Chapter 234 With her family and the imperial court in her heart, how much attention could she possibly have for her husband?
A young and handsome man, dressed in a dark blue robe, knelt on the ground, as strong as a pine tree and as elegant as an orchid.
This is the husband that the noble ladies of the capital most want to marry.
One moment, Consort Su said that the Duke of Chu was not worthy of the phrase "outstanding in appearance and character," because of rumors that he was difficult to marry. The next moment, the man most desired by the noble ladies of the capital knelt before the emperor, saying that he loved the Duke of Chu and asked the emperor to grant them marriage.
This slap in the face came incredibly fast.
Consort Su's expression was somewhat distorted as she looked at Prince Rui and said, "Your Highness, haven't you heard of those rumors?"
Prince Rui also looked at her, his eyes indifferent, "I only know that what the Empress Dowager says is right."
The Empress Dowager's originally gloomy face brightened considerably because of his words.
Sitting not far away, Prince An's hands were clenched so tightly they made a cracking sound. He kept reminding himself that he couldn't end up like Prince Rui, kneeling and begging for a marriage decree.
At this moment, a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old rushed into the center of the banquet hall, knelt behind Prince Rui, and stammered, "This junior...this junior is Lu Shaoyang, and I also admire the Duke of Chu. I beg Your Majesty to grant me marriage."
The emperor's brow furrowed, while the empress dowager smiled slightly. "Which family are you from?"
Lu Xiaowu, also known as Lu Shaoyang, raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am from the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion, and the Duke of Chu is my cousin."
He spoke the last sentence particularly clearly and loudly.
"Hmm, you're a good child," the Empress Dowager said with a smile.
Jiang Yu frowned, and was about to get up to speak when the Duke of Wei gave her a look that said, "Take it easy." Then, Ning Yunchuan walked to the center of the banquet hall, knelt down next to Lu Shaoyang, and said, "Your Majesty, I am in love with the Duke of Chu. Please grant us a marriage."
He added a sentence at the end: "The Duke of Chu is my cousin."
These words made Lu Shaoyang's face turn red with anger. He turned his head and glared fiercely at Ning Yunchuan, but Ning Yunchuan pretended not to see it.
At this moment, another young man walked to the center of the banquet hall, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am in love with the Duke of Chu and beg you to grant me this marriage."
...
Before long, more than a dozen young men knelt in the banquet hall, all saying they were in love with the Duke of Chu and requesting the Emperor to grant them marriage. Consort Su's expression was twisted beyond recognition.
"Hahahaha..." The Empress Dowager laughed. "A fine woman is sought after by many. Duke Chu is pure and virtuous, and exceptionally talented. It is only natural that so many fine men admire him. Duke Chu, what do you think?"
The Empress Dowager's statement of purity and innocence effectively refuted the rumors.
Jiang Yu rose and walked to the center of the banquet hall, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I have no intention of getting married at the moment."
The Empress Dowager hummed in agreement. “Marriage is based on mutual consent. Since you don’t want to get married now, we can talk about it later. You may all rise.”
Everyone stood up, and as they looked up, Jiang Yu's eyes met Prince Rui's. Jiang Yu's eyes held gratitude, while Prince Rui's eyes held a different emotion. Jiang Yu looked away and returned to her seat.
The Empress Dowager's voice rang out again, "Emperor, the court officials cannot be slandered; the matter must be thoroughly investigated."
The emperor nodded, his gaze turning to Jiang Yu with an enigmatic expression.
Prince Rui's actions broke the hearts of many noble ladies, but not all of them had come to the banquet today because of him. Several other noble ladies then performed, and the Empress and Empress Dowager praised and bestowed gifts upon them, restoring the harmonious atmosphere of the banquet.
More than half an hour later, the Empress Dowager grew tired and got up to leave. Another half an hour passed, the banquet ended, and the Emperor called Prince Rui to his side to leave his seat. The guests also left the banquet hall one after another, and the Lantern Festival banquet came to an end.
Imperial Study
The emperor looked intently at Prince Rui kneeling on the ground, and after a moment asked, "Why did you do that?"
Prince Rui lowered his head, his lips forming a straight line. He said, "Your Majesty, I did not wish to get married, but seeing that Your Majesty and the Duke of Chu were being plotted against, I decided to step forward."
"Hehe," the emperor chuckled meaningfully, "I should thank you!"
Prince Rui did not respond to his words, but said: "Although I do not know about the struggles in the court, I know that Princess Chu is highly valued by the Emperor because I see how busy she is every day."
She is a minister highly regarded by Your Majesty, but she is also a woman. How will Your Majesty respond to Consort Su's words? If you refuse, the Duke of Chu will lose face; if you agree, what will the Duke of Chu do? I've thought about it, and since I don't want to marry right now, I'll use Your Majesty and the Duke of Chu as a shield.”
These were truly bold and blunt words; in the entire Great Qian Dynasty, only he dared to suggest using the emperor to ward off unwanted romantic advances. However, the emperor wasn't angry, and his expression softened considerably.
He snorted, "You think you're so smart."
Prince Rui: "Haven't you and the Empress Dowager always praised me like this?"
The emperor snorted again, "Get up."
Prince Rui stood up and sat down on a chair to the side. The Emperor said earnestly, "You are twenty-one years old this year. Other men your age already have children who are several years old. Two years ago you said you didn't want to get married, and the Empress Dowager and I agreed. But this time it won't work. You must choose a principal wife."
Prince Rui lowered his head and remained silent. The emperor, seeing this, became somewhat angry. "Marriage will not affect you, so why are you refusing?"
“How could it not have an impact?” Prince Rui said, “Let’s not talk about others, just look at you, Your Majesty. There are so many concubines in the harem. They often make sarcastic remarks and fight each other. I get annoyed just thinking about it.”
emperor:"........"
I want to hit the child.
“And then there’s Prince Yong,” Prince Rui added, “there’s no infighting in his household, but Prince Yong is controlled all the time. I can’t help but think that he must be living an uncomfortable life.”
The Emperor said, "Not all couples are like Prince Yong and his wife; some are harmonious and loving."
Prince Rui: "Therefore, I must find someone with similar interests."
Emperor: "...Can't you just listen to me?"
Prince Rui kept his head down and remained silent. The emperor wanted to ask him if he really had those feelings for Jiang Yu, but he was afraid that if Prince Rui didn't have those feelings, asking him like that would make him have them.
"Alright, you can go back now." The emperor waved his hand helplessly to shoo him away. Prince Rui stood up, bowed to him, and then left the imperial study to walk towards the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, the palace maid guarding the gate said, "The Empress Dowager is waiting for Your Highness."
When Prince Rui entered, the Empress Dowager saw him and said, "I know you were trying to help the Duke of Chu out of a predicament today, but I must also remind you that you and the Duke of Chu are not a good match."
Prince Rui lowered his head like a child and remained silent. The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "It's perfectly normal for a man to be attracted to a woman like the Duke of Chu. But your princess is the person you'll spend your life with. I hope there's someone who can take care of your daily life, someone who can devote their whole heart to you, and love and cherish you."
But could the Duke of Chu do that? Her heart was with her family and the court; how much could she possibly devote to her husband?
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