Isn't Young Marquis Xie none other than Xie Jingchu!
Wasn't he perfectly fine just yesterday?
How could he suddenly be thrown into the imperial prison?
Ruan Jiu asked in disbelief, "What's going on?!"
"I heard that today the Emperor bestowed a marriage upon Young Marquis Xie, but he refused once again. The Emperor was extremely enraged and immediately threw him into the imperial prison on the spot, ordering him to reflect there. He won't be released until he agrees to the betrothal," the Princess Dowager said.
The Princess Dowager's words immediately threw Ruan Jiu into a panic.
She exclaimed, "How could this be? The Emperor clearly said that day that he would bestow a marriage upon Xie when he had a girl he fancied."
Moreover, at the palace banquet that day, Xie Jingchu had also refused the Emperor's intention to bestow a marriage, but the Emperor hadn't been enraged then.
"It seems that this marriage was requested by Grand Tutor Zhao himself after he came to the palace. After being refused by Young Marquis Xie, Grand Tutor Zhao immediately submitted a memorial accusing him of despising the imperial grace by relying on the Emperor's favor."
Ruan Jiu's body went limp. Such a serious charge was now hanging over Xie Jingchu's head.
What should they do!
It was all her fault!
It must be because she had recognized him yesterday that he had refused the marriage at the cost of being thrown into the imperial prison.
The Princess Dowager continued, "He deserved it for publicly embarrassing me that day. Now he's getting his comeuppance."
It was obvious that the Princess Dowager was still brooding over Xie Jingchu's refusal to marry that day. The Emperor's action had undoubtedly avenged her.
But at the moment, Ruan Jiu couldn't listen to the Princess Dowager's taunting words anymore.
All her thoughts were focused on how to get Xie Jingchu out of the imperial prison.
However, as far as she knew, Grand Tutor Zhao and his wife had been married for many years, but they had no children.
So, she frowned and asked, "For which girl did Grand Tutor Zhao request the marriage?"
The Princess Dowager thought for a moment and replied, "It seems to be his niece, Zhao Shiliu, the number one talented woman in the capital."
Ruan Jiu pursed her lips. The name did sound like that of a gentle and graceful woman.
But for no apparent reason, why would Grand Tutor Zhao ask the Emperor for an imperial edict to bestow a marriage upon his niece?
Moreover, even if he was refused by Xie Jingchu, it shouldn't have been necessary to slap such a serious charge on Xie Jingchu.
Grand Tutor Zhao wasn't the kind of person who would deliberately make things difficult for others.
There was only one possibility, and that was that all this was Xiao Wang's idea.
Thinking of this, Ruan Jiu frowned tightly.
She looked up at the sky. At this hour, Xiao Wang should have already returned to the mansion.
"Yongning, I have something else to do, so I won't keep you company anymore."
Before the Princess Dowager could say anything, Ruan Jiu immediately rushed towards Xiao Wang's study.
-
In the study, Xiao Wang was sitting on a cushioned couch. A chessboard was placed in front of him.
He was holding a black chess piece in his hand, but he didn't place it down for a long time.
It was obvious that he had been troubled by this unfinished game for a long time.
Hearing the sound at the door, Xiao Wang just lifted his eyelids slightly, then his gaze quickly returned to the chessboard.
"You're here?" Xiao Wang said indifferently.
He didn't seem surprised to see Ruan Jiu storming in with a furious look on her face.
Ruan Jiu stepped forward and asked coldly, "Did you do this?"
Xiao Wang, however, seemed not to hear her. He waved at Ruan Jiu on his own initiative, signaling her to sit down.
"Come quickly and help me figure out where I should place the next move?"
These words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
But Ruan Jiu still coldly questioned, "I'm asking you, did you do this to get Xie Jingchu thrown into the imperial prison?"
After hearing this, a playful smile curled up on Xiao Wang's lips. He clasped the chess piece in his palm.
He turned to look at Ruan Jiu and sneered, "It was you who broke the rules first."
Ruan Jiu's eyes narrowed.
Sure enough, it was Xiao Wang who had done this!
It seemed that Xiao Wang already knew about her meeting with Xie Jingchu yesterday.
This move was clearly a warning to her!
"What do you want before you'll let Xie Jingchu go?" Ruan Jiu's eyes were frosty.
Xiao Wang didn't answer. He just returned his gaze to the chessboard.
"Look at this game of chess. It seems like a hopeless situation, but in fact, it all depends on where the player places the black piece."
After saying that, Xiao Wang placed the black piece in his hand on the table.
He slowly stood up and walked to Ruan Jiu's side.
"You're so smart. You should naturally know where this black piece should be placed to break this deadlock."
After Xiao Wang left, Ruan Jiu picked up the black piece lying on the table.
A mocking smile involuntarily curled up on her lips.
How could she not understand what Xiao Wang had just meant?
She was this black piece, and Xiao Wang was the player.
Whether she lived or died depended entirely on Xiao Wang's whim.
Suddenly, her eyes became solemn. She put the black piece back into the pottery jar.
Then she gently raised her hand, and the chessboard was instantly knocked over. The chess pieces on it scattered all over the ground.
Since she didn't want to be a pawn at someone else's mercy, then she might as well overturn the chessboard.
-
On the same day, Ruan Jiu immediately packed her clothes and returned to the Song Prince's Mansion.
Xiao Wang thought that she was still angry with him because of Xie Jingchu.
Knowing that she had a stubborn personality, he sent Lan Yu to accompany her back.
Some things would be resolved naturally once she came to her senses. After all, Xie Jingchu was still trapped in the imperial prison.
After Ruan Jiu returned to the Song Prince's Mansion, the first thing she did was to find an excuse to send Lan Yu away.
Because the matter she was going to discuss with the Song Prince next must not be known to Xiao Wang.
In the study, the Song Prince was fidgety.
For some reason, just seeing his daughter sitting there silently gave him an inexplicable sense of oppression.
After hesitating for a long time, he rubbed his hands and asked, "A Yu, are you feeling better?"
Ruan Jiu could tell at a glance that the Song Prince's concern didn't reach the bottom of his eyes.
But she still smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Father, for your concern. I'm much better."
As soon as her voice fell, an awkward silence filled the study again.
It wasn't until Ruan Jiu spoke up to break the ice, "Father, do you know why I suddenly came back to the mansion?"
The Song Prince shook his head.
Ruan Jiu continued, "I know very well that Father has taken great care of me since I was a child, but unfortunately, my health has been poor, and I've been away from the capital to recuperate for three years.
But now that I'm back, I should naturally share Father's burdens."
The Song Prince was completely confused. He asked puzzledly, "What do you mean, A Yu?"
"Father only has my sister and me. Now, although my sister has entered the Eastern Palace, she's not favored by the Crown Prince. In the end, she still can't help the mansion regain its former glory.
Fortunately, I'm also at the age for marriage. I should find a good husband to bring glory to the Song family."
After hearing this, although the Song Prince agreed with her words, the Crown Prince's outburst of anger at the son-in-law selection banquet still made him shiver when he thought about it.
How could he dare to marry her off to someone else now?
Everyone in the capital knew the Crown Prince's affection for her. For this reason, he had considered marrying her into the Eastern Palace as well.
But for two sisters to serve the same husband, and that husband being the Crown Prince, it would surely invite gossip if word got out.
The Song Prince pursed his lips, looking embarrassed. "But what about the Crown Prince..."
"Father, don't worry. I already have a plan in mind."
Seeing Ruan Jiu looking so confident, the Song Prince couldn't help but have a guess in his mind.
His eyebrows relaxed, and he exclaimed, "Do you mean you want to marry the Second Prince?"