Chapter 159: Imperial Decree of Marriage
When they arrived at the gate of Prince Rui's Mansion, Xi Lingyue was preparing to get on the carriage surrounded by palace servants.
Xi Lingyue knew why the palace servant invited her in, but the servant came with the empress dowager's decree, and she really couldn't refuse.
"Empress Dowager." Ling Chan exclaimed and stepped forward, grabbing Xi Lingyue's hand.
The palace maids were stunned when they saw Ling Chan.
"Mrs. Dowager, you're not well yet, where are you going?"
Xi Lingyue looked at Ling Chan blankly. Her body had recovered since she drank the medicine Ling Chan gave her last time, and her health was even better than before.
"Your Highness, have you forgotten...didn't the doctors say that you are not feeling well and shouldn't overwork..." Ling Chan winked at her.
Xi Lingyue suddenly understood. She rubbed her forehead with a sigh and said, "I've only taken a few steps, and I feel so dizzy."
"Empress Dowager, you must not faint..." Ling Chan exclaimed, and the next second Xi Lingyue fainted in her arms.
Ling Chan embraced Xi Lingyue and looked at the palace servants apologetically, "This... the Concubine Dowager fainted, you..."
The palace maids looked at each other, and the Empress Dowager's decree ordered them to pick up the Concubine Dowager.
But now the Concubine is dizzy...
"If you insist on taking the Concubine Dowager to the palace, then, I will help her into the carriage."
Ling Chan pretended to help Xi Lingyue into the carriage, "I'm worried that the Concubine Dowager is not feeling well. What if something happens in the palace..."
Upon hearing what was happening, the palace servants hurried to stop Ling Chan, "Marquis Zhenbei, since the Queen Mother is unwell, then... then we naturally cannot force her. We should ask the Queen Mother to return home and rest."
Ling Chan said, "It's impossible to rest now. Jiuzhen, go get a doctor."
"If the doctor can't figure it out, we'll have to go to the palace and ask for the imperial physician."
Jiuzhen said "oh" and ran out quickly.
Ling Chan brought Concubine Xi to Madam Wei's arms, "Madam Wei, please take good care of Concubine Xi. If anything happens to her... we can't ask the Queen Mother for an explanation..."
The corners of the palace maid's mouth trembled. What the Zhenbei Marquis said...
"Yes." Nanny Wei supported Xi Lingyue, "My Lord, you?"
"As for me." Ling Chan lifted her skirt and got on the carriage, then turned around and said, "Of course I'm going back to the palace with them."
"If I can't pick up the Concubine Dowager, I can't let the car return to the palace empty."
"This Marquis will...go see the Queen Mother on behalf of the Concubine Dowager."
Nanny Wei bowed and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, my Lord."
The palace ladies thought that there was no need to go through so much trouble... but Ling Chan had already gotten into the carriage, not giving them any chance to think or refuse.
"What?! Why did you bring her here?!" Zuo Dongrou was furious when she heard that it was Ling Chan who came.
She was planning to bring Concubine Xi into the palace so that Xiao Jin...
Why, why is it Ling Chan...
"The Concubine Dowager is seriously ill..."
Zuo Dongrou suppressed her voice, afraid that Ling Chan outside would hear, "Are you really sick or pretending to be sick?"
"You should bring the Concubine Dowager into the palace. It doesn't matter if she's sick. There are imperial physicians in the palace anyway, and they can check on her."
"But..." the palace attendant said anxiously, "The Concubine Dowager fainted."
"We are worried...what if something happens to the Concubine Dowager in the palace..."
Zuo Dongrou thought about it carefully. Last year, Concubine Xi almost died, but she didn't know how she survived.
But... since he was so seriously ill before, something might really happen in the palace.
"Queen Dowager, can I come in?" Ling Chan asked loudly from outside.
Zuo Dongrou cast a glance of disdain, "Let her in."
Ling Chan came in and sat down opposite Zuo Dongrou casually.
Anyway, she had the order from the late emperor, and she could not find any fault with not kneeling to Zuo Dongrou.
"Marquis Zhenbei, I didn't summon you into the palace..." Zuo Dongrou suppressed her anger.
Ling Chan shrugged, "This Marquis is here to take Prince Rui back to his palace."
Zuo Dongrou took a deep breath. "Prince Rui is already twenty-five. Why does he need the Marquis to come and pick him up?"
Ling Chan raised her eyebrows, "It can't be helped, after all, Prince Rui is so handsome..."
"Let those with ulterior motives covet it?"
"This Marquis..."
Before Ling Chan could finish, Zuo Dongrou couldn't help but sneer, "Even if someone covets Prince Rui, what does it have to do with the Marquis?"
"It's too shameless for the Marquis to throw himself at me like this."
Ling Chan chuckled, "The Queen Mother is wrong to say that."
"How could I be shameless to throw myself at my future husband?"
Zuo Dongrou was stunned. "What?"
Ling Chan took out the imperial edict pinned to her waist and said, "The late emperor issued an imperial edict granting me marriage to Prince Rui. Here is the imperial edict as proof."
