Chapter 270 Pei Yuan Helps Reject Marriage, Revealing His True Feelings

Pei Yuan had a back injury, so the Longqing Emperor specially ordered that he be exempted from the morning court session.

He was processing official documents at the Flying Eagle Guard early in the morning.

Jinbao burst in, shouting and yelling.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! This servant encountered Marquis Weiwu and his son when I left the palace just now."

Pei Yuan didn't even look up.

"Both father and son serve in the Jingxi Camp. It's normal for you to run into them right after the morning court session. It's not something to make such a fuss about."

Jinbao was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

"Oh my, Your Highness, did you think the Marquis of Weiwu and his son went to the palace for the morning court session?"

They went to ask His Majesty for a marriage decree.

"A marriage bestowed by imperial decree?" Pei Yuan raised his head and slowly looked over. "Bestowed upon whom?"

"Of course it's for Miss Li and Lord Shen. I heard that Marquis Weiwu is very pleased with Lord Shen and is going to the palace to ask His Majesty for his help in person... Wait, where is His Highness?"

The desk was empty; there was no sign of Pei Yuan anywhere.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Marquis Weiwu knelt on the ground and began to speak of the bestowed marriage.

"When the fire broke out in Li Ming's mansion, it was Lord Shen who risked his life to rescue my daughter from the fire, but he himself almost met with misfortune."

Your Majesty, my daughter and I are deeply grateful to Lord Shen. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant my daughter and Lord Shen a marriage, so that they may be united in marriage. I implore Your Majesty to grant our request.”

"Your daughter and Shen Chu?" Emperor Longqing was somewhat surprised. He stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and then couldn't help but smile.

"At the last flower-viewing banquet hosted by the Grand Princess of Chengyang, many boys mocked Chen Chu, but only your daughter stood up to speak up for Chen Chu."

Now that Shen Chu has saved her from danger again, it seems the two are quite destined for each other.

Marquis Weiwu's eyes brightened slightly. "Your Majesty, regarding the matter of the bestowed marriage..."

The Longqing Emperor nodded with a smile, "The two of them, one dashing and heroic, the other gentle and refined, are quite a perfect match."

"In that case, I grant permission for this marriage..."

Before the word "approved" could be fully uttered, Pei Yuan's smiling voice suddenly rang out from the doorway of the Imperial Study.

"Father, what good thing happened that makes you so happy today?"

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Yuan strode in.

Seeing that Marquis Weiwu and his son were also there, he feigned surprise and asked, "Oh, Marquis Weiwu and his heir are here too."

Marquis Weiwu bowed and said, "Greetings, Sixth Prince."

Pei Yuan nodded and turned to look at Emperor Longqing.

"Father, I have come to deliver reports from various prefectures. A major case has recently occurred in Yangzhou, and all those who have gone missing are girls in their teens to twenties, or young women."

He took out a report and handed it over.

"Your subject felt something was amiss, so I brought it here for Father Emperor to see first."

The Longqing Emperor took the report, glanced at it, and his face immediately darkened.

"Twenty people have gone missing in a single month. It's outrageous! Is the prefect of Yangzhou just sitting around doing nothing?"

A month has passed, and not a single clue has been found.

Pei Yuan said, "Now the people of Yangzhou are in a state of panic, full of complaints, and dare not go out during the day."

Your Majesty, I fear that if the case is not solved quickly, it may cause unrest among the people.

The Longqing Emperor frowned.

"What is the commander of Yangzhou Garrison doing? Hasn't he even stepped up patrols? How can people keep disappearing one after another?"

Pei Yuan paused slightly.

The Longqing Emperor keenly sensed his hesitation, and said, "Say whatever you want to say."

Pei Yuan said, "Your subject was just thinking about the matter in Changsha Prefecture. The prefect of Changsha Prefecture, Yao Sihai, colluded with salt merchants and bandits, and committed all sorts of evil deeds."

Even the annual bandit suppression campaigns became a mere formality, with the Changsha Garrison Commander doing absolutely nothing.

