Chapter 152: Your Majesty...I am Willing to Marry Prince Meng
Zhuo Shiquan and Zheng Fangchu were pinned to the ground. The man was still struggling, shouting, "You blind bastard, eunuch! I'm the son of the Marquis of Anyang. I'm here today to attend the flower viewing banquet under the command of the Empress Dowager! How could you treat me like a thief?"
Zheng Fangchu was timid and had already fainted from fright.
A tall eunuch stepped forward, glanced at the two, and smiled. "The Anyang Marquis's son and the third daughter of the Anguo Duke's mansion are truly courageous, meeting secretly in the imperial gardens. Please rise and come with us."
Several eunuchs stepped forward and forcibly dragged the two men up.
Zheng Fangchu was unconscious and was supported by only a few eunuchs.
Zhuo Shiquan scolded, "Where are you going?! Which palace are you from?!"
The tall eunuch ignored him and just said, "You will understand when you go there. If it weren't for the master's invitation, we wouldn't have made this trip."
As he spoke, he took the first step forward.
Zhuo Shiquan was helpless as the eunuchs pushed and shoved each other. He also felt it was rude of him to have met Zheng Fangchu in private before, so he had no choice but to follow them.
Zheng Fangchu was still unconscious and was half-supported and half-dragged forward by someone.
After passing through several moon-shaped doors, several hanging flower doors, and turning four or five corridors, we finally entered a small courtyard.
The leading eunuch took the lead, went up the steps, lifted the bamboo curtain and went in.
After a while, he came out again and said to everyone, "The Queen has instructed that Miss Zheng San go in first, and the Prince go to the adjacent room to serve tea and rest."
Zhuo Shiquan felt uneasy and worried about Zheng Fangchu, so he couldn't help but say, "No, I want to go in with Fangchu too."
The eunuch, with his belly protruding, said with his hands behind his back, "My Lord, please don't embarrass me. This is the Imperial Concubine's order, who would dare to disobey? Besides, the Imperial Concubine only invited the young lady in for questioning and won't embarrass her."
Zhuo Shiquan had already guessed something on the way. When he heard that it was really the imperial concubine who summoned him, the little courage in his heart had already flown away. Like a defeated rooster, he walked dejectedly into the ear room next to him.
Two eunuchs helped Zheng Fangchu into the room, walked to the main room, and bowed to the imperial concubine who was sitting on the kang under the window, "Your Majesty, the person is here."
Meng Yan nodded slightly and said, "Put it on the chair over there and leave."
The two men then did as they were told, placed Zheng Fangchu on a jujube wood armchair opposite them, and bowed before leaving.
Meng Yan glanced at Ruizhu beside her. Ruizhu understood and walked forward to pour a bowl of ice water on Zheng Fangchu's face.
Zheng Fangchu slowly woke up. She opened her eyes and looked carefully. She saw a beautiful woman in gorgeous clothes and makeup sitting under the west window. She had a gorgeous face and a noble demeanor. At first, she looked confused, but then she came to her senses and her teeth chattered. "Your Highness..."
As soon as she said this, her body softened and she almost slipped off the chair.
Meng Yan looked at her, showing no intention of asking for help. Her face was cold and gloomy. After a while, she said, "Since you like the coolness of the ground, then you can just lie down there."
Zheng Fangchu curled up on the ground, feeling the bluestone floor tiles were cold and hard. It was really uncomfortable, so he had to hold on to the chair and sit back down.
Meng Yan said calmly, "I summoned you here. Do you know why?"
Zheng Fangchu lowered her head, her whole body curled up into a ball, trembling for a long time before she whispered, "Your Highness, I don't know..."
Meng Yan laughed. "Don't know? Think about it, do you really not know?" Her eyes grew cold as she spoke, her red lips softly uttering a few words. "Unmarried women who commit adultery are, according to the laws of this dynasty, to be sold by an official matchmaker and cannot be married. Zheng Fangchu, you are also the daughter of a dignified Duke, don't you even know the meaning of etiquette?"
Zheng Fangchu was terrified. She was just a girl from the inner court, always timid. How could she have witnessed such a scene? Furthermore, she had been caught being rude. She was already terrified and immediately knelt on the ground, crying, "Your Majesty, I, I was forced... I was engaged to Prince Meng, so how could I secretly marry another man? But this Prince of Anyang has been pestering me since he saw me at an elegant gathering two years ago. I told him I was engaged, but Prince Zhuo refused to give in. Today, I was walking in the garden with my mother. When my mother stepped aside to wash her hands, he abducted me and took me to the side of the road. If Your Majesty's eunuchs had not arrived in time, I don't know what he would have done to me..."
Meng Yan said nothing, just listened with a smile, letting her finish.
She spoke this long speech fluently, without a single word pause. It is obvious that when people are pushed to the extreme, they will do anything to protect themselves.
Meng Yan stared into her eyes and said, "So, you are actually a chaste woman, and everything is the fault of the Anyang Marquis' son?"
Zheng Fangchu nodded hurriedly, silently muttering, "Brother Shiquan, I'm sorry. The Imperial Concubine caught us red-handed. We're destined to be apart. You're a man, and these things don't mean anything to you. It'll just give you a reputation as a playboy. I can't do that. I can't let this go to waste. The Anguo Mansion is still waiting for me to revive the family business. I... I still have to marry Prince Meng."
Meng Yan asked again, "Do you still want to marry my brother?"
Zheng Fangchu hesitated slightly, but nodded slightly.
Meng Yan smiled slightly, "Miss Zheng, don't be afraid. Just say whatever's on your mind. If you really don't like my brother, I'll make the decision for you and cancel this marriage. You don't have to worry about the Yiyang Marquis' Mansion. I'll take care of it myself."
Zheng Fangchu, however, seemed to have made up her mind. She spoke, "Your Highness, my father betrothed me to Prince Meng long ago. How can such a matter of marriage be changed so arbitrarily? I... am willing to marry Prince Meng."
Meng Yan sighed softly, "What a pity, what a pity. If you dare to do it and take responsibility, I will still admire you as a straightforward person. Now it seems that you are just a fickle woman." As she said that, she clapped her hands.
The palace servant guarding the door then opened the bamboo curtain, and a tall figure stood at the door.
Zheng Fangchu turned around and immediately turned pale, her lips trembling, "Shiquan... no, Prince Zhuo."
Zhuo Shiquan's eyes were red as he stared at her for a long moment. "Didn't you praise my poem 'Ode to Spring Cherry Blossoms' for its elegance and refinement at the elegant gathering back then, and expressed your willingness to become my close friend? Why are you saying today that I'm the one pestering you? I know you're engaged. But you said you didn't like a rough and tumble warrior like Prince Meng, and were drawn to a gentle and talented man like me. Fangchu, I've made a sincere wish. When Prince Meng returns to the capital, I'll go to his house and tell him to break off the engagement. I'll take all the blame and marry you. You..."
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