Chapter 159 The Angry Princess and the Rough General 14
It was unknown how long it took for the wind and rain to finally stop.
Cha Jiu lay limply in Shen Beizhan's arms, with rouge at the corners of her eyes and tears half-fallen.
Such a beautiful sight made Shen Beizhan's veins pop out on the back of his hands and his Adam's apple slid up and down.
But after he removed the effects of Cha Jiu's medicine, he no longer made any unnecessary moves. He just tidied up her scattered clothes to cover up the spring scene that made him dry-mouthed.
The system stuttered: "I, I really can't believe that he can still endure it even after it has come to this."
Shen Beizhan had done everything just now, except for the last step.
Cha Jiu looked at his neatly-tied clothes, and then recalled her own gaffe when he comforted her just now. The contrast made her so embarrassed that she just wanted to find a hole to hide.
Shen Beizhan caressed her soft long hair lovingly, and asked with concern: "What's wrong? Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"
Cha Jiu said in a muffled voice: "It doesn't hurt anymore. You are really patient."
Shen Beizhan naturally wouldn't tell her that he was about to explode from somewhere.
He squeezed his palms until they were broken, and only then did he manage to keep a last bit of consciousness.
"Ah Yuan, I don't want to make love with you while you're under the control of drugs. We won't be able to tell each other's feelings." He explained seriously, "Besides, it's really shabby here and not safe."
This bed is not made of yellow pear wood, and the mattress is not soft enough.
Ah Yuan's body is delicate. What if she gets scratched by this rough mattress?
Cha Jiu was stunned and looked up at him.
Shen Beizhan lowered his head and placed a kiss tenderly on her eyes.
…
Cha Jiu changed into new clothes and returned to her seat at the banquet with Shen Beizhan as if nothing had happened.
Song Heng was surprised.
He vaguely knew Chu Mengwan's plan and knew that Cha Jiu should not be here at this time.
Song Heng turned around and looked at Chu Mengwan in the female seat, but found that her seat was empty and she was nowhere to be seen.
Is there any accident?
Shen Beizhan noticed Song Heng's look around, and knew that he was also involved in or knew about this matter.
"Ayuan, no matter how you want to deal with them, I and the entire General's Office will support you in whatever you want to do."
Prince Gong's Mansion has old subordinates in the palace, so does the General's Mansion have none?
However, the Shen family has always been loyal subjects, and they are unwilling and disdainful to use these forces to seek things that do not belong to them.
But now Song Heng and Chu Mengwan have set their sights on Cha Jiu, which has touched Shen Beizhan's reverse scale.
He doesn't care about loyal ministers who can't protect their wives and children. They are all cowards!
Shen Beizhan's tone was fierce, but his hands were gentle. He even remembered to pick up a cup of warm tea for Cha Jiu to moisten her throat.
Cha Jiu took a sip of tea from his hand, glanced at him with a teasing smile: "General Shen is so majestic, why didn't he have such aura in bed just now?"
When Shen Beizhan was looked at like this, his face turned red again, his heart itched again, his hostility disappeared, his eyes darkened: "Whether I have this momentum or not, you will know when I go back today."
Humph, if you laugh at him now, you'll probably cry for mercy tonight!
Cha Jiu stopped teasing him and looked back at Song Heng with a cold look on her face. "I have already arranged for someone to do this. I want Chu Mengwan to take all the blame for her scheme against me."
On the other hand, Song Heng felt uneasy.
He wanted to leave and look for Chu Mengwan, but he happened to meet the emperor, the crown prince, and the second prince who had just finished their meeting and arrived at the banquet.
Everyone knelt down and saluted.
"Stand up and take a seat." The emperor took a seat.
Song Heng couldn't get up and leave at this time, so he could only hold back and wait and see what would happen.
"Song Heng, I heard from Prime Minister Yuan that you wrote a great poem. Why don't you read it in public so that I and everyone else can enjoy it together?" The emperor became interested.
Song Heng was overwhelmed by the favor.
This was Prime Minister Yuan's intention to promote him so that he could display his talents and character in front of the emperor.
Song Heng will definitely not miss this opportunity.
He used all his skills, using the most melodious and pleasant tone and the most full emotions to recite the poem with deep affection, and even shed tears when he was moved.
Many people present were moved by his emotions and bowed their heads to wipe away their tears.
