SFS Chapter 234 Choosing the Crown Prince
Chapter 234 Choosing the Crown Prince
How could Lord Gao not hear the threat in Emperor Jing'an's words?
However, Emperor Jing'an seemed to be saying that he wanted to intervene, but couldn't.
Their attitude was completely open, even implying that if they insisted on marrying Princess Guangning to Shen Du, the Prince of Zhenbei would attack Northern Qi to save his own life.
To eliminate any future troubles, the Prince of Zhenbei will surely crush Northern Qi.
Now that things have come to this, how could Lord Gao not understand that Emperor Jing'an has abandoned Princess Yizhen?
He and the Prince of Zhenbei played opposite roles, one the good cop and the other the bad cop.
Lord Gao, looking disheartened, continued to probe: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten how you returned to the country back then..."
"Envoy Gao, you have repeatedly brought up my situation as a hostage in Northern Qi. Are you reminding me that I should not have allied with Northern Qi, but should instead take revenge for the humiliation I suffered back then?"
Emperor Jing'an's aura changed drastically, exuding the pressure of a superior. His sharp eyes looked at Minister Gao: "Yi Zhen died in Northern Qi. I think she wished more that my iron cavalry would crush Northern Qi and bring her back to Great Zhou."
Lord Gao's expression changed drastically, and his thoughts were immediately disrupted.
Emperor Jing'an sneered and flicked his sleeve, saying, "The Prince of Zhenbei's actions are exactly what I wanted. I should not punish him, but rather reward him handsomely."
Gao Daren was terrified and finally realized that in Emperor Jing'an's heart, the country was ultimately more important than anything else.
The Northern Qi emperor said that Emperor Jing'an was a man of great loyalty and righteousness. No matter who they chose as the marriage partner, even if Emperor Jing'an did not agree, he would agree to the marriage in order to protect Princess Yizhen's reputation and dignity.
Master Gao opened his mouth, wanting to add another chip.
Seeing the enraged Emperor Jing'an, it might backfire. Not only would it fail to achieve its goal, but it would also severely offend Emperor Jing'an.
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Lord Gao said, "The purpose of marriage between our two countries is to forge a strong bond and maintain friendly relations for generations. If the Prince of Zhenbei is unwilling to enter into this marriage, and we force Princess Guangning to marry Prince Shen, we will be creating enmity and going against our original intention."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing'an snorted coldly.
“Princess Guangning admires the handsome and talented Prince Shen, but now she cannot fulfill her wish.” Lord Gao said with regret, and continued, “I have a request: Princess Guangning may choose her own husband.”
At this point, he cupped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "I hope Your Majesty will grant me permission."
Emperor Jing'an stopped wasting words and said firmly, "Choose one of my two sons."
Knowing he had crossed Emperor Jing'an's line, Gao Daren dared not provoke him further, thanked the emperor for his grace, and withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Emperor Jing'an gazed intently at the departing figure of Lord Gao, then slowly turned and returned to his throne.
Eunuch Cao placed a cup of cold brew tea beside Emperor Jing'an, saying, "Your Majesty, please cool off in the summer heat."
Emperor Jing'an held a cup of tea, lifted the lid, and inhaled the fresh and natural aroma. He felt refreshed and his anger dissipated.
"Cao Chunxiang, who do you think Northern Qi will choose?"
“Both princes are of noble status and exceptional appearance, so it is reasonable for Princess Guangning to choose either of them.” Cao Chunxiang fanned Emperor Jing’an while speculating about Northern Qi: “It’s just that they did not choose one of the two princes, but instead chose Prince Shen, thus fulfilling Princess Guangning’s admiration.”
Emperor Jing'an took a small sip of tea and did not interrupt Eunuch Cao.
Eunuch Cao said with a double meaning, "Lord Gao said that the Emperor of Northern Qi dotes on Princess Guangning. This favored princess is bound to become arrogant and willful. If she is not satisfied, she will probably make a fuss."
Emperor Jing'an understood the meaning behind Eunuch Cao's words: he was using Princess Guangning to imply to the Northern Qi envoy that they would not give up easily if they did not achieve their goal.
Eunuch Cao chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, this is just my humble opinion."
Emperor Jing'an remained silent.
He had reached the age of fifty, and rumors were circulating in the court that a crown prince would be established.
The marriage alliance with Northern Qi is a good opportunity to test the princes.
-
Before dawn, the Prince of Zhenbei was about to lead his troops out of the city.
