The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 1116 - 1090: Honor Amidst Chaos

Princess Fengyang’s explosive reaction over a romantic interest nearly overturned the entire court, and the news quickly spread throughout the Capital.

Of course, Qi Nanxue heard about it too.

He was almost scared out of his wits.

He was afraid and worried, fearing Princess Fengyang would fall out of favor with the Crown Prince because of this incident, and that the Emperor and Empress would come to dislike her.

He wanted to find out what happened afterward, but due to his poor health, he couldn’t get out of bed, making him powerless to inquire about the matter.

Just as Qi Nanxue was filled with anxiety and fear, someone arrived from inside the palace.

Little Fuzi came with others to summon Qi Nanxue to the palace.

Unable to get up, Qi Nanxue had to be supported by others, and he was carried into the palace in a sedan chair.

On the way, Qi Nanxue’s condition worsened, and a cold sweat broke out all over his body.

Once inside the palace, they switched to a soft sedan and carried him all the way to Fengqi Palace.

After being assisted into Fengqi Palace, he saw Anning and Xiao Yuan sitting in the main seats.

Qi Nanxue’s legs weakened, and he nearly knelt.

Anning ordered someone to help him lie down on the royal concubine couch next to them: "Enough, in your condition, there’s no need for formalities; if you try to kneel, you’ll lose half your life."

Qi Nanxue offered a wry smile and lay down.

In reality, he didn’t have the energy for anything else.

Anning glanced at Xiao Yuan, who cleared his throat: "Fengyang entered the palace to ask me to counsel you, but I don’t know how to advise you. Instead of protecting your woman, you let Fengyang worry about you. Aren’t you ashamed? A true man acts decisively and responsibly; this indecisive attitude only invites scorn."

Anning tugged on Xiao Yuan’s sleeve, and Xiao Yuan snorted: "Why are you pulling me? I’ve wanted to scold him for a while now. No one should try to stop me today. Qi Nanxue, if you’re truly a man, cast aside your sentimental notions and do something worthwhile for Fengyang. Others might not be fond of you, but why should you care? We live our lives for our own happiness, not for the approval of others. Those old conservatives criticize not only you but also find fault with me constantly. If I were like you, I wouldn’t have stayed alive this long. If you’re magnanimous, let them say what they want; if you’re angry, confront those who slander you. Why show this frail facade? Even if you were to die from illness, only Fengyang and your mother would shed a tear for you. Others wouldn’t be affected; in fact, those old conservatives might even celebrate."

The scolding left Qi Nanxue so uncomfortable he couldn’t even lie still.

He propped himself up and weakly said: "I, no, it’s not that I can’t take being insulted. I’ve been living with constant insults for years. I’m just afraid of aggrieving the Princess, afraid that the Emperor and the Empress would reprimand her because of me."

"Heh."

Xiao Yuan rose and paced to Qi Nanxue’s side: "I think you’re just narrow-minded. How can you, a man, have such a small heart? Are you worried that I can’t tolerate you? Fengyang has been with you for quite some time now. If I couldn’t tolerate you, I would have sentenced you to death long ago. How could you have survived until now? What kind of person do you think I am? Can I be easily swayed by others? You underestimate me and my Princess."

Anning chuckled, pulled Xiao Yuan to sit down, and kindly said to Qi Nanxue: "Don’t worry. You’re with Fengyang, and she has spoken to me and the Emperor about it. We understand, and we won’t make things difficult for you."

Qi Nanxue breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty is right. It’s all my fault. I’ve been unable to take a stand, causing the Princess to worry about me."

With his mind now at ease, Qi Nanxue’s previous sorrows and fears were swept away, leaving him feeling much lighter, almost refreshed.

"Now that you realize your mistake, go back and genuinely change. Live well with Fengyang and stop dwelling on nonsense. If you cause Fengyang to worry about you again, I won’t spare you,"

Xiao Yuan said coldly to Qi Nanxue before leaving with a dramatic sweep of his sleeve.

Anning rose and said: "Rest here for a while. I’ll have an Imperial Physician come to check your pulse. Your health needs proper care. You can’t be weak and unable to carry the bride when it’s time to get married."

"Married?"

