Chapter 194: Please Confer the Title of Princess
Although Madam Shen suffered Shen Shaohuai's betrayal, she still hoped that he could live. After hearing Cheng Enhou's choice and what Emperor Jing'an said, she wanted to say something, but was dragged away by the guards.
Marquis Cheng'en understood that Emperor Jing'an would not spare Shen Shaohuai.
Only Madam Shen and Prince Zhenbei were left in the hall.
Emperor Jing'an said to Madam Shen, "Shen Wenxian's crimes deserve the death penalty. I will spare you from being implicated in your report, as it was a meritorious act."
Madam Shen took off her Zhai Guan with both hands and knelt on the ground: "I, the guilty woman, beg Your Majesty to pardon Changsun's death sentence. I am willing to be beheaded in his place."
Emperor Jing'an did not speak.
Madam Shen kowtowed again and said, "Shao Heng is not an accomplice. He has made great contributions in donating grain to Guanzhou. I beg the Emperor to spare his life for his contribution."
Emperor Jing'an was mindful of the persecution Shen Wenxuan suffered at the hands of Shen Wenxian, and Old Lady Shen sacrificed her own family for the sake of meritorious service in order to save her eldest grandson.
When the disaster in Guanzhou was severe, Shen Shaoheng donated hundreds of thousands of dan of grain to help the victims, and his contribution was invaluable.
In the end, he showed mercy and spared Shen Shaoheng's life and sent him to the border.
Old Madam Shen kowtowed to thank the emperor for his grace, then walked out of the hall with a staggering gait, holding the imperial crown. The damp and cold wind made her imperial robes rustle.
She looked at the palaces, her eyes dark.
She had not raised her children well, nor had she protected her family well in her life. She had no face to live in this world, let alone to meet her ancestors and her husband in the underworld.
A huge dark cloud was pressing down, weighing down on the head, and bending Madam Shen's back even more.
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Inside the hall.
Emperor Jing'an put the longevity lock into his sleeve pocket and ordered Eunuch Cao to summon the Duke to the palace. He then looked at Prince Zhenbei and said, "I originally wanted to ask if your daughter is engaged. If not, I intend to grant her a marriage."
He sighed, "I never thought that you and I would become a family."
King Zhenbei's face darkened.
Emperor Jing'an asked again: "Zhili, have you ever met my nephew?"
When Prince Zhenbei heard the address from Emperor Jing'an, his face darkened even more.
His mother said that the family was full of rough men, none of whom knew the rules and were like wild monkeys. She blamed it on the fact that they hadn't chosen a good name, so when it came to his turn, she gave him this name.
His mother didn't even think about the fact that the root of the problem was like this. She actually wanted to cultivate a descendant who was good at writing just by relying on a name. It was a bit naive of her to do so.
"Yes."
"What do you think of him?"
"Nothing."
“…”
Emperor Jing'an frowned: "You don't recognize this son-in-law?"
"My humble opinion is not important." Prince Zhenbei said, "Just recognize him, my daughter."
Emperor Jing'an laughed heartily and said, "Zhili, you truly live up to your name, wise and sensible."
King Zhenbei: "..."
Emperor Jing'an got his answer and got back to the point: "I've read the report of victory. You four, father and son, have made tremendous contributions. Your merits and demerits offset each other. When your sons return to the court, I will reward them according to their merits. What do you think?"
Over the years, the descendants of King Zhenbei had opportunities for promotion, but now they are unknown.
He was not sure what King Zhenbei was thinking.
He was worried that his son would be too outstanding and attract the attention of the court, which would lead to the incident of his young daughter leaving Liangzhou and cause the Zhenbei Palace to be punished.
Or is he disappointed with the court and unwilling to step forward again, letting his children and grandchildren take care of the status quo, and then return to ordinary life after the emperor's grace has worn away?
The Prince of Zhenbei was silent for a long time, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please make the decision."
Emperor Jing'an felt relieved. If the Prince of Zhenbei found his daughter and married her into a wealthy family, he would not let his descendants live in obscurity. Only if his descendants made great achievements could they better protect his daughter.
