engagement
Three days later, the prince went to the capital to pay homage to the emperor. Amidst the wind and snow, the hearts of men were filled with scheming and intrigue.
"Nephew, how have you been lately?" The one who spoke was the Prince of Zhao, a cousin of the late emperor, who was nearly fifty years old and had a kind and gentle face.
Chu Chanyin bowed to him with a polite smile: "Thank you for your concern, Imperial Uncle. I am well. How have you been these days, Imperial Uncle?"
King Zhao naturally laughed it off, saying everything was fine. The two had a so-so relationship. In fact, relationships among the Chu clan were all about saving face. Going back three generations, there were some unspeakable grudges and feuds. This was rare in recent years, but there had been quite a few spies planted behind the scenes.
After Chu Chan disappeared, King Zhao took a step forward. King Zhao noticed this and couldn't help but admire how well his nephew maintained his facade. Regardless of their relationship, he always acted humble and polite. Outsiders said he was a rare gentleman in the royal family, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and young and promising.
"I've done the math, and my nephew is almost twenty, isn't he? I've heard that your harem is still empty. I wonder what kind of woman you like?" King Zhao asked him, adopting the demeanor of an elder, wondering if there was any chance to place someone in King Chu's harem.
"Hehe," Chu Chanyin smirked, "I wonder if Imperial Uncle remembers the marriage my Imperial Grandfather arranged for me back then? I've come here today to request His Majesty's decree to grant us this marriage."
"Oh?" King Zhao glanced at Chu Chanyin in surprise. He had heard about this on his way to the capital. He didn't expect Chu Chanyin to actually accept the marriage and marry an orphan whose parents died in battle and whose brother was accused of treason. "Of course I remember. That's good. I was worried that my nephew's parents had died early and there would be no one to arrange his marriage. Father Emperor is truly farsighted to have arranged this marriage for my nephew so early."
It's common for members of the royal family to speak with veiled barbs, and when he heard someone mocking his parents, Chu Chanyin remained unfazed, as if he hadn't heard at all. "Yes, Grandfather is wise and mighty, but I wonder if His Majesty will agree to this..."
Seeing his feigned worry, King Zhao chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "What's so difficult about that? I'll put in a good word for you when the time comes."
If the King of Chu had married a queen from a powerful family, she would have been difficult to deal with in the future... Therefore, Chu Chan secretly married a woman from the Zhao family, which Chu Chan was happy to see.
"Then I thank you, Imperial Uncle." Chu Chanyin bowed again, his smile polite.
At the palace banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses, the dancers, with their slender waists and graceful movements, captivated the audience with their melodious music. In order to quell the rumors, the Empress Dowager specially invited Zhao Youyi to the palace for the banquet. During the banquet, she showed her great concern, as if she were not the one who had forced her to marry a southern barbarian a few days ago.
Because of her brother's recent death, Zhao Youyi dressed simply even at the palace banquet. She wore a blue palace dress with a moon-white cloak over it, and her hair was adorned with only a jade hairpin and a plum blossom. Even without makeup, she was still beautiful and ethereal, though her lips were slightly pale, making her look pitiful.
Chu Chanyin noticed her immediately. Seeing her sitting in the women's section with only a maidservant by her side, he couldn't help but worry. Was it because the Zhao family's power had waned and everyone in the capital treated her differently based on her status, which was why no one cared about her?
Zhao Youyi keenly noticed the gaze Chu Chanyin cast at her, and seeing the undisguised worry in his eyes, Zhao Youyi gave him a slight smile.
Chu Chanyin withdrew his gaze and looked down at the wine cup in his hand.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries among the royal family members, the emperor's gaze fell upon the unassuming Prince of Chu. Thinking of the rumors circulating in the capital, he couldn't help but frown.
Sure enough, not long after, King Zhao took the lead in bringing up the marriage of a member of the royal family, first mentioning his own son, Qi Fan, and then turning his attention to King Chu.
