Yesterday, the sound of weeping echoed throughout Consort Lin's palace. The Second Princess hadn't left since entering the palace, clearly staying with Consort Lin. Although the Empress no longer liked Consort Lin, she didn't seem to dislike her second daughter.
Even though she was displeased that her daughter rushed into the palace to comfort Consort Lin without even thinking to pay her respects to her mother, how could the Empress possibly harbor any resentment towards her own daughter? She simply let it pass vaguely. Although she seemed to hold no grudge, it had nonetheless left a mark in her heart.
Lost in thought, the Empress noticed a pair of eyes that, though somewhat tired, were bright and sparkling.
.
Shen Wangshu was looking at her expectantly.
This is certainly not because I'm worried about my mother; it must be about the marriage.
The Empress felt she had thought things through. She had originally wanted to delay her daughter, who had suddenly started attending court every day, but she couldn't bear to part with her. With a sigh, she picked up a bright yellow scroll from the side, slowly unrolled it, and said in a low voice, "Today, all of you are free of trouble, but I have some good news."
She glanced at Fang Xuan's ugly face with a stomachache, closed her eyes briefly, and then said calmly, "The Second Princess and the Third Princess are getting older and have already established their own residences. It's time to prepare for their wedding."
Shen Wangshu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. The Second Princess was momentarily dazed, but followed him out.
She had listened to Consort Lin's crying all day yesterday, and her ears were still a little sore. Moreover, the matter of Nianyu was ultimately a source of trouble, and the Second Princess was also silently plotting in her mind.
"I will betroth the eldest son of the Marquis of Jingbei to the Second Princess," the Empress said slowly, seeing the Second Princess seem bewildered for a moment before her eyes lit up with joy. "I will also betroth Fang Xuan, the commander of the outskirts of the capital, to my Third Princess as her consort. I only hope that you all can live a good life and live up to my expectations."
Although her words were casual, they caused a huge uproar in the court. All the court officials looked at the Empress in shock, never expecting that she would actually bestow a marriage upon Fang Xuan and marry him to the Third Princess!
You know, Fang Xuan is ugly and as strong as a woman, which are things that make people look down on him!
How could the Empress bear to let the Third Princess suffer such injustice?
However, the Third Princess clearly did not feel wronged at all. Seeing Fang Xuan kneeling on the ground to express his gratitude, Shen Wangshu's eyes shone with joy. She immediately kowtowed to solidify the marriage decree and said loudly, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for granting your wish!"
This joy was completely genuine, without the slightest hint of forced joy. Even if someone had made a few sour remarks before, saying that the Third Princess was pitifully matched with an ugly man, no one would mention it now.
The fact that Prince Luan was genuinely happy shows that these courtiers were just worrying about things that didn't concern them. Prince Luan himself didn't feel wronged at all; on the contrary, he was quite satisfied.
The Empress chuckled, and beneath the swaying beaded curtain were a pair of helpless eyes.
This daughter, I've never been this genuinely happy when I greeted her before!
"Your Majesty, I thank you." The Second Princess had not expected that the Empress would bestow the eldest son of the Marquis of Jingbei upon her as her rightful consort.
Marquis Jingbei was the Empress's childhood companion and is now the Minister of Rites, wielding considerable power. Moreover, having grown up together with the Empress, their bond is exceptional, making him a rare figure who can speak with authority before her. With such a powerful ally in her hands, it would be foolish for the Second Princess not to seize the opportunity to climb the social ladder. Therefore, she hastily knelt on the ground, her face beaming with joy, and eagerly said, "Your Majesty, I was so overjoyed I was practically delirious."
If it weren't for Shen Wangshu's excellent work preceding it, everyone would have believed it.
But at this moment, the Prince of Luan had no time to express his gratitude. He was only able to silently watch General Fang with his amorous and charming eyes, which made the Second Princess's joy even more dim.
"I'm glad you like it." The Empress's gaze fell on a woman in court attire behind her, who was wearing a satisfied smile. Her eyes dimmed slightly, and she became completely exposed.
The biggest bombshell she dropped today was the marriage of the Second Princess and the Third Princess, both of whom were legitimate heirs, though of different and incomparably noble statuses.
.
Needless to say, Fang Xuan, a commoner avoided by everyone, was surrounded by people offering their congratulations, even the Second Princess's future family, Marquis Jingbei. Marquis Jingbei was clearly very satisfied with this arranged marriage. After all, the Second Princess was a princess, extremely noble, and the Empress only had three daughters. The Third Princess was a good-for-nothing, needless to say, and the First Princess was not much different from the Second Princess. Perhaps the Second Princess would one day become the supreme ruler.
They're all from the imperial court; it's absolutely impossible for Marquis Jingbei not to have some ulterior motives.
The thought that if the Second Princess were to truly ascend to the throne, her family would become powerful relatives of the emperor, enjoying immense prestige, made her unable to suppress a smile.
Flattery can be just as pleasing.
Therefore, Marquis Jingbei accepted everything without hesitation and even nodded politely to the second princess, who immediately came over, showing familiarity and closeness as a family.
Shen Wangshu raised an eyebrow and looked at Marquis Jingbei with a playful expression.
This was a woman Shen Wangshu was familiar with. She had once been a companion to the Empress and enjoyed the Empress's trust. However, despite the Empress's trust, she must have had some reservations about the throne.
Shen Wangshu didn't care much about the Marquis of Jingbei. After all, he was just a study companion. If the Empress truly valued the Marquis of Jingbei, she wouldn't have allowed him to languish in the Ministry of Rites; she would have given him a high position long ago. The Marquis of Jingbei was not a concern, and it was unlikely that the Second Princess could join forces with her. Therefore, Shen Wangshu no longer cared about the Marquis of Jingbei or the Second Princess.
However, the Marquis of Jingbei and the Second Princess were quite popular, and in a short time, they gathered many court officials at the palace gate.
Of course, there were also those who congratulated Shen Wangshu on the marriage, and Shen Wangshu thanked them in return.
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