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Chapter Ninety-Nine: Who is Scheming?

Yan Bo Yi was overwhelmed as he read the reports his subordinates had pa.s.sed on. His reputation among the common people was extremely low, and he had offended some prestigious families, not to mention the families that were on good terms with Hou s.h.i.+.

He had originally suspected that it was Hou s.h.i.+ who had been pa.s.sing information out of the fu, so he decided to temporarily keep her under house arrest. He hadn't expected for Hou s.h.i.+ to be so decisive and make the matter known over the entire city. With just Hou s.h.i.+'s own power in the w.a.n.g fu, she would not be able to do this. Who had been helping her in secret?

Was it the old emperor or… Yan Bo Yi thought of Yan Jin Qiu, and his brow creased. From a young age, he had looked down on Yan Jin Qiu who was refined in appearance but conniving inside. But right now, he had to admire the other for acting at such a level.

Hou s.h.i.+!

He looked with a dark face at the information on his hands. He suppressed his anger as he said, "Send someone to deliver generous gifts to Hou Fu. I will go personally to the palace to collect Junw.a.n.g Fei.:

The servants saw that Junw.a.n.g Ye had an ugly expression and did not dare to speak. They hurriedly prepared the carriage to send Junw.a.n.g Ye into the palace.

As a member of the Imperial House who was of age, it was not appropriate for Yan Bo Yi to go directly to Shu Fei's palace, so he could only go see the Emperor. However, coincidentally, after he entered the hall, he found that other than the Emperor, Xu w.a.n.g, Ning w.a.n.g and Yan Jin Qiu were all present.

The w.a.n.g ye saw Yan Bo Yi come in. While they did not have agreeable expressions, they did not speak before Yan Bo Yi sat down out of consideration for their relations.h.i.+p.

"Since you are all present today, zhen will ask you what you think." Qilong Emperor looked with a displeased expression at Yan Bo Yi. "Are you discontent with Hou s.h.i.+, or with zhen?"

He had been the one to decree this marriage. Sheng Junw.a.n.g treating Hou s.h.i.+ so—wasn't that challenging him?

"Your Majesty, this subject-nephew does not have such intentions. I think there must be some misunderstanding here." Yan Bo Yi who had just sat down had to stand up again. He walked to the middle of the hall and knelt down. He said in an earnest tone, "Please give subject-nephew a chance. Subject-nephew will definitely treat her well." Yan Bo Yi did not plan on explaining much. No one cared about the truth of the matter now that it had developed to such a level. For the common people, what they liked to hear about was the story of a ruthless man abandoning his wife. The members of the Imperial House would only consider the effects of this matter, and it was not important who was in the wrong or right.

Yan Jin Qiu raised an eyebrow. Looking at Yan Bo Yi in the center of the hall a.s.suming a righteous aura, his eyebrows moved slightly. Something like, a person with such a just and righteous face abusing his wife was even more interesting.

"What is the meaning in saying this to zhen now?" Qilong Emperor stood expressionlessly in the hall. He said in a disappointed and angry tone, "Yesterday, Sheng Junw.a.n.g Fei came into the palace and begged Shu Fei for a divorce. When she said this, many of the consorts in the palace heard her. How do you want zhen to help you?"

Yan Bo Yi's expression changed slightly. Hou s.h.i.+ had said such a thing, but why had no one told him what had happened yesterday? When he thought of this, his mood changed drastically. Someone had deliberately stopped this information.

He reflexively raised his head and turned it to look at Yan Jin Qiu in the corner. He only saw the other's calm appearance.

"Zhen is speaking of your matter—what are you looking at Zi Ling for?" Qilong Emperor said with a cold face. "Now that the matter is like this, everyone in Jing is waiting for a result. Do you want zhen to have people escort Sheng Junw.a.n.g Fei forcibly back?"

Yan Bo Yi knew that someone had schemed against him, and this time, it was his woman. However, right now, he could only swallow the teeth and blood. He suppressed the anger he felt and knelt down in front of Qilong Emperor. "Please, Your Majesty, help subject-nephew."

