Chapter 164 Request for Imperial Marriage, Eighteen Women
Wei Ting raised his head and looked directly at the person on the dragon throne.
With a firm expression, he said, "This humble general wishes to marry the fifth young lady of the Ji family, Ji Qingwu."
A surge of shock ran through Emperor Wusu's eyes, but Wei Ting showed no intention of dodging.
As the sunlight outside grew stronger, the entire hall erupted in a cacophony of voices and discussions.
Prince Yong, standing at the front, stiffly turned his head to look at Wei Ting kneeling in the hall.
Prince Yong has lost a lot of weight recently, and the wickedness in his eyes seems to have disappeared as well.
He had originally intended to remain a spectator, but upon hearing Wei Ting say that the person he was asking to marry was Ji Qingwu, he couldn't help but let out a surprised sound.
After the last incident, Prince Yong suffered a double loss, losing both his wife and his army.
This fifth cousin's methods weren't sophisticated, but she was extremely lucky. There were thousands of people in the Prince's mansion, and of all people she could choose, she chose the Princess Yong, whom he had deliberately neglected.
Only when Ji Qingwu accurately hit his fatal spot would he willingly be tricked.
Having good luck is a skill in itself.
Unexpectedly, Ji Qingwu's abilities went beyond that.
Even Wei Ting, who was far away in the north, wanted to marry her, and on his first day back at court, he brought it up in public.
Thinking back to the last time the emperor summoned him in the Hall of Diligent Governance, although he did not reveal his intentions, the emperor went to such great lengths that Prince Yong vaguely sensed something unusual.
Emperor Wusu's feelings for Ji Qingwu were extraordinary.
Now, with the pregnant Tao Wanyin still confined to the Anle Hall in the palace, this is the perfect opportunity for him to make his mark.
Prince Yong pondered for a moment before stepping out, walking to the center of the hall, and standing beside Wei Ting.
“Your Majesty, the fifth young lady of the Ji family is my cousin. If Wei Ting wants to marry a woman from the Ji family, I believe we should first ask the Empress Dowager’s opinion.”
Even a fool would know that the Empress Dowager would never agree to a woman from the Ji family marrying into the Wei family.
Emperor Wusu's eyes seemed to be shrouded in a lonely blue flame, and he remained silent with a sullen face.
Not long after Prince Yong finished speaking, Li Chengxun, dressed in a red robe, also stepped out from the ranks of civil officials on the left.
"General Wei, you may not know that this Miss Ji has been married before and has a daughter, since you have been in the northern border for so long. Why do you ask to marry Miss Ji?"
Wei Ting looked at them with a smile, his eyes filled with deep meaning.
Prince Yong and the top scholar stepped forward one after the other, their words all aimed at stopping him. Both of them were part of the Empress Dowager's faction, which is understandable.
Wei Ting said fearlessly, "So what? I will personally go to the Empress Dowager to plead with her."
The more he was stopped, the more determined he became.
On the right, a general in black quickly stepped forward and loudly proclaimed to the emperor, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Wei Ting turned around and saw who he was.
His brow furrowed slightly. This man had once been his subordinate, and the two had a good personal relationship. Why was he now going against him?
Even more unexpectedly, the black-clad general knelt directly behind Wei Ting.
Emperor Wusu's expression became inscrutable, and he said in a cold voice, "Wu Bo, what are you going to say now?"
The young military officer, brimming with courage, shouted, "This humble general also wishes to marry the fifth daughter of the Ji family!!"
His mother was the woman who held onto Ji Qingwu's arm tightly on the day of the competition.
Upon hearing this, Wei Ting's smile vanished completely.
Emperor Wusu's hair ornament moved slightly, and the jade beads made a clear, ringing sound.
What was even more "surprising" was that, with Wei Ting leading the way, many military officers stepped forward and knelt behind him.
All they talked about was asking the emperor to marry Ji Qingwu.
Since it's the same to ask for help alone, all those who had been interested in it during the archery competition stepped forward.
Their mother was turned away at the gate of the Ji residence, so these people simply went to the emperor and lined up.
Emperor Wusu coldly watched as one person after another emerged from the hall, and soon many officials were kneeling in the center of the hall.
Such a scene has never been seen before, except for the last time when the emperor punished a case of corruption.
Last time, the entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and it was on the verge of collapse; now, it's a complete mess.
Emperor Wusu's cold eyes swept over each of their faces.
Very good, there are eighteen in total.
The military officers, who had been stubbornly arguing, suddenly felt as if their heavy official robes were drafty, a chilling sensation ran down their necks, and the hairs on the back of their backs stood on end.
They quietly looked up and found that the emperor's gaze was even more intimidating than that of General Wei.
No one expected this scene.
Even someone as composed as Wei Ting hadn't anticipated that so many men would covet Ji Qingwu.
Originally, he thought that requesting a marriage decree would be as simple as the emperor agreeing, but the situation was becoming increasingly complicated.
Wei Ting's smile never returned.
The woman used every trick in the book to seduce him in the North, but gave up halfway and suddenly disappeared.
Now, she has only been recognized by the Ji family and returned to Lin'an for a few months, and she has already attracted so many wild men.
She's never idle for a moment!
When an elderly man in his sixties stepped forward, Wei Ting's barely maintained normal expression finally began to crumble.
The emotions churning in his eyes intensified, and his hands, hanging down, clenched into tight fists.
The white-haired old man smiled and said, "It's been many years since I've seen General Wei Ting."
Wei Ting turned his head for a closer look and recognized that this was Grand Secretary Li, who had aged considerably.
He said in an unfriendly tone, "I have not heard of the passing of Madam Li. Does Lord Li also wish to take a new wife? Does he also want to compete with me?"
Grand Secretary Li shook his head and said slowly, "General Wei, you have embarrassed this old minister. No, it's not this old minister, it's that this old minister has a son who is in love with Miss Ji, and this old minister has come to plead for the sake of his third son, Li Shuming..."
"Enough!"
The emperor, seated on his throne in the palace, finally spoke.
The court returned to silence, and in the oppressive atmosphere, one could almost hear each other breathing.
Emperor Wusu pinched his brow, seemingly annoyed, and said, "You all want to beg for this Miss Ji, but giving her to any of you will damage your relationship. Let's not mention this matter again."
This means that no family can persuade Miss Ji to marry them.
Wei Ting's narrow eyes flashed, and he said, "Your Majesty, I am different from them."
Emperor Wusu paused for a moment: "How are they different?"
Wei Ting straightened his back and said, "The difference is that Miss Ji has always been in love with me, so I should be her husband."
Emperor Wusu said in a calm tone, "General Zhenbei, you should think carefully before you answer."
Wei Ting understood the emperor's threatening tone, but now that he had spoken, there was no turning back.
“What I said is true. Five years ago, Miss Ji, who was still living away from home, worked as a military doctor in the army camp in the North under the name Ji Wu. All the soldiers in my camp knew her.”
The others kneeling on the ground had no idea that Ji Qingwu had such a past; they only thought that she had been wandering in the countryside all her life.
Emperor Wusu's pupils contracted, and his eyes completely lost their warmth.
Like a victor, Wei Ting's smile returned.
"At that time, Miss Ji was deeply in love with me, and there are many witnesses who can confirm this."
"By the way, she once wrote me dozens of affectionate letters. I still carry one of these letters with me, and I can show them to you all."
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