Chapter 59 Imperial Decree for Marriage Makes Lianzhou Jealous
Inside the Imperial Study.
"Second Prince, do you know why I summoned you here this time?" Yuan Hao asked.
"My son is stupid, I hope my mother will make it clear."
Yuan Yan guessed that the Empress Dowager's sudden summons must be about Yang Lingyi, but for now he pretended not to know.
Yuan Hao remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"What's going on between you and your brother?"
As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Yuan Yan, as if trying to discern his true thoughts.
"Mother Queen..."
Yuan Yan was taken aback and couldn't help but raise his head, then lowered it as low as he could.
"My cousin and I are kindred spirits and have feelings for each other. But I know there is no possibility of us being together, so we no longer see each other."
Yuan Hao: "But I heard that Lingyi has been depressed all day because of this matter, and has been shedding tears by herself, which has caused the eldest prince great worry."
"It's all my fault. If I had known my cousin's identity earlier, I wouldn't have fallen in love with him... and we wouldn't be in this situation today, both of us are suffering, and my uncle is also worried about us."
When Yuan Yan got emotional, a hint of pain appeared in his eyes.
Yuan Hao, seeing this, suddenly said, "Second brother, do you know your mistake?"
Yuan Yan remained silent: "...Your subject knows his mistake. Your subject should not have admired his cousin."
However, Yuan Hao did not agree with her statement.
"You are wrong, but the fault lies elsewhere."
"Your biggest mistake was acting on your own initiative and making decisions without consulting others."
"Does Mother Empress really have such a narrow mind in your eyes? It's just a marriage, but now you're making me look like the villain who broke you up," Yuan Hao rebuked.
"Your subject dares not," Yuan Yan said, his face showing shame.
Yuan Hao already felt somewhat indebted to Yuan Yan because of Lu Lingyue's matter. Now, seeing that Yuan Yan answered honestly and had no improper thoughts, his suspicions finally dissipated.
"Alright, I won't say anything more to you. It just so happens that you only have one or two servants in your household, which is not proper. Today I will grant your request and issue an edict to bestow Yang Lingyi upon you as the chief minister, and you shall choose a date for your marriage."
Yuan Hao's words were final and left no room for argument.
“Mother Empress…!” Yuan Yan suddenly looked up.
On the surface, he was overwhelmed with gratitude, displaying an expression of disbelief and excitement. In reality, however, he remained calm and composed, as everything unfolded exactly as he had anticipated.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Yuan Yan kowtowed, deeply moved.
*
The imperial edict was issued.
When the emperor issued his decree to marry Prince Qin to Yang Lingyi, many people were shocked and immediately became restless.
"Did Mother really bestow my cousin upon Yuan Yan?" Yuan Jing asked repeatedly, his heart churning with turmoil, unable to calm down for a moment.
"How could this happen so suddenly? Why didn't anyone in the palace hear a word of it beforehand?"
Yuan Jing questioned his trusted confidant.
"I heard that the eldest prince personally went to the palace to plead with the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager spoke with His Majesty before this decree was issued." The official inquired and found out the inside story.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Jing recalled his attitude of avoiding the selection of the chief minister when the imperial sons were absent, and a hidden anger rose in his chest.
Outrageous! What a fine eldest prince!
It turns out that the eldest prince didn't not want his son to marry the princess, but rather that the woman he had his eye on was not her.
This is absolutely outrageous.
If the Crown Prince dares to deceive us like this today, Yuan Jing will surely repay him in the future.
Yuan Jing made a mental note of this and immediately left the mansion to discuss it with his maternal grandfather.
"There is no time to lose. Tomorrow at court, the old ministers will have someone submit a memorial requesting the establishment of a crown princess." Sun Shijun's heart sank, and he immediately sent someone to contact his faction members.
Even Feng Qing in the palace could no longer remain silent. After discussing the matter with Sun Shijun, he sent a minister to the emperor to offer advice.
"If the King of Qin marries the eldest son of the emperor, he might develop feelings for Pang," the minister subtly advised.
Yuan Hao knew that someone didn't want Yuan Yan to marry Yang Lingyi, but his expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.
"What are your thoughts? My dear minister, you might as well explain them clearly."
