Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 145

All the people present turned pale. Emperor Ning seemed surprised. Behind him, half the officials had lowered their heads. If they could, they would have buried themselves beneath the ground. There was a hint of happiness in some officials' eyes. Yun Shang made a note of who was happy.

"Grand Councilor Li! Are you here to cause me trouble? You are the leader of the civil officials. I know you look down upon us military officers. You regard us as illiterate; I still respected you though. Today, I appreciated your presence at my birthday party, but how could you do such a thing in my mansion? What a shame! Your Majesty, please make a decision." Prince Jing angrily glared at Grand Councilor Li and then complained to Emperor Ning.

Grand Councilor Li who was dressed only in his tunic, felt ashamed. Emperor Ning snickered. He then frowned and said, "Grand Councilor Li, you made a mistake. After all, Lady Cangyang is an honorable guest from the State of Yelang. Why did you...?" After a pause, Emperor Ning sighed. His eyes were filled with disappointment.

Yun Shang gazed at Cangjue Qingsu. He frowned but didn't speak. He seemed lost in thought. She turned and saw that the whole tribe from Grand Councilor's Mansion were scared. The wife of the Grand Councilor looked pale. She watched the scene in disbelief.

Grand Councilor Li ground his teeth. Then he knelt and spoke, "I apologize. Your Highness, I am sorry. As for Lady Cangyang, I was intimate with her and have ruined her reputation. So I will take her as my concubine." It was not until she heard those words that Cangyang Yu'er got over her shock. The amazement in her eyes was evident. Yun Shang knew Cangyang Yu'er was aiming for the Emperor. She thought, 'Cangyang Yu'er, your scheme failed again. After you couldn't tempt Prince Jing, you turned to my father. Maybe it's Cangjue Qingsu that planned all this. There were few servants in Prince Jing's Mansion. However, there were many hidden guards. How could I get no news of what she and her maid discussed?'

Cangyang Yu'er looked upset and worried. Yun Shang sneered, and her mouth twitched, 'Qian Yin said that Cangyang Yu'er was reluctant to seduce Emperor Ning. He has reached middle age. However, he is still handsome. If her trick had succeeded, she would have enjoyed a higher status like Lady Jin. So she complied. She didn't expect to have an intimate relationship with an old man at such a declining age. The Grand Councilor is the leader of all the officials. But he is subordinate to the Emperor. I guess she is unwilling to accept her failure.'

Cangyang Yu'er gritted her teeth and wanted to explain. However, she had to cover her private parts because she was lying naked on the ground. If she spoke, she would be a bigger laughing stock. 'Do I have to marry the old man?'

Cangyang Yu'er thought in annoyance. Her maid had told her that Emperor Ning had entered that room. 'It was dark. I was so nervous that I didn't confirm the identity of the man on the bed. I never thought ... No, I am a young girl. I shouldn't waste the rest of my life on the aging Grand Councilor.'

Cangyang Yu'er opened her mouth and was about to speak, but Cangjue Qingsu preempted her. He said, "It is unknown how this happened. Since Grand Councilor Li has promised to take Yu'er, I agree. But I have to say that she is our honorable Chief Councillor's sworn daughter. If he knew what happened, he would be quite upset.

Grand Councilor Li gnashed his teeth in anger. He was not a fool. He knew Cangjue Qingsu mediated to have him on board. The Prince had stressed on the identity of Cangyang Yu'er to force the Grand Councilor to marry her. 'Cangyang Yu'er is a girl from another state. It's not proper to take her as a concubine, not to mention as my wife.' He thought.

"Your Highness, I know I offended Lady Cangyang, but my wife married me forty years ago. She is tolerant and generous. She excels in virtue and handling domestic affairs. She also brought up five children. I can't divorce her and abandon my children..." Grand Councilor Li bowed to Emperor Ning and begged in a low voice.

Emperor Ning smiled and thought to himself, 'Grand Councilor Li and his wife respect each other and her status has been stable for so many years. She must be a resourceful woman. Cangyang Yu'er is young and beautiful, but spoiled. What would happen if they lived under a roof?'