"No, Your Imperial Majesty!"
Zhou Jingran immediately paled. His heart was filled with fear, confusion, and anxiety. Which part made the emperor so angry that he intended to issue an edict? He couldn't understand it.
Was the emperor angry that the Zhou family didn't want the arranged marriage? Or could it be that the emperor knows about Miss Ning's identity being mentioned? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
"Do you know where you went wrong?" Huang Feiyu asked coldly. His gaze and voice sounded intimidating, completely different from before.
Zhou Jingran couldn't reply, only lowering his head with a trembling body. He, who was much older than Huang Feiyu, looked like a rabbit before a ferocious tiger.
Huang Feiyu then snorted, seeing how Zhou Jingran was acting. He waved his hand roughly, then said, "You may be quiet, but I know what the Zhou family is doing behind my back."
Zhou Jingran's face turned even paler. Cold sweat dripped down his temples and back. There was no mistake, Emperor Feiyu found out about Ye Ningjie! How did it happen?!
The people who knew about Ye Ningjie's identity were only him, Zhou Yan, and Zhou Wanwu. Even his wife doesn't know. Then, could it be that the emperor had been spying on Ye Ningjie from the start?
Various guesses began to appear in his mind. And he still didn't say anything. He will choose silence. If it was fate, he would get out of this place safely.
"I can forgive that, but there will be a punishment you can't avoid," Huang Fei Yu said dryly. "Go. Tell your son to get ready."
Zhou Jingran's head shot up immediately. His eyes turned into confusion. "Your Imperial Majesty …." He was about to ask, but Huang Feiyu glanced at him so sharply that he fell silent again.
Eunuch Wei, who had brought the scroll and was preparing to write the decree, gulped nervously. The emperor was in a rage, so he had to be more careful. He hesitantly asked, "Your Majesty… the decree…."
"General Zhou guards Wuliang with much effort. Should I send Zhou Yan to help his uncle?"
Zhou Jingran's eyes immediately widened. What does it mean? "Your Majesty …."
"Or should I betroth him to Tang Duchun's daughter?" Huang Feiyu's expression was even.
Zhou Jingran was thrown into shock and confusion. General Zhou was his elder brother, Zhou Wanwu's first child. General Zhou served on the border of Wuliang, the northernmost region of the Baixi Empire. It's a cold and isolated place.
The emperor will send Zhou Yan to Wuliang. Although the pretext was to help General Zhou, that was not his true intention at all. The emperor wants to exile Zhou Yan!
Wuliang is a very faraway place. They will have a hard time meeting up. Of course, as a father, Zhou Jingran felt unwilling. However, he knew Huang Feiyu had been kind enough to him by not harming the Zhou family. That man also still gave him the choice of either exiling Zhou Yan or forcibly marrying him off.
Zhou Jingran's two palms clenched. He closed his eyes for a few moments before finally letting out a deep breath. "Thank you for Your Imperial Majesty's kindness." He prostrated himself on the floor.
"Zhou Jingran, if the people you help are not of King Ye's bloodline, I will not send Zhou Yan north. But I will massacre the entire Zhou clan in an instant!" Huang Feiyu said coldly.
Although Zhou Jingran didn't understand, he didn't ask. "Please spare us." He again prostrated himself. "Miss Ye… She is innocent. Please don't give her a hard time," he pleaded earnestly.
Huang Feiyu leaned back on the chair with a sigh. His eyes dimmed a little. "If you only knew, this isn't a simple matter at all," he muttered under his breath.
He cleared his throat, returning his stern face. "That will depend on her attitude. If she kills me, should I just keep quiet?" His voice sounded sarcastic.
Zhou Jingran lowered his head without replying. Huang Feiyu snorted again. He turned to look at Eunuch Wei and then said, "I will personally write the edict."
"Very well, Your Imperial Majesty." Eunuch Wei stared at the emperor's palm, then asked, "Should I call for a doctor?"
"Not now," replied the emperor. Eunuch Wei nodded slowly.
Huang Feiyu then looked down at the wound on his palm. "Don't let that girl know, and don't interfere with what will happen next. I will literally turn your residence into ruins if you argue with me!" He gave a warning.
"You don't want that matchmaking, so I'm giving you another choice," he continued, clenching his fist. Of course, his actions made the red blood on his hand drip more and more. Others who saw that felt shudders, but Huang Feiyu's expression didn't even show the slightest pain.
Zhou Jingran gulped. "This servant understands."
After saying goodbye, he hurried back to the Zhou residence. His father was waiting for his return in the private room. He immediately came there to meet her.
"Father ...."
"How?" asked Zhou Wanwu directly.
Zhou Jingran sighed uneasily, then said, "It's hard to believe, but Emperor Feiyu actually already knows Princess Ye's whereabouts."
"What?!" Zhou Wanwu was taken aback by that. Didn't the emperor summon Zhou Jingran to the palace to discuss Zhou Yan's marriage?
Zhou Jingran began to recount his conversation with Huang Feiyu. He also talked about Zhou Yan's exile plan. That made Zhou Wanwu feel both worried and surprised at the same time.
"So, Your Highness actually made the decree. It's already decided. No matter what happens, Zhou Yan will definitely go to Wuliang. I am the one at fault, but my grandson will have to pay the price," Zhou Wanwu said sadly. His heart became very guilty.
"But I was surprised by His Majesty's eyesight. He can actually know this. It seems that many people have misjudged his skills. He really is not to be underestimated."
Zhou Jingran nodded in agreement. "Then what should we do?"
"What else? We've tried to keep Princess Ye's whereabouts a secret. However, His Imperial Majesty still knows about it. And we've received a warning."
It had only been a day since Ye Ningjie's arrival. However, the situation had gotten out of control. Emperor Feiyu was truly an unpredictable person.
"What about Yan'er?" asked Zhou Jingran.
"His uncle is in Wuliang. It's not a problem," Zhou Wanwu said. He took a deep breath.
To be honest, this situation was much better than he had imagined. He had already thought about the repercussions if the emperor found out about his family's actions. Really didn't think it would be so easy. The emperor only asked Zhou Yan to go to Wuliang. That is a very light punishment.
"This is quite strange, isn't it? Father, His Majesty didn't even make a fuss. I mean, he didn't open this matter in public. I think only the emperor and a few of his confidants know of the Zhou family's deeds. And this matter will end here. We will not be humiliated."
Zhou Wanwu stroked his beard while nodding his head. "Perhaps Emperor Feiyu was indeed expecting this day."
"What do you mean?"
"We are under his plan."