Just at this moment, the elder sister on the stage also made a move. She dragged her sick body off the bed, knelt and cried, saying that she was willing to ask to be divorced and wanted her younger sister to marry her husband. As an aunt, she would take good care of her younger sister's children in the future.

The developments on and off the stage stunned the women, who looked at them strangely, and understood the meaning of "Xiang Fei Fan". Isn't Xiang Fei the same as E Huang and Nvying? On the stage, the younger sister was very embarrassed and helped her sister up; off the stage, Yuan Zhitong was shy, lowered her head and rubbed her handkerchief with her hands.

"Cousin aunt..." Yuan Zhitong did not answer directly, but called softly and looked up quickly at Empress Dowager Yin.

Lu Xianjing's eyes lit up, and she helped at the right time, deliberately pulling Yuan Zhitong to urge her, "Sister Tong, don't be embarrassed, the Queen Mother is asking a question."

Yuan Zhitong rubbed the handkerchief again, lowered his head, and said in a voice as low as a mosquito's hum: "I...I will listen to my cousin's aunt."

She was so embarrassed that she couldn't raise her head, and she looked like she would run away with her skirt in her hand at any moment.

Queen Mother Yin stopped twisting her Buddhist beads, rubbed them gently with her thumb, and asked again, "Do you really listen to me? Your father..."

Yuan Zhitong bit her lower lip again, like a frightened deer, and replied softly, "My father also told me to listen to my cousin's mother."

"My cousin has always been very kind to me. You have seen a lot of people and have a wide range of knowledge. You have considered more and are more thorough than I do."

"I always listen to my aunt. I do whatever she tells me to do."

When she said the last sentence, she looked up at Queen Mother Yin shyly, her eyes seemed to be shining with water, so clear and so sincere.

Queen Mother Yin let out a long sigh, her lips slightly curved, and nodded, "Then I will make the decision for you."

Yuan Zhitong hummed softly, and continued to rub the handkerchief with her slender fingers, until her fingertips turned as red as her cheeks.

Queen Mother Yin asked the Queen again, "Queen, I remember that Zhitong was Anle's study partner?"

The marriage of a princess' companion usually has to be approved by the empress. Usually, even if the companion's parents want to arrange a marriage for their daughter, they will ask the empress for her opinion before the matchmaking.

The queen couldn't help but smile: "It's up to the queen mother to make the decision, and the daughter-in-law will naturally listen to the queen mother."

Yuan Zhitong stood there with her head lowered and her hands holding the handkerchief tightly.

Boom boom boom! Her heart beat faster, and all the blood in her body rushed to her heart.

Given her background, she is definitely more noble than Chu Qianchen. Even if she is only a concubine for the time being after entering the house, there is still a long time to come. When she gives birth to a child in the future, it is hard to say who will be noble and who will be inferior.

She was confident that she could please Gu Jue, just like in the past, when all her cousins, aunt and uncle, liked her and treated her best.

Yuan Zhitong lowered her little face, hiding her burning eyes and the slightly curved corners of her lips.

In the silence, the actress who played the younger sister on the stage could be heard agreeing to the elder sister's request, but not allowing her to leave on her own, saying that she was willing to follow the example of Ehuang and Nvying and share a husband with her. The elder sister was deeply moved, and the two sisters hugged each other again.

At the same time, the originally mournful sound of the huqin also became cheerful.

Queen Mother Yin waved to Yuan Zhitong: "Zhitong, come here."

Yuan Zhitong walked over slowly. As she walked, the cuff of her left hand swayed slightly, revealing a slender white wrist. On her wrist, she was still wearing the jade bracelet given by Empress Dowager Yin. The jade bracelet was emerald green and transparent, which made her delicate skin shine with a lustrous luster.

Queen Mother Yin held Yuan Zhitong's hand and patted it affectionately, sighing, "That's it. Zhitong, you have a righteous heart, and I am very pleased."

"..." Yuan Zhitong subconsciously raised her little face and slightly widened her eyes, always feeling that there was something wrong with the Queen Mother's words.

The queen's smile froze slightly, and she felt something was wrong, so she frowned slightly.

Queen Mother Yin continued, "Then you will marry the Third Princess to the Kingdom of Hao."

“…”

“…”

“…”

Inside the flower hall, all the female guests were speechless. Perhaps only Chu Qianchen and Anle were still in the mood to watch the show.

I didn't know who bumped into the coffee table, but I heard a "click" sound, and the legs of the coffee table hit the marble floor. The sound was particularly loud in the quiet hall.

