Chapter 35 The Willow Tree in the Breeze (Part 3) "If the Cui family daughter could marry into the Eastern Palace..."

Yan Chao's expression shifted between light and dark, then returned to normal. He glanced at him and suddenly said, "The matter of selecting concubines was proposed by you, wasn't it?"

Lan Huaien slightly raised his head to look into her eyes, and nodded calmly: "Yes. As it can solve the immediate crisis, His Majesty also had this intention. But I truly did not expect His Majesty to think of Your Highness..."

In the past, a special selection process was held for the crown prince to choose his consorts. However, the emperor had never placed much importance on the crown prince's wife, so his idea was quite understandable.

However, Lan Huaien was only guessing. He was lost in thought when he looked up and saw that Yan Chao had already walked several steps away. He quickly caught up and added, "...His Majesty did not say it explicitly, but there is still room for maneuver."

Yan Chao, however, no longer paid him any attention.

.

The emperor entrusted the selection of imperial concubines to Yang Ren, the Minister of Rites, and Lan Huai'en, the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial. It was only March, and the imperial edict had already been issued. Then came the selection of virtuous ladies, their arrival in the capital, and finally, the final selection to enter the palace. The whole process was time-consuming and laborious, and it might be busy until summer.

Five or six years had passed since the last selection of imperial concubines. There were quite a few concubines in the harem, but not many could win the emperor's heart. Otherwise, Consort Li would not have enjoyed such favor for so many years.

The emperor was very interested in this and instructed Yang Ren and Lan Huaien to handle it well.

"Is it still raining outside?" The emperor's face was rosy, with a slight smile on his face, as he turned his head to look out the window.

Lan Huaien replied, "Your Majesty, it has already stopped."

The emperor nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said to Yan Chao, "I remember that the Cui family of Yingtian Prefecture in Jiangnan is from the same branch of Empress Wenhui's maternal family?"

The emperor rarely mentioned the Cui family.

Unaware of the deeper meaning behind this, Yan Chao nodded and replied, "Yes."

"The Empress has three brothers. I remember the third brother is Cui Gan. When he left the capital, he had a young daughter who should be of marriageable age by now. I have inquired about her, and she is of excellent character and appearance, but she is still unmarried. You must have seen her when we were in the capital. She is also from the same clan as your mother. If she could enter the Eastern Palace, it would be a double blessing."

The emperor casually flicked the jade tassel at his waist, then looked up at her. Perhaps he had just finished discussing the imperial concubine selection, or perhaps it was a father's concern for his children's marriages, but the emperor's smile was very gentle, and at this moment it looked no different from the kind gaze he had given to Prince Xin.

If Yan Chao were truly a male crown prince, he should be somewhat moved at this moment. However, her heart had been taut ever since she entered, and now that the emperor had indeed brought up her marriage, she felt no joy whatsoever, only shock and helplessness.

"What does the Crown Prince think?"

The emperor saw her lower her head and assumed it was out of shyness, but considering how deserted the harem of the grand Eastern Palace was, he patiently asked her another question.

Yang Ren was pleased to see this scene, and sat quietly at the lower end of the table, drinking tea without uttering a word.

He knew what the emperor was thinking. The Cui family had never produced any powerful or influential figures, and they had made thorough preparations when they established Empress Wenhui. Therefore, the Cui family had always been under the emperor's control until they left the capital ten years ago after Empress Wenhui's death.

This remains true today.

If Yang Ren were to consider it himself, Lady Cui would indeed be a good match for the Crown Prince, as she is known for her virtuous character.

He glanced at the Crown Prince out of the corner of his eye and saw that she had her hands clasped together, but her demeanor remained as dignified as ever.

Yan Chao took a light breath, his gaze fixed on the emperor, but he didn't dare to look up. He steadied himself and said, "Your Majesty, I think it can be postponed a little longer..."

The emperor frowned, paused for a moment, and asked her, "You're not young anymore, and you're still declining this year. What's your reason?"

