Inside Fanghua Palace, palace maids and eunuchs came and went, carrying all sorts of food boxes or flowers.
The chrysanthemums in the palace were in full bloom. Jiang Mingyun, sitting below the pavilion, enjoyed being fed by his beloved concubine and admiring the boundless autumn scenery before him.
"I heard that His Majesty has dissolved the engagement between General Gu and the Prime Minister's family?" The Consort gently massaged the Emperor's shoulders with her slender hands.
Seeing the person in front of her, who was resting with their eyes closed, nod, she continued, "How could His Majesty choose the County Princess as General Gu's fiancée? To be honest, although she saved my life, a young and talented man like General Gu deserves a better woman. Moreover, I heard that the County Princess and Miss Su are close friends. She just broke off her engagement and is now taking someone else's fiancé. It sounds really inappropriate."
The emperor opened his eyes and glanced at the imperial concubine. "My dear concubine, you're certainly well-informed." The woman leaning against the balustrade was languid in her posture, her words tinged with a hint of a smile.
The Imperial Concubine was startled, but her face remained impassive. "I'm confined to this palace, and there's nothing for me to do. The only thing I do is listen to these gossips to pass the time." She sighed softly, appearing somewhat forlorn.
Jiang Mingyun recalled that she used to love going to the Imperial Garden the most, but now she was trapped here because of the matter of the infant spirit.
Feeling sorry for her, he straightened up and straightened his robes. "Just bear with it a little longer. This half month will be over soon. My beloved consort likes to hear interesting stories, but don't listen to what others say."
"What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
One was a favorite of his, and the other was a junior whom the emperor still favored. He was really unhappy that there were people in the palace gossiping like this.
Playing with the jade cup in her hand, she said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "This marriage was all arranged by Gu Qing. He himself is in love with Fu'an and does not want to delay the Su family's daughter, so he specially asked me to grant him the marriage. My dear consort, please do not listen to the nonsense of those people outside. If it weren't for Fu'an this time, my dear consort would probably be in danger."
The Imperial Concubine lowered her head and nodded in agreement, looking as if she had misunderstood the two of them and felt extremely guilty.
Where no one could see, her eyes darted around rapidly, and she leaned against the emperor like a little bird. Perhaps it was because she'd been spending too much time with those chrysanthemums.
The emperor always felt that the imperial concubine carried a faint fragrance that stirred his heart and made him unconsciously tighten his grip on her.
"His Majesty."
"Um?"
The Imperial Concubine gently stroked Jiang Mingyun's chest, her voice seemingly real yet ethereal, "Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that Yuanlang is now of marriageable age. Since the engagement of the Su family's daughter has been dissolved, and I quite like that girl, why not let her become Yuanlang's princess consort? What do you think, Your Majesty?"
In autumn, the fragrance of chrysanthemums drifts on the gentle breeze.
Beneath a sea of fiery red maple leaves, Liu Qingmei's beautiful eyes glistened with tears as she bit her lip, gazing at the Third Prince before her with a look of impending doom.
"Your Highness, how can you speak up for this woman? We..."
If she were any smarter, she would have seen the fleeting panic and disgust in the Third Prince's eyes. "I am always fair and only speak for those who are right. Miss Liu, you'd better not say anything more; the more you say, the more mistakes you will make."
What does it mean to say too much and make mistakes?
Xu Nian tilted her head in confusion. Ever since Jiang Yuanlang spoke up for her, her heart had been in her throat.
A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken is definitely up to no good!
It seems that Jiang Yuanlang doesn't like Liu Qingmei very much? And Liu Qingmei, just a few days ago she seemed determined to marry Gu Zhan, so why is she so shy and timid in front of the Third Prince today?
Confused, Xu Nian glanced at Su Wanting and found that the other woman's eyes showed an even more obvious bewilderment than her own.
Jiang Yuanlang was afraid that if he delayed any longer, Liu Qingmei, that stupid woman, would reveal their engagement, so he quickly got to the point. "Miss Chen, as the eldest sister, you should know how to explain this to your father, right? I hope to see you at the county princess's mansion tomorrow, with apologies."
"Yes, Lingwei understands."
The princes of the Xuan Dynasty were capable and qualified to handle some minor non-political matters.
The princes and ministers may not actually follow their judgments, but they have to put on a show. And most of them will give the prince face.
After all, none of them are big deals.
There's no reason to offend someone who might be the future emperor because of these things.
The matter is considered resolved here. Now that it's been formally acknowledged, whether it's the Third Prince or the Second Prince, the royal family knows that their clothes were accidentally damaged by someone else.
Xu Nian was fairly satisfied and thought she should say thank you to the person.
Before he could even utter a word, he was forcefully pulled and stumbled towards a corner.
"What does the Third Prince mean by this?" She skillfully broke free from Jiang Yuanlang's grasp and subtly stepped back to create distance between them. "I am now Gu Zhan's fiancée, so please keep your distance from me, Third Prince."
Jiang Yuanlang's lips twitched at the sight of her putting on an act of chastity and virtue. "Alright, no need to put on an act in front of me. I've come to see you today to discuss a collaboration." Everyone knows who they are. If Xu Nian were to follow the rules, she wouldn't be Xu Nian.
But as soon as he said that, Xu Nian became even more wary.
Rubbing her reddened wrist, she didn't even ask about the cooperation. "What will the Third Prince do if I disagree?" Damn cooperation, she didn't want to get involved in these people's power struggles.
“You have no choice. Princess Fu’an, you should think it through. If you don’t cooperate with me, I guarantee you will be expelled from the capital within three days. If that happens, it will implicate General Gu, which would be bad.”
Holy crap, this is blatant threatening!
[Don't agree to his offer, streamer! This so-called Third Prince clearly has ulterior motives!]
[You think he's trying to get the streamer to use some kind of magic to control the emperor?]
It seems he is unaware that the emperor has already come to dislike him.
Xu Nian's brows relaxed, revealing a smile that could outshine all the flowers in the garden. "I'm sorry, Third Prince, you should find someone else. I can't do this job."
In the palace, the imperial concubine never expected things to develop this way!
Just a moment ago everything was fine, but now the emperor's large hand is already wandering around her waist. Taking advantage of her lustful state, she thought she could ask for anything.
As long as it's not excessive, Jiang Mingyun will generally agree.
To everyone's surprise, simply arranging a marriage for Jiang Yuanlang immediately cleared the emperor's mind, who had been wavering. He pushed her away, stood up, and walked out of the palace.
"I have my own plans regarding Yuanlang's marriage." Jiang Mingyun flicked his sleeve and looked down at the person kneeling on the ground. "Your Highness should rest well in the palace and not worry about irrelevant matters."
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