Chapter 61 The Imperial Marriage Pei Lang He Luochen recovered from his shock and suppressed his emotions...
"Father, my elder sister is now a Noble Consort, why won't you ask the Emperor to grant me a marriage?"
"Pei Lang's concubine is due to give birth to the Pei family's eldest son in a few months! By then, it will be too late!"
Hearing his youngest daughter's voice, which was almost crying, He Xiang frowned impatiently: "You're not a child anymore, why can't you be more composed?"
"Even your sister, the Imperial Concubine, doesn't have connections to the highest levels of power!"
"Do you think Pei Lang is some pushover? He's a tough nut to crack, even your father can't handle him!"
Hearing her father's harsh words, He Luochen's eyes welled up with tears of grievance: "Then...then does that mean I really can't marry into the Pei family?"
He Xiang glanced at He Luochen with slight displeasure, and finally sighed: "How could your sister not think of you? She will bring this up at the palace banquet tonight."
"Is that really true!"
He Luochen tried her best to maintain her ladylike demeanor, but she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. He Xiang couldn't help but remind her, "But let me add one more thing, if Pei Lang doesn't agree, don't be impatient."
“Even if he doesn’t agree today, I have plenty of ways to make him agree.”
He Luochen agreed verbally, but he couldn't believe that anyone would dare to refuse the Emperor's bestowed marriage.
Feeling more confident, he even looked at Lin Zhi with a hint of provocation.
The sight of the two walking side by side, so well-matched, still deeply stung He Luochen. Looking at Lin Zhi's face, which hadn't changed much, and even seemed a bit softer because of her pregnancy.
With maternal love, He Luochen gently stroked her slightly protruding belly and carefully supported Pei Lang beside her. Her eyes almost blazed with anger.
As expected of a woman confined to the inner quarters, so narrow-minded!
Pei Lang is such a prestigious figure now, yet Lin Zhi, a mere concubine, has made him lose face in front of everyone!
If she were the legal wife of the Pei family, she would certainly not allow such a lowly woman to serve her husband!
"Is Azhi comfortable sitting like this? If not, I had Chuntao bring a cushion..."
Lin Zhi quickly grabbed Pei Lang's large hand and whispered to him, "No need, everyone is watching you."
Pei Lang straightened his back instead: "What's wrong with looking at me? You're going through so much hardship carrying my child, it's not shameful for your husband to take care of you."
"The banquet later will be all wine, and even the fruit wine won't suit your taste. Have someone change it to tea."
Seeing Pei Lang bustling around so attentively, Lin Zhi felt gratified but also uneasy. She had just seen He Luochen, and the noble lady seemed to have become even more elegant after not seeing her for several months.
Her appearance is better than before, her waist is more slender, and even her demeanor is more refined. But when she looked down at herself, her now bloated waist was nothing like before, and when she looked in the mirror this morning, she noticed the dark circles under her eyes, which even a light layer of makeup couldn't hide.
Lin Zhi lowered her disappointed eyes, but her heart was still unsettled.
The Empress was unwell, but it was clear to everyone that Consort Hui was currently enjoying great influence. The Empress was unwilling to attend with her, which would not only make her lose face but also embarrass the Emperor.
Seeing that Pei Lang was constantly paying attention to the concubine beside him, Xiao Ting withdrew his gaze and a cruel smile appeared on his lips.
"Today is a family banquet, so my beloved ministers need not stand on ceremony."
"Minister He, please take a seat quickly."
With his daughter pregnant with the emperor's child, Prime Minister He became radiant and sat down in the seat closest to the emperor, bowing respectfully.
The palace dances and songs were a feast for the eyes, but Lin Zhi watched them absentmindedly.
Noticing her distraction, Pei Lang squeezed her hand under the table. Lin Zhi looked at him in a daze, only to see a confident smile on Pei Lang's face: "A-Zhi, all I want is you."
