Chapter 23 The Marriage That Only He Was Happy About
"I have long admired Miss Chen San and wished to marry her. If Your Majesty would grant this, I would be deeply grateful and willing to sacrifice my life for Your Majesty, even if it meant going through fire and water."
Lu Huaiyuan did not want to accept any additional rewards, but the emperor actually offered him such tempting conditions to reward him.
In an instant, the pitiful image of Shen San begging him to marry him and take him out of his misery flashed through his mind. Furthermore, he had kissed him so forcefully and intimately yesterday, completely ignoring his refusal and making him make such a shameful sound, just to prove that he had feelings for him in that way.
But Lu Huai himself was not very good either. Although he felt that being treated like this by the man was too much and too rude at first, and he didn't want to pay any more attention to this man, but later he felt a little comfortable, which was difficult to say, so much so that he was a little dazed when he was released.
I don't know if it was an illusion, but after revealing the man's identity, Chen Chensheng seemed to become a little more unscrupulous. Later, when she approached him, she seemed to rub his waist calmly, making him weak and speechless again. He had no choice but to suffer this loss in silence. Thinking about it, it was really hateful...
Forget it, I'll just tell him not to do this again later. If Shen San does this again, he will... The books Lu Huai reads are all about serious knowledge. There is no leisure book or fire avoidance map on the bookshelf, and there is no page that can tell him how to punish the disobedient Shen San. So he just thinks about it now and thinks about it later.
Their relationship was already so close that, in the eyes of the innocent Lu Huai, marriage was the only way out. Therefore, despite his self-proclaimed principled nature, never accepting undeserved gifts, he was shamefully tempted by Chu Yuanting's reward.
On the one hand, the two of them have become so close, but on the other hand, Lu Huai also has his own concerns.
Lu Huai didn't know about the big fuss about canceling the engagement between Chen Meng and Pei Yu, who was no longer in the martial arts world. If he knew about it, he might feel relieved because the Duke's Mansion had no time to take care of him. But no matter what, the longer the night, the more troubles he would have, and he was afraid of unexpected betrayal, so he probably still wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
He was afraid that the Duke of Shen's Mansion would be irrationally angry with Shen San because Shen Meng had failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice, and that his attempt to murder Shen San had exposed his ugly face. Then they would find a reason to reject Shen San's marriage proposal and not let him marry Shen San. Or even worse, they would directly use other people's engagements to prevaricate him and then turn around and leave Shen San to Bai Xianming, who almost defiled him, or to Prince Cai, who was said to have quite a bit of interest in him...
How could a proud and strong-willed man like Shen San accept such a vicious arrangement? But if he wanted to escape, if he exposed the man's identity in a moment of anger, no matter whether he was the legitimate son of the Duke's Mansion or the legal heir, he would inevitably be charged with the serious crime of deceiving the emperor.
Moreover, as long as the Duke's Mansion continues to insist that he is a bastard, the truth will not be revealed until the evidence that his mother did not have an affair with her first love is made public. With his unknown identity and male body, he will become an even greater thorn in Liu's side.
Lu Huai was genuinely worried. Even if both parties were interested in each other, they couldn't go beyond the agreement of their parents and the matchmaker; this was a matter of etiquette that couldn't be skipped. While the old saying goes, even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, from what Shen San had told him about his past, it was clear that this large family had treated him with exceptional coldness. While not necessarily abusive, they were the polar opposite of Shen Meng, whom they cherished like a precious child.
He didn't dare to gamble, and was afraid of losing. Even the most mediocre have their own courage, and even the most sophisticated have their own difficulties. In such cases, they are no match for the straightforward, less overthinking people.
But the only thing that could allow him to bypass the heartless parents of the Duke's Mansion and marry the promised Shen San as he wished, after searching his mind, was the imperial decree. The emperor's decree was written in gold and jade, and no one dared to disobey it. Even a powerful mansion like the Duke's Mansion could not disobey it in the slightest. Otherwise, even if the object of the disobedience was a prince or noble, the least they would do was be demoted to a commoner, and the worst would be exile or even a crime.
But how did he get such honor? In his opinion, it was not enough to just go to Chongzhou.
He never thought that Chu Yuanting would be willing to give him this grace, which just hit the mark and solved his urgent problem.
To be honest, Lu Huai could hardly contain the ecstasy in his heart. The words "I will die for the emperor and go through fire and water" were not just politeness, but a genuine desire to repay him.
In fact, obeying the emperor's orders and dying for him has been his lifelong pursuit. A scholar who can contribute to the country, share the emperor's worries, and devote himself to pleading for the people has already realized his lofty ambitions.
