Tangli Fried Snow

A month later, Jiang Qimo's mother, the princess, reluctantly accepted the marriage with the Li family.

The reason is quite embarrassing to explain.

Jiang Qimo, this bachelor, was really going all out to find a wife. He actually flirted with a handsome man in public, even drinking the nuptial wine with him. When he got drunk that night, he even dared to stay overnight in the rooms of several famous handsome men in the capital.

The whole capital was abuzz with the news that Lord Jiang was so old and still unmarried because he had homosexual tendencies.

The prominent families who were originally negotiating marriage with the Jiang family all withdrew from the queue upon hearing the news. The few who persisted were either greedy merchants or had daughters who were ugly or deformed.

The princess carefully examined each of them. The young ladies who came to propose marriage were not even as beautiful as the maids in the Jiang family. How could they compare to those famous and alluring men?

When someone mentioned the Li family's young lady again, the princess immediately agreed, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment.

That Miss Li is as beautiful as a fairy; no man could resist her. Perhaps the brat in the family has never been with a woman before and doesn't know the allure of beauty. He's definitely been corrupted by someone with ulterior motives; he doesn't truly like those people. Once the wedding is held, and his incomparably beautiful wife lies on the wedding bed, how could he not be reformed?

Thinking of this, the princess quickly regained her composure and immediately began arranging for her son to marry a beautiful woman, naturally disregarding family background. Although Miss Li was a fallen phoenix, she was still born into a wealthy family; she was a precious granddaughter of a prestigious clan, personally educated by Prime Minister Li, and her character and talent were both outstanding.

When the matchmaker arrived with the betrothal gifts, Lord Li, who had just been released, immediately understood that it was Lord Jiang's family proposing marriage. He had no doubts and immediately finalized the marriage.

Jiang Qimo couldn't wait a moment longer, and before the New Year, he married his sweetheart in a grand ceremony. The wonderful feeling he experienced goes without saying.

It wasn't until her daughter-in-law became pregnant and the young couple showered her with sweetness every day that the princess realized she had been tricked by that rascal!

Having figured out the crux of the matter, the princess was so angry that she suffered a headache and stayed in bed for several days. But what was done was done; the young couple's relationship was so good, what could she do?

When she held her chubby grandson in her arms, the princess couldn't utter a single word of complaint.

How can there be such an adorable child in this world? That's why people call their grandchildren their heart and soul, afraid to drop them if they hold them in their hands or let them melt if they keep them in their mouths. Who wouldn't love such an adorable child?

The elderly couple were overjoyed, doting on their grandchildren every day. They wouldn't let their daughter-in-law take care of the child, only letting her rest and recuperate. They praised her in various ways every day and sent her gifts. Sure enough, their daughter-in-law was so happy that she conceived a healthy baby girl a year later. The princess was so happy she couldn't stop smiling, and she never thought about being tricked by her son again.

. . .

Jiang Qimo's wedding was a grand affair, attended by all the prominent people in the capital. Jin Cheng was also there, but seeing his good friend's smug expression, he felt a pang of jealousy and kept drinking one glass of wine after another.

After getting completely drunk, he still wouldn't let go of the groom, rambling incoherently about his sweetheart who had married someone else.

Jiang Qimo knew the bitterness in his heart, but he was too busy on this joyous day to take care of him. He could only send someone to give him a hangover soup and then send him home. Jin Cheng had been drunk for a day and a night, his head was throbbing and he felt terrible all over.

Before he could even clear his head, news came from the palace that the Empress Dowager wanted him to come to the palace immediately.

As soon as Jin Cheng arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, he immediately sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

The entire outer hall was surrounded by a group of fully armed Imperial Guards. Several old men who usually wielded great power in the court were now pacing anxiously at the door, their faces grim as if their mothers had died.

As soon as Jin Cheng, the emperor's brother-in-law, arrived, several adults immediately surrounded him, talking all at once. The scene was as noisy as several village women fighting over a free white steamed bun. Jin Cheng was already suffering from a hangover, and now his ears were ringing, so he couldn't hear anything.

It was Shen Shibai who shouted loudly and stopped everyone from leaving. He pulled Jin Cheng aside and whispered, "I heard that His Majesty is ill, quite seriously. The Empress Dowager won't let anyone in, but she sent someone to find you. It's clear that she only trusts you now."

Jin Cheng was shocked and exclaimed, "What?"

Could it be that Sherry was right, and the little emperor has contracted some serious illness and become mentally impaired?

Before he could react, Shen Shibai sighed again, "The court is in turmoil right now, and powerful nations around us are eyeing us covetously. So no matter what His Majesty is like, we must not disturb the morale of the army or the people. We must suppress the news. Remember that." After saying that, he patted Jin Cheng's shoulder heavily.

Jin Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. The old fox in front of him was right. No matter what the situation was in the main hall, the worst-case scenario was as Xue Li said: the young emperor had become mentally impaired, but his life was not in danger.

