Xue Shengjing narrowed his tiny eyes, a crafty gleam showing through. "The relationship between Great Kang and Great Yong was settled long ago. Whether the marriage alliance succeeds or not will not change the overall situation. What matters in this alliance is certainly not the marriage itself, nor is it Princess Anping."
Ma Qingyun said, "If anything happens to Princess Anping, I fear it will stir up a towering storm."
Xue Shengjing said, "The bigger the storm, the better. I cannot be bothered to wade into these muddy waters. Go and find out exactly what happened at Qichen Palace last night."
"Yes!"
After Ma Qingyun left, Xue Shengjing took a jade case from his sleeve and opened the Jade Box. Inside lay a mountain frog as white as jade—the very Dark Nether Ice Toad Hu Xiaotian had come to request. Xue Shengjing glanced at it, then closed the Jade Box again and murmured, "Those two little brats were far too impatient. They have caused such a tremendous disaster. Let us see how they clean up this mess."
Heavy clouds still filled the morning sky, and the dim daylight weighed on people's hearts until they could scarcely breathe. Fang Lianhai, the chief steward of Kunyu Palace, hurried inside. Worthy Consort Dong had just finished washing and sat before a bronze mirror while a palace maid combed her lustrous hair. Suddenly, Worthy Consort Dong's shoulder twitched, and the frightened maid stopped what she was doing.
The Worthy Consort slowly turned, her phoenix eyes wide as she glared at the maid combing her hair. Terrified, the maid dropped to her knees with a thud.
Worthy Consort Dong raised her hand and dealt her a vicious slap. "Useless trash! Are you trying to murder me?"
The maid knocked her head against the floor like