The red and blue teams fought fiercely on the field. The eldest prince wore red and the third prince wore blue. The eldest prince Gao Xuanzhan was in a strong position. His mother was originally the principal wife and should have been named the empress. However, because of the treacherous concubine's rebellion, his biological mother was demoted to a concubine. As a son, he has seen his father's partiality since he was a child. This time he is determined to win.
And Gao Xuance was certainly no slouch. When he flipped over, it was obvious that he was very skilled and not someone who could be easily knocked down.
The eldest prince specially arranged his cousin, the son of Marquis Zhongjing, Lin Weinan, and the relative of Princess Xing'an's husband, the Shen family of Marquis Xuanping, who were all the best among the nobles, to join his team.
When Yao Niang saw Lin Weinan, she secretly thought it was not good, because this man was very brave and good at fighting on the battlefield in his previous life, and he was not an ordinary person. In addition, the brothers Shen Yun and Shen Liang, the Marquis of Xuanping, were also very strong and were not ordinary people in their previous lives.
These people are not playboys, but their fathers are capable of fighting on the battlefield.
But Gao Xuance didn't show any fear at all. This man was not even 20 years old when he passed away, but now he is not sick at all and is full of energy on the field.
Princess Zhenyang was so nervous that she almost twisted her handkerchief into a knot, and Yao Niang didn't dare to look at it.
"Yao Niang, let's go to the back and play by ourselves. I don't dare to watch anymore." Princess Zhenyang had the same idea as Yao Niang. She didn't dare to watch any further and left quickly. She would wait until she came back to find out the result.
But Yao Niang was afraid that Princess Zhenyang would ask her to wear ice skates and play on the ice, so she shook her head and said, "Forget it, I'll just watch here. I'm not very good at this, and it would be bad if I fell. Princess, let's just watch here."
"What's the big deal? Let's go see the flowers. My third brother just lost a game, and I really don't want to watch it any longer." Princess True Eyes is straightforward and always speaks the truth.
So Yao Niang had no choice but to accompany her for a walk. Who knew that as soon as they went out, before they saw the flowers, they saw a young man from the royal family, who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was handsome and elegant, with a hint of smile in his eyes.
He was greeting Princess Zhenyang, but his eyes were looking at him with a look of surprise in them.
Yao Niang didn't like this look and turned away.
Princess Zhenyang smiled and said, "Prince Jinyang, how come I see you here?"
"Princess, I am leading people to inspect there for the emperor. Are you going to see the flowers? Do you want me to ask someone to accompany you? This place is too big and it would be bad if you get separated."
Yao Niang thought to herself, this must be the Prince of Jinyang. She heard that he is the only son of the Prince of Jinyang and is very smart and capable. She heard from Concubine Hong that he now has a good relationship with Gao Xuance.
He was indeed as capable as the rumors said, and the emperor trusted him very much.
Princess Zhenyang smiled and said, "In that case, thank you very much."
Then Prince Gao Jian of Jinyang sent five or six people to accompany them, while Yao Niang accompanied Princess Zhenyang to view the flowers. Viewing the flowers on the ice was a unique experience.
"Princess, don't worry." Yao Niang comforted her.
Princess Zhenyang nodded. She was an open-minded person. Although she was worried, she calmed down when she saw Yao Niang accompanying her out. The two of them really came to see the flowers. At this time, they could even display daffodils and magnolias, which obviously meant that they had been raised and placed here.
The two of them watched the flowers while the servants followed them from a distance. Princess Zhenyang wrinkled her nose and said, "The prince of Jinyang is a playboy and a lecher. He has countless concubines in his palace."
"Well, I can see that he kept looking at me just now."
Girls are very sensitive about this kind of thing, especially Yao Niang herself, who has the most contact with men in the palace, including her father, brothers, the third prince and others. They all look straight at her and rarely look at her with that kind of eyes.
On the contrary, her husband passed away in her previous life, and her son was still young. She gradually lost weight and became good at taking care of. As a widow, she was often surrounded by gossips. If it weren't for her integrity and the fact that the prince couldn't live without her, she would not have had a status. However, she still couldn't get rid of the covetousness of others. It was not until Chengyun grew up that she had no worries.
Chengyun? Suddenly Yao Niang missed her son very much.
The thing she regretted least in her previous life was giving birth to Cheng Yun. Thinking about the fact that in this life, she might have to have a child with another man and would never see Cheng Yun again.
