Chapter 22 There's no reason to send back a wife you've already married...
Given his official rank, Shen Mingshan was not qualified to attend the small court assembly. Therefore, he did not go to the Imperial Study to see the Emperor until he heard that the small court assembly had ended the following day.
When the emperor heard that it was Chenming Mountain who had come, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
He genuinely admired the talent and character of this servant, but he was indeed a bit too stubborn.
Yesterday, he spent a long time trying to persuade him, but he remained resolute in his refusal to marry his daughter to the Prince of Jin.
The emperor also knew that he was not to blame for this matter. The Shen family was implicated by Qi Jingxuan, and it was understandable that the other party was unwilling to sacrifice his daughter's life.
But he just refused yesterday, what's the meaning of him coming to see me again now? Surely he's not going to refuse me and then go to my son and yell at him again?
The emperor was puzzled and said to the eunuch who had come to announce the news, "Summon him."
Before long, Shen Mingshan stepped into the hall, bowed, and frankly stated his purpose.
The emperor nearly choked on his tea upon hearing this, exclaiming in disbelief, "You mean... you're willing to marry your daughter to the Prince of Jin?"
He refused yesterday, but changed his mind today, which seems rather fickle. However, compared to his daughter's life, Shen Mingshan doesn't care about his own reputation.
He nodded and said, "Yes, after I returned, I discussed it with my wife and daughter, and we felt that it was the best option for my daughter to marry the Prince of Jin at present."
He made no attempt to conceal what had happened outside the previous day, so that the emperor would know why he had changed his mind and could then make his next demands.
The emperor had heard about these things and had originally considered using Miss Shen as bait to lure out the person behind it all. However, Miss Shen was a victim and the only daughter of Shen Mingshan. He hesitated for a moment and ultimately did not voice his thoughts.
Fish bait, if used well, can catch fish. If used poorly, it's not only a waste of effort, but if someone else takes the bait, then it's a complete loss.
Not to mention how angry Shen Mingshan would be, it wouldn't be a good thing for Qi Jingxuan either. He could easily be used against him, with the other party claiming that they deliberately murdered Shen Yan to protect him.
The emperor was confident he could catch a fish, but not confident that it would be the biggest one. If he threw away the bait and only caught a small shrimp, it wouldn't be of much use, so after much thought, he abandoned the idea.
Now that Shen Mingshan was willing to change his mind, he was naturally overjoyed, and his impression of Shen Mingshan improved even more.
I initially thought he was an old stubborn man who cared too much about his reputation and refused to marry into the royal family even though he knew his daughter was in danger. However, when his daughter was truly in danger, he did not hesitate to prioritize protecting her life, even though he knew it would damage his reputation. This shows that he is a truly good father.
Many officials in the court appear to have loving spouses and happy families, but when something really happens that could damage their reputation or even their careers, they will ruthlessly abandon their wives and children.
The emperor had seen many such people over the years, and suddenly found Shen Mingshan more pleasing to the eye. He felt that he had indeed had a keen eye and had not let this talent be buried.
He smiled and was about to agree to the marriage, saying that he would bestow the marriage upon his two children. However, before he could speak, Shen Mingshan said, "But I have a request."
The emperor was in a very good mood and was willing to agree to anything, so he nodded and said, "Go ahead."
Shen Mingshan said, "My daughter and Prince Jin have never had any dealings. Their marriage was a last resort. I beg Your Majesty to grant my daughter permission to divorce Prince Jin and return home once the facts are clarified."
The emperor, who was laughing happily, suddenly realized that Consort Shu had indeed hit the nail on the head. The Shen family agreed to Qi Jingxuan's marriage to Shen Yan on the condition that they could divorce in the future.
His smile faded slightly, and he cleared his throat, saying, "Shen Qing, I know that your daughter has suffered an undeserved calamity this time. You must feel wronged for her by marrying her off to Prince Jin like this."
"But in truth, both children were framed. The real culprit is the villain who devised such a scheme. Prince Jin never intended to target your daughter, and he has been trying to make amends since the incident."
“Look…the two children have now shared hardships together, and the Prince of Jin truly has feelings for your daughter. Why not grant them their wish?”
In the past, the emperor would have readily agreed, because he thought Qi Jingxuan's claim of having feelings for Shen Yan was pure nonsense. The two had never interacted before, so how could there be any affection between them?
But after hearing about yesterday's events and seeing Qi Jingxuan's tireless efforts to protect Shen Yan—banging a gong in the streets to defame himself and clear Shen Yan's name, and effortlessly recounting Shen Mingshan's life story—he couldn't help but begin to suspect that Qi Jingxuan might have truly already taken a liking to Shen Yan.
Otherwise, given his dislike of reading and indifference to politics, how could he possibly know so much about Shen Mingshan's past experiences, or even what books he had compiled over the years?
Although Shen Mingshan did indeed gain fame because of these books, it was only among scholars. Even in official circles, it was only after Prefect Yue Ming was dismissed from his post last year that he was noticed by the emperor and transferred to the capital, which brought him to the attention of some people.
How could Qi Jingxuan know so much about such a person unless he deliberately inquired about it?
But Shen Mingshan was only a sixth-rank lecturer, and he had only been in the capital for a short time. Why would Qi Jingxuan inquire about him for no reason?
