Chapter Fifty-Four I Still Have No Choice But to Turn to Xie Ning

This bedchamber, where the Empress Mother had spent her entire life, possessed a formidable aura. Logically speaking, ordinary dark sorcery should have been entirely incapable of penetrating it.

By what means, exactly, had that fellow managed to inject the baleful, sinister energy into the Empress Mother's body without a single person noticing?

Li Qingning's gaze swept inch by inch from the incense burner in the corner to the ornaments on the table, and finally to the beddings.

However, after searching for a long time, she discovered nothing at all.

The furnishings throughout the bedchamber were identical to usual, without the slightest alteration.

There were no shell wind chimes, soul-absorbing bronze mirrors, or other wicked artifacts of the sort that had appeared in her previous detached estate.

Everything appeared completely, utterly normal.

Yet the very normality of it all only served to highlight just how sublime and terrifying the enemy's methods truly were.

He had already reached the realm of taking lives without leaving a trace.

Li Qingning's heart sank lower and lower.

She realized that she had still underestimated that adversary.

With her current abilities, she could not find a single clue, let alone rescue the Empress Mother.

Across the entire realm, there was probably only one person capable of saving the Empress Mother.

In Li Qingning's mind, Xie Ning's face—always carrying that touch of cynical, carefree smile—surfaced.

She knew that only Xie Ning would have a way out in a situation like this.

"Someone come."

Li Qingning made a prompt and decisive decision.

"Go immediately to the Marquis of Dingyuan's Estate, and convey my command: invite the Heir of the Marquis to enter the palace at once."

Her words carried the weight of iron, leaving no room for question.

With a solemn expression, Li Qingning had originally intended to let Xie Ning enter the palace when he had free time, but now, it seemed she could not wait that long.

"Yes!"

A guard immediately acknowledged the order and sprinted away.

"Elder Sister, why are you summoning Xie Ning?"

Li Qingning's younger brother, Li Qingzhi, asked with a hint of perplexity.

"Can he... can he cure illnesses?"

Although he currently idolized Xie Ning and viewed him as an omnipotent poetry immortal, curing illnesses and saving lives was not the same as composing poems.

Even the numerous imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital were completely helpless; what could Xie Ning possibly do?

"Perhaps he cannot cure illnesses."

Li Qingning looked at her younger brother and spoke word by word.

"However, he can catch ghosts."

---

At the Marquis of Dingyuan's Estate, in the Hall of Abundant Life.

Ever since Xie Ning dropped that ruthless threat about everyone marching together to the vegetable market to receive executioners' blades and strutted away, the entire courtyard had plunged into a bizarre, deathly silence.

Everyone remained frozen in their dull postures, their complexions ashen and their souls seemingly frightened out of their bodies.

They felt as though they had just narrowly walked back from the gates of hell.

Especially Jia Yibo, who was paralyzed on the ground and had yet to recover his wits.

Xie Ning's words echoed repeatedly in his mind.

That casual tone, that blindingly brilliant yet terrifying smile, and that neat and tidy execution.

He harbored no doubts whatsoever.

That little bastard genuinely dared to do it!

Unbidden, he swallowed hard.

The more Jia Yibo thought about it, the more terrified he became; his entire body trembled even more violently, and his teeth chattered audibly.

Meanwhile, the Old Dowager Madam Wang, seated in the primary seat, fared no better.

Her wrinkled old face had completely drained of color, and her lips quivered as she tried to say something, yet not a single syllable could escape.

She had been utterly stunned by Xie Ning's words just moments ago.

In all her advanced years, she had never witnessed a descendant so lawless and rebellious against the established ways.

Using death as a threat?

The other party simply didn't care for that trick.

Not only did he not care, but he intended to drag her entire family along on the road to the afterlife.

How was one supposed to play this game?

Where was the reason in any of this?

The old lady felt as though her worldview had been thoroughly shattered at that very moment.

The status she took immense pride in and the shackles of filial piety she relied upon for survival were as fragile as paper before Xie Ning.

A single poke, and they tore.

After a long while, Jia Yibo was finally the first to regain a shred of his wits from the terror.

He scrambled up from the ground using both hands and feet.

