When the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Concubine Wan was dumbfounded.
The Queen asked in a daze, "What?"
Emperor Jian'an was quite calm, raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "It's strange that he would take the initiative to ask for marriage."
The Queen Mother laughed and said, "I am also curious, so I want to summon the person into the palace to take a look."
Queen Wang was feeling very conflicted at this time. Her niece Wang Minghui had been interested in Prince Qi, and she had been a pusher in the matter. In the end, her niece became a laughing stock, and the marriage had not yet been finalized.
Why did she have to be Concubine Wan's niece? No! She didn't agree!
The Queen hesitated and said, "Isn't this generation inappropriate?"
They are both thousand-year-old foxes, and Concubine Wan and the Queen are old rivals. As soon as she opened her mouth, she knew what she was planning.
Using seniority as an excuse, huh!
"In terms of age, the Prince of Qi is not much different from the Prince of Shun and the Prince of An. If we strictly follow the order of seniority when arranging a marriage, there wouldn't be a single lady in the capital who would fit the bill. The Empress mentioned her own niece before. Why didn't she think the order of seniority was inappropriate then?"
The Queen listened to Concubine Wan's criticism and snorted in her heart. She knew that the Concubine's previous gentleness was all an act, and now her true face was revealed.
You are really bringing up something that is not related to the topic!
Seeing the Queen Mother's expression fade, the Queen said with a stiff smile, "I was mistaken. The Prince of Qi was raised under our care. Regardless of his generation, he should marry a young lady who is of good talent and has reached adulthood."
Compared to a son and a daughter-in-law, a son is naturally more important. The Queen Mother felt that the Queen's words today were particularly unpleasant to hear, and she once again ordered them to leave: "The palace has many affairs to deal with, the Queen, please go and deal with them."
Queen: “…”
The queen didn't want to leave.
"I have something else to say. Your Majesty happened to be here, and I also want to talk about Prince Duan's marriage."
"Your Majesty has already arranged a marriage for the Sixth Prince. He previously told me to discuss with Consort Wan the selection of Princess Duan. Once the decision is made, he will have the Ministry of Rites work together to prepare the marriages for the two princes."
Emperor Jian'an said "Oh?" and asked, "Have you chosen the Empress and Imperial Concubine?"
The Queen openly flattered Concubine Wan, "Sister Concubine, as the mother of Prince Duan, doesn't seem to care about this matter. I have discussed it with her many times, but she always said that I can make the decision on this matter."
"After much searching, I have finally found a candidate for Princess Renduan."
When Concubine Wan heard the Queen's words, her expression remained calm, as if it had nothing to do with her. However, when she heard about the candidate for Princess Duan, she still raised her eyebrows.
"My niece, Wang Minghui, is renowned for her talent, knowledgeable and well-mannered, gentle and respectful, and knows how to act appropriately. In my opinion, she is worthy of being the principal wife of Prince Duan."
Concubine Wan was thinking, "Is this a good move?" Those who are good at it all fell into the Taiye Lake. Given Wang Minghui's reputation, if she married Xiao Minghuan, wouldn't Xiao Minghuan be a laughing stock?
But what does it have to do with her?
"What do you think, my dear?"
Concubine Wan smiled and replied, "Your Majesty has good intentions. As the daughter of the Wang family, I have no complaints."
The Queen had already prepared herself for Concubine Wan's displeasure, but she didn't expect her to agree so easily. She glanced at Concubine Wan with a wary look, and seeing her drinking her tea with a normal expression, she became even more puzzled.
"In this case, let the Ministry of Rites handle it." Emperor Jian'an made the final decision, as if he was not concerned about Xiao Minghuan's marriage and anything was fine.
The queen's lips curled up slightly. She wanted Xiao Minghuan to marry her, but it would be in vain. How could her family support Xiao Minghuan?
At this moment, Wan Jinlan was walking along the palace path in a proper and orderly manner with the head nanny of the Empress Dowager's palace. She could naturally sense the nanny's gazes occasionally turning towards her.
The sound of rapid horse hooves came from behind him. Wan Jinlan looked sideways in confusion, wondering who was so arrogant as to dare to ride a horse in the palace road.
