Chapter 153 Provocation
"Then I will grant you your consent." Emperor Jiacheng said, "In two days, I will issue an edict to grant the marriage. Two days should be enough time for you to talk to your fiancée."
"Your Majesty has granted me the marriage. It is an honor for me and my fiancée." Shen Shilang hurriedly put on an expression of great joy, "Your Majesty, thank you for your grace!"
Shen Shilang lowered his forehead to the ground, his wide sleeves covering his entire face, and his expression turned cold.
Su Jinshi is a modern man with a strong sense of opinion.
He also didn't want to do anything that would make Su Jinshi embarrassed or force her to do something she wasn't prepared for.
But Emperor Jiacheng really doesn't want to do any good things.
It is really ridiculous that an emperor, instead of discussing serious matters in the court, has to discuss the family affairs of his subjects like that gossipy woman.
Did Emperor Jiacheng think that he could scare his ministers by acting like this?
It's as if I know everything about my subjects, and I pretend to let you know casually that I know everything about you and you can't hide anything from me. Are you scared?
Shen Shilang sneered in his heart.
But Emperor Jiacheng didn't think about it. He had never thought of hiding anything from anyone, and it was also legitimate to bring Su Jinshi back.
Even the common people could find out if they asked around, let alone the emperor who had so many eyes and ears? It would only be ridiculous to act as if you were omniscient and all-powerful in this regard.
After the court session ended, Shen Shilang went to teach the fifth prince.
As soon as they met, the fifth prince asked, "Sir, does the emperor want to grant you a marriage with Master's wife?"
Shen Shilang was surprised and asked, "When did the news from the court spread so quickly?"
The fifth prince smiled bitterly, "Father probably intended to let everyone in the court know, otherwise how could I know it so quickly?"
The Fifth Prince and Shen Shilang were already very familiar with each other. As early as on the way back to the capital, the Fifth Prince no longer referred to himself as "This Prince" in front of Shen Shilang.
"However, when my father summoned me yesterday, he asked about the disaster relief in the northwest as well as my master's wife." The fifth prince said, "I thought that since the master brought his master's wife back openly, many people in the capital already knew about it, so there was no need to hide it. Perhaps this was the master's intention."
"But all of this is just my guess. Since my father asked, I couldn't ask you what you think right away, so I just told you the truth."
"Yes, since I brought Jinshi back, I will not let her hide from people, and I have never thought of hiding anything." Shen Shilang nodded and said, "There is nothing to hide."
"But when the emperor says this... I don't know what he means." The fifth prince really couldn't guess what Emperor Jiacheng meant.
To show that you know everything.
But everyone knows about this matter.
What do you want to do by suddenly arranging the marriage?
Shen Shilang smiled. It was precisely because Emperor Jiacheng's move was too stupid and the Fifth Prince had normal thinking that he did not understand what Emperor Jiacheng was trying to do.
"However, this move by the emperor has put an end to your intention to expand your power in the court." The fifth prince said in a deep voice, "The officials in the court, no matter how high or low their official positions are, have established a complex network of relationships through marriage with the families of court officials."
"For example, the eldest son of Zhang Gongran, the Minister of Revenue, married the legitimate daughter of the Heqing Li family. The Heqing Li family has been noble for generations, and their disciples are all over the court and the country. And the eldest daughter of his eldest son married the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Fuyuan, and will become the wife of the Marquis of Fuyuan in the future. Zhang Gongran's illegitimate son married the illegitimate sister of Zheng Wenlang, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Although both of them were born out of wedlock, they are also connected to the Zheng family."
"Even though my mother's family is declining, they are still closely connected to each family." The fifth prince said, "Although you said you would fulfill the engagement, I know you have no intention of going through the marriage. But it is different for you to not go through it yourself and for others to force you to go through it."
"I know, but I took the initiative to choose Jinshi first, so I felt less forced." Shen Shilang said, looking serious, "But Your Highness said it so bluntly, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will hear it?"
Shen Shilang smiled slightly, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "After all, our Majesty is famous for knowing everything."
The fifth prince smiled instead: "Sir, you dare to say that, isn't it because you trust me?"
"Although my mother's family is in decline, they still have the ability to ensure that my words are not spread." The fifth prince looked up at Shen Shilang, "Sir, this is the result of expanding power through marriage."
Shen Shilang cupped his hands and bowed slightly, "I accept your instruction."
"But you don't care about these things, sir." The fifth prince smiled faintly, "I don't intend to ask you to be a person who forgets his principles when he sees profit. If you were like that, how could I tell you these things?"
After teaching the Fifth Prince, Shen Shilang and the Fifth Prince left together.
The fifth prince was about to return to his Zhaoyang Palace, but on the way he saw the crown prince coming towards him.
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"Your Highness."
The Fifth Prince and Shen Shilang shouted in unison.
"Master Taifu." The prince said to Shen Shilang without calling him, "Speaking of which, Taifu is also my teacher, but I have never had the opportunity to take classes with him."
"Your Highness's knowledge and insights have long since left me without any need for me to teach you anything. I have just been promoted to Grand Tutor. Before that, I was just a commoner with limited vision, and there is nothing I can teach Your Highness."
The prince said with a surprised look on his face: "Taifu is too modest. How can a person who ranks first in the imperial examination be a person without vision? Besides, Taifu, you don't think that my fifth brother is really an ignorant child, right?"
Shen Shilang said calmly: "The Fifth Prince's knowledge and insights are naturally much higher than those of his peers, but the Fifth Prince is still young, and is naturally far inferior to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince glanced at the Fifth Prince, who was standing aside in a very honest manner. He could not help but say complacently, "I have at least begun to handle government affairs for my father. I have seen and experienced a lot, so I am naturally much better than my fifth brother. However, my fifth brother is still young. If he were as capable as I am now, I am afraid that I would not be able to hold on to my position as Crown Prince."
The fifth prince hurriedly said, "Your Highness, how can I compare with Your Highness? I am afraid that I will never be able to catch up with you in this life."
"Fifth brother, you are being modest." The prince chuckled, and the laughter didn't sound friendly at all. "This time, fifth brother followed the Grand Tutor to the northwest to provide disaster relief. I heard that he cooperated very well with the Grand Tutor. Fifth brother even made the Northwest noble families donate their stored grain with just a few words. Fifth brother's reputation in the northwest is much higher than that of father."
The Fifth Prince's face changed, and he said hurriedly: "Your Highness, it's all misunderstanding. Everyone in the world knows my father and His Highness the Crown Prince, but who knows the Fifth Prince?"
"When I was in the northwest, I never traveled outside as a prince. The people in the northwest didn't know me at all." The fifth prince raised his head and looked at the crown prince earnestly, "I don't know who spread the rumor, gossiping in front of Your Highness and trying to sow discord between Your Highness and me. It's really abominable."
(End of this chapter)