The understanding nature of Princess Lingyang relieved both the emperor and the empress.
The emperor was in a pleasant mood, his face free of the usual melancholy and gloom.
He instructed the senior eunuch Li Luxiang beside him, "Take the plate of golden pastries on my table and serve them to Lady Liang."
Lady Liang, of course, referred to the matriarch of the Duke's Mansion.
During the grand banquet, the emperor's bestowing of imperial cuisine was an unparalleled honor.
It was evident how highly the emperor regarded the old lady.
The old lady stood up to receive it, and the emperor promptly asked, "Lady Liang, you should take good care of your health. The 200,000-strong army cannot be leaderless for a day. I intend to temporarily entrust the military power to Uncle Huang the Third. What's your opinion?"
The old lady had long been aware of this plan.
She nodded cheerfully. "Prince Rui is a peerless war god with outstanding achievements. All the soldiers admire him. With Prince Rui in charge of the Zhou army, I and my son are completely at ease."
Unable to wait for the banquet to end, the emperor immediately summoned the chief scribe to draft an imperial edict.
The eldest princess was powerless to stop it. She could only watch as the command of the 200,000 troops fell into the hands of the Taoist priest Qiu.
She couldn't say a word. To do so would be to interfere in state affairs.
Her group of followers were also stunned, each as silent as a cicada in winter.
Without the eldest princess's instructions, no one dared to openly oppose.
The chill in the eldest princess's heart grew stronger.
The grand scheme she had laid out. Seizing the military power of the Duke's Mansion was the most crucial step. Losing this step meant losing the entire game.
She gritted her teeth viciously, her venomous gaze sweeping over each of her hated enemies.
Song Wanchu, Liang Yuzhou, the crown prince, Prince Rui...
They all had to die!
Even more panicked than the eldest princess was Cheng Yong.
He saw clearly the situation in the court. Prince Rui had suddenly emerged, catching the eldest princess off guard.
No one mentioned anymore that Liang Yuchuan should be named the heir apparent.
Liang Yuchuan would never become the heir.
Then all his efforts to curry favor with Liang Yuchuan and marry his youngest daughter to him would be in vain!
Cheng Yong was dumbfounded.
At this banquet, the eldest princess had gained nothing but suffered setbacks one after another.
It was obvious that the situation was hopeless.
If this huge ship of hers were to capsize, the first to be affected would be those small boats tied to it, like them!
Cold sweat broke out on Cheng Yong's panicked face.
With the military power of the Duke's Mansion properly transferred, the emperor was overjoyed and arranged several lively dance performances.
Cheng Yong was心烦意乱 and had no appetite.
Was it still too late to call off the engagement?
The backer might collapse at any moment. He had to find a new one.
Suddenly, he remembered the crown prince who had once visited the Marquis of Wude's Mansion to support Cheng Simian.
This morning, the second prince had talked to Simian for a few more words, and the crown prince seemed quite unhappy.
Could it be that the crown prince had feelings for Simian...
Cheng Yong slapped his forehead and was extremely excited.
If his eldest daughter caught the eye of the crown prince, the Marquis of Wude's Mansion would be saved!
There was an extra touch of affection in Cheng Yong's eyes when he looked at Cheng Simian.
Simian was truly his lucky star!
Halfway through the banquet, the eldest princess was so upset that she could hardly sit still.
All she could think about was how to kill those who opposed her.
What she didn't know was that while she was staring into the abyss, the abyss was also staring at her.
The Taoist priest Qiu suddenly asked the emperor, "Your Majesty, do you still remember the Kingdom of Gaochang?"
The emperor sighed, his eyes full of regret and compassion. "Of course I remember. When the Kingdom of Gaochang still existed, it was always the first country to pay tribute and offer congratulations to the Great Zhou every year."
The crown prince put down his chopsticks and said, "Your Majesty, I remember that year when the barbarians raided Yanming Pass. There were only 5,000 defending troops at Yanming Pass, unable to withstand the 80,000 iron cavalry of the barbarians. It was the Kingdom of Gaochang that was the first to lead troops to rescue and, together with our Great Zhou soldiers, repelled the barbarians."
When mentioning the Kingdom of Gaochang, his attitude was solemn and respectful.
