77 Like Me
◎I have liked her for a long time and always have.◎
Bai Yi looked a little unhappy. She had guessed that this would be the outcome, but she didn't expect that her bastard son would actually do something like sending his own sister to marry a foreign prince.
She had always thought they had a very close brother-sister relationship, but she hadn't expected it to be so fragile. "What do you mean by that?" She was a little dazed, still unable to believe that these words came from Fu Hua's mouth. "Let your sister go to marry?"
The atmosphere was dull and Fu Hua did not dare to answer. He was in the wrong. Logically, he had reasons to refuse. His sister was already engaged, or he was wearing a hairpin to practice Buddhism, or the empress dowager was reluctant to let him suffer a serious illness. He could get away with it any way he wanted. But he didn't want to waste any more effort, so he agreed to the request.
There was no precedent in the Great Zhou for legitimate princesses to marry off to foreign countries. It had always been illegitimate princesses or illegitimate daughters of the royal family who went.
Bai Yi remained silent. She was extremely disappointed, but she still tried her best to control her anger. Even if she got angry again, no one would speak for Fu Tao.
She calmed down and asked calmly, "Is it already decided, or are you just assuming it?"
Fu Hua felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look up. He lowered his head and his voice trembled. It was obvious that he didn't have the confidence.
This was the first time since the founding of the country that a younger sister was married off to a foreign country.
He didn't answer Bai Yi's question, but continued, "The leader of the Xia Kingdom's delegation this time is actually that young prince. He's the third prince of Xia Kingdom, and the marriage is for him. He's the right age, has good looks and good manners, and as the youngest son of the Empress, he has no pressure to ascend the throne. Isn't this a perfect fit for Tao'er? Killing two birds with one stone, isn't it wonderful?"
Listening to Fu Hua's well-organized arrangements, Bai Yi just found it ridiculous. After all, it was her fault for not educating her son well. She had indulged him too much in the past, which led to him not caring about the relationship between brothers today.
She had met the Third Prince of Daxia, nineteen years old, the youngest son of the Empress Dowager, and a future prince of leisure. He was indeed handsome and well-mannered. If the marriage was a mutually agreed-upon one, Bai Yi would most likely agree. However, using her daughter as a bargaining chip for a marriage alliance, as a diplomatic link, was something she absolutely refused.
"Is it suitable for Tao'er or for you? Don't pretend to be ignorant even though you know the truth!" She didn't care about her face and directly exposed Fu Hua's thoughts.
As he was speaking, a vase suddenly broke behind the screen in the inner hall, breaking the deadlock. Fu Tao stood behind the screen with a worried look on his face.
She had been staying in Ci'an Palace these days, fearing that she would go out and hear some rumors, but who would have thought that she would find out anyway.
She ran out and knelt before Fu Hua, tugging at his dragon robe and pleading bitterly, "I won't marry you. How can you trade my happiness for the empty promise of the country? Am I not as important as the country?"
Her words were undoubtedly outrageous and would only make Fu Hua lose patience with her even more.
"How dare you!" He was still sitting upright and pushed her casually, causing Fu Tao to stumble and fall to the side.
"As the eldest princess, this should be a sacrifice you make for the country. The country is more important than anything else. I would rather sacrifice myself in place of my sister, but I can't!"
Bai Yi looked at the scene in front of him, feeling a pain like a scimitar scraping his heart. He used to think that his son was indecisive, but now that he had become the emperor, he had become even more ruthless.
When he was the crown prince, he only knew how to eat, drink and have fun, and he didn't pay much attention to his studies. Now, he can make his own decisions on everything, and he can be anyone's boss.
"Why not?" Fu Tao hadn't expected her reaction to be like this. He trembled as he continued to refute her. "My royal brother's appearance might be able to buy thirty years of peace and prosperity. If you want to marry for the sake of the country, why should I be willing to do so?"
She sat on the ground, looking utterly miserable. For over a decade, she had always been the apple of her parents' eyes, having everything she wanted easily at her fingertips. Fortunately, she wasn't overly arrogant or willful, and everyone in the palace loved her. She had thought she would have a smooth life, marry, have children, and live a peaceful life, but her brother...
