Chapter 182 [VIP]
The Duke of Cheng'en felt uneasy under his gaze.
"Your Highness."
He was also a little confused at the moment.
It's unclear whether the Gu family came to their door because of Jiang Wu, or because their own wife wanted to break off the engagement and, in desperation, had offended the Wang family, prompting the Gu family to deal with him.
Yes, he also knew about the incident where the lady brought her daughter to catch her husband, Wang Xing.
If the Wang family's son is willing to marry, Duke Cheng'en plans to have a concubine's daughter marry into their family on the day of the Prince of Jin's wedding. Anyway, it's good enough that someone is willing to marry into their family.
Wang Jiazi is clearly not engaged, but last time he was tricked into believing that he was engaged.
There's nothing wrong with marrying Nian'er before the engagement; it's a good match! It also gives our family a backup plan, which is much better than marrying Nian'er off to a poor scholar.
Despite his thoughts, Duke Chengen did not dare to say it aloud, fearing that if Prince Jin caused trouble, the marriage with the Wang family would fall through.
His eyes darted around, and he said, "The Crown Prince sent me someone."
Prince Jin was scrutinizing Duke Cheng'en from head to toe when he heard this and suddenly came to his senses. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he said seemingly casually, "My dear in-law, please come in. Let's talk inside."
There were large red scraps of paper left from firecrackers at the entrance, and the people were still happily picking up the "lucky money" and saying auspicious words.
The vermilion gate had two large red "double happiness" characters hastily pasted on the foreheads of the stone lions at the entrance.
The Prince of Jin was truly dismayed by the sight, so he ordered the steward to clean it up quickly and led the Duke of Cheng'en through the side gate.
As soon as the door closed, the Duke of Chengen said impatiently, "My dear in-law, Xie Yingchen somehow managed to find a deserter from the Northern Frontier Army. That deserter even knows about the agreement between the Emperor and Prince Duoleng."
With lingering fear, Cheng En Gong recounted the whole story, adding, "Alas, Gu Yican must have deliberately come to torment me."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling utterly aggrieved: "This is so incredibly embarrassing."
"The Gu family didn't dare to kill me, so they found all sorts of ways to torture me."
The Duke of Cheng'en was carried all the way, his heart trembling with fear, pleading again and again. He dared to mess around with the Prince of Jin, but he really didn't dare to mess around with Gu Yican.
When he went to the Western Frontier to deliver a secret message, he personally witnessed Gu Yican beheading people in the enemy ranks as easily as chopping watermelons. How old was Gu Yican back then? Twelve or thirteen?!
Cheng En Gong trembled and burst into tears: "Once Xie Yingchen takes the throne, where will we find a way to survive?"
Therefore, even if he didn't say it outright, he secretly supported Nian'er taking the Wang family's son as her son-in-law.
Prince of Jin: "..."
He and the Gu family are mortal enemies, the kind that can't be resolved.
Not only that, he and Xie Yingchen were also mortal enemies. The death of the late emperor and the death of the deposed crown prince meant that they could only fight to the death.
Prince Jin secretly clenched his hands hidden in his sleeves, glancing at his son every now and then. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but the scabs on Yun'er's hands seemed a little thicker? For the first time, the hand, whose skin had completely peeled off, didn't look so bloody and mangled.
Gu Zhizhuo said, "Could it be true?!"
Could it be that the perfect match for Yun'er is the Duke of Cheng'en?
That day, Gu Zhizhuo's words were like a joke to him, and Prince Jin did not believe them at all. Now, it was as if he was struggling desperately in an abyss when he found a vine hanging down from above.
Even in the darkness, unable to see where the vine was hanging, whether it was secure, or whether it would break if pulled, he still wanted to hold on tightly and struggle out of his predicament.
His heart was pounding.
Prince Jin realized he must be possessed, so he quickly pulled himself together and asked absentmindedly, "Why would Xie Yingchen hand someone over to you?"
"How would I know! Xie Yingchen is a man with a mind more cunning than a lotus seedpod. If I could guess what he was thinking, I would have killed him long ago. How could the Emperor have lost like this?"
