Chapter 64: The Emperor Grants Marriage
Ruan Yunsheng was stunned. He didn't expect Chuwu to think this way.
"If anything happens in the future, I'll send someone to Xingshi Tower to find you. That way, you won't have to pay special attention to the situation in Yuehua Courtyard every night."
Xie Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he doesn't need his own life at all, "Chuwu" never refuses any request made by Shengsheng.
After "Chuwu" left, Ruan Yunsheng also breathed a sigh of relief.
Chuwu always does things properly and never lets her down in anything she asks him to do.
With Chuwu's help, I believe that Fourth Brother will be able to return to Beijing soon, and Xie Yan won't have to be so sick all the time.
When her eldest and fourth brothers come back, she can tell them about General Sun.
With a lot on his mind, Ruan Yunsheng fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
She hadn't woken up yet when Zhishu came in hurriedly to report.
"Princess, there's an imperial decree from the palace. Please go to the front yard to receive it!"
Ruan Yunsheng suddenly woke up and asked, "Imperial edict?"
When she arrived at the front yard, Yang Gong, the chief eunuch beside the emperor, was standing in the corridor. When he saw her, he smiled broadly and said, "I congratulate Princess Mingyi."
At this time, Ruan Yunbo also rushed over after hearing the news.
He glanced at the bright yellow imperial edict in Eunuch Yang's hand. Although the other party was clearly talking about "happy events", his heart sank inexplicably, and he always felt that something was wrong.
He forced a smile and stepped forward to ask, "I wonder what good news Eunuch Yang has brought?"
Eunuch Yang coughed lightly and raised the imperial edict in his hand: "Since everyone is here, Princess, please accept the edict first."
Ruan Yunsheng led everyone in the Marquisate to kneel on the carpet. Eunuch Yang unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud:
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims:
Ruan Yunsheng, the Princess Mingyi of the Zhenguo Marquisate, is a gifted and intelligent woman. Wei Wencai, the son of the Anyuan Dukedom, is a man of honor, virtuous, and well-mannered, making him a perfect match.
Now I personally lead the charge to strengthen the kinship and secure the foundation of the state. I hereby grant the marriage of Princess Mingyi, Ruan Yunsheng, to Wei Wencai, son of the Duke of Anyuan. An auspicious date will be chosen for the wedding. This is my decree.
When Ruan Yunbo heard the three words "Wei Wencai", he suddenly looked up at Eunuch Yang.
After Eunuch Yang finished reading the imperial edict, he handed the bright yellow scroll to Ruan Yunsheng.
With a broad smile on his face, he said, "The Anyuan Mansion and the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion are well matched. Young Master Wei and the princess are of similar age, making them a perfect match. The Emperor has put a lot of thought into arranging the princess's marriage. The princess must not let this grace go to waste."
Ruan Yunsheng twitched the corners of his lips, his tone unable to tell whether he was happy or angry: "Your Majesty is so busy with all sorts of affairs, yet he still cares about your daughter's marriage."
"Of course!" Eunuch Yang smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits. "The Emperor loves the princess the most. You are still unmarried, and the Emperor has been worried about you every day. Finally, he has chosen this perfect match made in heaven for you."
He pushed the imperial edict forward again, his tone implying that it could not be refused: "Princess, please accept the edict quickly."
"The Emperor said that the princess is not young anymore and should not waste her prime years. The best date for the wedding should be next month. That's when the eldest son will return to the capital and resume his post. For the Marquisate, it would be a double blessing!"
Ruan Yunsheng's eyes tightened, and she slowly raised her hand, about to take the imperial edict, but Ruan Yunbo suddenly grabbed her wrist.
His voice was extremely low, filled with suppressed anger: "Shengsheng, you can't accept it! You can never marry Wei Wencai!"
Wei Wencai was the youngest son favored by Lord Anyuan. He was spoiled and became lawless. He was a notorious playboy and villain in Shengjing City.
