80 Chapter 80
◎Recruiting a Prince Consort◎
Leaden clouds hung heavy over the capital, and the wind and snow raged mercilessly.
It was almost 9:00 a.m., and all the guests had arrived when Xie Mingzhuo's carriage finally arrived at the Prince of Jin's Mansion.
It was freezing outside and everyone should have been drinking hot tea in the greenhouse, but unexpectedly, Prince Jin was waiting for the princess' carriage outside the palace gate.
Who could still sit still? They had no choice but to stand behind the King of Jin, braving the snow and wind, almost freezing into icicles.
Especially Wei Zheng, he was almost frozen silly.
In order to maintain his slender figure, he specially selected slim-fitting winter clothes. These winter clothes were thin and not very effective in keeping out the cold, but considering that there was a heating system in Prince Jin's mansion and the guests would not catch a cold, he did not think of dressing like a ball.
But now, looking at the young man wrapped in the "ball" beside him, he wanted to strip off his clothes and put them on himself.
My whole face was numb from the cold and I couldn't even speak clearly.
I wonder how King Jin can withstand this ice and snow?
Xie Mingshuo was certainly afraid of the cold, but he had always been strong and healthy, so standing in the wind and snow for a while was no problem at all.
If you ask him, it's because these children from wealthy families are too pampered and can't withstand even the slightest hardship.
Seeing the princess's carriage coming in the snow from afar, he immediately strode forward to greet her.
The others also moved their stiff legs, taking one deep step and one shallow step to follow.
Wei Zheng had just taken two steps when he suddenly felt something strange under his nose. He reached out and touched it, and a sharp scream instantly sounded in his head.
Snot! He actually has a runny nose!
He, who always loved cleanliness, was completely frozen in place.
The ball-shaped young man beside him was surprised: "Wei Sanlang, you have a runny nose."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him looked at him. In the freezing cold, Wei Zheng suddenly felt a surge of evil fire in his heart, burning all the way to his face.
He hurriedly turned around and took out a handkerchief to clean himself up, but even after cleaning himself up, he didn't have the face to move forward to greet the princess.
The attendant beside him keenly sensed his disappointment and hurriedly comforted him, "Young Master, your elegance remains as strong as ever. The princess will surely notice you at a glance."
Wei Zheng held on to the last glimmer of hope in his heart and turned to look at the princess' carriage.
The maid lifted the red silk curtain, and a slender figure appeared in front of everyone.
The white snow piles up like silver clouds, the red silk burns like red fire, these are just insignificant embellishments behind her.
Her Royal Highness the Princess was wearing a robe with a golden phoenix pattern. The style was neither for women nor for men, but it fit her perfectly and was just right.
The scarlet cloak with golden crane embroidery hung down to her ankles, and fluttered slightly as she got off the car, stirring everyone's excitement bit by bit.
Feng Caiyu and Jiang Qing stood behind them, receiving everyone's astonished and admiring looks. They felt honored and could not suppress the pride in their hearts, which surged onto their faces.
"Rong'an, it's cold outside, come in quickly!" Xie Mingshuo grabbed her wrist and hurriedly took her to the warm room in the mansion.
Everyone: “…”
Your Highness Prince Jin, do you even know it's cold outside?!
They dared to be angry but not to say anything, and followed closely with their heads down, just to be patient and wait until they returned to the warm room.
Unexpectedly, Her Royal Highness the Princess suddenly stopped, turned to look at the crowd, and asked in a gentle voice, "Have Fan Niang and Jian Ge'er arrived?"
Some people were close enough to face the princess's beautiful face, and they felt that everything around them had lost its color. It was not until the north wind blew into their necks that they came back to their senses.
Appearance is secondary, the whole body's majesty is unique.
Meng Fan and Meng Jian stepped out and came before Xie Mingzhuo, looking much more generous and confident than before.
"Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Jin and Her Royal Highness the Princess."
"No need to be so polite, cousin." Xie Mingzhuo casually shook her hand, then shrank back, feeling stung. "Why is it so cold?"
Xie Mingshuo said hurriedly, "It's my fault. I was so anxious to go out to meet you. I should have asked my cousins to wait in the warm room."
