Huangfu Xi, who had been watching the drama unfold, could no longer sit still. He reprimanded the Empress, "Those in the inner palace are not to meddle in state affairs. Empress, you have overstepped. Withdraw!"
Leng Shuang wanted to say more, but the Prime Minister beside her stopped her, blinking to signal her to leave quickly.
If she continued to speak now, her next destination might not be a simple return to the palace.
He had come to terms with the fact that his younger daughter was beyond saving. He could not afford to lose his Empress daughter as well.
With the decree of "not to meddle in state affairs," the Empress was sent away. Instead of helping her sister, she had landed herself in trouble.
Huangfu Xi forced a smile. "Regent King's suggestion is sound. I shall confer upon Leng Zhu the title of Princess Linglong and select an auspicious day for her marriage alliance with the Xue Kingdom."
As the Emperor's words fell, the hall erupted in a roar of "Long live the Emperor!" followed by congratulations to the Prime Minister.
Fan Zehao was satisfied with the outcome. However, Leng Han, that little brat, was still a cause of dissatisfaction. His impure thoughts about his daughter were unforgivable.
He had initially intended to lure Leng Han into the inner city and teach him a lesson before letting him go. But seeing how venomous his entire family was, he didn't mind playing the villain.
It was still an act of villainy to do it once, and it made no difference to do it for a lifetime. His backbone would not break from it anyway.
After the court session, Fan Zehao returned to his manor. Upon seeing his wife, he recounted the events of the hall and then revealed a plan he had concocted.
Zhao Jiaqi listened from beginning to end. In the end, she found his wicked plan to her liking; it was simply brilliant.
"Good, I support you. Let's do it."
With his wife's support, what was there for him to fear? He then unleashed his hands and boldly moved forward.
That afternoon, the manor issued an obituary, seeking an ugly maiden from a farming family in the capital. Not the ugliest, but the uglier the better. A thousand pieces of gold would be awarded to the winner.
This announcement caused a sensation in the capital. Everyone was speculating about what the Regent King was up to now.
The news spread like wildfire, flying out of the manor and directly into the imperial palace.
Huangfu Xi, who was reprimanding the Empress, almost dropped his eyeballs upon hearing this explosive news.
Even Leng Shuang was greatly surprised and confused by this.
"His consort is already ugly enough, why would he need another ugly maiden? It's as if he has too much gold and nowhere to spend it."
Upon hearing this taunt, Huangfu Xi kicked her shoulder, looking down at her and saying, "If your eyes are not working well, donate them."
Which eye saw the Regent King's consort as ugly?
Although she was not associated with beauty, she was far more pleasing to look at than the truly ugly. To slander the consort like this showed a petty mind.
He said coldly, "If your father had not repeatedly brought up the matter of Princess Yumeng marrying abroad, do you think the Regent King would be idle enough to pick a fight with your father and force your sister into marriage?"
"Without self-reflection, you push the blame onto others. Is this the behavior of a Prime Minister of a nation?"
As if he hadn't spoken enough, after lecturing the Prime Minister, he turned his attention to her. "You are, after all, the Empress of a nation. I don't expect you to be magnanimous, but you should at least have the sense to read the room."
"You were foolish enough to try to use the royal family to suppress the Regent King, even speaking of rebellion. Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't say such a thing."
"If he wanted to be emperor, he wouldn't have abdicated back then. And you still expect to provoke me with such words, do you take me for a fool?"
Finally, he straightened up, sighed softly, and looked out at the vast sky, the blue sky, the white clouds. Under the clear sky, how could there be people with such malicious intentions?
"It seems the Prime Minister's position has elevated him too high, making him look down on everyone!"
After saying this lightly, he said no more and turned to leave Kunning Palace.
Upon exiting the palace, he directly instructed Wang Shan, "The Empress is feeling unwell. For the sake of the imperial heir, she should rest and recuperate. As for the affairs of the palace... let Noble Consort Mei handle them."
Huangfu Xi considered for a moment before deciding to bestow this honor upon Noble Consort Mei, letting them entangle each other.
He truly regretted now why he had brought so many consorts into the palace to create trouble for himself.
However, the thought of having beauties by his side instantly lifted his spirits.
He changed his course and went to Yonghe Palace to visit a beautiful consort, leading to an inevitable night of affection. As for why the Regent King was looking for an ugly maiden, he believed it certainly wouldn't be to take a concubine.
Crucially, he didn't have the guts for that.
In the afternoon, a long line formed at the manor gate. The village girls who arrived were more bizarre than the last, some deliberately trying to look ugly, while others were genuinely hideous. Their ugliness was such that after one glance, one would feel their own wife was the most beautiful in the world.
Soon, Zhao Jiaqi selected one.
Her figure was equally thick from top to bottom, with her waist extending from her neck down. Her face was so fat that her eyes were narrowed into slits, and one had to search to find her eyeballs.
Not only that, but this village girl also had a purplish-blue birthmark on her face, truly an unexpectedly ugly appearance.
Zhao Jiaqi took the girl's hand and asked, "What is your name?"
"My name is Cuihua, surname Qiu!" she said, then bashfully lowered her head, poking the ground with her feet, looking quite embarrassed.
Qiu Laotie quickly chimed in, chuckling, "Your Highness, don't mind my daughter's ugliness. She is strong, capable of killing a bull with one punch. She eats a bit much, but protecting Your Highness would be no problem. Most importantly, my girl can take a beating."
Zhao Jiaqi didn't know what to say, but the two advantages mentioned by Old Man Qiu were quite to her liking.
However, she was not looking for an ugly maiden to be her maidservant but for another purpose.
"Old Man Qiu, it's like this. I want to find a marriage for your daughter. The other family has a lot of silver. Do you agree?"
Upon hearing that she was looking for a match for his daughter, Old Man Qiu could barely contain his joy and stomped his feet in excitement, exclaiming, "That's wonderful! I, this old man, have offered ten taels of dowry for Cuihua, and no one dared to marry her. Even the beggars on the street looked down on her. If Your Highness can find a family for my daughter to marry into, whether they are rich or poor, even a beggar, I will agree."
"I agree wholeheartedly."
With the elder's consent, Zhao Jiaqi felt somewhat relieved.
She added, "Old Man Qiu, I must make it clear to you. This marriage is by no means a good match. Even if Cuihua marries into it, she will not receive her husband's affection. However, at least her food and clothing will be secured, and no one will dare to bully her. These two points, I can guarantee."
The old man nodded repeatedly, sighed deeply, and replied with a hint of sadness, "My daughter is this ugly. It's good enough if she can get married. What else can I hope for? To tell Your Highness the truth, as long as I am alive, Cuihua has something to eat. When I am no longer around, her brother and sister-in-law, if they give her even half a steamed bun, I'll consider it generous."
He then sighed again, "Let alone food and clothing, even a bite to eat would make me content."
As he spoke with emotion, tears welled up in his eyes. The next moment, he knelt on the ground and pulled Cuihua down with him. With a snotty and tearful face, he kowtowed to Zhao Jiaqi.
"Child, quickly kowtow to the Princess. It is the Princess who has found a way out for you. Even if I am no longer here, you can live a stable life."
Cuihua also felt heartbroken, wiping away tears as she kowtowed to Zhao Jiaqi.