Zhao Yi had no idea that his wife was about to suffer for him.
At this moment, he found himself in a difficult situation in the Golden Palace, and the one who was putting him in a difficult position was none other than the Emperor himself!
The emperor's most beloved little princess stood aside, listening to Zhao Yi's refusal with an unpleasant expression.
— He refused to become a prince consort.
The story begins with our initial journey to Beijing.
To speed things up and return home as soon as possible, Zhao Yi traveled to the capital almost day and night. He already had a working relationship with the Emperor, so he was now quite adept at following the eunuch into the palace.
Whether it's a border issue or a natural or man-made disaster, what's needed most is money, and Zhao Yi has no shortage of money.
These matters were resolved quickly, but the Emperor did not allow Zhao Yi to leave.
He said thoughtfully, "Boss Zhao, are you going to support Xiao Ba?"
Zhao Yi was taken aback, then suddenly realized.
His Majesty had a total of twelve sons. The eldest son was the legitimate son of the Empress and was already the Crown Prince. The second to ninth sons were all quite old, with the youngest being twenty years old. The tenth and eleventh sons were ten and eight years old, respectively, while the twelfth son was still a helpless infant.
Although the crown prince had been chosen and the other sons who had reached adulthood had been granted the title of king, the eighth prince was an exception.
His two fiancées were in poor health and died before the wedding. His second fiancée was not capable of handling important matters and eloped with her childhood sweetheart cousin a month before the wedding.
He has been delayed until now, and is still a prince without any title, fiefdom, or residence. He lives in the palace closest to the Empress Dowager and is her favorite grandson.
His mother was the emperor's most favored concubine, and he had not moved out of the palace for a long time, so rumors began to circulate that the emperor wanted to depose the crown prince and make the eighth prince the heir apparent.
The eighth brother was terrified; his elder brother was no kind person.
He hurriedly bid farewell to the Empress Dowager and went out sightseeing with a few servants.
Perhaps his flaunting of wealth angered the bandits, or perhaps his good older brother took the opportunity to cause trouble; in any case, he was injured and lying down when Jiang Bai picked him up.
Zhao Yi immediately understood the meaning behind the Emperor's words, and he was somewhat shocked.
In fact, both he and Jiang Bai guessed that this person was no ordinary person, but they only dared to guess that he was a leisurely and impoverished member of the royal family, and did not dare to guess that he was a prince.
Zhao Yi hurriedly knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, you are wise. This humble subject is only devoted to Your Majesty and has no other thoughts."
Whether the Emperor believed him or not, he remained silent for a while, then suddenly called the little princess to the two of them and introduced her to Zhao Yi: "This is my youngest daughter, Princess Zhaohua."
Zhao Hua's face flushed, she looked up at Zhao Yi, then quickly lowered her head again.
She was not tall, and her whole body was petite and delicate. Zhao Yi could see the wisps of hair on her neck and the intricate headdress.
Zhao Yi couldn't help but think of Jiang Bai, who disdained wearing any hair ornaments—she found them too heavy.
In her own words, "I don't have much hair to begin with, and if I put on several pounds of these things, I'll be weighed down and go bald."
Zhao Yi thought of those bald men. Poor people mostly lived with their scalps exposed, since they couldn't even meet their basic needs and didn't need to worry about their appearance. Rich people would buy pre-made wigs to cover up their baldness.
He and Jiang Bai had also seen women's wigs that could be braided into real hair to make the hair appear thicker and fuller.
Princess Zhaohua has a lot of hair, whether it's from a wig or natural, she's quite different from Jiang Bai. Logically speaking, the current aesthetic should be like Princess Zhaohua's, but Zhao Yi can't help but think that he still prefers Jiang Bai's hair.
Slender and soft, it was quite different from her personality. Zhao Yi touched it once and still can't forget the feeling.
Seeing Zhao Yi in a daze, the Emperor assumed he was captivated by the princess and burst into laughter, saying, "Indeed, even heroes cannot resist the charms of a beautiful woman."
Zhao Yi hurriedly apologized: "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. I dare not tarnish the princess's reputation. I was just thinking of my wife at home. She has been worried about me every moment since I left. Now that the trouble has been resolved, I should go back and reunite with her."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's face darkened.
He asked, "If I were to betroth Zhaohua to you, would you be willing?"
Zhao Yi was taken aback.
He knew that the Emperor's intentions were not simply to marry off a princess. If Zhao Hua married him, she would be able to use his money at will. Although merchants may have a low social status, if someone like Zhao Yi had such a significant impact on the national economy, the royal family would definitely prefer to win him over to offend him.
Secondly, as the youngest princess, Zhaohua was born to the Empress and had the most legitimate status. As the consort, Zhaoyi was essentially on the same side as the Emperor and the Crown Prince, which would prevent any trouble from arising.
Third, His Majesty does not trust Zhao Yi now. This man is too unfathomable and extremely cunning. Fortunately, he is a businessman. If he were to oppose the royal family, he would surely turn the world upside down. The fact that the imperial son-in-law cannot participate in politics, strictly speaking, distances him from the affairs of the court.
However, the only obstacle to this matter is that Zhao Yi is already married.
The Emperor originally thought that a peasant woman from the countryside was nothing to fear. How could a woman exposed to the wind and sun compare to a delicate and precious princess?
But Zhao Yi's words just now embarrassed the Emperor and the Princess.
After a long silence, Zhao Yi knelt down and said, "It is I who am unworthy of the princess. I am not only married, but I also have two children. The princess can find a better choice than me."
“I don’t mind,” Princess Zhaohua said when she saw the tall and strong man kneeling in front of her. “I don’t mind that you have two children. I will treat them as my own.”
She truly liked Zhao Yi.
Three years ago, when Zhao Yi first entered the palace, she accidentally bumped into this man in the Imperial Garden, and her heart was pounding.
She had long harbored feelings for him.
Zhao Yi lowered his head, not looking at Zhao Hua, and kowtowed several more times: "This humble subject is unworthy of the princess, please Your Majesty rescind your decree."
The Emperor wanted to grant his youngest daughter's wish, but Zhao Yi was unwilling. He couldn't very well force her to divorce her first wife, could he?
Thinking of this, he waved his hand and said, "Get up quickly. I was just asking. Since you and your wife have a good relationship, then let it go."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hua's face turned pale: "Father, you clearly promised me..."
"Go back," the Emperor interrupted her. "What kind of behavior is this, acting like this? I think your mother has spoiled you too much!"
Because of her own actions, her mother was also scolded. Zhao Hua stomped her feet in anger, and without even bowing, she ran away.
The emperor watched his youngest daughter's figure disappear before sighing, "I've spoiled her rotten."
Zhao Yi dared not agree, and instead clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, saying, "The princess is so innocent and lovely; it is I who am unfortunate to have her."
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