After hearing what Yao Niang said, Princess Zhen Yang immediately said, "Don't worry, I will tell mother that he must not have any ideas about you."
"Thank you, Princess." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Not far away, Gao Jian, the Crown Prince of Jinyang, was listening to the maid beside him say, "That is Miss Luo, the companion of Princess Zhenyang. She is the daughter of Lord Luo, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
Gao Jian smiled and said, "There is such a beauty in the world. She has a beauty that could overthrow a kingdom and a city, and a temperament as gentle as water. It would be great if she could be my wife."
Only a girl of Miss Luo's character and appearance was qualified to be his wife. Although they were far apart, she was so patient and gentle when she advised the princess, which made people happy at first sight.
But although Yao Niang and Princess Zhen Yang were viewing the flowers, they were not in the mood to do so. Their minds were still on the field. When they turned back, Concubine Hong scolded them, "Where have you two been? Why haven't you come back for so long?"
Yao Niang relaxed her temper and changed the subject: "It was the princess' kindness that made her take me out to have a look. I wonder how the scene went?"
Concubine Hong smiled but said nothing, while Yao Niang looked forward and saw Gao Xuance standing in good shape on the field. He kicked another goal, but immediately after scoring it, he was pressed closely by Lin Weinan, so he dodged quickly.
Yao Niang, who was originally a little nervous, found it very strange. Although she was Princess Zhenyang's study companion, it did not mean that she had to be inclined towards the Third Prince. If that was the case, why was she nervous?
…
Although he had the help of the brothers of Marquis Xuanping and the son of Marquis Zhongjing, the guards that Gao Xuance found privately were not weak, and he even arranged the tactics very well, so he still won in the end.
Although the eldest prince was dissatisfied in his heart, he still congratulated Gao Xuance on the surface. Gao Xuance was even more humble and acted like a brother in front of Emperor Jianzhang.
There were many people around Gao Xuance who congratulated him, including Prince Gao Jian, the Prince of Jinyang. Gao Jian had a pretty good relationship with Gao Xuance, and when others were on the side of the eldest prince, he thought he had good vision.
"Third Prince, you won beautifully today."
"Thank you so much, this is all thanks to the good cooperation among everyone."
"If the Third Prince hadn't asked us to deploy our troops, how could we have won today..."
"Please don't praise me today. Come on, let's have a drink."
Gao Xuance raised the wine glass, took a sip, then looked up again. His father had already started drinking, while the eldest prince and others looked very unhappy.
Gao Jian understood the meaning of the song and said, "Third Prince, I think after this, those ministers have also seen your strength."
Gao Xuance said indifferently: "It's just a small matter. Come, let's drink and not talk about business."
"Yes." Gao Jian was very obedient.
Yao Niang followed Concubine Hong and the others to eat. Even though they were outside, they did not skimp on the food. After the meal, Princess Zhenyang knew that her brother had won, so she let go of her worries and encouraged Yao Niang to go ice skating. Princess Zhaoping also joined in. Even Concubine Hong said, "It's rare for you to come out, go and have fun."
Although she was very nervous, she had a professional teacher to teach her. In fact, Yao Niang was very good at horse riding and archery. She was also very brave. Since she had decided to go ice skating, she took off her cape, put on her ice skates, and slowly balanced herself.
"You have to keep your legs straight. You have to keep them straight," said the master.
Yao Niang slid slowly while holding onto someone's arm, a look of joy on her face.
Xiulin and Xiujuan both applauded: "Miss, you are amazing."
"No way." Yao Niang just slid slowly. They were both used to flattering others.
As she was skating slowly, Xu Qingrong happened to be beside her. Compared with Yao Niang, she was already skating very freely. Yao Niang enviously said, "Sister Xu is really amazing."
Xu Qingrong suddenly came up with an idea. Before this, her favorite person was still the second prince, because Concubine Hong won and the person sitting on that position was the second prince, so she had a share. But looking at the third prince today, he was more manly and even more favored by the emperor.
But the princes could not be chosen by her. If Luo Yaoniang were to make a fool of herself in public today, all her marriage plans would be ruined, and she would have no rivals.
"Sister Luo, you have to practice more to become good at skating. You see, I have practiced a lot to be able to do this. Also, it's very cold here, so don't catch a cold and take care of yourself." Xu Qingrong said with a smile.
Yao Niang nodded: "Sister Xu is right, I will go back now."
Xu Qingrong shook her head: "You're going back so soon. The princess and the others haven't had enough fun yet. Why don't we go find a place to rest together?"
