Each minister was lost in thought, yet dared not utter a sound, clearly sensing that the Emperor was exerting himself to the utmost to control his temper. No one wanted to speak up at this critical juncture and incur the Emperor's wrath, so they all remained seated, quietly watching the drama unfold.
However, if the Emperor allowed them to leave early, no one would want to sit here. After all, what kind of drama is this in the royal court? Watching it would be enough to lose your head.
Suppressing his anger, the Emperor asked, word by word, "Are you sure you want me to arrange a marriage for you?" His eyes, filled with rage, were fixed on Ziwei kneeling below.
Anke was also shocked by Ziwei's words. Wasn't she supposed to have just dealt with her mother's death, sold her family property, and come all the way to Beijing?
Even if she'd been on the road for a year, it wouldn't have been two years at most. Even if she wanted to marry Fu Erkang, there was no need to be in such a rush. The Qing Dynasty governed with filial piety in mind, and the Emperor, in particular, emphasized it daily. Yet Xia Ziwei was still in mourning; was she really in such a hurry to get married? What a filial daughter!
An Ke doesn't even need to turn her head to see the Emperor's expression now; it must be ashen, and he's probably still thinking that the Ziwei of the past wasn't like this.
As expected of someone who truly understands the Emperor, Princess Yong'an deserves a place in his heart. At this moment, the Emperor was indeed wondering if he had misjudged Ziwei before. He also thought of Yuhe, feeling a deep chill for her and a profound sense of disappointment.
But Ziwei was drunk and couldn't care less about anything else, or rather, she didn't even know what she was saying. The pain she had just felt, and the Emperor's attitude towards Anke, kept replaying in her mind.
This provoked Ziwei so much that, under the influence of alcohol, she blurted out, "Father, I beg you to grant Erkang and me a marriage. We are in love with each other." After saying this, she even kowtowed to the Emperor in a crooked manner.
A deathly silence fell over the scene, but soon all eyes turned to Lord Fu. All sorts of looks were directed at him: pity, sympathy, jealousy. Fu Lun felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, as if the Emperor's gaze was piercing him. Even Consort Ling, sitting nearby, was extremely uneasy, gripping the armrests tightly.
She nearly fell to the ground, which would have been quite unseemly. Fortunately, Lamei, who was behind her, caught her in time.
Fu Lun felt that his eldest son was truly capable of causing him trouble; even when he wasn't around, he could still stir up some trouble. Cold sweat instantly broke out on Fu Lun's forehead, and he was just about to get up and apologize to the Emperor.
The Emperor waved his hand and said in a cold voice, "Since that's the case, then I will bestow you upon Fu Erkang. The wedding will be held on a chosen date. You may leave." The Emperor closed his eyes, as if looking at her again would taint his eyes.
It's a disguised form of burying one's head in the sand, as if by covering one's eyes, one can't see the daughter who has disappointed him.
Ziwei was unaware that her actions would cause her to lose the most important thing—the Emperor's favor.
Ziwei's mind was still hazy; she only heard the news that her father, the Emperor, had bestowed a marriage upon her and Erkang. She felt that her father still cared for her, but she didn't pay attention to the latter part of the sentence or the Emperor's cold tone.
After another unsteady bow, the two of them, supported by Xiao Yanzi in a panic, silently withdrew from the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Fu Lun felt his official robes were soaked through, and he didn't even dare to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He could only stand up shakily to thank the Emperor for his great favor.
The Emperor didn't even glance at them, simply waving for him to sit down. Then, the musicians from the Music Bureau came up and performed some songs and dances, but the Emperor probably found them uninteresting and ended the banquet early.
As the Emperor left the Hall of Supreme Harmony and sat in his sedan chair, he pondered whether he had done something wrong, wondering how he could have raised such a daughter. In front of foreign envoys and his officials, she openly knelt on the ground, disregarding any semblance of feminine decorum, begging for a marriage decree. Was she truly requesting a marriage decree or forcing him into it?
The Emperor was utterly speechless, and even though the Burmese had made a fool of themselves, he didn't care. The question the Emperor had just asked Ziwei was actually a prelude to her rebuttal.