There is no room for others to sleep soundly beside the bed of every monarch.
He is not incompetent and trusts the loyal people of Zhenbei Palace for generations, but a meritorious and brave general with a soft spot will make people feel more at ease.
"In that case, I have something to report." Prince Zhenbei took out two memorials from his sleeve and presented them to Emperor Jing'an.
Emperor Jing'an was puzzled and took up the memorial to read it. The content of the memorial was to ask him to issue a new decree to confer the title of Princess on Shen Qingtan, and they were willing to exchange their merits for it.
At the end, three seals were stamped one after another. They were the seals of the three sons of the King of Zhenbei.
Emperor Jing'an: "..."
He closed the memorial and looked up at the King of Zhenbei.
"Your Majesty wants to reward us. Our request shouldn't be too much, right?" Prince Zhenbei pulled the corner of his lips and used the words of Emperor Jing'an to get close to him, blocking him back: "After all, we are family. If I were to be polite, it would be too unfamiliar."
The four of them, father and son, had discussed that they must let Manman return to his ancestral home in a grand manner.
Emperor Jing'an: "..." You really dare to try to make friends with me.
He opened another book, which listed Mrs. Shen's crimes of kidnapping Shen Qingtan, as well as Mrs. Shen's persecution of Shen Qingtan over the past period of time.
Emperor Jing'an pointed at the memorial with two fingers and asked, "What does this mean?"
"Your Majesty, you should post a notice to inform the people of the Great Zhou about the crimes committed by the Marquis of Cheng'en." A sharp look flashed through the eyes of the King of Zhenbei, and he said in a cold voice, "Write down all these crimes and let the world know that the rumors about Manman eloping were all caused by the Marquis' Mansion."
Emperor Jing'an was puzzled: "The people all know that this is a rumor."
"Manman's status is not ordinary. When the Marquis' Mansion was punished, she did not bear the blame. Instead, she publicly declared her ancestry. It is inevitable that those who do not know the inside story will accuse her of being ungrateful and not pleading for the Marquis' Mansion."
Prince Zhenbei raised his eyebrows: "Your Majesty probably doesn't want to see his family being criticized, right?"
Emperor Jing'an: "..." Can he break off this marriage and get rid of the person?
After thinking about it carefully, Emperor Jing'an felt that it made perfect sense and closed the memorial.
"I agree."
The King of Zhenbei expressed his gratitude sincerely at this moment.
The king and his minister discussed the issue of the northern border.
King Zhenbei retreated.
Eunuch Cao came in to report, "Your Majesty, the Duke has arrived." He paused, then said, "The Imperial Concubine and Prince Yu have also arrived."
Emperor Jing'an's eyes were filled with gloom. "Call the father-in-law in."
Eunuch Cao took the order and went outside the palace to invite the Duke into the palace.
The Duke entered the palace, knelt on the ground and apologized: "Your Majesty..."
Emperor Jing'an raised his hand to interrupt the Duke, "Father-in-law, Shen Wenxian is guilty of heinous crimes. Zhao Jue is deeply implicated in his crimes and is not innocent."
The Duke had already guessed it when he heard that Marquis Cheng'en had been convicted. Zhao Jue had been close to Marquis Cheng'en for the sake of his title, so how could he possibly stay out of it?
When Eunuch Cao summoned him into the palace, he confirmed his guess.
"You are Yuanrong's father and my benefactor. This time, I will show him some leniency and not punish him." Emperor Jing'an said meaningfully, "You can't rely on one person to maintain the prosperity and decline of the Duke's Mansion. No matter how great the kindness is, I cannot show leniency every time."
The Duke understood the meaning of Emperor Jing'an's words. This time, Emperor Jing'an spared the second wife, which was a favor. If she made the same mistake again, there would be no mercy.
"This old minister bows his head in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace." The Duke kowtowed and said in a voice as old as an old man, "This old minister will certainly discipline his unfilial descendants."
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