Jiang Zhuo's father Jiang Ling and his mother Song Siyao were childhood sweethearts, but an accident forced the young couple to be separated forever.
Jiang Ling was a dashing young man with extraordinary talent. He entered the government at the age of 17, and his eloquent speeches in the court made many civil servants wary.
Song Siyao was once one of the most talented women in the capital, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Countless people came to her house just to marry her.
But Song Siyao insisted on marrying Jiang Ling, and she waited for Jiang Ling for four years just for a promise.
"What promise?"
"When the day comes when I rise with the wind, soaring up to ninety thousand miles, I will hold your hand and grow old with you."
Before Jiang Ling could truly be considered worthy of Song Siyao, trouble struck the Song family. Someone impeached the Song family for treason and collaborating with the enemy, and the evidence was irrefutable.
The previous emperor was cruel and executed the entire Song family.
"Father knelt before the throne room, begging for justice for the Song family. However, his words were of little weight. Not only did he fail to redress the Song family's grievances, but he was also caned with eighty sticks by the late emperor."
Jiang Ling couldn't protect the Song family, so he could only agree to take Song Siyao away and hide her, even if she had to be a slave, just to save her life.
Perhaps it was God's mercy, but less than two years after the Song family was wiped out, Jiang Ling found the person who forged the evidence and framed the Song family, but that person was no longer alive.
The late emperor knew he was guilty, but he was unwilling to admit his fault. Therefore, his attitude towards clearing the Song family's name to the world was unclear.
Jiang Ling had no choice but to settle for the second best, explaining Song Siyao's existence and asking for forgiveness for her sins.
The late emperor agreed.
Song Siyao finally no longer has to hide, but in the past two years, she has been depressed and emotionally unstable, as if she is suffering from depression.
Jiang Ling welcomed Song Siyao into the family in a sedan chair carried by eight people. She gradually recovered until Jiang Ling was born.
"When the current emperor ascended the throne, my father again requested to restore the Song family's innocence to the world, and was granted permission. I was five years old that year."
By then, Song Siyao's condition had completely recovered.
I thought things would get better and better, until two years later.
The emperor said that Murong Zhi heard that Jiang Zhuo was the same age as him but smarter than him, so he wanted to invite Jiang Zhuo to the palace to compete with him.
That day, he followed his father into the palace.
The last sight before leaving was Song Siyao waving at him with a faint smile.
He spent a day with Murong Zhi and had a very unpleasant time.
Along the way, he kept complaining to Jiang Ling about Murong Zhi being so stingy.
When he pushed open the door of the mansion, he found Song Siyao dead in the yard.
"He was killed by someone cutting his throat with a sword."
Shen Qing sighed silently.
That scene was too much of a blow to the seven-year-old boy.
"They all said my mother deserved to die because the Song family was a traitor. The emperor had already cleared the air, but they only insisted on their preconceived notions."
"In order to make them shut up, I endured it for ten years and finally pulled out all their little tricks."
So they say he is vindictive and cruel.
"I don't want to mention my mother, not because she is the daughter of a criminal, but because I want my beloved to know her."
He also doesn't want others to think that his cruel behavior is justifiable.
Telling Shen Qing is to let her understand him and also understand her.
Shen Qing held his hand and scratched his palm.
She couldn't say, "It's all over," nor could she say, "It's okay, I'm here." None of these were enough to comfort him.
She just had to silently let him know that she was there.
East Palace.
"Has she been well behaved lately?"
"Your Highness, Shen Zhaoxun has been staying in the courtyard since returning from the General's Mansion and rarely goes out."
Murong Zhi nodded.
"Your Highness, are you sure you want to go in person to welcome Princess Man Yue into the East Palace?" Rong Xuan couldn't help but ask.
"Um."
"Your Highness, this trip will take more than half a month. The power in the court has just been stabilized. Once you leave the capital, I'm afraid..."
Murong Zhi paused and looked out the window at the setting sun. Shangguan Xi had advised him the same thing, but he had no choice but to go.
Only he himself knew how difficult his situation was. Jin Manyue couldn't make any more mistakes, otherwise his father would not give him another chance.
"I must go."
Fengyi Palace.
"Your Majesty, I heard that you granted a marriage to Jiang Zhuo and Shen Qing?" Shangguan Xi pinched the emperor's shoulders and asked tentatively.
"Well, I think they are a perfect match." The emperor closed his eyes and enjoyed it. "Besides, Jiang Zhuo should get married soon. It's rare for him to ask me for something."
"Yes, I like Chen Qing very much, and I was thinking of asking for her."
"Doesn't Zhi'er have the princess of Jinyang as the Crown Princess? Which of them do you want to be the concubine? Are you going to give all the good things in the world to your Zhi'er?"
The emperor snorted coldly.
"That's not what I meant. I don't have a daughter. I just liked Chen Qing very much when I saw her that day." Shangguan Xi explained hurriedly.
"Well... I have five brothers and three sisters, but only four sons. It's indeed a little too few."
"Your Majesty, do you have any plans to fill your harem? The number of concubines in your harem is more than half of what it was during the time of the previous emperor."
"There's no use in having more."
The previous emperor had many sons, but didn't he kill them all in the end? He didn't want to see his sons kill each other in the end, so he kept training Murong Zhi.
Shangguan Xi stopped talking.
She felt that the emperor became more Buddhist as he got older.
The next morning court session.
"If you have something to report, please do so. If not, please leave the court."
"I have a report to make. Your Majesty, in order to negotiate a marriage alliance with the Kingdom of Jinyang, we must send an envoy to the Kingdom of Jinyang. Your Majesty will decide on the selection of envoys."
"Do any of you ministers have any candidates to recommend?" the emperor asked with his head down.
Everyone discussed it among themselves for a while, and then fell silent.
Recommending anyone will offend that person.
"Your Majesty, I recommend Jiang Zhuo, the Minister of Justice," Qin Canghai said. "Master Jiang is a man of great literary talent, adaptable, and skilled in martial arts. He is the perfect choice for the envoy."
Jiang Zhuo raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
Qin Canghai, you are really anxious.
"Well, what about the others?" It was obvious that the emperor was not satisfied with the answer.
This means that he already has a candidate in mind.
"Your Majesty, I think Lord Xiao Jiang is inappropriate. After the New Year, the Dali Temple is at its busiest. If Lord Xiao Jiang is not here at this time, I am afraid there will be chaos."
"I second the motion. Lord Xiao Jiang's wedding is approaching, and I'm afraid he's too busy to take care of himself."
Qin Canghai glanced at the two of them coldly, "Aren't there two Shaoqing in the Dali Temple? Could it be that you can't move on without Jiang Zhuo?"
"Sir Qin, I am one of the Shaoqing officials. I believe I cannot leave Sir Jiang."
Qin Canghai glared at the man.
This idiot.
"Well, Jiang Zhuo has to take care of both his marriage and the Dali Temple. I won't make things difficult for him." The emperor glanced at Jiang Zhuo, who was very quiet.
Jiang Zhuo knew that the emperor didn't want him to go at all.
"Father, I, your son, will personally go and greet Princess Man Yue."
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