Yuan Zhitong and the Queen were both stunned, not knowing how things would develop in this direction.

Under everyone's strange gazes, Queen Mother Yin casually stroked her sleeves and sighed, "The Queen also said that Prince Wuhe of Hao Kingdom is about the same age as the Crown Prince and already has a son and two daughters. Anle is young, but the offspring of Anle and Prince Wuhe concerns the two countries, so we can't delay it. After all, offspring are more important."

More than half of what Queen Dowager Yin said was what the Queen had just said, which was equivalent to returning all the words.

"..." The Queen's throat felt tight and dry, and she couldn't answer a single word.

The surroundings seemed to be even quieter, and the joyful and melodious sound of the erhu sounded extremely ironic at this moment.

Queen Mother Yin had a smile on her lips, and her graceful face looked arrogant and indifferent.

She just sat there quietly, but she had the aura of a superior, making people around her look at her involuntarily.

Queen Mother Yin continued, "I have considered it carefully. After all, the status of a concubine's offspring is lower. How can we rush into a marriage between the two countries?"

"Zhitong, you are sixteen years old this year, which is the perfect age. You should marry in place of Anle." The last sentence of Queen Mother Yin was of course directed to Yuan Zhitong. Yuan Zhitong's face had turned pale, almost without any color.

Chu Qianchen opened his eyes slightly wide in surprise.

Anle would occasionally pay attention to what the Queen and the Queen Mother were saying. This time, she happened to hear the Queen Mother's last sentence and her eyes lit up.

"This is a good idea!" Anle clapped happily, his pupils sparkling like an innocent child.

"Anle, shut up!" The Queen interrupted Anle almost angrily.

Then, she forced a smile towards Queen Mother Yin, a smile that was almost twisted, and said slowly, suppressing her anger: "Mother, the marriage between these two countries is not something that women like us can decide casually!"

The queen used all her strength to avoid losing her composure, but the veins at the corners of her eyes were twitching uncontrollably.

Queen Mother Yin curled her pale lips and said seriously, "Queen, from what the emperor said just now, isn't it true that he doesn't want Anle to marry?"

"The marriage between the two countries is a foregone conclusion. If Anle doesn't marry, she'll have to marry someone else."

"The queen is worthy of being the mother of a country. She has a good eye for talent, so the person she chose is naturally a good one. Zhitong is indeed a young girl in her prime, beautiful, intelligent, gentle and respectful. She also knows everyone's background, so she is just the right person for the job."

"..." Yuan Zhitong was about to scream hysterically, with a lump of anger in her chest, but she was speechless.

Yuan Zhitong could only look at the queen, feeling helpless.

The Queen Mother's words were like returning the favor in the same way she had done to him. They were full of flattery, but they actually put Yuan Zhitong in a difficult position and even the Queen, who had a "keen eye for talent", couldn't back down from the stigma.

Was she going to say that Yuan Zhitong was neither beautiful nor gentle? The muscles on the queen's cheeks twitched twice, and her face was as gloomy as water.

The women around were stunned by the twists and turns of the scene.

The corners of Li's wife's mouth curled up in a smile, and she exchanged a look with Li's wife. The queen had stepped on her own foot.

Chu Qianchen looked at the graceful profile of Empress Dowager Yin, smiled slightly, and curved his eyebrows.

She considers herself to be cold-hearted by nature, and generally doesn't care about people or things other than the prince, but that doesn't mean she has no heart. She will always remember any kindness others show her.

Chu Qianchen personally poured another cup of chrysanthemum tea for Queen Mother Yin and put a piece of sugar in the tea. Well, this is today's portion, I can't eat any more.

After a while, the queen said awkwardly: "Mother..."

"The Queen is willing to give up An Le and marry far away to the Kingdom of Hao?" Queen Mother Yin cleverly interrupted the Queen, and every word hit the Queen's sore spot. "Today, the Emperor openly refused the marriage, and parted unhappily with Prince Andaman. Does the Prince really have no grudges?"

"By then, eh..."

Queen Mother Yin stopped there and said no more. She just looked at Anle with a meaningful look and sighed softly.

"..." The queen couldn't finish the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She gritted her teeth and swallowed them back, with an extremely strange look on her face.

The Queen was not a fool. Since the Queen Mother had said so much, of course she understood what she meant.

Just now in Baohe Hall, the emperor used an excuse to postpone the marriage, but Prince Andaman clearly believed that Daqi wanted to break off the engagement. This time, the two sides were so unhappy that it was like a thorn in Prince Andaman's heart. Prince Andaman would definitely write to Emperor Hao to complain.

