temptation
In Fanghua Palace, Emperor Huiqing leaned on the couch, leaning against the soft pillow with his eyes closed.
A beautiful lady in palace dress brewed tea gently with an elegant and skillful posture. Soon, the delicate fragrance of tea slowly spread.
"After the court meeting today, I met with several children and mentioned that I wanted to arrange a marriage for Ah Chu."
Suddenly, Emperor Huiqing said softly.
The slender, white hand paused, and the woman raised her head. Her face was as beautiful as a lotus, and her eyes were as radiant as autumn water. It was none other than the palace's enduring favorite, Concubine Luo. She poured out the water for washing the tea and sighed softly.
"Don't you ask who granted the marriage?" Emperor Huiqing rubbed his brows and looked up at the person with a normal expression.
Concubine Luo gave him a coquettish look before she said softly, "If it were really possible, Your Majesty would have told me long ago. Now it seems that Ah Chu has declined again."
Ah Chu was Luo Ziran's nickname, and few people besides her called him that now. The fact that she mentioned him that way also showed how close they were as siblings.
Emperor Huiqing smiled and said, "It's a shame for the Imperial Concubine's kindness."
Concubine Luo sighed, "Shen has been dead for four years, and he still can't let go? Is he really planning to never remarry?"
Her father's lineage was a single-line heir, and while Luo Ziran still had no children, several of his cousins from other branches already had several children. Because of Luo Yin's incident, the Luo family had considerable dissatisfaction with Luo Ziran, forcing Concubine Luo to consider more. Her eleventh prince was still young, and His Majesty's health wasn't great either. The Luo family was already weakened by the military pay issue, and if her younger brother remained so persistent...
"He and Shen were childhood sweethearts, and they were young couple. Shen died when their relationship was at its best, so it's inevitable that he would miss her." Emperor Huiqing and the late empress were also young couple, so he could understand her to some extent.
Shen! Concubine Luo lowered her eyes to hide her hatred.
That woman was frail and cold-hearted, and she didn't know what it was about her brother that made him fall in love with her... If it weren't for the Shen family in Qishan, she wouldn't have approved of her entering the Luo family. Now that the Shen family is extinct, the influence of that woman still lingers on their family.
"Your Majesty, I naturally know about the relationship between Achu and Shen, but Shen is gone after all, and Achu is already 26 years old. Most men at this age would have two or three children. My father died early, and my mother is now old, so I also want to enjoy the happiness of family." Concubine Luo had a worried look on her face, and her eyes were full of tears.
"That being said, if he doesn't want to, it would be bad if I force him to get married. What if they end up being a couple with grudges against each other? Wouldn't that harm him?" Emperor Huiqing said with a soothing smile.
Concubine Luo gently pressed her eyelids, a little shy. "Your Majesty, what you said makes sense. I was a little anxious. I was probably envious of Concubine Xian's preparations for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's wedding. Ah Chu was fortunate enough to be called one of the Four Princes of the Capital along with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, but I don't have the same good fortune as His Royal Highness Prince Zhao."
Princess Zhao comes from the Duke of Cheng's Mansion, and is bound to be a good helper to Prince Zhao. Since the marriage was decided, Concubine Xian has been arranging it with great enthusiasm, which makes many people in the palace secretly resentful.
Emperor Huiqing had also heard of the so-called Four Sons. Thinking of the few people in the Qinzheng Palace just now, he couldn't help but laugh. "Just now, three of the four sons were here. After Ah Chu declined, I was inspired and wanted to arrange marriages for the other two. In the end, these two refused faster than the other."
No wonder His Majesty looked so apprehensive when he entered the palace. Concubine Luo thought something was wrong at court. They dared to refuse the royal marriage offer. These people were truly ungrateful.
"Both of them refused? I remember that these men are not much different in age, so I think they should all be married. Lord Lin is fine, he is the dream lover of many girls in the capital, so he won't have trouble finding a wife. But Lord Su... I heard the wife of the Marquis of Leping mention him, saying that he has a cold temperament and that girls are a little afraid of him."
