bayedsolid Chapter 179 Fighting
Chapter 179 Fighting
Prince Duan: "Mother, please don't say any more. Zisu hasn't agreed to marry me yet!"
Consort Qin looked at Zisu with eager eyes and said, "Just agree, hurry up and agree to him. I can guarantee that when you go to the Prince's Mansion, I will definitely not be a wicked mother-in-law!"
Hearing her say this, even Madam Yu was moved and looked at her daughter with eager eyes: "Zisu, Prince Duan is a good man, why don't you agree to his request!"
Zisu remained firm: "I'm only fifteen, I'm not in a hurry!"
Consort Qin was on the verge of tears: "Oh dear, Princess, with so many betrothal gifts, everyone in the capital probably knows about it. At this critical juncture, you want us to bring the betrothal gifts back again? I'll lose all face!"
Zisu: "Isn't the house next door the Prince's? You don't need to move these betrothal gifts back to the Prince's mansion; just leave them in the house next door! Your Highness, please don't blame me for being heartless; it's just that no one else sent the betrothal gifts on the day of the marriage proposal! If I accept these betrothal gifts today, people will think I'm incredibly greedy!"
I don't want to bear this bad reputation, and I'm sure you wouldn't want a daughter-in-law with such a bad reputation either. Therefore, regardless of whether I accept the proposal or not, you must move these betrothal gifts out today; they cannot remain in the General's mansion!
Hearing this, Madam Yu couldn't help but slap her thigh: "Oh dear, yes, yes! I forgot, no one would send betrothal gifts on the day of the marriage proposal! Marriage is a serious matter, and it has to be done step by step. If we accept your betrothal gifts today, it will seem as if my daughter is so eager to get married, which will not sound good for her reputation!"
Shangguan Mufeng also realized: "Yes, Your Highness, Zisu and her mother are right! I think we should move the betrothal gifts to the prince's house next door. That way, it won't have much of an impact! If you really mind, we can move them after dark! Some of the lighter items can be moved over the wall!"
Prince Duan nodded helplessly: "Since that's the case, then we'll respectfully comply and move it over the wall! Please wait a moment while I have the guards set up the ladder next door and move a few tables to the base of the wall!"
Almost every item in the betrothal gifts was a precious treasure, and it would be heartbreaking to see any of them damaged.
Zisu: "Wait a minute. Valuable and large items must exit through the main gate of the General's Mansion. Otherwise, anyone would assume I've accepted these betrothal gifts!"
She wasn't actually worried about gossip or damage to her reputation; rather, she didn't want to agree to the proposal from Consort Qin. In the past, Consort Qin had so slandered and looked down on her. Even now, she still harbored resentment and felt deeply unhappy. If she easily agreed to the marriage proposal today, and later married into the royal family, Consort Qin would surely use this incident to humiliate her again!
She knew this Consort Qin to some extent; she was a woman who couldn't be spoiled. Once she was treated well, Consort Qin's heart would become restless, and who knew when she would cause some trouble.
From the very beginning, she didn't want to leave any room for criticism.
Besides, she hadn't decided to marry Prince Duan yet! Although he moved her deeply and made her heart flutter, having lived two lives, she was no longer the romantic young girl she once was! With a very mature soul, she had a deep sense of wariness towards men. She needed to observe him for a while longer to see if this man was truly worthy of her entrusting her life to!
Prince Duan said considerately, "Alright, since you have concerns, let's move all these betrothal gifts out the main gate!"
To be honest, as Prince Duan, he didn't care about what outsiders said. If it weren't for his mother's objections, he wouldn't have objected to moving openly from Da Bai Tiantang to the neighboring Qin Yuan, or even if Zi Su requested to move all the way back to the Prince's residence from the capital.
So, the betrothal gifts, carried in about two hundred loads, were moved back to the neighboring Qin Garden under the bright sunlight. The neighbors all peeked around, and everyone learned that the prince's marriage proposal had been rejected.
The news reached the Emperor in less than half an hour.
The Emperor shook his head and sighed, "Alas, this brat! He's so good at fighting, how come he hasn't managed to win over a woman after all this time? Alas, this won't do. My health isn't good, and I might pass away any day now. Before I go, I must see this brat get married! Otherwise, I won't be able to face my brothers in the afterlife!"
The next morning, Zisu was summoned to the palace by imperial decree to meet the emperor.
This wasn't Zisu's first time entering the palace. Years ago, when she was granted the title of Princess of Yulin, she had visited the Empress. However, that time she was accompanied by the Eldest Princess, and the Empress was a very kind person. This time, she was entering the palace alone, again to see the Emperor, the Emperor who was extremely protective of Prince Duan.
Her feelings were complicated and she was also uneasy.
Why did the Emperor summon her?
The Emperor received her in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Upon entering, she didn't dare look him in the eye. Just yesterday, she had rejected Prince Duan's marriage proposal. Therefore, at this moment, facing the Emperor, she felt a little guilty.
Her intuition told her that the Emperor had summoned her because of yesterday's events. How would this emperor, so fiercely protective of Prince Duan, treat her?
As Zisu thought this, she knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, this humble woman greets you! Long live the Emperor!"
The Emperor said kindly, "Rise!"
Zisu quickly stood up, still not daring to look at the Emperor's face, only noticing the hem of the yellow dragon robe.
Seeing her like this, the Emperor nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself: Hmm, very good! She is a well-mannered girl, and judging from her figure, she is also a healthy girl.