The marriage between the two countries was originally a happy event that would benefit both countries, but when it came to this point, it was no longer a good thing.

For example, there are many ordinary families who become enemies because of discussing marriage.

Since it has come to this, even if Anle really marries Nanhao in the future, she will probably be bullied there. Emperor Hao and his son may vent their anger on Anle...

What is more important is the emperor’s intention.

The queen recalled the scenes that had just happened in Baohedian.

After thinking about it carefully, she felt that the emperor said at the beginning that he was reluctant to give up Anle, probably to test Prince Andaman, perhaps to suppress the momentum of the Nanhao people. If Andaman had given the emperor a way out and agreed to discuss the marriage after the new year, then this matter would have been over.

But Andaman and the emperor were at odds with each other, and the situation became tense.

The emperor has always been very concerned about his reputation. Now that things have come to this, unless Andaman County apologizes repeatedly, the emperor will most likely not go back on his word.

In other words, Anle will most likely not marry Nanhao.

Thinking of this, the queen clenched the handkerchief tightly in her hand, her thoughts racing.

Originally, she wanted Anle to marry into the Kingdom of Hao, and also wanted Anle to be able to help the prince. Since Anle could not marry, then, instead of changing to a princess who might be won over by Concubine Chu, it would be better to choose a girl who "knows her background well".

Yuan Zhitong was the third princess's study companion and the daughter of a high-ranking official. She was always well-behaved and obedient, and was good at everything.

The Queen's eyes were filled with burning heat when she looked at Yuan Zhitong. Anyone could see that the Queen was persuaded by the Queen Mother.

How could this happen?! Yuan Zhitong was completely stunned, his head was buzzing, his chest was stuffy, and the blood in his body was rapidly turning cold.

She was like a person who was at the top of the clouds but suddenly stepped on empty air and fell straight down into the bottomless abyss filled with ice.

The panic in her heart suddenly surged out, and she no longer cared about the current situation, and blurted out: "No!"

Normally, Yuan Zhitong's voice is always as gentle as a spring breeze, but at this moment, her voice is like a blade, out of shape.

"Then you should marry to Haoguo."

"This is Ai's decision."

Queen Mother Yin spoke in a soothing tone; her voice was never too loud or too light, yet loud enough for the women at the surrounding tables to hear clearly and distinctly.

There was no need to shout or curse; his expression was gentle, yet it carried an unmistakable aura and overwhelming pressure.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were quietly looking at Queen Mother Yin. She was the undisputed protagonist here.

Since the emperor ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Yin has restrained her edge and has been staying in Shouning Palace without leaving the house, like a tiger with its teeth pulled out. But now, Empress Dowager Yin has once again revealed her intimidating edge.

The Queen could not help but recall the times when the late Emperor was still alive, when she had been humble and submissive in front of the Queen Mother. Each scene was like a needle piercing her heart.

The queen felt a little pain and a little scared.

Anyone could see that the Queen's momentum was completely suppressed by the Queen Mother.

Before the queen could come to her senses, Empress Dowager Yin ordered Nanny He, "Go and report this to the emperor."

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Hearing this, Yuan Zhitong heaved a sigh of relief, but she was still nervous. She told herself over and over again in her heart that the emperor would never agree to let her marry on his behalf.

With the emperor's temper, how could he let the queen mother decide the choice of the marriage between the two countries! Yes, the emperor will not let the queen mother do whatever she wants! Thinking of this, Yuan Zhitong seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw.

The Queen also thought that the Queen Mother's idea was a good one. If she agreed to it directly, the Emperor would definitely be dissatisfied with her when he knew about it. He would think that she was selfish and would also dislike that she was being manipulated by the Queen Mother. It would be best to send someone to ask the Emperor for permission.

The Queen then echoed, "Yes, the decision still has to be made by the Emperor."

So, Nanny He took the order and left.

Several princesses from the royal family sighed silently. The queen was still too young and had been completely led by the queen mother.

In this subtle atmosphere, Nanny He hurriedly left the flower hall and headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation from the Imperial Garden.

It was still cold outside, and most of the flowers and trees in the Imperial Garden were evergreens. It didn't feel desolate walking along the way, but it was surprisingly quiet.

After walking for a while, he could no longer hear the sound of stringed instruments from the stage. The surroundings were quiet, without a sound at all. It was not until she walked near the Palace of Tranquil Longevity that the area began to become crowded with people.

After the eunuch in the imperial study went in to report to the emperor, the person who came out to see Nanny He was Eunuch Ni.

