"As for the punishment from Your Majesty, I have absolutely no complaints!" Cheng Moyang had not yet realized the meaning in the emperor's tone.
The emperor looked at his serious face and the fearless look of facing death, and thought to himself, he is such an honest child, without any ulterior motives.
"Alright, all of you get up, and Eunuch Fu will give them seats!"
The emperor finally decided to wake them up, but before he said how he was going to punish him, Cheng Moyang was a little hesitant.
However, Marquis Xuanping knew that since the emperor asked them to get up, it meant that nothing serious had happened.
As soon as the three of them sat down, the Queen asked Eunuch Fu to serve them more tea, and then she heard the Emperor ask again:
"Marquis Xuanping, what do you think of my Princess Anle?"
Anle was sitting next to the Queen at this moment, holding her arm. When Marquis Xuanping heard this, there was nothing wrong with his answer.
"Princess Anle is a princess of wealth and naturally has the best of everything."
"In that case, how about my daughter being your daughter-in-law and your son being my son-in-law?" The emperor was too lazy to tease them anymore and simply got straight to the point.
This time, the father and son were stunned again and looked at the emperor in disbelief.
Only Xiao Hechuan remained calm because he had expected this.
Wow, Cheng Moyang would become a royal consort. I guess Cheng Moyang never thought of this in his entire life.
But the necessary tension still needs to be pulled. After all, marrying into the royal family can no longer be said to be a match made in heaven, but rather that their family is marrying above their station. In the future, under the royal majesty, it may seem that there is endless glory, but in fact, every step is fearful.
Daqing did not say that becoming a royal consort would prevent one from participating in court affairs or holding an official position.
The Marquis of Xuanping, who had just sat down, knelt down again before he even had time to drink a sip of tea:
"Your Majesty, I am a person of no talent or virtue, I am afraid I am not worthy of the princess!"
When the emperor heard this, he was unhappy and snorted coldly:
"I think you look down on my princess, and you are using this excuse to shirk responsibility."
"No, no, Your Majesty, it is my son who is not worthy of the princess. I am truly terrified, Your Majesty."
This is what it means to live with an emperor, like living with a tiger. The emperor's temper is unpredictable, just like the weather. It might change at any time, catching them off guard.
"I think that Master Cheng is young and promising, talented and handsome, and has always had a good reputation in Kyoto. Moreover, the Xuanping Marquisate is a clan that followed Emperor Taizong in conquering the world and has made great contributions. How can they not be a good match? Or is it that Master Cheng has no interest in Anle?
Your Majesty, if I were to ask you, you would have to ask Master Cheng himself. What Marquis Xuanping said cannot completely represent Master Cheng's intentions. What do you think?"
The Empress is a virtuous queen. She has been in the harem for many years. She has never fought or competed, and has never shown off. She has always done her job and has never been jealous of other concubines. The Emperor also respects her enough.
From now on, no matter which prince ascends the throne, I believe that he will not treat the queen badly. It is a foregone conclusion that there will be two empresses dowagers in the harem in the future.
"What the Queen said makes sense. Then, Master Cheng, are you willing to be my consort?"
The emperor no longer made things difficult for Marquis Xuanping, but directed his criticism towards Cheng Moyang. Cheng Moyang looked at Anle who was sitting at the top. She sat there uneasily, constantly twisting the handkerchief in her hand. She looked very nervous, and her eyes were full of expectation.
If he couldn't tell from this that she was interested in him, then Cheng Moyang was a fool.
Cheng Moyang knew very well that a gentleman's word was as good as gold and he would never joke around. Since the emperor asked, it meant that he really meant it. He should feel honored that he liked him.
However, his dream has always been to live a carefree life, roam the world with a sword, be an unrestrained knight, and see the beautiful mountains and rivers of his motherland.
It is undeniable that he was attracted to Princess Anle. It was the first time that he was attracted to a woman. However, how could she, a daughter of a rich family, condescend to accompany him on his travels?
However, the Emperor's will cannot be violated, and their Xuanping Marquis Mansion cannot afford the price. If they refuse, they will probably be disliked by the Emperor. He is the only son of his father and mother, and he occupies the position of the Crown Prince, representing not only himself, but also the entire Xuanping Marquis Mansion and the Cheng family.
So he stood up, walked over to his father and knelt down:
"If Her Royal Highness the Princess does not despise me, then this is the blessing I have cultivated for three lifetimes!"
This was considered as his agreement, and his answer was flawless, but it was hard to see any happiness on his face.
After all, today was the only day he had truly spent some time with Princess Anle. Although it was undeniable that he was moved, who could predict what would happen in the future?
Seeing that he agreed, Anle was naturally the happiest one. She had been in unrequited love for many years and finally got the chance. The clouds finally cleared and the moon appeared.
For this royal hunting trip, she asked her father to arrange Cheng Moyang to be by her side to protect her. Everything was planned in advance.
In fact, Marquis Xuanping was also a little surprised that his son agreed so readily, because in his opinion, Cheng Moyang was a person who pursued feelings. What he wanted was not the orders of his parents or the words of a matchmaker, but to let nature take its course and for the two to fall in love. He and the princess had no intersection before.
Soon, he realized that he was doing this because of the royal dignity and for the sake of the entire Cheng family. He had always been aware of the burden on his shoulders, and for this, he felt both distressed and relieved.
"Since that's the case, and things have come to this point, your intimate behavior has been seen by the entire clan in Kyoto, so I have no choice but to grant you the marriage. When I return to Kyoto, I will draft an imperial decree to grant you the marriage. It's settled."
This is a routine, a full routine. After the emperor completed his task, he started to play badly.
The father and son of Xuanping Marquis thanked the Lord, and the Emperor immediately waved his hand and let them go back, not forgetting to give instructions before leaving:
"By the way, Master Cheng, I heard that you promised the princess to teach her how to ride a horse. Don't forget it."
"I obey your command!"
Anle kept leaning on her mother, with an unstoppable happy and sweet smile on her face. The Queen Mother felt helpless but doted on her at the same time by the demeanor of this little girl.
"Alright, let the prince take you back to the tent. Mother is also tired and needs to rest."
The Queen's health has always been poor, and she needs to rest at certain times.
Anle no longer clung to her mother, but stood up. She walked in front and Cheng Moyang walked behind her. The two of them walked out of the largest tent in the entire hunting ground, one after the other.
Along the way, they looked at each other in silence. Anle looked back at him from time to time and saw that he looked thoughtful and did not seem happy about their marriage at all. So, Anle felt a little disappointed.
But she still took the initiative to talk to him, not letting the atmosphere get cold:
"Prince Cheng, when can we learn to ride a horse?"
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