"You mean the Prince of Zhenbei and Lan Tingche are engaged?"
"Your Majesty, this is the latest news from our spies. It is indeed true. Please do not be upset."
The Grand Eunuch of the Palace was trying to persuade the Emperor, who was throwing things, to stop him, while also having a headache.
The Prince of Zhenbei has no say in this, and the Prince of the Southwest is in the border city, where he is protecting his grandson. The Southwest region still needs to rely on him, so nothing can be done.
If the two of them really get married, who will be able to sit firmly on the throne?
"My son, do not panic."
The Empress Dowager was helped in through the main gate and looked at the mess on the ground.
"Mother, you know everything."
"Okay, it's no big deal."
The Emperor helped the white-haired Empress Dowager to her seat and cast an anxious glance at the woman.
"How old are you? Still throwing tantrums. Think about it, would a woman who can write such salacious and hen-like things be content to stay in the inner quarters?"
What do you mean?
The Empress Dowager straightened her voice and said...
"If you ask me, let that brat from the Lan family choose. Do he want power or beauty? If he chooses beauty, only one of them can stay in the court. If he chooses power, he cannot marry her. This is an imperial decree."
The Emperor pondered for a moment and said...
"If we were to strip Lan Tingche of his title outright, it would likely break the hearts of those aristocratic families, and then..."
"Then let him never command troops again, and let him be a leisurely marquis. After the New Year, let the Prince of Zhenbei go to the capital to report on his duties."
In this way, no matter what Lan Tingche and Long'er choose, the initiative ultimately rests in the Emperor's hands.
The Emperor wanted to see how a man could be content to be subservient to a woman, unable to hold his head high at home or outside, and how the two of them could still be so affectionate.
It's good enough that we haven't gone to war.
"Then I will now draft the decree."
The Empress Dowager left immediately after speaking. She had raised the Emperor herself and didn't like anyone stealing credit, not even her own mother. Besides, she had only offered a few words of advice, hadn't she?
Two secret edicts were delivered to Pingyang overnight.
The first imperial edict stated: Lan Tingche may marry the Prince of Zhenbei. The Prince of Zhenbei shall retire from military service and return to the southwest with Lan Tingche immediately to become his princess.
The second imperial edict stated: Lan Tingche is hereby granted the title of Marquis of the Southwest, and after his marriage to the Prince of Zhenbei, he shall never again command troops.
Once Lan Tingche makes a choice, it becomes an imperial edict, and the eunuchs can come out to announce it.
Well, the emperor was indeed very shrewd, which would be understandable if it happened to an ordinary person, but he just happened to encounter Lan Tingche.
A man with a strong sense of husbandly responsibility.
Upon seeing the first imperial edict, Lan Tingche immediately asked Lan Yi to bring a brazier.
"Burn this thing, it's bad luck."
The second imperial edict was quite well-written, praising the perfect match and the handsome man and beautiful woman. For the first time, the man felt that his great-uncle had done a good deed, but this was something that needed to be shown to his elders first.
It was a rainy night. Lan Tingche hated rainy days, but to his ears, the sound of the rain was particularly crisp tonight.
"You think you can marry my daughter with this? You little punk, let me tell you, no way!"
"Uncle Huo, I will not marry Long'er. If anyone is to marry, it will be her who marries me." As he said this, the man's face warmed up again.
The eagle was really angry. Now he wanted to rebel. He was clearly the ruler of a country, but he was doing things that only old ladies in alleys would do.
“I know you’re not happy, but this thing can only be done if you, Aunt He, and Auntie agree, and most importantly, Long’er agrees.”
He Yi sighed.
"It's too early, Tingche. Your uncle and I both want Long'er to play for a few more years."
Cen Ang, holding an umbrella, was summoned over. He looked at the imperial edict on the table and dared not speak, mainly because the child had stayed at the brothel because of him.
“Long’er’s opinion is the most important. Why don’t we ask her?” Cen Ang said.
Huo Xiaolong, who was about to fall asleep, was pulled over to look at the imperial edict. The girl frowned and was a little unhappy. She didn't like the feeling of being arranged by others.
“I don’t like this; he’s threatening us both,” she said, pointing to the imperial edict.
"Yes, he's threatening us, so you're going to attack the capital?"
"It's not that bad."
The girl turned around and looked at the man, asking...
"Which one did Brother Tingche choose?"
"I burned them all..."
"I'm willing."
If not now, when? All the elders are here.
"I don't want to get married right now," Huo Xiaolong said.
"Whatever you want, whenever you want."
The flickering lights illuminated the faces of the two teenagers. The eagle was already fuming and silent, while He Yi tried to soothe it from the side. Cen Ang sat quietly watching the two of them.
"Let's get engaged first, that way we can cover up our rebellious thoughts, otherwise it'll be too obvious," the girl said.
Getting engaged means that things can change and be changed later.
If nothing unexpected happens, I intend to grow old with this person.
“Then I’ll marry into your family,” Lan Tingche replied.
"Okay~"
When He Yi met him for the first time to discuss marriage, she secretly chuckled to herself. "It's good to marry into the family. If I marry into the family, Long'er will stay at home for the rest of his life."
For Lan Tingche, Fengyue Tower was home.
very nice.
"I do not agree to this marriage!" the eagle declared righteously.
"Absolutely not! My daughter can never have a man in her life! Absolutely not!"
Huo Xiaolong pretended not to hear, pulled Cen Ang out of the room, leaving only Lan Tingche and He Yi inside.
Today, he's like an eagle escaping reality; even marrying into another family wouldn't be acceptable to him, and he feels like crying again. He says to Lan Tingche...
"That's my daughter, the daughter I've watched grow up since she was little. You think you can just be friends with her like that?"
"Uncle Huo..."
He Yi waved to Lan Tingche, signaling him to leave. The man bowed and walked out of the room. As soon as Lan Tingche left, Huo Shuwen couldn't help but shed tears.
This isn't an act; it's genuine heartache.
"Alright, didn't you hear me? He's marrying into the family."
“Marrying into the family means that Long’er will never leave home for the rest of her life, and any children she has will be ours. If he treats Long’er badly, so many elders in the family will support our daughter.”
“We’ve watched Tingche grow up, and we know his character. If it were someone else, just think about it, it’s one thing if they’re not at home, but what if they get bullied at someone else’s house?”
He Yi is also lying to people against her conscience.
If someone is truly being bullied, then it's only the bystanders who get beaten up.
Cen Ang looked at the girl who was taller than him, and tidied her hair as he had when they were children, and said...
"Don't worry, my son. No one can bully you, not even Tingche. You can do whatever you want. If he wrongs you, I will take him away and keep him with me for life."
"Mom, I want to sleep with you tonight."
"OK."
The girl next to her was sleeping in the same restless position as when she was a child, not only hugging her arm but also draping her legs over her body. The woman with phoenix eyes looked at Huo Xiaolong and felt a pang of heartache.
If only we didn't talk about what happened back then, this child is obsessed with going to the capital to avenge himself.
Sweet dreams, my son.
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