Chapter 12 The Cuckolded Prince (2)
Wen suddenly seemed to have thought of something funny and chuckled. "When I left the palace, I went to see Liu. I told her that He Zhizhou had won the top prize and that she could send someone to ask him to rescue her."
"Do you know what she said?" Wen paused and continued, "She said that since she was already married, there was no possibility of rekindling her relationship with him. Lengyuan was her final resting place in this life."
Wen smiled and shook her head, "How pathetic and foolish."
Wen walked over to Jiang An's bed and sat down. "Although I hate you for causing Jiang Cheng's tragic death over the years, I am also grateful to you."
Jiang An forced his eyes open, but they suddenly widened when he heard Wen's words.
Seeing his excitement, Wen smiled brightly, "Thank you for treating Huan'er and Xi'er like your own children all these years."
"If Jiang Cheng knew that his child had been loved by his elder brother for so many years, he would definitely be very grateful to you."
Wen's words confirmed Jiang An's guess.
He struggled to get up and strangle Wen's neck, but he was too ill to even lift his hands.
He didn't even take his last breath, and the great general died.
Not long after returning to Lengyuan, Wen committed suicide.
Mu Yan opened her eyes and asked, "What is the original owner's wish?"
"He wanted to see if the two were really in love as they said, and he also wanted to make amends with Liu," Maruzai said.
Mu Yan sighed softly, "There are quite a lot of things to do."
Muyan jumped up from the couch, straightened her back, and walked slowly to the bronze mirror with one hand behind her back.
This man is eight feet tall, with a tall and straight figure. He is more handsome than a woman, but he is a little stupid.
But it doesn’t matter, Muyan thought, he is here.
Muyan was lost in thought when she heard Wanzai say,
"Boss, there are three days until the Emperor grants the marriage."
Mu Yan licked her back teeth with the tip of her tongue in displeasure. "Do you have any idea to make the emperor seriously ill, or even die immediately?"
Wanzai was choked by his words. After a moment, he said, "Boss, there is a saying that goes, 'You can hide from the first day, but you can't hide from the fifteenth day.' Running away is not a solution."
Mu Yan cursed, "Waste," and walked out of the room.
Muyan strolled into the garden and saw servants trimming branches all over the yard. She grabbed one and
"Go and call everyone in the family to the main hall and tell them I have something to say."
The servant immediately took the order and said, "Yes," and then hurried off to do his errand.
After one stick of incense, everyone in the palace gathered in the main hall.
"An'er, call everyone in the mansion to the main hall to discuss something important," said the original owner's stepmother, Liu.
The original owner's biological mother died of illness when he was three years old. Two years later, the old prince married Liu.
After Liu entered the mansion, she gave birth to a daughter. She managed the household affairs very well and treated the original owner as her own child. After the original owner's father passed away, her prestige in the mansion was even higher than that of the original owner.
Mu Yan bowed and saluted, "Mother, Jiang Cheng has also taken up an errand outside now. I want to let him go out of the palace to try his luck. I don't want the palace to become a stumbling block on his road to promotion in the future."
Liu was puzzled, "An'er, what does this mean?"
"Mother, you know, I've made many enemies in the court over the years. I'm afraid they won't dare to trip me up in the future, but will instead make things difficult for Jiang Cheng. That would be the fault of me, the eldest brother."
Mu Yan bowed and said, "So, please, mother, agree to let Jiang Cheng leave the mansion and announce to the public that we have separated. This way, he will be less burdened by me in the future."
"No," Jiang Cheng exclaimed and spoke before Liu.
Jiang Cheng realized something was wrong after he finished shouting, and hurriedly explained, "Brother, you and I are family, how can you say I am a burden? I am your younger brother, so naturally I have to stand with you."
Jiang Cheng didn't know why he suddenly asked him to open a mansion on his own, but he would never agree to it. The monthly salary he earned was not enough for him to open a tavern next time.
How can he survive if he just runs his mansion?
Jiang Cheng straightened his back and said, "Brother, I'm not afraid. If they want to make things difficult for me, just come and let them see that no one in my Jiang family is easy to mess with."
