Chapter 288 Imperial Marriage
"Waaaaah, Your Majesty, you must do me justice!"
A wail arose, giving the queen a headache.
Everyone present was familiar with that voice. Looking up from below, Qiuqiu could see that the two ladies' eyes were practically rolling to the sky.
Who is so annoying?
Ignoring the palace servants' attempts to stop him and disregarding the presence of female relatives inside, Zhao Nan brazenly barged in.
Who is this pig-headed guy?
Chiu Chiu didn't recognize the bruised and swollen man as the arrogant Zhao Nan from before. So the young master wasn't just saying he'd teach him a lesson; they really did it!
A few people were still standing at the door, not all of them as brainless as Zhao Nan. Qiuqiu didn't know if her second brother had joined the beating, and couldn't even imagine what her gentle and refined second brother would look like when he was beating someone up.
Empress: "Zhao Nan, what did they do to you this time?"
Zhao Nan was practically raised under the Empress's watchful eye. As a child, she was chubby and quite adorable, always following Consort Zhao around calling her "Auntie." It's a wonder how the Zhao family managed to raise her so badly.
Zhao Nan seemed oblivious to the impatience in the Empress's eyes and began to complain: "I don't know why they beat me this time. I only said a few words to Songbai, and Wu Mingzhu and her men beat me."
"Oh right, and Su Yunyi too, he kicked me the hardest."
Those people were really ruthless; he's in pain all over his body now!
The Empress's face darkened. With such a commotion at the Spring Banquet, the news had probably already reached the Emperor's ears, and he might have gotten his wish and ruined the banquet.
Before she could even utter a word of accusation, Gongsun Zhi slammed her hand on the table and stood up: "You've bullied Songbai again?"
Zhao Nan nodded: "Mm."
He admitted it so readily that Gongsun Zhi's chest heaved violently with anger, as if she could slap him at any moment. Seeing the situation turning sour, Songbai pulled Gongsun Zhi aside and whispered words of comfort.
From other angles, it might be hard to see, but from where Qiuqiu was, she saw Songbai's lips move, as if he were saying something... [He's had a tough time too?]
Who has it easy?
Zhao Nan?
Isn't it easy for him to bully people?
However, it's truly remarkable that someone would be beaten so badly yet remain so unrepentant.
What's even stranger is that Gongsun Zhi, who was initially furious, was calmed down by Song Bai in just a few words. What was initially thought to be a strong woman and a weak man turned out to be a case of the wolf in sheep's clothing.
Chiu Chiu felt she could re-evaluate this couple.
She had been observing the couple the whole time, and hadn't even heard the Empress call her name. Fu Ning wanted to remind her, but accidentally pushed her away while she was deep in thought.
"Oops, I fell down!"
Chiu Chiu collapsed at Zhao Nan's feet like a limp little dumpling that had been hit by a porcelain plaster.
Her adorable appearance and sweet, childlike voice are sure to charm countless people.
Zhao Nan jumped up like a weasel whose tail had been stepped on, shouting, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I didn't touch her!"
The more loving the people looked at Qiuqiu, the more disgusted they looked at Zhao Nan.
Chiu Chiu got up, dusted herself off, and asked the Queen with a silly look in her eyes, "What's wrong?"
To make sure she speaks clearly, Chiu Chiu now speaks slowly, and her cute little round face has become more serious.
The Empress gently repeated, "Chiu-chiu said Zhao Nan bullied you, so how do you want to punish him?"
How to punish?
Chiu Chiu shook her head to indicate that she didn't know, but everyone waited patiently for her answer as if she was the one who had to end this matter.
Completely at a loss, she remembered her mother's words: "When in trouble, seek help from..."
"emperor!"
"emperor?!"
Everyone was completely dumbfounded. Why would they need to alarm the Emperor for such a trivial matter?
Wow, this little dumpling is pretty ruthless!
Zhao Nan finally lost her composure and jumped up and down in a panic: "Your Majesty, Zhao Nan knows she was wrong. I will apologize to Songbai right now. Please forgive me this time."