Such a person is not even worthy of carrying Shengsheng's shoes!
Eunuch Yang's face darkened, and he said dissatisfiedly, "Third Young Master, are you going to disobey my order?"
Ruan Yunbo was about to speak, even if he disobeyed the order today, he could not just watch Shengsheng jump into the fire pit!
Ruan Yunsheng shook his head at him and whispered, "Third brother, don't be impulsive."
The emperor's meaning was clear: if she wanted her eldest brother to return to Beijing, she had to agree to this marriage.
Otherwise, if the crime of disobeying the imperial order is imposed, not only will there be no hope for my eldest brother to return, but the entire mansion will be dragged into trouble.
Previously, just because the imperial gift was lost, the emperor demoted her elder brother from a third-rank Hanlin to a county magistrate in Cangwu. She felt that this was strange at the time.
The crime of losing or damaging something bestowed upon one by the emperor could be serious or minor, depending entirely on the emperor's decision.
Just like when she accidentally broke the jade bottle given by the emperor when she was a child, the emperor not only did not hold her accountable, but instead cared about whether she was hurt.
But now, the same imperial gift was lost, but the emperor accused my eldest brother of "great disrespect".
There is such a huge difference. It is obvious that the emperor's attitude towards the Marquis' Mansion is no longer what it used to be.
If it weren't for the second brother still fighting bloody battles at the border and shocking the court, I'm afraid the punishment my eldest brother would have received would be far more than just demotion.
The Emperor is... afraid that the Marquis of Zhenguo's Mansion will become more powerful than him!
Naturally, she looked down on Wei Wencai, but at this critical moment, she could not disobey the order.
At least we have to wait until the eldest brother comes back before we can think of a solution.
Ruan Yunsheng raised her hands: "Your Highness, I accept your order."
Eunuch Yang finally regained his smile, "That's right! It's a good thing for the princess to marry into the Anyuan Mansion."
He glanced at Ruan Yunbo and said, "The Third Young Master is reluctant to see his sister get married, and we understand that. But Young Master, you should be more careful with your words and actions in the future, and don't let your mouth lead to harm."
After Eunuch Yang left, Ruan Yunbo said anxiously, "Shengsheng! How could you marry a bastard like Wei Wencai! If my brother knew about this, he would never agree to you doing this even if he stayed in Cangwu County forever!"
Butler Feng, Zhishu and Zhiqin also looked worried.
Zhishu said angrily, "Although the Anyuan family's status is not disgraceful to the princess, Wei Wencai's character is truly despicable! How can the princess have a happy life after marrying him?"
Steward Feng's eyes were reddened. "It's a pity that the Marquis and his wife passed away so early... If the Marquis were still alive, I wonder how heartbroken he would be if he knew that the princess was going to marry someone like Wei Wencai!"
Ruan Yunbo grew angrier as he listened. He snatched the imperial edict from his hand and said, "I will go to the palace right now and kneel outside the palace gates to beg for an audience with the Emperor! I am willing to pay any price if the Emperor revokes his order!"
Ruan Yunsheng grabbed his arm and said, "Third brother, calm down first. Wei Wencai is just a nobody, so he wouldn't cause such a commotion."
"Why not?"
Ruan Yunbo's voice trembled with anxiety. "This is your lifelong event! How can Third Brother not be anxious?"
Ruan Yunsheng winked at Butler Feng, signaling everyone to leave, and then closed the door.
She turned around and whispered, "Third brother, isn't the current situation obvious enough? The emperor is clearly afraid of our Zhenguo Hou Mansion."
"If I resist this arranged marriage, the entire Marquisate will be implicated."
Ruan Yunbo immediately said, "So what if you're implicated? I will never let you suffer this kind of injustice!"
Ruan Yunsheng shook his head gently, a faint smile on his lips: "I know my brother loves me, but there is really no need to be like this."
She took a step closer and lowered her voice, "The Emperor might be hoping that I will disobey his order so that he can legitimately attack the Marquis' Mansion."
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