The ministers wanted to sow discord among the emperors, but this time the emperors seemed determined, and repeated advice had no effect. They could only slink back to report to their masters.
...
On the other side, Yuan Xiao, upon hearing the news, was also filled with rage and anger, so much so that he overturned everything on the table to the ground.
"Why!" she gasped, leaning on the table, the ground beneath her feet littered with broken pieces.
"They are both princesses, so why is it that I am never given what I want, while Yuan Yan doesn't have to do anything and the Empress bestows upon her the best of everything?"
...
As for the other ministers, upon hearing the news of the bestowed marriage, they were also unable to fathom His Majesty's thoughts and each had their own private ideas.
Officials like Du Heng, who were close to Yuan Yan, were naturally pleased to hear this news, as His Highness was enjoying the Emperor's favor.
However, some people are uneasy about this.
The Lu family had been firmly on the side of the King of Qi these past few days, but now that they had suddenly heard this decree, it was hard to say what they felt.
Even if aristocratic families are arrogant and look down on men from other families, it's hard for them to utter a word against their conscience when faced with a man of Yang Lingyi's noble lineage, saying that he is inferior to Lu Lingyue.
Such a noble man was bestowed upon the King of Qin by His Majesty; it would be hard to believe there wasn't some ulterior motive.
Furthermore, as Yuan Yan made meritorious contributions by inspecting grain and implementing the allowance for honest officials, more and more ministers in the court began to favor the Prince of Qin.
All of this proves that their previous assumptions were wrong.
Could it be that the Lu family has really bet on the wrong horse this time? Lu Yingkan's mind wavered, his expression uncertain.
...
Inside the Prince's residence, Xue Lang and other officials offered their congratulations to their master.
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Your destined partner has arrived!"
"His Majesty's bestowal of this marriage is a great favor, which is enough to show his expectations for Your Highness."
Even the system joined in the fun, [Congratulations, host! You've finally passed the emperor's test and can now win the heart of your beauty.]
In this joyous moment, no one remembered Lu Shi Nan, who should have been the chief minister of the King of Qin.
Lu Lingyue had long been forgotten in a corner of the Prince's mansion, like an old object.
In a secluded courtyard.
Because of Yuan Yan's recent punishment of his father-in-law, the servants in the mansion all know that even though Lu Shifu has fallen out of favor, he is still their master and not someone they, as servants, can bully at will.
Without the servants' sycophancy and bullying, Lu Lingyue finally had a few days of peace.
However, the seemingly calm surface was suddenly shattered by the news that quickly spread throughout the Prince's mansion.
"His Majesty has issued a decree, bestowing a marriage upon His Highness!"
As Lu Lingyue stepped out of the room, she heard the servants' words and suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"His Highness will be marrying the son of the eldest prince as a high-ranking official, and the marriage will take place soon. I've heard that this young man is dignified and gentle. Once he enters the palace, the royal residence will have a master..."
The servant finished speaking happily, but when he turned around, he found his master standing behind him with a strange expression, which startled him.
"oops!"
Look at you, what nonsense are you talking about!
Now look what's happened! He's run right into his husband's place. His Highness is about to marry the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; how could his husband possibly be happy? He might even be punished.
The servants inwardly groaned, secretly regretting their actions, wishing they could slap themselves on the spot.
He wanted to apologize, but Lu Shifu acted as if he hadn't seen him at all, turning his head away and returning to the courtyard without saying a word.
Yuan Yan is going to marry his official husband.
For some reason, Lu Lingyue felt an indescribable feeling spreading through her heart.
Lu Lingyue knew, of course, that Yuan Yan would marry Zheng Qing sooner or later.
But he never imagined that this day would come so quickly and so suddenly.
Hengwu murmured involuntarily, "If it weren't for that matter, the position of Chief Minister should have belonged to the young master..."
Why has she ended up like this, with such a lowly position, subordinate to other men, and subject to the control of some unknown master?
However, as soon as he spoke, he realized he had misspoke.
Saying this now is like stabbing the young master in the heart.
“Young Master…” Hengwu hurriedly looked at the young master’s expression.
A hint of self-mockery flickered in the young master's eyes, his gaze dim.
"The position of chief minister never belonged to me, so why say such things..."
He shouldn't care, but why does a bitter feeling keep growing in his heart?