The emperor sighed again. "Who would have thought that the barbarians were so cruel that they wiped out the Kingdom of Gaochang overnight."
With the fall of the Kingdom of Gaochang, the road from the Great Zhou to the Western Regions was blocked.
Many small countries that used to come to the Great Zhou to offer congratulations were intimidated by the barbarians and were too scared to get close to the Great Zhou.
In recent years, the Great Zhou army had also launched several large-scale offensives.
But the control of the Kingdom of Gaochang still remained firmly in the hands of the barbarians.
The exiled soldiers of the Kingdom of Gaochang had never given up on restoring their country, but they were ultimately too weak and unorganized.
The border troubles of the Great Zhou were even more severe than before.
This was also a heartache for the emperor.
The emperor still believed that the fall of the Kingdom of Gaochang was the work of the barbarians.
The topic had been opened. The crown prince left his seat and knelt down in front of the emperor seriously.
"Father, there is another hidden story behind the fall of the Kingdom of Gaochang. I would like to introduce a witness who can tell the truth of that year."
The emperor leaned forward and asked eagerly, "Another hidden story? Could it be that the Kingdom of Gaochang was not destroyed by the barbarians?"
"The barbarians were indeed involved, but the real instigator was someone from the Great Zhou."
A look of thunderous anger flashed across the emperor's face. "There's such a thing?"
If it was really a person from the Great Zhou who planned the destruction of the Kingdom of Gaochang, it would be a blatant act of treason!
"You'll know who this person is once you meet him."
The emperor nodded in agreement. The crown prince ordered someone to summon the person.
Soon, two female officials led a woman onto the main hall.
She had deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and a tall figure. She was wearing a fiery red silk dress, the hem of which was piled up layer upon layer, making her lower body look as if it was wrapped in a blooming rose.
The emperor recognized at a glance that the dress the woman was wearing was the traditional clothing of the Kingdom of Gaochang.
The woman stood in the center of the main hall, attracting everyone's attention.
She was noble, mysterious, full of exotic charm, and also exuded a wild and unruly power.
The emperor was surprised. "You are..."
"Yao Guang, the princess of the Kingdom of Gaochang, pays homage to the emperor of the Great Zhou."
"Clang!"
The sudden sound of a wine cup shattering echoed.
The eldest princess turned deathly pale, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
She shouted sharply, "Who are you? Who do you claim to be?"
The emperor frowned disapprovingly. "Elder sister, what's wrong with you today?"
Why had she been acting so strangely?
Yao Guang's gaze was like a newly sharpened blade, shining with a cold light.
She looked at the eldest princess and repeated word by word, "Yao Guang, the princess of the Kingdom of Gaochang, the only remaining bloodline of the royal family."
The eldest princess let out a shrill scream. "Nonsense! You're an impostor! Crown prince, how dare you just bring someone here to impersonate the princess of the Kingdom of Gaochang? You're so bold as to deceive the emperor!"
In contrast, the crown prince remained calm, composed, and still maintained his grace.
"Aunt, how can you be so sure that Yao Guang is an impostor? Do you know something about this?"
"It's common knowledge that the royal family of the Kingdom of Gaochang was almost completely massacred by the barbarians!"
In fact, Yue Chengkong had secretly reported to her that the princess of the Kingdom of Gaochang was missing.
That damned princess must be dead. She must never appear in front of the emperor!
Otherwise...
"Elder sister!" The emperor raised his voice slightly. "If you're not feeling well, I'll allow you to leave the banquet early."
The eldest princess's pale face was no different from that of a dead person.
The emperor asked Yao Guang eagerly, "How can you prove that you're the princess of the Kingdom of Gaochang?"
"Your Majesty, you can ask the empress to testify for me."
Yao Guang's voice was steady, and her attitude was open and honest.
Two maids beside the empress led Yao Guang to the side hall.
A moment later, the empress and Yao Guang returned to the main hall together.
"Your Majesty, I saw with my own eyes that there is a bleeding rose tattoo on her lower back. This young lady is indeed the princess of the Kingdom of Gaochang, without a doubt."
The eldest princess slumped into her seat, her eyes dead.
She gritted her teeth and tried her best to calm her nerves.
Just based on Yao Guang's words and without substantial evidence, no one could pronounce her guilty!