Even if she hadn't been reborn, she knew that at this critical moment, she couldn't make any mistakes, so Yao Niang said, "No, Sister Xu, I'd better go back first."
If others would definitely find countless reasons to refuse, Xu Qingrong felt that she would definitely convince them with her eloquence, but she refused so directly, which made things difficult.
Xu Qingrong smiled and said, "Sister Luo, why don't I take you skating for a while? Anyway, I have nothing to do now and I'm bored."
"No, Sister Xu, you should go and play by yourself. I'll go first." Yao Niang ignored her and went back to the resting place in the garden first.
Xu Qingrong's teeth itched with hatred, but there was nothing she could do.
For Yao Niang, the most important thing now is stability, nothing else.
Besides, the eldest prince and his entourage were also talking in the room. Lin Weinan was the eldest prince's cousin, so of course he supported the eldest prince. He said, "King Xian, I heard that the second prince and the third prince are going to be crowned kings today. My old Taishan said that the Ministry of Rites has already chosen the titles." Lin Weinan's father-in-law was the son of the former Minister of Personnel, and now he was the Deputy Minister of Rites.
The eldest prince nodded and said, "This is only natural. At that time, my father wanted to confer titles on all three kings, but the inner cabinet insisted on opposing it. That's why I was conferred the title of king first, and then they were conferred the title three months later. Now it has been three months, so there is nothing strange about it."
"That being said, if these two are crowned as kings, they will have their own officials and can also open offices outside the palace. Wouldn't this dilute your rights?" Lin Weinan worried.
Originally, if the aunt had been crowned as the empress, the eldest prince would have been legitimate, but the aunt only crowned her as the noble concubine. If the aunt accidentally passed away and Concubine Hong was crowned as the empress, the situation would immediately be different.
The prince of Xuanping Marquis is Princess Xing'an's future husband. Shen Yun also agrees, "Yes, today the Third Prince is coming with great momentum. Although it is just a game of Cuju, he is not giving in at all and is completely against you. This is the case now, you must not take it lightly."
The eldest prince sneered: "The third prince is ambitious, but it's a pity that he is the third prince. Even if I am gone, the world will still belong to the second prince."
"This is just the beginning, First Prince. Have you ever thought about this? The Second Prince and the Third Prince are already at the age to marry a princess, but I'm afraid..." What Lin Weinan wanted to say was that if these two could marry capable princesses, it would be another great help.
The eldest prince was calm when he mentioned this: "Don't worry, Concubine Hong originally wanted the second son to marry a noble descendant, but the one she mentioned has a strange disease, and Xu Cao has made great contributions recently, and my mother also thinks highly of her, so the one from the Xu family will be the match."
No one thought it would be like this and couldn't help laughing.
Everyone knows what kind of upbringing the Xu family girls have. They are jealous and even murder their own husbands. Wouldn't it be harming others to marry a daughter from such a family?
However, Lin Weinan asked again: "What about the third prince?"
The eldest prince, however, looked unhappy. In fact, this was the one he wanted to marry. He already had the support of the Lin and Shen families, so there was no need for him to marry someone from the Wang family who was so noble. It would only be the icing on the cake.
Of course, the girls he wanted to marry were from the Li and Luo families, especially the Luo family.
Because Li Tianjiao's grandfather was about to retire, and her father had not accomplished much, but the Luo family was different. Luo Zhizheng had a successful career and was already the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel at the age of forty, so it was very likely that he would enter the cabinet.
Moreover, he had seen Miss Luo from a distance before. Although she was only thirteen or fourteen years old, she did not look like a little girl. That day, she was wearing light silk sleeves, and the gold bracelets on her jade wrists that appeared from time to time outlined her slender figure and graceful posture. Her voice was gentle and tender, not coquettish, but as sweet as spring water.
It’s a pity that he can’t make the decision on such an important matter as marriage, and it still depends on his father and mother.
Because my father had never crowned a queen, he always felt a little guilty towards my mother, so it was natural for him to decide on the candidate in my mother's mind.
well!
But the third brother has a sharp eye, and Concubine Hong also listens to him.
Seeing the eldest prince's expression, Lin Weinan couldn't help but ask, "Did the third prince find a very reliable marriage?"
"Well, this marriage is not very good, but it made Concubine Hong give up the daughter of Duke Xian and the daughter of Marquis Zhennan."
When Lin Weinan heard this, he thought, I wonder what kind of person the Third Prince will marry?
