I'm shocked! After breaking off the engagement, the emperor's uncle wants to have a fake m

Their original plan was to kill all the members of the Gu family at Chiling Pass, but now the plan has failed.

Since we can't let them die, we'll just win over their forces.

Given the prestige of the Gu family in the military, wouldn't it be twice the result with half the effort if we could bring the Gu family under our command?

But Emperor Jianning was not stupid. He knew that Prince Yong was ambitious, so how could he allow Princess Yunxi to marry into the Gu family and become his right-hand man? Not to mention that he was unwilling, as long as the Gu family did not want to rebel, they would never welcome the princess into the family.

Therefore, she has had this idea in her mind ever since the Gu family returned to Beijing, but knowing that Emperor Jianning would not agree, she has been hesitant to say it out loud.

If this plan today fails, the one going to marry will most likely be her daughter Princess Yunxi...

Her daughter had been spoiled and outspoken since she was young, so she would not let her know what she and King Yong were planning. Otherwise, with her mouth that could not hide things, she would sooner or later cause a disaster!

Your Majesty knows in his heart that Prince Yong has long harbored rebellious intentions, but that is only a guess without any solid evidence. If Yunxi blurts out some treasonous words, that would be a different story.

When she was dissatisfied with His Majesty's brother, she would always say that it would have been better if it was Prince Yong who ascended the throne. It was only after she repeatedly reminded her that she would restrain herself.

"Oh? I wonder what kind of mission it is?" Emperor Jianning asked even though he knew the answer.

Kang Duo looked behind him, and the person behind him took out a scroll and slowly unfolded it one by one - it turned out to be a picture of a beauty...

But the person in the painting...

After everyone saw who was painted in the painting, they all looked at Mu Qingyan. Even Mu Qingyan was shocked. Isn't this painting of her?

The Gu family also looked at Mu Qingyan with worry on their faces.

It is not a good thing for a woman to be admired by others because it damages her reputation...

Prince Ling and Emperor Jianning narrowed their eyes at the same time. They were indeed brothers, even their reactions were exactly the same.

"My prince brother has had poor health since childhood. One year ago, he secretly went to Cangzhou in your country to seek a famous doctor. He was cured of his long-standing illness by the skillful hands of this woman in the painting. However, the woman refused to take a penny afterwards. During the treatment, she had physical contact with my prince brother..."

"What……"

The whole hall was in an uproar.

Some were surprised, while others were ashamed.

The one who reacted the most was Queen Mother Lan, "How can such a woman with such a bad reputation be paired with Prince Ling!"

Kang Duo automatically ignored Queen Mother Lan's reaction and continued, "My brother has admired the customs and people of Da'an since he was a child, and he has a deep affection for this lifesaver... It's a pity that this woman disappeared after curing his stubborn illness. After returning to the country, my brother ordered someone to draw a portrait of her, and he was reminded of her... It was not until this time that my brother was ordered to go on a diplomatic mission that he asked the king to let me bring this portrait with him, hoping to find the woman and bring her back in the name of the Crown Princess of Yi Country, which would also be considered to save her reputation..."

There was silence in the hall.

His eyes were fixed on Mu Qingyan, afraid of missing any expression on her face.

When most women hear such words, they would wish they could kill themselves to prove their innocence.

This Miss Mu, on the other hand, was watching the show from beginning to end, as if the portrait was not of her but someone else.

Queen Mother Lan looked at Mu Qingyan and said, "Your reputation has been damaged, how can you shamelessly accept the imperial decree granting marriage!"

Mu Qingyan looked over and said, "Empress Dowager, I was exiled to Cangzhou when I was young, and everyone in Kyoto knew about it. If I hadn't gotten married to the second son of the Marquis of Xiangning, I'm afraid no one would remember me until I died. But not long after I came back, I was pushed into the water and nearly died. When I woke up, the marriage had become someone else's..."

Everyone's eyes turned to Lan Hui again.

Lan Hui shrank back in her seat, acting like a quail.

Yang Jing's expression became even uglier.

Speaking of the portrait, why is she digging up those old trivial things?

"My mother is dead, and I have no one to rely on. When the imperial edict was announced to the Duke's Mansion, how could a weak woman like me, who had no power or influence and no one to rely on, disobey the imperial order? Besides, it was the Queen Mother who asked His Majesty to issue an edict for this marriage, not me asking for it myself!"

Queen Mother Lan didn't expect her to be so bold, but she didn't respond. She just said, "Are you admitting that you had a private affair with the Crown Prince of Yi in Cangzhou?"

Mu Qingyan sneered, "They are just empty-mouthed, relying on a portrait and a few one-sided words to slander someone's innocence. Then if I draw a portrait of Princess Yunxi someday, put it in the room of a noble family, and then bring people to search it out, can it also prove that the princess had secretly given and received it from someone?"

"How dare you!" Queen Mother Lan was furious. "How dare you be compared with my Yunxi!"

Mu Qingyan refused to give in. "So what the Queen Mother meant was that the eldest princess's reputation is hers, and a woman like me who has no one to rely on can allow others to slander and humiliate me?"

Everyone had the same thought in their mind: Is Miss Mu crazy? How dare she refute the Queen Mother in front of the envoys!

Duke Fuguo was even more panicked. He even stood up and said, "Rebellious girl! Are you tired of living? Why don't you kneel down and beg the Queen Mother for forgiveness?"

Mu Qingyan glanced at him and said, "When others were slandering me, you, as a father, didn't stand up to speak for me. Now that your life and property are at stake, are you getting anxious?"

"You--" If he had known that she would not listen to him, he should not have said anything to her just now!

But if she offended the Queen Mother as the legitimate daughter of the Duke's Mansion, it would bring disaster to the whole family! Of course he was anxious...

In desperation, he could only kneel down and beg the Queen Mother to forgive his Mu family and not let the entire family be implicated because of her mistake.

Even though Empress Dowager Lan was angry, she knew that Duke Fuguo could not be easily touched. However, Mu Qingyan dared to insult her, the empress dowager, in public. If she didn't let her suffer, who knows how she would abuse her power in the future!

"Miss Mu is too arrogant! His Majesty governs the country with benevolence and filial piety. Do you think that just because you received the imperial decree granting marriage, you have a golden ticket to avoid death? You are so rebellious and rebellious. If I punish you for disrespect, can you bear it?"

"The Queen Mother is in a high position and has great power. It only takes a word for her to kill me. However, if the Queen Mother wants to use a few words from the Fourth Prince of Yi Country to determine that I am unchaste and unworthy of marrying Prince Ling, I will not accept it! If I do not marry Prince Ling, it must be because I do not want to, not because I am unworthy!"

"What a big tone! Since you are so arrogant, then what you just said about having no one to rely on and not daring to disobey the imperial decree, isn't that contradictory?"

"It was the Queen Mother who first said that I was shameless, so I answered like this."

"you--"

"Queen Mother——"

A strange and vicissitudes of life voice sounded in the hall.

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice and found that it was General Gu, who had remained silent, who spoke.

He stood up slowly. After all, he was old, so his body was a little hunched, but it did not affect his heroic spirit.