...
Compared to Lu Lingyue, Shen Lianzhou's reaction was much more direct.
"His Highness is about to marry the Chief Minister. I haven't seen His Highness these past few days. Could it be that he went to see the Chief Minister?" he cautiously guessed.
Shen Lianzhou remained as calm as ever, but unlike his outward appearance, his words carried a hint of bitterness.
It must be said that a man's intuition can sometimes be quite accurate. Just because Yuan Yan had been returning home very late for several days in a row, Chen Lianzhou guessed the truth.
"What's wrong, Lianzhou? Are you jealous?" Yuan Yan had never seen Shen Lianzhou act like this before, and he couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Before Your Highness got married, you only remembered the Chief Minister. Will you still remember him after the marriage?
Shen Lianzhou looked genuinely heartbroken; her lips were slightly pursed, and her dark, moist eyes were dimmed.
Imagining the future where Yuan Yan only cares about Zheng Qing and doesn't come to see him, leaving him alone in an empty room, Chen Lianzhou's voice sounded somewhat melancholy.
"Lianzhou knows her status is lowly and has no intention of comparing herself to Zhengqing. She only asks that when Your Highness marries Zhengqing in the future, you might still consider seeing me..."
Listen to how pitiful he sounds. He hasn't been seen for a few days; anyone who didn't know better would think Yuan Yan had abandoned him.
Yuan Yan couldn't help but chuckle, deciding to make up for the neglect he had shown Shen Lianzhou over the past few days.
"Alright, Lianzhou, don't worry. I may forget anyone else, but I will never forget you."
As Yuan Yan spoke, he embraced the gloomy beauty and gently kissed her on the cheek. Instantly, they saw the beautiful scene of butterfly wings fluttering and the rosy clouds staining the white jade.
"Your Highness, that's not what I meant by 'serving you'... um..."
Shen Lianzhou unconsciously tugged at Yuan Yan's sleeve, her breathing becoming slightly rapid. She wanted to say something more, but Yuan Yan swallowed her words.
Before long, he was completely absorbed in it, no longer able to think. He had completely forgotten his earlier anxiety.
After the pleasure.
Yuan Yan kissed Shen Lianzhou's moist eyes and played with his smooth, dark hair.
"Zhou'er, do you still think I would neglect you?" Her voice was slightly amused, with a hint of teasing.
"Lianzhou is wrong."
Shen Lianzhou was drenched in sweat and had no strength left. She could only lean against Yuan Yan's chest, suppressing her shame and honestly admitting her mistake.
He was indeed having wild thoughts out of fear.
Judging from how His Highness had been making endless demands of him, there wasn't a trace of weariness in him. It was as if he wanted to devour him whole.
...
The next day.
Shen Lianzhou was probably too tired last night, having served Yuan Yan all night, which is why she was unable to wake up.
male servant: "Your Highness?"
"No need. Let your master rest. You help me get dressed."
Yuan Yan stopped the male servant who was about to wake Shen Lianzhou, and considerately let Shen Lianzhou rest a little longer, while he himself went to court full of energy.
In the imperial court, ministers presented their reports in turn.
Officials from the Office of Integrity Management reported that accounts across the country were being audited and that the lost tax revenue would soon be collected and used as reserves for integrity management. The funds would then be distributed according to the detailed rules for integrity management drafted by the King of Qin.
Yuan Hao inquired about some of the details and assigned officials to make improvements.
Once the matter was settled, Huang Shouzhi, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have a matter to report."
When the officials sent by the King of Qi saw this, they exchanged glances, knowing that something big was about to happen.
“Your Majesty, Prince Qi is the legitimate son of the Empress, benevolent, filial, intelligent, virtuous, and talented. Now that his marriage is complete, he is capable of handling affairs and can share Your Majesty’s burdens… I hope Your Majesty will soon determine the heir apparent, stabilize the country, and satisfy the hopes of the people.” Huang Shouzhi said solemnly.
The hall fell silent upon hearing this.
Yuan Yan remained silent, but the system was genuinely startled.
[No way, host, are the officials from the Yuanjing faction so anxious about your arranged marriage that they want to request the establishment of a crown princess?] It gasped.