Lin Weinan has been married for several years now and does not have many children, but he and Wei Feng treat each other with respect, and Wei Feng is tolerant. Mudan passed away two years after Wei Feng's child was born.
He definitely didn't want others to say that he favored his concubine and neglected his wife. Being filial to parents, living in harmony with his wife, and having concubines and maids who were respectful were the way to a harmonious family.
Similarly, Mrs. Yu was helpless when she saw Luo Jingrou crying in front of her. She advised: "Now that you are back, you should take a good rest. Look at how thin you have become."
Luo Jingrou shook her head. She had this illness because she got it from a gynecological disease after giving birth to a son and it had never been cured. When she was a girl, she had symptoms of uterine cold. Secondly, it was because her relationship with her husband's family was not very good.
She had lived in her parents' home since she got married, and her parents were very nice. Although Yu was her stepmother, she took good care of her. The Wang family still depended on her father, so she felt very comfortable in her parents' home, but not in her husband's home.
After returning home, she discovered that her husband was actually too straightforward and easily offended people. He said he liked poetry and books, but he also said, "The emperor today values literature, so why bother discussing the Han and Tang dynasties?"
Furthermore, due to her health, she could not have sex with her husband often, and she was afraid that he would see her lewd side, so she felt that life was too tiring.
Her husband was a talented and romantic man who went out with prostitutes. Even a concubine was not enough for the family...
She could only talk about these grievances when she returned to her parents' home. Moreover, she had a secret wish. She always felt that since she had given birth to a child, her body was often cold and she had vomited blood. She was afraid that she would live a long life.
But she couldn't bear to see her children fall into the hands of others in the future, especially since her husband was still so young. It would be great if she could ask someone from her parents' family to take care of the children she left behind.
Of course, her choice is still Yao Niang. Once she becomes the second wife, she will always be inferior to herself. Secondly, it will prevent her from marrying into a good family.
With my father's current position as the Minister of Personnel and my sister in the palace, I'm afraid it's uncertain whether she will marry into the royal family.
…
Yu was very helpless when she saw that Luo Jingrou had only been back to her husband's home for a few days and then returned to the capital on the pretext that her husband was studying. She originally thought that Luo Jingrou was going to live away from home. After all, Jing Yuan was already married, and Jing Hao would also be married in a few years. It was very likely that there would be conflicts between brothers, not to mention Luo Jingrou's interference. However, the Luo family had never driven away guests, let alone Luo Jingrou.
"Madam, will Yao Niang come back for the New Year this year?" she asked.
Yu smiled and said, "Of course she is back. She was supposed to come back on the winter solstice, but Princess Zhenyang specially asked her to go there to play on the ice. Your father also went there today. The emperor is going to host a banquet for his ministers on the winter solstice."
Luo Jingrou was very jealous. If only she had entered the palace back then, all these honors would have been hers.
But she also knew that her sister had been in the palace for so many years but it was useless, so she should just be her substitute in the future.
Yuyuan
Yao Niang had just woken up, and the emperor asked the Shengping Office to prepare singing and dancing. Yao Niang changed into a skirt and had dinner with Princess Zhenyang. She never took advantage of others and always stood on such occasions.
Luo Zhizheng also had the banquet with the officials from the six ministries. At one point, Prince Jinyang came forward in person to toast Luo Zhizheng. Luo Zhizheng usually prided himself on being from a scholarly family and seldom interacted with these clan members.
Seeing the politeness of King Jinyang today, he even said, "I dare not."
"Why not?" The son of King Jinyang loved his son the most. He was not interested in women and had only one son, Gao Jian. His son was older and had never married because he had to take care of his mothers Xiao and Guoxiao. It was rare for him to find someone he liked now, so he had to fight for his son.
Luo Zhizheng was even more confused at this point, so he drank the whole cup with a smile on his face.
Gao Jian, the prince of Jinyang, also stepped forward and toasted him with a glass, acting like a nephew. This surprised Luo Zhizheng even more.
"Uncle, I have always admired your knowledge and hope to learn from you in the future." Gao Jian's words were very pleasant to the ear.
Luo Zhizheng thought, what's going on? Could it be that the Third Prince failed, so the Prince of Jinyang came here? But he had heard of Gao Jian's reputation, that he was a sex-hungry ghost. No matter how high his status was, he would not marry his daughter to such a man.
Coincidentally, the song ended at this time, and Emperor Jianzhang invited Xu Caodu and Luo Zhizheng to speak in front of him.
