Chapter 398 Choosing a Son or a Daughter
"My lord, Prince Rui has arrived."
When Chen Cifu heard the servant's report, he was slightly taken aback before going out to greet him.
This is the first time Prince Rui has visited the palace since His Majesty bestowed the marriage upon Prince Rui and Jia Ying.
Last time, Jiaying went to great lengths to visit Prince Rui in Yangzhou, but Prince Rui didn't even come to thank her after he returned.
He and the Empress Dowager were still helping to cover it up in court, but when Prince Rui returned, he didn't say a word.
Vice Minister Chen was somewhat dissatisfied.
Was this visit to see Jiaying?
Chen Cifu pondered for a moment, then welcomed Pei Yuan into the study.
He looked at Pei Yuan with a smile, "Has Your Highness come to see Jia Ying?"
Pei Yuan lifted his robe and sat down. "No, I'm here to see Lord Chen."
Chen Cifu was taken aback for a moment, then said self-righteously, "Did Your Highness come to me to talk about your private trip to Yangzhou?"
Your Highness was indeed somewhat reckless this time. If I hadn't accidentally intercepted the secret letter addressed to Prince Heng, he would probably have already impeached you with a memorial..."
Pei Yuan interrupted him, "Where is the secret letter?"
Vice Minister Chen quickly retrieved the secret letter and handed it to Pei Yuan, then said:
"Fortunately, with the Empress Dowager and I mediating in court, Prince Heng hasn't discovered anything..."
Pei Yuan put away the secret letter and interrupted Vice Minister Chen in a calm tone.
"I have come today to show Lord Chen something."
He placed a thick oil paper package in front of Chen Cifu.
"What? Could it be some rare snack that the prince brought from Yangzhou?"
Chen Cifu opened the oil paper package while joking.
The oiled paper package contained a booklet, with a piece of mutton fat jade pendant depicting two fish playing with flowers pressed on top of it.
When Chen Cifu saw the jade pendant, his expression changed immediately, and he looked at Pei Yuan with some suspicion and uncertainty.
"Your Highness, you..."
Pei Yuan picked up the jade pendant and played with it in his hand, his peach blossom eyes displaying a half-smile.
"I think Lord Chen should be quite familiar with this jade pendant, right? Would you like to take another look at the contents of the booklet?"
A chill ran down his back and instantly spread throughout Chen Cifu's body.
Of course he recognized the jade pendant.
This is the jade pendant that his only son, Chen Yaozong, has worn since childhood.
But how did this jade pendant end up in Prince Rui's hands?
Chen Cifu forced himself to suppress his surprise and opened the booklet.
The first page reads: "On the seventh day of the tenth month, Chen Yaozong spent five hundred taels of silver to spend the night with the most beautiful courtesan at the Baihua Tower in Liangzhou."
On the eighth day of the tenth month, Chen Yaozong lost one thousand taels of silver gambling at the Wanlilai Casino.
On the ninth day of the tenth lunar month, a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast was served at Zuixianglou Restaurant.
......
Vice Minister Chen abruptly closed the booklet, his expression somewhat gloomy and uncertain.
He didn't need to look further; he already knew what was recorded there.
It was all records of his rebellious son's drinking, gambling, and whoring in Liangzhou.
evil creature!
He took a deep breath, his hand gripping the booklet taut, but his face regained its composure.
"Your Highness, do you not understand what this means?"
Pei Yuan gave him a deep look, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Since Lord Chen is pretending to be ignorant when he knows the truth, I don't mind making things clearer."
Three years ago, Young Master Chen accidentally killed Princess Anping's only son in a jealous dispute at Qingfeng Tower in the capital.
The Dali Temple sentenced Chen's eldest son to be executed in the autumn, and everyone thought that it was Chen's eldest son who was beheaded at Caishikou that autumn.
Little did they know that Lord Chen, out of love for his son, had already secretly switched his son out and sent him far away to Liangzhou.
"Lord Chen, shall I continue?"