Concubine Luo chose her words carefully, so as not to give the impression that Emperor Huiqing knew too much about the court officials. The wife of the Marquis of Leping was a close friend of hers, and she spoke of him as a joke. Her daughter had witnessed him at a banquet, dancing with a sword and killing people while ordered to capture a high-ranking criminal. She had a nightmare after returning home, and it was said that even now she trembled at the mere mention of his name.
"Prime Minister Su had been troubled before, but today Wenyuan directly rejected the marriage proposal. Prime Minister Su didn't object, simply saying that Wenyuan's temperament was unstable and that it would be better for him to marry later." Emperor Huiqing smiled playfully. Today, the young men had a hint of confrontation in their eyes and eyebrows, but they acted politely and calmly, giving him a good show.
"Lord Su is still young. When Lord Su reaches Achu's age and is still not married, Prime Minister Su will be in the same situation as I am now." Concubine Luo disagreed. Her Achu was married after all. How could that man with a vicious reputation win the favor of the noble ladies in the capital with just the appearance of a cold and noble young man?
Emperor Huiqing's eyes were deep. He held the imperial concubine's hand and squeezed it, smiling without saying a word.
Su Qing was the person he promoted after he ascended the throne. Although he was ambitious, he was also loyal to him and never let him down. Sometimes he also felt that this person was too slippery. Now that someone could teach him a lesson, he was happy to watch the show.
In the central area of the study, there was no quarrel as others had expected, and the room was completely quiet.
A wisp of white smoke rose slowly from the green jade incense burner, and the elegant scent of Yuelinxiang blended silently into the air. A large hand with graceful bone structure gently placed down a white piece.
The elegant Su Qing in the white robe thought for a moment, then casually placed a black piece before slowly speaking, "The Emperor has rejected your marriage proposal. Do you know that if you make even the slightest mistake today, your future will be ruined?"
Su Zirui raised his eyes and smiled slightly when he heard this, "No, Your Majesty's target is not the child."
His Majesty's sudden talk of granting a marriage must have been the idea of Concubine Luo in the palace. Luo Ziran had been a widow for over four years, and at the age of twenty-six, he still had no children. Concubine Luo had long wanted him to remarry and have more children. However, Luo Ziran politely declined and then pushed him out, which was a bit unkind.
"The first wife of the Marquis of Dingbei was from the Shen family of Qishan. His second marriage will surely be from a high-ranking noble family. It's natural that Concubine Luo is anxious now." The Luo family was hit hard by the Luo Yin incident. If they could find a powerful marriage at this time, it would indeed be a good choice. Luo Ziran's polite refusal was quite interesting.
Su Qing paused, catching a glimpse of the chill in his son's cold eyes. "Since he was able to politely decline the marriage proposal for that girl, he certainly won't let her go easily."
Su Zirui raised his eyebrows and smiled sarcastically.
It was just an arranged marriage, but hadn't he already rejected it? Would he just let it go so easily?
"My opinion remains the same. She is not the best candidate for the mistress of the Su family." Su Qing has been an official for decades. He can remain calm when facing kings or court officials, but he can never control his temper when facing his only son.
"My thoughts won't change." No one else can interfere with the person he wants, and he won't allow anyone else to get involved.
"Let go of your prejudices and your rebellious heart," Su Qing raised his eyes calmly, his expression steady and gentle, his tone no longer as cold and harsh as before. "Your Majesty has chosen for you the eldest daughter of the Qin family of the Duke of Qing. She is beautiful, well-educated, and intelligent. Her mother is from the Fanyang Lu family. How can she be inferior to a merchant's daughter?"
"Father, I have no prejudice against these people." He possessed more information about these noble ladies than his father did, so why should he be prejudiced? Su Zirui chuckled sarcastically and reminded him, "She's fallen for her future brother-in-law and sterilized her own sister. Her mother, Madam Lu, probably doesn't know about it. Furthermore, during last year's spring hunt, she blindly rushed over the wall to save the white fox shot by my arrow, disrupting the order of the enclosure. Afterwards, she cried and told others that I was cruel and unworthy of her."