But now that he was truly bathed in this vast imperial grace, he felt clearly and ashamedly that his determination and perseverance were not enough. In the future, he should be more diligent, suppress his selfishness, and take on greater responsibilities.
Forget it. Although he didn't know why the emperor was so straightforward and generous today, it was beneficial to the success of him and Shen San, so he appreciated it and kept it in mind.
So, Lu Huai simply stopped being coy and expressed his feelings directly, so that the emperor on the high platform with his majestic appearance and the ministers lined up in an orderly manner in the court, including Duke Shen, would know that he, Lu Huai, did have someone he loved, and that person was the third daughter of the Duke's Mansion, his only wife in this life.
Although Chen Chensheng was not a woman, which was inconsistent with what he thought, Lu Huai was actually somewhat glad that he was wearing the identity of a female maid.
Because this allowed them to become a loving couple in the eyes of ordinary people, to be close to each other normally, and not to live under the strange eyes of others. They even had the opportunity to walk towards their own happiness under the witness of the emperor, as they did today.
The elegant and delicate top scholar knelt so firmly and spoke the words asking to marry the woman so forcefully that anyone who saw him would envy this lucky man who was cared about by the banished immortal.
Chu Yuanting had never imagined that such an outstanding Lu Huai actually had a lover, nor had he anticipated that such a sudden and playful idea could actually win the heart of the top scholar. Seeing the clear eyes of the person in front of him, shining like stars, and looking extremely moved and happy, he was really confused by this sudden "surprise".
He had heard of this beloved girl before, and her reputation wasn't very good. Why would Lu Huai, who was both talented and beautiful, fall for such a vulgar person? He was puzzled.
But perhaps the word love is difficult to explain in words.
Since he has made a promise, even a gentleman in the world cannot go back on his word, let alone him as the emperor. He must keep his word and do what he said. What he should do today is to fulfill his promise to this loyal and righteous top scholar.
Chu Yuanting paused for a moment, made up his mind, and asked Lu Huai to stand up. His dark eyes met Lu Huai's eyes, which were a little nervous, and he watched those bright eyes gradually filled with joy as he slowly uttered his words.
He heard himself say, "Lord Lu is truly a frank and straightforward person. His sincerity towards Miss Shen moved me deeply. In that case, I will personally act as a matchmaker, facilitate this auspicious marriage, and bring these two lovers together."
"Regarding the matter of marriage and marrying off daughters, what do you think, Mr. Shen?"
He also knew that asking Duke Shen this question was just a formality. Duke Shen didn't have the power or the courage to disobey his wishes, so he could only accept or delay with an ambiguous attitude. By the time he made his promise, Lu Huai and Shen Chensheng's marriage was a done deal.
However, this woman actually had the ability to capture the dream lover of hundreds of thousands of women in the capital, and make him so obsessed with her and deeply in love with her. This was truly a case of her being very clever and truly blessed.
Chu Yuanting looked at Lu Huai deeply. This elegant man, as white as a moonlit night, was actually going to become someone else's support? His shoulders were so thin and fragile, so easily broken, how could he let a woman rely on him? He was clearly...
He had a vague idea of what he was better suited for, but for some reason, it was like a piece of paper was stuck and he couldn't see clearly. Never mind, he was just one of his subjects, so why would he think about what he was best suited for? It was really because there had been so little to do lately that he had been overthinking things.
Chu Yuanting didn't know why he felt a little envious of this woman who was so cherished by Lu Huai. Even though he had clearly achieved his goal of rewarding Lu Huai and winning him over, and the results seemed to be better than expected, he couldn't be happy at all. Instead, he felt depressed, as if he had lost something...
Maybe it's because the weather is cold. I'll go back and ask Xiao Chengzi to put on more clothes and pay attention to his diet, and maybe he will return to normal.
Duke Shen was shocked to hear that this matter was actually related to him, and even that the top scholar wanted to be his son-in-law and marry his third daughter, whom he had always deliberately ignored.
When he went to court, he noticed his colleagues were looking at him with strange eyes. He didn't know if it was because of Shen Meng's "heroic deeds" that had made him famous overnight, but he just wondered if his clothes were not appropriate. He took advantage of Chu Yuanting and other ministers discussing political matters without mentioning him, and he was still looking around furtively. Suddenly, he felt a little nervous when he heard a familiar name, and he immediately tensed up and stood straight, at least he didn't make a fool of himself.
In fact, when it comes to governing the country, although his talent is not outstanding, he is definitely not stupid. Otherwise, he would not have been able to lead the Duke's Mansion to keep its feet in the wave of Chu Yuanting's power recovery, and still present such a prosperous scene.
But when it comes to matters in the rear house, he is really blind and doesn't care. He completely believes in Liu Yilan's pillow talk and wants to hand over all the affairs in the house to his "true love". He also turns a deaf ear to her behavior of treating his two daughters differently.
