Emperor Xiaozhi had no other imperial offspring besides Princess Xiao'an.
The position of Crown Prince has remained vacant.
Since Emperor Xiaozhi could not have more children, the heir apparent could only be chosen from Emperor Xiaozhi's grandsons, brothers, or their collateral relatives.
Princess Xiaoyu, who was originally a beloved daughter of Emperor Xiaozhi, died unexpectedly during her marriage alliance, causing Emperor Xiaozhi immense grief.
Fortunately, Princess Xiao'an, a lost gem, returned to the royal family. With a face exactly like Princess Xiaoyu's, no one would doubt her bloodline.
What's even more surprising is that the third-ranked scholar was Princess Xiao'an's husband, truly a match made in heaven.
The imperial son-in-law possessed great talent, and the court was in dire need of capable officials. That's why His Majesty intervened during his mourning period, preventing the son-in-law from becoming idle and instead allowing him to continue serving as an official in the court.
However, what is puzzling is that as the prince consort rose in rank, the relationship between the couple grew increasingly cold. Not only did they not have any children, but they also lived in two separate residences, one in the east and one in the west.
Ma Shizhong's words sparked whispers among the civil and military officials in the court. Those who disliked Fu Yunchen were particularly agitated.
The Grand Commandant's faction secretly observed Emperor Xiaozhi's reaction.
Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring. The prince consort and the princess have lived separately in their respective residences for several years; how could they possibly have children? If Princess Xiao'an could give birth to a son, given His Majesty's favor and affection for her, he might even make her son the crown prince.
Emperor Xiaozhi looked around at everyone and finally said to Ma Shizhong, "This is a private matter between the princess and her husband, not a matter of state. It is not appropriate to discuss it in the court. If Vice Minister Ma does it again, he will be severely punished."
After speaking, Emperor Xiaozhi, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, left the council hall.
All civil and military officials knelt down to see them off.
Ma Shizhong's face was almost as white as paper. He shakily got up from the ground and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Grand Tutor Yan Su walked up to Ma Shizhong and asked, "Shizhong, shall we go together?"
"Grand Tutor, please." Ma Shizhong respectfully took a step back, not daring to travel with Yan Su.
After leaving the Hall of State Affairs, Yan Su asked Ma Shizhong, "Why did you bring up the matter of the prince consort and the princess in court?"
Ma Shizhong shook his head and sighed, "I'm not one to meddle in other people's business. I wish there were fewer problems, but... alas!"
"Shi Zhong, please speak freely."
"To be honest, this is the princess's wish. She doesn't want to live apart from her husband anymore. Last time my wife visited the princess's residence, the princess said a few things to her, implying that she wanted her husband to step down from his post and return to the princess's residence."
"I see. But why didn't Shizhong consider that the princess told your wife instead of His Majesty? What was the meaning behind that?"
“This…” Ma Shizhong was covered in cold sweat.
The Grand Tutor patted him on the shoulder, "Go to your duty room, and don't be so reckless in the future."
"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Grand Tutor."
"Go ahead and get busy."
...
Mu Run stretched and yawned, feeling completely relaxed. The past few days had been incredibly difficult.
"All done?" Fu Yunchen rode his horse to her carriage and saw that she looked relaxed, so he figured she was alright.
Mu Run's face immediately turned red... This kind of thing is usually extremely private, and now that so many people know about it, it's quite embarrassing.
The culprit was Fu Yunchen. Not only did he know, but he also asked Qiao Dongzi for advice. Qiao Dongzi wasn't a woman, and after giving some haphazard advice... she spread the word about her affair.
Well, now almost everyone who knows her will know that she's on her period.
"You're so mean!" Mu Run felt a mix of shame and embarrassment when she thought of this.
"It's good that you're feeling better. We need to speed up our journey. His Majesty has sent an urgent message urging the army to return to the capital. I wonder what it's about this time."
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