【Pah, pah, pah, virtuous and talented... Have all these people forgotten that she competed with you for Lu Lingyue? Where is the virtue? I think she's a hypocrite!】The system felt indignant on Yuan Yan's behalf.
"She's one of Yuan Jing's own people, so of course he'll say the nice things about her."
“Besides, Yuan Jing has indeed established a good public image. Apart from the time I exposed him during the wedding robbery, he always acts like a gentle and refined gentleman, showing respect to scholars. No wonder Huang Shouzhi would say that.” Yuan Yan said calmly and composedly.
Yuan Hao sat high on his throne, listening to Huang Shouzhi's petition. His gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at certain officials, and he understood what was going on.
"Minister Huang is truly a pillar of the state, wholeheartedly devoted to the country." Her expression was unreadable, and her words carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Is there anyone else among you who thinks the same way?"
More than a dozen ministers, including the Ministry of Revenue Attendant and the Imperial Censor, stepped forward to echo this sentiment and jointly recommended the Prince of Qi as the Crown Prince.
[Oh no, oh no! Emperor, please don't agree to their demands, or your power struggle will become incredibly difficult...]
The system was in a panic when it saw so many ministers jointly recommending him, fearing that Yuan Hao would actually agree.
"Don't be impatient. If the Empress wanted to establish a Crown Princess, she would have done so long ago. She won't change her mind just because Yuan Jing has gathered a group of ministers to submit a memorial."
Yuan Yan mentally stopped the system from panicking.
Her gaze darkened slightly as she listened silently to the courtiers' remarks, pretending that she was invisible among them and did not exist.
Yuan Hao's gaze swept over everyone, then suddenly stopped on Guo Xinghuai, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who had remained silent until now. "Minister Guo, what is your opinion?"
Guo Xinghuai bowed and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I believe that the establishment of an heir is a matter of great importance to the country and should be decided by Your Majesty."
Her voice was neither humble nor arrogant, "Although His Highness Prince Qi is virtuous and talented, His Majesty is in the prime of life, so this matter may be discussed at length."
“What Lord Guo says is absolutely right,” Du Congshi, the Minister of Personnel, echoed. “This matter concerns the foundation of the nation and requires His Majesty’s wise decision. It cannot be decided rashly.”
Cui Mingwei, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and others seconded the motion.
After spending time together during the period of revising the laws, Cui Mingwei privately believed that Prince Qin, Yuan Yan, was intelligent, resourceful, and well-versed in politics, possessing both literary and military talents, making him more capable than Prince Qi. Given time, he would surely make outstanding contributions to the court. Establishing a crown princess now would be somewhat of a pity for Prince Qin.
She supported the views of Lord Guo and Lord Du and agreed to postpone the discussion.
"Since it concerns the foundation of the nation, why keep postponing it? Setting an heir sooner will stabilize the court."
The Imperial Censor Lu Gui then began arguing with Cui Mingwei.
The Lu family is now betting on the Prince of Qi, and will naturally do everything in their power to ensure that Yuan Jing becomes the heir apparent.
Most of the military generals in the court, however, were loyal to Yuan Yan.
"That's not right. We've already said that the matter of choosing an heir must be handled carefully, lest we make a mistake. Why is Lord Lu in such a hurry?" a military officer blurted out.
Sun Shijun, remaining behind the scenes, observed the chaos in the court, which only heightened his vigilance.
I thought this proposal to establish a crown princess was a sure thing, with all the officials in favor. But after removing those few stubborn and inflexible old ministers, I was surprised to find so many people still opposing it.
Cui Mingwei, Yu Changde, and others outwardly supported the imperial decision, but in reality, they were speaking on behalf of Yuan Yan.
Although Yuan Yan had not been involved in politics for very long, it was unclear when he had befriended these officials... Sun Shijun frowned deeply, his apprehension towards Yuan Yan growing stronger.
Seeing that his ministers were arguing endlessly, Yuan Hao did not want to listen anymore and said that they would discuss it later, and then dismissed the court.
"Lord Sun, His Majesty is unwilling to establish an heir. What should we do now?" Lu Gui asked Sun Shijun after court, his voice filled with worry.
"There's still a way. Don't panic." Sun Shijun said solemnly, letting out a slow breath.
There are others who can change His Majesty's mind.
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