Chapter 302 Seeking to Marry the Eldest Daughter of the Wu Family!
Wu Yanzhi resignedly closed his eyes.
Shen Yuanxu smiled and said, "Since Prime Minister Wu is so eager to accept me as his son-in-law, then I dare to ask to marry the eldest daughter of the Wu family. I would like to ask my uncle to grant me this marriage."
Emperor Renxiao froze.
Everyone who heard Shen Yuanxu's words froze simultaneously.
Did Shen Yuanxu get kicked in the head by a horse during a battle? The Wu family has given him such a huge cuckold's horn, and he's still thinking about the Wu family's daughter?
Wu Yanzhi had considered that Shen Yuanxu would have His Majesty thoroughly investigate the matter, severely punish the Wu family, and execute his daughter and son. He never imagined that Shen Yuanxu would do such a thing.
They still have to exchange it for battle merits?
His fight with the Wu family to the death will do him no good at all.
Wu Tingxue was equally bewildered. She had committed such a crime that it would have been lenient for Shen Yuanxu to request the inner prison to secretly kill her and her son. He never expected that he would not even mention her.
After realizing what was happening, Emperor Renxiao looked at Shen Yuanxu with a serious expression: "Do you know what you're saying?"
Shen Yuanxu: "Your subject understands."
Emperor Renxiao's tone was somewhat harsh, and he seemed to be quite angry.
"Then you still dare to exchange your war merits? Do you know that without war merits, you'll be nothing but a commoner?"
Shen Yuanxu said, word by word, "I was originally a scholar. Going to the battlefield to fight the enemy was just the duty that I should fulfill as a citizen of the Great Zhou. When the country is in trouble, every citizen has a responsibility. When the country needs me, I will not hesitate to abandon my pen for the sword. Now that the Great Zhou is at peace, I will naturally follow my heart, lay down my armor and pick up my pen again to study and pursue my studies and obtain official rank."
Emperor Renxiao: "..."
Everyone: "..."
After a deathly silence, Emperor Renxiao coughed twice, breaking the silence.
"Yuan Xu, you'd better think this through carefully!"
Shen Yuanxu said resolutely, "Uncle, I have thought it through very clearly. Joining the army is to serve the Great Zhou, and retiring from the army to study again is also to serve the Great Zhou. It's just a different path. My loyalty to the Great Zhou and my devotion to you, Uncle, will never change!"
Everyone kept muttering complaints after hearing this.
Using military merit to exchange for a marriage decree—that's clearly a sign of someone's madness; no normal person would do something like that.
How could you not do it? Don't forget, Prince Zhou Ruyuan of Zhennan once traded his military achievements for a woman.
As expected of in-laws, they think about the same things.
Shen Yuanxu was absolutely out of his mind, throwing away the war merits he had earned with his life. What could he possibly achieve by going back to school? He wasn't good at studying to begin with.
Emperor Renxiao looked intently at Shen Yuanxu: "Have you made up your mind?"
Shen Yuanxu kowtowed: "I beg my uncle to grant my request, but I still prefer reading."
Wu Yanzhi snapped back to reality: "Your Majesty, no! There is no eligible daughter in my family."
Emperor Renxiao's voice boomed even louder: "Very well, I grant your permission!"
Wu Yanzhi slumped to the ground, his face filled with dejection.
Emperor Renxiao was deeply shocked by Shen Yuanxu's words. After the Wu family matter was settled, he immediately dismissed everyone and spoke with Shen Yuanxu alone for a while.
When Shen Yuanxu left, he was holding the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone bestowed upon him by Emperor Renxiao, as well as the imperial edict of marriage.
No sooner had Emperor Renxiao dismissed Shen Yuanxu than he sent a letter to the Wu family.
That same day, Wu Tingxue and her son were secretly sent out of Beijing. Half a month later, the mother and son suddenly fell ill and died on their way back to their hometown.
