Halfway through dinner, Chen Yan couldn't help but turn back, ready to ask Fang Shan for clarification.
"Who should I choose as my concubine..." Hearing his question, Fang Shan tapped his fingers on his leg twice and smiled slowly: "What do you think, General?"
The possibility of a corrupted harem has been a concern for every emperor since ancient times. Eunuchs were castrated to prevent this possibility. Cuckolding isn't the worst thing to worry about; the worst is the disruption of the royal bloodline.
"Even if you and the Crown Prince have deep interests entangled, if you have any thoughts on this matter, I'm afraid His Highness will not tolerate you."
Fang Shan said meaningfully, "Don't be so confident."
Chen Yan was always cautious in the court and didn't want to be dragged into this matter. He sat down in front of him and said in an extremely cold tone: "Why do you think the prince will definitely protect you?"
Fang Shan said firmly: "Because he loves me."
“…”
Just five words ended the conversation.
Chen Yan sincerely longed to return to the battlefield, feeling that if he continued to stay with Doctor Zhang, he would either be driven crazy or assimilated.
"Good things are coming." Fang Shan smiled before he left, drinking tea instead of wine: "I hope the general and I can get the results we want."
Chen Yan paused slightly and left quickly.
·
"By the Will of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Chen Yan's sister, Chen Liuliu, is gentle, kind, virtuous, and dignified, making her a suitable match for the Crown Prince..."
The marriage decree arrived faster than expected. The eunuch in charge of announcing the decree beamed with joy and said flatteringly, "Congratulations, General Chen."
Having a Crown Princess as a sister is a kind of protection. As long as Chen Yan doesn't go too far, he shouldn't end up with the bow hidden after the bird is killed.
From the moment he heard the first sentence, Chen Yan had been brainwashed by the words gentle and kind. There was no way he could listen to the imperial edict read out against his conscience, and even now he still felt a little dizzy.
After calculating the date, I suddenly felt that the timing of the imperial edict was very clever.
Emperor Chengyuan had indeed chosen the time carefully.
At this moment, he was accompanying the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace, discussing the matter of the arranged marriage.
"Why not wait a little longer?" The Queen Mother's eyelids had drooped slightly due to old age, but the shrewdness in them was greater than when she was young.
Now is not the most appropriate time to grant a marriage.
"It's too late." Emperor Chengyuan sighed, "The talent show is tomorrow. Chen Yan mentioned before that Chen Liuliu is interested in participating."
The Queen Mother's eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly made a choice between her own son and her grandson: "The child has grown up, and it's time for him to share his parents' worries."
Emperor Chengyuan knew that what he did was not right: "The Crown Prince is still young and has enough energy to accompany the Crown Princess in making trouble."
So far, apart from her great strength, there was nothing wrong with Chen Liuliu. However, Emperor Chengyuan felt that the girl was not simple and there was something off about her.
If I really enter the palace as a concubine, I might have a headache.
The Queen Mother's eyelids fluttered, and she changed the subject: "The Emperor used to come to pay his respects every three days, but he has been coming very frequently these past few days."
"Because I will be ill for a few days, I may not be able to come and pay my respects to you for a while."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Are you afraid that the Crown Prince will come looking for you?"
Emperor Chengyuan smiled and said nothing.
Everyone had underestimated Wei Sushen's mental endurance. After the imperial edict came down, he calmly lived a normal life, eating three meals a day on time, reading and painting to cultivate his sentiments. With his wedding just two weeks away, Emperor Chengyuan had lightened his burdens considerably, giving him more time.
The eunuch who was close to him had been paying close attention to Wei Sushen's every move. Only after he finished reading the last page did he dare to speak: "Your Highness, regarding the betrothal gift..."
"I will prepare it myself."
The young eunuch tried his best to suppress his shock and put on a shy smile: "Your Highness is truly thoughtful. Miss Chen is very lucky."
There was a rumor in the palace that the prince did not like Chen Liuliu and was forced into marriage. Now it seems that the rumor is not true.
When a girl from a good family got married, the betrothal gifts were carried in boxes, which was enough to make others envious. However, General Chen's sister soon broke this record.
Cart after cart of betrothal gifts were transported to the general's mansion like flowing water. The boxes on top were piled very high, and even if they were tied with hemp ropes, they looked shaky.
"As expected of a general's sister marrying off!"
"I've never heard of a princess receiving such a large betrothal gift."
“It’s an eye-opener!”
No matter how low-key Chen Yan was, he became the focus of attention in the entire capital under the bombardment of such desperate betrothal gifts.
"After a while, I guess all the women in the world will envy you."
Looking at Fang Shan who was taking a nap with his legs crossed under the flower stand in an untidy manner, Chen Yan frowned and said.
Fang Shan: "Are you envious of a man?"
"..." Chen Yan shook his head and casually opened one or two boxes, his eyes showing surprise: "The prince is really generous."
This box alone is filled with red corals, which are translucent and shiny, and you can tell at a glance that they are top-quality goods.
Fang Shan took a quick look and turned his head away without any interest. He opened several boxes and found that they contained either jewelry, jade, gemstones, calligraphy and paintings.
Chen Yan looked at his expression and knew that he was dissatisfied: "Don't like it?"
Fang Shan said disappointedly, "No wine."
Chen Yan: "Any item in the box is much more valuable than the wine."
"No matter how precious it is, it's just a toy in someone else's hands. But once you drink the wine, it becomes yours. Besides..." Fang Shan suddenly looked at him, "Drinking gives you courage."
