Chapter 144 Dou Mingyan's Fortune
Emperor Muzong was obsessed with the game of indulging in concubines resembling his mother, Wen Wan. His harem was filled with beauties, many of whom bore some resemblance to Wen Wan, especially Consort Jiang. Consort Tan likely hated this hypocritical emperor so much that she cleverly plotted against him in the Cold Palace.
Firstly, it disgusted Emperor Muzong, and secondly, it prevented Dou Mingyan from becoming a second Consort Jiang after gaining favor with the emperor.
But Consort Tan underestimated the importance of that small courtyard in the Cold Palace to the Emperor; this anger wouldn't kill her!
I'm afraid that if Prince Rui heard this news, he would grind his back teeth to pieces.
A cold smile crept across Pei Siyan's lips, deeply finding it absurd. "Has the Imperial Observatory made any arrangements?"
Chi Yan nodded. "It's all arranged. I'm just worried the Imperial Advisor might mess things up."
Pei Siyan remained calm and replied, "It's alright!"
The Imperial Advisor has always played the role of a loyal minister; this time, he'd like to see if the Imperial Advisor would step in to help Prince Rui.
With that, Pei Siyan lifted his robe and got up to leave.
Chi Yan looked on in confusion. "Your Highness? What are you going out for?"
Pei Siyan remained calm. "His Majesty will definitely come to the Eastern Palace tomorrow."
Given Emperor Muzong's familiarity with him, he feared that the disguise might give him away, so he also had to play the role of the crown prince who was "seriously ill and near death."
The first light of dawn was breaking, the air was thick with mist, and the sky was overcast.
The following day, the emperor suspended court for a day, and heard from the palace eunuchs that the emperor had gone to the Eastern Palace.
The ministers who entered the palace at the crack of dawn to prepare for the court meeting all looked solemn and sighed when they thought about Pei Siyan's serious illness.
When Eunuch Feng delivered the imperial decree to detain Dou Bochang, he was terrified, his legs trembling with fear and unease, thinking that the palace had learned of Dou Mingyan's disappearance and would punish the Dou family.
Eunuch Feng looked at Dou Bochang with a meaningful expression, his words carrying a heavy weight. "Congratulations, Lord Dou!"
Dou Bochang was taken aback and completely bewildered: "What do you mean, sir?"
Eunuch Feng was filled with mixed feelings. Last night, the emperor had favored the future crown princess in the cold palace. This was too taboo... He wondered what kind of storm it would cause.
This night was absurd. How could the emperor be at fault? The fault naturally lies with those who served him.
Fortunately, the Imperial City Guard has determined that last night's events were more or less related to Consort Tan, but they lack evidence and have not apprehended any key witnesses. As a result, the Imperial City Guard and their personnel on duty will be in serious trouble.
Eunuch Feng lowered his voice and reminded her, "Last night, Miss Dou stayed overnight in the palace. I'm afraid she'll be called 'Your Majesty' from now on!"
Dou Bochang was stunned, his expression suddenly changing drastically: "What?!"
Did Dou Mingyan offer herself up to the emperor and climb into his bed?
Instead of being a proper crown princess, she willingly degraded herself, allowing the emperor to have an affair with her prospective daughter-in-law, committing a grave transgression against human ethics. Did she have a death wish?
"Lord Dou, we must quickly find a way to remedy this situation! Miss Mingyan is the Crown Princess... If this gets out, the third daughter of the Dou family will certainly not be allowed to live. As her father, the Dou family will be held responsible!"
Dou Bochang was trembling all over, gritting his teeth in hatred, "You wicked child, I have no daughter, I am not her father!"
——
"Last night, His Majesty was heartbroken and drunk because of the Crown Prince's serious illness. In the Cold Palace, he thought he saw the spirit of Empress Wen... This morning, when His Majesty woke up, he realized that he had made a terrible mistake. Your third sister was almost killed by the sword."
Shen Yanzhou had a dark circle under his eyes. He was on duty in the palace last night because the emperor often asked him to handle some tricky and urgent matters.
He was also secretly appointed as the deputy commander of the Imperial City Guard a while ago, so he was the first to know about any disturbances in the palace.
Today, as soon as he left the palace, he went straight to the Dou residence and met with Dou Wenyi.
Right now, they are in a private room of a nearby teahouse, where the aroma of tea fills the air and several plates of exquisite pastries are laid out on the table.
"..."
Dou Wenyi's pupils trembled, her fingers gripping the teacup tightly. Dou Mingyan had really done something earth-shattering!
She stayed overnight in the Cold Palace; didn't she go to Prince Rui's residence?