Qilong Emperor looked at Yan Bo Yi who was kneeling docilely in front of him and revealed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. A moment later, he said, "It is not good for zhen to interfere. Go talk to Hou s.h.i.+. This matter will be concluded according to her wishes." When he spoke this, his expression suddenly changed. "But regardless of the result, you cannot blame the Hou Clan."

He had been the one to decree this marriage. He did not want the prestigious families to be angry with him after this.

Yan Bo Yi's index finger pressed into his palm before he slowly said, "This subject-nephew will remember."

The slightly plump Ning w.a.n.g who had been sitting at the side spoke ambiguously. "If you regret this, Virtuous Nephew, then why did you do it? Our Imperial House has been dishonored."

Yan Bo Yi was silent.

Xu w.a.n.g looked at Ning w.a.n.g who was. .h.i.tting when the other was down and then at the silent Xian w.a.n.g. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Your Majesty, this is a matter between husband and wife. It is not good for us to interfere; we will bid farewell now."

Ning w.a.n.g glared at Xu w.a.n.g. This old b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Even at this time, the other was still digging holes to trip him up—he was lacking in virtue!

Yan Jin Qiu finally spoke slowly. "Your Majesty, Subject-nephew thinks that your intention in decreeing marriage was good. But no one can accurately predict a marriage. Maybe it is because the two people do not have the fate together, which has created this result."

"You are right—aren't you and your w.a.n.g fei well?" Qilong Emperor seemed to have found an excuse for himself. He waved his hand. "You may all leave. Zhen will not interfere in this matter. You young people can decide your own marriages."

The group moved out of the main hall. Yan Jin Qiu smiled as he looked at the dark-faced Yan Bo Yi. "Cousin, how about this younger brother accompanying you to Shu Fei's palace?"

It was not appropriate for Yan Bo Yi to go alone to Shu Fei's palace. However, if the two of them went together, it would be better.

"I do not dare to trouble Cousin. Many thanks." Yan Bo Yi indifferently glanced at Yan Jin Qiu. "It is better not to have outsiders meddle in some matters."

Yan Jin Qiu smiled upon hearing this and was noncommittal.

Ning w.a.n.g and Xu w.a.n.g walked towards the gates of the palace together. Ning w.a.n.g glanced at Xu w.a.n.g. "I hadn't thought that you are close to Xian w.a.n.g."

Xu w.a.n.g's expression was as normal. "It is expected of us elders to give care to our juniors. Ning w.a.n.g, is there something puzzling you?"

"Ha." Ning w.a.n.g snorted coldly. When the two walked some more, he said, "Then why don't you give more concern to Sheng Junw.a.n.g?"

Xu w.a.n.g stopped walking and slanted a look at Ning w.a.n.g. "Isn't it normal for an elder to be partial?"

Ning w.a.n.g: "…"

Haha.

In the end, Yan Bo Yi still used the excuse of visiting elders to go to Shu Fei's palace. It was a pity that Hou s.h.i.+ was not willing to see him. She only said that her heart had been completely wounded and she was unwilling to ever see him again.

"Junw.a.n.g Ye, Mistress said for you to take care of yourself. She is not willing to return to the hurtful junw.a.n.g fu." Hou s.h.i.+'s personal servant girl trembled with fear as she glanced at the expressionless Yan Bo Yi. She continued, "Please, Junw.a.n.g Ye, allow this."

"Allow?" Yan Bo Yi looked towards the inner hall. His eyes were frosty. "I hope that there won't be a day when she regrets this."

The young servant girl bent her head and did not dare to speak.

Yan Bo Yi turned to leave out the door without any reluctance. Just as he walked out through the gates of Shu Fei's palace, he saw a grandly dressed female coming over towards him with a group of servant girls and taijian.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. This was Hua s.h.i.+? He moved a step towards the side and turned his head to the side in order to indicate that he was being proper.