Nanny He smiled and bowed to Eunuch Ni, and briefly told him about the Empress Dowager's proposal to let Yuan Zhitong marry in place of the Third Princess.

When Eunuch Ni heard this, his brows suddenly frowned. He asked Nanny He to wait outside the room and he went in again to report, repeating Nanny He's words truthfully.

The air in the imperial study turned cold and seemed to be freezing.

The emperor's expression became uncontrollably gloomy, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

When will the Queen Mother make this decision for the Emperor? ! The Queen Mother only thought of letting Yuan Zhitong marry in place of him. How ridiculous!

The emperor forced a stiff sneer and almost lost his temper at Eunuch Ni. In the end, he suppressed his anger and changed his words, asking Eunuch Ni to send Nanny He away and then call the Imperial Guards.

Eunuch Ni could naturally see that the emperor was angry, so he called two young eunuchs over and asked one to send away Nanny He and the other to find the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After a while, a Jinyiwei with a small mustache came hurriedly.

"Why did the Empress Dowager suddenly want Yuan Youjie's daughter to marry in her place?" the Emperor asked as he played with a small seal, wondering if the Empress Dowager had other intentions.

The Jinyiwei with a small moustache answered them one by one. What he said was of course much more detailed than what Eunuch Ni had recounted. He explained the whole story clearly, including what the Queen and the Queen Mother had said.

The emperor stopped stroking the small seal, and then he understood that it was the Queen who insisted on giving Yuan Zhitong to Gu Jue as a concubine, which angered the Queen Mother.

What the hell is going on here? It's totally incomprehensible! Has the queen's brain been hit by someone? Why would she resort to such a stupid move?

For a moment, the emperor almost ordered someone to call the queen over to question and scold her.

But the emperor changed his mind and suddenly understood why the queen did this.

The Queen is trying to help the Crown Prince win over Gu Jue! !

The emperor was so angry that he clenched his fists, his eyes were filled with sinister and frightening aura.

This is the emperor’s wrath.

For the emperor, his dragon throne represents supreme status and power, which cannot be coveted by anyone, including the crown prince.

In the eyes of the emperor, the queen's actions were naturally the prince's intention.

The emperor's anger was growing steadily, like a flood that was about to drown him. He made up his mind to summon the empress and the prince to see him after the banquet today.

At this time, a young eunuch came in tremblingly and reported: "Your Majesty, Nanny He sent by the Empress Dowager refused to leave. She said she wanted to convey a message to Your Majesty on behalf of the Empress Dowager."

The emperor narrowed his eyes and changed his mind. He also wanted to see what the empress dowager was up to, so he said, "Announce."

As the door curtain opened, Nanny He walked in steadily.

She could naturally feel the gloomy atmosphere in the imperial study, but she was not afraid at all.

She has served Queen Mother Yin for so many years, and to put it bluntly, she has seen all kinds of storms!

Nanny He knelt down and saluted the emperor, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager asked me to bring a message to the Emperor, saying that the marriage between the two countries is a state affair, and women should not interfere in politics. The Emperor will naturally make the decision on this matter. If the Emperor does not want to, the Empress Dowager will discuss it with the Queen."

Discuss again? Discuss what?! The emperor's face became increasingly gloomy.

Queen Mother Yin was threatening him. If he didn't agree to let Yuan Zhitong marry the third princess, would she give Yuan Zhitong to Gu Jue? !

so--

The Queen used Yuan Zhitong to get in touch with the Queen Mother and Gu Jue and his mother.

Is Gu Jue planning to support the crown prince?! Thinking of this possibility, the emperor's eyes were colder than the snow piled on the top of the mountain. He wanted to sweep everything on the desk to the ground and smash everything he saw to pieces.

"Let me think about this matter again." The emperor said with a forced smile, veins visible in his neck.

Nanny He finished her job and didn't linger. She knelt down and bowed, "I'll take my leave."

After Nanny He left, the emperor called out the Jinyiwei with a small mustache who had just taken refuge in the side room and asked in a deep voice, "What did the queen say? Did she object to the substitutionary marriage?"

The mustached Jinyiwei replied: "The Empress said that the Emperor has the final say."

When the emperor heard this, his brows furrowed and his eyes became even colder, and he felt more and more that his guess was correct.

When the Prince of Andaman proposed a marriage between the two countries, the emperor chose the third princess and also asked the queen for her opinion. Although the queen was reluctant to give up the third princess, she always showed that she understood the righteousness of the matter and agreed very readily. The emperor knew that the queen did this for the prince and wanted to gain some help for the prince in Nanhao.