The brother she used to rely on now wants to sell her in exchange for Taiping.
The grace and freedom of the past ten years seemed to have become a joke in an instant. What was the difference between her and Fu Nian?
Fu Hua did not help his sister up as he did before, but just watched coldly as she cried.
"You are a princess, and marriage is not your decision!"
"Tao'er, stop talking," Bai Yi's lips trembled, helpless, "I don't agree. Except for Tao'er and the city, they can exchange for anything else..."
Despite this, Fu Hua still looked straight ahead and simply closed his eyes and ignored it.
Fu Tao crawled to Bai Yi's feet, using up his last hope, hoping that his mother would make the decision. "I already have a lover, and we have already secretly decided to spend our lives together. Please grant my blessing, mother!"
These words undoubtedly became a thorn in Fu Hua's side. In order to form an alliance with the Xia Kingdom, he told others that his sister was extremely well-behaved, gentle and generous, and had been raised in seclusion.
Now it came out that she had secretly married a man, and he was too embarrassed to talk about such an embarrassing thing.
Just like Xue Ji said, for his own sake, he can betray and use anyone, and use them as much as possible. In his eyes, there is no such thing as closeness or distance.
As long as it is beneficial to him, he would be willing to climb Mount Tai even if it means bowing three times and kowtow nine times.
"When did it happen?" Huang Yun took Huang Song to the ancestral hall and punished him according to the family rules in front of all the family ancestors.
Huang Song has always been a favored child of the capital, with a promising future, but he completely lost his mind for Fu Tao.
His back was bloody from being beaten, and he was weak from being locked up for so long. He struggled to get up and said, "I've liked her for a long time, always have."
Huang Yun would never allow his son, who might become a marquis or a prime minister in the future, to be bewildered by a princess. When he heard that his son liked Fu Tao, he became furious and beat him a few more times.
"You're so bold! I've told you time and again to stay away from the princess, but you won't listen. Do you think love is more important than your career and your family?"
Huang Yun can be considered a veteran of three dynasties and an outstanding head of a wealthy family. He passed the imperial examination, married the daughter of an official, and because of his outstanding political achievements, his career went smoothly.
Seeing that his son had grown up and was a good candidate for an official position, he sent his son to the palace as a companion to his studies, hoping that he would have a smooth career in the future.
He didn't make many friends with the nobles, but instead fell in love with the princess.
Once he became a prince consort, he, a Jinshi graduate and from such a prominent family, would never be able to hold his head up again.
Although Huang Song was a gentle person, he was actually very determined.
"I didn't know it before, but now I understand very well. I do like the princess. I originally wanted to wait until things were clear before telling you, father. I feel really guilty for disappointing your high hopes. If this incident hadn't happened suddenly, I wouldn't have told you. Now that I'm telling you today, it's because I hope you can help me. I've never asked for anything before, but just this once, I ask for your help."
"Is being a Royal Consort Duwei so glorious?" Huang Yun scolded him as he beat her. "You have to rely on the princess's charity to survive. The princess lives in the princess's mansion, and you have to inform her in advance if you want to see her. She can have countless lovers, but you have to remain a virgin for her. Is this the life you imagined after studying so hard? Being stabbed in the back, relying on women for stability, and your official career ruined from now on, then why did you even bother taking the imperial examinations?"
Huang Yun would never allow his plan to be ruined. Huang Song also knew that he had failed to live up to the trust of his family. He lay on the ground sobbing, "I am sorry, father..." But when faced with his father's request to break up with the princess, he refused to agree.
Huang Yun was tired from fighting, and sat aside, panting heavily. "Don't let me down, you're letting yourself down."
Huang Song repeated himself in just a few words: "I am an unfilial son and have disappointed my father. Please forgive me, father!"
Fu Tao was her favorite since childhood, and she had wanted to marry him in a grand ceremony. He did not care whether she became a high-ranking official or not. Even if she did not hold any official position, it would be good for the man to farm and the woman to weave.
It's a pity that he was born into such a family that rose to prominence through great difficulty. As the eldest son, he should have led the family to further progress, but now that he is needed to make achievements, he falls in love with someone who is of no benefit to him at all.