A warm hand warmer was stuffed into Meng Fan's hand. Xie Mingzhuo stopped Meng Fan from pushing it away in panic and turned to go to the warm room.
Meng Fan held the hand warmer, and the heat from his palms penetrated into his heart.
She smiled with her eyes curved, ignored the envious looks around her, and followed the princess with her brother.
When they reached the warm room, everyone felt alive again.
Xie Mingshuo wanted to pull his sister to sit next to him, but Xie Mingzhuo felt it was too crowded, so he declined and sat to his lower left, and specially arranged for the Meng siblings to sit nearby.
The flesh and blood that had just been frozen outside began to warm up, and many people's fingers began to itch, but due to the occasion, they did not dare to scratch them casually, and just crossed their fingers in their sleeves and rubbed them repeatedly.
In addition to itching in his hands and feet, Wei Zheng's earlobes also felt itchy, and his head even felt dizzy, and he felt that the air he exhaled was hot.
He felt extremely unwell, but he still forced himself to cheer up. After King Jin finished his polite speech, he raised his glass to congratulate with everyone else.
The strong liquor poured into his throat, causing him to cough a few times due to the spicy taste. In order not to disturb the prince and princess, he had to cover his face with his sleeves, muffling all the coughs into his sleeves.
The ball-shaped young man beside him couldn't help but ask, "Wei Sanlang, I heard you can drink quite well. How come your face is burning after just one drink today?"
His voice was neither loud nor soft, and since no one was talking in the warm room, it was particularly clear to his ears.
Everyone looked over and saw that Wei Sanlang was indeed flushed, with a hazy look in his eyes, and was already drunk.
After the hunting trip, rumors spread that Wei Sanlang fell in love with Princess Rong'an at first sight, and he admitted his admiration for the princess more than once.
However, the princess lived deep in the palace and they seldom had the chance to meet. She did not show any special feelings towards him during the hunting, so everyone just watched her for fun.
Today, Wei Sanlang dressed up carefully, and everyone could see what his intention was.
Isn't it just that you want to use your beauty to seduce Princess Rong'an?
"Your Highness Prince Jin, Your Highness Princess, Wei Sanlang may be drunk. Why not allow him to go down and rest?"
"Wei Sanlang?" Xie Mingshuo pretended to think for a moment. "Oh, the third son of the Xuanping Marquis. He performed well during the hunting that day, and he's a handsome man today. Rong'an, what do you think?"
Xie Mingzhuo glanced at Wei Zheng and nodded reservedly: "It's indeed good."
A voice as cold as snow fell into his ears, suddenly injecting a breath of vitality. Wei Zheng tried his best to steady his body and looked at Princess Rong'an a few feet away. His eyes were misty with discomfort, which just added a bit of pity.
"Your Highness Prince Jin is too kind. I am not very impressive in appearance, and I am nowhere near as outstanding and imposing as Your Highness."
Xie Mingzhuo chuckled as he held the cup. "Don't underestimate yourself, Wei Sanlang. In my opinion, among the sons of the nobles in the capital, your appearance is truly outstanding."
The other disciples: "..."
Her Royal Highness the Princess's obvious preference makes one feel a pang of sadness.
But for Wei Zheng, it was an obvious hint.
His violent heartbeat hurt his ears. He was about to say a few more words when suddenly his vision went dark and he fell to the ground with an abnormal blush on his handsome face.
Before his consciousness faded, he seemed to hear a sigh: "What a pity, he is a weak person."
Wei Zheng cried out in his heart: I'm not weak! I'm not weak!
However, he was the only one who fainted from the cold at the entire banquet, and the reputation of his frail health spread instantly among the nobles.
Families who had originally considered marrying him began to back out. A man with a weak constitution was not a good reputation.
Tong stood by the bed, crying with heartache. She was already in her thirties, but because she took good care of herself, she looked no different from a girl in her early twenties. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears, and she looked quite pitiful.
Xuan Pingbo was in his prime, with a goatee, traces of time at the corners of his eyes, and a rather plump figure.
He hugged Tong, patted her shoulders, and comforted her softly: "The doctor said that the cold is not serious and you will recover after taking medicine for a few days. Don't cry."
"My Lord, this is my only child. I have carefully raised him since he was young, and he has never been sick in many years. Now seeing him so haggard, my heart is really sad."