With tears and snot streaming down his face, Cheng En Gong said in a wronged tone, "Jiang Wu looks like a dishonest person. He probably didn't tell the truth."
"Your Highness."
The Duke of Chengen moved closer, and his fair and clean face, which showed few wrinkles even though he was in his forties, stood in front of the Prince of Jin, startling the Prince of Jin so much that he almost jumped up.
"We need to think of a way."
“That old fox, Duke Wei, is fickle and has been eagerly siding with Xie Yingchen. The entire court is full of people who fawn over the powerful and flatter the weak. Now, less than 30% of them are willing to serve His Highness the Third Prince. You can’t just ignore this.”
"His Highness the Third Prince is the legitimate son of the Empress, and is therefore the rightful heir. Isn't that right, my dear son-in-law?"
Duke Cheng'en asked Xie Qiyun.
Prince Jin has indeed been feeling physically and mentally exhausted lately.
He traveled to various Taoist temples in the capital region, visiting all the renowned Taoist masters. He even asked the abbot of the Longhu Temple to invite a Taoist master who was quite proficient in talismans and incantations.
It took a lot of effort, but they only managed to stop the bleeding. His health is deteriorating day by day, and now he can hardly even ride a horse when he goes out.
He was too busy taking care of himself to pay much attention to matters of the court.
Now, upon hearing Cheng'en Gong mention it, he rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
“My dear in-law, you have to think of something.” Cheng En Gong tugged at his sleeve. “We can’t just sit here and wait to die.”
"What else did Jiang Wu say?" the Prince of Jin asked thoughtfully. "Tell me everything."
The Duke of Cheng'en repeated himself, without omitting a single word: "The person is still being held in my residence... My dear in-law, in my opinion, since things have come to this point, we might as well tear off the mask of civility. Taking advantage of this trip by the people from Xiliang to escort the bride, we can purge the court of corrupt officials and rectify the political situation."
Cheng'en Gong revealed a ruthless look.
These words stirred something in the mind of the Prince of Jin.
Purge the court of corrupt officials; this is the worst-case scenario.
The emperor has twenty-six personal guards and three major battalions of imperial guards, while the Prince of Zhenbei's forces in the capital total three thousand men. If things were to break down, in terms of sheer numbers, the Prince of Zhenbei would indeed have the upper hand.
However, Gu Zhizhuo has now taken away the Imperial Guards. Even if they were to gain control of the Imperial Guards, the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion would not have the authority to deploy them, much less instigate them to help them rebel. Therefore, it would be equally impossible for him to mobilize the Imperial Guards to purge the court of corrupt officials.
The Imperial Guards became a useless piece.
Only the Twenty-Six Guards remained, the emperor's trump card. The emperor had long lost his trust in him and would not easily entrust him with command of troops. Prince Jin was not entirely confident.
If we can persuade Xiliang...
"Your Highness," the steward reported, catching up from behind, "everything has been packed up, and everyone has been driven away."
The steward glanced cautiously at Prince Jin. After the prince and his entourage left, many more people, who seemed to have heard from somewhere, came to ask for celebratory money after hearing that Prince Jin's mansion was celebrating a wedding.
The person in charge ordered them to be driven away, but those people acted like thugs, cursing that the Prince of Jin's mansion wouldn't give wedding money and that they would be childless and have no descendants.
The steward ordered the guards to arrest them, but they all ran off in a panic, causing a huge commotion and becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital.
He didn't dare say any of these things.
He said in a humble voice, "Your Highness, please rest assured..."
"Ahhh!"
Xie Qiyun suddenly let out a terrible scream, interrupting the steward's words.
"Father, Father..."
The Prince of Jin looked over in surprise and saw that the thin scab that had just formed on the back of his son's hand had peeled off again, falling to the ground in one piece, revealing the dark red flesh underneath.
"Father."
Xie Qiyun said in a hoarse, panicked voice, "It was just fine... it was definitely fine just now."
Watching myself grow more and more like a ghost, after a while, all that's left is despair and waiting for death. Just like my father said, leaving behind an heir is enough.
Now, after suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope and realizing that he might not have to die, he was suddenly back in a desperate situation in a short period of time. This psychological shock almost broke him.