Su Qing rarely held his forehead in his hands, feeling deeply that it had been a mistake to let him follow Minister Chen, that eccentric prison freak, to the Ministry of Justice! No, if he had known earlier, even if he had been pissed off to death by him, he would not have sent him to the northwest for his excessive mischief, leaving him with a reputation for cruelty.
"For a daughter of a noble family, some tactics are better than being weak and easily bullied." Su Qing was experienced in this area. When he was young, he had a strong protective instinct and liked weak women, but in his marriage, he suffered enough from his wife's weakness.
"Just use this method on your own family. I don't want to drink the tea that will end my family lineage one day." Su Zirui said leisurely, "You don't have any other sons. If things go wrong, the Su family will be extinct."
If his father's attitude had not been so open to negotiation, he would have suggested that if his father really wanted to marry a woman from a wealthy family, he should either have another child or just marry another one.
"Do you really have to have her?" Su Qing frowned. His only son had been cold-hearted since childhood, and his temper had become somewhat cruel because of the incident in the Northwest. Once he made up his mind, he would not allow anyone else to get involved in it. To put it bluntly, he was a bit stubborn and paranoid. He had never met the girl, but he was indeed surprised by the subconscious softening in his son's eyes when he mentioned her.
Because of this obsession that made him bow to her, that girl had a little value.
Su Zirui put down the white piece and clasped his hands together in a solemn gesture, "Please grant me your blessing, Father."
"Have you ever thought about her? Although our family is not a marquis, we can still be considered as a noble family of civil officials. How do you want her to live after marrying into this family? Can she integrate into the circle of the capital and face those who criticize her? If you really like her, you can just marry a noble lady to save face, and then take in..." Su Qing advised kindly, trying to find a feasible and smooth path.
"Daddy, she's different from mom..." Su Zirui pinched Bai Zi and suddenly said softly with a smile, "As long as she wants, she can find fun anywhere, live the way she wants, and integrate into any circle she wants. Even I am not as good as her."
Compared to his carelessness, she was a master of the world. She was like the wind, leaving without mercy. When her dark eyes looked at people, people would think she was worried, but when she looked away, there was no trace of nostalgia. Such a woman must be held tightly to feel at ease.
Having seen his father's marriage, he had no interest in taking concubines. He didn't want to be like his father, who had no joy other than politics. She showed him another way of life. He wanted her to laugh and joke around in his future, and someone to walk hand in hand with him shamelessly down the street.
Su Qing was speechless for a moment. He lowered his eyes and looked at the chessboard. After a long while, he finally sighed softly, "Luo family... this matter is not easy. We need to think about it carefully."
Fortunately, the people in their Su family never lack patience.
The breakfast stalls at Fengxian Bridge were back in business, and everyone was quite happy. The two young women made delicious, affordable food, were charming, and had sweet words. They even gave away free soy milk with every bun purchased. Not only did the customers love them, but even the owners of neighboring stalls would frequently chat with them about their experiences.
On this day, the workers at the dock had not yet finished their work, and two middle-aged men in plain green robes were already sitting at the table. They had an elegant temperament and a noble air without appearing oppressive. They were calm and at ease, and did not fit in with the people walking around here.
"Aruo, are our clientele this high-end?" Cai Xin poked her head out from the stall, a little surprised. This was the first time these two had come. Could it be that their fame was enough to attract people?
Aruo glanced at them and smiled without interest. "They are all customers, who cares where they are from. What did they order?"
"Red bean cake and lily porridge." Cai Xin brought the food out and handed it to her, then went on to prepare the next one.
Aruo held the food they ordered and placed it neatly in front of them. "Good morning, guests. The food is ready. Please enjoy."
A scrutinizing gaze fell on her. Aruo nodded in greeting with an unchanging smile, then turned to greet other guests. After turning around a few times, the gaze was still fixed on her. Even Caixin felt something was wrong and secretly winked at her.
"Sir, is our breakfast not to your liking?" Seeing that only one of the three red bean cakes on the table had been eaten, Aruo tilted his head and asked with a smile.
One of them was wearing a blue robe. He looked at the quiet middle-aged man beside him. Seeing that he didn't say anything, he smiled gently and said, "No, the cakes are good. It's just that I'm old and my appetite is not very good."
