The Old Madam still had her authority, so Aunt Yun could only do as she said.
She indeed had a way, as not long after, Ye Bing Shang gracefully appeared1Â at the door of the Ye residence.
The Great Xia official soldiers didnât dare to let the people of the Ye family out, but none of them dared to stop Ye Bing Shang.
In a white silk mourning dress, Ye Bing Shang walked in and curtseyed to Old Madam Ye.
Her sharp jawline was similar to the frail beauty of Xizi2, and it inexplicably added a stroke of unique allure to her overall look. The traditional saying, âwomen dressed all in white are the most appealingâ really wasnât wrong.
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The Old Madam looked at her coldly, without the least bit of warmth in her eyes.
âAll out! Xi Wu and Bing Shang stay.â
Aunt Yun worriedly glanced at her daughter, but Ye Bing Shang nodded, so she went out carrying the Fourth Young Master.
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Mbl Xze Yyeyx nzsple bla lulp, âOzelpv tkaz, R esdâv jdso obld usw tsv kdhszhle okvb Tkp Yyflpvu Mydvyk. Mblpl rypv qlo ulyap, Râhl ypjle xuplzq bsdlpvzu3Â yde clzklhl Râhl dlhla xkpvalyvle usw. Zswâal y nyryczl rlapsd. R esdâv lmrlnv usw vs vyjl nyal sq uswa casvbla yde pkpvla yqvla uswâhl akpld wr4, R fwpv oydv vs ypj usw y qyhsa.â
Zl Jkdt Fbydt rwaple bla zkrp yde pvayktbvldle bla cynj, âQaydexsvbla lmyttlayvlp.â
âZswâzz pwalzu vyjl nyal sq Gwdv Zwd yde Nkvvzl Wswa uswaplzq, vbyv vbkp sze osxyd eslpdâv dlle vs pyu xsal ycswv. Mbkae Qkaz oyp uswdt yde ktdsaydv, pbl wple vs sqqlde Tkp Yyflpvu Mydvyk. Nkwgbsw kp y nsze yde ckvvla rzynl, vbl Mbkae Qkaz kpdâv lktbvlld ulv, bla zkql okzz cl awkdle kq pbl tslp vblal. Mbkp sze osxyd caygldzu ypjp qsa usw vs ypj vbl Oxrlasa sq Hbsw vs pryal Mbkae Qkaz,â vbl Xze Yyeyx pyezu pyke. âEblvbla pbl xyaaklp y nsxxsdla, sa pvyup kd vbl nyrkvyz yp yd saekdyau rlapsd, fwpv esdâv zlv bla ts vs Nkwgbsw.â
The Old Madam nodded, and actually wanted to get up and bow to her.
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Su Su pulled the Old Madam back.
âXi Wu?â
Su Su said, âNo need, Iâll accompany grandmother to Liuzhou. Eldest Sister, I wish you a bright future5Â in soon becoming the empress.â
Su Suâs eyes were clear and bright as she gently glanced at Ye Bing Shang, who suddenly felt a bit offended and displeased at having been seen through.
âThird Sister, grandmother is doing this for your own good, why are you still so insensibleâŚâŚâ
âIâve always been this insensible. If you really have the heart and ability to do so, beg him to let grandmother go. Grandmother canât hold a sword, so she cannot shake his country.â
Ye Bing Shang didnât speak.
Su Su stopped looking at her and smiled, âLetâs go, grandmother. Xi Wu assures you that this will be the last time Iâll be wilful in this life.â
As they walked away, Ye Bing Shang tightly clenched her handkerchief.
*****
At the end of the first month, Ye Bing Shang was bestowed the title âCommandery Princess Zhaohuaâ and left for Zhou Kingdom for her political marriage.
A few days later, the Ye family was exiled.
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Both men and women walked separately and were sent to Liuzhou.
The day Su Su left, many people came to see them off. All the people of Great Xia knew what kind of heroes the Ye family had produced.
However, they could only look at them with sad eyes.
The fall of the Ye family stopped the flames of war from spreading to the capital. Since then, Xia Empire became a vassal state of Zhou Kingdom. The legend of General Ye existed no more.
Everyone in the Ye family had shackles on both their hands and feet.
Aunt Lian looked haggard. The moment her son died on the battlefield, it was as if all of her energy had been drained, and she had become a walking corpse.
Su Su looked around and saw several little girls that she didnât even know. The youngest was only five or six years old, and she was crying in her motherâs arms.
