“I didn’t tell him he could only marry me. I said he could only marry one person, but that person might not be your cousin.”
"you?"
west Yan was furious. It was all the same as saying nothing at all. But today she was determined to make a scene with the Ji family, the bigger the better. She wanted to see if her aunt would still listen to her or help her.
"Ji Hailing, you're too arrogant."
Hailin replied with a smile, "I'm going to be outrageous today, what are you going to do about it?"
Not only was west Yan furious, but even her maid screamed, "Miss, they are so infuriating, how dare they speak like that!"
On the opposite carriage, several people were talking at once, but Hailing yawned and gestured for Fuyue to lower the curtain. Then she spoke softly to Shimei outside, "Mei'er, I'm tired and want to go back to rest."
"Yes, Miss."
Upon hearing her mistress's words, Shi Mei immediately felt distressed. This afternoon, her mistress had spent the entire afternoon teaching medical techniques; how could she not be tired? That damned Xi Yan actually dared to block the street and cause trouble! Good, that's great! Without saying a word, Shi Mei drew her sword and charged forward. As soon as she made her move, Shi Lan, fearing that she would suffer a loss, also leaped out of the carriage, and the two of them rushed straight towards the carriage of the Xi Mansion.
On the opposite carriage, west Yan and her maid were stunned, wondering what these two women were up to with their aggressive demeanor.
As soon as Shi Mei and Shi Lan pounced on the carriage, they swung their longswords, the sword light flashing like a sharp blade across the air. The carriage was destroyed in an instant, falling to pieces. Xi Yan and two or three maids, along with the coachman, fell face-first to the ground. The horse was also startled, rearing up and neighing loudly before galloping away, dragging some broken wood under its hindquarters and the coachman along with it. It ran straight past Hai Ling and the others' carriage, the coachman screaming in terror.
"Help! Help! Miss, help me!"
Unfortunately, west Yan and the others were already preoccupied with their own problems. Several people fell to the ground, and the broken wooden planks and carriage shafts smashed directly onto them. Shi Mei and Shi Lan ignored them, since the broken wooden planks couldn't block their way anymore. They quickly got into the carriage and gave orders to the coachman of the Ji family.
"Let's go back to the manor."
The coachman pulled the reins triumphantly, and the carriage sped away past a pile of scrap wood.
The dust was scattered high in the sky, and west Yan and the others got their noses full of dust and kept coughing.
west Yan screamed, her face deathly pale: "Ji Hailing, you've gone too far!"
Hai Ling ignored her and closed her eyes to rest in the carriage. After returning to the Ji residence, she went to Xiangwu Courtyard to rest.
After an afternoon of explanations, plus the commotion from west Yan and the others, she was indeed tired, so she had some dinner and went to rest.
west Yan from the Western Mansion immediately went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager.
In the magnificent palace, the Empress Dowager, still half-asleep, sat high above the main hall, looking at the disheveled woman west Yan below with a puzzled expression, and spoke with a helpless look.
"What's wrong, Xiyan?"
"Aunt, you must stand up for me! Ji Hailing has gone too far! Not only did she bully my niece, but she also insulted the people of our Xi family!"
"Ji Hailing, how did you get involved with her again?"
The Empress Dowager spoke in an annoyed tone, wanting to scold her niece, but seeing how disheveled she was, seemingly injured, with her hair all messed up and bruises on her face.
"What exactly happened?"
Upon hearing her aunt's question, west Yan immediately embellished the story of what had happened between them and Hai Ling. With the help of the maids, Hai Ling was instantly portrayed as a heinous, despicable, and arrogant person who had been favored by her aunt.
The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at the eunuch to the side: "Go and summon the Emperor."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The eunuch quickly left, and the Empress Dowager summoned the imperial physician to treat west Yanzhen first.
Emperor Ye Lingfeng was unaware of what had happened. His mother wanted to see him late at night, so he rushed over immediately. As soon as he entered the hall, he saw the imperial physician treating Xi Yanzhen's injuries on one side of the hall. She was injured all over her body and face and looked disheveled. Ye Lingfeng raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He didn't have any feelings for west Yanzhen.
He was unaware of his own identity from a young age and always followed his master to learn his craft. Apart from his mother, he rarely saw outsiders, which is why he had a cold and indifferent personality.
He successfully ascended the throne this time, and the west family also contributed to it, which is why he was a little more amiable towards west Yan. However, when it comes to feelings, there was really none.
west Yan had no idea what the emperor was thinking. As soon as she saw him walk in, her eyes lit up with admiration.
The more she looked at the Emperor, the more handsome he became. How could such a dragon among men be allowed to be monopolized by Ji Hailing? Since ancient times, emperors and empresses have had three thousand beauties in their palaces. Why should Ji Hailing forbid the Emperor from taking concubines? Therefore, she was determined to break her principles.
Either she doesn't enter the palace, or if she does, the emperor will take her as a concubine.
"What business does Your Majesty have with me?"
Ye Lingfeng ignored west Yan and looked up at his mother at the head of the table.
The Empress Dowager gestured with her lips, indicating that he should look at west Yan, and then spoke slowly and deliberately.
"west Yan said that she met the young lady of the Ji family today and was beaten up like this by her. So she came to the palace to find me. I then summoned the Emperor to see how to handle this matter."
The Empress Dowager was quite clever. She thought it best to let the Emperor handle this matter, since it involved the young lady of the Ji family. If she didn't handle it well, it would anger her son. So it was better to do nothing.
Upon hearing her aunt's words, west Yan immediately burst into tears.
"Your Majesty, you must stand up for west Yan! That Ji Hailing has gone too far! Our Xi family's carriage collided with hers, and because the street was too narrow, she actually had her men destroy the Xi family's carriage and beat Yan'er and her maid."
The maidservant immediately echoed her words: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Ye Lingfeng raised an eyebrow and looked down at the people below, a sharp and cold glint in his eyes. He simply did not believe that Ling'er was the kind of person who would hit people at will. How could he not know what kind of person she was? If she were the kind of person who would be arrogant because she was favored, she probably wouldn't have made things difficult for him at every turn, but would have gone straight to the palace. If she had gone to the palace, she would have been the empress, and others would have to show her respect. It was precisely because she was not that kind of person, and on the contrary, she hated the selfishness of the royal family, that she would not go to the palace.
"Are you sure it was the young lady from the Ji family who provoked you, and not you who provoked her?"
As soon as Ye Lingfeng spoke, west Yan was stunned. She cautiously looked at the emperor sitting above, whose face was cold and gloomy.
west Yan shivered and dared not speak again.
Ye Lingfeng ignored west Yan: "If I summon the young lady of the Ji family and find out that you were the ones who provoked them, do you know how I will punish you?"
"emperor?"