There was also moisture in the corners of Yuan Xiang's eyes.
Only Shen Beizhan and Cha Jiu were indifferent, and even secretly mocked themselves in their hearts.
After the poem was finished, the emperor nodded with an admiring look.
"I still remember that you were the third place winner in the imperial examination and entered the court as an official. With such character and literary talent, you must not abuse your talent."
This sentence vaguely implies that Song Heng is about to be promoted.
Everyone's eyes towards Song Heng suddenly changed.
Song Heng raised the corners of his lips slightly and thanked the emperor for his praise.
Cha Jiu suddenly spoke up, "Lord Song is a man of deep affection and loyalty. He is truly a role model for men in Chu. I wonder how many men who favor concubines over wives and have bad morals have been ashamed of this."
Song Heng was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Cha Jiu, who had been indifferent recently, would give such high praise in front of so many people.
He quickly said modestly, "Your Highness, thank you for your praise."
Unexpectedly, Cha Jiu threw a huge bombshell in the next sentence.
"Song is a man of both virtue and talent, a rare sight in this world. Father, please award him a chastity archway to show his deep love for his late wife. This will also let the world know that our court knows how to employ people and how to reward people for their virtue."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room burst into laughter.
Shen Beizhan choked on the wine several times and coughed while trying hard to suppress his smile.
Some people questioned: "This is an act of setting up a chastity arch for a man. This is unheard of since the founding of the dynasty."
Cha Jiu responded generously: "The imperial court's award of a memorial archway is a matter of honor. Why can women receive it but men cannot? Lord Song has remained chaste for his deceased wife. It is not enough to have a good reputation. If you can get the honor of the memorial archway, it will be recorded in the history books and passed down through the ages."
Although the prince didn't know why Cha Jiu mentioned the memorial archway, he was used to finding excuses for his sister: "Father, I think this is feasible."
"First, Lord Song's deep love for his deceased wife moved heaven and earth and deserves to be rewarded; second, there is a trend of favoring concubines over wives in the country. If this continues, the etiquette and laws will inevitably be disordered and the rules will be broken. Therefore, awarding Lord Song a memorial archway can also warn those who exceed the etiquette and laws, so that the emperor, his subjects, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, and concubines can all return to the right path."
The prince's argument is well-reasoned.
The emperor listened and nodded, saying, "Your Highness is right. This matter is beneficial to the court."
Only by upholding the ancestral rules of the Chu State can his imperial rule last long.
The prince grasped the point that the emperor valued most.
The Second Prince was unwilling to fall behind the Crown Prince, not to mention that Song Heng was his man, so he naturally listed several advantages of granting him a memorial archway to enhance Song Heng's status.
Yuan Xiang also agreed.
Only Song Heng was panicking, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to shirk the responsibility.
He was awarded the Chastity Archway, and he could no longer marry or take concubines in his lifetime!
But how could he be willing to sacrifice his life for a dead person?
"My achievements are so meagre that I cannot possibly deserve the reward of a memorial archway!" Song Heng's tone was filled with anxiety as he quickly declined.
Cha Jiu smiled gently, but pressed on: "This memorial arch is only for chastity, not for merit. How can Lord Song not bear it? Or is it that you are just pretending to be affectionate to your deceased wife, but in fact you already have a candidate in mind for the successor?"
Yuan Xiang frowned and looked over, seeming to be suspicious of Song Heng's reaction.
Winning a memorial arch awarded by the emperor would be a glorious thing for the family. It would not only be beneficial to one's career, but also helpful for Yu Niang's future marriage.
Why is the son-in-law hesitating?
The second prince was even more intimidating: "Sir Song, the emperor's award of a memorial arch is a supreme honor, are you going to refuse it?"
Song Heng was in a dilemma and sweating profusely amid all the suspicious looks.
He knew in his heart that he had no choice.
"Your humble servant...thanks for the grace of His Majesty." Song Heng gritted his teeth, his heart aching.
Shen Beizhan whispered to Cha Jiu, "I was originally planning to have someone capture Song Heng and throw him into the lake to drown him, but I didn't expect you to be more ruthless than me."
What's so scary about death?
The most terrifying thing is that he is burdened with the shackles of the world's gaze and the moral archway, which make him carry the burden for the rest of his life without freedom.
At this moment, a panicked maid quickly walked up to the queen and whispered something.
The queen's expression changed immediately.
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