What Designs Do You Harbor, the Dragon's Reverse Scale

[You lifted your eyes and looked over. Amid the cloudlike brocade of noblewomen, one woman stood out from the rest.]

[Someone tried to tug her back lightly, but she pushed them away with firm resolve.]

[She walked over slowly, and finally came to stand behind the Princess Consort of Han.]

[Only then did you see the woman clearly.]

[Her figure was light and graceful, like a wisp of cloud drifting from a mountain cave. Between her brows and eyes, she had both the gentle tenderness of a Jiangnan woman and the aura of one blessed by heaven and earth.]

[Just by standing there, she had already won.]

[She made the powdered beauties of the six palaces lose all color.]

[A trace of amazement flashed through your eyes as well.]

[She repeated herself, enunciating every word.]

[Her voice was not loud, yet everyone could hear it.]

["Great Qing should not have negotiated peace. The Junior Guardian should have driven straight into Huanglong Prefecture."]

[Zhou Jinyu's gaze fell on your face, especially catching that flash of amazement deep in your eyes.]

[Only then did she turn back to look at the woman, her expression darkening by several degrees.]

[Displeasure showed on the empress's face as well.]

[Behind the embroidered curtains, among the noble young masters, imperial relatives, and the assembled womenfolk.]

[Su Yue's face was full of worry!]

[Her cousin had actually clashed with the Princess Consort of Han on such a solemn occasion. Without question, she had offended the honored empress.]

[Though her uncle held high office and great power, her cousin would likely still find it hard to escape punishment.]

[Her cousin had always been well-read and proper, gentle in temperament, steady in handling matters. Her actions today were truly baffling.]

[Su Yue was confused and could not understand it.]

[For the Lu Chen of today, was it worth it?]

[Zhou Jinyu's gaze was like a torch as she looked down at the woman, her voice indifferent: "Who are you? How dare you recklessly discuss affairs of state here?"]

[Hearing this, the woman bowed respectfully, her voice clear and crisp like an oriole's cry: "This subject's daughter is Xie Lingxuan. Greetings to the Junior Guardian, and to Your Highness the Princess Consort."]

[You came back to yourself and said, "The title of Junior Guardian has long since become a thing of the past. There is no need to mention it again."]

[The young lady of the Xie Clan, Xie Lingxuan.]

[You remembered that the young lady of the Xie Clan mentioned in your mother's letter had this same name, and had once had a marriage agreement with you.]

[She was indeed extremely beautiful, with an excellent appearance.]

[As soon as Xie Lingxuan's name was spoken.]

[A trace of realization flashed through Zhou Jinyu's eyes. She knew the households of the powerful and noble in the capital well, so naturally she knew Xie Lingxuan's background.]

[Her father was quite a formidable figure, and in recent years he had enjoyed particular imperial favor. Even the second prince treated him with added courtesy.]

[As for Xie Lingxuan herself, she was a woman of far-reaching renown in the capital, outstanding in talent and peerless in beauty.]

[It was just that she lived in seclusion and rarely went out. This was the first time Zhou Jinyu had seen her, and her reputation was indeed no empty boast.]

[As Xie Lingxuan's name echoed in everyone's ears, even the empress, who had been seated upright at the head the whole time, could not help adding a trace of scrutiny to her gaze.]

[On any ordinary day, if Zhou Jinyu encountered this sort of matter, she would have let it pass lightly out of consideration for Xie Lingxuan's father.]

[But today!]

[She had seen that flash of amazement on Lu Chen's face at Xie Lingxuan's beauty.]

[This was unprecedented.]

[Even when facing her, Lu Chen had never revealed such an expression.]

[A ball of fire rose in her heart.]

[Under everyone's gaze, Zhou Jinyu's eyes locked tightly onto Xie Lingxuan.]

[Someone behind them was already trying to smooth things over for the woman.]

[The chancellor's son stepped forward. He bowed slightly and spoke with sincere words: "Princess Consort, please forgive her. Lingxuan has long remained at home and has never set foot in court affairs, so she spoke wrongly in a moment of folly."]

["That's right, Princess Consort. Lingxuan spoke without restraint."]

[Even the current imperial uncle, who was on good terms with the Xie Clan, spoke gently at this moment: "Lingxuan, why do you not hurry and apologize to the Princess Consort?"]

