The emperor couldn't even be bothered to maintain his imperial dignity for a moment. He stood up and left immediately. The Marquis of Xuanping suppressed the joy in his heart and got up to follow.
Although with the emperor's favor for Jiang Ning'an, if Jiang Ye became the husband of the county princess, his status would be more prominent than that of the heir apparent, but in that case, the position of the heir apparent would belong to Jiang Yunfan!
He didn't care how high - ranking and powerful Jiang Ye was outside. He only hoped that Jiang Ye would stop turning his family upside down.
Soon, the emperor's sedan chair stopped. The emperor stepped into this unassuming mansion, and the oppressive aura on him almost made people out of breath.
As soon as he entered the back courtyard, he saw Jiang Ye sitting in the corridor, while Jiang Ning'an was sitting by the window inside the house. There was a wall between them, maintaining the appropriate distance.
At first sight of him, Jiang Ning'an thought she was seeing things. It wasn't until Jiang Ye got up to pay his respects that she realized the emperor had really come. "Uncle? Why did you suddenly come here?"
The emperor waved his hand to let Jiang Ye get up, then looked at her with annoyance. "I should be asking you that! On such a hot day, why did you leave the Moon - viewing Pavilion and come out?"
Actually, at first, the emperor didn't approve of Jiang Ning'an activating the mechanism in the Moon - viewing Pavilion so early.
It was not until one day when Jiang Ning'an jumped into the lake.
Only then did the emperor know that Jiang Ning'an's body hardly had the ability to dissipate heat or keep warm. Since then, the emperor had been more concerned than she herself. He wished to turn on the mechanism as soon as it got hot, for fear that she would get overheated.
The emperor rushed here this time. Firstly, he was afraid that Jiang Ning'an would be deceived by Jiang Ye, and secondly, he was afraid that her body couldn't bear it.
"I was bored," Jiang Ning'an said innocently, spreading her hands. "There's ice in the room. It's not hot."
The emperor looked at Jiang Ye, with the oppressive aura that he usually showed when facing outsiders in his eyes, and it was even more intense. "The two of you... nothing happened, right?"
Jiang Ye knew the emperor's concerns. He clasped his fists and said, "I'm not used to taking a noon break. I was carving jade outside and didn't go inside even a single step."
Hearing this, the emperor breathed a sigh of relief.
But a flash of regret crossed the Marquis of Xuanping's eyes.
It turned out nothing had happened.
Jiang Ning'an said, "By the way, Uncle, why did you summon him into the palace?"
The emperor glanced at her and walked to the corridor to sit down. "This is a family matter of the Jiang family. Why are you getting involved?"
"I'm just curious."
These four words were hardly a proper reason, but the emperor simply accepted it. "The Marquis of Xuanping said that the heir apparent of the Jiang family is estranged from the rest of the Jiang family, so he wants to depose the heir apparent and appoint someone else."
After saying this, Jiang Ye subconsciously looked at the Marquis of Xuanping.
There was a thin layer of sweat on the Marquis of Xuanping's forehead. It was not clear whether it was because of the heat or something else, and his eyes were even more evasive.
Soon, Jiang Ye retracted his gaze, his thin lips tightly pursed, and the look in his eyes was dark and unclear.
Jiang Ning'an glanced at Jiang Ye and then said, "I see... Uncle, how did the Marquis of Xuanping get his title?"
The emperor looked at the Marquis of Xuanping, a cold arc curving his lips. "Because of your Aunt Fang."
Previously, the Marquis of Xuanping had said that he got the marquis title because he had supported the emperor's side during the struggle for the throne, and that was why he had the title today.
In the emperor's view, this was typical of having a bad head.
Back then, there were many people who stood by his side, but only the Jiang family was conferred the title of marquis. Didn't he ever wonder why?
Did he really think he had achieved great merits?
No, it was because of Fang Wanyao.
As soon as the emperor's voice fell, the Marquis of Xuanping turned pale.