Yan Chao loosened his grip, stood up, and knelt down, saying, "Please forgive your son for not reporting what he knew."

The rest of the people in the hall were taken aback. The emperor's expression hardened slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "Explain yourself first."

"...At the beginning of the year, when I went to Juehui Temple to pray for blessings, I drew a fortune stick. The master in the temple interpreted the fortune stick and said that it was not advisable for me to get married in the next few years, otherwise it would affect my luck and be bad for the girl."

The emperor was initially puzzled, then simply looked at her in silence. Yang Ren, sitting below, observed quietly for a while before finally coughing lightly, rising to say, "Your Highness, drawing lots in temples is merely for good luck, and many common people believe it to be true. As the crown prince, you should not believe such petty talk. If it truly concerns one's fortune, the Imperial Observatory will speak on it."

He sighed inwardly, utterly perplexed. The Emperor had finally shown concern for the Eastern Palace, and the marriage was, in fact, quite suitable. The Crown Prince's current reason seemed far-fetched, even ungrateful.

Yan Chao seemed not to hear Yang Ren's words and continued, "...If Father does not believe me, I will have Liang Lu bring the divination stick."

"Enough!"

The emperor, having reached his limit, looked quite displeased and rebuked him.

Yang Ren and Lan Huaien, who were standing to the side, were both startled. The next moment, they heard the Crown Prince's voice, low and slightly choked.

"Father, seventeen years ago, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said there was something amiss with the dragon fetus in Mother's womb, and that I was born with an ominous constitution. I was away from the palace for six years afterward. Master Yuanhe first said that all evil spirits had dissipated from my body, and then the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said there was nothing wrong, so I returned to the palace. As the Crown Prince, I believe my abilities are inferior to those of Crown Prince Zhaohuai. I only wish to fulfill my responsibilities as the Eastern Palace and share Father's burdens. However, given the lessons of the past, I dare not implicate innocent others again due to this mistake. I am timid, so even if it is merely unfounded talk, I dare not take it lightly. At that time, the master's words only concerned marriage, and I felt there was no need to trouble Father. But if it involved family members, I certainly would not dare to conceal it..."

Family.

The emperor was stunned, and stared blankly at her.

Towards the end, a hint of bitterness crept into his voice. He knew she was always very proper and cautious, never making a mistake, and always treating him with the respect due to a subject to a ruler. Hearing her say "family" now made him feel strangely closer than before.

He suppressed the hostility in his eyes and told her to get up.

When Lan Huaien stepped forward to help Yan Chao up, he could still see the tears welling up in her eyes. He didn't use much force, but he felt a slight tremor in her wrist, and a strange desire stirred within him.

The Emperor said calmly, "As the Grand Secretary just said, it was just the monk talking nonsense, there's no need to take it seriously. Besides, the selection of the Crown Princess requires careful consideration. There will be a divination ceremony to predict the outcome, so you don't need to worry about these things."

Yan Chao said in a low voice, "Yes."

The emperor looked at her, about to say something more, when a eunuch announced that the Prince of Changle requested an audience. The emperor was slightly puzzled, then told him to wait outside. No sooner had he spoken than a voice came from outside: "Grandfather, your grandson has urgent business!" The emperor paused for a moment, then finally let him in.

Yan Fei stepped over the threshold into the hall, bowed to the emperor and Yan Chao, and then, seeing Yang Ren bowing to him, obediently replied, "Greetings, Lord Yang."

She then turned to look at Yan Chao, and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah...Is Sixth Uncle crying?"

Yan Chao shook his head: "No."

The emperor asked him, "Fei'er, what urgent matter is it?"

Yan Fei lowered his head, pursed his lips, and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a section of his forearm stained with blood. The Emperor asked in surprise, "What happened?"

Yan Fei winced in pain: "I was walking too fast and tripped and fell..."

"He's such a grown man, yet he doesn't even watch where he's going," the emperor sighed, then called out again, "Summon the imperial physician."