Xuan Pingbo sighed: "How can I not feel distressed?"
Among his several children, he loved this son the most. He was handsome since he was young, smiled whenever he saw someone, and had a sweet mouth. Few in the family didn't like him.
He had asked someone to find out that Sanlang fell ill because Prince Jin went out of the palace to welcome the princess and waited for a long time in the wind and snow.
It was true that he felt resentful, but he couldn't express it.
"Sanlang has always been sensible and has never asked us for anything. But since the last autumn hunt, he has been hiding something on his mind. I asked him but he wouldn't tell me. I had no choice but to ask his attendant to explain it to me. Only then did I know what was on his mind."
Xuan Ping Bo rarely cared about what his children were thinking, so he asked casually, "What is it?"
"Sanlang, he's in love with Princess Rong'an, but he can't get her. He's fallen in love with her," Tong said softly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "He's infatuated. He knows it's impossible, but he still dresses lightly in winter just to win the princess's favor at Prince Jin's birthday banquet."
"What did you say?" Xuan Pingbo was shocked. "He loves the princess?!"
Who is Princess Rong'an?
The emperor favors her, holds great power, and has the final say in the court. Even Chang Wei has to stay away from her. How dare his son do that?
Does he deserve it?
Tong saw through his thoughts at once, and her tears froze. She cursed inwardly, but said tenderly, "The princess is indeed noble and unparalleled, but Sanlang is not bad either. After all, he is also a leader among the younger generation."
Xuan Pingberg was very clear-headed: "If he can't take the civil service examination and can't ride a horse or do archery in martial arts, how can he be considered an outstanding person?"
“…”
"When he wakes up, persuade him and tell him not to have any delusions. Living a peaceful and stable life is better than anything else."
Tong wiped her tears and said dissatisfiedly, "You really look down on your own son? The princess even praised Sanlang for his good looks at the banquet."
"really?"
"You can find out by asking anyone. Why would I lie to you?" Tong turned away angrily.
Xuan Pingbo was fooled by this and kept coaxing her, "It's my fault, it's my fault. My Sanlang is so outstanding, it's not impossible for the princess to fall in love with him."
"The princess has reached the age of choosing a prince consort. With Sanlang's character and appearance, how could he fail the exam?" Tong leaned on his chest and said softly, "Besides, your title will not fall on him. As a father, you have to plan for his future. If he can get the title of a prince consort, wouldn't everyone be happy?"
That makes sense.
The Earl of Xuanping was a partial person. He felt bad that he couldn't give the title to his favorite son. If Sanlang could become a son-in-law, he would be half a rank higher than his own earl.
The more he thought about it, the more he thought it was feasible, but—
"That would require the princess to like him, and whether the princess chooses a prince consort or not is not my decision."
Tong smiled and said, "You don't have the final say. The emperor has the final say."
"The emperor dotes on the princess, so I'm afraid the princess still has the final say."
"What if the ministers submit a petition?" Tong's beautiful eyes seemed to hide a hook. "The ministers have been dissatisfied with the princess's participation in politics for a long time. Perhaps if the princess finds a prince consort, she can live a peaceful life in the princess's mansion."
“…”
Xuan Pingbo lowered his head, catching a glimpse of her crimson lips, his Adam's apple bobbing. Although he wasn't involved in the court, he had heard that many people had privately rebuked the princess for coming to court, but they simply didn't dare to publicize it.
Recruiting a prince consort is indeed a timely relief for those people. I don’t believe that no one will take the challenge.
In this way, Sanlang has the hope of becoming a son-in-law of the emperor, and the court can return to stability, which is simply killing two birds with one stone.
The Xuanping Marquis's Mansion can be hidden behind, and if the emperor or princess gets angry, he can get away in time.
"Your idea is good."
He just needs to think carefully about how to leak the information secretly and make others take the bait.
Wenhua Hall.
Yang Yunkai presented information about the Tong family.
Tong's ancestral home is in Yangzhou Prefecture, Nanzhili. His father was in the cloth business and owned a weaving workshop with hundreds of looms.
She was the seventh child in the family and was known as Tong Qinniang. At the age of sixteen, she was brought into the Earl's mansion as a concubine. Later, she gave birth to Wei Zheng and was deeply loved by the Earl of Xuanping.