His tone became even more amiable: "Raise your head and let me see what this girl that Hao'er likes so much looks like!"
Zisu dared not disobey the imperial decree, so she quickly raised her head, met the emperor's gaze, and then lowered her eyes slightly.
The Emperor praised, "Hmm, you are indeed very beautiful. From your eyes, I can see that you are a kind, simple, intelligent, and wise girl! Very good, excellent. No wonder Hao'er has fallen for you! Excellent, excellent. With such a wonderful girl like you by his side, I can rest assured in the future!"
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty," Zisu said respectfully.
The Emperor said, "Hao'er is a fine young man, so please agree to his marriage! Otherwise, I will have to bestow a marriage upon him! I don't have much time left, and I want to see him get married, otherwise, I won't be able to leave in peace!"
Zisu nodded helplessly: "Alright, I understand."
The Emperor said, “Now that you’ve entered the palace, go and see the Empress. Have a good talk with her! In the future, the Crown Prince will need Hao’er’s support and care, and the Empress will also need your comfort and guidance!”
Zisu: "Yes, Your Majesty."
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zisu went to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
The Empress had already received the Emperor's decree that Zisu would be coming to the palace and visiting her at Kunning Palace, so she waited at the entrance to greet her.
She had to curry favor with Shangguan Zisu. After the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would need the support of Prince Duan and Shangguan Mufeng, the Minister of War. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for him to secure his position on the throne.
Zisu was very surprised that the Empress would be waiting at the door. She quickened her pace and came to the Empress. She immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject, Shangguan Zisu, greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
The Empress quickly helped her up, saying, "Yulin, please rise. In the future, you need not perform this kneeling ceremony when you see me!"
Zisu: "Your Majesty, the rules must not be disregarded!"
"Good child, you must be tired from your journey. Come in quickly with me, I've prepared your favorite Biluochun tea!" the Empress said kindly.
Zisu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "Hmm, this tea is excellent, truly top-grade!"
Empress: "If Yulin likes them, take a few boxes back with you today!"
Zisu: "Then thank you, Your Majesty!"
Empress: "I heard that Prince Duan proposed to you yesterday?"
Zisu: "Yes, Your Majesty!" What, even the Empress is getting involved?
Empress: "I heard you didn't agree to his proposal, so the betrothal gifts have been sent out of the General's Mansion again!"
Zisu: "Yes, it just so happens that the Prince Duan's residence is right next door, so let's move the betrothal gifts next door!"
The Empress said, "Yulin, just agree to his proposal! Otherwise, the Emperor will bestow a marriage upon you! Once the Emperor bestows a marriage, you can't refuse. Since that's the case, you might as well agree to his proposal yourself. That way, your relationship with Prince Duan will be better in the future."
Zisu: "Your Majesty, I understand. If he proposes again, I will agree. If he doesn't, then let it be!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, if he proposes again, you should agree; if he doesn't, then ignore him from now on!" Princess Yulin was still a bit childish.
Zisu: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The two chatted pleasantly for about an hour before Zisu took her leave of the palace. The Empress and the Emperor presented her with many gifts. Even before she arrived at the General's Mansion, gifts were already pouring in.
Yu asked worriedly, "General, do you think that if Zisu still doesn't agree to marry Prince Duan, the Emperor might just arrange a marriage for her randomly?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "No, you don't need to worry. The Emperor is counting on me and Prince Duan to work hard for the Crown Prince. He would never joke about Zisu's lifelong happiness!" If he really did that, he would anger two capable people at the same time. In that case, even if the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, he would probably not be able to hold onto the throne.
Madam Yu was still worried: "Sigh, why is Zisu so stubborn? Prince Duan is a good man, what kind of person does she want to find?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "This child probably only has Prince Duan in her heart now. However, she doesn't want to easily agree to Prince Duan's request, probably because she is afraid that Consort Qin will be able to manipulate her at will in the future."
Madam Yu: "Could it be that Fang Heng is no longer in her heart?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Perhaps there are others, but compared to Prince Duan, she probably still feels that Prince Duan is more suitable. If Ying Shi had been as good to her as when they first met, hadn't caused trouble at Wuliping, and hadn't thought about arranging a concubine for Fang Heng, I believe Zisu might have chosen Fang Heng. However, Ying Shi caused a scene at Wuliping, leaving a very bad impression on Zisu. Moreover, Fang Heng has two children, and the Marquis of Zhongxin's situation is also quite complicated."
Comparatively speaking, while the Prince Duan's household is also fraught with difficulties, and Consort Qin is no easy feat, Prince Duan has never been married. Furthermore, judging from his actions, Prince Duan is far more affectionate than Fang Heng. Therefore, I estimate that Zisu will most likely choose Prince Duan. It's only a matter of time.”
Mrs. Yu: "Oh, this child, why does he always cause so much worry?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Her mother, you're wrong. Zisu is the child who worries her parents the least. However, marriage is a big deal. You have to allow her to think it over carefully and decide who to choose as her life partner! Who she has in her heart and who she truly loves is very important; it relates to her lifelong happiness!"
Madam Yu: "Yes, I misspoke. When this child was little, she was indeed quite a worry, but ever since the news of your martyrdom came, she seems to have grown up in the blink of an eye! From that time on, I haven't really worried about her at all; on the contrary, she's the one who worries about everything!"
When Zisu returned home, her parents surrounded her, asking, "How did it go? What did the Emperor and Empress say? Did they make things difficult for you?"