Chapter 268 My heart is shattered into pieces
"When did you start caring about these things?"
Li Sanqi sighed, "My daughter doesn't want to care about these things either, but I keep hearing about them."
Emperor Xiaozhao looked at Li Sanqi, waiting for her to continue.
Li Sanqi thought for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Perhaps we've offended something, because all the bad things have happened lately. I was thinking, could Father Emperor arrange for Third Brother to get married? Maybe the happy occasion will help to cleanse the mess and make things better."
Emperor Xiaozhao almost laughed in anger. Was the prince's marriage being used to bring good luck to an outsider?
Moreover, a prince's wedding isn't something that can be arranged on a whim.
Leaving aside the wedding ceremony, the prince's residence also needs to be prepared in advance. These alone will take at least half a year to prepare.
Moreover, he still hasn't decided on a wife for his third son.
The Empress recommended three candidates to him, but he was not satisfied with any of them.
Emperor Xiaozhao suppressed the absurdity in his heart and patiently asked, "For this marriage, the person must be chosen. A few days ago, your mother gave me three candidates, but I haven't decided yet. So, do you have someone in mind?"
Li Sanqi said innocently, "That's right! I like Miss Zhong Liu, and my third brother likes Miss Zhong Liu too! Father, could you let Miss Zhong Liu be my sister-in-law?"
"I met Miss Zhong Liu once before at the Yongning Marquis's residence. She's beautiful, poised, and has a chivalrous heart. She's such a wonderful person!"
"It seems that Zhong Liuniang was one of the three candidates your mother gave me. What? You didn't choose her for your third brother, did you?"
“That’s right!” Li Sanqi said with a smile, “I think someone as good as Miss Zhong should be my sister-in-law!”
Just then, a slightly louder voice came from outside the door from the eunuch guarding the gate: "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Emperor Xiaozhao gestured to Liu Xin, who bowed and retreated to the doorway. "Your Highness, the Emperor invites you in."
Soon, the crown prince strode in.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." The Crown Prince knelt and bowed, his attitude humble and his demeanor respectful.
Emperor Xiaozhao raised his hand, signaling the Crown Prince to rise.
The crown prince then stood up.
Li Sanqi gave the Crown Prince a perfunctory curtsy, then asked with a curious look, "Father, did my elder brother, the Crown Prince, do something wrong? He seems a bit strange."
As she spoke, she made a thoughtful gesture with her chin resting on her hand, "Before, the Crown Prince could pinch you so freely in front of Father and the Emperor, why are you so reserved now?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xiaozhao gave the Crown Prince a meaningful look.
"Seventh Sister, how can you say such things carelessly?"
The Crown Prince immediately frowned and said, "Whether I have made a mistake or not is for my father to judge. How dare you spout nonsense here!"
"Don't forget, I'm your own brother, born of the same mother. How can you slander your elder brother like this?"
Li Sanqi was also unconvinced and immediately snorted coldly, mocking, "You still remember that you are my own brother, born of the same mother? When you forced me to apologize to the Crown Princess and her family, did you never think that I was your own sister?"
"I..." The prince was speechless.
Although he had his reasons for doing so, it is also true that his sister suffered.
However, this is not a reason for her to betray herself and get involved with the third brother!
Just then, Emperor Xiaozhao finally spoke up, interrupting the siblings' argument, "Enough! You are imperial siblings, not street vendors!"
The brother and sister immediately shut their mouths and lowered their heads.
"Xiao Qi, you should go back now. Your mother's desserts are delicious. Tell her that I will have lunch at her place at noon."
"Yes." Li Sanqi replied respectfully, packing the food box to leave, but before leaving, he couldn't help but turn back and ask, "Father, what about Third Brother's marriage to Miss Zhong Liu..."
Before Li Sanqi could finish speaking, Emperor Xiaozhao raised his hand to interrupt her, "Alright, this is not your business. Go."
"Yes. Your subject takes his leave." Li Sanqi then left the imperial study without further delay, quickly carrying the food box.
The crown prince gritted his teeth, his sharp eyes fixed on Li Sanqi's departing figure until it disappeared through the doorway, at which point he turned his gaze away.