If she had argued back, the Emperor could have easily backed down and pretended the incident never happened. But since he had given her a chance, she still chose not to budge, and the Emperor felt she was beyond redemption.
What's more, of all people she could have fallen for, she had to choose someone she had repeatedly demoted and now relegated to the position of a cook in the imperial kitchen. She's utterly hopeless.
After the banquet, the princesses and noblewomen were all talking about it. Some thought Ziwei was incredibly bold, some admired her courage, and some found it ridiculous.
The ministers also felt that they had really watched a great show. Some officials who got along well with Lord Fu shook their heads and sighed as they walked past him, while others patted Lord Fu on the shoulder to comfort him. The officials facing Lord Fu gloated and offered their congratulations.
Yes, anyone could see that the Emperor was unhappy and furious. But Xia Ziwei ignored it all and knelt on the ground, stubbornly kowtowing to the Emperor.
The Emperor is the Son of Heaven; no one has ever dared to defy him so directly. Yet now, he's been challenged by his own daughter, even angered to this extent by her. It's hard to guarantee the Emperor won't vent his anger on the Fu family. Some ministers even think there's more to come.
Some were considering whether to sever ties with Fu Lun while the Emperor's anger was not yet obvious, in order to protect themselves.
Fu Lun left the palace with a deathly pale face. As he sat in the carriage, looking at his wife, who was huddled in the corner of the carriage without saying a word, he was filled with even more anger. "Is this the good son you raised?"
The wife naturally knew that she shouldn't argue with Fu Lun at this moment. She sat in the corner, took out her handkerchief, and silently wiped away her tears. Yes, since when did her family become so torn apart?
Father and son become estranged, brothers turn against each other, and husband and wife are not of one mind.
*
After seeing Ertai off at the palace gate, Anke turned around and returned to Cining Palace.
As soon as she entered her bedchamber, she felt a wave of heat instantly envelop her, washing away the chill from her body.
After washing up, Anke habitually picked up a book and sat down to read by candlelight. But a moment later, there was a knock on her door.
Anke smiled, knowing that some people would be restless and want to ask her questions after she returned. Anke was sitting here reading a book, waiting for them.
Sure enough, the two of them arrived in a hurry, still wearing their nightgowns.
Anke frowned and asked, "It's so cold, and you two went out in your pajamas? You didn't even bring a hot water bottle or a cloak?" Anke stood up, took two hot water bottles, and handed them to the two of them.
He poured two more cups of hot tea for the two women and also brought them two blankets, which he wrapped around them. "Speak, you must have something to say to me so late at night."
Xinrong first held the flower tea and carefully took a sip. After drinking it, she closed her eyes comfortably, feeling the flower tea flow down her throat and into her stomach. A cup of hot flower tea in winter is truly the most comforting thing.
"An'an, do you know that Princess Ziwei is going to ask for a marriage proposal in front of the Emperor today?" Xinrong blurted out. Since being with An Keqing'er, Xinrong has become more and more guileless and speaks her mind.
Xinrong grew increasingly curious, having just witnessed a scene that left her speechless. Before entering the palace, her mother had told her about that Fu Erkang.
If Fu Erkang was once considered a promising young man, he's now at most just a young man. Xinrong simply can't imagine how such a clueless imperial guard ever got to his position.
"I don't know, I was just as shocked as you were when I first saw it," Anke said slowly, holding a hot water bottle in her hands and squinting her eyes.
"What was Ertai's expression when you saw him off at the palace gate? He didn't say anything, did he?" Qing'er didn't care about anything concerning the Fu family; she was just worried that Ertai might have softened his heart and asked Anke for help because of his family's situation.
Although An Ke didn't say it, it was obvious to everyone that she didn't want to get involved in any troublesome matters, and even loathed the Fu family.
"No, he didn't say anything, and his expression was perfectly normal. You don't need to worry about that. He definitely won't come to me for help because of his family's problems," An Ke said softly, patting Qing'er's shoulder.
