Princess Promotion

In the small teahouse, the four family heads gathered again.

Patriarch Liu raised his glass and complimented Elder Xiao, "Congratulations to Elder Xiao for clearing his name and severely crushing the ambition of that young man Li."

Although Lord Xiao smiled and raised his glass, he cursed in his heart: You may not believe it when I say this, but we are even more miserable.

Seeing this, Patriarch Qing followed suit, raising his glass and saying, "Even His Majesty has personally inquired about this case, which shows how important Lord Xiao is in His Majesty's eyes!"

Lord Xiao's smile was a little forced at this time, but he still clinked glasses with the head of the Qing family and drank it all, saying bitterly in his heart: The mastermind is exactly the conscienceless person you mentioned, I have been wronged.

Finally, the head of the Wu family delivered the final blow and said, "Mr. Xiao is really careless. He donated such a large sum of money without saying so."

Lord Xiao really couldn't laugh anymore. He looked around at the three people with resentful expressions in their eyes.

He immediately understood something. It turned out that these three really thought that An Tian was their own person, and their plan of amassing wealth was exposed.

So he went to Yao Chuguang in private and used the money in his hand to ask Yao Chuguang to let him go?

These three people might be saying that if he had asked them to cooperate in the beginning, perhaps the matter would not have been exposed, and everyone could have had a piece of the pie, rather than letting Yao Chuguang get all the benefits.

Lord Xiao felt that he was really wronged. That silver had nothing to do with him.

But in order to leave a good reputation in history books, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept it.

Compared to planning a strategy and failing at the last step, and being a scapegoat from beginning to end.

Everything has been settled, and Elder Xiao feels that failure is easier to accept.

Suddenly, Minister Xiao pushed the door open in a panic. He knew that he shouldn't disturb his father's meeting at this time, but he had to make a decision in an emergency.

Although Lord Xiao had a gloomy face, he had no choice but to stand up and prepare to go to the side room with Minister Xiao.

Just then, a few servants came running in hurriedly, saying they had something to report.

Lord Xiao realized that it was probably related to what Minister Xiao said.

Then he said directly: "Just say it directly."

Is there any need to go to the side room to tell someone about something that everyone knows? Minister Xiao also knows that this matter cannot be kept secret.

Minister Xiao gritted his teeth and said, "That An Tian, he got into a street fight right after being released from prison today, and now he's leading a group of people to the An Mansion..."

Elder Xiao stroked his heart tremblingly, what a sin!

The head of the Wu family blurted out, "So that An Tian is actually His Majesty's man!"

Elder Xiao just wanted to sneer. Fighting in the street or looting in the mansion, when Yao Chuguang was eight years old, he had done such things with Li Yinhan.

So many years have passed, and Yao Chuguang still doesn't treat himself as a human being at all.

Yao Chuguang must be among the group of people brought by An Tian, even Lord Xiao dares to guarantee it with his own life.

When Lord Xiao thought of what was written in later history books, he realized that the first female emperor of the dynasty had fought, smashed and looted in the street on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year.

Elder Xiao felt that he could still be saved, as only some old ministers knew the inside story of what Yao Chuguang had done in the past.

It would not be easy for an outsider to guess that An Tian and Yao Chuguang were related.

On the Western Zhou side, the only one who knew about Yao Chuguang's past was Elder Xiao, who glanced at the three family heads, Liu, Qing, and Wu.

Elder Xiao felt that the problem was not serious, it was just a matter of dragging a few more people into the water.

Elder Xiao sat down and took a sip of tea before he slowly said, "I'm sure you've guessed it."

Hearing that Lord Xiao actually admitted it, although the face of the head of the Liu family was calm, what he was thinking was, I knew that with this old man's slippery character, there was no way he could be caught by that old guy.

The head of the Qing family also sneered in his heart. He knew that His Majesty, who looked down on everyone every day, would suddenly take action to save this old man. It turned out to be a trick.

Only the head of the Wu family slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I was saying, such a large sum of money can be spitted out just like that. It turns out that this money has nothing to do with you, Mr. Xiao."

Lord Xiao always felt that someone like the head of the Wu family was born into a good family. Thinking about what a great man Old Master Wu was in the past, he didn't expect that his descendants would be so disappointing.

But there was no way out. Everyone was already on the pirate ship. Xiao Ge Lao could only swallow his anger and change the subject: "Everyone, tell me what to do now!"

Doesn’t Patriarch Wu really understand what this has to do with him?

Elder Xiao coughed lightly twice, thought for a moment, and then said, "Now that the world is beginning to settle, it is a reality that Your Majesty will inherit the throne."

Everyone felt that what Lord Xiao said was correct. They didn't know whether the Western Zhou Dynasty would recognize Yao Chuguang's throne, but the Qi State would definitely recognize it and would never recognize it again.

Looking back at the generations of kings of Qi, none of them was able to expand the territory.

