Meng Jiang Ming was startled and asked, "Really?"
Madam Jiang replied, "Has Mother ever deceived you?"
Meng Jiang Ming shook his head, "No, Mother has not deceived me."
"Jiang Ming, Xiu Yi is your uncle's daughter. Even if Mother is angry with Xiu Yi, she wouldn't disregard her, especially since you two have already consummated your marriage."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jiang Ming stepped forward and bowed, "Thank you, Mother."
Madam Jiang sighed, "Jiang Ming, you must pay more attention to the Princess. You have already had this affair with Xiu Yi before marrying Princess Xing Yue, and you have wronged Princess Xing Yue."
Meng Jiang Ming heard this and said, "Mother, Princess Xing Yue is not a petty person. I will also try my best to compensate Princess Xing Yue in the future."
Madam Jiang nodded, "It is best that you have this intention."
"Madam, something is wrong..." Shaoyao hurriedly walked into the room, too anxious to reach Madam Jiang before blurting it out.
"What's all the panic?" Madam Jiang said coldly.
Shaoyao quickly curtsied and said, "Madam, the imperial guards have already surrounded this place."
Madam Jiang and Meng Jiang Ming exchanged a look. Madam Jiang said coldly, "Why are the imperial guards here?"
Shaoyao shook her head, "This servant does not know."
"Mother, I will go out and see." Meng Jiang Ming said.
Madam Jiang replied, "I will accompany you out."
Meng Jiang Ming nodded, and they left the room. As Shaoyao had said, the imperial guards had indeed surrounded the place.
Meng Jiang Ming stepped forward, and the imperial guards drew their swords, blocking him. They said coldly, "His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to step out of this area."
Meng Jiang Ming looked at the sword placed on his chest and said coldly, "Do you know who I am?"
The imperial guard heard him and bowed, "Of course, I know."
"Since you know, why don't you move aside?" Meng Jiang Ming shouted coldly.
The imperial guard heard him and said, "My apologies, Young Master. His Majesty ordered this humble servant to stop you, the Young Master."
Meng Jiang Ming was startled, "Stop me? Why?"
The imperial guard said coldly, "This humble servant does not know. This humble servant is merely following orders."
Meng Jiang Ming frowned and walked back. Madam Jiang quickly stepped forward and asked, "What is it? Has something happened?"
Meng Jiang Ming comforted Madam Jiang, saying, "Mother, don't worry. It's probably something. Since they won't let us out, let's just wait here!"
Madam Jiang nodded. This was the imperial palace, and everyone here was loyal to His Majesty.
It was best to be cautious.
In the Imperial Study
Xue Xing Chen looked at Duke Ning Meng Lian with a cold expression. Meng Lian felt cold sweat trickling down his forehead, and he couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
Although this Majesty was young and ill, his methods were swift and decisive. Back then, after the long reign of the Empress and the departure of the Crown Prince of Xue, he had cleared the court single-handedly.
Therefore, Meng Lian was somewhat intimidated by this Majesty.
"Your Majesty, what business do you have with this humble servant?" Meng Lian asked cautiously.
Xue Xing Chen let out a cold snort, "Don't you know why朕 (I) summoned you?"
"This humble servant does not know. I implore Your Majesty to clarify." Meng Lian bowed.
"You don't know? I think you are pretending to be ignorant." Xue Xing Chen said coldly.
Meng Lian, terrified, quickly knelt on the ground, "This humble servant dares not!"
"Dare not? I think you dare quite a lot." Xue Xing Chen picked up the inkstone on the table and hurled it at Meng Lian.
Meng Lian dared not dodge and could only watch as the inkstone smashed hard onto his forehead. Pain struck him, but he pretended not to feel it at all.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger, please calm your anger!" Meng Lian kowtowed repeatedly and said.
Xue Xing Chen suddenly began to cough violently. Meng Lian secretly raised his head and saw Xue Xing Chen covering his mouth with his sleeve. Although he was very careful, Meng Lian still saw blood flowing down his sleeve.
He was instantly greatly shocked. Xue Xing Chen raised his eyes to look at Meng Lian, who quickly lowered his head, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
After a long silence, Xue Xing Chen did not speak. He instinctively looked up and saw Xue Xing Chen slumped over the table, motionless, with the blood on his sleeve a shocking sight.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." He called out instinctively.
But there was no response from Xue Xing Chen. He stood up, walked forward, and saw Xue Xing Chen's pale, bloodless face.
"Your Majesty..." he said.
Xue Xing Chen made no movement. He tremblingly reached his hand in front of Xue Xing Chen's nose, his breathing intentionally faint.
Instantly, his heart was greatly alarmed. He rushed towards the outside, "Someone, quickly, someone..."
Upon hearing the news of her Imperial Brother's collapse, Xue Xing Yue quickly sent someone to send the Second Prince of Qi back to his residence and ordered the imperial guards to detain all the ministers and their families who attended the palace banquet within the imperial palace.
For a time, people were in a state of panic. Although the ministers did not know what had happened, they could feel that something major must have occurred, otherwise, why would the imperial guards be mobilized?
Xue Xing Yue anxiously watched the commotion inside, her heart in a flutter. She didn't know why her Imperial Brother had suddenly fainted. Had he encountered something?
However, after inquiring, she learned that her Imperial Brother had been meeting with Duke Ning before he fainted. She then realized that her Imperial Brother must have found out about the matter between Meng Jiang Ming and Jiang Xiu Yi.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has awoken," the imperial physician said hurriedly as he walked out.
A stone in Xue Xing Yue's heart was lifted. She said, "May I go in and speak with my Imperial Brother?"
The imperial physician replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty has just woken up and may still be a bit weak, but speaking for a short while should be fine."
Xue Xing Yue nodded, "Alright, I will go in and see my Imperial Brother."
The imperial physician bowed, "This humble servant will go and prepare medicine for His Majesty."
Xue Xing Yue nodded, "Good."
Entering the imperial bedchamber, she saw her Imperial Brother on the bed at a glance. She walked forward and saw her Imperial Brother's pale, bloodless face. His eyes flickered slightly when he saw her.
"Yue'er..."
"Imperial Brother..." Xue Xing Yue sat on the bed, her voice trembling slightly.
Hearing this, Xue Xing Chen reached out his hand. She quickly grasped it, "Imperial Brother..."
"Luo Yue'er, Imperial Brother is sorry to you," Xue Xing Chen said, his eyes flashing with suppressed emotion.
"Imperial Brother, please don't say that. You have not wronged Xing Yue, not at all."
"No, Imperial Brother had thought that he had found a good marriage for you. Now it seems that is not the case at all. Imperial Brother..."
Xue Xing Chen couldn't help but cough a few more times.
"Imperial Brother, you have not wronged me. This marriage was my consent, and it's not your fault at all."
Xue Xing Chen shook his head, "No, your consent was also because of Imperial Brother. But Imperial Brother arranged the marriage without proper consideration, which is Imperial Brother's fault. Yue'er, Imperial Brother has harmed you."
"Imperial Brother, please don't say that. You have not harmed me."
"Yue'er, Imperial Brother knows you don't like Young Master Meng. If that's the case, let's cancel this imperial marriage decree!"
Xue Xing Yue was stunned. Xue Xing Chen raised his head, gazing into the distance, and slowly said, "In the past, Imperial Brother believed that Meng Jiang Ming was someone朕 (I) could control, and that Xing Yue would not be wronged by marrying him. Now it seems that is not the case at all, not at all..."