"Sir, you are joking. You two are in your prime, and getting old will happen in ten years. If you don't like the food, there is soy milk over there. You can add sweet or salty flavors yourself. Today's yam cakes are not bad either. The flour is ground by ourselves and made strictly according to the dosage. It is very easy to digest." Aruo was not complimenting. The two men in front of him looked to be in their early forties. They were bookish and good-looking. If their faces were softer, they could go to the river to deceive the girls who picked lotus.
"Thank you, young lady. By the way, you two are running a business here alone. Aren't your families worried?" The man had gentle eyes and looked like an elder who cared about the younger generation.
Aruo smiled slightly. Someone happened to be paying the bill. She took the money and flicked a copper coin. "The public security is quite good under the emperor's feet. And I made this money with my own hands. My family is very proud of it~"
The girl's smile was bright, her brows curved and relaxed. The morning sunlight falling on her fair face was surprisingly not as bright as her smile. She exuded a confidence and brilliance that was completely different from the environment they were in. Her black eyes were clear and pure, and she exuded a vitality that made people want to be close to her.
The other party was slightly stunned, then smiled and nodded, "Not bad."
"Well said!" The dock boy, who had just sat down when he heard this, laughed out loud. "We work hard to make clean money, so why shouldn't we be proud?"
The two people here seemed to be startled. Of course, this was Aruo's guess because she was scared. But their expressions were normal, and even their eyebrows didn't move at all.
"Then please bring another plate of yam cake, my friend may not be full yet and is talking too much." The middle-aged man who had been silent all this time paused and said in a deep voice.
The person next to him glanced at him and nodded slightly, "Thank you, young lady."
"It's just a small favor. Wait a moment." Aruo continued to work with a smile. Caixin saw her coming and gave her a meaningful look, but she just smiled and didn't say anything.
Watching the smiling girl playing with a few children who came to buy buns, the man in the blue robe took a sip of soy milk and sighed, "I haven't had this stuff in a long time. I miss it. The last time we had breakfast at the same table like this was during the imperial examination."
The middle-aged man, who had been silent the entire time, glanced at his friend, whose expression was perfectly expressed, raised an eyebrow, and said, "The person who had breakfast at my house yesterday, was that a dog?"
He just sighed, what's wrong? An old man with no sense of humor!
The man in the blue robe stroked his mustache and quickly changed the subject. "Well, what do you think?"
Not really. Being looked at expectantly by his friends, he could only sigh, "He's a bit cunning, but he's kind-hearted."
The people who came and went in this area were all different kinds of people, yet she remained calm, her eyes clear and clear, without any disdain. She also showed no excessive curiosity or lust when encountering attractive-looking guests, demonstrating her unwavering character and true peculiarity. Such a person was suitable for mixing with the crowd, but if she were kept in the inner chambers... well, that wasn't his concern.
"How dare you call someone cunning?" the blue-robed man laughed. He had known this man since they'd been on a scientific expedition decades ago, and he'd never met anyone more cunning than him.
"Eat your cake." Shu noble-mindedly picked up a piece of yam cake and put it into his bowl, covering his mouth.
Soon, they finished their cakes, put down their silver and left.
"Aruo, who do you say they are?" Cai Xin winked and touched Aruo's shoulder, smiling cunningly.
Want to see her laugh? Aruo glanced at her and smiled, "Guest."
"Hey, Miss Aruo," the man who had just spoken loudly seemed to remember something and waved her over, "That kid in your yard, the one who studies in the private school... seems to have gotten into some trouble recently."
Trouble? Aruo was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean? Did his classmates bully him again?"
The man looked around before whispering, "I heard from the people at the dock that someone spread the word and hired someone to beat him up. Also, a few nights ago, while I was working, I saw that guy running out of Qiushuo Street alone and in a panic. Anyway, I'm telling you, keep an eye out for him when you have time."
Could it be that those rascals were bothering him again? Aruo nodded in thanks and secretly decided to talk to Chen Changsheng today. After she returned to Beijing, she had been busy with other things and hadn't seen that guy much.
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