Before Lin Zhi could even speak, Pei Lang strode up and walked into the hall, kneeling before Xiao Ting to beg for permission.
"The position of principal wife in my household is currently vacant. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission..."
Ouch!
Before Pei Lang could finish speaking, Consort Hui interrupted him.
Seeing He Luoyun clutching her stomach, Xiao Ting disregarded everything else and immediately became anxious: "My beloved concubine? What's wrong with you?"
He Luoyun smiled shyly and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be alarmed. I just spilled some water because my hand was shaking."
"It just so happens that Lord Pei brought up this matter, and I also have a favor to ask of you."
Seeing He Luoyun clutching her stomach and about to curtsy, Xiao Ting quickly frowned and helped her up: "My beloved consort is carrying the dragon child, why bother with this?"
"Just say what you have to say."
He Luoyun's gaze swept over Pei Lang and her sister, and she chuckled as she spoke, "My sister is not yet married, but she has long admired Lord Pei."
"Today, Lord Pei also said that his position as the principal wife is vacant. Does Your Majesty not think this is a coincidence of fate?"
"Wouldn't it be a pity if such a well-matched couple couldn't be together?"
Pei Lang's expression turned cold. He frowned and looked up, only to see Xiao Ting deep in thought.
He turned his head to look at the astonished and bewildered Lin Zhi, frowned, and continued, "Your Majesty, that was not what I meant..."
"Your Highness is absolutely right. I also think that Lord Pei and Miss He are a perfect match."
The princess rarely speaks. The emperor's mother died early, and now the princess is his only elder.
Upon hearing the princess's words, the hall, which had been filled with clinking glasses and lively conversation, fell into complete silence.
Half of the people thought they were a good match, while the other half worried that a marriage between the Pei and He families would be a powerful alliance.
But no one dared to utter a word in front of the Emperor.
It was rare for Xiao Ting to hear his aunt, the princess, speak up, so he naturally had to give her face and chuckled as he first told Pei Lang to get up.
"My dear minister, you are truly honored, for the princess and the imperial concubine are both thinking of you."
"Since that's the case, Miss He is also a good match, so let's betroth her to Pei Qing as his principal wife."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Before He Luochen could react, his actions were faster than his mind, and he stepped forward to express his gratitude.
Although Prime Minister He frowned, feeling that his daughter lacked restraint, he didn't say anything.
Compared to He Luochen, who was kneeling beside him to express his gratitude, Pei Lang, standing tall and slender, became even more conspicuous.
"Your humble servant is unwilling!"
The four resounding words caused the officials to gasp in surprise. How dare Chief Minister Pei be so presumptuous as to refuse the marriage right in front of the Emperor!
Lin Zhi unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt, even her breathing became soft, her mind in turmoil.
Xiao Ting slowly wiped the smile off his face, but did not react: "Why is Pei Qing so resistant?"
"The position of principal wife is vacant, and you were the one who brought it up first, so why bother?"
But Pei Lang knelt down firmly: "It is true that the position of my principal wife is vacant, but I have no intention of marrying Miss He."
"My concubine, Lin Zhi, is now pregnant and is the love of my heart."
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you grant Lin Zhi the title of Empress, thus restoring her to her rightful place!"
For a moment, Lin Zhi felt as if she were being stared at from all directions, and she felt completely lost.
Promoting a concubine to the rank of principal wife was originally an unspoken agreement among everyone. If it was done in private, no one would say anything to her face. At most, they would mutter behind her back that this person had ruined their own path to advancement.
But Pei Lang's actions—not only to elevate the concubine to the status of official wife, but also to demand an imperial decree to openly and legitimately elevate her to the status of official wife—are simply unheard of!
Pei Lang's words were clear and unambiguous, yet they caused the last vestige of reassurance on Xiao Ting's face to vanish.
"Pei Qing, do you know what you're saying?"
"Your concubine is nothing more than a lowly orphan. If you were to sit in the position of the Grand Secretary's wife, have you ever considered how others would view you? How would they view me?"