Boss Tong only had one son and one daughter, but he adopted thirteen orphans and raised them carefully. Ten of them are now married, and three are still single.
Tong Qinniang was one of the adopted daughters. She was the seventh one to be adopted, so she was named "Qiniang".
Tong's biological daughters are not included in their ranking.
What’s interesting is that, except for Tong Qinniang, the other nine adopted daughters who were married off all became concubines of officials.
In terms of title and rank alone, Tong Qinniang married the best.
Xie Mingzhuo wrote down all the names and found out the connections between them from the court's network of relationships.
Some are related, and some have no connection at all.
"How is Wei Sanlang?"
"I took the medicine and I'm fine now."
Xie Mingzhuo stroked the paper. "After all, he caught a cold at the Prince of Jin's birthday banquet. Ah Yu, please pick out some suitable supplements and send them to the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion later."
"Yes." Feng Caiyu responded from the side.
The snow stopped and the palace roads had been cleared by servants.
Xie Mingzhuo, with his hands tucked into a furry veil, walked to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and stopped Wu Shanqing from reporting.
Dad is playing chess with Minister Yuan of the Ministry of Revenue in there, so don't disturb his train of thought.
She walked so quietly that neither of them noticed.
"Your Majesty, I have heard some rumors recently concerning Her Royal Highness the Princess."
Xie Changfeng held the chess piece in his hand, staring intently at the chessboard, and asked casually, "What did you say?"
"It is said that the third son of the Marquis of Xuanping is very fond of Her Royal Highness, and Her Royal Highness has also praised his appearance."
Xie Changfeng said without hesitation: "Him? He's not worthy of Rong An."
“…”
Yuan Guande gave the emperor a step without leaving any trace, and then said: "The third son of the Wei family is not worthy of you, but my Daqi has many talented young men, and there must be someone who can match the princess."
"Impossible." Xie Changfeng said flatly, "There is no one in this world who is worthy of Rong An."
Yuan Guande: “…”
Isn’t the emperor too doting on the princess?
"But the princess is already of marriageable age..."
"No, Rong'an is still young." Xie Changfeng interrupted with a wave of his hand, impatiently saying, "Stop talking nonsense like this. I don't like to hear it."
Yuan Guande had no choice but to shut up.
Although he stopped talking, his words had already given Xie Mingzhuo a warning.
Some people want to use the "princess's marriage" as an excuse to force her to stay away from the court. They seem to believe that once a woman gets married, she will be locked in the inner house, and the princess is no exception.
Xie Mingzhuo did not go in again and turned to go to Kunning Palace.
The Queen Mother and my eldest brother were discussing the admission regulations of Tiangong College.
The site of Tiangong Academy has been determined. It is the old site of a county school. It has been in disrepair for many years and is somewhat dilapidated. It is currently under renovation and is expected to be completed in the early spring of next year.
Enrollment will also begin after the spring of next year.
Seeing her coming, the two stopped talking. Lixia, who had been hiding in her nest, also raised her little head and meowed, trying to stretch out her claws to get closer, but was defeated by the cold and retracted her claws.
"You're back so early today?" Meng Qi poured her a cup of hot tea.
Xie Mingzhuo took it and said with a smile: "Someone is trying to find a prince consort for me."
"Who is it?" Meng Qi's protective instincts were instantly aroused. "Who does he think he is to dare to recruit a consort for you without my consent?"
"Mind your own business." Xie Mingxuan snorted coldly.
Xie Mingzhuo raised his eyebrows: "Maybe there is more than one."
As she expected, two days later, the memorial requesting the princess to recruit a prince consort was presented to the imperial desk.
Xie Changfeng suppressed them all.
However, this move not only failed to solve the root cause but also failed to address the symptoms. More and more memorials were submitted, and some people even began to mention this matter at court meetings.
Xie Changfeng was extremely annoyed, but when he saw his daughter didn't do anything, he suppressed his anger and let the matter escalate.
After the court meeting, he grabbed Xie Mingzhuo who was going to Wenhua Hall to study.
"Shao Shao, what are you thinking? Give Dad a definite answer."
Xie Mingzhuo said calmly, "Just accept the court meeting tomorrow."
"ah?"
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