[Though his words carried blame, they held even more tolerance and care for Xie Lingxuan.]

["The Princess Consort is broad-minded and magnanimous, and naturally will not hold this against you."]

[For a moment, many words seeking to excuse her arose.]

[Zhou Jinyu, the eldest princess of North Wind, did not move her gaze away. She quietly waited for Xie Lingxuan's response.]

[However, beyond everyone's expectations, Xie Lingxuan did not lower her head and apologize.]

[Listening to more and more voices, her gaze instead passed over the crowd and finally landed on you. It contained complicated emotions that were difficult to describe.]

[When you stared into her eyes, you found it strange that they actually held injustice and indignation.]

[Xie Lingxuan sighed softly and thought in her heart.]

[For ten years as if they were one day, you fought on the battlefield and recovered lost territory, only to choose seclusion in the mountains and forests in the end. Now you were being mocked, and not a single person stood on your side. Most only watched coldly from the sidelines, throwing stones at someone who had fallen into a well.]

[And she, a woman, had won the support of many people, who defended her.]

[This stark contrast made Xie Lingxuan feel miserable.]

[At last, you saw her eyes clearly.]

[In her eyes, she was grieving for you and raging at the injustice done to you.]

[Xie Lingxuan stood there, her gaze firm: "Back then, the Junior Guardian fought all the way to Huanglong Prefecture. He was only one step away from leveling North Wind. Our nation should not have negotiated peace!"]

[The instant these words came out, the entire hall erupted in uproar.]

[Someone behind her could no longer hold back and rebuked her: "Lingxuan, how can you spout such nonsense!"]

["This concerns major affairs of the state. How can a woman casually put her beak in?"]

["Hurry back!"]

[The empress also rose to her feet and looked toward Xie Lingxuan.]

[Su Yue's face had already gone pale. If her cousin was allowed to keep speaking, the consequences would be unimaginable.]

[Zhou Jinyu gave a light laugh: "Could it be that the young lady of the Xie Clan questions His Majesty's decision in those years, or feels that His Majesty was lacking in wisdom?"]

[Her words floated lightly, yet they were like blades and swords!]

[The chancellor's son hurriedly said, "Princess Consort, please spare Lingxuan."]

["Princess Consort,..."]

[The voices pleading for mercy rose again.]

[Xie Lingxuan already sounded somewhat sorrowful as she said, "The family and nation fell into ruin, the emperor suffered that hunt, how many people died in the north? That year, chaos swept Guanzhong and men ate one another; how many more died? How many people were displaced, how many families shattered and lives lost? Twenty-six years of humiliation—how could one peace negotiation smooth it over?"]

["The hundred thousand soldiers of the Lu Family Army—how many of them died? And whose sons were they, whose husbands?"]

["The people suffer, the ministers hate. When will it be extinguished?"]

["When the Junior Guardian retired back then, was that still not enough!"]

[Xie Lingxuan, this gentle woman, bit her lip at this moment and said:]

["Now, you still want to force him!"]

[The instant these words came out, the scene instantly sank into dead silence.]

[The empress's phoenix eyes had already opened wide, sharp light flickering in her pupils, her face dark to a terrifying degree.]

[These words were undoubtedly an open questioning of His Majesty's decision, and even more an accusation against many ministers in court.]

[No one dared speak up for her again.]

[Su Yue listened from the side with her heart pounding in terror. She had already covered her mouth, so nervous she nearly fainted, endlessly chanting in her heart: "What can be done now, what can be done..."]

[And yet, in this oppressive atmosphere.]

[Zhou Jinyu, the Princess Consort of Han, clapped and laughed: "Good, good, good."]

["What a fine young lady of the Xie Clan,"]

["So it turns out you have such lofty views. Then this palace will ask you again: what designs do you harbor in saying all this?"]

[Her tone gradually became solemn: "Every sentence of yours stays close to the Junior Guardian. Are you saying you wanted the Junior Guardian to defy the imperial command back then?"]

[As soon as these words came out, someone in the hall already clenched both hands tightly, their expression ugly.]

[These words touched the current Son of Heaven's reverse scale, which no one could touch.]

[The dragon's reverse scale—touch it, and you died.]