Jiang Ning'an then said, "Anyway, Jiang Ye is grown - up now. It's okay for him to take over the marquis title, right?"
The emperor turned his head and looked at her approvingly.
They thought alike.
If Jiang Ye hadn't been too young back then and the emperor was afraid that he would be deceived and used by others, the marquis title should have been Jiang Ye's.
The Marquis of Xuanping's face turned deathly pale. He knelt down with a thud. "Your, Your Majesty! This may not be appropriate!"
How could things develop to this point?
He came to depose the heir apparent, not to be deposed himself!
"What's inappropriate?"
Facing the emperor's rhetorical question, the Marquis of Xuanping's lips moved for a long time, and finally he only said, "Your Majesty, the etiquette says that when the father is alive, the son cannot replace him. Now that I'm still alive, this... this doesn't make sense..."
Since ancient times, there has never been a case where the son took over while the father was still alive!
The emperor let out an "oh". "Then how about I give you a cup of poisoned wine now? In this way, Yizhi can inherit the marquis title without a hitch. How about it?"
The emperor pressed on step by step. Finally, the Marquis of Xuanping couldn't bear the heavy pressure and kowtowed his head heavily on the ground. "Your Majesty!"
Jiang Ye watched this scene in front of him, his eyes full of shock.
The next moment, he saw the emperor looking at him, with an expression of hating iron for not being steel. "I told you before to go home more often and not let others take over your family property. Did you just turn a deaf ear to my words?"
"… I wouldn't dare."
The emperor let out a heavy cold laugh. "The current family property of the Marquis of Xuanping's Mansion was earned by your mother with her life, Jiang Ye. Don't let your mother down!"
After saying that, the emperor raised his eyes and scanned the courtyard. "You should move back to the marquis mansion as soon as possible. Whether you act like a filial son or just clear away those who stand in your way, in any case, Fang Wanyao's things must never fall into the hands of others."
Fang Wanyao was a remarkable woman. Her strategies for governing the country were far - sighted and brilliant. The prosperous atmosphere of the Great Yong Dynasty actually had a lot to do with Fang Wanyao.
If Jiang Jia and Fang Wanyao had survived, the position of the Marquis of Xuanping should have belonged to Fang Wanyao.
Jiang Ye pursed his lips. After a long time, he clasped his fists. "I understand."
The emperor glanced at Jiang Ning'an and saw that she was propping her chin up like she was watching a play. He said, "Go back later when it gets cooler."
Jiang Ning'an said with a smile, "I'm not in a hurry anyway."
Then the emperor got up and left.
He wasn't like Jiang Ning'an, being so leisurely every day.
As soon as the emperor left, the guards who had been standing in the yard also left. The yard suddenly became much emptier.
Jiang Ning'an looked at the Marquis of Xuanping who was still kneeling and hadn't gotten up yet. She clicked her tongue and sighed, "Yizhi, the scenery in the marquis mansion is much better than this shabby yard of yours. When are you going back to the marquis mansion?"
Jiang Ye also looked at the Marquis of Xuanping. "I... as soon as possible."
The emperor's words just now really woke him up.
He didn't fight or strive for anything just for his own peace, but he was irresponsible to his mother.
He couldn't go on like this anymore.
What was his, he wouldn't back down a single step!
The smile on Jiang Ning'an's face grew deeper. "Marquis Jiang, this princess still wants to rest for a while. If you have nothing to do, go back."
"… Yes."
The Marquis of Xuanping got up, took a deep look at Jiang Ye, and then turned to leave.
When he left, his steps were still a bit unsteady.
Now, the emperor's attitude was very clear.
The Marquis of Xuanping's Mansion could do without him as the marquis, but it couldn't do without Jiang Ye as the heir apparent.
That meant that those things he was worried about would surely happen in the near future.
Just thinking about it, the Marquis of Xuanping felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart.
Jiang Yunfan and Jiang Wenlan were his most beloved children, but they had to bow their heads to Jiang Ye...
Just thinking about it, the Marquis of Xuanping couldn't help but feel unfair for those two children.