The Jinyang Prince and his son hurried back to their seats. They looked at each other and laughed again: "Minister Luo is so favored. It can be seen that you will not be at a disadvantage in marrying a girl from the Luo family in the future."
"My son thinks so too. Besides, with the help of the third prince, we father and son can also take a chance in the future." Gao Jian said with a smile.
Prince Jinyang nodded and said, "That's true. In the future, you will have the help of your wife's family and the support of the favored prince. We, father and son, will surely be more prominent than Prince Fenyang and his ilk."
Gao Jian, however, was thinking that it was a good thing that he had taken the initiative. He had heard that the sons of several ministers also wanted to compete with him. Humph, didn't he even consider whether they were worthy?
Competing with the prince of Jinyang Palace for a woman is courting death!
Yao Niang was a little worried when she heard her father's name. She looked from a distance and saw that her father was tall and handsome. She pointed to Princess Zhenyang and said, "That's my father."
"Really? Your family members are all good-looking." Princess Zhenyang exclaimed.
Unfortunately, Yao Niang didn't know why the emperor summoned them.
Emperor Jianzhang looked at them with a smile, and Luo Zhizheng was also thinking in his heart, why did the emperor want him to come at this time? Emperor Jianzhang first announced to everyone: "My second and third princes are now old and have reached the age to start a family. I summoned the two beloved ministers here just to let you take a look at them first."
Your Majesty, this is a humble statement, but who dares to say anything?
Gao Xuanmu and Gao Xuance stood up and saluted together. It was also the first time that Gao Xuance saw Luo Zhizheng after his rebirth. He looked very respectful. Luo Zhizheng felt relieved.
With a "bang", Yao Niang seemed to know something. She looked at Concubine Hong and Princess Zhenyang. They both looked at her with smiles. Princess Zhaoping was surprised for a moment and also looked at her kindly.
Only Zhuang Lingyi had a complicated look in his eyes.
"The second prince is to be named Prince Zhou, the third prince is to be named Prince Chen, the daughter of the Grand Canal Transport Commander Xu Yuanshi is to be married to Prince Zhou as his principal wife, and the daughter of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Luo Zhizheng is to be married to Prince Chen as his principal wife. I hereby declare."
After the imperial edict came down, the companion who was only able to come to Yuyuan by virtue of her princess status has now become the Princess of Chen.
She was still sitting there, motionless, but the people around her could feel very clearly the change in her status.
Looking from afar, Luo Zhizheng had already thanked him and left. King Zhou and King Chen, who had just been crowned kings, had people coming to congratulate them. Gao Xuance, who was surrounded by people, looked normal. He knew that after being crowned with the word "Chen", he would become a thorn in the eyes of others.
But at the same time, he also attracted some people to join him because of this title.
As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger, and this has always been the case. Those who accomplished great things in the ancient times not only had extraordinary talents, but also had unyielding determination. Gao Xuance drank a glass by himself.
After he finished drinking, he looked at the Jinyang King and his son who were sitting opposite him. Seeing that they both looked unhappy, he asked Gao Jian, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, no." Gao Jian felt that he was really one step behind.
Before, he was still wondering why no royal family member had set his sights on Luo Yaoniang. He only heard that some ministers wanted to marry Luo Zhizheng, and he still thought that his status was quite high. He had no idea that she had already been in the pocket of the Third Prince.
He, how dare he compete with the Third Prince?
Luo Jingrou, who was planning to let Yao Niang take over, almost lost her balance when she heard the news: "What? What does this mean?"
Luo Zhizheng asked impatiently: "Don't you have ears? Is your sister betrothed to the Third Prince, Prince Chen, as his consort?"
He had been frozen in some garden all day, and when he heard the good news from his daughter, he rode back and sent his housekeeper to report the news. His daughter looked as if the sky had fallen.
After being yelled at by her father, Luo Jingrou dared not speak again.
On the contrary, Yu Shi, who had no idea what the princes were, took advantage of the situation and asked in a low voice, "Master, what kind of person is Prince Chen? Is he a good match for our daughter?"
"You have too many questions, and I don't want to answer any of them." Luo Zhizheng was still very angry. The third prince was named King Chen, and "Chen" means the throne.
You are a prince, and your title is Chen. No matter whether you are the eldest prince or the second prince, you will be killed.
He felt worried just thinking about it, and then he turned around to look at Yu pursing her lips, and he softened his heart and said, "I'll tell you later."
Yu was immediately very happy, as she didn't know what kind of person her future son-in-law, the Third Prince, was.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
