Chapter 5 "It must be you, the jinx!"
After the banquet, the ministers left the palace and went back to their homes. In the bedroom, Emperor Xian of Zhou was being helped to change his clothes by several beautiful maids.
Looking at the personal eunuch kneeling at his feet, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Rong Baolin, do you think Chen Ting is satisfied with the marriage I have granted him this time?"
The fair and plump eunuch lowered his eyebrows and said in a pleasing manner: "Thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor. I believe General Chen is satisfied."
The old emperor laughed hoarsely: "Previously, those brides were unlucky, and some even died on the road. This time I will give him a nearby one, so nothing will happen again."
Rong Baolin lowered his eyes and said nothing. As the emperor's confidant, he certainly knew what happened to the first seven brides who died unexpectedly.
The one who created Chen Ting's notoriety as an evil star... was none other than the current emperor.
Chen Ting's achievements surpass his master's. If he were to marry into a big family again, he would become even more uncontrollable. What Emperor Zhou Xian wanted was that no noble lady in the capital would dare to marry him, so that he could naturally marry a woman from a small family who posed no threat.
Thinking of Chen Ting's expressionless face, the emperor expressed regretfully: "It's a pity that Chen Aiqing always has a dead look on his face. I can't tell whether he is satisfied with my arrangement or not."
*
Outside the palace wall, several heavily armored generals saw Chen Ting coming out. They all put away their casual looks, stood up straight, clasped their fists and bowed: "General!"
Chen Ting responded and jumped on his horse neatly: "Let's go back."
Chen Hu looked at his general who was very frugal with words, scratched his head, and asked innocently, "Where are you going back to, General? Didn't the emperor give you any rewards? Do you need us to move?"
Chen Long tapped his stupid brother on the head and said, "Of course we're going back to Moyun. When have we ever stayed here?"
There is naturally a general's mansion granted by the emperor in the capital, but Chen Ting would usually be sent back to the northern border for garrison after living there for only a few days. Over time, after each report, he would rush back to Moyun to rest overnight. The Duke's Mansion was also his home.
As for the reward...
Chen Ting said expressionlessly: "The emperor has granted me another marriage."
"......"
Everyone fell into a strange silence. Although granted marriage was a good thing, it was not a good thing for their general. It could be seen from the fact that none of them had succeeded in so many attempts.
Chen Hu asked cautiously: "Whose unlucky lady is this time?"
"Xiahou family."
"Xiahou? There is no Xiahou family in the capital..." Chen Hu slapped his head and realized, "Could it be the daughter of Xiahou Zhizhou from our Moyun City? That's great. They are so close, I don't believe there will be any accidents on the road."
Chen Long glanced at this heartless guy and looked at his own general with some hesitation. They had all had contact with Xiahou Zhizhou before. The old man had a kind character and loved the people like his own children. He was a very good official. However, a fifth-rank Zhizhou was still a little too young for the General's Mansion and the Duke of Rong's Mansion.
The girls from noble families who were chosen for the previous marriages were either the grandchildren of the Grand Tutor or the daughters of the Minister of the Chancellery. At the very least, they were the daughters of the third-rank temple official. Now, the marriage was directly to the daughter of a local prefect... The emperor's intention was obvious. Not to mention Chen Ting, even Chen Long was furious when he heard it, and could not help but speak up for his own general.
Being humiliated to this extent, who knows how those officials in the capital city are laughing behind their backs.
With the dim light at the palace gate, Chen Long couldn't see the expression on the general's face, but from his relaxed posture - he didn't seem to care much about who his marriage partner would be. Just like the previous times, he seemed like an outsider.
Think about it, his own general is already 28 years old this year, and there is no one around him. All he thinks about every day is fighting. He is a loner and doesn't want strangers to approach him. Except for the old lady in the Duke's Mansion, everyone else respects and fears him. He has been married several times but still hasn't been successful. As an outsider, Chen Long sometimes can't help but feel sorry for him.
"Let's go." The man's low voice brought Chen Long back from his thoughts.
Only a few trusted followers of the Chen family army followed Chen Ting to Beijing, and the rest of them went straight back to Moyun City to set up camp. If these people rode back at full speed, it would only take one night.
From just now till now, Chen Ting has only said three sentences, two of which were replies. It can be seen that he is really anxious to return home.
The sound of horse hooves broke the silence of the night, and the general who had made great achievements in battle left the power field of Shengjing where power and profit were intertwined quietly without any reluctance.
*
The imperial edict from the capital and Chen Ting arrived in Moyun City almost at the same time. When Shen Wangshu woke up from his afternoon nap, a hurried maid ran in from outside Luoying Courtyard: "Someone is coming from the palace, Miss, hurry to the front hall to receive the edict."
The Xiahou family had settled in Moyun for many years, and had seen this bright yellow imperial edict many times. Only the old man seemed relatively calm, while the other female members of the family were all shocked and frightened, and they knelt down tremblingly to receive the edict.
When Madam Xiahou heard the contents of the imperial edict clearly, she felt like she was struck by lightning. Her eyes went dark and she was about to faint.
Arrange a marriage...arrange a marriage! The Emperor wants to marry his daughter Fu Niang to that general who guards the country!
Although she was not in the capital, she had heard the rumor that the old general had killed seven brides. However, the emperor always chose the aristocratic families in the capital for marriage, so why did he choose their Xiahou family this time! !
Madam Xiahou was on the verge of collapse. No one responded to the order. The young eunuch frowned in dissatisfaction and said, "Why don't you accept the order and thank me?"
The old man coughed lightly and took the imperial edict with both hands: "I accept your order. Long live the emperor."
Mrs. Xiahou finally woke up from her dream, but she was still in a trance as she followed Xie En, with the children following behind her, not knowing what was going on.
After the young eunuch left, Xia Houfu, who was kneeling behind him, whispered, "Cousin Nian Nian, I seem to have heard my name."
The imperial edict said, "The daughter of Xiahou, is smart and intelligent, gentle and virtuous..." and there was a lot of other things after that. Xiahou Fu didn't quite understand what she heard, but she only knew that she seemed to have been granted marriage.
Shen Wangshu said nothing. He looked at the heartbroken Madam Xiahou in front of him and clearly heard her crying like a storm in her heart: "Why is it Fu Niang! Why is it Fu Niang!"
"That general is already 28 years old this year, and he's out fighting every day. My Fu Niang has only been a 15-year-old girl for a short time. If she marries him, will there be any hope for her in the rest of her life? What's the difference between this and being a widow!"
"Why is it our Xiahou family?!"
As she cried, she turned around and saw Shen Wangshu's face. Suddenly her body shook, and she remembered something. She rushed over, crying and cursing, "It's you! Are you the jinx?"
"The emperor must have discovered that you were hiding in our Xiahou family, so he pushed my daughter to that evil star. It must be you, the unlucky star, who brought disaster to our family! Go to hell!"
Shen Wangshu was stunned in the spot, tears streaming down his face, and then he heard the old man roar: "Shut up! Dalang, watch your wife's mouth!"
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