Xiao Zheng's figure sitting on horseback disappeared in front of her like a gust of wind, and every strand of his hair spoke of his eagerness.
The nanny sighed and said, "I guess Prince Guangling's illness has worsened again."
Wan Jinlan was puzzled. What was wrong with Prince Guangling? Wasn't he fine in Yangzhou?
Wan Jinlan didn't ask, and the nanny didn't continue.
When she arrived at Ci'an Palace, she met Xiao Zheng again. His forehead was covered with sweat and his eyes were full of anxiety and worry.
Xiao Zheng went to the palace to invite the imperial physician. After asking the empress dowager and the emperor for help, he did not stop and pulled the imperial physician out of the palace.
"Your humble servant greets the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Empress, and the Imperial Concubine."
The eyes of several people in the hall were on her, and Wan Jinlan could naturally sense the scrutiny they were giving her.
The Queen Mother said gently: "Get up."
"Give me a seat"
At this time, the Queen smiled and said, "The Prince of Qi has sent a letter to my mother, expressing his wish to marry you as his princess. This is truly a joyous occasion."
"From my perspective, the eldest daughter of the Zhenguo Duke's mansion is indeed exceptionally beautiful, but the Prince of Qi has seen fairer beauties before. Miss Wan, why did the Prince of Qi choose to marry you? Did something interesting happen between you two in Yangzhou that led to your connection? Tell us quickly so that Mother and I can hear more."
Concubine Wan's expression turned cold. The Queen's words almost revealed that her niece and the Prince of Qi had a secret relationship.
Just as Concubine Wan was about to speak, Emperor Jian'an spoke with a dignified expression, "A few days ago, an official from Yangzhou submitted a memorial, accusing the Prince of Qi of fighting with the Governor of Yangzhou for a beautiful actress, leading to the Governor's death. Is this true?"
Wan Jinlan was surprised that Xiao Feng asked for permission to marry so quickly, and felt that things were not going well.
Rumor has it that His Majesty and the Prince of Qi share a deep brotherly bond, and His Majesty trusts the Prince of Qi most profoundly. So why would he ask her about this now? Is it appropriate to ask her about this? Should it be?
If she was not present that day, wouldn't she have thought too much after hearing what the emperor said?
But in an instant, she thought so much.
Wan Jinlan quickly stood up and knelt in the center. "Your Majesty, I was on the lake with my cousins from the Prince of Guangling's Mansion and the other cousins from the Earl of Yongchang's Mansion on the day of the incident. I saw with my own eyes that the bandits were heading for His Highness the Prince of Qi. As for the Governor of Yangzhou, he was in the cabin. I don't know how he died. I only know that His Highness the Prince of Qi was in danger that day and almost lost his life to the bandits. As for the woman playing the piano on the boat, His Highness the Prince of Qi probably doesn't even know what she looks like."
Wan Jinlan's scalp tensed up, and the look he cast on her was stern and a little cold.
The corners of the Queen Mother's mouth were tightly drawn, with deep wrinkles around her lips, as if she was suppressing her anger.
"Alright, Miss Wan, please stand up." The Queen Mother turned her head to look at the Empress. "If you have nothing else to do, go copy some Buddhist scriptures to calm your mind and calm your mind."
The queen's face turned pale and red. Under the queen mother's gaze, she had no choice but to stand up and said, "I'll take my leave."
The queen's glare shot towards Wan Jinlan, who looked at her nose with his eyes and her heart with his nose.
"Your Majesty is the same, always bringing state affairs into the harem. We women don't get involved in matters of the previous dynasty. If you have any doubts, just send someone to Yangzhou to investigate. Why embarrass my future daughter-in-law here?"
Emperor Jian'an bowed his head and admitted his fault. "What the Queen Mother said is true. I shouldn't have done that. But I was also considering Brother Feng's future princess. If she is useless, she is not worthy of him."
The Queen Mother frowned and still looked unhappy.
"I still have some official business to attend to, so I won't bother you any more."
After the emperor and empress left, Wan Jinlan breathed a sigh of relief.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
