Poison Doctor Roaming the Martial World

Yang Jianwu had been highly valued by General Yang since childhood. In the Yang family, as long as General Yang was around, Yang Jianwu's status was second only to the Grand General. If there was one person the young ladies of the Yang family feared most, it would undoubtedly be the Madam. Looking at the two figures before him, Yang Zigui stood in the shadows, silently mourning for his young mistress.

Seeing that her mother's anger had subsided, Yang Jianwu carefully raised her head, blinked her bright, watery eyes, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Mother, I missed you so much."

Yuan Suxin pretended to be angry and ignored Yang Jianwu. Yang Jianwu smiled and tugged at her mother's sleeve, saying coquettishly, "Mother, I'm so hungry." Seeing that her mother didn't react, she continued to act pitiful, "I haven't had a proper meal in so long. Mother doesn't know, I haven't been sleeping or eating well for the past two months because I've been training the new recruits. I've lost weight. If you don't believe me, Mother will give me a hug." As she spoke, she opened her arms, begging for a hug.

Yuan Suxin looked at the adorable child before her, with her rosy cheeks, bright eyes, and long, fluttering eyelashes. She was, after all, her daughter; even though she knew the child was being silly, she always fell for it. Yang Jianwu had always been different from others, with her own plans, but as a mother, she was always worried.

Seeing her daughter transformed into her adorable little darling, her heart melted. She reached out and hugged her daughter's neck, sighing, "Mother is worried about you. The Emperor attaches great importance to the selection of the Phoenix Star. Although Li Xiang's daughter, Le Ru, has shown exceptional talent, leading everyone to believe she is the destined Phoenix Star, the Emperor has been sending people to monitor us and the Jin family all these years. Mother knows you are special. Regardless of whether you are the so-called Phoenix Star or not, Mother only hopes you can grow up safely and happily." She gently brushed a stray strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.

Yang Jianwu hugged Yuan Suxin back, "Mother, don't worry, I've always been very careful. Zigui is with me, and don't you know how capable I am, hehe." She rubbed her little head against Yuan Suxin, looking aggrieved, and continued to change the subject, "Mother, I'm really hungry."

Yuan Suxin patted her daughter's head and said, "Okay, Mommy will cook something delicious for you herself. Hmm~ How about some braised pork knuckle, colorful shredded pork, pheasant and fresh mushrooms, and a bowl of lotus root starch dumplings?"

Yang Jianwu skipped happily and said, "And there's also the Hundred Flowers Wine that Mother made herself."

Yuan Suxin pursed her lips. These dishes were actually taught to her by her daughter. Although Dongli had a large land area, it had few species, and the variety of dishes was pitifully small. Following her daughter's recipes, she tried making them a few times, and the taste was surprisingly good. The cooks and nannies around her couldn't replicate the flavor no matter how hard they tried. Seeing the longing in her daughter and son's eyes each time, she had no choice but to cook herself. Her worries about her daughter subsided, and Yuan Suxin hummed a little tune as she went to the small kitchen.

Yang Jianwu watched her mother's departing figure with a faint smile on her lips. It felt so good to have a mother's love.

As soon as she turned around, she saw her father's icy face... Yang Jianwu's smile remained awkwardly forced.

Yang Boshan frowned and said, "Your mind has wandered off; you don't even know to greet your father. Humph, come with me." With that, he strode away.

Yang Jianwu said "Oh" and jogged to the study. General Yang was also there. When he saw Yang Jianwu enter, he waved happily and called out, "Little Wu'er, come to Grandpa's side quickly."

Yang Jianwu stuck out her tongue at her father, ran to General Yang, bowed, squatted down, took the old general's hand, checked his complexion, and then said with a smile, "Grandpa, Wu'er is back."

General Yang patted his granddaughter's head with great affection, then pulled her up, seemingly wanting to say something but stopping himself, which puzzled Yang Jianwu.

Seeing that his father was hesitant to speak, Yang Boshan spoke up for him: "Jianwu, today the Emperor summoned me and intends to betroth you to the Fifth Prince as his principal wife at the New Year's banquet. What do you think?"

Yang Jianwu raised an eyebrow angrily, "What?"

After digesting the information for a moment, he asked, "Where are Li Leru and Jin Ling'er?"

Yang Boshan slowly walked to the table opposite General Yang and sat down. "The Emperor wants to betroth Li Leru to the Seventh Prince, and Jin Ling'er is to be made a county princess. He must have other plans."

Yang Jianwu scoffed, "His Majesty is really shrewd. Afraid that the so-called Phoenix Star would run away, he has actually arranged for the three of us to be his heirs. The Fifth Prince is insightful and is the popular choice for Crown Prince; His Majesty, for the sake of Consort Qi, no longer favors other concubines, and he spoils the Seventh Prince without restraint. No matter which of these two becomes emperor, they have locked us little people into the royal family."

General Yang frowned, looking at his granddaughter's mature face that was beyond her years, and sighed, "His Majesty once secretly met with Master Konghui and must have received some guidance. He would rather keep you all by his side and select you slowly than let one of you slip by."

Yang Jianwu shrugged, completely unconcerned. "Does the Emperor think his orders must be obeyed? Ha."

General Yang was worried about his granddaughter and was about to speak when Yang Jianwu said first, "Grandpa, don't worry. Wu'er will not give the Emperor a chance to propose this marriage."

"What are Wu'er's plans?"

"Well..."

The three of them, grandmother, granddaughter, and grandchildren, stayed inside discussing things until Yuan Suxin called them to have their meal.

. . . . . .

At the same time, at Qiwu Palace.

"I disagree." Qifei glared at the man in front of her. He was the one who had taken her heart, her legs, and her freedom.

He was a high and mighty emperor; the beauty of their first meeting was now just a memory, and everything was a scheme. She had been trapped in the palace her whole life by his machinations, and now he was even plotting against her son, arranging a marriage between him and Li Leru, the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Li.

Ha! Winning over Prime Minister Li and locking in a potential future star—regardless of whether Li Leru is the destined star, Prime Minister Li, as a member of the imperial family, must assist in governing. Using her son to achieve his political marriage scheme—dream on!

"Qi, Yu'er is already 13. This is just a tentative arrangement. It will be seven years before Li Leru comes of age, and by then Yu'er will be of marriageable age. It is necessary to appoint him as a prince and select a consort. I am just arranging a consort for him for now. If you are not happy, we can discuss this matter later."

The noble and aloof Emperor only revealed this gentle side in front of Consort Qi, his words filled with consultation, affection, and even a hint of pleading. Over the years, he himself didn't know whether he felt guilt or love for her.

Consort Qi flicked her sleeve, turned her wheelchair around so her back was to the Emperor, and clenched her fingers tightly under her sleeve. She said, “Your Majesty, please go back and rest. I will not agree to this matter now or in the future. My son must never become a tool for you to balance the court.”

Although Emperor Dongli felt a momentary surge of anger, he quickly suppressed it, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and lowered his eyelids to hide all his emotions.