General Qi returned to the capital in triumph, bringing his troops with him. The Prince of Zhenbei was to lead an expedition to the northern border, and at the Emperor's behest, he selected this contingent of troops to go there.
After all, he only took a few subordinates with him when he returned to the capital; the other soldiers went back to Liangzhou with his deputy.
Before going to bed, Shen Qingtan specially made Dingsheng cake with the cook and put some dry food into her bundle.
My mother said that my father disliked parting the most and didn't like being seen off.
She knew very well that this was related to her getting lost, so she didn't deliver it herself, but instead handed it to the gatekeeper, who then passed it on to him as he left.
Even so, Shen Qingtan still got up early and stood with Zhao Yi on a path, watching the Prince of Zhenbei walk out of the darkness in his military uniform, like a sharp weapon drawn from its sheath, carrying an unstoppable and chilling aura.
He strode confidently from the main courtyard to the gate, each step firm and unwavering, never looking back.
Suddenly, he stopped when he reached the screen wall.
The Prince of Zhenbei tilted his head slightly in the direction of Shen Qingtan, and just as he was about to turn his face back, he suddenly took a step and walked around the screen wall.
Shen Qingtan tightened her fingers, knowing that his pause must have meant he had spotted them.
He wasn't wearing the deerskin boots she had given him, and he had a bundle slung over his shoulder.
She recognized it at a glance; it was the bundle she used to carry her deerskin boots.
Was he reluctant to wear it on his journey and specifically brought it to the North?
Thinking of this, Shen Qingtan felt a mix of emotions and stared blankly at the screen wall.
There was some distance between here and the gatehouse, and the evening breeze carried the gatehouse's voices over indistinctly.
"Your Highness, this is a bundle prepared for you by the Princess." The gatekeeper handed a bundle to the Prince of Zhenbei.
The Prince of Zhenbei took the bundle and smelled the fragrance of Dingsheng cake mixed with the sweet aroma of red bean paste. His grip on the bundle tightened, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged out.
He turned his head to look in the direction of Shen Qingtan, but a thick screen wall blocked his view of his daughter.
He could picture her hiding in the darkness, secretly delivering it to him.
It will definitely be the same as when I was a child.
The Prince of Zhenbei turned his head, opened the door, and strode out of the mansion.
With a loud bang, the heavy mansion gate slammed shut.
Hearing the dull thud of the door closing, Shen Qingtan stood still for a moment, preparing to call Zhao Yi back, when she saw the Princess Consort of Zhenbei walking out of the path that the Prince of Zhenbei had passed by.
"You two are here too." Princess Zhenbei held a handkerchief and wiped the water droplets from Shen Qingtan's hair, saying with a gentle smile, "He is so happy."
“When I was a child, I would see my father off every time he went to war. This time I’m home, so I should see him off.”
Shen Qingtan wanted to make the Prince of Zhenbei happy.
He said he didn't like parting and didn't want his family to see him off to war.
But she thought, he was hoping she would give it to him, wasn't he?
Princess Zhenbei felt a surge of warmth in her heart. The girl was thoughtful and considerate, even more so than the boys in her family.
If such a warm-hearted daughter had grown up by his side, I wonder how much he would have doted on her.
“It’s not even dawn yet. It’s chilly outside, and Yi’er is frail. You should all go back and get some more sleep.” Princess Zhenbei held Shen Qingtan’s hand, her small hand now as big as her own: “You grew up in the capital, so you must know a bit about the young ladies, right? I’m choosing good wives for your brothers, so give me some advice.”
"Alright." Shen Qingtan released Zhao Yi and took the arm of the Princess of Zhenbei. "Mother, Uncle Qin has helped me a lot. How about we invite his family to our mansion for dinner another day?"
After the Princess Consort of Zhenbei arrived in the capital, she learned about Shen Qingtan's life over the years and knew about Boss Qin.
He possesses the shrewdness and sophistication of a businessman, yet his family treats Manman with genuine affection.
“Alright.” Princess Zhenbei thought of the daughter in Boss Qin’s household, who had a good relationship with Shen Qingtan: “As soon as it’s light, I will send someone to deliver an invitation to the Qin family, inviting the three of them to come to our house for dinner.”
Shen Qingtan's little scheme was seen through, and she called out softly, "Mother~"
Princess Zhenbei's heart melted completely as she watched her unconsciously act coquettish.
She couldn't bear to let go of her daughter's hand until they reached the gate of the courtyard, cherishing their closeness.
This was something she had worked so hard for.