Chapter 153: Granted Marriage
At this time, Rong Changbo was kneeling in front of the emperor, crying and complaining.
"Your Majesty, I have only two daughters. My eldest daughter shielded your Majesty from the arrows, so she died a worthy death. But my youngest daughter has been missing for several days, and I still don't know whether she is alive or dead. Your Majesty, I don't want any promotion to the title. Please order your Majesty to find my youngest daughter! Your Majesty!"
Rong Changbo cried sadly, not caring about his image at all. He only had one son and two daughters. His son was not ambitious, but his eldest daughter was ambitious and entered the palace as a concubine, and was quite favored. He got the title of Rong Changbo because of the favor of his eldest daughter, and he also had a well-behaved and lovely little daughter. But within a few days, the younger daughter disappeared. There was a rumor that her daughter was kidnapped and raped by bandits. Rong Changbo was already angry, upset and worried. As a result, the younger daughter had not been found yet, but the older daughter really died. Rong Changbo was really sad!
After the emperor finished the grand court meeting, he had no strength left. He felt that he didn't have much time left. He thought of Rong Fei who died while blocking an arrow for him. He remembered that before her death, she asked him to protect her family. He thought about giving Rong Changbo a higher title before his soul passed away. Even if he was gone in the future, he could still be a rich and idle person. Unexpectedly, Rong Changbo said that his younger daughter had been missing for a few days.
The emperor started coughing violently after hearing this. Concubine Rong loved this sister the most. If something really happened to her sister, wouldn’t he have failed Concubine Rong’s trust? The emperor wanted to order people to search the whole city for Rong Feiyan, but he couldn’t stop coughing as soon as he opened his mouth. Eunuch Fu beside him hurriedly supported his back and brought him tea. Rong Changbo, who was sitting below him, also stopped crying. He hoped that the emperor would help him find his daughter, but he didn’t want the emperor to be too excited. If something went wrong... he couldn’t bear the crime.
Just when the emperor had just calmed down and wanted to issue an order, the eunuch came to report: The Princess Protector of the Country wants to see you!
"Princess Protector of the Country? Summon her!" The emperor wondered why Minglan, who had just been given the title, would enter the palace at this time. Perhaps there was something important, so he summoned her into the palace.
Minglan didn’t come alone. She brought Rong Feiyan with her to see the emperor. The story goes like this. Minglan ordered a servant to go to the Rongchangbo mansion to deliver a message, but she learned that Rongchangbo was left by the emperor to go to the Funing Palace after attending the grand court meeting. The gatekeeper of Rongchangbo mansion also said that Rongchangbo was going crazy looking for Rong Feiyan recently, so he wanted to pick up his daughter and bring her back to the mansion. The servant brought the Rong family to the Sheng Mansion to pick up Rong Feiyan. Minglan and Rong Feiyan knew that Rongchangbo stayed in the palace. Fearing that there would be any mistakes in the message, Minglan took Rong Feiyan directly into the palace.
"Yan'er, my Yan'er, you are still alive! Are you okay?"
Rongchangbo rushed over when he saw Rong Feiyan entering the palace, and for a moment he didn't even care about the occasion. Rong Feiyan looked at her obviously old father and tears welled up in her eyes.
Minglan took the opportunity of the father and daughter's conversation to tell the emperor about how the chief of Jiacheng County wanted to harm the two of them, and the people in the palace also understood the whole story.
"The Yongwang family is really not a good family. Even the daughter has such a vicious mind. The punishment I gave them is still too light."
The emperor did not expect Jiacheng to do such a thing. The women of the Yongwang Mansion were all demoted to commoners and exiled to Lingnan. If they knew that she had done such a vicious thing, they would have sentenced her to death directly.
"Your name is Feiyan? Come forward and let me see." The emperor wanted to take a closer look at Rong Feiyan, looking for the shadow of Rong Fei on her face.
Rong Feiyan came forward upon hearing this, and the emperor carefully looked at her face. Rong Feiyan did look a bit like Concubine Rong, but this face was much younger and more tender. The emperor looked at her quietly for a long time, his eyes slightly moist.
He cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "I remember that your sister once asked me to arrange a marriage for you. Your sister said that Pingning's son Yuanruo is a talented young man who is a good match for you, and she wanted me to arrange a marriage for you."
When Minglan heard the name of Princess Pingning, her eyelids jumped suddenly, and she had a bad feeling in her heart.
The emperor could only continue, "I had many concerns at the time, so I didn't agree to her request. But your sister is gone, and her wish is for both of you to be well. Since your sister loves you the most, I will fulfill her wish and arrange a marriage between you and Yuan Ruo!"
Minglan's breath was choked when she heard this, and there was a buzzing sound in her ears, and she could no longer hear anything else. She felt that her world was spinning.
Rong Changbo on the side was happy. He also knew that his little daughter loved the young master. It was he who asked Rong Feifei to ask His Majesty for a marriage. It didn't work before, and this time His Majesty agreed to arrange a marriage, so Rong Changbo was happy.
But Rong Feiyan was stunned. What did His Majesty say? My sister is gone? Why is my sister gone?
Rong Feiyan's tears kept flowing, and she didn't hear what the emperor said next.
When the emperor saw Rong Feiyan lowering her head and not saying anything, he thought she was shy at first, but when he heard the sound of tears dropping on the tiles, he realized that the little girl in front of him was crying.
"Why are you crying? Don't you like this marriage? It doesn't matter, just tell me, and I will make you happy!" The emperor spoke in a gentle voice.
Rong Feiyan slowly raised her head, and for the first time, her tearful eyes looked directly at the emperor. "Why is my sister gone?"
The soft and sticky words were neither a question nor a harsh one, but they made the emperor speechless. Yes, this little girl doesn't know that her sister is gone.
The atmosphere around the emperor suddenly became sad. He thought of the beautiful woman who risked her life for him. He was afraid to look directly into the eyes of this little girl.
The emperor turned his head away and whispered slowly, "She died to save me."
Rong Feiyan's tears flowed more heavily. The sister who loved her the most was gone!
Rong Feiyan looked at the seriously ill emperor in front of her and thought of her sister who was only in her twilight years, but was willing to exchange her life for the life of the emperor in front of her.
"I think my sister is very satisfied. My sister has always respected Your Majesty and said that Your Majesty is a wise ruler."
Rong Feiyan's words made the emperor's eyes wet. His beloved concubine took the arrow for him with a smile! The emperor felt even more guilty and pitied.
The emperor suppressed his emotions and asked Rong Feiyan again, "Just now I said I would give you a marriage with Qiheng, are you willing?"
Rong Feiyan was shocked and couldn't help but want to see Minglan's face. She was in love with the young master before, but on the day she was tied up, she saw clearly that the young master's heart was Minglan, and Minglan was also in love with the young master. The two of them were in love with each other. What's more, Minglan had done a favor to him, how could he steal her love!
"Your Majesty, I am not attracted to the young prince."
When Rong Feiyan said this, the others did not react much, but Rong Changbo could no longer suppress his inner surprise, and his expression was filled with excitement that could not be concealed. He subconsciously wanted to go over and ask his daughter, didn't you say before that you liked the young prince very much, why did you not want to marry him when your Majesty wanted to arrange a marriage for you?