Zuo Dongrou walked down from the high seat, snatched the imperial edict, opened it, and his face changed.
And, it really is an imperial decree granting marriage...
"When did this happen?" Zuo Dongrou clutched the imperial edict tightly. "Why have I never heard of this?"
Ling Chan: "When the late emperor was on the throne, the empress dowager was just a concubine, so the late emperor certainly didn't have to tell the empress dowager everything."
Zuo Dongrou swallowed her saliva. Ling Chan was right. When the late emperor was on the throne, she was just Consort Rou...
"This... Who knows whether this imperial edict is real or fake?" Zuo Dongrou secretly tried to tear it off, but the imperial edict was made of silk and she couldn't tear it off at all.
"The late emperor was seriously ill before, and the Marquis of Zhenbei had been with him. Who knows if this imperial decree wasn't issued by the Marquis of Zhenbei himself?"
"I can prove it." Xiao Heng's queen, Empress Dowager Xu, who is now the empress dowager like Zuo Dongrou, walked in with the support of a nanny.
She had no children, so Zuo Dongrou became the empress dowager, and she felt very upset.
Now Empress Dowager Zuo and the Zuo family are suppressing her Xu family everywhere.
Now that she heard that Ling Chan was calling Zuo Dongrou to bring bad luck, of course she wanted to watch the show.
As soon as he came in, he heard Zuo Dongrou questioning Ling Chan.
Xu Yinghan smiled kindly at Ling Chan, and Ling Chan smiled back at her.
"I can testify that the late emperor did issue this imperial decree." Xu Yinghan stood calmly, as if she really knew it.
In fact, only Xiao Heng and Fu Lu knew the content of this imperial edict.
Since the new emperor ascended the throne, all the palace maids around the previous emperor have been sent to work elsewhere.
The same goes for Fu Lu. He has now been sent to the temporary palace to retire and cannot come here to testify.
Even if he testified, Zuo Dongrou had a way to veto it.
But Xu Yinghan testified, and she had no way of vetoing it.
No matter what, Xu Yinghan is the late emperor's legitimate empress.
What she said was also the imperial decree.
Xu Yinghan glanced at Zuo Dongrou with a smug look, then turned to look at Ling Chan, "Marquis Zhenbei, you said back then that the wedding date wasn't set yet, but now you've produced the imperial edict... has it already been set?"
Ling Chan nodded...
"Then I would like to congratulate the Marquis and Prince Rui."
"Thank you, Queen Mother."
Zuo Dongrou squinted at Xu Yinghan and said, "Sister, you're so free. You even have time to meddle in other people's affairs."
Xu Yinghan knew that she was disgusting herself.
After all, she was the queen, but now she had become the queen mother in name only in the harem.
"How can it be a trivial matter?" Xu Yinghan forced a smile. "Prince Rui and Marquis Zhenbei are both meritorious officials of Daqi. Their affairs are not trivial matters."
She turned to Ling Chan and said, "Marquis Zhenbei, the Emperor should be leaving his morning court. Please go and fetch Prince Rui."
Ling Chan nodded, "Okay, I'll go then."
She reached out to Zuo Dongrou, "Empress Dowager, my imperial decree."
Zuo Dongrou threw the imperial edict to her, feeling dissatisfied but nowhere to vent.
Ling Chan carried the imperial edict to the morning court hall...
Zuo Dongrou angrily swung her sleeves and said, "Humph."
Xu Yinghan smiled. "What's wrong? Is Empress Dowager Zuo... disappointed?"
She sat down in front of Zuo Dongrou and said, "I'm really surprised. The Queen Mother... actually covets her own brother-in-law... Tsk tsk tsk."
"Xu Yinghan, don't talk nonsense." Zuo Dongrou scolded angrily.
"Tsk, you did it and you're still afraid of what people say?" Xu Yinghan sighed, "Empress Dowager, aren't you afraid that the late emperor will come into your dreams and point his finger at you and call you a bitch?"
Zuo Dongrou snorted, "What does it have to do with you?"
"Xu Yinghan, my son is now the emperor. I can do whatever I want."
Xu Yinghan's chest heaved up and down. Not having a son was the biggest worry in her life.
"Empress Dowager Xu, I won't see you off." Zuo Dongrou sent the guest away directly.
Ling Chan arrived at the main hall just as the court was about to end.
The person sent by Zuo Dongrou to pick up Xiao Jin was also embarrassed when he saw Ling Chan...
Ling Chan stood beside them, staring at them.
Xiao Jin saw Ling Chan, "Chan'er."
"I'll take you home."
The two men ignored the Queen Mother's men and walked straight towards the palace gate.
On the way, Ling Chan handed him the imperial edict.
Xiao Jin took it, "This..."
He had never seen this imperial edict.
"This was sent by Fu Lu when the late emperor was seriously ill."
"I was trying to interrogate the Wolf King at the time, so I put it away and later forgot about it."
Ling Chan didn't know why she felt a little guilty.
