When it comes to shamelessness, Zhao Shu thinks Zhao Bi is number one.
He was the one who wanted to marry Sun Jiao in the first place, but now that Sun Jiao has no more use to him, he's the one who kicked her away. It's one thing to die young and not even get a proper end, but he wasn't even given a proper farewell after his death.
It is a disgrace to turn one's wife into a concubine after death.
Spreading rumors, smearing others, and trying to elevate oneself is despicable.
Anyone who would dare to marry him would be a fool.
Or, as the saying goes, "Even among snakes and rats, there's a saying that if someone doesn't look out for themselves, they'll be punished by heaven and earth."
Therefore, Zhao Shu wanted to know at all times who he had set his sights on. Unfortunately, this was obviously a grand scheme orchestrated by a mastermind. The news of the new prince's consort was all the rage, but nothing actually happened.
Cining Palace, main hall.
The Empress Dowager carefully examined the album in her hands, her expression even more serious than when the Emperor reviewed memorials. Emperor Mingde, standing to the side, also held several scrolls of paintings and looked at them. His face still showed signs of illness, yet he was deeply concerned about the affairs of the state.
But I'm more worried about my health and hope I can recover soon. Long live the Emperor!
"Your Majesty, what do you think of this?" The Empress Dowager asked Emperor Mingde in a muffled voice without even lifting her eyelids.
Emperor Mingde put down the painting in his hand, shifted his weight listlessly, and leaned closer to look at the painting in the Empress Dowager's hand. "This child is quite good," he said, "handsome and refined, dignified and virtuous. Your Majesty truly has excellent taste."
The mother and son seemed to be having a casual chat. After Emperor Mingde finished speaking, the Empress Dowager did not respond. She handed the painting to him and said, "The noble lady of the Yang family, from a scholarly family, naturally has a better demeanor than others. Which branch of the Yang family is she?"
The words were meant to be a compliment, but Emperor Mingde didn't understand their meaning. He felt that his mother probably didn't think that way and likely harbored many grievances. He pondered that his mother hadn't favored the fourth prince in the past, so she probably didn't want him to marry a daughter from a first-rate family.
Moreover, the Yang family was definitely not happy about it, which is why they deliberately took out Yang Mengxian's portrait.
The Empress Dowager waited for a long time without receiving a reply. She raised her eyelids, and a hint of a smile appeared in her sharp eyes, honed by years of experience in the deep palace. Even Emperor Mingde, the supreme ruler, felt a jolt in his heart. What was his mother up to now?
Perhaps because the emperor was unwell, Gu felt that the empress dowager's aura was about to overshadow his own.
“The youngest daughter of the Yang family’s eldest son,” Zhang Chu replied.
Emperor Mingde opened his mouth, but the ruler of the world was speechless. He glanced cautiously at his mother and saw that the Empress Dowager was calm and composed. His forehead veins bulged instantly, and he had a headache. At this moment, bringing up Yang Mengxian was definitely not to arrange for Yang Mengxian to be betrothed to the fourth prince.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't figure out what she was planning. Could it be that after being sick, she really could never return to her peak?
"Mother, do you intend to bestow this woman upon the fourth prince?" he asked tentatively. In fact, he did not intend to marry Zhao Bi a daughter from a first-class noble family as a second wife; an ordinary woman would suffice.
"What? My own flesh and blood, does that old scoundrel Yang dare to be disrespectful?" The Empress Dowager's voice was cold. In front of outsiders, she was always the mother of the nation, with proper manners and refined speech. Who would have thought that she would be speaking so casually like an old scoundrel?
However, Zhang Chu and Emperor Mingde did not react much. They had gotten used to it. After the Empress Dowager began ruling from behind the curtain, she regained her former sharpness.
Emperor Mingde's headache worsened. This was ironic; the Empress Dowager had spoken in the same tone when she first began ruling from behind the curtain: "Mother, why don't we switch to another family?"
He was filled with hatred and anger. Zhao Bi had just lost his wife, and now he had demoted her to a concubine. The Yang family was one of the most powerful families in the Nine Provinces, not just any ordinary small family. They were one of the leading families in the Nine Provinces, having survived several dynasties and accumulated a thousand years of history. They could not be bullied at will just because they had been tricked into joining the New Party by Yan Shiren, Xie Yun, and others.
If the palace dared to grant the marriage, he believed that Yang Zhong would immediately rebel and leave the capital, and the other aristocratic families would not stop him. Such a slap in the face to the Yang family would be slap in the face to the entire aristocratic family, and he could not afford to take the risk.
Let alone Zhao Bi, even the Crown Prince, the legitimate son of the Empress, the heir apparent, the position of Crown Prince, the Yang family might not even be interested in. Even if they were, they wouldn't betroth their daughter to him at this juncture.
The Empress Dowager was in a bad mood. Yang Zhong had just been forced to switch from the old party to the new party and was already unhappy. She immediately wanted to give the eldest daughter of the main branch to Zhao Bi as his second wife. Wouldn't Yang Zhong be furious?
After silently considering the consequences of losing the Yang family, Emperor Mingde shook his head, realizing he couldn't afford to lose them.
Although the Empress Dowager was a woman, she remained steadfast in her position until the late emperor passed away, becoming the most honored woman in the world. Now, she is ruling from behind the curtain, so her vision and breadth of mind are naturally beyond those of ordinary women.
Hearing Emperor Mingde's words, he snorted coldly, extremely dissatisfied with Emperor Mingde's disappointing performance, "My son!"
Emperor Mingde immediately stood up and stood in front of the Empress Dowager, appearing as if he were listening to her teachings.
"You are the supreme ruler, the master of the world. Under heaven, all land belongs to you, all soldiers belong to you, and all men are your subjects. How can you be so confused about this matter? Whether it is the Yang family or the Xie family, they are all your subjects. No matter how many years they have been passed down, they cannot surpass you!"
"Yes, Mother." Emperor Mingde appeared to agree, but inwardly he was worried. It seemed that the fourth prince had acted unkindly, and the Empress Dowager was expressing her dissatisfaction in various ways. "Shall I issue the decree immediately?"
Emperor Mingde realized that the Empress Dowager was determined to betroth Yang Mengxian to Zhao Bi. Of course, the marriage would not succeed. He hoped that the Yang family would be more cautious when they taught the fourth son a lesson.
The Empress Dowager knew exactly what the Emperor was thinking. It was true that Zhao Bi was her grandson, and it was true that Sun Jiao was no good either, but one had to be reasonable. There were many ways to make a woman step aside when she was no longer useful, but Zhao Bi used the most despicable one.
"Send someone to the Yang family to inquire first." Her aim was to teach Zhao Bi a lesson, and at the same time, to warn the families in the capital to keep a close eye on their children and prevent them from becoming corrupt and being taken advantage of.
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