Shen Chang felt a cold sweat trickle down his forehead, cursing his father-in-law for really causing him trouble!
If his answer displeases His Majesty, wouldn't he be put on the hot seat?
He carefully chose his words, forcing a smile onto his face: "It is my son's honor that the princess has taken a liking to him. If Your Majesty intends to bestow a marriage upon him, then I will go back and have my family prepare the betrothal gifts so that the princess can enter the family in a grand and glorious manner."
Not only did they agree readily, but there was even a hint of groveling in their eyes.
Upon hearing this, everyone's lips twitched slightly, and a hint of disdain flashed in their eyes.
Although the emperor's decree is hard to disobey, Minister Shen's attitude of rushing to sell his son is really too spineless!
Although they might not necessarily be as tough as him even if they were in his place, that doesn't change the fact that everyone is now united in condemning him.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongde's expression was somewhat complicated, and at the same time, he became secretly wary.
If either of them shows the slightest reluctance, he will have the opportunity to lash out.
But the Xie and Shen families agreed too readily, which made him hesitant. He was already cautious and suspicious, and after the poisoning incident, he became even more paranoid and suspicious of everything.
He couldn't help but wonder if these two families had joined forces behind his back.
If the two families were truly in cahoots, with Yun An's limited intelligence, he wouldn't even realize he was being manipulated, let alone act as his informant!
If that's the case, wouldn't the fact that the Shen family married the princess indirectly embolden the Xie family?
The more Emperor Chongde thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. His gaze towards the two men became more suspicious. In his mind, these two families might have already conspired in advance, just waiting for him to fall into their trap!
His gaze shifted, and Emperor Chongde's lips curled into a perfunctory smile: "Very well, my princess always does whatever she wants, and I can't do anything about her! Let's not rush the marriage. I think it would be better to let the two young people get to know each other first. After all, it's a major life event, and we can't be too hasty."
Shen Chang was taken aback, his expression showing some surprise.
Everything was fine just now, why have you changed your mind now?
As expected, the emperor's heart is unfathomable.
Even so, he dared not show any dissatisfaction and had to respectfully agree: "Then let's do as Your Majesty wishes."
Grand Tutor Xie glanced at him with an inscrutable expression, his eyes holding an unreadable meaning.
He knew Shen Chang's character perfectly well, and it could be said that the other party's reaction was entirely within his expectations.
Emperor Chongde's thoughts are easy to fathom. He cannot tolerate disobedience, but if you go along with him too much, his suspicious nature will make him hesitate and look back.
Grand Tutor Xie sighed inwardly. This was all he could do. Whether that boy, Aci, could survive this ordeal depended on his own fate!
...
"In your opinion, what is His Majesty's intention in doing this?"
The Empress's expression was cold and stern, her brows tightly furrowed. As Shen Ci's aunt, she didn't want him to marry Yun An either.
Like mother, like daughter. Yun'an and Consort Li are cut from the same cloth; they are both troublemakers. If they were to let her marry into the Shen family, the Shen family would never have peace!
However, she could not directly intervene in this matter. Although she had taken care of him tirelessly because of the poisoning, and His Majesty had become much closer to her, this was only a superficial phenomenon.
If she gets involved, does she represent the Shen family's stance or the Xie family's stance?
No matter whose house it was, it was not something the emperor would be happy to see.
The Empress could only act indirectly, such as making Consort Li, who was in the Cold Palace, suffer.
Yan Huai sat in front of the chessboard and slowly picked up a black piece: "In my opinion, Father Emperor's intention is not what it seems, but rather the Xie family."
The Empress's eyes darkened: "The Xie family? You mean, he's forcing the Xie family to take action?"
“That’s right.” Yan Huai raised his eyes slightly, his tone ambiguous. “Haste makes waste, and mistakes give us an excuse to take action against the Xie family. Unless… the Xie family is ruthless enough to abandon Aci.”
However, this would break the relationship between the Xie family and the Shen family, which is exactly what Emperor Chongde wanted to see.
“Grandfather is a smart man. For the sake of the entire Xie family, he won’t get involved in this mess.” Yan Huai sighed. “In that case, we can only look to Aci.”
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