Did Prince Rui not fall for her beauty and instead trick her into sleeping with him? However, Prince Rui's actions were hardly wise. Even if he wanted to humiliate Pei Siyan and plant a thorn between father and son forever, he would also anger Emperor Muzong. Wasn't he afraid of losing the emperor's favor?
Or do they think that because Pei Siyan is seriously ill and victory is assured, they have no scruples?
Shen Yanzhou's cold voice reached Dou Wenyi's ears without missing a single word, making her feel absurd and unable to feel any sense of victory!
Regardless of past or present lives, Dou Mingyan is her mortal enemy.
For a moment, Dou Wenyi felt it was absurd, but at the same time, she felt that even if Dou Mingyan entered the palace, she might still cause trouble.
Dou Wenlian put down her teacup and couldn't help but chuckle and sigh, "Third Sister is blessed with good fortune; she has her own destiny."
She changed the subject, "That day in the palace, thank you for helping me. I almost implicated you."
Shen Yanzhou's expression shifted slightly. Recalling what happened that night, she still felt lingering fear. If she hadn't acted decisively, she would have almost suffered at the hands of Prince Rui.
"It was just a small favor; Prince Rui is being incredibly absurd!"
Dou Wenyi looked up at him and pointed to the snacks on the plate. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Have something to eat?"
Shen Yanzhou smiled knowingly, staring straight into her clear, bright eyes.
"The Crown Prince is critically ill, and His Majesty has made a mistake. He will surely make amends to him. Miss Dou is definitely not a suitable candidate for a marriage to ward off bad luck. So who will be the next choice?"
The lighthearted atmosphere instantly turned serious.
Dou Wenyi's eyelids twitched suddenly.
Shen Yanzhou was always perceptive, and sure enough, he could easily see through the affairs of the court.
The powerful and influential noblewomen of Tianning City would naturally not be willing to marry into the family to bring good fortune, but the Dou family is different. The Dou family has caused trouble themselves, and they will try their best to make amends no matter what.
His words were so blunt that it was almost certain Dou Bochang would try to save face by having her marry into a family to bring him good luck.
Dou Wenyi was filled with mixed emotions, so she could only silently pick up a piece of dried fruit, put it in her mouth, and slowly chew it.
She thought Dou Mingyan would seek help from the person behind her and find a way to break off the engagement. Who would have thought that she would climb into the emperor's bed?
This was a trap set by Pei Siyan, and she should naturally fall into it.
Seeing her silence, Shen Yanzhou paused before saying, "Prince Rui has already requested permission to marry you, Yi'er. I know your ambitions lie not in the royal family, and you are weary of all the intrigue and deceit. Neither Prince Rui's residence nor the Eastern Palace should be your home."
"I want to ask you this: if you had a third option, would you be willing to give it a try?"
Dou Wenyi choked.
He didn't know that Pei Siyan was faking illness. He felt he was in a desperate situation and wanted to do everything he could to save her!
With the imperial power so immense, Pei Siyan was determined to have her and had become obsessed with the idea. Having gone through so much trouble, he would never allow anyone to ruin this marriage.
The bond between her and Shen Yanzhou was hardly worth him sacrificing everything to fight against...
She had felt a slight flutter in her heart for him, but it seemed that they were destined to be apart in this life and the next. Let those girlish feelings be buried forever in her heart.
If one day...
That's enough!
Dou Wenyi suppressed the bitterness in her heart and steadied herself.
“Young Master Shen, I have no way to repay your great kindness. However, some things are beyond the control of fate. I dare not defy destiny, so let nature take its course.”
Shen Yanzhou looked at her in astonishment, already understanding what she meant.
Before he could even voice his plan, she politely declined.
Are you afraid of implicating him?
At this moment, Cuizhi hurried upstairs and reported, "Miss, someone from the palace has come to take you to the palace. It's His Majesty!"
Dou Wenyi took her leave.
Shen Yanzhou watched helplessly as the figure gradually walked away, and forced a smile.
He closed his eyes in anguish, a bitter feeling welling up in his throat. He desperately wanted to call out to her, to beg her not to go...
He has a way to prevent her from having to undergo a wedding to bring good luck.
At this moment, those sparks that he had deliberately hidden and suppressed in his heart suddenly ignited, as if doused with tung oil, almost annihilating him.
If he had been a little braver and crossed the line to express his feelings sooner, would he have had a chance?
Pei Siyan's illness was strange. Even though she knew that a "marriage to bring good fortune" meant living a life of widowhood, she was still willing to do it and did it without hesitation. He suddenly remembered the way Pei Siyan looked at her when they were in Ru County, just like he looked at her.
Has Pei Siyan outmaneuvered his opponent and is about to achieve his goal?
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