Chapter 58 Concubine Ning is slapping the Emperor in the face
After Concubine Ning finished speaking, she looked at the Gu family with a friendly smile.
Zhuang Hefeng's anger was immediately ignited, but in front of the emperor and the empress, she couldn't get angry directly.
Gu Congyun was also thinking that this woman was simply sick.
Now that Ruanci and the Zhou family have had such a big fight, she actually wants to use this method to make everyone a family again.
"So the emperor summoned me into the palace for this matter."
Gu Congyun felt uncomfortable and spoke with some emotion.
The emperor knew that he was in the wrong. Concubine Ning had not explained herself clearly before. She only said that she had thought of a way to mediate the conflict between Gu Ruanci and the Zhou family. This would just ease the relationship between the Zhou and Gu families and would also help stabilize the court. He was not aware of it for a moment and followed her wishes to summon the person into the palace.
After hearing what Concubine Ning said just now, he closed his eyes, knowing that it would definitely anger the Gu couple.
Empress Li also sighed and said, "Ning Fei, I have said something similar before. The Duke's wife said it at the time. Soft words have just returned, and we should keep her for a few more years."
A smart person would definitely understand her hint and should retreat when faced with difficulties.
Lu Enrui remained silent, watching his mother help him charge into battle.
Although Lu Enyou didn't move, he knew what was going on.
This is probably my third brother's own idea. Concubine Ning must have other purposes.
"It's just an engagement now, not an immediate wedding. After all, Enrui still has two years to go before she reaches adulthood, and Ruanci will be eighteen by then, which is the right age for a woman to marry..."
Concubine Ning pretended not to understand and added another sentence that was even more demanding.
Zhuang Hefeng couldn't hold it in any longer and spoke directly, "Empress Ning should be aware of the conflict between Ruanci and the Zhou family. If the old lady of the Jing'an Marquisate went from being her grandmother who forced her mother away to being her husband's grandmother, would she be able to accept it? Empress Ning keeps saying that she's been thinking about her all these years, so why didn't she do anything back then? Now that she knows Ruanci no longer wants anything to do with the Zhou family, why is she still promoting this relationship?"
She had tried her best to remain calm. If it weren't for giving face to the Emperor and the Empress, she would have probably turned the table over.
"Now that she is our Gu family's daughter, please give up your inappropriate thoughts. Our Gu family's daughter will have no trouble finding a husband, so there is no need to rush to help us find a husband."
Concubine Ning was not surprised, as they would definitely object.
However, she was not discouraged. Instead, she said, "I understand that Ruanci is indeed the daughter of the Gu family, but she was born from my sister-in-law's womb after all. Madam Guogong doesn't know that my sister-in-law and I were betrothed to each other. Before Ruanci was born, we had already agreed that if she gave birth to a daughter, she would be my son's principal wife in the future."
"Then, Madam, did you make a promise with my mother that if your brother ever betrays her, you would remain silent and not ask any questions?"
Gu Ruanci had already seen the attitudes of the Emperor and the Empress, and it didn't matter how they rejected Concubine Ning.
Concubine Ning was stunned. She didn't expect Gu Ruanci to speak at this time.
She suppressed her anger and took out a jade pendant from her sleeve.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Lord Duke, and Lady Duke, please look! This is the token of our engagement. This jade pendant is a pair with the one Ruanci wears. Seeing Ruanci still wearing it today, I know that although my sister-in-law left the Zhou family, she didn't forget her promise. Otherwise, Ruanci would have thrown the jade pendant far away... After all, in my sister-in-law's heart, Ruanci is still a member of the Zhou family."
The Emperor and the Empress were even more embarrassed. They could already feel the low pressure brought by Gu Congyun and Zhuang Hefeng sitting beside them.
"Now that He Sheng is gone, you can still make up whatever you want about what happened back then."
Zhuang Hefeng stood up. She firmly disagreed with this marriage, absolutely not.
Gu Ruanci walked over and took her arm to support her.
"My mother said that when the Empress still needed her sister-in-law's help, she did give you a jade pendant that looked very similar to her own. However, you probably didn't know that the jade pendant was not a pair with my mother's. The other one was in Zhou Zhili's hand, and later appeared in the possession of five-year-old Zhou Qinzhu."
"If Your Majesty believes that the jade pendant is a betrothal, then Your Majesty must have remembered it wrongly. The one you were betrothed to is Ye Lanxin, the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an."
"If Your Majesty had been that close to Ye Lanxin before Zhou Qinzhu was born, Your Majesty would have been too embarrassed to see my mother back then."
"As for this marriage, Your Majesty should discuss it with Ye Lanxin."
Gu Ruanci knew that Concubine Ning might not believe it, so she took off the jade pendant in front of everyone and asked the eunuch to hand it to the emperor.
The emperor took it, looked at it carefully, and winked at Concubine Ning.
Concubine Ning did not dare to delay and handed over the jade pendant in her hand, but she was already feeling very guilty.
"Except for the shape, how are they the same?" After the emperor looked at the two jade pendants, he saw the problem at a glance.
Gu Ruanci helped answer the question, "Your Majesty, the jade pendant in this servant's hand was passed down to my mother by my grandmother, and then passed to me before she died. She also said that Zhou Zhili once asked her for this jade pendant, but my mother refused. Instead, she chose a pair of jade pendants from her dowry and gave one to him... As for the other, she gave it to Concubine Ning."
After hearing this, Concubine Ning's expression finally changed.
"That's impossible. Maybe your mother regretted it and made up this story."
"Concubine Ning!"
The emperor suddenly roared, and Concubine Ning's legs went limp and she knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me..."
Lu Enrui, who had been pursing his lips in the hope that his mother would hold on to the end, also knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Mother is doing this for me. I am in love with the Princess Chaoyang and came to her for help."
Queen Li looked at Concubine Ning who was kneeling on the ground and did not speak up to help.
She was kept in the dark, cooperated with Concubine Ning in summoning Gu Congyun and Zhuang Hefeng to the palace, and then sat here listening to her ridiculous proposal. She already felt that she was very sorry for the Gu family. How could she make excuses for her in front of the Gu family?
Before the emperor could get angry at Lu Enrui, Gu Ruanci said, "The Third Prince asked to marry me to save your grandmother, right?"
Lu Enrui was stunned, looking at Gu Ruanci with eyes full of confusion.
After that, he came to his senses and said, "The county lady is really smart. Father, filial piety comes first among all virtues. I have seen my mother crying all day long because of my grandmother, so I have evil thoughts. If I can get engaged to the county lady Chaoyang, then we will be a family. The county lady Chaoyang will definitely be willing to give the bezoar to my grandmother and will also help persuade the little medical fairy to see a doctor. My intentions are not pure, so please punish me..."
Gu Congyun couldn't bear to listen any longer, so he stood up and asked, "What do you think of my daughter?"
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