Chapter 187: All Benefits and No Harm
Concubine Rong took out a name card from the box beside her and handed it to Chi Hongyuan: "If you like any of the women on the list, you can tell your mother and she will help you in front of your father."
This matter concerns her son's lifelong event, so she couldn't be careless. Rong Fei also knew that her son had no intention of thinking about these things, so she helped him screen suitable candidates in advance. If any woman caught Chi Hongyuan's eye, it would be great.
Chi Hongyuan opened the roster and his eyes fell on the first two names: Yin Miaoyin and Gu Siqing.
Looking at these two names, Chi Hongyuan seemed to be thinking about something, but he quickly looked away and continued reading.
It was obvious that Concubine Rong put a lot of thought into selecting these noble ladies, and most of them were women of both good family background and good character.
After a while, when Chi Hongyuan closed the list, Rong Fei asked, "My son, are you satisfied?"
Chi Hongyuan touched the pattern of the silk cloth on the name card with his fingertips and said expressionlessly, "Mother, I know you have good intentions. Marrying a daughter of a noble family will definitely help me in my future. But doing so will inevitably make my father suspicious of me, which is not worth the loss."
Chi Hongyuan knew too well the temperament of his father, the current emperor.
When he was young and full of vigor, he was stubborn and self-righteous, and only wanted to protect his imperial power without distinguishing between loyalty and treachery. It was precisely because he was too afraid of military generals that there were only a few available military generals in the court.
However, he did make some contributions to people's livelihood. Therefore, although there were few military generals available in the court in recent years, people's lives were peaceful and there were no complaints from the people.
When Chi Hongyuan returned from the border, he found that the emperor's attitude towards him was both fond of and fearful of him.
In order to gain his trust and reuse, Chi Hongyuan had to suppress all his edge, focus on demonstrating his abilities, and carry out all his work around his loyalty to the emperor.
"There is no need to rush to appoint a concubine. It is better to wait a little longer or appoint a concubine first."
Chi Hongyuan spoke out his concerns thoughtfully. He knew very well that the emperor valued him because he was capable and loyal. Another crucial point was that he and Concubine Rong had no relatives.
The Rong family, which had once made great military achievements, had been exterminated. Neither Chi Hongyuan nor Rong Fei had any relatives to rely on. It was safer to use someone who was not a threat.
After all, everything Chi Hongyuan has now was given by the emperor, so he naturally believes that if he can give, he can take it back.
Once this balance was broken, Chi Hongyuan would be involved in power and have a backer, and the emperor would inevitably be suspicious of him.
"Don't worry, my son." Compared to Chi Hongyuan's concerns, Rong Fei's expression was terribly cold.
"If he is suspicious of you, he should have the energy to be suspicious." The woman's cold voice echoed in the hall. Rong Fei gently stroked the red nail polish on her nails with a gloomy expression. "His health is not good. He won't last long. It will only be one or two years. You just need to make your own plans."
Chi Hongyuan's heart skipped a beat. He was so smart, how could he not hear the hidden meaning behind his mother's words?
The emperor's health has indeed been poor in the past two years, but he is only in his forties and it is unlikely that he will collapse within a year or two, unless someone has done something to him.
Chi Hongyuan did not ask what Concubine Rong had done. There were some things that others could not know, not even his son. Only Concubine Rong would be safe if she had a clear mind.
"Mother, please be careful." All Chi Hongyuan could do was to remind Concubine Rong to be careful.
"When your mother learned to be cautious, you were still hugging her to ask for candy." Seeing her son's worry, Concubine Rong laughed and comforted him, easing the tense atmosphere between them.
Chi Hongyuan laughed: "Mother, don't I have any dignity?"
Outside, he is an iron-faced and impartial young general, an obedient and loyal minister who is only loyal to the emperor. Only in front of Concubine Rong, he is the gentle, talkative and cheerful Chi Hongyuan.
"I won't argue with you. Mother will clear the obstacles from the Emperor for you. Are there any candidates on the list that you like?"
Seeing that her son's mind was not on this, Concubine Rong couldn't help feeling anxious.
"I have never seen these ladies, so how can I know whether I like them or not? The beauty pageant is coming soon, so why not take a look at how it goes first? Does mother intend to let her son choose one of the ladies from the prime minister's family?"
Chi Hongyuan tapped the names of Gu Siqing and Yin Miaoyin with his index finger and looked at Concubine Rong with a smile.
Rong Fei did not hide it from him and nodded in agreement: "If either of them can become your legal wife, it will be a hundred benefits and no harm at all."
Thinking of Prime Minister Yin's personality and his usual words and deeds, Chi Hongyuan pulled the corner of his mouth and smiled: "Even if I have this intention, Prime Minister Yin may not want to marry his granddaughter to me."
This year's talent show was still within the scope of Gu Siqing's memory in her previous life. However, in her previous life, she was already the Crown Prince's Consort, so naturally she didn't have to participate in the talent show. She only knew that this talent show was very lively.
The news of the beauty pageant is usually issued by imperial decree. All women of marriageable age who meet the requirements must participate in the beauty pageant. Even the prime minister's mansion must send women of marriageable age to the palace for the beauty pageant and are not allowed to disobey the imperial decree. Whether or not they will be selected is another matter.
That day, Prime Minister Yin returned home and ordered someone to call Gu Siqing and Yin Miaoyin to the study. Gu Siqing was mentally prepared, but Yin Miaoyin was unaware of this. When she heard that the emperor had ordered a beauty contest, she got furious: "What kind of beauty contest is this!"
Prime Minister Yin was a man of integrity and had high standards of etiquette for the people around him. Upon hearing this, he glanced at Yin Miaoyin, who immediately fell silent.
Yin Miaoyin had just returned from school and had a rare few days of rest, but she didn't want her grandfather to send her to a more strict school.
"Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. The current emperor's age is not suitable for you. I have no intention of letting you enter the palace, but this time, His Majesty also intends to select concubines for several princes. I wonder what you two think?"
Marriage is a matter that affects one's second half of life. Prime Minister Yin was reluctant to let his two granddaughters enter the palace, but he still asked for their opinions.
"Grandfather, I don't want to enter the palace and be locked up in a cage-like place, nor do I want to marry any prince."
Yin Miaoyin shook her head like a rattle. She had seen many times how the princes' wives lived in the harem. In an ordinary family, if she was unhappy, she could still have her natal family to support her. But when she became a prince's wife, she had no control over everything.
She didn't want to be bound by rules and regulations, while Gu Siqing didn't even want to get married. The two of them agreed on the same point. When Prime Minister Yin looked over, Gu Siqing bowed his head and said, "My grandson meant the same thing."
Yin Miaoyin turned to look at Gu Siqing and winked at her. Gu Siqing immediately shook his head. Prime Minister Yin was still here.
Fortunately, Prime Minister Yin was slightly relieved when he learned that both of his granddaughters were unwilling to enter the palace and had no intention of becoming the prince's consort.
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