Wu Tingxue and her child were personally escorted away by Wu Yanzhi. Wu Yanzhi's current wife is his second wife, who is young and beautiful and has just given birth to a child. She doesn't give Wu Yanzhi's previous wife's child the slightest bit of kindness.
"Master, why don't we cancel the engagement that Tan'er was previously engaged to and betroth her to Shen Yuanxu instead?" Madam Liang's eyes flickered as she calculated in her mind.
Wu Tingtan was the youngest daughter left behind by the one who died earlier. She had repeatedly defied her mother, relying on the Prime Minister's favor. If it weren't for her quick wit, the child would have been gone long ago. Now, Heaven had granted her a perfect opportunity to deal with that wretched woman.
Wu Tingtanxu's family was the only son of Liu Mingxin, a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion. Putting aside their family background, the key point was that their household was clean and tidy, making them a good family that Wu Yanzhi had carefully selected for his youngest daughter.
He might have considered it before, but now there's absolutely no way he'd break off the engagement.
Liu Mingxin and Mei Nanhua are both popular candidates for the imperial examination examiners. Even though Liu Mingxin is not as prestigious as Mei Nanhua, he is guaranteed a position as an assistant examiner.
He happened to have several students who were about to take the exam, so this marriage alliance was absolutely not to be backed out of.
"Shut up! How can a woman like you, confined to the inner quarters, arrange matters of state?" Wu Yanzhi suddenly said sternly.
Madam Liang was startled. Although she was young and beautiful, Wu Yanzhi had never been cold to her since they married. Being suddenly reprimanded, Madam Liang's heart pounded wildly.
"Master, I have no other intentions than to share your burdens," Madam Liang quickly said, feigning affection.
Wu Yanzhi was thinking about which unmarried daughters he had in his family, even illegitimate daughters, and he could at least register them under his deceased wife's name, which would still give them the status of legitimate daughters.
"Manage the inner quarters and watch the children. You don't need to worry about anything else!" Wu Yanzhi said this and then turned and left.
Liang appeared respectful and obedient, but once Wu Yanzhi left, her eyes immediately filled with resentment and bitterness.
If we don't let her get involved, what if Wu Tingtan makes a scene on her own?
...
"Lanxi, I've made up my mind. I'll go to the Wu family to propose marriage tomorrow!" Shen Yuanxu thought it over again and again, but he couldn't wait any longer and went to find Shen Lanxi in less than a day.
At this moment, she was handling government affairs with Cheng Zheng.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yuanxu immediately changed his tune: "General, I want to settle the matter of the Wu family as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."
Shen Lanxi put down her pen and looked at the strong and upright man in front of her, who was already capable of supporting a whole world.
Have you thought it through?
Shen Yuanxu had already considered all possible outcomes.
"For the sake of the Shen family, I'll do anything!" It's just a matter of delaying his marriage; it's not like he'll ruin his entire life.
Shen Lanxi: "Since you've made your decision, then go and do it. I'll have Wei Dongzhu go with you!"
Shen Yuanxu thought of Wei Dongzhu. Recently, Wei Dongzhu had been frequently seen coming and going from the Shen family home; anyone with eyes could see it. Was Lan Xi being too obvious at this time?
"Lanxi, I'll have my father and mother find someone they know, so we won't have to trouble General Wei."
Shen Lanxi asked with amusement, "Who can you turn to? Who would be willing to risk offending the Wu family to stand up for the Shen family?"
Shen Yuanxu thought about it for a while, but couldn't think of a suitable candidate.
"Alright then, I'll go tell my father and mother."
Shen Lanxi kindly reminded them, "If they make things difficult for you, just tell them it was my arrangement!"
Shen Yuanxu chuckled, nodded, and went to do it.
Cheng Zheng wrote a line and handed it to Shen Lanxi.
After reading it, Shen Lanxi chuckled: "You think my idea is too unethical?"
Cheng Zheng shook his head and quickly wrote another line.
“I have never forced any of them. Every choice they made was their own. Even if they resent it later, they will only resent their own ambition.”
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