The four arrived at Fanlou and asked for a private room to sit down. Only then did Xie Qinglan say, "What matters can be discussed outside?"
Shen Youying carefully chose her words and said, "You shouldn't get involved in that storybook matter."
Xie Qinglan looked puzzled: "Why are you saying the same thing as Cui Zichen? He also stopped me from going just now."
Upon hearing this, Cui Zichen looked up at her, calmly poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "You won't listen to what I say, but you should at least listen to what the Princess Consort says."
Xie Qinglan muttered, "You won't tell me the reason, you'll just stop me. Why should I listen to you?" As she spoke, she snuggled up to Shen Youying and said, "Zhaozhao, tell me."
There were never any secrets between Shen Youying and her, but she really couldn't tell her what Xue Shen had done. After thinking for a moment, she could only vaguely say, "That storybook seems to be alluding to the Emperor. It might bring trouble. You should just stay away from it."
Xie Qinglan wasn't used to thinking things through, and since many rumors involving Emperor Cheng'an had been deliberately suppressed, she hadn't heard of them. Hearing Shen Youying's words, she was taken aback and asked foolishly, "Where is there an allusion? I didn't hear it?"
Shen Youying was both amused and exasperated. She tapped her forehead and said, "Think about the names of the late emperor and the current emperor."
Xie Qinglan then realized what was happening. She opened her mouth wide and, after a long while, asked, "What are you doing?"
Cui Zichen placed a small dish of peeled melon seeds in front of her, glancing at Xue Shen across from her with a knowing look in his eyes, and said, "No matter what you do, it has nothing to do with you and the Xie family, but if your bookstore also puts storybooks on the shelves, I'm afraid even if it has nothing to do with you, it will become a problem."
Xie Qinglan also realized this. Her father was the Vice Prime Minister, busy with political affairs, and would certainly not have noticed the popular stories circulating in the streets. If she were to unknowingly take a story that alluded to the officials to a bookstore to sell, it might implicate her father and make him suspicious.
She patted her chest in relief and said, "Luckily you stopped me."
She rested her chin on her hand, blinked, and said, "But lately, I feel that the capital has indeed become much more unsettled, which may be because those Northern Rong people haven't left."
Shen Youying hasn't paid much attention to the Northern Rong people these past few days, since Yelü Nanxian hasn't bothered them again.
"You didn't know?" Xie Qinglan suddenly became very interested: "My father said that Yelü Nanxian wants to marry into our family. His Majesty summoned all the eligible young men who are not yet married so that Princess Yelü could choose one she was satisfied with."
Xie Qinglan subtly pursed her lips and said, "These young men were all lingering around Yelü Nanxian before, but after seeing her defeat three people in a row in the main hall, they all gave up on the idea. Now that they hear the Emperor is going to choose a husband for Yelü Nanxian, they're all eager to get engaged..."
Hearing the indignation in Xie Qinglan's tone, Shen Youying's expression shifted slightly as she looked at Cui Zichen: "Lord Cui, could it be...?"
Young, unmarried, and holding a high position, Cui Zichen naturally met the criteria. Especially since he was handsome and skilled in both literature and martial arts, even if Yelü Nanxian had ulterior motives for the marriage alliance, it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't take a liking to Cui Zichen.
Cui Zichen, who was called upon, nodded and said expressionlessly, "I declined because I have a marriage to attend to. However, to avoid being accused of deceiving the emperor, it would be best to finalize the marriage today."
Upon hearing this, Shen Youying looked at Xie Qinglan, only to see Xie Qinglan glare at her again. She awkwardly turned her head away, her ears turning bright red.
She leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Did he go to your house to propose?"
Xie Qinglan gave a barely perceptible "hmm".
Shen Youying smiled and looked at Cui Zichen, saying, "Then the prince and I should congratulate Vice Envoy Cui on finding a good match."
Cui Zichen thanked him and said meaningfully, "I hope that Your Highness and Princess will be able to attend the wedding."
Upon hearing this, Xue Shen's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he raised his eyes to glance at him.
Shen Youying didn't catch the underlying meaning in his words and replied, "I will definitely come."
Xie Qinglan was her best friend, so how could she not attend her wedding?
Cui Zichen and Xue Shen exchanged a glance, both understanding the deeper meaning in each other's eyes, and tacitly refrained from bringing it up.
The Prince of Qin's momentum is growing stronger, and it's clear to everyone that he intends to seize the throne. While the Prince of Qin is arguably the more legitimate heir, Emperor Cheng'an has also cultivated many loyal followers over the past five years. Now that the throne has been handed over to the Crown Prince, his power should not be underestimated.
It's really hard to say which of these two brothers will ultimately ascend the throne.
The court is currently rife with undercurrents, and many people are wavering and hesitant to take sides.
As the Deputy Salt and Iron Commissioner, Cui Zichen shouldn't have to take sides. Like the Xie family, he came from a humble background and had no powerful connections. Now that he was about to form a marriage alliance with the Xie family, he could have followed Xie Lianhong's example and remained a loyal subject, not participating in the struggle for the throne.
However, he was ultimately different from his teacher Xie Lianhong in temperament. From the moment he joined Wang Yuanguang's tutelage in order to gain a quick promotion, he was destined to be unable to be a loyal subject like his teacher.
The teacher was too upright and incorruptible, dedicating his entire life to serving the country and its people. However, he was not as good at assessing the situation as the righteous prime minister Wang Yuanguang, nor was he as good at pleasing the emperor. Therefore, he had been suppressed by Wang Yuanguang, who was less capable than him, for many years.
From the moment he embarked on his official career, Cui Zichen refused to be overshadowed by anyone.
The fastest way to get promoted is to follow the leader's example.
In this round, he bet that the King of Qin would win.
Xue Shen clearly understood his gesture of goodwill and said unhurriedly, "Vice Envoy Cui's parents are both gone, and it seems there are no elders in his family. Is it possible for him to manage the wedding arrangements on his own?"
Cui Zichen said, "I have already sent someone back to my hometown to invite the elders of the clan. But I still feel that this is too much of a disservice, and I think it would be better to invite a highly respected master of ceremonies."
After thinking for a moment, Xue Shen pointed him in the right direction: "You can try to invite Prince Duan."
Cui Zichen raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Since the late emperor passed away, Prince Duan has been living in seclusion at Xiangguo Temple for a long time. I'm afraid it will be difficult to persuade him to come."
Besides his younger brother, Emperor Cheng'an, the late emperor also had a sworn brother, Xue Ren. Xue Ren was the sworn son of Emperor Taizu. After his sworn brother died in battle, Emperor Taizu adopted him, and he grew up with the late emperor and his brother.
Later, when Emperor Taizu established the country, Xue Ren was enfeoffed as the Prince of Duan.
Prince Duan had a deep affection for the late emperor. After the late emperor passed away, Prince Duan was deeply grieved and requested to go to Xiangguo Temple to live a life of seclusion. People in the capital had not seen him for many years.
Xue Shen said, "Go and invite him. Just say it's my idea, and he will agree."
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