The Empress ignored Zhao Nan's pleas for mercy and instead kept staring at Qiu Qiu. She had a feeling that Qiu Qiu knew something.
Even if others don't know who instructed Zhao Nan to cause trouble, how could she not guess?
She didn't want to confront His Majesty directly, but the child was too young to understand, and she was trying to appease him...
"Someone, take Zhao Nan to His Majesty!"
Zhao Nan cried out in terror, "Your Majesty! Please, Your Majesty, spare this humble subject this time!"
The young eunuch swiftly stepped forward, gagged Zhao Nan, and dragged her out.
Emperor Jingming originally intended to use Zhao Nan to escalate the situation and prevent the Spring Festival banquet from taking place, but a chubby little girl unexpectedly appeared and, by a twist of fate, gave the Empress a reason to send her back to him.
The Empress is warning him!
Ignoring the kneeling Zhao Nan, Emperor Jingming asked Eunuch Liu, "Tell me, am I really wrong?"
Liu Gonggong broke out in a cold sweat instantly, inwardly groaning. Why ask him about this? How dare he, a dog, say that he was wrong!
"How could Your Majesty be wrong? Your Majesty's concern for the world is a blessing to the Great Zhou!"
"But Jingning is my daughter. Even the Empress cares for her, yet I'm sending her to that cannibalistic place. I have done right by the people of the world, but I have failed my own daughter!"
The actual situation between the two countries is far more serious than the court officials realize. For years, the Yun family has been holding the border, with no one daring to return to the capital, precisely because they fear a counterattack from the Turkic army.
Su Jinze's victory made the Turks want to back down, providing an excellent reason for a truce between the two countries. The Turks secretly promised that the condition for peace talks was a marriage alliance.
The Great Zhou Dynasty only has two princesses. Fu Ning is less than two years old, so only Jing Ning is suitable.
"Jingning doesn't like Gao Wenyan, what do you think about me arranging a marriage between them?"
Eunuch Liu pretended to be dead, not knowing how to answer. Anyway, there were two people here, and as long as His Majesty didn't call out his name, he would pretend he hadn't heard anything.
Moreover, His Majesty was only saying it to ease his guilt. He had served His Majesty for more than 30 years and had never seen His Majesty change a decision that had already been made.
However, he still underestimated Zhao Nan's courage!
"But aren't Gao Wenyan and General Yun's granddaughter in love? If they are betrothed to Princess Jingning, what will happen to Yun Shuyue?"
Emperor Jingming: "..."
Liu Gonggong's vision went black. This man had been beaten so badly, yet he still couldn't keep his mouth shut! Why didn't Young Master Wu carry a bottle of poison to silence him?
His Majesty muttered a couple of sentences to himself, and he even chimed in!
Does this kid know the saying "serving a ruler is like serving a tiger"?
He doesn't know!
Seeing that Emperor Jingming's expression was not right, Eunuch Liu knelt down in front of him, not daring to make a sound, and knelt there trembling.
Emperor Jingming's expression was inscrutable. After a long while, he chuckled softly, "Heh."
Zhao Nan: "Your Majesty?"
Eunuch Liu has already closed his eyes; can this ancestor please stop talking?
Emperor Jingming: "Zhao Nan asked a good question. What about Yun Shuyue if I bestow a marriage upon Jingning? What about the people of the surrounding border regions of the Turks if Jingning doesn't marry them?"
There must always be people in this world who sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the nation. If the Yun family and countless soldiers can sacrifice themselves, then his daughter can sacrifice herself!
"Liu Debao has drafted an imperial edict: Yun Shuyue is beautiful and intelligent, and is a perfect match for the newly appointed second-place scholar. I hereby bestow marriage upon the two of them at the Spring Banquet, wishing them a match made in heaven and that their love will be unwavering!"
Eunuch Liu sighed inwardly, "Princess Jingning..."
well!
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