But just as he looked away, something hit him on the head.
The crown prince was startled and looked up to see Emperor Xiaozhao staring at him with a cold expression and angry eyes.
What had just been thrown at him was a memorial on the emperor's desk.
The crown prince immediately knelt down, his face filled with fear as he admitted his mistake, "Father, please calm your anger! Your son knows he was wrong!"
"That's your younger sister. What kind of look was that when you were looking at her just now?"
Emperor Xiaozhao was genuinely annoyed. "I can allow you to decide her marriage, and I can also take away her title as you wish. Because, in my opinion, Xiaoqi is not as important as you. And your decision is not entirely unreasonable."
"However, I will absolutely not allow you to harm Xiao Qi's life!"
"You remember this, this is my bottom line!"
"Yes. Your subject will remember." The Crown Prince dared not disobey and quickly replied.
Emperor Xiaozhao's expression softened slightly, only to hear the Crown Prince say stiffly, "Father, Seventh Sister just mentioned the marriage between Third Brother and Miss Zhong, you..."
Before the Crown Prince could finish speaking, a stack of memorials was thrown at him.
"You still dare to mention Zhong Liuniang to me?" Emperor Xiaozhao could not suppress his anger.
For the sake of Zhong Liuniang, the Crown Prince has allowed his wife's family to bully others, disregard human life, seize property by trickery, and commit numerous crimes over the past two years. Not only has he ruined his own reputation, but he also poisoned his wife in the end!
This is the crown prince he raised!
That's really great!
If it weren't for the high hopes he had placed on the crown prince over the years, and the immense effort he had poured into him, and if it weren't for the fact that this was a critical moment and changing the crown prince could easily shake the foundations of the country, he would have wanted to depose him immediately.
"Six years ago, I forbade you to marry the eldest daughter of the Zhong family. What makes you think I will allow you to marry the sixth daughter of the Zhong family now?"
Emperor Xiaozhao, annoyed by his lack of ambition, asked, "After all these years, haven't you figured out my good intentions in not letting you marry a noblewoman?"
Are powerful maternal relatives so easy to suppress?
Take the Empress's maternal family, the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion, for example. She chose the Yongning Marquis's Mansion in order to rise to power.
But after he ascended the throne, how much thought and effort he put into suppressing the Yongchang Marquis's family was something that outsiders could not possibly comprehend.
The Zhong family is now far more powerful and harder to control than the Yongchang Marquis's mansion was back then.
In the end, the Yongchang Marquis's mansion was just a noble family that controlled military power. As long as they did not have any rebellious intentions, he could always gradually take back the power in their hands.
But what about the Zhong family?
The head of the family, Zhong Ming, is the Minister of Personnel, his son is the Prefect of Qingzhou, Zhong Ming's younger sister is the matriarch of the General of the State's Mansion, and the other descendants of the Zhong family also have promising futures. The daughters and granddaughters of the Zhong family have all married into major aristocratic families...
The Zhong family alone constitutes a vast network of relationships, large enough to encompass the entire Dayan region. It is a case of "to move one part affects the whole."
He had wanted to deal with the Zhong family for a long time, but the Zhong family members were cautious, and from top to bottom, from masters to servants, they all behaved in a very proper manner, making it impossible for him to make a move.
Because Dayan still faces external threats, and the matter he has been planning for many years is now at a critical juncture, it is not advisable to secretly attack the Zhong family, lest it alienate people and ruin his years of scheming.
Therefore, all he can do now is prevent the Zhong family daughter from marrying into the royal family, and even more so, prevent her from giving birth to imperial offspring.
Let alone the Crown Prince, even the Third Prince would never allow him to marry Zhong Liu Niang.
Not to mention the principal wife, even a concubine would be absolutely impossible!
He still needs the Zhong family for now, but once he resolves the major threat in the west and has the time to deal with them, he will eventually settle scores with the Zhong family.
Just as Emperor Xiaozhao was deeply worried about the fate of the Dayan dynasty, the Crown Prince said, "Father, I truly love Sixth Sister!"
In that instant, Emperor Xiaozhao felt as if his heart had shattered into pieces!
...
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