"Father, Father..."
He held the Prince of Jin's hand, their skin touching, the back of the Prince of Jin's hand felt sticky.
The King of Jin suddenly felt dizzy and swayed unsteadily.
"My dear son-in-law, oh my, I'm really heartbroken for your father-in-law."
Cheng En Gong's eyes darted around, and he didn't even dare to look at Xie Qiyun's hand.
To make himself appear less cold-blooded, he turned to the steward and shouted, "Hurry up and call the doctor!"
"Wait a minute," the Prince of Jin suddenly said, "What were you doing outside just now?"
The manager looked completely bewildered.
"Speak quickly!"
The steward stammered, "We chased the people away, swept up the firecracker scraps on the ground, and tore down the 'double happiness' characters pasted on the stone lions. We also told the troublemakers who came to join the fun that our palace wasn't holding a wedding."
"The younger ones had them all driven away."
I didn't do anything wrong, did I?
If we don't make things clear, are we really going to let others think that their young master is going to marry the Duke of Cheng'en?
Prince Jin looked up at the fair and round face of the Duke of Chengen.
An idea started popping into my head uncontrollably—
My son suddenly fell ill again. Is it because the servants tore down the "double happiness" decoration? And they're spreading rumors that he didn't get married.
Does the ritual of bringing good luck no longer work?
He felt he must be possessed, yet he couldn't stop thinking about it.
Otherwise, why did the son suddenly get better as soon as the bridal sedan chair was brought in?
Perhaps there really is some truth that I don't understand.
"My dear in-laws."
The Prince of Jin pulled at his face and revealed a fawning smile.
Duke Chengen:?
I had a bad feeling about it.
The Prince of Jin patted his son's hand reassuringly and said to the Duke of Cheng'en, "Yun'er is your son-in-law, and you also hope he does well, right?"
"Of course."
“That’s right, my dear in-laws.” Prince Jin smiled even more warmly and said in a gentle tone, “I had my fortune told for Yun’er, and the divination showed that Yun’er will be able to overcome this calamity.”
"Oh, that's wonderful!" said Cheng En Gong from the bottom of his heart.
Regardless of whether he marries Nianjie or a concubine's daughter, he doesn't want his daughter to become a widow early. If his son-in-law can live to be a hundred, that would be a blessing.
"However, the master said that someone whose birth chart is compatible with Yun'er's needs to bring her good luck through a 'celebration'."
What's the meaning?
"My daughter hasn't even entered the family yet, and Xie Qiyun already wants to take a concubine?!" Duke Cheng'en was furious, his brows furrowed.
"No, no," the Prince of Jin quickly replied, "it's you, my in-law."
Duke Cheng'en did not understand and stared blankly.
Prince Jin said in a kind voice, "My dear in-law, your horoscopes are compatible with Yun'er's, so let's pretend to have a wedding ceremony with Yun'er and write a marriage certificate... fake! A fake marriage certificate! To bring good luck."
Prince Jin eagerly said, "As long as the in-laws are willing, the Prince Jin's mansion will give double the betrothal gifts."
Duke Cheng'en stared wide-eyed, his round face looking as if he had seen a ghost.
“My dear in-law, this is just a wedding to bring good luck,” Prince Jin coaxed eagerly. “You also want your son-in-law to be well.”
He could no longer tell whether Gu Zhizhuo was toying with him or not.
The vine that might save his life was hanging in front of him. Even if climbing it would turn the vine into a poisonous snake and bite him, he would still have to try.
"relatives by marriage."
The Prince of Jin grabbed his hands, and the scalding hot palms made the Duke of Cheng'en turn pale with fright.
The Prince of Jin solemnly declared, "My dear in-law, if you agree, I can assure you that if Yun'er fails to leave an heir... Sheng'er will inherit both branches of the family, and the title will certainly be passed on to Nian'er's son. Your sacrifice will not have been in vain."
Steward: ? ?
Should I avoid it?
The Duke of Cheng'en was so frightened that he shook him off and retreated repeatedly.
He stretched his face, laughing as if he were crying, and waved his hand, saying, "Your Highness, please don't joke around."
