Chapter 182 Choice
Cheng Weining, who fell into the water, was not too unlucky. A palace maid passing by soon found her and called for help.
When she was sent back to the Duke's Mansion, she had already been diagnosed by the imperial physician, but she was still unconscious. As her own mother, Li was naturally crying heartbrokenly by her bedside.
"My poor daughter, how could such a disaster happen to such a public banquet? You must not scare me. You are my only precious treasure..."
"Alright, stop crying. Didn't the imperial physician tell us when he brought the patient here that he's fine? We just need to wait for him to wake up?"
Cheng Li's expression was equally grim, but as a man, he couldn't possibly act like a woman like Li. He had no children, and the only daughter he could offer was Cheng Weining.
When Li was still pregnant with Wei Ning, a master passed by the gate of the Duke's Mansion and said with great confidence that there was an auspicious aura in the Mansion and that she would be rich and noble in the future.
Ever since Cheng Weining was born, he had spent a lot of money on his daughter. He hired private school teachers to teach her all the talents of women in the world, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, and needlework, in his house.
Fortunately, Cheng Weining also worked hard and quickly became a talented and beautiful woman in the capital. At one point, the door to the Duke's Mansion was almost broken down by the number of people proposing marriage.
This also attracted the attention of Duke Cheng. Initially, Duke Cheng and Cheng Li both thought that the so-called wealthy and noble fate meant that she was the empress, and they tried their best to send Cheng Weining to the palace for selection. Unexpectedly, the emperor issued an imperial decree, directly stopping the selection.
The path of becoming the Empress of the Central Palace was a dead end, and Duke Cheng finally realized that he should start with the prince. As long as he made the right bet, even though he was just a small prince now, he would eventually become the Supreme Emperor...
Cheng Li sighed as he looked at the unconscious Cheng Weining lying on the bed, while Li left the bedside, shaking his sleeves and complaining, "You're so careless. Falling into the water can be a big deal or a small matter. The people in the palace haven't explained it clearly, and you just let him get away..."
Cheng Weining was raised by her. As the Empress of the Central Palace, she had been indoctrinated with all the ways of palace fighting and family intrigue since she was young. She didn't think her daughter would be so careless as to fall into the water by herself.
Even if we take a step back and assume that she really fell down while drunk at a palace banquet, who rescued her? Was there any other man present? Was there any physical contact? These are all matters that concern my daughter's reputation.
"How is Wei Ning doing?"
Before Cheng Li could speak, the voice of Duke Cheng came from outside. He strode over and scared Li into silence.
Of course she could be a little bit capricious in front of Cheng Li, but she dared not even speak a word in front of Duke Cheng.
"Just wake up naturally. Does father know what's going on?"
Cheng Li was the first to report that he was safe, and then he began to examine the document and inquire about the details. After all, Cheng Weining had gone to the palace banquet with Duke Cheng.
Although something has happened now, he cannot afford to offend the people in the palace, and it is even more inappropriate to blame me. He is really caught in the middle and has a hard time doing anything.
"I was drinking at the banquet and didn't know the exact situation. When I received the news, Wei Ning had already fallen into the water. It was said that it was Prince Pingyang who rescued him..."
Duke Cheng was quite comfortable with Cheng Li's tone, and his frown relaxed a little when he heard about Cheng Weining's delicious food.
As his granddaughter, Wei Ning was usually looked after by him. It was impossible to say that he had no feelings for her. He was worried that Cheng Li, as a son, would not be able to understand and would be too protective of his daughter.
Prince Pingyang? Li's hand paused as she wiped her tears. Although she often stayed at the mansion, she also frequently visited the wives of officials. Of course, she knew that Prince Pingyang had become a hot new candidate for a husband.
If you think about it from this perspective, it's not impossible that my daughter fell into the water. Rescuing someone from the water is human nature, and some physical contact is inevitable. Once it's done in public and witnessed by others, then the marriage will be a natural outcome!
Thinking of this, the sadness in Li's eyes faded away, and instead a hint of joy flashed across her face. She looked at Cheng Weining with eyes full of relief.
"Prince Pingyang...Father, whether this rumor is true or not, it concerns Wei Ning's reputation, so we can't be careless. If the rumor is false, we must make plans this morning."
Cheng Li was slightly taken aback. He knew that Prince Pingyang had recently become quite prominent, but he only had one daughter. It was hard to say whether such an unexpected bet on her was a destined marriage or a bad fate...
Duke Cheng's brow furrowed again, as he understood the underlying meaning behind Cheng Li's words. The Prince of Qingping, whom he had originally favored, had been banished to exile, and the Duke's Mansion had already lost Cheng Weiyao as a replacement bride.
The chips that can be used for marriage are already scarce, so we should be even more cautious in our actions now.
"Prince Pingyang is a handsome man, and he is also favored by the emperor. He is indeed a talented person. It would be a good thing for our daughter to marry him..."
Seeing that both of them were silent, Li approached Cheng Li and began to whisper in his ear. She knew her daughter's preferences well. He was a very elegant man with a promising future.
She certainly hoped her daughter would choose the right person for the future emperor, but as a mother, she still felt a certain pity for her daughter. Choosing Prince Pingyang, even if she didn't actually sit on the throne, would at least guarantee her a position as a prince, guaranteeing a lifetime of wealth and glory...
"We men are discussing things, and as a woman, you have nothing to do. Either wait outside or stay with Wei Ning and stop gossiping!"
Duke Cheng was a typical male chauvinist, and he was dissatisfied with Li's behavior of whispering with his son in front of him. He was already in a bad mood, and with such a punching bag in the presence, his tone and expression were frighteningly cold.
"Then I will withdraw first."
Li's body trembled slightly, and she dared not say anything more. She immediately bowed to Cheng Li and Duke Cheng.
Cheng Weining had now regained consciousness in a daze, and her fingers on the edge of the bed moved slightly.
But Li had already left, and the two men in the room were busy analyzing the situation and discussing her lifelong affairs, so they didn't notice.
"This is an opportunity. Prince Pingyang is just beginning to rise to power, and he doesn't have many capable generals under his command. If we step forward now and marry Wei Ning to him, we will surely win his great trust..."
No matter how you look at it, Duke Cheng has been an old man in the court for many years. He knows everything that is going on in the court very well. He and Cheng Li immediately start to discuss the future direction of the situation.
As soon as Cheng Weining opened her eyes while lying in bed, she heard her grandfather planning to marry her off to someone else.
"I don't agree!"
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