Until one day, when Han Chenchen mentioned to Zhao Huan that when her father took out Zhao Huan's edict that day, Han Chenchen felt a strong sense of rejection, an absolute rejection, without any hesitation or wavering.
Han Chenchen is the apple of the Han family's eye. If it weren't for Han Lixian being a fiercely protective father who publicly claimed that his daughter was ill, Han Chenchen would probably have already been married off to someone else.
Having lost his mother at a young age, Han Lixian doted on Han Chenchen, treating her with utmost care and affection.
Seeing Han Chenchen jumping up and down, Han Lixian quickly said, "Third Sister, please sit down and talk properly."
"Father, if you dare sell me to that man surnamed Zhao, I'll hang myself!"
Han Dalang and Han Erlang, who were standing to the side, felt their scalps tingle upon hearing this. Han Erlang said, "Third sister, you absolutely mustn't do that! Father hasn't even said anything about you marrying into the family yet!"
Han Dalang asked, "Father, do you think the Song Dynasty can win?"
He was worried that if the marriage really went through, and the Song state lost, even if the Han family helped the Zhao family now, it wouldn't count as a merit. They had already lost the war, so how could they expect to claim credit?
So this is gambling!
Han Lixian sighed and said, "For the past hundred years, my Han family has mainly been engaged in business. The current war has severely damaged my Han family's vitality. Not only does the Jin Kingdom not know how to govern, but some people in the court are also too suspicious of the Han family. If this continues, the Han family will not be far from its decline!"
Upon hearing this, both Han Dalang and Han Erlang sighed, while Han Chenchen pouted, looking aggrieved.
Han Lixian continued, "Third sister, if you don't want to marry, then don't. Your father will refuse. After that, take some money and go south to Hangzhou and other places. They are prosperous and peaceful. Your father doesn't ask for anything else, he only asks that you live and work in peace. If I can't find you a good husband, your father will have no face to see your dead mother."
As he spoke, Han Lixian burst into tears. Han Dalang and Han Erlang also comforted their father with sorrowful expressions. Han Chenchen, who was already on the verge of tears from feeling wronged, felt utterly heartless after hearing her father's words. Weighing the pros and cons, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Father, if I marry into the Zhao family, can the Han family return to what it was before?"
Han Lixian cried so "heartbrokenly" that he desperately squeezed out "tears" from the corners of his eyes, adjusting his facial expression perfectly. If he were in later generations, he would definitely be a movie star.
"Third sister, don't force yourself!" After saying this, fearing that her daughter would change her mind, she quickly added, "That Emperor Zhao is the most benevolent emperor in the history of Chinese dynasties. Even if he loses the war, the country will not perish. At that time, you will be a concubine in the palace, and you will have a life of wealth and honor. Your eldest and second brothers will also benefit from your good fortune. As for Father, he can stay here, guard the ancestral property, and be buried with the ancestors after he dies."
Upon hearing this, Han Chenchen burst into tears and hugged Han Lixian, sobbing loudly.
The family cried again. After they finished crying, Han Li tidied himself up and went out to see Sima Junru.
His demeanor when he saw Sima Junru was completely different; his eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
Sima Junru naturally knew that Han Lixian had already agreed, so she said, "Your Excellency, I can take Consort Han to meet the Emperor now."
Hearing that Sima Junru had changed her way of addressing him, Han Lixian was extremely excited and couldn't stop smiling.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Sima!"
"Your Excellency, please don't be so polite."
"In the future, I will rely on Brother Sima to speak well of me before the Emperor."
"Of course, of course!"
Han Lixian then had Han Chenchen tidy herself up, dress up as a village girl, smear soot on her face, and disguise herself as an ordinary refugee, before following Sima Junru away.
Han Lixian, however, had a more important task to do. In the afternoon, as soon as the wind and snow outside subsided a bit, he took a carriage to Wanyan Chang's residence.
After the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, the Han family began to cultivate high-ranking positions in the Jin Dynasty. Their contact was Wanyan Chang, a man who only loved two things: money and women.
If Han Lixian hadn't publicly claimed that his daughter was ill, she would have been taken by Wanyan Chang long ago.
A few days ago, Wanyan Chang had just arrived from Liaoyang, and Han Lixian had already had a meal with him, during which Han Lixian also gave Wanyan Chang two boxes of silver.
Today was another visit. When Han Li saw Wanyan Chang come out, he quickly stood up and bowed.
"Master Han, there's no need for such formalities!"
However, there was another person beside Wanyan Chang. This person was tall and strong with a sinister look. He was dressed in Hanfu and had a hairstyle that was no different from that of Han people. An uninformed person would think that he was Han people. But this person was Wanyan Zongpan, the eldest son of Wanyan Sheng, the emperor of Jin.
There are two factions in the Jin court today. One faction is led by Wanyan Zongpan, who vaguely wants Wanyan Sheng to make Wanyan Zongpan the crown prince. The other faction is led by Wanyan Gao, whose subordinates Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang are both meritorious officials in the destruction of Liao. Wanyan Zongfu and others also stand on Wanyan Gao's side.
Wanyan Gao practically told Wanyan Sheng, "Hurry up and establish an heir apparent. If the elder brother dies, the younger brother can take over. If you die, I, as the younger brother, can ascend to the throne."
Just like Zhao Kuangyin's third brother, Zhao Kuangmei, when Zhao Kuangyi became emperor, he set an example for Zhao Kuangmei by emphasizing the principle of succession by the younger brother after the death of the elder brother, and even made Zhao Kuangmei the prefect of Kaifeng, a position that was slated to become the crown prince.
But Zhao Kuangyi was extremely unwilling, and later still managed to kill Zhao Kuangmei.
Similarly, Wanyan Sheng was unwilling to let Wanyan Gao inherit the throne, and even less willing to return it to Wanyan Zongwang and others from Wanyan Aguda's lineage.
So, in orthodox history, Wanyan Zongwang died of illness after capturing Bianjing, supposedly from heatstroke. But who the hell knows if it was heatstroke or poisoning?
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