"Everything I said is true. It's just a wedding ceremony; I would never tell anyone about it."
After thinking for a moment, perhaps feeling it wasn't quite safe, the Prince of Jin added, "How about this, we'll move the wedding date forward, and you and Nian'er will marry into the family together. You, as the in-law, can stand in for Nian'er during the wedding ceremony."
"Open, open what..." Cheng'en Gong wanted to tell him to stop joking, but his serious expression didn't look like he was joking at all.
The Duke of Cheng'en was terrified. He didn't even bother to say goodbye and turned to run away. He stumbled and staggered as he ran, fearing that if he was a step too late, he would be tied up and forced to go to the wedding ceremony.
"Father."
Xie Qiyun asked in a hoarse voice if what he said was true.
Xie Qiyun was not as resistant as Cheng Engong. As long as he could survive, he didn't care whether it was a fake wedding ceremony or a real one.
Prince Jin watched the Duke of Chengen's receding figure and said, "Yun'er, don't worry."
At the Sanliting time, Duke Chengen did not want Sun Nian to marry, but in the end he still obediently wrote a marriage certificate for Sun Nian.
As for now, he won't agree. But I have ways to make him agree.
We have to give it a try.
The Duke of Chengen felt uneasy being stared at from behind. He only breathed a sigh of relief after rushing into the Prince of Jin's residence. His flustered appearance was quickly relayed to Gu Zhizhuo by Chongjiu, who was watching him.
Gu Zhizhuo had already returned to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. She leaned against the railing of the Guanshui Pavilion, feeding the fish while listening to him speak.
Chongjiu was always cold-faced and taciturn, and her stories were not as interesting as Qingmei's. But no matter how concise and clear she was, Gu Zhizhuo would lean on Xie Yingchen's shoulder and laugh uncontrollably as soon as he heard him say that the Duke of Chengen ran away as if he were being chased by a dog.
Gu Yican silently poured the entire bowl of fish food into the bowl, and the fish swarmed over it, shaking their heads and wagging their tails.
"Meow!"
The cat's eyes were wide open, and its little paws were eager to pounce.
Gu Yican rushed over and sat down on the other side of his sister. He pulled her shoulders, turned her face toward him, and then gently pressed her down with his arm, making her lean against him.
Now I'm satisfied.
Gu Zhizhu smiled happily: "Go on."
"After the Duke of Chengen came out, he first returned to his residence. Not long after, the Third Prince also entered the Duke of Chengen's residence. After an hour, Ji Nanke came looking for him, and the two of them came out one after the other."
Gu Zhizhuo leaned against her brother, eating the fruit syrup he fed her. She was so comfortable that she didn't bother to think and asked directly, "What's next?"
"Next, the Chengen Guild came to request an imperial decree, asking me to send someone to Liang Kingdom to welcome the bride."
No sooner had Xie Yingchen finished speaking than a steward came to report that Huai Jingzhi had arrived.
Huai Jing came to the door for only one thing: the Duke of Cheng'en came to see him to discuss the matter of the Third Prince's marriage to Xiliang.
He presented the memorial from the Duke of Cheng'en, saying, "The Duke of Cheng'en is still waiting at the door and hasn't left."
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands appropriately: "Young Master is right." He then instructed Gu Yican to peel a longan for him. "Young Master wants to have dinner before going back. If he wants to wait, let him wait."
Xie Yingchen nodded, signaling him to go and deliver the message.
Xie Yingchen quickly read through the memorial and said, "Prince Duoleng is the first heir of the Liang Kingdom, but the King of Liang prefers to pass the throne to his son." Xie Yingchen had not spent his years in the Liang Kingdom for nothing; he was very familiar with the various interpersonal relationships within the kingdom.
He showed the memorial to his two siblings and said with a smile, "Since Duoling used a divisive tactic against the Emperor to incite him to hand over his father-in-law's life, we can do the same."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with Gu Yican.
Gu Yican slightly arched his fingers: "You mean..."
“I will write a letter to the King of Liang in my own hand. As long as he sends Duoling to escort the bride and gives Duoling to me for my disposal, Daqi will not tear up the peace treaty and will not initiate war with Liang for five years.”
A note from the author:
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