Maybe Xi'an can recover slowly and get married and have children, just like Shirley said.

However, if news of the emperor's critical illness or mental incapacity were to spread, the power struggle in the Song Kingdom and across the entire continent would undergo a dramatic transformation. At that time, some conservatives would seize upon this as leverage, demanding the deposition of Zhao Xi'an and the ascension of the exiled Second Prince Zhao Muqing to the throne.

Putting everything else aside, if Zhao Muqing were to proclaim himself the sole heir to the Song Dynasty to the throne, and Duan Jingyu or the Mongols were to seize the opportunity to enthrone him as king, they could then legitimately force him to abdicate.

When the army besieging the city has a legitimate reason to attack, the people of Song will be thrown into chaos. They might even start fighting amongst themselves before the enemy even gets in, and the country's gates will be easily breached.

Shen Shibai didn't allow anyone else to speak, and only let Jin Cheng into the main hall.

As soon as he stepped into the main hall, the eunuchs rushed up to him as if they had seen a savior, shouting, "General Jin has arrived!"

A disheveled woman rushed out of the hall. Like a madwoman, she rushed forward, grabbed Jin Cheng's leg, and cried out hoarsely, "Please save my child! Please save my child!"

"Jin Cheng, quickly bring out that miraculous medicine and save Xi An!"

Jin Cheng's heart tightened when he saw his sister's disheveled clothes and red eyes. He quickly bent down and hugged her, asking, "Xi'an, what's wrong? What happened?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in his arms trembled all over. She spoke incoherently as she trembled, her lips and voice shaking violently. It took Jin Cheng a long time to piece together what had happened.

He beckoned, and two senior palace maids immediately came forward to take the Empress Dowager away. Jin Yuyan collapsed onto one of the maids and wept bitterly.

Jin Cheng ignored her and immediately went to the bedside inside. He saw Zhao Xi'an, who used to be smart and lively, lying on the bed with sunken eyes and a pale face. When Jin Cheng touched him, he was barely breathing and looked critically ill.

He was startled and hurriedly asked the imperial physician attending him, "What's wrong with His Majesty?"

An elderly imperial physician at the front reported: "His Majesty suffered a shock last night, and under excessive mental stress, he ran wildly to a high place, accidentally fell, and injured his head."

Jin Cheng frowned deeply and asked incredulously, "What?"

"How could His Majesty have suffered such a shock? Is there any hope for him?"

Upon hearing this, the old physician trembled all over and said in a shaky voice, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid..."

"Speak quickly!"

"Even if they manage to survive this life-or-death ordeal, their mind will likely be different from before."

Jin Cheng collapsed to the ground in despair. Doesn't that mean that even if he were saved, he would become mentally impaired?

Jin Yuyan had finished crying and was staggering over with tears streaming down her face. She grabbed Jin Cheng's sleeve and pleaded, "The miraculous medicine you brought last time was incredibly effective. Do you still have any? Quickly, bring it to him and give it to him!"

"Sister, please!"

A complex emotion flashed in Jin Cheng's eyes, and he snorted coldly, "Do you know who gave me that miraculous medicine?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Yuyan immediately crawled forward on her knees and urgently asked, "Who is it? Whoever it is, as long as they bring the divine medicine, I will reward them with a lifetime of wealth and honor! No, I will reward them with hereditary noble titles!"

Jin Chengfeng's eyes flashed with mockery as he looked at her swollen, red eyes and said, word by word, "That divine medicine was given to me by the woman you sent away to marry in place of you."

"She gave it to me!"

Upon hearing this, Jin Yuyan froze on the spot, her delicate body trembling slightly. After a long while, she murmured, "Yes, it's her, it's actually her..."

Jin Cheng said coldly, "Yes, it's the woman I love, the one you tore apart, the one you poisoned, and the one you sent away to marry in my place!"

Jin Yuyan's chest heaved as she murmured as if in a dream, "Is she still alive? Is there still a miracle drug?"

Jin Cheng snorted and said mockingly, "She's long dead, poisoned by your poison."

Jin Yuyan closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Her voice was filled with sorrow as she said, "I personally fed her the poison, I decided to send her to a substitute marriage, I ruined Xi'an..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly lost her breath and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. A commotion erupted in the hall as palace maids rushed to her aid, imperial physicians examined her, and eunuchs tried to carry her away—all shouting and creating utter chaos.

Jin Cheng stopped looking at his sister and went back to sit by Zhao Xi'an's bedside, feeling increasingly suspicious.

He summoned Jin Yuyan's personal maid to a corner of the main hall, stared at her intently for a long time without saying a word, until she began to tremble slightly, before slowly asking, "Were you with the Empress Dowager last night?"

"Reporting to the general, it is this servant."

Jin Cheng lifted her chin and coldly asked again, "Do you know how many people I've killed on the battlefield?"

"Do you know where to poke someone that will hurt but won't kill them?"