Qi Nanxue was so shocked he nearly fell off the couch: "What marriage? Who am I marrying?"

Anning smiled and said: "Fengyang asked me and her father for permission to marry you, and requested the Emperor to issue an edict granting her marriage to you. The Emperor was a bit upset, and said some harsh words earlier, but don’t take it to heart. After all, if you marry Fengyang, you’ll be like our child. The Emperor is concerned about your situation and upset because of your stubbornness, which is why he said those things earlier. If it were an outsider, the Emperor wouldn’t have said a single word more."

Qi Nanxue truly couldn’t fathom what he was feeling inside.

Disbelief, overwhelming joy, and then worry, as if he were in a dream.

With a thud, he fell to the ground, then knelt down and kowtowed to Anning, and after doing so, gave himself a hard slap on the face.

Anning winced on his behalf: "You silly child, why are you hitting yourself?"

Qi Nanxue mumbled: "I just wanted to see if I’m dreaming."

With Xiao Yuan and Anning’s reassurance, Qi Nanxue felt at ease. His previous worries evaporated, and his overall state transformed.

Later, Anning arranged for the Imperial Physician to take his pulse and prescribed medicine for him to drink for several days, allowing him to recover gradually.

Initially, it was a mental burden troubling him; now that his emotional strain was relieved, his health naturally improved.

As time passed, Qi Nanxue ate and drank well, exercised carefully, and eventually restored his health.

As his health improved, the marriage edict was finally issued.

Only then did Qi Nanxue truly feel secure.

He accepted the edict and then looked foolishly at Princess Fengyang with a joyful grin.

Hand in hand with Princess Fengyang, he just kept gazing at her, feeling he could never look enough.

Shortly after Princess Fengyang’s betrothal was settled, Lu Zhen gave birth.

She gave birth to a pair of twins, a girl and a boy. When the little Commandery Princess and the little Grandson were born, it coincided exactly with the rising sun, casting a glow over the sky. Many said it was a good omen; paired with the birth of twins, they believed it symbolized prosperity and happiness, filling everyone in the Eastern Palace with joy.

On the day of the twins’ hundredth day celebration, Princess Fengyang married.

Anning felt assured seeing all the children settled and living well.

Little did they know, in less than two years, Princess Pingyang wielded a blade and killed her Prince Consort.

After killing her Prince Consort, Princess Pingyang ran to the court with the knife, confessing her crime to Xiao Yuan in front of all the ministers.

Xiao Yuan first ordered Princess Pingyang back to the palace, and then commenced an investigation into the Song Family.

The investigation uncovered a myriad of issues, pulling many noble families into the mire, giving Xiao Yuan an opportunity to suppress the power of the nobility. Many prominent families, with legacies spanning hundreds of years, were uprooted by Xiao Yuan. Numerous officials with noble backgrounds also lost their positions, replaced by those from humble origins.

After weakening the noble families, Xiao Yuan turned his attention to the powerful generals.

He didn’t execute the meritorious officials but rather reassigned them; those stationed at the South Border were moved to the Western Border, and those from the West to the North. Essentially, all the stationed generals were swapped around. Xiao Yuan then encouraged several veteran generals to retire and opened a military academy where these retired generals could teach.

Additionally, Xiao Yuan strengthened ideological work within the army, recruitied new soldiers, and allowed veteran soldiers to return home to farm, of course providing those returning with a settlement allowance.

As new soldiers were enlisted, the generals of the Dajing Dynasty, so to speak, became like toothless tigers.

Their veteran soldiers had returned home to live as civilians, leaving only new recruits, freshly indoctrinated with loyalty to the Emperor. These new soldiers were loyal to Emperor Xiao Yuan, making it so that no matter what plans the generals might have had, they found themselves helplessly constrained, ultimately accepting their fate and, in some cases, retiring to teach at the military academy.

Once the military stabilized, Xiao Yuan began implementing new policies, and within a few years, life in the entire Dajing Dynasty became prosperous and stable, with population growth seen across the region, reviving many previously sparse areas, leading to flourishing towns and counties.

A few years later, Xiao Yuan abdicated the throne, and upon Xiao Ying’s accession, Xiao Yuan and Anning traveled the world together hand in hand.