The Longqing Emperor was furious, "That's because the commander of the Changsha Garrison colluded with Yao Sihai!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized what he had said.

"You suspect there's more to this than meets the eye, that the Yangzhou Garrison Commander and the Yangzhou Prefect might know something, and that they're colluding to cover it up for each other?"

"Your Majesty is renowned. I have learned that last year the daughter of the Yangzhou Garrison Commander married the son of the Yangzhou Prefect."

With their marriage, one a scholar and the other a warrior, Yangzhou City naturally became their territory. Who would dare to touch them in the slightest?

The Longqing Emperor slammed his hand on the table.

"This is outrageous! The world belongs to me, not them. Do they think they can control everything through marriage?"

"Immediately issue an imperial decree ordering the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice to travel to Yangzhou to investigate this matter. He is given one month to thoroughly investigate and uncover the truth."

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Pei Yuan bowed in response, then, as if remembering something, asked, "What was Father Emperor saying before I came in? I vaguely heard something about fate; was he about to bestow a marriage upon someone?"

"Oh, the Marquis of Weiwu has come to request an imperial decree for his daughter and Shen Chu to marry. I think they..."

Emperor Longqing was speaking when he suddenly realized something.

Shen Chu was a civil official, and he was also quick-witted and his actions were very much to Shen Chu's liking.

He even had a plan in mind to have Shen Chu join the cabinet in the future.

Marquis Weiwu was a military general who commanded 50,000 troops in the Jingxi Camp.

If Shen Chu becomes the son-in-law of the Marquis of Weiwu, and later enters the cabinet...

The Longqing Emperor's expression darkened slightly.

I was careless! I almost agreed to this marriage just now.

As Emperor Longqing was pondering how to refuse Marquis Weiwu, Pei Yuan suddenly smiled.

"Young Master Shen and the young lady? Hmm, that's a bit sudden. Young Master Shen is handsome and refined, and he writes excellent articles. I wonder how many young ladies have secretly fallen for him."

Putting everything else aside, all the girls at Qingfeng Tower are hoping that Young Master Shen will visit them often.

Marquis Weiwu was taken aback. "Does Lord Shen often visit Qingfeng Tower?"

“Oh, you mean this?” Pei Yuan chuckled. “It’s not often, but I happened to run into him when I went to Qingfeng Tower last time.”

But thinking about it, it makes sense. He's this year's top scorer, and handsome too. A young man who isn't a bit of a playboy is wasting his youth, right?

Marquis Weiwu's expression was rather unpleasant.

When I went last time?

Who in the entire capital doesn't know that the Sixth Prince is a regular at Qingfeng Tower?

Could it be that Shen Chu was also so romantic?

The heir of the Marquis of Weiwu was no longer calm and complained to the Marquis of Weiwu in a low voice.

"Father, scholars have always been fickle. Our little sister is someone we've raised with our own hands. How can you bear to let her marry a philandering scholar?"

Of course I couldn't bear to.

Marquis Weiwu, a military general who always acted decisively, immediately knelt on the ground and said:

"Your Majesty, the marriage of one's children is a major matter. My request just now was made on a whim, not the result of careful consideration."

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness; please consider what I just said as utter nonsense."

These words were exactly what the Longqing Emperor wanted to hear.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't show it on his face.

"The Marquis of Weiwu is right. Marriage is a major event and should indeed be taken very seriously."

"You are a pillar of the court, and I also hope that your daughter will find a good husband in the future. Wouldn't it be a wonderful story if you, father-in-law and son-in-law, could work together to protect our great Wei dynasty?"

Marquis Weiwu understood Emperor Longqing's implication and immediately became serious.

After the Marquis of Weiwu and his son withdrew, Pei Yuan knelt down directly before Emperor Longqing.

"Your subject's words just now were intentional. Shen Chu has never been to Qingfeng Tower, nor is he a frivolous or dissolute person. I beg Your Majesty to punish him."

Emperor Longqing raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent.

"Alright, do you really think I don't know what you're thinking?"