Chapter 149 The Emperor Opposes the Marriage
Meng Yan looked at her and smiled faintly, "You are too polite, old lady."
If he jumps out now, I'm afraid he will say something in front of the emperor?
As expected, the wife of the Duke of Anguo laughed heartily and said, "I believe that the Crown Prince will return to the capital soon. The marriage between our two families has been delayed for many years. My daughter is already an adult, and the Crown Prince has made great achievements. It is a natural thing for them to get married. Today, I will use my age and seniority to ask the Empress Dowager and the Emperor for mercy. For the sake of the late Duke, please grant an auspicious date for their marriage!"
After saying this, the old lady bowed down.
Seeing Meng Changyuan's remarkable achievements, he was sure to rise to prominence. The two families had suddenly become worlds apart: one a thriving, rising clan, the other a declining one. Such a talented young man would surely be the object of pursuit by countless distinguished ladies in the capital. There were even two unmarried princesses at court, and it wasn't uncommon for them to marry into the family in order to win over the courtiers.
She couldn't let such a good son-in-law fly away. If she missed Meng Changyuan, Zheng Fangchu would have no chance of finding a better family!
Today, she must finalize this marriage in front of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. If the Emperor is willing to grant the marriage, then it would be perfect. The Meng family would never dare to regret this imperially granted marriage.
Empress Dowager Jiang remained silent. The reputation of the Duke of Anguo's mansion had been rather unsavory in the past two years. Deep down, she was reluctant to see Yan's daughter have such a relative, but this was ultimately a family affair of the Meng family, and it was a marriage arranged between the old Marquis Meng and the old Duke of Anguo.
Now that Duke Anguo is no longer alive, if she shows up, she will inevitably be accused of being a member of the royal family bullying a widow.
Therefore, she kept silent and did not get involved.
Looking at the old lady's kind and smiling eyes, Lu Haozhi frowned slightly, but suddenly remembered something in his heart.
He vaguely remembered that in his previous life, Meng Changyuan was disabled in both legs during the Western Expedition. At first, he was in good spirits, willing to receive treatment, and working hard to regain his walking ability. But later, he heard that something happened in his family. The Meng family canceled the engagement with the Anguo Mansion. Yan'er was furious and sent people to throw all the engagement gifts in front of the Duke's Mansion. She blocked the door and cursed for several days. This incident caused an uproar in the court and the country. Everyone said that Concubine Meng was arrogant and domineering, and that the Yiyang Marquis Mansion was bullying. After Meng Changyuan was named the Protector of the Country, he looked down on the Zheng family and broke off the engagement. He bullied the Anguo Mansion because they were orphans and widows and no one could stand up for them.
But since then, Meng Changyuan has been devastated, his temperament has become increasingly extreme and world-weary, and he no longer wants to treat his injuries. In the end, he believed the rumors and caused such a tragedy.
Now it seems that there must be other hidden reasons behind their divorce.
Neither Meng Changyuan nor Meng Yan is the type to curry favor with the powerful and look down on the weak.
What exactly did the Zheng family do?
Lu Haozhi suppressed his thoughts and did not answer. He glanced at Meng Yan first, but saw that Meng Yan's eyes were shining and she was also looking at him. Her clear eyes were full of trust.
He squeezed the Imperial Concubine's hand and smiled at the old lady. "This is indeed a great joy. Prince Meng is now of family age. However, the army has not yet returned to the capital. After he returns to the capital, I still have many important military and political matters to discuss with him. The burden of his position as a general is not easy to lift. I'm afraid you will have to be patient and wait for a while. I'm thinking that when he has completed all his affairs and is free from worries, I will arrange a grand wedding for him."
Seeing that the Emperor did not grant the marriage as she had expected, and that the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine remained silent, Lady Anguo became very anxious.
As the saying goes, the longer the night, the more dreams you may have. Who knows what changes will arise after Meng Changyuan returns to Beijing?
She couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, I just want to..."