Chen Yan prayed from the bottom of his heart that Doctor Zhang could get married as soon as possible, because he strangely felt that there was some truth in what he said.
——This is a precursor to assimilation.
Fang Shan pursed his lips and asked without warning, "If I did something to the Crown Prince while drunk on our wedding night, would I be forgiven?"
Chen Yan said expressionlessly, "Don't commit murder on your wedding night."
"Think about it another way," Fang Shan said lazily as he lay back in the rocking chair, "If I get drunk, will the prince take the opportunity to do something to me?"
Chen Yan said without thinking: "Don't think too much, you are absolutely safe."
Fang Shan said "Oh", tilted his head, and fell asleep to continue daydreaming.
Chen Yan ordered someone to carry the box inside. As soon as there was a movement, Fang Shan stood up straight as if resurrected from the dead: "Give me paper and pen."
"do what?"
Fang Shan: "Just a token of my longing for you."
Chen Yan cooperated very well and took out paper and pen.
Fang Shan smoothed the paper and was about to put pen to paper when his suspicious gaze lingered on Chen Yan: "Why didn't you stop me?"
Chen Yan: "It's a good thing that you can focus your attention on the prince."
After saying this, he walked away.
He picked up the pen and wrote two seductive love poems, which made his teeth ache. Fang Shan crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it aside, thinking that he should continue to sleep to pass the time.
He could get rid of all his worries with a good sleep, but things in the outside world were happening one after another.
When Fang Shan opened his eyes again, the moon was already dim and the stars were sparse. A tall figure could be vaguely seen not far away.
"General." Fang Shan called out tentatively.
Chen Yan turned around, his handsome outline blurred by the night.
Fang Shan: "Why are you here again?"
Chen Yan looked at him and said something without any context, "Concubine Li has a younger sister."
Fang Shan was puzzled: "So?"
Chen Yan: "Concubine Li's sister fell into the water in the palace today and was rescued by the Crown Prince."
Fang Shan waved his hand and completed the story: "She repays the favor of saving her life with her body. Moreover, the prince has touched her body. If she happened to be in disarray when she was rescued, it would be even more perfect."
Chen Yan nodded, seeing that his expression was normal, "Not angry?"
Fang Shan shook his head: "Why did Concubine Li's sister enter the palace?"
Chen Yan: "It is normal for a pregnant concubine to summon people from her mother's family to accompany her in the palace."
Fang Shan stood up and stretched his arms: "That's really a coincidence."
Chen Yan sneered: "I'm just trying to fool you."
If the crown prince marries the general's sister, his position in the Eastern Palace will definitely be more secure. Concubine Li has no choice but to try to alienate the crown prince and the future crown princess.
"That's a pretty good method," Fang Shan commented. "With the prince's wedding imminent, and a beautiful woman suddenly appearing by his side, any normal woman would definitely feel resentful."
Chen Yan: "What are you going to do?"
Fang Shan: "What does Concubine Li's sister look like?"
Chen Yan: "Before you appeared, she was known as the most beautiful woman in the capital."
Fang Shan liked this prefix and said in a good mood, "Of course the beauty must be kept for the prince. Prepare more jewelry. Tomorrow I will wear gold and silver and go to the palace to meet her."
Chen Yan reminded: "It is not appropriate for the two parties to meet before marriage."
Fang Shan shrugged. "It's just not appropriate. There's no explicit rule about it. Besides, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Chance?"
Fang Shan nodded: "I can take this opportunity to make trouble and denounce the prince as heartless and ungrateful."
“…”
There was no such thing as "talk" in Fang Shan's dictionary. Before dawn the next day, he put on his specially selected "battle suit", and his little face looked even whiter against the red background.
Even though he repeatedly emphasized in his mind that this was a man, Chen Yan had to admit that the other party did have the capital to seduce people.
Fang Shan stood on the carriage and stretched out his hand to Chen Yan: "Brother, help me."
To anyone who looks at her, she is a fragile flower.
Chen Yan, dressed in court robes today, looked dashing and heroic, attracting the attention of many passersby. With the lowering of the carriage curtain, these glances were blocked.
As soon as Fang Shan got on the car, her image as a weak woman disappeared instantly, and she took a cushion and used it as a pillow behind her.
Chen Yan's eyelids twitched: "Sit up straight."
Fang Shan: "If someone shoots an arrow from behind, having a cushion can cushion the attack."
Chen Yan: "It's broad daylight, don't think too much."
Fang Shan glanced at him and added another cushion for himself.
Chen Yan didn't think anything of it at first, but after he said that, he couldn't help but think more about it. Finally, he straightened his back unconsciously and moved a little further away from the car wall.
Fang Shan: "Besides saving a beautiful woman, how has the prince been lately?"
"Everything is normal." Chen Yan said, "But I heard that His Highness seems to be more picky than before. I met him a few days ago. Although he concealed it well, he still showed a hint of anxiety."
Fang Shan propped up his head and murmured, "Sure enough, I'm still suffering from pre-marital phobia."
This was the first time Chen Yan encountered this word and he felt puzzled.
Fang Shan suddenly tilted his head and asked, "Do you think the prince will run away from his marriage?"
Chen Yan rubbed his brows and said, "Your Highness is the crown prince and will not act rashly."
As they were talking, the carriage had already stopped outside the palace wall.
Fang Shan was helped out of the car. He deliberately opened his eyes wide in the direction of the wind, and soon his eyes became red.
"Let's go." Fang Shan said softly to Chen Yan, "Follow me to meet Concubine Li's sister."
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