The Forbidden City.
Inside the Imperial Garden.
The emperor and empress paced back and forth. People always felt happiest when happiness drew near, just as their anticipation now swelled to the point of restless anxiety.
"Your Majesty!" A eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial hurried over.
Emperor Jingde's eyes blazed as he demanded impatiently:
"Speak!"
The eunuch dared not delay and delivered the urgent dispatch in a single breath:
"Ancestral Hall Guardian Jiang Wu personally intervened. With one casual punch, he knocked down the treacherous villain, breaking his bones and leaving him lying in a pool of blood, unable to rise."
Emperor Jingde's face glowed. He raised his arms and cried:
"Magnificent!"
"Bring wine! My heart is overflowing with joy. I must drain a great cup!"
Brimming with grand ambition, the emperor could not contain his delight.
Before the outcome was settled, even certain victory could not entirely dispel his worries.
After all, no one had ever personally seen an Ancestral Hall Guardian fight, whereas that little beast truly possessed heaven-defying talent and kept creating miracles.
Though the Ancestral Hall Guardian had given solemn assurances, a misjudgment of his strength would have been disastrous.
Fortunately, everything had unfolded exactly as expected.
Empress Yin beamed and said with relish:
"That mongrel brought this humiliation upon himself!"
"He proclaimed to all the world that Jia Huan had returned to the capital, roaring loudly enough to shake the heavens. In the end, he was merely a maggot to be crushed underfoot at will. He'll be a laughingstock for the ages!"
The emperor and empress exchanged glances and laughed heartily, then left the Imperial Garden together.
The emperor went to the Golden Throne Hall to preside over the court assembly.
The empress returned to Fengyi Palace to prepare the ghost marriage.
The imperial carriage