"Our Huang family has been loyal ministers for generations, and we have been rich and powerful for generations, yet we have produced a spineless person like you!"
"You have more news," he said.
Hearing him say this, Huang Yun was furious and copied the family rules to beat him again, "Okay, okay, you still dare to threaten your parents? You are getting more and more presumptuous! You are so powerful that you even dare to deceive your own parents!"
"From today on, you will be confined to your house. I'm sacrificing my dignity to beg His Majesty. Don't even think about leaving this door until the princess is married!"
The door of the ancestral hall was suddenly locked. He knelt on the mat and tried to sit up straight. His eyes were dim and he fell down again in a trance.
Life is only a few decades long, and they are a rare childhood sweetheart who are in love with each other, but not everyone wants lovers to get married.
The expectations of parents and their families are often projected onto their children. This burden is too heavy, and it is very difficult for them to stay with each other all the way.
Fengyi Palace had been lying about being ill and staying indoors for the past few days, but in reality, Rong Qianyu didn't want to get involved in Fu Tao's affairs. Firstly, she was just his sister-in-law and had no say, and secondly, it wasn't her turn to make the decision.
Even Bai Yi couldn't make the decision, so how could she possibly convince Fu Hua to take back his decision?
A palace maid stood at the palace gate and begged, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I beg to see Your Majesty!"
"Who is making such a noise? The Queen is ill and cannot be disturbed!"
The maid said that she was a maid serving the eldest princess, and that His Highness was making such a fuss, so she asked the Queen to condescend to go and persuade His Highness.
"This..." The eunuch guarding the door was unable to make a decision and called Rong Pan, "Sister Pan'er, look..."
"Ziying?" Rong Pan recognized her. "What's wrong, Your Highness?"
Ziying saw Rong Pan almost burst into tears, "His Highness is clamoring and refusing to eat. I heard that Master Huang was locked up by Master Huang. No matter how much His Highness persuades her, she won't listen. So she listens to the Queen. Please go and see His Highness no matter what!"
After much persuasion, Rong Qianyu was finally invited out.
"Tao'er, Tao'er, can you please let your sister-in-law in?" Rong Qianyu didn't want to care, but she also didn't want to see her cause a death, so it was inevitable to worry about it.
"Tao'er?" He knocked lightly on the door, but no one answered.
Ziying was a little anxious. "He hasn't spoken for a long time. He didn't eat lunch or dinner. What's going on?"
"Tao'er, open the door. I brought you Xinxinzi's new book. Do you want to read it? There's also his handwritten calligraphy. I brought it specially for you. Can you open the door?"
Rong Qianyu took a stack of brocade-covered books from Rong Pan's hands. The packaging was very exquisite. It was a set of storybooks, packed in a wooden box. They were written by the most popular writer at the time, Xin Xinzi, and were most sought after by women, including Fu Tao.
After a long time, I heard a sound from inside the hall. She was wearing a thin middle-length dress, her hair was untied, and her face was gloomy as she finally opened the door. "Sister-in-law, please come in."
She looked much thinner and had completely lost her former beauty. This moment seemed like a reincarnation. Rong Qianyu had also gone on a hunger strike before, but in the end, her arms were no match for her thighs.
Looking at Fu Tao in front of me, he felt just like myself back then.
"Everyone else, step back!" Fu Tao was very alert.
"Everyone, step back and wait outside. Give me the food box."
Fu Tao: "Close the door."
Rong Qianyu followed her lead, fearing she might get angry and cause a fatality. "Okay, close the door."
"Where's the storybook?"
"Here," Rong Qianyu took out the hardcover book, "Look, this is Xinxinzi's handwriting, right? I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Fu Tao took a look at the storybook and found that it was indeed Xinxinzi's original work. He finally felt relieved.
"Let's eat."
Rong Qianyu served the dishes to her and took out some of her favorite snacks. As soon as the food boxes were opened, the smell filled the whole room and aroused Fu Tao's appetite.
Despite this, knowing that Rong Qianyu was entrusted by someone, she was still very alert and stopped her from picking up food for her. "Sister-in-law, please explain first, who sent you as a lobbyist?"
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