Among all the generations, only Yao Chuguang has done this, and she conquered the Western Zhou Dynasty after only one year in power. If we give Yao Chuguang more time, it may not be impossible for her to unify the Central Plains.

Although they did not agree with Yao Chuguang's character and bottom line, they all agreed on her strength.

Seeing that everyone looked confused, Lord Xiao knew that he had to give them another strong dose of medicine.

He continued, "How many of those former officials of the Western Zhou Dynasty are on the same side as Your Majesty? If they were to learn of Your Majesty's absurd actions, they would surely think Your Majesty is unfit for the responsibility."

The head of the Liu family felt that what Lord Xiao said made sense. After all, His Majesty represented the State of Qi, so how could he allow such an indecent and absurd reputation to spread?

The head of the Qing family also felt that Yao Chuguang should not be allowed to ruin the reputation of Qi State. This would make the old ministers of Qi State lose face in front of the old ministers of Western Zhou Dynasty.

The head of the Wu family muttered quietly, "The main thing is that I think this is a bit unnecessary. Your Majesty doesn't care about his own reputation. Can he hide it for a while or for a lifetime?"

Elder Xiao, Patriarch Liu, and Patriarch Qing all looked at Patriarch Wu at the same time, their eyes piercing with knife-like intent.

Elder Xiao was the first to retract his gaze and said, "No matter what, Your Majesty doesn't care about his reputation. As a minister, can I really not care?"

Xiao Ge Lao took out his final killer move: "I believe you all don't want to see that in a hundred years, all that will be recorded in the history books are your Majesty's absurd deeds. Then who will we be as your Majesty's subjects..."

Although Mr. Xiao did not finish his words, everyone understood what he meant.

It is true that a wise ruler produces wise ministers, and a foolish ruler produces treacherous ministers.

In history, wise monarchs were naturally not surrounded by treacherous ministers but by wise and honest officials.

Only treacherous ministers are in power around tyrants, because all loyal ministers will be beheaded by the tyrants.

For someone who has reached the status of Lord Xiao, fame, wealth and power are certainly important to him, but they are not that important. Instead, a good reputation in future generations is what Lord Xiao pursues.

The other three family heads naturally also hoped to leave a significant mark in the history books of later generations.

Simply put, Yao Chuguang can be shameless, but they cannot be without it.

Face is sometimes more important than their lives.

After the head of the Liu family figured this out, he said decisively, "We must suppress this matter. Lord Xiao, please tell me what to do. I will do my best."

Patriarchs Qing and Wu also seconded the proposal.

Lord Xiao stroked his beard with satisfaction. It was so hard to finally trick these people onto the boat.

Elder Xiao suppressed the corner of his mouth that curled up, and began to make arrangements: "Then I'll trouble Master Liu to go to the government office and stop Yu Zhijian first. Once this iron-faced and selfless person gets involved, everything will be over."

The head of the Liu family nodded and said, "I will go to the government office right now. Even if I have to tie Yu Zhijian up, I will keep him there so he can't leave."

Elder Xiao then said to Patriarch Qing, "Please go find Elder Xu and don't let him go out for a stroll."

Mr. Xu is the chief historian. As long as this stubborn old man didn't see Yao Chuguang mixed in the crowd with his own eyes, even if the matter was kept, there would still be room for maneuver if they refused to admit it.

Elder Xiao turned to Patriarch Wu and said, "Patriarch Wu, I'm going to trouble you now. Find a few hooligans. After An Tian and the others have smashed up the An Mansion, have them go in and smash up the other side as well. Remember not to hurt anyone."

The head of the Wu family immediately understood the intention of Lord Xiao's arrangement. If the people from the An Mansion went to report the case, he would let the people he found take the responsibility.

Although the An family might not report it to the authorities for the sake of face, they could not afford to take the risk if there was even a slight possibility that the An family would report it to the authorities.

Finally, Xiao Ge Lao put down his teacup and said with a look of going to a meeting alone, "I will go and bring His Majesty back."

The three family heads, Liu, Qing and Wu, looked at Elder Xiao with admiration.

You are worthy of being Mr. Xiao, a role model for us!

Just as everyone was preparing to leave and act according to plan.

Patriarch Wu couldn't help but express his long-held doubts: "I wonder if you have noticed!"

Patriarch Liu asked, "What did you find?"

Patriarch Wu: "It seems that all the women around His Majesty are unlucky for their fathers."

Patriarch Liu, Patriarch Qing, and even Lord Xiao were speechless for a moment.

After the head of the Wu family reminded them, they found that it was true.

The women around Yao Chuguang are more brutal than each other, not to mention Yao Chuguang herself.

She had driven the previous emperor off the throne, and now he is imprisoned in the harem to enjoy his retirement.

Not to mention Lin Wan. Now when they think back on it, they all think he was so cruel that he directly killed his own biological father.

The ending is a little better now. It seems that only An Tian's father An Wenbo is still safe and sound, and they have only severed their relationship.