He had already suspected Shen Shensheng's mother of infidelity, but since she was dead, there was no solid evidence that Shen San was not his biological son. He simply vented all his uneasy emotions through Liu's hands. This way, he could not only turn a blind eye to the incident, but also see that the actual actions had nothing to do with him. He could still be the good master who doted on his wife and daughter.
However, there was another reason why he stayed away from his third daughter... He felt that she was too gloomy, like a wolf that could not be tamed.
Shen Youzhong will never forget that when Shen San was half a child, he once felt a rare tenderness. Looking at the face that looked somewhat similar to his deceased first wife and was already beginning to bloom with beauty, he wanted to get close to "her" and have some intimate conversations with her, to strengthen their relationship.
Unexpectedly, the young Shen San listened to his words without any reaction, neither moved nor disgusted. He just turned his head and picked a flower with a gentle expression that was very similar to that of his original wife. Then, before handing it to him with a smile, he tore it into pieces and threw them on the ground, which fluttered down as if foreshadowing something.
Shen San leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Father, you haven't seen me for so many years. Is it because we look so alike that you're afraid that my deceased mother's spirit will possess me and make things difficult for you and Aunt Liu?"
"She just appeared in a dream to me yesterday, telling me she was cultivating diligently and asking me to work hard in the mortal world. Who knows, maybe one day she'll be able to use my body to send all those who harmed her to hell... Do you also want to see mother, my dear father?"
Shen Chensheng did not address him as "Dad" in a coquettish tone like Shen Meng. Instead, he used the respectful yet cold "Father" word for word. However, his words completely stripped away his pretense of a loving father, revealing his hidden thoughts and making him shudder.
He originally thought that no one would be willing to marry such a terrifying woman. He was extremely surprised that she became famous after participating in the Qionghua Banquet. In the end, it was Shen San himself who ruined everything. For some reason, he felt relieved. At this point, he had already made plans to let Liu Yilan make arrangements and didn't want to care about Shen San's life or death.
He didn't expect that the person who fell in love with her was a promising top scholar among the younger generation, and even expressed such a firm attitude. He had never felt so clearly that he really looked down on his daughter who had achieved great things without making any noise.
However, Shen Youzhong's first reaction was still hopelessly that Shen San must have used some tricks to seduce Lu Huai and have an affair with him, otherwise how could such a gentleman be interested in this notorious daughter? However, he didn't know that he had actually found out the truth this time.
Even if he knew, he had no time to think about it at this moment. The emperor had already finished speaking, and he could only step out of the group as if he was walking on clouds. He gritted his teeth and bowed half-heartedly, responding on behalf of his unfamiliar daughter.
"Your Majesty, it is a great blessing for our family to have such an outstanding son-in-law as Lu Zhuangyuan." After saying this, he realized that the emperor on the stage did not speak, perhaps because he did not know the name of his third daughter, who was not very famous. He carefully tried to guess the emperor's intentions and added, "My third daughter's name is Chen Sheng."
"Good! They are all straightforward people!"
"I appreciate your two beloved ministers' thorough understanding. Therefore, I will issue an imperial decree: Duke Shen's daughter, Chen Chensheng, is dignified in appearance, virtuous, and talented. I hereby grant her marriage to Hanlin editor Lu Huai, so that they may unite in harmony."
A marriage ordained by the emperor was thus finalized in front of everyone's witness.
But no one paid attention to the gurgling blood flowing out from a man's tightly clenched hands, as if he was filled with silent tears and hatred of betrayal. His pair of peach blossom eyes that usually sparkled with passion had dimmed in color, leaving behind only endless darkness and imminent madness.
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The author has something to say: Who is going to be completely ignited? Is there a baby here to watch? Hehe~
In the next chapter, Pei Yu will make a name for himself and return. Do you miss him, baby? (Don’t forget Pei Xiaogou, he is just doing the things Huai gave him seriously. It doesn’t matter. I will cry.)
Yesterday I was angry because of the short time, and when I looked up, it was already midnight...
Two updates today! Making up for yesterday's debt, wives, wait for me, jiu mi~
PS: I sent out eight red envelopes today, and there was no default red envelope message. Don't be discouraged if you didn't receive one, it was just luck. I plan to hold a lottery next time, so wait for me, everyone.
3.10 (fixed bugs) The word count is exactly the same hehe
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-03-07 22:27:34 and 2024-03-09 02:41:09~
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Yunshan 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: Li 10 bottles; Following the serial is gambling 5 bottles; A silly salted fish 3 bottles; Crane alone goes up the west building 2 bottles; Yiyixuliyan, go against the trend 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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