Chapter 204 The Wedding

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I believe that the virtuous women of the inner palace are essential for governing the country; and that the women of the inner palace are worthy of special favor and honor. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon Meng Xiyao, a concubine's daughter of the Meng family, a woman of gentle and kind nature, born into a distinguished family, and of dignified and serene character. I am delighted with her and hereby confer upon her the title of Consort Xi, granting her the residence of Yaojiao. May she diligently perform her duties within the inner palace and forever enjoy this great blessing. Respectfully yours!"

Everyone in the Meng family was extremely shocked upon hearing the imperial edict.

Meng Xiyao's face turned ashen, and she was completely stunned.

She knew that the imperial decree arriving at this time was probably not a good thing. She originally thought that the emperor would just imprison her or find a reason to give the Meng family a warning, but she did not expect that he would actually make her a concubine.

The emperor was older than her father, so he couldn't possibly be the ideal husband she wanted to marry.

Meng Xiyao is quite picky about her partner. In the past six months, Du Shiyin has introduced her to at least a dozen or so men, but none of them have met her expectations.

She thought she was still young and her elder sister wasn't in the capital, so she could take good care of her parents and then slowly make her choice. But instead, she received this terrible news.

She didn't believe the imperial edict that said the emperor was pleased. If it weren't for her elder sister and the Prince of Northern Frontier, the emperor wouldn't even know her name. Bringing her into the harem now was clearly a pawn to be used against her elder sister and the Prince of Northern Frontier.

She was so young and beautiful, how could she be willing to enter that inner palace and grow old in loneliness?

But faced with the imposing imperial power, the legitimate daughter and her father could only obey. How could she possibly resist?

Meng Xiyao's mind raced through a thousand thoughts in an instant, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

Meng Xingyuan, who was kneeling at the front, also looked very unpleasant.

His career was exceptionally smooth throughout his life, but his children's marriages were always delayed and he could not get what he wanted.

His three daughters were known as the "Three Beauties of the Meng Family" and were once his pride.

When Meng Lingge was choosing a husband, many people speculated about what kind of prestigious family background would be acceptable to him. He thought that he had already made his family live a good life through his own efforts, and that as long as his husband was of noble character and sincere towards his daughter, that would be enough. Therefore, among all the suitors, he chose Guan Yi'an, who seemed the most persistent and sincere.

Little did anyone know that Guan Yi'an was all an act, which not only turned his eldest daughter's marriage into a joke, but also dragged his second daughter down with him.

Knowing that he was a complete failure in choosing a son-in-law, he never interfered in the marriages of his three daughters, leaving the decisions entirely to his wife.

He wasn't worried about Meng Xiyao, who disliked him on one side and not on the other.

With his family background and his three daughters' good looks, he'll never have trouble finding a husband. The best he can do is look around and compare to find the most suitable one.

Before the three women could be chosen, the Emperor set his sights on them.

He knew that the Emperor would definitely take action against the Meng family, either by arresting Meng Lingge or by adjusting his official position. As long as he did not secretly contact the Prince of the Northern Frontier, he did not need to worry too much.

Who would have thought that the emperor, already in his sixties, would still set his sights on his unmarried daughter?

If I had known it would turn out this way, I would have preferred to choose one of the suitors at random and settle the marriage first.

Now, it's too late to say anything.

The imperial decree has been issued. Accepting it would ruin Meng Xiyao's life, while refusing it would leave the entire Meng family with no way out.

"Lord Meng, are you so happy you've gone mad? Why haven't you accepted the imperial decree yet?"

Seeing that Meng Xingyuan's face was ashen and he was in a daze, Eunuch Chu smiled faintly and reminded him.

Meng Xingyuan reached out and took the imperial edict, only to feel that the thin edict weighed a ton, making it hard for him to breathe.

"I obey the order."

The other members of the Meng family followed behind him, bowing and expressing their gratitude.

