Chapter 224 To Xuanzhou
After the old lady of the Ma family left, Ma Xingzhou said, "Get up and talk."
Ma Wan responded "yes", stood up and stood aside, waiting for her grandfather to speak.
"Grandfather knows that you have always been obedient and sensible. Your father passed away early, and over the years you and your mother have taken care of your younger brothers and sisters, shared household chores, and managed the household chores. You have always been more careful and independent than ordinary girls, and Grandfather has seen all of this..."
Therefore, his wife always favors the eldest granddaughter more, and he is no exception.
Just as Ma Wan was about to speak, she saw her grandfather, who was over sixty years old, looking at her, and his tone became more serious: "But you know nothing about the affairs of the court. The matter of being the Crown Prince's Consort of Prince Rong is very involved, which is very different from ordinary marriages. Grandfather needs to explain the interests involved to you in advance. It won't be too late for you to make a decision after listening."
Seeing her grandfather's expression, Ma Wan felt inexplicably nervous, so she nodded and listened quietly.
"Marrying a prince of a royal family is bound to have many rules and regulations, but I believe you can handle this. And when I say 'very different', I mean something else -"
Ma Xingzhou had no intention of hiding the truth from his granddaughter, and said bluntly, "If you marry to Yizhou, you must always pay attention to the actions of Prince Rong and his son. If there is any unusual movement, you must send a message back to the capital in time."
Ma Wan was stunned for a moment before she could ask, "Grandfather, what do you mean..."
Ma Xingzhou nodded to her seriously: "In addition to the Crown Prince's Consort of Prince Rong, you have another identity, and that is the eyes of the saint."
Ma Wan's face turned pale for a moment. She thought that the saint must have had considerations when choosing the Ma family, but she had not thought about it so deeply.
"The Ma family is blessed by the emperor and trusted by the saint. The fact that this prime minister's mansion can take root here is all due to the emperor's grace." Ma Xingzhou explained to his granddaughter in detail: "Marrying my prime minister's eldest granddaughter to the prince of Rong is both respectful and a reminder."
"Even though Yizhou is far to the west, the Saint has never had to worry about the possibility of rebellion from my Ma family. Therefore, in the eyes of the Saint, you, Wan'er, are the best choice."
The old man's eyes softened slightly when he said this: "However, this trip carries a lot of responsibilities. Grandfather does not want to force you, and the saint does not want to chill the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, so he has no intention of forcing you. This matter is still open for discussion."
"Grandfather told you this because he wanted you to think carefully before making a decision."
Ma Wan slowly came back to her senses, holding a glimmer of hope in her heart: "...Does the Rong Palace really have any ulterior motives?"
"Although there is no concrete evidence, Prince Rong is the late emperor's brother from the same father, so the saint has to be on guard. And precisely because there is no concrete evidence, we need a pair of eyes like this to go to Yizhou." Ma Xingzhou said slowly: "If Prince Rong's ambition is not here, or if he is willing to restrain himself... it would be the best for the saint and the overall situation of the world."
"My granddaughter also hopes that Prince Rong's Mansion has no ulterior motives..." Ma Wan's mind was in turmoil for a moment.
Ma Xingzhou looked at his granddaughter and asked thoughtfully, "Wan'er, do you have any other thoughts or ideas? If so, you might as well talk to grandfather about it."
Ma Wan struggled for a moment, but finally shook her head and said, "Wan'er just thought that Grandfather always considered Wan'er... As the eldest daughter in the family, how could I regard Grandfather's house as disloyal and unjust? And let the Saint have a grudge against Grandfather because of this?"
Could she say that she loved Prince Rong? She had originally intended to tell her grandfather about her feelings, but since this trip was to be the Saint's spy, her feelings would be trouble and misfortune to the Saint.
If she told it, she would no longer be trusted and would no longer be the best choice.
She would never betray the Prime Minister's Mansion, but she really didn't want to miss the opportunity to marry her lover... In life, it is difficult to find a soulmate, and she will never meet another person like this again in her life.
And she believed that there was a way to have the best of both worlds.
Because a man's eyes and his music will not lie, he is indifferent and easy-going, not someone who indulges in power struggles...
As long as Prince Rong's Mansion and the Saint are at peace, everything will be fine! The young man's gentle and pure smile flashed before her eyes again, and Ma Wan no longer hesitated.
"Wan'er is willing to go to Yizhou for the Xiangfu. This trip will not disappoint grandfather and the saint. Please help Wan'er!"
Ma Xingzhou looked at his granddaughter who knelt down again. After a while, he sighed softly, with both heartache and relief in his eyes.
…
After listening to her grandfather's instructions, it was already late at night when Ma Wan left.
The moonlight was quiet on the way back, but Ma Wan's mood could not calm down for a long time. She felt happy, yearning, but also a hint of uneasiness.
"Girl... have you really thought it through?" The maid hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't help but speak.
Although she didn't know what the girl said specifically to the old man, the girl's thoughts were obvious in the carriage returning from the music hall.
The maidservant whispered worriedly, "I am worried that Prince Rong is not sincere and is deliberately deceiving me..."
