Chapter 143 Careful
Guan Zhiwei kept Gao Huan in the palace but did not give him any official status.
He could both enjoy the opportunity to realize his ambitions in the previous dynasty and stay overnight in the inner palace to watch the stars and moon with His Majesty. Although he did not have the title of Empress, he was the de facto ruler of the inner palace, and he could handle all matters within it.
The court officials were very dissatisfied with this and hoped that he would be given a fixed position so that he would not be able to switch sides and take advantage of others. So they all submitted a memorial to the emperor.
Guan Zhiwei kept the memorial in the palace and did not send it out.
The court officials pressed on, asking His Majesty for a decision during the morning court session.
Guan Zhiwei rose from the dragon bed, pacing back and forth, hesitant and undecided. She sighed deeply and said, "The Empress imposes too many restrictions. I can't bear to restrict Gao Huan. Besides, given the example of Zhi Junyuan, he won't like this position. The Empress isn't important; what matters is whether he likes it or not."
The entire court listened to His Majesty's romantic musings, only to find themselves exasperated.
Listen to how you keep saying you like it. Don't you think it's very inconsistent with your public image? Is this something you should be saying?
They had a lot to complain about, but they couldn't say it to His Majesty. Instead, they turned their attention to Gao Huan, accusing him of bewitching the emperor and spreading slanderous rumors.
He has a terrible reputation among men.
"Gao Huan was a man of deep cunning and a master of deception."
"His Majesty is a woman; how could he understand men's methods? He is adept at feigning tenderness to bewitch people."
“I’ve met him a few times, and he’s a real sly fox, all talk and no action. I’m an honest person, so I can’t get along with him and have to avoid him.”
No matter how much they criticize Gao Huan, they can't stop His Majesty from liking him.
Gao Huan was just that one person. No one in His Majesty's household or relatives benefited from his influence, nor did His Majesty neglect state affairs or cause chaos in the court because of him.
His Majesty simply likes him and fawns over him. Although many court officials are dissatisfied, there's nothing they can do, and they're not going to bang their heads against the wall in defiance. Dying for such a trivial matter would be utterly pointless, and history wouldn't even record it in any positive light.
Even Gao Huan, a man with a severe case of paranoia who constantly suspected His Majesty of wanting to kill him, had to admit that His Majesty's arrangement was entirely for his benefit.
He gained entirely practical benefits.
"When Chen Wen retires, I will let you succeed him. You need to be more magnanimous in the future, because a prime minister's belly can hold a boat."
"His Majesty!"
"Hmm? You don't like this official position?"
The better His Majesty treated him, the more helpless he became. "Your Majesty, if you want to kill me, you can do it however you want. There's no need to go to so much trouble. I'm afraid I'll tire you out."
Guan Zhiwei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure you don't need me to worry about this?"
Gao Huan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Use it. Your Majesty's effort to kill me is also a great effort."
Their eyes met, and Guan Zhiwei reached out to hug him, and the two burst into laughter.
For every person who envies him, there is just as many who fawn over him.
There was even a poet who wrote a poem for him:
This led parents throughout the land to value beauty more than poetry and books.
Fifty years of extensive learning and knowledge cannot compare to the kindness of a single smile from a humble gaze.
He straightened his back, his popularity soared, and he was already enjoying such success. What more could he ask for?
Guan Zhiwei was nice to him for a day, and he felt that His Majesty wanted to kill him.
Guan Zhiwei had been kind to him for a month, and he felt that His Majesty was brewing a big conspiracy.
Guan Zhiwei was good to him for a whole year.
Day after day, year after year.
She never mentioned going home; she only focused on building the dynasty, repairing bridges and roads, and improving people's lives. She was like a seed that took root and sprouted in this place, growing into a towering tree.
Many small grasses grew under the shelter of her big tree, and Guan Huaihuai was one of them.
She was as beautiful as Awu, and with the noble status of a princess, she should have been dazzling and reckless, with her sisters following behind to clean up her messes.
But she was quite the opposite; she was quiet and reserved.
Nan Nan and Liu Liu selected many scions of prestigious families for her, but she didn't choose any of them. In the end, she chose a scion of a poor family whose family had fallen on hard times.
When Guan Huaihuai was studying at the Chen family's home, the other party also came to study at their home as a child from a poor family, studying within their clan. The two were classmates and developed a friendship.
For Guan Zhiwei, this was puppy love.
But everyone else, including Guan Huaihuai, felt that she was ready to get married, and that if she delayed any longer, she would become an old maid.
Gao Huan suggested, "There haven't been any happy events in the capital for a long time. Your Majesty, why don't we hold a grand celebration?"
Guan Zhiwei said, "Okay, let's have some fun."
That day was indeed very lively. On the day of the princess's marriage, Huaihuai, dressed in a ceremonial robe and a phoenix crown, rode out of the palace in a phoenix palanquin. She was followed by palace maids and eunuchs carrying fans and utensils, as well as symbolic guards and a band, and walked through the main streets of the capital, where she was admired by all the people.
The weddings all started at dusk, so torches lined the route, scorching the locust trees on both sides of the road, a testament to the extravagance.
The streets were packed with people, all vying to catch a glimpse of the only princess, some even trampling their shoes off.
"I see it! I see the princess's face! The princess is so beautiful, truly befitting royalty—both beautiful and exuding majesty!"
"My goodness, so much dowry!"
The elaborate dowry displayed in public included a vast amount of gold, silver, jewelry, silk, servants, furniture, utensils, and all kinds of daily necessities.
There are countless other land estates and estates that are never brought to the forefront.
The procession, dressed in red, stretched for miles from the palace all the way to the princess's residence.
The Ministry of Rites selected the site, and the Ministry of Works constructed it. Construction on the house began two years in advance, and the princess's residence was completed before the wedding.
Guan Zhiwei personally officiated at the wedding, accompanied by Gao Huan.
Nannan and Liuliu busied themselves with arranging the banquet. Lord Guan was seriously ill and unable to travel, so the First Madam stayed behind to take care of her husband and asked her two daughters to help with the preparations.
Marrying a princess is also called "marrying the princess," meaning the prince consort marries into the royal family. Naturally, the banquet would be held at the princess's residence.
The prince consort received the title of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, which, although a nominal position, still made him a member of the imperial family, a meteoric rise indeed.
Under Guan Zhiwei's watchful gaze, the two drank the nuptial wine. The prince consort was so frightened that he didn't dare to raise his head, and his face became even more wrinkled. His eyes were barely recognizable as eyes, his nose as barely recognizable as a nose, and his mouth as barely recognizable as a mouth.
She offered a few words of blessing, then turned to Gao Huan and whispered, "This prince consort's family is poor, and I've never heard of him having any outstanding talent. He's also quite ordinary-looking. What did Huaihuai see in him?"
"Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I am but a humble subject, yet Your Majesty is willing to tolerate me, isn't that right?"
Guan Zhiwei looked at him and smiled: "I don't know what it looks like when Xi Shi holds her heart, but I've seen you hold your heart, and I feel that I have no regrets in this life."
Gao Huan tilted his head and whispered in her ear, "Your Majesty, today is someone else's wedding, so let's not flatter each other."
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