Xiao Jin lowered his eyes to look at her head, knowing what she was thinking at that time...
"Did you take it out and give it to the Queen Mother?" Xiao Jin asked.
Ling Chan nodded.
"Does she believe it?"
Ling Chan shook her head. "I didn't believe it at first, but... Empress Dowager Xu came to testify for me, confirming that this imperial decree was indeed issued by the late emperor."
Xiao Jin returned the imperial edict to her, "With this imperial edict...you and I..."
If she didn't take out the imperial edict, she would be free forever, but now that she had taken it out, she and he were destined to be tied together.
Ling Chan took it, "You and I..."
She nervously held the imperial edict and hesitated, "You..."
Don't you want to?
Xiao Jin didn't know what she was thinking. He didn't want to... "Chan'er, I don't want you to take out this imperial edict just because of the Queen Mother's... reaction to me."
"Not entirely..." Ling Chan explained.
"I, I know what you mean..."
"I'm also interested in you...that's why..."
Xiao Jin paused and watched Ling Chan walk forward with her head down.
"It's not because of the Queen Mother..."
"Chan'er..."
Ling Chan turned around and found that Xiao Jin had stopped long ago.
Xiao Jin didn't wait for her to come back and took a few steps to her.
"I..." Xiao Jin held Ling Chan's hand, "I'm so happy."
He was the last one to come out, and the officials from the morning court had already left. Now there were only the two of them on the palace road.
"Chan'er, I'm so happy."
Ling Chan shook his hand in return, "Then... then let's get married as soon as possible."
Xiao Jin nodded, "Okay."
After returning to Prince Rui's Mansion, Xi Lingyue heard the news that they were going to get married. She paced back and forth with joy, muttering about the things she needed to prepare.
Jiuzhen was also constantly giving suggestions.
He said in the morning that he was going to see a doctor, but in fact he went straight through the back door and re-entered the palace.
"Toffee, time is short and the task is heavy. We must hurry."
Xi Lingyue nodded, "That's right, hold on tight, hold on tight."
"Jiuzhen, go find a few shopkeepers who specialize in planning weddings and ask them to help me hold a grand wedding for Jin'er."
Jiu Zhen nodded, "I'll go right away."
The people and things coming in and out of Prince Rui's Palace...the news reached Zuo Dongrou's ears.
She was so angry that she couldn't sit still.
Speaking of why Zuo Dongrou coveted Xiao Jin, there is actually an unknown origin behind it.
Zuo Dongrou has been lovely since childhood. For a period of time, she was brought up by Concubine Hui, the mother of Prince Cheng Xiao Ping, in order to be his princess.
Concubine Hui and Concubine Xian have always been close to Concubine Xi and they often visit each other.
In this way, Zuo Dongrou often met Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin is handsome and upright, and Zuo Dongrou has a good impression of him.
She knew the purpose of being kept by Concubine Hui, and she knew very well that she had no chance with Xiao Jin, so she did not force it.
Later, by some strange coincidence, she became Xiao Heng's concubine...
During the time when Xiao Jin was disfigured, she was very sad and felt sorry for him.
Now... having become the Queen Mother, the thoughts that were hidden deep in her heart surfaced again.
Seeing this, the nanny beside Zuo Dongrou whispered in her ear, "Queen Dowager, even if the Marquis of Zhenbei and Prince Rui were married..."
“You can also…”
After hearing what the nanny said, Zuo Dongrou's eyes lit up.
"Mammy is right." She curled her lips. Marquis Zhenbei, so what even if you marry Prince Rui?
My son is the emperor, I can do whatever I want.
Xi Lingyue and Jiuzhen were very busy, checking things with the shop owners all day long.
The most important thing was the wedding dress...it took several changes before it was finalized.
Compared to them, Ling Chan and Xiao Jin had it much easier.
Whenever they have time, they go shopping, go for an outing, and try their best to stick together.
When their love is deep, they will hug and kiss each other... and enjoy the rare peace.
That night, the two were watching the moon on the roof when Jiu Zhen suddenly rushed in.
"Prince, Marquis." Jiu Zhen waved directly towards the roof.
Xiao Jin stood up and rushed down with Ling Chan, "What's wrong?"
"Something happened." Jiu Zhen said anxiously, "Master Guo Yiwen scolded Zuo Lun during the day, and now Zuo Lun has brought people to confiscate his house."
Guo Yiwen had always advocated weakening the power of foreign relatives and kings, so Rong An was very disgusted with him, and he was subjected to a lot of criticism and attacks because of this.
Now that the Zuo family's relatives were interfering in politics, he once again stood up to oppose it, but the young emperor had no opinions of his own, so he had a feeling...
I carried eighty buckets of water and irrigated sixty acres of land under the scorching sun, only to find out that I was watering someone else's vegetable field. I felt powerless.
This morning at court, he couldn't stand Zuo Lun's arrogance anymore and pointed at him and cursed, "You're so eloquent and shameless!"
In this era, it is considered a very dirty curse!
"Go save people!" Ling Chan also knew Guo Yiwen, he was a man of blood.
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