Chapter 237: Madam (Part 2)
The Queen Mother pondered for a moment and said to the Princess, "Send someone to send Xuanji back first."
The eldest princess agreed.
But then Wang Xuanji said, "Queen Dowager, I have something to say."
The Queen Mother looked at her and asked, "What do you have to say?"
Wang Xuanji said solemnly, "When I first heard the Queen Mother and the elders discuss this marriage, I felt mixed emotions. I was happy because the Crown Prince is a contemporary hero, renowned throughout the land, and the Queen Mother's grandson. Such a husband is the dream of every woman in the world. But I was worried because, although I was born into the Wang family, I am but a humble servant, and I feel ashamed of my appearance. Even though I am favored by the Queen Mother, I fear it will be difficult to marry. Now, since the Crown Prince is unwilling, although I feel reluctant, I also understand that forcing him will only result in a couple with grievances. This outcome is not only not what the Crown Prince wants, but it is also not what I want. Since I admire the Crown Prince, I sincerely hope that he will live a good life. If he does not live a good life, I would rather not have this marriage. Please understand, Queen Mother!"
She spoke sincerely, and then knelt down again before the Queen Mother.
The eldest princess watched from the side, her eyes flashing.
The Queen Mother sighed softly and said, "You are so knowledgeable and polite. It's rare." Then, she sneered at Sima Jun and said, "You are so cruel, and yet people still speak up for you. I don't know where you get your luck."
Sima Juan said calmly, "It's my grandson who is unfilial."
He said this, but he didn't feel any guilt at all.
The Queen Mother ignored him and asked Wang Xuanji to stand up.
"The meaning of marriage is to unite two families," she said. "Since I have already decided on this marriage, there is no need to change it."
Wang Xuanji's face showed astonishment: "Empress Dowager..."
"Xuanji." The eldest princess interrupted with a smile, "Why don't you thank the Queen Mother?"
Wang Xuanji didn't dare to say anything more and bowed politely to thank the Queen Mother.
Only Sima Jun remained kneeling, but he did not express his gratitude.
The Queen Mother ignored him and said, "Everyone leave. The Concubine of Prince Yuzhang will stay."
Everyone agreed and saluted the Queen Mother.
Sima Jun looked unconvinced and was about to say something when he suddenly saw Sun Wei walking up to him.
"Sir, don't you still have to see the Crown Prince?" Sun Wei said softly, "Please don't keep the Crown Prince waiting for too long."
Behind the smile, his eyes were murderous, as if giving a warning.
Sima Jun looked at her intently and said again, "Madam, please don't forget what I just said."
Sun Wei did not comment, and Sima Jun did not want to say any more, so he just got up and left.
——
Everyone left, and only Sun Wei was left in the hall, sitting next to the empress dowager.
The Queen Mother glanced at her and said calmly, "The South Pearl you presented is very good. The Imperial Physician also said it is of top quality and is excellent for nourishing the body."
Sun Wei hurriedly said, "It suits the Queen Mother's wishes. I am overjoyed."
"Is everything okay over in Cangwu?"
"Everything is fine," Sun Wei replied. "Even though the Taichang people are in charge, the prince will do everything himself and will not neglect anything."
The Queen Mother nodded and sighed, "In the blink of an eye, my son has passed away for over a year. I have something to say to you, although it may not sound good to you, it is the truth. The late king encountered the flood and lost his life in order to marry you. You should know that your entry into the palace is not just a blessing, but you also have the burden of being the mistress. I didn't expect that after you have been here for over a year, Ah Jun would not treat you as the mistress, so rude."
Sun Wei knew that the Queen Mother had come to see her with the intention of using her as a catalyst to get Sima Jun to agree to the marriage.
Unexpectedly, Sima Jun turned the tables and denied that she was the mistress in front of everyone.
Apart from anything else, he always addressed everyone as "Madam". This was already a well-known fact in the capital, and had become a joke.
Because of this, a lot of burdens were lifted from Sun Wei, such as this marriage.
Just now in front of the Queen Mother, Sima Jun took the opportunity to express his stance and cleared her completely, letting the Queen Mother know that her words were not trustworthy and it was useless to look for her.
But this time, Sun Wei did not intend to accept Sima Jun's favor.
Because she also understood that Wang Xuanji was the best match for Sima Jun.
Sima Jun may not know that she is trying to interfere in his marriage and stop him from doing anything wrong.
Sun Wei pondered for a moment and smiled, "The Queen Mother knows the Crown Prince's temperament. She is his grandmother, and it's inevitable that he will act like a child in front of her. When his temper flares up, he will be reckless and ignore the facts. Please don't worry about this, Queen Mother, as it will hurt you."
The Queen Mother heard the hidden meaning in these words and looked at her: "What do you mean..."
"The prince is quite respectful to me. He has never been disobedient to me, and he has never treated me as anything less than his mistress."
The Queen Mother was quite surprised: "Oh?"
"The prince really doesn't like this marriage. Just now, he was afraid that I would agree to it in front of the Queen Mother, so he came up with this bad idea."
The Queen Mother thought about it and her expression improved a little.
"He is indeed quite capricious," she said. "I was just thinking, if you can't even be a good mistress in the palace, it would be unfair for you to stay in Jiankang. It would be better for you to return to Xunyang and have some peace and quiet."
There was a hint of threat in these words.
Sun Wei still smiled obediently and said, "I will do my best to help the Queen Mother solve her problems."
The Queen Mother nodded. "I know Ah Jun's personality, so I specially asked you to come to the palace alone today. Well, now that things have come to this, there's no need to say more. As I said just now, this marriage must be successful, and as the Consort, you must consider Ah Jun's best interests. Letting Ah Jun marry Xuan Ji is good for him. He's young and impulsive, and he acts impulsively. In the future, you should try to persuade him."
"I obey your command."
"Also, today, you and Xuanji finally got to know each other," the Queen Mother said. "You haven't known many people in the capital, so it's inevitable that you'll feel lonely. She's about your age, easy to talk to, and perfect for keeping you company. In the future, you two should interact more often. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Sun Wei naturally understood.
The Queen Mother believed Sima Jun's refusal to agree to the marriage stemmed from his dislike for Wang Xuanji. If he could win her over, the marriage would be easier. However, Wang Xuanji was a lady from a prominent family, and it would be difficult to allow her to meet Sima Jun privately. If Sun Wei, the Consort of Prince Yuzhang, intervened, the matter would be much easier. As the saying goes, love grows with time. If they could see each other more often, perhaps Sima Jun would agree after the mourning period ended.
"I understand," Sun Wei complimented. "The Queen Mother always considers the Crown Prince with all her heart. I am truly grateful."
The Queen Mother sighed: "I just hope he won't let me down."
After saying this, she glanced at Sun Wei and continued, "The Crown Prince mentioned a few days ago that Ajun had made great contributions in the Three Wus and Guangzhou. It just so happened that there were some vacancies in the Secretariat and the Central Secretariat. After the mourning period was over, he wanted him to serve in the inner court. However, Wang Pushe said that Ajun was impulsive and lacked experience, so it would be difficult for him to be used in the inner court. You also know that Wang Pushe has the final say on all matters in the inner court now. If Ajun wants to go in, he must get his approval. I naturally hope that Ajun can achieve something. If he agrees to this marriage and becomes a family with Wang Pushe, everything will be natural. But I didn't expect Ajun to refuse so bluntly. A real man has ambitions for the world, how can he be trapped by the present? What do you think?"
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