The emperor sat at the head of the table, his face expressionless. He wondered when the old fox, the Prince of Zhao, had made contact with the Prince of Chu. "Hehe, my dear nephew, you'll be nineteen after the New Year. It's indeed time for you to settle down. There are many fine daughters in the capital, such as the Xie family's daughter..."
Upon hearing this, the King of Chu rose and bowed. His attendants presented the edict left by the Holy Ancestor. Chu Chanyin said, "This is the Holy Ancestor's edict. I request Your Majesty to grant me a marriage with the Zhao family's daughter!"
The emperor's gaze swept fiercely between the two men, his grip on his cup tightening. "I had no idea such a thing happened..."
"Back then, the Holy Ancestor worried that my mother would die young and that I would have no one to take care of me in the future, so he specially bestowed this marriage upon me. I hope Your Majesty will grant it!" Chu Chanyin said loudly.
When they mentioned Chu Chanyin, Zhao Youyi unconsciously clenched her handkerchief, fearing that the matter might not work out.
Seeing the Emperor's strange expression, the Empress Dowager knew that he still harbored fantasies about Lady Zhao. The thought of this disgusting emperor's offense against her made her wish he would be beheaded immediately, but for the sake of her position as Empress Dowager, she still had to stabilize the imperial clan for him. "I see. I have also heard about this matter. Your Majesty, then grant the wish of this loving couple."
The emperor glanced sideways and saw the Empress Dowager's sharp eyes, knowing that he had to grant her request. After all, the Prince of Chu held a large army and was far away in Fuzhou. If he were to marry a woman from a powerful family, he would have an extra ally should the Prince of Chu rebel one day. Although Lady Zhao came from a female general's family, she had no one to rely on, so she was not a bad choice. Moreover, as long as he granted the marriage to the two of them, he could quell the rumors in the capital.
"Since that's the case, then I will bestow a marriage upon you two." The emperor smiled insincerely, but when he saw Lady Zhao rise with a gentle smile to express her gratitude, his heart felt as if it were bleeding.
After the palace banquet, the two kept a distance between them, not too close or too far. It was not appropriate to talk in the palace, but Zhao Youyi and Chu Chanyin were both calm at the same time.
Upon arriving outside the palace, Chu Chanyin watched Zhao Youyi board the carriage, carefully instructing the coachman to be careful. Zhao Youyi lifted the curtain and said, "Cousin."
Hearing her call him, Chu Chanyin was somewhat surprised, "Cousin, what's wrong?"
"I wonder when my cousin will leave the capital, so I can make preparations." Zhao Youyi's gaze fell on him. For some reason, the Prince of Chu always wore white, as if he wanted to blend into the icy and snowy landscape.
Chu Chanyin looked up at the swirling snowflakes and said, "It's difficult to travel in this snow. Why not wait until spring?"
As long as he stayed in Beijing, Zhao Youyi's worries and anxieties only increased. "Cousin..."
“Cousin, you’re not feeling well. If you leave the capital in such a hurry, you might not feel well.” Chu Chanyin frowned, not quite agreeing. He had heard from his cousin’s maid that when his cousin heard about Brother Nianling, she was so angry that she vomited blood on the spot.
Zhao Youyi wanted to say that she was in good health and that it was all for show, but she and he weren't that close yet. "Cousin," she said, "I'm afraid things might change if I wait too long."
Seeing her furrowed brows and sorrowful expression, Chu Chanyin naturally knew what she was worried about, so he could only nod and say, "Then in ten days, cousin, remember to prepare more warm clothes so you don't catch a cold."
“Of course, Nianwan thanks her cousin.” Zhao Youyi smiled at him.
The Liu family was the most upset when the imperial decree for the marriage was issued, followed by Gu Zeyu.
Liu Mingyi had previously disagreed with the emperor taking Zhao's daughter as his concubine. He had only thought that the sister of a disgraced official should not serve the emperor. He never expected that Zhao's daughter would be betrothed to the King of Chu, while his daughter would be sent to marry a southern barbarian... Clearly, the one who was originally to be sent to marry Zhao's daughter was Zhao's daughter.