Mrs. Liu nodded. "An'er, I think we should forget about opening a separate residence. Since his surname is Jiang, he should bear the consequences, no matter if it's a name or a burden." Mrs. Liu said, "But you are right. Jiang Cheng has already received an assignment, so he should also contribute to the mansion."
Jiang Cheng's panicked heart calmed down a little, as long as he didn't leave the house.
Even if the family splits up without leaving the palace, he can still make some money from the palace.
"Just do as mother says," Mu Yan immediately ordered someone to invite the elders of the clan.
Whether Jiang An can go out or not is not the key point. As long as he is no longer allowed to spend money without any bottom line, Mu Yan's goal will be achieved.
The division of the family was done very quickly, and Liu was still in charge of the household affairs. The monthly wages of Jiang Cheng and Jiang An were all handed over to the public at the end of the month.
The monthly salary was distributed uniformly by the Liu family, and any excess had to be paid back to the public office the next month.
The day of the arranged marriage soon arrived. In the early morning, before dawn, Muyan rode her horse into the palace to attend court.
"Boss, he's coming, he's coming, he's walking towards you with two concubines," Maruzai was so excited that he almost sang.
"Shut up," Muyan shouted, and Wanzi shut up obediently.
In the magnificent court, Emperor An of Jin sat upright on the dragon throne, exuding a majestic aura.
"Lord Jiang, I really can't think of anything to reward you with. You don't like power, fame, or wealth. Fortunately, I thought about it all night and finally came up with something to reward you."
Emperor An of Jin said with a smile, "You have fought for your country for many years, and yet you have not been able to get married yet. Every time I think of it, my heart aches."
"Now that you have returned safely, I have decided to marry Liu Ruyan and Wen Qingwan to you as concubines. What do you think?"
Although Emperor An of Jin was asking for his opinion, his tone clearly indicated that the matter had already been decided.
But Mu Yan is not someone who can be manipulated by him.
She bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I cannot accept your offer."
Emperor An of Jin still had a smile on his face, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "Are you going to disobey the order?"
Mu Yan said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I fell into the enemy's trap a few years ago. Fortunately, a peasant girl saved my life. I promised her that she would be my only wife in this life," her tone was very sincere.
Mu Yan paused for a moment before continuing, "When I was recuperating at her home, I was discovered by the enemy. For my sake, he single-handedly led the enemy away, which allowed me to survive today. I cannot repay her for saving my life twice. Although she has passed away, she is still alive in my heart, always by my side."
Mu Yan bowed again and said, "I swore before her tombstone that I would never marry again. I hope Your Majesty will fulfill my sincere wish."
Maruzai shook his head as he listened. If he hadn't known that he was making it up, he would have been so moved that he would have almost cried.
Emperor An of Jin did not expect this to happen. If he continued to force the marriage, it would seem a bit inhumane.
Although he knew the reason, Emperor Jin An still spoke with a more unhappy tone.
"Lord Jiang, I know you value friendship, but the Jiang family's loyalty and bravery cannot be left without a successor. You still need to think this through carefully."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," Mu Yan continued, "Your Majesty, this is exactly what I wanted to say. I would like to ask for a marriage for my younger brother Jiang Cheng. I hope Your Majesty will grant my approval."
Emperor An of Jin was puzzled. "Oh, which lady? Tell me about it."
Emperor An of Jin almost forgot about the Jiang family and Jiang Cheng, the troublemaker who was always flirting with other women.
"Your Majesty just mentioned Miss Wen. I have heard that Miss Wen is well-educated and well-mannered. If this young man can marry her, it will be a blessing that he has cultivated for several lifetimes."
After Mu Yan finished speaking, she stood with her hands clasped, quietly waiting for Emperor An of Jin's answer.
Emperor An of Jin originally wanted to use the marriage as an opportunity to arrange some people to monitor the palace, but Mu Yan's refusal disrupted his plan.
But he didn't expect that he would ask for Jiang An's hand in marriage.
"Approved," Emperor An of Jin said with a smile, "In addition, I will give you twelve servants and one hundred taels of gold as my blessing to the newlyweds."
Mu Yan lowered her eyes, hiding the cruelty in them, and bowed, "I thank Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of Jiang An."
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