After thanking the emperor for his kindness, Yan Fei heard the emperor instruct a eunuch to take him to a side hall to treat his injuries. Before leaving, he pleaded with the emperor, "Grandfather, I have to return to Wenhua Hall later. Please have my sixth uncle escort me."

The emperor nodded, and only after he left did he ask Ji Weixian, "Who is accompanying the Prince?"

Ji Weixian replied that he had only seen the palace maid Shuying when he arrived, and no eunuchs were seen accompanying him. Sure enough, the emperor frowned and indifferently ordered: "Failed to protect the master, fifty strokes of the cane. Go and tell Zhaoyang Palace to replace the people around the Prince. If his mother cannot find reliable people, send a few people from the Imperial Guard to her..."

He paused, then changed his mind: "Let Lan Huaien select a few people to follow the Prince."

Lan Huaien bowed and agreed.

When the emperor turned his gaze back to the hall, he no longer mentioned the matter of the crown prince choosing a consort. Yan Chao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, blinked quietly, and felt a genuine pang of sadness.

"The capital has been relatively peaceful these days. This morning, I heard about the fire in Sizhou, the hail in Linqing, and the storm in Nanjing. The cabinet's draft proposals have been approved by me and sent to the cabinet. I will review them again when you return, Grand Secretary."

Yang Ren responded with a "yes". They then discussed other political matters, asked a few questions about the disbandment of the Shuchang Academy this year, and occasionally asked Yan Chao a question or two, all of which he answered with ease.

When the two men offered their leave, the emperor only allowed Yan Chaoxian to leave, while Yang Ren remained.

As Yan Chao left the palace, he happened to see Yan Feicai coming out as well. Perhaps he had aggravated his injury while changing his dressing, for his playful expression had vanished, and he was biting his lip, carefully keeping his left arm still.

Yan Fei looked around before noticing her and asked the eunuch beside him, "Where is Sister Shuying?"

The imperial guards reported that Yan Fei had been taken away and flogged. Immediately, tears streamed down Yan Fei's face as he stubbornly tried to run away.

"I'm going to find Sister Shuying. None of you are allowed to hit him."

Yan Fei was stopped by the eunuchs, so he could only look at Yan Chao with teary eyes and say, "Sixth Uncle..."

Yan Chao sighed softly. Fifty strokes of the cane were indeed heavy for a palace maid, but given the emperor's high regard for Yan Fei, he naturally couldn't allow the palace servants to neglect him. Moreover, the imperial edict had already been issued, and it wouldn't be easy to plead for leniency.

She beckoned to Lan Huaien: "Shuying has been by the Prince's side all along, and I'm afraid she can't be separated from him for even a moment. As for the fifty strokes of the cane, I beg you to show mercy and give her a light punishment. Do not kill her or seriously injure her."

Lan Huaien lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, it would be better not to show kindness indiscriminately. If she made a mistake in Zhaoyang Palace, we can't interfere with Consort Sun's beatings and scoldings, but this is in front of the Emperor. Since His Majesty has issued the decree, I will obey it without question."

Yan Fei hurriedly interjected, full of confidence: "Grandfather only said fifty strokes of the cane, without specifying the severity. Now, your sixth uncle is ordering you as the Crown Prince—oh no, and also me, the Prince—you cannot disobey!"

Looking at his fierce expression, Lan Huaien couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He then glanced at Yan Chao and slowly bowed, replying, "Your Highness, please calm down. I didn't say I wouldn't listen. Rest assured, I will definitely send Xu Shuying back to you safe and sound later."

Yan Fei let out a long sigh and took two steps back to hide behind Yan Chao. He had always been somewhat afraid of Lan Huaien, the eunuch.

Yan Chao nodded, thanked him, and left with Yan Fei in his hand.

As Yan Fei walked, he wiped away his tears. He then stopped and looked at Yan Chao, saying, "Sixth Uncle, if Shu Ying leaves me, I'm afraid someone will bully her. Why don't you take her in as your wife?"

"..."

Yan Chao trembled slightly.