"This is a joyous occasion. The Emperor's harem has not welcomed any new members for many years. This time, Miss Meng has been granted the title of Consort Xi. It is not only because the Emperor favors Miss Meng, but also because he trusts Lord Meng. This servant congratulates Lord Meng and Miss Meng. They shall enter the palace within seven days of the investiture. You should all prepare well."

The smile on Eunuch Chu's face didn't reach his eyes; his sharp old eyes darted back and forth between Meng Xingyuan and Meng Xiyao.

"Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Xie. Please come in and have a cup of tea first."

Meng Xingyuan's expression softened somewhat, and he forced a polite exchange.

“I won’t have any tea. His Majesty is waiting for me to return to the palace to report. I also have an imperial decree here, which is for the Meng family. Your esteemed young master, Meng Qingyu, is the same age as the Ninth Prince. His Majesty has ordered him to enter the palace tomorrow to serve as the Ninth Prince’s study companion. Please pack your young master’s clothes today. I will send someone to pick him up later.” Eunuch Chu’s gaze swept past the two men, searching through the crowd, and landed on Meng Qingyu.

Meng Qingyu was already dissatisfied with the Emperor's bestowal of the title of concubine upon his third sister. Upon hearing that he was to enter the palace as a study companion, his face immediately turned cold and pale. However, he knew that the imperial decree could not be disobeyed, and even though he was full of displeasure, he dared not show his anger in front of Eunuch Chu.

Meng Xingyuan had already tolerated such a major event as the bestowed marriage, so naturally he had no objection to the matter of the companionship. After the head agreed, he prepared to personally escort Eunuch Chu and the others out of the mansion.

Then they heard screams coming from afar.

"Help! Help!"

Meng Xingyuan's heart skipped a beat. Just after his men captured Zheng Qingshan, Eunuch Chu arrived with an imperial edict. He ordered Zheng Qingshan to be imprisoned first, and then brought the whole mansion to receive the edict. Could this voice mean that Zheng Qingshan has escaped?

When the imperial edict arrived, the entire household should have knelt down to welcome it. However, there were several unregistered guards. Presumably, Zheng Qingshan had escaped and was discovered by the guards, which is why Zheng Qingshan cried out for help.

If Eunuch Chu discovers this person, the trouble will be even greater.

At this moment, Eunuch Chu had already looked in the direction of the sound.

What's going on?

Meng Xingyuan tried his best to remain calm and said, "We caught a petty thief and are preparing to escort him to the authorities."

Eunuch Chu listened intently, but by then the sound was gone.

"Why is there no sound again?"

"Perhaps he got tired of shouting," Meng Xingyuan said in a low voice.

Eunuch Chu frowned and said, "What kind of thief is so audacious as to dare to steal from the Prime Minister's residence? May I see him?"

Meng Xingyuan thought to himself that Eunuch Chu was a cunning old fox, but smiled faintly and said, "Weren't you in a hurry to report back just now? He's just a desperate outlaw from the martial world, nothing to see here."

"Yes, Lord Meng, I almost forgot. I have to go back and report first. Then I won't bother you any longer," Eunuch Chu said quickly.

"Let me see you off."

Meng Xingyuan escorted Eunuch Chu all the way to the gate of the mansion before exchanging pleasantries and returning home.

As soon as he left, Eunuch Chu instructed the young eunuch beside him, "You wait here and see if the Meng family has sent any petty thieves to the government. If they haven't been sent within an hour, go to the palace and report back to me immediately."

Meng Xingyuan returned to his residence, where a gloomy and desolate atmosphere prevailed.

Even the servants in the household knew that this arranged marriage was not a good thing.

His wife and children were still in the front yard living room, waiting for him to return to discuss the matter. But the matter was already settled; what was there left to discuss?

Meng Qingyu gritted her teeth and was the first to speak.

"Father, the Emperor is so old, are you really going to send Third Sister to him as a concubine? I don't agree to this! Mother and Third Sister have just analyzed it, the Emperor just wants a hostage, then I can just go and be the Ninth Prince's study companion, why do you have to harm my Third Sister?"

Meng Xingyuan glared at Meng Qingyu and quickly went over to lock the door.