He glanced at the old lady, who was still sitting dazedly in her chair with a devastated expression, and then at the other family members around him who were similarly frightened out of their wits.

An indescribable surge of humiliation and fury rushed into his heart.

He, the dignified Marquis of Dingyuan, had actually been frightened to the point of wetting himself by his nominal son, right in front of the entire family.

If word of this got out, how could he ever show his face in Jian'an City again?

"Mo... Mother..."

Jia Yibo's voice still quivered slightly.

He walked over to the old lady's side and carefully supported her arm.

"Are... are you alright?"

The old lady seemed not to hear him; she maintained her vacant, heartbroken expression, muttering under her breath.

"A madman... he's simply a madman..."

"How dare he..."

Watching the old lady in this state, Jia Yibo felt both anxious and enraged.

He knew the old lady had been completely broken of her gall by Xie Ning this time.

It was impossible to expect her to go toe-to-toe with Xie Ning the way she had just done.

This old thing remained utterly unreliable at critical moments.

Jia Yibo cursed inwardly.

It was truly a waste of the item he had gone to such great lengths to acquire.

Yet, on his face, he squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying.

"Mother, do not be afraid."

He comforted her in a soft voice.

"That rebellious son was merely putting on a bold front to scare us. He wouldn't dare; even if you gave him a hundred guts, he would never dare truly defy an imperial decree."

Even he didn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

However, he had to steady the old lady right now.

After all, this old woman was currently his only chess piece available to deal with Xie Ning.

"Mother, calm your anger first. This matter cannot simply rest here."

A trace of sinister ruthlessness flashed through Jia Yibo's eyes.

"That rebellious son was so arrogant today, showing such utter disrespect for his elders. If we don't discipline him now, I'm afraid the entire Marquis Estate will undergo a drastic change in the future."

Hearing this, a glimmer of life finally returned to the old lady's turbid eyes.

She raised her head and looked at Jia Yibo.

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Her voice remained weak and powerless.

"This Xie Ning is impervious to both soft and hard tactics, and even fears not death. What more can we possibly do to him?"

"Since hard methods fail, we shall resort to soft ones."

A cunning smile crept up the corners of Jia Yibo's mouth.

He leaned close to the old lady's ear and lowered his voice.

"Mother, do not forget, you are the rightful Matriarch of this Marquis Estate. The household finances have always been under your management."

Upon hearing this, the old lady's gaze shifted.

She seemed to understand Jia Yibo's intent.

"You mean..."

"Precisely."

Jia Yibo's smile grew increasingly cold and sinister.

"Hasn't that rebellious son latched onto the Eldest Princess now? Isn't he about to become the Prince Consort? Naturally, they will want to hold a grand and magnificent wedding."

"To hold a wedding requires money, does it not? With not a single coin to his name, what will he use to fund it? Doesn't his only hope still lie with the family?"

"As long as we firmly keep the purse strings in our hands, won't Xie Ning lose all face before the Eldest Princess and the entire world?"

"Let's see how he continues to act as the Prince Consort!"

Having said this, Jia Yibo could not help laughing aloud; it truly was a brilliant stratagem.

He intended to economically strangle Xie Ning completely.

Leaving him with merely the empty title of Prince Consort, yet incapable of holding even a decent wedding.

When that time came, the one losing face would not be Xie Ning alone; it would be the Eldest Princess and the entire imperial household.

Would the imperial house tolerate a pauper who couldn't even produce a bride-price serving as their Prince Consort?

The answer was self-evident.

The old lady's eyes gradually brightened as well.

She felt that Jia Yibo's idea was exceptionally brilliant.

Dealing with Xie Ning required precisely this kind of drastic measure—drawing the firewood from under the cauldron—leaving him with grievances he could never voice.

"Good! A brilliant idea!"

The old lady slapped her thigh, her spirit largely restored.

"We shall do as you say! I will dispatch men to seal the treasury this very moment, and I shall keep the keys in my personal custody. I want to see how that little bastard plans to throw his weight around outside once he has no money!"

Had Xie Ning been present, he would undoubtedly have been amused to the point of laughter by their brilliant scheme.

And he might even have offered them a brief compliment: a pair of absolute morons.