Now compared to this, An Tian is still considered polite among this group of people.

If Lord Xiao and the others were to give Yao Chuguang and the others a name, they would probably call them the Thanos Alliance.

After everyone dispersed, the more Elder Xiao thought about it, the more he felt that he was almost guessing the truth at the beginning, if he had thought about it from the perspective given by the head of the Wu family.

He had always felt that something was wrong, and it was because An Tian and Yao Chuguang had no connection.

Now that I think about it, I was really just a little bit short.

In Jingxin Temple on Qingyun Mountain, smoke is curling from the incense burner in front of the Buddha statue.

An Wenbo frowned, stroking a jade pendant in his hand. He looked at Madam An who was sitting beside him and asked, "Didn't they send a carriage to pick her up early this morning?"

The troubles this rebellious girl has caused in recent days have completely brought shame to the An family.

I wonder how such a scholarly family could have such a dissolute daughter.

If I had known this would happen, I should have strangled this rebellious girl to death when she was born.

The original plan was to wait for this rebellious girl to be released from prison and then throw her back to the farm in the countryside to fend for herself.

But he was also afraid that this rebellious girl would elope with someone like she did last time.

It would be fine if she died outside. This was his last chance to give this rebellious girl.

If she had been sensible, she would have stayed in this nunnery and atone for her sins.

It's all because of her that she has affected the reputation of the women in her family. It's really a sin.

Mrs. An picked up the handkerchief and couldn't help crying: "Poor Qing'er, it's all because of that bitch that her marriage has become so difficult. If the marriage is ruined, I don't want to live anymore."

Aunt Liu stood aside cautiously, with her head lowered and a timid look on her face, not daring to say anything.

An Wenbo's head ached from the crying. He waved his hands irritably and said, "Alright, alright, I'm not upset. My career is in jeopardy if that rebellious girl messes it up."

This is also the reason why An Wenbo also came to the nunnery. If An Tian really has someone backing him, it depends on the situation.

The fact that An Tian was able to come out of the prison unscathed shows who she is hanging out with.

If An Wenbo had not been worried about offending An Tian's backers, he would have kicked her out of the family tree as soon as An Tian was released from prison. Why would he have arranged for her to live in a Taoist temple?

However, her case has been adjudicated and all her property has been turned over, so it seems she has been abandoned.

The only way An Tian can be of use to An Wenbo now is to find the person behind An Tian and see if he can help him make some connections.

At this time, the sound of running footsteps was heard. An Wenbo looked up and thought that An Tian had finally arrived.

Unexpectedly, a servant came running in and shouted, "Master, something bad has happened! The Sixth Miss has brought people to smash the house!"

An Wenbo stood up and asked in shock, "What? Is that rebellious girl crazy?"

Mrs. An asked, "What should we do now, Master?"

An Wenbo said angrily: "What else can we do? Go back home."

An Wenbo turned around and saw Aunt Liu standing in the corner with her neck hunched. He was so angry that he scolded her, "Look at the beautiful daughter you gave birth to."

After saying this, An Wenbo turned away.

Aunt Liu's eyes instantly turned red, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Madam An: "Madam, although An Tian has been naughty since she was a child, my sister has always been strict with her."

Mrs. An said angrily, "It's your fault that you gave birth to such a shameful thing, unlike my Qing'er who is so well-behaved and clever."

Aunt Liu knelt on the ground, her face pale, tears constantly falling from the corners of her eyes: "Madam, please save me, I don't want to be kicked out of the house."

When An Wenbo rushed back to the mansion, the originally solemn gate was now in tatters, as if it had experienced a catastrophe, and the entire mansion was in chaos.

When the housekeeper saw An Wenbo coming back, he ran up to him crying and said, "This slave deserves to die! This slave deserves to die!"

An Wenbo waved his hand in annoyance: "Have you reported it to the police?"

The housekeeper shrank his neck and said cautiously, "I was originally planning to report to the police, but just as I left the house, another wave of bandits showed up to smash and rob."

An Wenbo slammed the table in anger and said, "There's still law and order. Even with such a big commotion, no one from the government office came to investigate."

Butler: “No!”

This is also the reason why the housekeeper did not dare to report to the police. How could it be possible that such a big commotion was caused but no officer noticed it? It must be that a big shot had taken action.

I heard that the Sixth Miss has powerful backers and was able to come out of prison safely even after killing an entire family.

How could a mere butler like him afford to offend such a person? The butler carefully took out a few silver notes left by An Tian and handed them to An Wenbo, totaling ten thousand taels.

When An Wenbo took the banknote and looked at it, he was shocked. It was a generous amount of money.

An Wenbo stuffed the banknote into his sleeve and said to the housekeeper, "You did the right thing. Family disgrace should not be made public."

The butler nodded repeatedly. Even the butler could think that there was something complicated behind An Tian, so how could An Wenbo not see it?

It seems that An Tian, her backer, still values her very much.