Chapter 249: Lord Cheng'en's Arrogance and Unreason
"Perhaps my wife misunderstood what Princess Funing said. I am old, and sometimes my thinking cannot keep up with you young people. I hope Princess Funing will forgive me."
Zhao Lingmeng's first thought at this moment was, wow, this is the legendary moral kidnapping! She looked at Cheng Engong next to her and wondered if she would be so immoral that she would make this old man angry to death.
After Duke Cheng'en finished speaking, he saw Funing looking at him without any reaction, so he could only look at the emperor for help.
The emperor looked at the two men beside him. One looked frail, the other so old that he looked like he was about to faint. He could only intervene to smooth things over: "Fu Ning, what are you thinking about? Duke Cheng'en is talking to you."
Of course, Zhao Lingmeng couldn't say that she was thinking about how to make Duke Cheng'en faint. Instead, she pretended to be uncertain and said, "I'm trying to figure out what I said yesterday that caused the old lady of Duke Cheng'en to misunderstand me. Father, please let me think about it. Maybe I'll remember it after a while."
When Duke Cheng'en heard what Princess Funing said, he felt a lump in his throat and cursed in his heart, "As expected of the daughter of that old man Zhao Changyou, she's just as stubborn and unreasonable as ever. And her sarcastic tone is so irritating."
"Princess Funing, don't worry about it. In short, it's all the fault of our Cheng'en Mansion. Just tell me what compensation you want."
Before Duke Cheng'en could finish, the Emperor interrupted him: "I remember that Duke Cheng'en's mansion is in Yuanjing, near the outer city. There's a shop selling all kinds of spices! Let's give the land deeds and connections to Funing!"
At first, the emperor really thought that Funing wanted to teach the boy from Cheng'en a lesson. At that time, he had already thought about it several times in his mind, the possible impact on the situation in the future, and how he should prevent it.
In the end, it was all because of Duke Cheng'en who was using him as a pawn. Since he dared to deceive the emperor, he had to pay a price. Moreover, Funing liked people researching all kinds of delicious food, so this shop was just right for her.
The lack of severe punishment is also because the Queen has always been very dutiful and has managed the harem in an orderly manner. Duke Cheng'en is also old, so let's not give face to the monk, but to the Buddha!
When Zhao Lingmeng heard it was a spice shop, she was delighted. Her eyes lit up and she immediately stood up and saluted: "Thank you very much, father."
Don't underestimate a spice shop. In this era, transportation was inconvenient, and all kinds of spices were difficult to source, so they were still very expensive. What's more, the emperor even gave her his connections, which was equivalent to giving her a chicken that could lay eggs. Zhao Lingmeng must be very happy.
Duke Cheng'en was first interrupted by the Emperor, and then he watched Princess Funing thank the Emperor. He could only accept it.
"I also thank the emperor! When I return, I will have the relevant items delivered to Princess Funing's residence."
Duke Cheng'en also knew that the emperor had seen through their little tricks, and the emperor's intention was to punish them lightly and teach them a lesson. This matter was over. But the emperor was also probably warning him that there wouldn't be a next time.
"Thank you, Lord Cheng'en, for your generosity!" Zhao Lingmeng looked at the emperor's indifference. Although she felt a little uncomfortable, she was also a sensible person. She thought that for the sake of the Empress and Fushou, she gave Lord Cheng'en a way out.
After all, Duke Cheng'en has been respected for so many years! He still felt a little bit uncomfortable with this. "I also thank Princess Funing for not making a fuss. However, my grandson is really smart. Princess Funing, please don't regret it in the future."
The emperor frowned in dissatisfaction and could only sigh in his heart that Lord Cheng'en was really old and his behavior was becoming more and more out of control.
"Oh, no matter how smart other people's children are, what does it have to do with me? I'm already the eldest princess, and I can rest easy in this life. As for the next generation, my children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. I'm not like the old man who's so obsessed with finding ways to protect future generations!"
Zhao Lingmeng has never been a pushover. Don't blame her for not giving you face if you do this again and again.
"Your Majesty," Duke Cheng'en looked as if he was about to pass out from anger and wanted the Majesty to make the decision for him.
Zhao Lingmeng gently brushed her skirt, looking nonchalant. This almost made Cheng En, who had been trying to pretend to faint, faint from anger.
"Duke Cheng'en, you have overstepped your bounds. If you faint today, tomorrow I will have the Crown Prince Cheng'en serve as an ordinary soldier at the border."
The Emperor will not allow anyone to tarnish Funing's reputation or cause her to suffer any loss. If Funing finds it pointless to be diligent and spends her days eating and drinking in the mansion, the loss to the Kingdom of Jing will be immeasurable.
"I know my crime." This is the advantage of Duke Cheng'en, he admits his mistakes very quickly.
"Alright, now that you two have finally entered the palace, why don't you stay here and have a meal? I'll have the Queen come along." The Emperor didn't really want to see Duke Cheng'en at all, but if he only kept Funing, it would be bad for her reputation. So he kept Duke Cheng'en as a foil!
"Your son obeys!" Zhao Lingmeng readily agreed. She had already anticipated the Emperor's invitation to a meal before entering the palace. This was mainly because, except for palace banquets, she wouldn't actively hand in a sign unless summoned. So, since she had finally made it to the palace, the Emperor, as a sign of his appreciation for her, was bound to invite her to a meal.
"I obey your command!" Duke Cheng'en replied with a smile on his face. He felt that the emperor was not angry with him and still valued the Shui family.
If the emperor knew what Duke Cheng'en thought, he would probably ask him to leave the palace immediately and stop hanging around in front of him.
The queen came to the imperial study immediately after receiving the news. She was quite fast. After all, she hadn't seen her father for a long time, and Fu Ning was an acquaintance, so she was happy to have a meal together.
If the Queen had received specific news, she probably wouldn't have come so quickly. It wouldn't be bad enough.
The people in the harem also thought that the emperor was showing great favor to the queen, wanting her to meet her family, and Princess Funing was just a bonus. They were all envious of the queen.
Zhao Lingmeng dined with them. Since she wasn't being polite, she simply chose what she liked. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the kind of eating that would make you starve to death. It was also within etiquette and very elegant.
The Queen and the Emperor would often have people bring Zhao Lingmeng’s favorite things to her, and Zhao Lingmeng would not be polite, but she would still thank them. The Queen and the Emperor were also very happy to see this.
Only Cheng Engong complained in his heart, "It's like a starving ghost reincarnated."
After Zhao Lingmeng and his friends finished their meal, Zhao Lingmeng tactfully took his leave, leaving the space to the emperor, the empress and Duke Cheng'en.
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