Pei Lang knelt even more resolutely, pleading, "Your Majesty, I beg you to grant my request!"
Left out in the cold, He Luochen felt her face burning, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground. She glared at Pei Lang with resentment, all the goodwill she had felt for him now turning into anger.
The atmosphere in the hall was tense. Minister He frowned, stepped forward, and bowed slightly: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. This old minister is old and has completely forgotten the etiquette and hierarchy of this world."
"Not to mention that this concubine is of low status, the fact that she has no father or mother makes it impossible to explain her background."
"They say their surname is Lin, but the world is vast and far away, who can prove that this person's identity is true?"
Prime Minister He sighed, feigning kindness: "Lord Pei is all-powerful, yet still young and impetuous. It's not surprising that he's bewitched by a beauty. But even so, this woman has no relatives or friends. It's fine if she's a concubine, but if she's made the principal wife and entered into the Pei family genealogy, wouldn't that bring shame to the Pei family's ancestors?"
He Xiang knelt down with difficulty, his thin body hunched over, which made Xiao Ting frown: "He Xiang, please get up quickly."
However, Prime Minister He still kowtowed and bowed before slowly speaking: "Your Majesty, not to mention the loyalty and bravery of the Pei family ancestors, even Lord Pei Xuan and Pei Mingli, the second son of the Pei family, were people who served Your Majesty with all their heart."
"If we were to elevate such a woman of dubious origin to the position of official, wouldn't that disturb the peace of loyal ministers in the afterlife?"
As soon as Prime Minister He spoke, all the civil officials who had benefited from his patronage knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Lin Zhi trembled uncontrollably, her whole body chilled.
In just a few words, she was branded as a woman of dubious origin and a seductive vixen. She found He Xiang laughable, and herself even more laughable.
Knowing full well their lowly status, they still coveted things that didn't belong to them.
Seeing the large group of people kneeling in the dark, Xiao Ting narrowed his eyes, a dark glint flashing across them, but he personally helped He Xiang to his feet in a relaxed tone.
"I'm afraid Pei Qing is also drunk today and has lost his mind in his excitement."
"The matter of the arranged marriage has been settled, so there is no need to say anything more."
Xiao Ting offered a way out, but Pei Lang kowtowed so hard that his forehead bled before he stopped: "I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree! Grant my request!"
Once is never enough. Xiao Ting stopped in his tracks, slowly walking towards Pei Lang in his black boots with gold dragon patterns, his face grim.
"Pei Lang, how dare you!"
"Are you threatening me in the imperial court?"
Although Pei Lang was kneeling, he kept his back straight and refused to back down: "I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree!"
Before he could finish speaking, with a "whoosh," Xiao Ting drew the longsword of a palace guard and pressed it against Pei Lang's neck, his voice cold and deep: "Pei Lang has shown no respect for hierarchy in the palace. He is to be confined to his residence for half a month and is not allowed to attend court!"
"If you say another word, I will not show any mercy."
Seeing that Pei Lang was about to speak, Lin Zhi was so frightened that she almost tripped over the hem of her skirt and rushed forward to block Pei Lang.
"We beg Your Majesty for mercy!"
Xiao Ting turned and left, leaving behind only the instruction to wait in the mansion for the imperial decree to grant them marriage.
Watching the Imperial Guards enter the hall and drag Pei Lang out, Lin Zhi wiped away her tears, gritted her teeth, and tried to follow them out, but was stopped by someone.
"The concubine must be a sensible person."
He Luochen regained his composure, suppressed his anger and jealousy, walked to Lin Zhi's side and chuckled softly.
"Some things can be fought for, but some things you can never win in your lifetime."
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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for supporting the official version! [heart emoji] My contemporary romance novel, "Seduction Trap," is a story of an ordinary girl's revenge, where her nemesis becomes her online girlfriend! Thank you for adding it to your favorites! [please] [pat on the head emoji]
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