The female official's legs went weak under his gaze, and she stammered for a long time without uttering a single word.

"What happened last night that drove the Emperor mad with fright?"

The female official's teeth chattered, and her tongue began to tie itself in knots. Jin Cheng reached out and gently stroked her violently convulsing back, saying softly, "As long as you speak properly, I won't kill you."

The female official closed her eyes, panting heavily, and recounted the events of the previous night in broken sentences.

It turns out that last night, Jin Yuyan was having a passionate encounter with her lover when her son secretly sneaked in and caught them in the act.

Zhao Xi'an had been awakened by a nightmare. He dared not fall back asleep after waking up. Seeing that the eunuch on night duty was dozing off, he secretly slipped out. There was a narrow entrance between the emperor's and empress dowager's palaces, which was originally a dog hole left for a beloved little dog. Zhao Xi'an used to crawl through it when he was a child, but he stopped doing so after he grew up and became emperor. Today, in order to avoid the guards at the door, he secretly crawled through it again.

The opening wasn't big, and it took him a lot of effort; his buttocks and shoulders were chafed raw, but luckily, he finally managed to squeeze through.

An unfamiliar sound came from behind the curtains; it was a woman's cry.

Zhao Xi'an thought his mother was sick and was groaning in pain. He was extremely anxious and couldn't help but quicken his pace to run to his mother's bedside. As soon as he got close, he was kicked in the chest.

He flew into the air like a kite, his head slamming heavily to the ground. Before the excruciating pain hit, he saw Song Yaochen and his mother, both naked.

They were both completely naked, as naked as dried-out chickens.

The moment he landed, the little child was probably thinking something, or perhaps it all happened so fast that he didn't have time to think.

He felt everything go black and he knew nothing more.

. . .

Jin Cheng sighed dejectedly, at a loss for words.

In order to get rid of Song Yaochen, he even gathered skilled fighters to hold a large-scale martial arts competition and selected people with high martial arts skills to train as assassins.

If I secretly led a team of experts to set up a plan, I could kill Song Yaochen.

Or, after obtaining the antidote for the love-longing beans last time, they simply returned a corpse.

Will things still be like this today?

Even if my sister is heartbroken for a while, does that mean this thing won't happen again?

Whose fault is this? Is it mine, Jin Cheng's?

Is it Jin Yuyan's? Or is it Song Yaochen's?

Or was it the poor child's fault?

Jin Cheng asked the heavens in silence, whose fault was it?

No one answered him.

Jin Cheng's heart sank, and his desire to leave became stronger than ever before.

Zhao Xi'an won't die; he'll just become an idiot, and might even continue being emperor. In a few years, he can marry, have royal offspring, and inherit the throne.

Jin Cheng exhaled a breath of pent-up frustration. He was leaving. He was going to start preparing now, to go far away, far from the court, to live a life of idleness and waiting for death. This, this was good.

Jin Cheng stayed by his nephew's bedside all night. The poor child slept the whole time, and was able to be fed medicine and porridge three times a day. His tightly closed eyes could occasionally twitch.

Jin Cheng made up his mind and stopped worrying about it. Before leaving, he went to see his sister.

Jin Yuyan looked haggard, wearing a maroon cloak, standing facing the window, gazing blankly into the distance, making it difficult to know what she was thinking.

Jin Cheng knew that she must be feeling complicated at this moment, so he didn't say anything to disturb her and just stood quietly to the side.

Jin Yuyan asked in a hoarse voice, "Is he alright?"

I don't dare to go see him.

Jin Cheng remained silent.

Jin Yuyan added, "I sent him away, to a very far place."

Half a day later, Jin Cheng finally realized that Song Yaochen had been sent away by her men. She didn't know where he was sent, but later she heard that the Empress Dowager would never let him return to the capital.

Jin Cheng said to his sister with difficulty, "I'm going to find medicine for Xi An."

"He will definitely wake up."

Upon hearing this, Jin Yuyan glanced gratefully at her younger brother and slowly turned around.

"Aren't you angry with me? Even if you scolded me a few times, I would feel better."

Jin Cheng said, "Even farmers know that once an ox loses its calf, it should not be used for plowing."

"Who in the world loves their child more than a mother?"

Jin Yuyan threw herself into Jin Cheng's arms, panting heavily, but she didn't cry.

"After he wakes up, he must continue to be the emperor, and you, you must continue to be the empress dowager, the grand empress dowager."

"I'm leaving. You must be strong."

Once she calmed down, Jin Yuyan said, "You must come back."

Jin Cheng gave a wry smile and said, "I'll do my best."

Jin Yuyan sensed a hidden meaning in his words, so she took a step back from his embrace, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she said, "I'm exhausted, both physically and mentally. You need to come back quickly."

"Now I only have my father and you."

Jin Cheng remained silent for a long time, only looking at his sister with a complicated expression.

The two looked at each other, and Jin Cheng softly said, "Take care."

After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.