Chapter 357 Rongpin's Restoration
Fortunately, the emperor did not agree immediately, but said: "According to the current situation, it is better not to discuss these things, so as not to cause panic among the people of Dayao. In terms of national strength, we are not inferior to Yamato. We should not be led by them by the nose..."
After he finished speaking, even the other ministers felt relieved.
Afterwards, the emperor said that the third prince was now an adult and had made good decisions. It would be too harsh to let his biological mother remain in the position of Concubine Zhou. From now on, Concubine Zhou would be restored to the position of Concubine Rong. If she made the same mistake again, she would be sent to the cold palace.
Lu Enrui was excited and did not forget to glance at Lu Enyan, who had remained silent.
Fortunately, I chose to believe him and cooperate with him, otherwise this matter would not have gone so smoothly.
Zhou Zhili was stunned. It was actually for this?
But Lu Enrui’s reaction just now really made him sad.
He originally thought that the emperor did not immediately agree to the marriage for the sake of Dayao's face or to appease him, but he did not expect that the emperor actually wanted to improve Zhou Cairen's status.
Zhou Zhili felt a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, he was happy for Concubine Zhou, after all, she was his biological sister. On the other hand, he felt that his nephew's behavior was somewhat inhumane. Sacrificing his cousin for his mother?
Moreover, why didn't they discuss this matter with him in advance? Is the Zhou family really worthless now?
The emperor had already made his decision, so he had nothing more to say and could only accept the result silently.
At this time, the atmosphere in the hall was a little subtle. The ministers were all thinking about their own little plans in their minds, while Lu Enrui and Lu Enyan exchanged glances, and seemed to be satisfied with this cooperation.
The emperor looked at the ministers below and felt a little comforted. He knew that although this marriage was a tricky matter, as long as he handled it properly, he could still intimidate Yamato.
"Alright, after the court session, you will have your meal in the palace, and then you can go to the palace banquet hall to wait. Your family members will be led in by the palace servants. The Yamato delegation is already waiting outside the city. Don't lose the demeanor of a great power."
After the emperor finished speaking, he announced the adjournment of the court.
Civil and military officials left in a large crowd and went to the place prepared in advance for them to have meals in the palace.
Zhou Zhili was in no mood to eat. Thinking of what happened in the hall, he felt angry.
He took a few bites and wanted to leave, but was stopped by Lu Enrui.
"Marquis Jing'an, please stay."
Zhou Zhili stopped and turned to look at Lu Enrui without much expression on his face.
"What are your orders, Third Prince?"
His tone was distant, and he totally didn't believe that this was his nephew.
Lu Enrui slowly walked up to Zhou Zhili and whispered, "Marquis Jing'an, don't worry too much. I have my reasons for doing this. And even if it weren't me, someone else would have come out to sabotage your plan. Since it's doomed to fail, wouldn't it be a good thing for you to help my mother regain her throne?"
Zhou Zhili sneered, "The Third Prince's words certainly make sense, but I was the last one to know about our relationship. Is it necessary to explain all this now?"
Lu Enrui frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Marquis Jing'an, be careful with your words. Do you really think that the emperor would support the conspiracy between those two worthless people from Prince Duan's uncle's family and you? What is Gu Ruanci's status? She can mobilize the entire sect to help her. You want her to go to Yahe, just for your own revenge, and let Dayao pay the price and bear the loss for you? Now you blame me for not warning you? What were you thinking when you ignored your own nephew and discussed it with outsiders instead?"
Zhou Zhili was shocked. What Lu Enrui had just said was something he had never thought of before.
Zhou Zhili took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "The Third Prince is right. I was shortsighted..."
Seeing this, Lu Enrui patted Zhou Zhili on the shoulder and said, "Uncle, in the eyes of the emperor, we are all in the same boat and should work together."
Zhou Zhili nodded: "Okay, I understand."
Although he still felt somewhat concerned, he also believed what Lu Enrui said. If he insisted on having Gu Ruanci marry, he might even be charged with treason.
He glanced at Lu Enrui, as if he wanted to say something, but held it back.
Lu Enrui seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly: "Uncle, don't worry. Now that my mother is back, although her position is not as high as before, she is still a person with a name and a title. We are still a family... However, you must also remember that if you have any actions in the future, it is best to discuss it with me first to avoid such misunderstandings."
Zhou Zhili nodded quickly: "Yes, I understand. I will definitely report this to the Third Prince first next time."
Lu Enrui nodded with satisfaction, then turned and left.
Zhou Zhili looked at his receding back, feeling mixed emotions.
The nephew whom he once wanted to protect and even pushed him to the throne has become such a stranger.
After scolding him harshly in the court and making him feel ashamed, he was given a sweet date at this time.
He couldn't understand the current situation.
When the Ye brothers came to find Zhou Zhili, he was still trying to calm himself down.
"Brother-in-law, are you okay?" Ye Cheng asked with concern.
Ye Chi also said: "Brother-in-law, don't mind it. After all, Concubine Rong has regained her place in the harem, which is a good thing. As for the rest, it is not what we should be thinking about now."
As expected, Ye Cheng is still insightful and can always see the difference when looking at problems.
Zhou Zhili nodded: "Fortunately, the Third Prince stepped forward, otherwise I would have gotten into such a big trouble..."
Ye Chi was very perceptive and he had already guessed Zhou Zhili's purpose.
"Brother-in-law, using this method to deal with Gu Ruanci is really not very smart. Such a precious girl, who has medical skills and sufficient prestige, is also the daughter of the Shouguo Mansion. If you let her go through a marriage, wouldn't that be the same as asking the Queen to give up Princess Hanyue?"
Zhou Zhili felt a little embarrassed: "I didn't think about these things at the time. I was only thinking about dealing with Gu Ruanci..."
Ye Chi sighed, "If she were easy to deal with, the Ye and Zhou families wouldn't have lost so many people... Wen Zimei played so many tricks behind the scenes, causing us heavy losses, and in the end, Gu Ruanci sent the sisters to hell with a single move... Brother-in-law, you should think about this now. If the Third Prince and Concubine Rong really turn against you, what will happen to Qinzhu in the future? I don't think the Third Prince's idea of giving Qinzhu to the Yamato people is fake..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