Ma Wan frowned quickly: "Then tell me, what did he trick me into believing?"
Today he did not say anything to her other than music theory. He even admitted that he had not completely let go of the lady from the Chang family. Everything she did was done spontaneously, not because of anyone's inducement.
The maid had a complicated expression: "I can't explain it either, it's just my intuition..."
Ma Wan: "Since there is no evidence, who taught you to slander others so casually?"
The maid frantically admitted her mistake: "Please calm down, young lady. I know I was wrong."
“Also, you must not tell anyone, including grandpa and grandma, that Prince Rong and I met at the music hall a long time ago.” Ma Wan ordered, “To avoid unnecessary rumors.”
The maid didn't dare to say anything more and just responded with "yes".
The master and servant did not speak any more along the way. Ma Wan was immersed in her own thoughts. The moment she stepped into her residence, she subconsciously glanced at the maid again.
Deliberate deception? Not sincere? She thought about the maid's words again, and after thinking about it again and again, she still found it funny.
Which of his words deceived her? As for sincerity, when did he ever claim that he was "sincere" to her?
He didn't say or do anything. She just decided to do it according to her own heart.
…
Any clever calculation will often not let the person being calculated be aware of it, and will attribute the result of others' silent inducement to one's own willingness, and indulge oneself in this "willingness".
That night, Prince Rong stood quietly in front of the window in his clothes.
He knew very well that Minghou would not let him leave alone.
But the Queen would never have imagined that the suitable candidate she had chosen after much consideration was actually chosen by him personally.
In the eyes of the Empress, the Ma family would not turn against the emperor. The Right Prime Minister Ma Xingzhou was indeed a loyal and honest minister...
But his son died early, so he treated his eldest granddaughter with more pity and love, which is why he was unable to make up his mind.
In this case, he would help the other party. If Ma Wan could ask for it herself, as a grandfather, he would naturally get the best of both worlds.
Everyone can get the best of both worlds, wouldn't that make everyone happy?
Li Lu looked up at the moon with a smile, and after a moment his smile faded a little. He seemed to see again the small boat on the lake under the moonlight that night, and the girl drawing the bow on the boat.
Goodbye, when and where?
But he thought they would see each other again eventually.
He was waiting for that day.
What came earlier than that day was naturally the imperial decree granting the marriage.
Soon, the news that the saint had arranged a marriage between Li Lu, the prince of Rong, and Ma Wan, the granddaughter of Prime Minister Ma, spread.
"I will keep in mind what Prime Minister Ma did today to consider for me and the court."
"It is my duty to share your Majesty's worries."
The Emperor of the Holy Ce looked at the loyal and useful minister and said as if promising: "I know Prime Minister Ma's ambition. I will not let down those poor students, nor will I keep them waiting for too long."
Ma Xingzhou bowed deeply.
The emperor's words meant that the affairs of the Changsun clan were about to be settled.
Soon, Emperor Shengce dismissed Chang Sun Yuan from office, confiscated his property, and beheaded Chang Sun Yuan and his two sons on the grounds that he had colluded with Xu Zhengye in rebellion, which had been proven to be a crime.
The rest of the clan members were also sentenced to death by hanging, dismissed from office, demoted and exiled, depending on the severity of their crimes.
In consideration of the past achievements of the Changsun family, those in their family who are under the age of sixteen will not be held accountable, but they must all move to Qianzhou with their clansmen. From now on, their descendants are not allowed to leave Qianzhou without an imperial decree.
It's not that the Emperor of the Holy Ce has never thought about wiping out the roots, but severing a person's bloodline has always been detrimental to one's reputation. What's more, the Changsun family is a powerful family with deep roots and the support of other aristocratic families. If she tries to wipe them out in one fell swoop, she will surely suffer backlash.
Sometimes showing a little leniency and leaving room for survival is to cut off the other party's desperate counterattack.
Now that the big tree has fallen, the remaining branches can be left to be pruned later.
At this moment, the young Changsun Ji, holding his grandfather's tablet in his arms, had already sat in the carriage leaving Beijing for Qianzhou with several relatives.
The once proud, noble and arrogant young boy was now wearing plain cloth, the tears in his eyes had long dried up, and his expression was gloomy and numb.
The carriage was crude and bumpy, and there was nothing else inside except a few bundles. He had only used fine things since he was born, and had never come into contact with such rough things.
But this is already a manifestation of the emperor's "leniency and kindness."
Chang Sun Ji remained silent for a long time.
He originally thought that his aunt's death was the most painful thing he could imagine in life, but he never imagined that it was just the beginning.
His grandfather died, his grandmother hanged herself, his father died, his mother followed his father, and all the uncles who watched him grow up also died...
"Aji, from now on, you are the new head of the Changsun family. You must remember what your grandfather told you before he passed away." The clan member's voice was sad and hoarse, yet full of unwilling hope.
Chang Sun Ji was a little dazed.
Grandfather's words...
Yes, the night before the execution, his grandfather told him something.
