"I think the Prime Minister is not young anymore. He has devoted his life to the State of Chen. It is time for him to get married. What do you think, my beloved concubine?" The emperor looked at Xiao Yimo's expression and was relieved to see that she had not changed.
"What the emperor said is of course very good. I think Miss Jian from the Censorate is a good person. She used to be my close friend." Xiao Yimo said. She thought that Brother Jingming would definitely not like a noisy woman like Jian Shuyu.
However, after the emperor summoned Wen Jingming, he asked him about his thoughts on marriage.
Wen Jingming didn't expect that Xiao Yimo would actually recommend Jian Shuyu to the emperor. This was different from his previous life.
However, although Wen Jingming no longer loves Xiao Yimo, he still treats her as his sister.
Regarding the emperor's arranged marriage, Wen Jingming declined by saying that he had someone he liked and was about to propose.
The emperor felt much more relaxed after hearing the news. After all, Wen Jingming's intention to propose marriage proved that he had no intention of being disloyal.
When the emperor learned that Wen Jingming was in love with Miss Fu, a look of surprise flashed across his face.
He thought that the Prime Minister was a man of great talent and would like a woman with both talent and learning, but he didn't expect that he was just a superficial person who liked appearance.
"I can arrange a marriage for you right now." The emperor was delighted and willing to help the couple. He waved his hand and was about to write, but was rejected by Wen Jingming.
He remembered that in his previous life, it was because of the emperor's arrangement that he got married. His wife later mentioned that she didn't like the feeling of being manipulated by the imperial power.
Therefore, Wen Jingming said, "I will go to the Duke's Mansion in person to ask for marriage, so I won't bother the emperor to write another imperial edict."
The emperor no longer insisted, and spoke a few words to Wen Jingming before letting him leave.
On the other side, Xiao Yimo was rejected by Wen Jingming and went to the Imperial Garden in a bad mood, where she unexpectedly met another handsome man.
The man was dressed in luxurious clothes, with a four-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his sleeves.
Xiao Yimo's eyes flashed slightly, and he recognized him as the virtuous king at a glance. Among the current princes, he was the most handsome, and he also held military power. Many noble ladies in the capital wanted to marry him.
So she didn't dodge, but looked at him calmly, then knelt slightly in greeting.
The virtuous king originally came to look for his royal brother, but he met a beautiful woman in the imperial garden. She looked like a fairy concubine, and he fell in love with her at first sight.
And unlike the timid concubines he had seen before, she looked more attractive. After seeing the woman bow, he also returned the bow.
When he found out that she was his brother's favorite concubine, Consort Xiao, a trace of pity flashed in his eyes. If Xiao Yimo was still a single woman, he would definitely marry her as his princess.
But now Xiao Yimo is the emperor's concubine, so she still cannot make the emperor unhappy.
But it is said that the daughter of the Xiao family is born with a phoenix destiny. Doesn’t that mean that as long as he gets her, he can get the throne?
"Why is Concubine Xiao here alone?" asked the virtuous king, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
Compared with the almighty emperor, the wise king is obviously more approachable.
Being stared at like that, Xiao Yimo felt a flicker of pride in his heart, and replied, "I saw that the scenery here is nice, and since the emperor happened to be busy with government affairs, I came to take a look."
The virtuous prince then remembered his important business and didn't want to linger here for too long. He said goodbye to Xiao Yimo and said, "I have important matters to discuss with my brother. I hope I can see the imperial concubine again next time I enter the palace."
This was all scheduled for the next time. Xiao Yimo understood and said sympathetically, "Then Your Highness, please go first. I am also going back to the palace to rest."
The maids around Xiao Yimo were brought by her from the Xiao Mansion. They were accustomed to their master's behavior. As long as these men were willing to help the young lady gain a foothold in the harem, nothing else mattered.
Just like the Prime Minister, he was very concerned when he saw his master. Otherwise, how could the master, who had only been in the palace for a few months, be able to compete with those concubines who had been in the palace for a long time?
The more the emperor doted on her, the more the concubines wanted to frame Xiao Yimo. Thanks to the people Wen Jingming had planted in the palace, the concubines who wanted to harm Xiao Yimo were all banished to the cold palace.
The wise king is discussing the border war with the emperor today. He wants to place his own people among the generals going to the battle.
When he recommended a military officer, the emperor did not respond. He just stared at the virtuous king indifferently, but the virtuous king remained calm and just said it was for the State of Chen.
The emperor was not so easily fooled. However, because he valued civil officials over military officials, there were no generals in the court who could be sent out. He thought for a moment and said, "Please allow me to think about it carefully."
"Then I will take my leave first." The wise king was not in a hurry. Most of the generals in the court were his men, and he didn't believe that his royal brother would not choose people from them.
After a few days, Xiao Yimo still couldn't see Wen Jingming, so he thought of leaving the palace to look for him. After all, Wen Jingming would go to Lingqing Temple to pray for blessings on the 15th of every month.
However, since she had to leave the palace, she could only tell the emperor that she missed her parents. The emperor saw that Xiao Yimo had been in the palace for several months but had not returned to the Xiao Mansion, so he let her go back.
The next day was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and Xiao Yimo took her mother to Lingqing Temple.
Little did Xiao Yimo know that she had been in the temple for a long time and had not seen Wen Jingming. She sent someone to the Prime Minister's Mansion to inquire about the news early in the morning, and Wen Jingming should have gone out.
However, in the side hall of Lingqing Temple, Xiao Yimo met the virtuous king again.
Seeing that there was no one else around Xiao Yimo, the virtuous king became much bolder. He pushed Xiao Yimo to the corner and said, "I didn't know that the imperial concubine was here too. We are truly destined to be together."
He looked at the woman under him. There was no anger on her face. Instead, her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of moisture, which was very seductive.
Xiao Yimo then pushed the virtuous king away and pretended to change the subject, saying, "It's not that we are destined to be together, it's that we are both destined to be together with Buddha."
Seeing that the woman did not continue his words, a hint of interest flashed in the wise king's eyes. It was indeed interesting.
Xiao Yimo knew men quite well. She had to give him that mysterious feeling that seemed like he could be caught, but he couldn't when he reached out his hand. Only then could she hold him firmly in her hands.
Although he did not meet Wen Jingming at Lingqing Temple, he did encounter the virtuous king, so Xiao Yimo felt that the trip was not in vain.
When it was already dark, Xiao Yimo had no choice but to return to the Xiao Mansion even though he was unwilling.
Wen Jingming was supposed to go to Lingqing Temple today, but his carriage broke down shortly after he left.
Just then, someone in the mansion said that the old lady was not feeling well, so he went back to ask the doctor to see his mother. Fortunately, she had just been caught in the cold at night, so the doctor prescribed some medicine and told the old lady to have a good rest.
Therefore, Wen Jingming did not go to Lingqing Temple, but handled some official business in the mansion.
He also counted the betrothal gifts he had given to the Fu family again, and only felt relieved after making sure that Fu Yunxi would not be neglected.
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