Cold sweat slowly trickled down Chen Cifu's forehead, and his gaze towards Pei Yuan was filled with fear.
Even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners, let alone the fact that his son killed the princess's son.
Afterwards, Anping was relentless and repeatedly collapsed in tears at the palace gate, crying and shouting that his son should pay with his life.
He only has one son.
Although he had many concubines in his household, he had worked hard to cultivate them over the years.
But those women were disappointing; they had many daughters, but only one son.
If he's sentenced to death, the Chen family line will end.
Not only was he reluctant to part with his son, but his wife also cried and begged him every day to find a way to save their son's life.
But Princess Anping's household was very persistent, and he had no choice but to grit his teeth and secretly replace his son with a death row inmate on the eve of the execution.
Then she secretly sent her son to Liangzhou, a remote place where no one knew him.
He bought an estate in Liangzhou and arranged several beautiful concubines for his son, thinking that he would find a way to bring his son in after the storm had passed in a few years.
Few people knew about this. At that time, Pei Yuan had not yet taken control of the Flying Eagle Guard, so how did he find out about it?
Most importantly, what was Pei Yuan's purpose in suddenly revealing this matter?
Chen Cifu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, and his expression gradually calmed down.
"Your Highness, please tell me what you need me to do. I will go through fire and water for you if I can do it."
Since the evidence wasn't presented directly to His Majesty, then it's time to negotiate with him.
Chen Cifu quickly pondered Pei Yuan's plan in his mind.
Pei Yuan smiled slightly, but then suddenly changed the subject.
"The Empress Dowager and Lord Chen are eager for me to marry Miss Chen. Their only wish is that the Chen family will produce another empress in the future."
Vice Minister Chen was startled and remained silent, his face pale.
Pei Yuan sneered, "What I hate most is being manipulated by others."
Let me be frank with you, even if I were to marry Miss Chen in the future, the Chen family would still find it difficult to achieve what they have today.
Chen Cifu understood the meaning of these words.
"Does Your Highness intend to cancel the engagement with Jiaying? Why?"
He was somewhat bewildered and couldn't understand why Pei Yuan was unwilling to marry his daughter.
Jiaying is the Empress Dowager's grandniece, and he is the Second Grand Secretary. With Grand Secretary Feng falling from grace, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be promoted to Grand Secretary after the New Year.
By marrying Jia Ying, Prince Rui would gain the support of the entire Chen clan, which would be entirely beneficial to him.
Pei Yuan naturally wouldn't explain why to Vice Minister Chen.
He pushed the jade pendant and the booklet forward.
"If the engagement is cancelled, and the Chen family makes the decision, it will save face for both the Chen family and the Empress Dowager. What do you think, Lord Chen?"
Vice Minister Chen's expression was gloomy and uncertain.
Should we choose a son or a daughter?
The emperor has chosen a son, canceled his daughter's engagement to Prince Rui, and his remaining princes are still too young.
The Chen family's desire to produce another empress is likely a pipe dream. Once the Empress Dowager passes away, the Chen family's glory will gradually fade away.
If he chooses a daughter, his family line will end...
After a long internal struggle, Chen Cifu dejectedly lowered his head.
"I will find time to visit the Empress Dowager in the next few days and ask her to find a way to cancel the engagement between the Prince and Jiaying."
Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing in his eyes.
"I await Lord Chen's good news."
He didn't linger and got up to leave.
With a sullen face, Vice Minister Chen swept everything off the table and onto the floor.
Even the son's jade pendant was not spared.
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"Miss, Miss! I heard that Prince Rui has arrived!" Chen Jiaying's maid rushed into the room, panting, and reported excitedly.
"Really?" Chen Jiaying got up happily and was about to go to the front yard, but then remembered something and turned back.
She looked at herself in the mirror, then took out two red hairpins and put them in her hair, asking her maid.
"Do I look better like this?"
The maid looked at her hesitantly and whispered, "I heard that Prince Rui came to talk to Master about annulling the engagement."
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