Grandfather did not hide it from him anymore and explained everything to him. Grandfather had indeed known that Xu Zhengye was going to start a rebellion, and he had indeed received secret letters from Xue Ren and Luo Guanlin...
Although my grandfather did not agree to their request, he was hiding something because he wanted to use Xu Zhengye to force the Queen to return power.
My grandfather said that he knew Xu Zhengye and others might have evil ambitions, and he had no intention of associating with them, he just wanted to borrow their strength.
My grandfather said that the difference between the Changsun clan and the five major clans headed by the Cui clan was that the Changsun clan and the Li clan rose and fell together, but the Changsun clan was loyal to the Li clan and never changed their ambition no matter how they fought for power.
Therefore, his grandfather gave him the seal of the Changsun family and ordered him to take on this responsibility, protect the Changsun family, and find an opportunity to select a wise leader for the Li family and help them revive the Li family.
When he closed his eyes at this moment, he seemed to still be able to see his grandfather's unwilling yet unwavering eyes.
Choose a wise leader for the Li family and revive the Li family's rule...
Can he really fulfill his grandfather's wishes on his own?
The young man lowered his eyes and looked at the tablet wrapped in black cloth in his arms, and his eyes gradually became red again.
He seemed to see his grandfather in prison again, looking old and miserable. His grandfather had once muttered to himself:
"Back then, in order to secure my sister's position as queen and the power of the Changsun family, I chose to support the mediocre Third Prince and suppressed him in every possible way... Was I really wrong?"
"Earlier, if my sister and I had chosen the poor, sickly one who lived near the elephant park and was ignored by everyone, and raised him well by my sister, wouldn't the situation today be completely different..."
"So, we made the wrong choice from the beginning... Perhaps there were signs of the Changsun family's defeat today."
"Aji, grandpa made the wrong choice back then, so you must open your eyes and choose carefully..."
…
In Anyifang, inside the Cui Family Ancestral Hall, an old and thin figure stood silently.
"Father."
Cui Wei came in from outside and bowed, whispering: "The Changsun clan has successfully left the capital, and everything has been arranged. We will definitely escort them to Qianzhou safely."
Cui Ju nodded.
Those who appear to be merciful in public may not be merciful in secret. Although the Changsun family is doomed to fail, if they can preserve a trace of their bloodline, they can still keep a glimmer of hope.
"Father..." Cui Wei hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "The Queen is acting more and more recklessly now. If she continues like this, I'm afraid..."
"You finally see the truth of this matter." Cui Ju said, "I have said it before, the nobles and the Ming empress, only one can survive."
"But how dare she..." Cui Wei's tone was filled with suppressed and bizarre anger: "First it was Pei, then it was Zhangsun. She is not afraid of such behavior..."
"You want to kill people, but you don't allow them to fight back?" Cui Ju turned around and interrupted his son, "She can't back out of this matter, and neither can I. As for life and death, victory or defeat, we have to do our best and leave it to fate.
Ask someone to gather the tribesmen and go to the governor's hall to discuss the matter."
Cui Wei agreed.
Cui Ju left the ancestral hall, followed by a trusted old servant.
"Has there been any news from Bingzhou recently?" Cui Ju asked as they walked.
"Go back to your master, there has been no letter sent back recently."
Cui Ju frowned, with a hint of worry on his face.
Bingzhou?
Cui Wei couldn't help but ask: "Father, who is in Bingzhou?"
Bingzhou is under the jurisdiction of that rebellious son.
Cui Ju: "Ling An had previously been ordered to leave the capital for Bingzhou. He left in a hurry, and ten days ago he sent a letter back to the palace to explain the situation."
Cui Wei was stunned.
So, the rebellious son in his eyes at that time led his troops and left without saying goodbye, because he had received a secret order to leave the capital early? Cui Wei frowned, and suddenly felt that he was a little wronged for being ill in his anger.
I can't help but ask: "Since there was a letter, why didn't the father tell his son?"
Cui Ju glanced at him and said, "If you care about him, he would have sent this letter to you."
"..." Cui Wei's expression changed, and after a moment he asked again: "Why did you suddenly go to Bingzhou? Didn't you say you were going to the northern border to train troops and rebuild the border defenses?"
Cui Ju's face was somewhat solemn: "There may be changes in Bingzhou."
And I’m afraid it’s not the change caused by that chief historian.
Ling An didn't know where he was at this moment, or whether he was safe...
Cui Ju was worried, so he sent someone to Bingzhou to find out the news.
…
On this day, Chang Suining and his entourage's carriage had arrived in Xuanzhou.
On the way, she noticed something strange and sent someone to Bingzhou to deliver a letter to Cui Jing, but she didn't know if it had been delivered to him. While Chang Suining was thinking, the carriage had passed the gate of Xuanzhou. Ah Dian couldn't help but lift the curtain and looked out curiously.
Chang Sui'an, who was in a carriage behind, had no interest at all. In the past few days, as they got closer to Xuanzhou, he became visibly more and more nervous.
Good night, everyone~ (It seems that the comments cannot be displayed normally, but the backend can receive them. It is estimated that they will be restored later, so stay tuned.)
(End of this chapter)
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