the Xie family?"
Xie Yan raised his thick eyebrows, his tone mocking: "Master? She has been acting strangely ever since she woke up. She's even too lazy to cover herself up. It's not like I can just criticize her whenever I want. Isn't it because of her own actions?"
Xie Shiyi quickly stated, "I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
These words seemed to displease the master of the East Courtyard. He tapped the fish bait bowl he was holding against a beam, causing it to crack. He said coldly, "This is very inappropriate, Eleven. Don't turn a blind eye to Master Xie because of your grandson's future. Her behavior is not what it used to be. Now she is more like a tiger that has lost its teeth."
"How can a toothless tiger king rule over a group of tiger generals?"
Xie Shiyi felt dissatisfied. The head of the Xie clan was chosen by them, and questioning the head of the Xie clan was questioning the entire Xie clan.
Since the Xie family entered Tianjing, things have indeed changed, but all for the better. With the Xie family being recognized as the legitimate successor in Tianjing, the threshold for joining the Xie family has naturally risen.
He was clearly a supporter of Xie Lanzhi's actions. It's just that there are always some stubborn old fogies within the clan. Like the one in front of him.
He didn't care about the trouble and whispered, "You suspect Xie? But what makes you think you can doubt her?"
"You weren't the one who conquered Tianjing, nor were you the one who scared away the Northern Tyrant, Shi Yang."
Seeing his obsequious demeanor, Xie Yan sneered, "It seems you've never had any contact with her, so you know nothing. Someone, tell him."
A junior officer from the Imperial Guard stepped forward. He reported on Xie Lanzhi's actions since entering Tianjing, and even her actions in the Southern Region. This junior officer was a cousin of Xie Shangguang, who had been inseparable from Xie Lanzhi and Si Xitong since arriving in the capital, and he had followed along. Especially after today's sword competition, where the Grand Marshal's swordsmanship was atrocious, he and his brothers had been secretly suspicious. Therefore, they had thoroughly investigated Xie Lanzhi's recent behavior and reported it to Xie Yan and Xie Shiyi.
"After the Marshal woke up from her high fever, she seemed to have changed her personality. She first distributed military rations to the people of the region and then switched to a blitzkrieg, adopting a flanking maneuver to the rear. All her actions were unlike Xie Zhu's style."
“We once used the General to test the Marshal, but the Marshal became violent again and tied the General to a target to be thrown at. At that time, we had already dispelled our doubts, but we did not expect that the Marshal would become even more ruthless after entering the capital. He is kind to the people and kind to his relatives, and his behavior is completely benevolent.”
Xie Shiyi knew these personal guards were from intelligence backgrounds and possessed the professional training of the Xie family. His face ashen, he said, "Am I, Lord Xie, unworthy of the title of benevolent ruler?"
Xie Yan said, "The Lord Xie can produce benevolent rulers, but certainly not the kind of rulers my elder brother and the current Lord Xie should have. The world is not yet unified, and we do not need kind and benevolent generals."
"Absolutely not!"
Xie Shiyi's eyelids twitched suddenly: "What do you mean?"
A wolfish glint gleamed in Xie Yan's eyes; ambition was something he had always possessed, and the Xie family knew it all too well.
“Since she’s so eager to become a wise ruler, we can support her, but I’m not comfortable with the two people around her.” Xie Yan’s face was sinister, like an eagle poised to pounce from a cliff. He said with a fierce tone, “If she wants a mistress, then keep her, but that boy by her side…”
"Seventh Brother! When did you dare to be so audacious as to stand up for the Marshal?" Xie Shiyi was starting to feel a little scared. At this moment, the hair on the back of his head stood on end, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
In the past, how could they dare to make decisions for Xie Zhu? They didn't even dare to have the thought. If they did, no one knew that their heads would be gone tomorrow.
Second Brother Xie, Third Brother Xie, and Fifth Brother Xie all died in the same way. Even the old marshal died in the same way!
The marshal could even harm her own father, let alone these collateral relatives! Crushing them would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Xie Shiyi quickly reminded him, "Seventh Brother, whatever the Marshal wants to do, we'll just follow her, just like before. Whatever she wants to do, we'll follow her, but we must never have any thoughts of replacing her."
"It seems that when a wolf's claws are worn down, it becomes a dog! Cowardly scoundrels!" Xie Yan angrily threw the fish bait in the bowl into the pond, and several fish in the pond were smashed and turned belly up.
Xie Shiyi was so frightened that he took a step back. Xie Yan immediately ordered his personal guards to grab his arms and press him against a pillar, squeezing his face against it.
"Seventh Brother, what are you doing?! I was trying to give you some advice, how could you treat me like this!"
Xie Yan waved his hand and said, "While I'm done, you can stay here with me. Once I'm done, I'll give you credit for your service."
"No, I don't need it! You can't make decisions on your own!" Hearing the word "merit," Xie Shiyi knew he was being dragged onto the anti-Marshal's ship. His legs trembled with fear. Looking at the madman before him, he realized the man's temper had been escalating lately, especially since Xie Yongxin's death. He seemed to be sharpening his claws, waiting for the right moment. And he wanted the Xie family to go mad with him!
Xie Yan sneered, "Too late! Now everyone knows you've joined my East Courtyard."
"They'll just assume we're in cahoots."
"Damn it!" Xie Shiyi had just uttered the curse when his mouth was covered by a junior officer of the personal guard: "Elder Shiyi, I'm sorry, I was just following orders."
Xie Shiyi struggled desperately, shouting, "Ugh! What orders? You're trying to rebel!"
If Xie Yan succeeds in one step, he will dare to challenge Xie Zhu's position the very next day.
This person truly possesses the piercing gaze of an eagle and the menacing look of a wolf!
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:18:17 and 17:02:30 on November 30, 2021!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 38324116 (9 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 36 She Made Me a Phoenix
Lanzhang Palace.
Xie Lanzhi had not returned for seven days, and the palace servants had never seen the marshal so reluctant to not come back.
The princess didn't ask any questions and spent all her time with the fourth prince. Apart from the day of the competition, the fourth prince didn't do anything out of line.
The atmosphere in Lanzhang Palace was subtly oppressive, so much so that Xie Shangguang didn't dare go in to ask for tea.
At lunchtime, Xiaoxiu brought out a bowl of medicinal soup from the kitchen.
"Your Highness, it's time for your medicine."
Si Xinian asked her to put the medicine on the dining table. When Si Xitong saw the medicine bowl being put down, she asked with concern, "How many more days of medicine do you need?"
“Sister, drinking this for another month will clear away the remaining toxins. I’ve already been drinking it for six days before that.” Si Xinian picked up a piece of food and put it into Si Xitong’s bowl.
"And then there's her."
Si Xitong also put a piece of meat on his plate. Her expression was ambiguous as she said, "I don't want to ask about anything else, nor do I need to. But there is one thing I'd like to hear you say."
"Please speak, Your Majesty," Si Xinian said calmly.
The siblings bear a striking resemblance, both possessing exquisite features; one is exceptionally beautiful, the other exceptionally gentle. Yet, their demeanor and bearing differ; one is like a piece of jade, concealing her sharp edges, while the other is as unrestrained and flamboyant as a glaring presence.