Yuan Zhitong was neither a princess nor a member of the royal family. In the history of the Great Qi Dynasty, even if there was a marriage for a foreign country, the one who replaced the princess would be a county princess or a princess of the royal family, not the daughter of a court official.

With Yuan Zhitong's identity, how could she replace the third princess and marry the prince of Hao Kingdom! Everyone knew that it was impossible for him to agree to such an absurd thing as marrying on behalf of others, but the queen mother still asked someone to ask, which clearly had ulterior motives! I'm afraid that the queen mother, the queen and the prince were all calculating against him. It seemed that they wanted him to make the decision, but in fact, they took the initiative and deliberately asked someone to ask him for a definite answer, just because they were afraid that he would oppose the marriage of Yuan Zhitong to Gu Jue, so they made such a fuss and set him up! The emperor's forehead was throbbing with pain, and he understood that the queen mother and the queen had reached an agreement through Yuan Zhitong as a bridge.

Chu Qianchen was the one he arranged for Gu Jue to marry, and she was also the niece of Concubine Chu. To put it bluntly, she was a shame he had put on Gu Jue. So, no matter how much Gu Jue showed that he valued Chu Qianchen after the wedding, the emperor would not believe it. He was convinced in his heart that Gu Jue was just using Chu Qianchen to paralyze himself.

Moreover, although Chu Qianchen is the Princess of Chen, she has no children yet. A princess without children is like a paper lantern that will break at the slightest poke. Whether she will be disabled or die suddenly in the future is all up to Gu Jue's words.

However, Gu Jue must have offspring.

In this situation, a concubine who is in the prime of her life and is related to the empress dowager by blood is obviously the best candidate.

As a concubine, Yuan Zhitong could stay in Prince Chen's mansion and stay indoors, and Chu Qianchen was her best shield! The emperor felt as if countless scattered beads were strung together in an instant, and he finally figured out all the ins and outs and details.

He stood up suddenly and walked to the window. The mustached Jinyiwei followed the emperor's gaze silently and turned around.

The emperor raised his head slightly, gazed through the withered branches outside the window at the azure sky, looking in the direction of Qingzhou, thinking of Yuan Youjie.

Yuan Youjie was the governor of Qingzhou. Although his achievements in Qingzhou were not outstanding, he had some merits. When Yuan Youjie came to Beijing with his daughter in October to report on his work, the emperor had a headache about what position to put him in.

The emperor was reluctant to send Yuan Youjie to a wealthy prefecture, and considering Qingzhou's poverty, he finally let him continue to serve in Qingzhou.

But now the emperor suddenly felt something was wrong.

Now that Gu Jue has the support of the Northern Army and the Northwestern Army, it is like a guillotine pointing at the capital from the northwest. Qingzhou is in the southeast of the capital. Although Yuan Youjie is a civil official, it is not uncommon for civil and military officials to collude when a person stays in the same place for a long time.

If there is any "strange change" in the capital, wouldn't I be attacked from all sides? !

Thinking of this, the emperor paced back and forth in the imperial study in an anxious manner, his inner anxiety revealed in his increasingly rapid pace.

After the emperor walked back and forth four or five times, he stopped again. His originally gloomy eyes became firm and he made up his mind.

In fact, it would be a good idea to marry Yuan Zhitong to Nanhao.

Firstly, he could give a warning to the empress and the queen mother; secondly, he could also kill the morale of those Nanhao people. In Da Qi, it was not only the legitimate princesses who could marry. He was the emperor of Da Qi, and as long as he gave the order, anyone could be a princess.

The more the emperor thought about it, the more he felt that this idea was feasible, and his mood suddenly turned from gloomy to sunny, as if a few rays of sunshine had dispersed the dark clouds in the sky, and he suddenly felt enlightened.

The emperor ordered Eunuch Ni, "Prepare writing materials and draft an edict for me."

This imperial edict was drafted by Eunuch Ni, then reviewed by the emperor, who then stamped the end of the edict with a vermilion jade seal.

However, within just a stick of incense, the imperial edict was delivered to the flower hall in the Imperial Garden by Eunuch Ni and read out by him.

In his imperial edict, the emperor praised Yuan Zhitong, saying that she was the only one in the world, and named her Princess Anxing. But the next sentence took a sharp turn, ordering her to marry into the Kingdom of Hao.

The imperial edict ended with the two words "I hereby order". After the words fell, the hall was filled with dead silence.

Happy Lantern Festival!

(End of this chapter)