"Why do you say that, Father?" Liu Zhiming's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes were icy cold. "Blame the Emperor for being a spineless coward. Despite being the victorious nation, he insisted on agreeing to a marriage alliance for the sake of tribute. Isn't the current deficit in the national treasury a result of his debauchery and tyranny? Let him go to the Nanfeng Brothel and sell himself. He loves doing that kind of thing anyway!"
"Zhimo! What nonsense are you spouting!" Liu Mingyi was speechless, stunned by his daughter's outrageous words. Although he had long known that his daughter's temperament was different from that of ordinary women, he had not restrained her. He never expected that she would say such a thing!
Upon hearing the reprimand, Liu Zhiming sneered: "Father, are you sure you still want to be loyal to this incompetent monarch? If things continue like this, the Jin Kingdom will perish sooner or later!"
After saying this, she got up and left the main hall, leaving Liu Mingyi in the hall beating his chest and stamping his feet in frustration.
Upon hearing the imperial edict, Gu Zeyu's expression turned strange, while Gu Qiyu, standing to the side, was overjoyed. Her friend would have someone to protect him for the rest of his life, and that person was none other than the handsome Prince of Chu. This was naturally the best thing ever.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Seeing that Gu Zeyu hadn't spoken for a long time, Gu Qiyu felt strange. She tugged at his sleeve, looking puzzled.
"Qiyu, does Sister Zhao like the King of Chu?" Gu Zeyu's gaze was blank, not knowing where it was looking, and he unconsciously clenched his fist.
"I...I don't know." Gu Qiyu was taken aback by his question. However, the King of Chu had rarely come to the capital in recent years, and Nian Wan had not seen him many times. Perhaps he didn't like him? Although the King of Chu was handsome and could be called the most handsome man in Jin, he was ultimately engaged in an arranged marriage.
So she tentatively said, "I guess you don't like it."
"Does the King of Chu like Sister Zhao?" Gu Zeyu asked again.
Hearing this, even the most foolish person could sense something was amiss, let alone Gu Qiyu, who was a shrewd person. "Brother...you don't know?"
She had assumed that her brother had no romantic feelings for Nianwan. They had grown up together since childhood, and although Nianwan had become a recluse, they had a deep bond from their childhood. Her father had even asked her brother if he had feelings for Nianwan, and if so, he would propose marriage.
But at that time, my brother said no without hesitation.
Gu Qiyu fell silent, suddenly unsure of what to say.
“Brother, if you truly have feelings for Sister Zhao, why did you say no back then?” Gu Qiyu revealed an ugly smile.
“Because…” Gu Zeyu didn’t know how to respond, and the two looked at each other in silence.
The general's mansion was unusually lively. Upon hearing the imperial edict, Uncle Zhao hurriedly ordered people to tidy up the storeroom. Zhao Youyi, seeing his urgency, was somewhat puzzled, "Uncle Zhao, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Miss." Seeing Zhao Youyi arrive, Uncle Zhao smiled. "It's like this, I plan to have my wife and son take part of the girl's dowry to Fuzhou first, and then buy a house for the girl."
These past few days, Zhao Youyi has been thinking about how to deal with the current predicament, and has forgotten about what will happen after leaving the capital. However, it is quite necessary to buy a house. She cannot move into the Chu Prince's mansion as soon as she arrives in Fuzhou. Although she is engaged, it is not reasonable.
“Don’t worry, young lady. These things were all arranged by the general beforehand. He had drafted all the rules. He was afraid that if you were to marry into another place and had a dispute with your husband’s family, you would have nowhere to go. So he specially prepared money to take care of these trivial matters.” Uncle Zhao’s face showed nostalgia when he mentioned Zhao Youli. The general was a very good person. It was just a pity that he died young.
Hearing that all these things were instructed by her elder brother, Zhao Youyi was in a daze. It turned out that her elder brother had already prepared a way out for her in the second half of her life. No matter whether she wanted to get married or not, she could rely on the general's mansion's property to live out the rest of her life in peace.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