Aside from having feelings for Miss Shen and having specifically inquired about her family background, the emperor couldn't think of any other possibility.
Thinking of his son's determined expression when he proposed to Miss Shen, and the things that happened afterward, he thought he might as well take this opportunity to make the marriage happen.
Speaking of which, Qi Jingxuan is seventeen years old this year. The emperor had previously worried about his marriage and had arranged several marriages for him in the past two years, all of whom were noble ladies from prominent families.
With such a supportive family, even if he achieves nothing in the future and remains just a leisurely prince, he won't face any difficulties.
Unfortunately, Qi Jingxuan didn't like any of them, and even had a very unpleasant argument with one of the young ladies. So the emperor stopped insisting that he find a noblewoman for him.
Otherwise, if marrying her results in a tumultuous and unhappy marriage, it would not only be a way to help him but also a way to make him enemies of his in-laws.
Although Shen Yan comes from a humble background, with a father like Shen Mingshan, her temperament is likely to be good. If it is truly the son's own choice, then marrying her is a good thing. At least she is the one he chose, and he will surely treat her sincerely, leading to a harmonious marriage.
As for Shen Mingshan's humble origins and low official rank, these are not major issues.
There are now many high-ranking officials in the court who came from humble backgrounds. Take Lin Chengfeng, the Left Censor-in-Chief, for example. The Lin family wasn't much better off than the Shen family back then, but Lin Chengfeng is now quite influential in the court.
The emperor believed that Shen Mingshan's current official position was by no means his final destination. With his talent, as long as he could show his abilities, he would surely rise to prominence in the future.
Thinking about this, he became even more eager to make the marriage happen, and his attitude towards Shen Mingshan became exceptionally gentle.
Shen Mingshan was surprised. He had thought the emperor would be more than happy to accept his proposal, but now it seemed... he genuinely wanted to arrange this marriage.
Thinking of the criticism his daughter might face and the predicament she would encounter because of this marriage, Shen Mingshan remained steadfast and unmoved by the emperor's attitude.
“Your Majesty is joking. My daughter and Prince Jin were complete strangers before, so how could there be any affection between them? If Prince Jin truly wishes to make amends, please investigate the truth and clear my daughter’s name.”
These words, though seemingly polite, actually implied that there could be no affection between the two, and even if there were, it would be one-sided on the part of the Prince of Jin, and had nothing to do with his daughter.
The emperor's expression darkened slightly, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed.
Even though he knew that Shen Mingshan was right, he was naturally unhappy as a father that his son was being disliked and that the other party was acting like he should stay away.
The emperor wanted to say with conviction, "What's wrong with my son? How is he unworthy of your daughter?" But he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
Because no matter how much he thought about it, he really couldn't think of anything else about his good-for-nothing son besides his handsome face and good physique.
Anger towards Shen Mingshan swirled in her mind, then transformed into resentment towards Qi Jingxuan, annoyed that he didn't give her face and couldn't even utter a word of praise.
The emperor was annoyed and afraid that Shen Mingshan's bad temper would flare up and change his mind, so he didn't dare to say, "What if I don't agree?" In the end, he could only pinch his nose and say, "I understand. You may leave now. I will discuss it with Consort Shu."
Shen Mingshan wanted to persist a little longer, but when he saw that he had relented, he breathed a sigh of relief and immediately bowed and took his leave.
After the guests left, the emperor set off for Zhaohua Palace, and before leaving, he instructed the palace servants to bring Prince Jin back.
The palace maid agreed and immediately went to deliver the message.
………………
Qi Jingxuan was dragged away from the Shen family's gate again and was very unhappy when he entered the palace.
Seeing that the mastermind was about to resort to desperate measures, and with his father and mother calling him back at this moment, what if something happened to Miss Shen?
He was very worried and planned to give a few perfunctory words and leave, but when he arrived at Zhaohua Palace, he heard that the Shen family was willing to marry Shen Yan to him.
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingxuan was overjoyed, jumping three feet high on the spot, and asked happily, "Then, Father, have you discussed the wedding date with Lord Shen? When can I marry Miss Shen?"
Seeing his delighted expression, the emperor felt even more convinced that he truly loved Shen Yan. The thought of how Shen Mingshan had made him suffer in front of him filled the emperor with a sense of schadenfreude.
"We'll discuss the wedding date later. Don't be too happy yet. Lord Shen said that this is just to break the deadlock by having you and Miss Shen have a fake marriage. Once the facts are clear, you two will have to divorce."
Upon hearing the words "divorce," Qi Jingxuan's smile vanished instantly.
"No way! I won't agree! How can you send a wife back after you've married her?"
Then, she looked warily at the emperor: "Father, you haven't agreed, have you?"
"Otherwise what?"
The emperor said matter-of-factly, "If you agree, you'll still have a chance to marry Miss Shen. If you don't agree, you won't even have the chance. Do you want me to refuse on the spot and send Lord Shen away?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingxuan slumped his shoulders and sat down at Consort Shu's feet with a bitter face: "Mother, what should I do? Your son does not want a divorce."
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Author's Note: I haven't finished writing the plot I wanted to write yet, so I'll post 3,000 words to guarantee a little red flower. There's another chapter to read tomorrow morning~
Typos will be corrected later.
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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