Yan Ling’s hands continued to tremble.
He was well aware that he couldn’t write as beautifully as Xu Zhida.
He stood frozen in place, unable to even utter a word in retort.
As time passed, it became evident to anyone that something was amiss.
Emperor Muwu was both shocked and furious, his voice low and menacing, "Yan Ling! Who wrote your examination paper? Confess now!"
Yan Ling heard the roar and was filled with overwhelming fear.
His body went limp, and he fell to his knees, pleading, "Your Majesty, have mercy! I beg for your forgiveness!"
Prime Minister Lu and the others displayed disdain on their faces.
How could this spineless man, devoid of any dignity, have possibly written such an astonishing examination paper?
Prime Minister Lu asked, "My lord, was there truly a ghost aiding him?"
Ye Siheng nodded slightly, "Indeed, he attempted to seek assistance from a ghost, but the palace is protected by enchantments, so his wish went unfulfilled."
Even his eyes could now discern such things.
Even Nanli was astonished.
Emperor Muwu, consumed by anger, had admired this person greatly and had even considered making him the top scholar.
Little did he expect that Yan Ling had relied on a ghost to take the exam and produce such a remarkable paper!
Showing no mercy, Emperor Muwu declared, "Take him away and execute him."
Yan Ling’s body trembled, repeatedly kowtowing until his forehead turned purple, soon becoming a bloody mess.
He cried out, "Your Majesty, spare me! I acknowledge my wrongdoing! I acknowledge my wrongdoing!"
Prime Minister Lu wanted to intercede but was stopped by Emperor Muwu, who said, "Cheating warrants exile, but he resorted to such sinister means to deceive me and the examiners. It is utterly despicable!"
Ye Siheng remained silent throughout.
After all, this was a self-inflicted calamity, with no one else to blame.
Before Yan Ling was dragged away, Ye Siheng ordered his jade pendant to be removed.
After Emperor Muwu’s fit of rage subsided, his headache returned.
He summoned the imperial physician, and naturally, Prime Minister Lu and the others could no longer stay to discuss state affairs.
Ye Siheng furrowed his brows slightly and deliberately waited nearby.
Before long, he saw the imperial physician emerge.
"Ninth Prince," the imperial physician exclaimed in surprise.
"How is the Emperor’s health? Why has his bout of headaches become so frequent recently?" Ye Siheng inquired.
His expression remained calm, but a hint of concern flickered in his eyes.
The imperial physician sighed inwardly.
Whether inside or outside the palace, it was said that the Emperor and the Ninth Prince’s brotherly bond had deteriorated, but now it seemed that might not be entirely true.
"The Emperor is getting older, and his previous injuries have weakened his constitution. Coupled with his anger, it frequently triggers his headaches," the imperial physician explained.
Ye Siheng nodded, "I see. Then, please take good care of my brother’s condition."
"Yes," the imperial physician replied, busy with his duties.
After leaving the palace, Ye Siheng instructed Qing Feng to investigate the medicines prescribed by the Imperial Medical Bureau.
He had several informants within the Imperial Medical Bureau.
However, gaining access to the Emperor’s pulse records and prescriptions proved to be challenging.
Qing Feng asked, "My lord, are you afraid of the Emperor...?"
He hesitated to utter the rest of his sentence.
"I do have some concerns. The Emperor’s temperament has become increasingly severe, and I find it unsettling," Ye Siheng replied calmly.
Qing Feng understood Ye Siheng’s implication and responded, "Understood, my lord."
Ye Siheng then inquired about the well-being of Yang’s unborn child.
"Everything is well," Qing Feng answered.
"She is quite remarkable," Ye Siheng couldn’t help but admire.
Despite the severe injuries suffered by the three sons of the Yang family, she remained unaffected and carried the royal heir securely, surpassing his expectations.
Following Ye Siheng’s lead, Qing Feng whispered, "The Emperor still closely monitors the Biyu Palace. The medicines are checked by the female physicians daily, making it difficult to intervene."
"Then let it be," Ye Siheng suddenly said.
The Yang’s child was already eight or nine months along, and he no longer wished to take any risks that could lead to more casualties and invite further calamity.
Qing Feng grew anxious, "My lord, although the Crown Prince is no longer imprisoned, the Emperor has yet to assign him any significant tasks. If Consort Yang truly gives birth to a prince, it would be greatly disadvantageous for us."
"It matters not," Ye Siheng remained composed. "Raising a child of the imperial family is the most challenging task."
Having occupied his current position and experienced battles, his hands were already stained with blood.
He had done many things reluctantly in order to safeguard the Mu Nation and its people.
Qing Feng’s gaze dimmed, and he replied, "Yes."
After leaving the palace, Ye Siheng headed straight to the residence of the Marquis of Anyang.
Nanli was under the guidance of Xiao Wanyi, embroidering a bridal veil.
Her appearance was beyond words.
Suddenly, Xiao Wanyi realized that her sixth younger sister was an ordinary person who couldn’t do everything perfectly.
However, the embroidery of the mandarin ducks on the veil had to be done by the bride herself for good luck, and even if Xiao Wanyi wanted to help, she was powerless.
Upon hearing that Ye Siheng had arrived, Xiao Wanyi decided not to stay in the Qingliang Courtyard, so as not to disturb their conversation.
Without the supervision of her sister-in-law, Nanli finally relaxed and set aside the half-finished veil.
After Ye Siheng entered, he saw the red veil and couldn’t help but twitch his lips.
Nanli wanted to take it back, but it was too late.
She blushed and said, "Don’t look!"
Ye Siheng looked at her expression and smiled, bringing a refreshing breeze with his presence.
"I’ve already seen it. I didn’t expect my A’Li to be fond of wild chickens," he teased.
"..." Nanli knew he was joking, but her embroidery skills were indeed lacking.
She couldn’t possibly claim that the wild chicken was a mandarin duck, right?
She pursed her lips and could only glare at Ye Siheng, "If you’re capable, you do it."
"Alright," Ye Siheng agreed readily.
He adjusted his robe, sat down, and asked Nanli to bring the red veil and needle and thread.
Nanli was somewhat surprised and uncertain, "Are you serious?"
"Of course, my needlework is passable," Ye Siheng replied naturally, without any hint of awkwardness.
Nanli was half-believing and half-doubting, but she still brought everything to Ye Siheng.
Unexpectedly, Ye Siheng was indeed skilled in threading the needle and guiding the thread.
With just a few stitches, he transformed the wild chicken into something resembling a mandarin duck.
Nanli widened her eyes, even more astonished, "Not only are you talented in both literature and martial arts, but your embroidery skills are also exceptional."
"I learned it during my time in the military. After all, when clothes were torn, I had to mend them myself," Ye Siheng explained, not considering it embarrassing in the slightest.
Nanli smiled, "My sister-in-law said that the bride must embroider the red veil herself. But I think it’s not bad for the groom to help with the embroidery."
"Indeed," Ye Siheng agreed.
The veil he embroidered also carried auspicious meanings.
As he embroidered the mandarin ducks, he casually mentioned the events of the day.
Nanli furrowed her brows slightly, "So, it was that ghost named Xu Zhida who helped him?"
Ye Siheng took out the jade pendant and said, "He seems to be inside."
Nanli immediately noticed that there was indeed a ghost hiding within.
She formed a hand seal and forced the ghost out.
Soon, a faint ghostly figure appeared, a young man dressed in official attire, appearing refined and gentle.