He was suspicious; why had the Empress taken the initiative to propose a marriage?
Based on his understanding of the Empress, he knew she would never want Prince Ning to marry Ye Wantang, so he made arrangements to force the Emperor and Empress to agree.
Now, it seems that his arrangements were superfluous.
The Empress looked at him and said, “Prince Ning is a prince and should set an example for the world. If he does not give Ye Wantang an explanation today, how will Your Majesty govern the country if men in the world follow his example in the future?”
Her tone suddenly turned stern, "And you, as his uncle, bear an unshirkable responsibility for his current predicament."
"King Liang, you lost your mother at a young age. Although you are my uncle, I raised you as my own child. This time, you have truly disappointed me."
King Liang adopted his usual nonchalant manner, crawling on his knees to the Empress's side and tugging at her sleeve.
He said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Your Majesty knows you were wrong, but Prince Ning deserves a better woman."
My younger brother will take responsibility for this matter. He said that he had also seen her and was fond of her, and wanted to marry her as a concubine, so that it would not be unfair to her.
If all else fails, I'll crawl through the dog hole again tonight and force myself on her; then she'll have no choice but to marry me.
Prince Ning was deeply moved, "Little Imperial Uncle, you're the one who's best to me."
The Empress replied, "Ye Wantang was once the Crown Prince's fiancée. I truly do not wish for Prince Ning to marry her, so as to avoid future embarrassment for the brothers. It would be best if you could marry her."
King Liang's expression stiffened slightly.
Something's not right with the Empress today.
He also couldn't marry Ye Wantang, otherwise all his plans would have been for nothing. Just as he was pondering this, Chen Banjun rushed in.
"Your Majesty, many people have gathered at the palace gate, saying that they have received favors from General Ye and wish to ask Your Majesty and Her Majesty to give General Ye's daughter justice."
King Liang breathed a slight sigh of relief; thankfully, this arrangement wasn't unnecessary.
He had a nonchalant air about him, saying, "What business is it of theirs? These troublemakers just want to stir up trouble."
He said to the Empress, “Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will not let Prince Ning suffer any injustice. Anyway, I have many women, so one more won’t make a difference. It’s just a matter of getting married, I will take her.”
The Empress glanced down at him. In the past, Prince Liang had always acted in an absurd and unreliable manner. Taking Prince Ning through a dog hole in the middle of the night to catch crickets was something he was used to doing.
If Xie Tingzhou hadn't reminded her, she might not have suspected anything. But now that she knows his true colors, she finds him utterly hypocritical.
She remained silent for a moment, not saying a word, suggesting that the King of Liang's backup plan would not be this simple.
Then another eunuch came to report, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li requests an audience."
The Empress's eyes flickered slightly.
Li Xiangguo was actually a man of the King of Liang.
If that's the case, then the King of Liang is hiding his true identity even more deeply than she imagined.
The emperor frowned as well. It was likely that Prime Minister Li's visit to the palace at this time was also related to this matter.
But why did he get involved in this?
Soon, Prime Minister Li gave the emperor an answer.
"Your Majesty, a woman's reputation is of paramount importance. If this matter becomes too big, it will also damage the reputation of Prince Ning."
This old minister humbly requests Your Majesty, for the sake of the imperial dignity, to bestow upon Ye Wantang the title of Princess Consort of Prince Ning, so as to demonstrate Prince Ning's responsibility.
Prince Ning retorted, "I didn't do it on purpose."
Prime Minister Li said earnestly, "Whether intentional or not, if Your Highness handles this improperly, you may be criticized by the world for your lack of virtue, which would also damage the royal family's reputation."
Before Prince Ning could say anything more, the Empress stopped him and agreed to the marriage.
Ye Wantang returned to the General's Mansion satisfied.
Afterwards, the Empress told the Emperor what Xie Tingzhou had said and what she had guessed.
“In this matter, Prince Ning was indeed wrong. He was wrong to be so gullible and foolish. This can be considered a lesson for him.”
But being granted a marriage does not mean that Ye Wantang will get what she wants.
Just as he was about to speak again, the eunuch arrived with Ye Zhengqing...
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