SFS Chapter 280 Forced Marriage
Chapter 280 Forced Marriage
"Princess Ning'an, no need to be polite!" Emperor Jingzhao suppressed his discomfort and asked Qin Ruo to forgive him.
As soon as Qin Ruo stood up, the heaviness in Emperor Jing Zhao's body suddenly lightened and his headache went away.
Thinking of what the national teacher said not long ago, looking at the calm-looking woman in the audience, he suddenly felt his heart pounding.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Your Majesty is determined to let Ning An marry into the family of Nanyue or Xiliang?" Qin Ruo asked Emperor Jing Zhao bluntly without any fear in her eyes.
Those who had some friendship with Qin Ruo were all worried for her.
Lu Jingheng and Lin Wanning's faces became visibly tense.
Lin Wanning cast a pleading look at the Zhongyuan couple, and the meaning was very clear. She wanted the Zhongyuan couple to say something to Qin Ruo.
Earl Zhongyuan made a gesture to Lin Wanning to calm down. Lin Wanning could only suppress her uneasiness and secretly pray that Qin Ruo would be alright.
The Shen family's father and sons looked at each other and were full of disappointment towards Emperor Jing Zhao.
Shen Junye and Old Marquis Shen wanted to stand up, but were pulled back by Shen Junling, who shook his head at him imperceptibly.
Qin Ruo was not a person who would sit and wait for death. He was afraid that if his father and elder brother stood up at this moment, it would backfire.
"Let's wait and see." Shen Junling said in a low voice.
Old Madam Xie, who had remained silent, looked at Emperor Jing Zhao with a dark gleam in her eyes.
She slowly stood up, bowed slightly to Emperor Jing Zhao, and swept her eyes around the field.
"Today is the Emperor's birthday. I don't want to spoil your fun, but since things have come to this, I have to say a few words to avoid further trouble. Princess Ning'an is my benefactor and a person who has made great contributions to the country. If it weren't for Princess Ning'an, how could the ten cities of Beirong be easily taken today? Princess Ning'an's marriage should be decided by her herself, instead of becoming a pawn in your struggle for power and profit."
"If I remember correctly, the late emperor had set a rule when he was alive that marriage should not be used as a political means unless it is absolutely necessary. Now that Dasheng is strong, why should we sacrifice the women of Dasheng? Princess Ning'an has served the country and deserves due respect and freedom."
Old Madam Xie looked straight at Emperor Jing Zhao, and her words made the people below terrified.
The eldest princess has always been low-key. Even though she holds great power, she has always been fully courteous to Emperor Jing Zhao.
It was the first time that everyone saw the eldest princess, who was indifferent to worldly affairs, actually offend Emperor Jing Zhao in public because of Qin Ruohui.
"Imperial sister, you have not been to the capital for many years and I guess you don't understand the situation in the capital. The marriage between the two countries is related to the destiny of the two countries. Please don't interfere in this matter." Emperor Jing Zhao said in a calm tone, but he almost said it explicitly that the eldest princess was overreaching and meddling in the affairs of the previous dynasty.
The tension in these words suddenly made the atmosphere in the hall heavy.
Although the eldest princess and the emperor had a rift in their hearts because of old events, this was something everyone knew.
But the two had never been so openly at odds with each other as they were today.
"It is not allowed for the harem to interfere in politics, and I have never forgotten the rules. Does His Majesty think that I, the royal sister, am interfering in the affairs of the court? I am only telling the truth. The founding ancestor of Da Sheng, the empress, has instructed that Da Sheng will not cede land, marry princesses, or pay tribute. When did our Da Sheng's country and people fall to the point where it has to rely on marriages to maintain it?" Old Madam Xie met Emperor Jing Zhao's gaze with her back straight and a hint of sharpness in her turbid eyes.
When she was young, Madam Xie had also been to the battlefield. After retiring from the battlefield, she devoted herself to supporting Emperor Jing Zhao to ascend the throne.
The young emperor who was once full of passion and high spirits has long since died.
Like most emperors in history, he played power games, was sensitive, suspicious, and self-willed.
This emperor is getting worse and worse as he grows older.
As soon as Madam Xie said this, the air seemed to stagnate and the scene fell into a brief silence.
These words were equivalent to slapping Emperor Jing Zhao in the face in public.
Isn't that equivalent to saying that Emperor Jing Zhao was less capable than previous emperors?
Emperor Jing Zhao looked grim, with veins visible on his forehead.
He just couldn't understand it, even though he and the eldest princess were the closest people to each other.
In the past, the siblings were of one mind, but in the end, she embarrassed herself in public for an irrelevant and insignificant person.
Qin Ruo had no right to speak at this moment. She could only stand quietly in the middle of the hall and wait and see.
At this moment, Qin Ruo also truly felt the emperor's cold-bloodedness and the oppression of imperial power, but she had never been one to stand and take a beating.
Let her marry? Impossible!
"You are wrong, Princess Ning'an. As a member of the royal family, you are supported by the people, so you should share the country's worries. Moreover, marriage can avoid war and is also a means of cultural exchange with foreign countries, killing two birds with one stone. Marriage is a righteous act. Princess Ning'an must be a person who understands righteousness. She will not ignore the people of the world for her own selfish interests, right?"
The Imperial Censor was so righteous that he put the blame for the safety of the people of the world directly on Qin Ruo's head.
The person the Sixth Prince requested to marry was Qin Ruo. In order to prevent Qin Ruo from threatening his daughter's status in the future, he naturally wished that the Emperor would send Qin Ruo to marry.
Only if Qin Ruo stays away from the capital will the Sixth Prince give up that idea.
So the Imperial Censor couldn't wait to jump out and put the accusation on Qin Ruo.
If it works, that would be great.
Even if it fails, Qin Ruo will be accused of not caring about the lives of the people, thus arousing public anger.
The Chief Censor took the lead, and many ministers came forward to support him.
Those who stood up were basically civil officials, and there was almost no military general.
"You are all cowards, you have no blood. You are enjoying the splendor and wealth in the capital, but the hatred of your family and country, the prosperity and decline of your country, need a woman to shoulder it? If a woman really has this ability, let's find a temple and invite her to sit in it. You cowardly wastes, just go and worship."
Si Heng's words were extremely rude, but everyone knew his character and were no longer surprised.
"Ninth Prince, your words are too much. Your Majesty, please make the decision for this old minister."
"emperor……"
The civil servant who stood up and strongly suggested the marriage was scolded by Si Heng until his face turned red. He was so ashamed and annoyed that he could only ask the emperor for help.
"I remember that you all have daughters or granddaughters who are of marriageable age. Since you are so in favor of marriage, why not ask the Emperor to confer a title of princess on you and send her over? It will benefit the country anyway, and I believe that you all are reasonable people and will not be reluctant to let her go, right?"
Si Heng had no intention of letting these people go, and he had made a note of this matter.
He also remembered the face of the person who stood up to second the motion clearly; no one could escape.
It’s time for these parasites in the court to “live out their days in glory”.