Anke's eyes narrowed dangerously. If Fu Tai had indeed mentioned the Fu family just now, that would have been the moment their relationship was severed. Anke was intolerant of infidelity; she didn't need a fickle lover.
"Alright, you don't need to worry about me anymore. You only ask Ertai, not General Ji?" An Ke asked with a teasing tone. "I saw you two staring at each other for a long time during the banquet."
Xinrong stood silently to the side, holding her flower tea without uttering a word, like a background screen for a button. But if you looked closely, you could see her fingers twitching slightly, and her ears twitching gently. Clearly, she was also very eager to know.
Xinrong: This trip was definitely worthwhile. Not only did I get the gossip I wanted to know, but I also had an unexpected bonus.
It's like a badger in a melon patch.
Qing'er's ears instantly turned red, and two blushes appeared on her face. In the candlelight, she looked extremely charming and lovely. "No, we just accidentally made eye contact." Qing'er wanted to pick up her cup of flower tea and take a sip, but her hand trembled involuntarily.
An Ke felt sorry for General Ji, thinking how long his road to winning Qing'er would be. He really didn't know when he would finally get her.
After they finished talking, the two rested at Anke's place, since it was indeed very cold to walk back and forth in the flower corridor in the dead of winter.
Anke got up early to practice martial arts, and felt warm all over after finishing.
Xinrong had made arrangements this morning to play chess with Yongqi at Yonghe Palace. The Empress Dowager happened to have some matters to discuss with Qing'er, while Anke sat alone, gazing out the window at the snowy scenery. She occasionally exhaled a puff of warm air, utterly bored.
Just then, Benjamin arrived, bringing with him the banquet drawing he had made the day before.
Benjamin was already seated in the front hall, the tea served to him by the maid was still steaming. As soon as Benjamin saw Anke, he instinctively stood up to bow, but Anke stopped him with a gesture.
"No need for all that formality, your painting is quite good." An Ke circled the portrait, her admiration undisguised, and her praise flowed freely.
"I only have some expertise in oil painting. As for sketching, the princess is probably on par with me," Benjamin said modestly.
"Alright, you don't need to flatter me. I know my own abilities perfectly well, like a mirror." An Ke waved her hand. "You didn't come here today just to deliver a portrait to me, did you?"
Anke squinted at Benjamin. If he really wanted to deliver the painting, when wouldn't it be possible? Coming so early in the morning, he must have something to say.
Benjamin once again marveled at the princess's intelligence and ruthless judgment. He gave a wry smile and said, "There are indeed some things I don't understand. Since you dislike Xia Ziwei and the others, why didn't you stop the Emperor from bestowing marriages upon them?"
Anke gently placed the teacup she had just picked up on the table, but even with such a gentle touch, it still made a sound.
With a thud, Benjamin's heart tightened as well.
"Oh, I wonder who you're asking this for?" Anke lowered her head, making it impossible to see her expression.
“This morning, the Imperial Kitchen cook, Fu Erkang, came to see me and we had a few words.” Benjamin frankly and directly recounted the conversation from this morning, word for word.
An Ke gently stroked the pattern on the teacup and said casually, "Oh, he actually asked you to intercede for him? Doesn't he like that Ziwei? Didn't Ziwei say yesterday that they were in love? When Fu Erkang was on his tour, didn't he already explain his feelings for Ziwei to Qing'er? What's the point of all this now?" An Ke scoffed.
Benjamin couldn't answer for a moment, but he wasn't there to plead for Fu Erkang. He just wanted to get to the bottom of things and see what was going on.
Anke knew that if Benjamin had been pleading for Fu Erkang, he should have continued. Besides, if he really was pleading, Anke would have kicked him out long ago. There was no way she would allow Benjamin to stand there obediently.
"You don't need to worry about this. Anyway, there's no way to persuade them. Didn't they say they were in love? Why should I, the princess, bother with that? Since they are so in love, why can't they be together? Otherwise, I'll look like the villain in Princess Ziwei's eyes." An Ke smiled mischievously and leaned back lazily in her chair.
Benjamin instantly understood Princess Yong'an's unspoken meaning—to lock the two of them up.
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