"Old Madam," Meng Yan interrupted with a faint smile, "The Emperor has spoken with all due respect, so please do not force it. This is a private matter between the Meng and Zheng families, and it would be inappropriate to bother the Emperor. Furthermore, the Emperor has already stated that the marriage can be held after my brother returns and finishes his official duties. This is the right thing to do, so what's wrong with it? I know that Miss Zheng has had a difficult time waiting for all these years. But as the saying goes, good things take time, so please be patient for a while."
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked past the old lady and her eyes fell on Zheng Fangchu.
Zheng Fangchu sat upright with his head lowered, looking dignified and calm.
Hearing the Imperial Concubine mention her, she couldn't help but lift her eyes slightly, and met Meng Yan's gaze. The Imperial Concubine's eyes were cold, making her shudder involuntarily, as if the Imperial Concubine could see through her thoughts.
The emperor refused to speak, and the imperial concubine continued to speak. The old lady was at her wit's end and had no choice but to thank the emperor and leave.
The two nobles have said so much, what else can she do?
If you insist on it any further, people will think that the daughter of the Duke of Anguo's mansion is extremely lonely and can't wait to get married. This is inconsiderate and will make people laugh at you.
After dismissing Lady Anguo, Meng Yan felt a little sweet in her heart. He still remembered their family affairs.
She turned her head and saw Lu Haozhi talking to the Queen Mother about recent events and matters in the court.
The man's face was full of energy and vigor, and his handsome features were coated with a thin layer of gold under the summer sun, with a faint luster.
How long has it been since she took a good look at him?
Seeing the man she is today from her previous life, she actually thinks he is handsome.
Lu Haozhi felt something and looked back, but Meng Yan had already withdrawn her gaze and started chatting with the other female relatives.
He smiled slightly and held her hand tightly, not wanting to let go.
This flower-viewing banquet was actually nothing new. It was a common gathering of women in the harem and the inner chambers, and even the royal family was no exception.
Nothing better than having tea first and then wine, and then watching the flowers and the play.
After a long time of busying around in Shou'an Academy, it was noon in the blink of an eye. The food steward came to report that the banquet was ready.
Meng Yan stood up with a smile and asked the empress dowager, the emperor and everyone else to move over.
Empress Dowager Jiang then set off with a smile and led the crowd to the banquet.
Meng Yan arranged today's banquet in Suiyun Hall, with the female family members inside and the male guests outside, so as not to disturb each other.
Everyone took their seats and the palace maids served the dishes one after another.
Old Madam Liang watched with a cold eye. While the dishes at today's banquet were sumptuous and exquisite, a closer look revealed that the ingredients were little more than fresh vegetables, fish, lotus roots, and lotus seeds, most likely harvested from Shanghe Garden. Even the chicken and duck were sourced from the nearby enclosures. The banquet's furnishings were mostly utensils originally from the imperial treasury. Since Shanghe Garden's supplies were limited, Meng Yan had made extensive use of fresh flowers and plants, also from the garden's own collection. This banquet, while seemingly elaborate and grand, actually didn't cost much, but required considerable effort and meticulous planning.
With such thoughts... Cheng Bi is indeed far behind.
In previous years, when she prepared royal banquets, they were all personally prepared by Liang Chengbi, the Imperial Noble Consort. Although she never made any mistakes, she just piled up a lot of silver.
If it was Liang Chengbi who encountered this situation today, could she handle it properly?
I'm afraid it's impossible.
Madam Liang took a bite of the candied lotus seeds and heard the two ladies beside her whispering, "This banquet is quite interesting compared to usual ones, and not too extravagant. I heard that Shanghe Garden doesn't have a palace opera troupe, so the Imperial Concubine invited one in from outside, and they'll be performing later." "In previous years, I always heard people say that the Imperial Concubine was crazy and immoral, but today I see that they were all just rumors. With such a broad mind and such means, it's only a matter of time before she's crowned Empress. Isn't the Empress Dowager's intention to hand over all palace affairs to her? This harem is about to change."
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