Even the collateral branch of the family was implicated.
In the crowd, there was no Aunt Yun. She was picked up by Ye Bing Shang and taken together with her to the Zhou Kingdom. She didnât know whether Ye Bing Shang had tried or not, or was rejected, but Old Madam Ye wasnât exempted from punishment.
After leaving the capital, the official soldiers roughly pushed the women in the family, âMove, what are you dawdling about for!â
Some people were so used to tyrannically abusing their power6Â that they wanted to take out their whips to whip people.
An official soldier next to him advised, âHow many people did General Ye protect, think of your old mother!â
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The man froze, and didnât urge them anymore.
The Old Madam wasnât in good health. She soon collapsed after walking for a short while. Su Su caught her and carried her on her back without saying a word.
She was carrying a sword, and an official soldier wanted to confiscate it, but someone said, âForget it. Sheâs the only direct line of the Ye family, and who knows how long she can live in Liuzhou.â
Su Su looked up at the gloomy sky, hearing the clanking of shackles in her ears, and for the first time, she felt the bleakness of dynasty changes in the mortal realm.
Curved Jade looked at her worriedly, will there really be a turn for the better when things have advanced so terribly?
*****
The document of surrender was sent to the Zhou Kingdom along with Ye Bing Shang.
The day Ye Bing Shang arrived at Zhou Kingdom, she was splendidly dressed up. The accompanying momos ingratiatingly said, âYoung Lady really looks wealthy in this ensemble. Everyone knows that thereâs no one in the emperor of Zhouâs harem. Young Lady will surely receive immeasurable imperial favor when you go over.â
Ye Bing Shang softly said, âDonât say that.â
âItâs just that Young Lady mustnât wear these unlucky clothes anymore. It would be bad if His Majesty saw it.â After all, Ye Bing Shang was married before, and her former husband was the world-renowned King Xuan, so it was inauspicious to wear this outfit. His Majesty Tantaiâs temper was already unpredictable, so it was best for her to hide her past.
Ye Bing Shang nodded, âI got it.â
She looked melancholy, which made people pity her. It occurred to the momo that she was also a pitiful person.
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Ye Bing Shang went to the Zhou Kingdom along with more than a hundred dans7 of jewelry and jadewares, claiming that they were given to her as dowry, but actually, everyone knew that it was the money and goods sent for surrender.
The day she arrived at the Zhou Palace, Ye Bing Shang lifted the carriage curtain and saw the black-clad youth on the imperial carriage.
He wore a golden jade crown on his head, and a black imperial robe outlined with silver threads, which created a touch of insolence.
Tantai Jin was looking at her, and Ye Bing Shang bowed to him along with the crowd.
Ye Bing Shang was a little nervous inside. The seed of kindness that she had planted when she was young had taken root and sprouted, bearing fruit8. Tantai Jin wasnât her first choice, but he ended up being the winner, standing at the top.
She didnât know if this emperor, who didnât have a very good reputation, would cherish and protect her like Xiao Lin had.
Tantai Jin stepped out of the carriage and personally helped her up. Ye Bing Shang raised her eyes, as if overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, and saw a face so handsome that it could be called stunning. Only then did she realize that this young and ruthless emperor was born this good-looking.
Feeling his cold palm, Ye Bing Shangâs heart thumped, âYour Majesty, this concubine boldly begs Your Majesty to pardon mother.â
Tantai Jin helped her up, then smiled and said, âAs long as Shangâer is happy.â
Ye Bing Shang didnât expect him to be so straightforward and persuadable, and for a moment, she was a little surprised.
She was about to try and figure out his attitude, but Tantai Jin had already retracted his hand and gently said, âLead the commandery princess into Yufu Palace.â
As soon as these words were spoken, Yang Ji immediately lifted a brow and winked, signaling to Nian Baiyu.
Nian Baiyuâs expression remained unchanged.
Before Ye Bing Shang had arrived, theyâd made a bet whether His Majesty would favor the âcommandery princess who came for political marriageâ. Yang Ji bet âyesâ while Nian Baiyu said he wouldnât.
Yufu Palace was where the noble consorts used to live, which implied immeasurable imperial favor. The fact that Tantai Jin had personally come to pick her up and arranged for her to live there was enough to show how much he valued Ye Bing Shang.
Yang Ji happily thought, after tonight, thereâll be an imperial concubine added to the palace.