Chapter 16 Influenced by Others
Yan Jinyue quickly replied, "Tang Beixuan."
Emperor Zhaode ordered: "Then bestow Tang Beixuan upon Pei Yi'an as his principal wife. Go to Pei's house tomorrow to deliver the decree."
Yan Jinyue was stunned and almost clapped and cheered.
Yeah, what's the point of having a concubine?
Since he likes that woman, he should make her his legal wife. That way, it will prove that their love is equal, indestructible, and that no one can destroy it.
She wanted to see how long the couple could maintain their affection after that woman became the general's wife.
Xu Baozhong accepted the order.
Emperor Zhaode looked at the brother and sister kneeling side by side and said, "Get up, both of you."
"Thank you, Father Emperor."
"Jin Yue, go back first," Emperor Zhaode said. "Yan Cang, stay here. I have something to discuss with you."
Yan Jinyue respectfully took her leave without lingering, nor did she plead for her mother, or even suggest that she wanted to see her mother.
Emperor Zhaode was fairly satisfied with her performance.
Whether the matter of Consort Gu's affair with another man is true or false, only two days have passed, and he doesn't want to hear anyone mention it right now.
After Yan Jinyue left, Emperor Zhaode looked at Yan Cang and asked seriously, "If Pei Yi'an is no longer suitable to guard the southern border, who do you think would be appropriate to send?"
Yan Cang was silent for a moment: "Father, I think it is not necessary to send a general to the Southern Frontier for the time being."
"Why?"
"Your Majesty, I wish to first ascertain the identity of the woman beside Pei Yi'an." Yan Cang frowned slightly, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes. "It is highly suspicious that a frail woman, who is powerless to even kill a chicken, could save the Great General at the border. If this woman is just an ordinary person, Pei Yi'an would not need to bring her back specifically. He could simply find a house for her to settle down, hire a few maids and servants to take care of her, and let her rest peacefully while she prepares for childbirth."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaode clearly felt that what he said made sense, and slowly nodded: "Pei Yi'an and Jin Yue are not even married yet, but he dares to bring a woman of questionable character to the capital. Is he relying on his military achievements to disregard me, or is this woman more important to him than Jin Yue?"
In officialdom, whether civil officials or military generals, none of them are fools.
They are best at weighing the pros and cons.
Pei Yi'an brought this woman back, it couldn't possibly be because she was pregnant. Otherwise, as Yan Cang said, he could have just bought a house at the border to keep her there.
He was stationed at the border year-round, which allowed him to spend a lot of time with that woman. Sending him to the capital meant that they would be separated more often and unable to stay together for long, which was not in line with the normal behavior of a romantic man.
Pei Yi'an wasn't worried that Jin Yue would make things difficult for that woman while he was away from the capital?
If he leaves Tang Beixuan alone in the capital and returns to the border alone, who will be responsible for the safety of the mother and child?
For a princess of the royal family, killing a pregnant woman silently would be incredibly easy, and she could do it without anyone noticing.
Pei Yi'an couldn't possibly have overlooked this point.
But he still brought the person back openly and honestly. What was his intention?
Emperor Zhaode had been on the throne for so many years, and he had seen all sorts of situations with so many cunning old foxes in the court, and with civil and military officials each having their own agendas.
The human heart is the most unpredictable thing.
As an emperor, one must especially prevent one's subjects from developing disloyal intentions.
Military generals, holding military power, naturally have the leverage to instigate wars and overthrow dynasties. Pei Yi'an's behavior this time is unusual, and he has to be on guard.
Thinking of this, Emperor Zhaode's expression darkened: "Let's put this matter aside for a couple of days. First, find out the woman's identity. If Pei Yi'an has really done something he shouldn't have, I will make him suffer a terrible death."
Yan Cang said calmly, "When Jin Yue and I came out of the Pei family, we happened to see that my fifth brother had also gone to the Pei family."
Emperor Zhaode's brow twitched slightly: "You mean..."
"Your Majesty, I am not certain," Yan Cang said indifferently. "I am merely informing you."
Emperor Zhaode hummed in agreement, and asked casually, "When you returned home the day before yesterday, did you and your husband have a fight?"
Yan Cang remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"No argument?" Emperor Zhaode asked in surprise. "Yun Jin publicly accused your mother, and you didn't say anything when you got back?"
"Does Father want to hear the truth?"
Emperor Zhaode said irritably, "Nonsense."
"I originally wanted to divorce her," Yan Cang said calmly. "Arguing is not something I'm good at. I trust my mother's character and cannot understand her behavior at the palace banquet. The night before last, I stayed in my study alone all night and decided to divorce her after dawn."
Emperor Zhaode frowned slightly. Divorce?
“But she disagrees.” Yan Cang smiled almost imperceptibly, a smile that was hard to tell whether it was a cold laugh or a sarcastic laugh. “She said she didn’t mean to frame me and asked me to give her a chance. She said she wanted to prove that she was misled… It’s ridiculous that she said those words herself but refused to admit them.”
Emperor Zhaode remained silent, his thoughts unknown.
Mentioning Chu Yunjin, Yan Cang's eyes showed a hint of weariness: "Your son insisted on marrying her back then, and that decision may have been a mistake."
Emperor Zhaode looked at him, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "You think your mother is innocent?"
"Until sufficient evidence is found to prove Mother's innocence, I will not say anything," Yan Cang said calmly. "But Father and Mother have had such a long-standing relationship, Father should know in his heart whether Mother would do something she shouldn't."
He smiled enigmatically: "Besides, how stupid could Mother Consort be to do something like this at her birthday banquet? With so many people watching, so many eyes observing, is she courting death?"
A sarcastic smile played on his lips: "Yet, with so many eyes watching, not a single person knows who that man is."
Emperor Zhaode was speechless.
"Your subject takes his leave." Yan Cang bowed and then turned to leave without looking back.
Emperor Zhaode stared at his retreating figure and sighed softly: "Xu Baozhong, who do you think Yan Cang's temper is like?"
“Of course, he looks exactly like His Majesty did when he was young,” Xu Baozhong said respectfully with a lowered gaze. “His Majesty himself should know this.”
Emperor Zhaode glanced at him but said nothing more. In his heart, he thought, "Yes, everyone knows there are so many people at the birthday banquet. No matter how stupid the Consort is, she would never do such a thing."
But some people just have to cause trouble when there are so many people around.
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