Hua Xi Wan also saw Yan Bo Yi. The other was dressed in a black brocade robe. He looked dignified and outstanding. From the surface, no one would guess that he was ambitious.

Yan Bo Yi bowed towards her and she returned a curtsy. The two seemed to pa.s.s by shoulder to shoulder, but in reality, there was at least three paces between them.

After walking a few steps, Yan Bo Yi suddenly thought of the words one of his advisors had said to him.

If it wasn't that Yi'an Marquis Fu's di miss was too ugly, it would be a very good choice for Junw.a.n.g Ye to marry her.

How had he answered at the time?

It seemed that he said he did not need to sacrifice his entire life in exchange for in-laws that he did not know.

Stopping, Yan Bo Yi turned back to look. At the end of the path, that female lightly stepped onto the stairs to Shu Fei's palace gates surrounded by other people like planets circling the sun.

The other suddenly turned her head as though she hadn't expected that he would also have turned back. After stilling for a moment, she returned a faint and polite smile before quickly walking through Shu Fei's palace gates.

Hua, glory.

Yan Bo Yi's eyes dimmed slightly as he walked on the long palace road.

Hou s.h.i.+ was determined to scheme against Yan Bo Yi and occupied the higher moral ground. Yan Bo Yi could only swallow this and agree to a divorce from Hou s.h.i.+.

In order to save some face, he generously returned Hou s.h.i.+'s entire dowry and also gave some other things. It was a pity that in the eyes of other people, this was all insincere and a cover-up.

Hua Xi Wan shook her head. If this was in the era of her previous life, Hou s.h.i.+'s plan would not have succeeded so easily. Because, in that time, it was possible to hire people to spin everything, to make the truth lies and the lies truth. Yan Bo Yi and Hou s.h.i.+ might have fought three hundred rounds and still not have determined a winner.

Two days later, Qilong Emperor personally sent a decree to allow Hou s.h.i.+ to be divorced from Yan Bo Yi. Hou s.h.i.+ moved to the monastery in the Jing suburbs to pray.

This matter seemed to have concluded, but in private, many of the common people still thought that it was Hou s.h.i.+ who had discovered the matter between Sheng Junw.a.n.g and the Crown Princess. Therefore, Sheng Junw.a.n.g wanted to imprison Hou s.h.i.+. So after Hou s.h.i.+ escaped, she would rather enter the monastery and divorce Sheng Junw.a.n.g.

Then the question was, the imperial grandson whom the Emperor was raising himself—was he really the grandson of the Emperor?

The common people had great imagination. Not all people had tight mouths, so even the low-key rumors still had the power of rumors.

Hua Xi Wan didn't know what the Emperor would think after learning of these rumors.

"w.a.n.g Fei, two days ago, we encountered Sheng Junw.a.n.g outside Shu Fei's palace. Will he guess that you supported Junw.a.n.g Fei… Hou s.h.i.+ for a divorce?" Hong Ying heard the rumors and was worried when she remembered the matters of two days ago. What would happen if Sheng Junw.a.n.g hated her mistress?

"Right now, we have already broken our relations.h.i.+p with Sheng Junw.a.n.g Fu. It is not important if he knows or not." Hua Xi Wan shook her head. "Just like we know that Sheng Junw.a.n.g was connected to the attempted a.s.sa.s.sination last time, but there is no evidence. So even if Sheng Junw.a.n.g suspects something is not right, he can only accept it."

Hong Ying realized. "You mean that this matter…"

Hua Xi Wan glanced at Hong Ying, and Hong Ying immediately closed her mouth. Then she smiled and said, "It is karma."

She was just saying that this matter wasn't right the more she thought about it. So there really was something going on behind the scenes. So was w.a.n.g Ye getting revenge for w.a.n.g Fei, or trying to suppress Sheng Junw.a.n.g?

Or maybe both?

Hong Ying looked at Hua Xi Wan's rosy face. No matter what, retribution had been served to the person who had schemed against her mistress.

Translator Ramblings: I love how the Emperor thinks himself such a good matchmaker with 50% success rate.