Chapter 25
At the polo match, the inner officer beside Shukui Consort informed that Zhou Xian Yang was told to go to Yonghua Palace tomorrow morning.
He guessed why, as Shukui Consort was his nominal birth mother, she naturally had to work for him.
On the second day, in Yonghua Palace, the Emperor and Consort Shu Gui were both there.
After Zhou Xian Yang saluted, he sat at the bottom and waited for the Emperor to speak.
“After returning to the capital and working for so many days, now that the matter of Western Qin has been finalized, it’s time to talk about your marriage.”
Zhou Xian Yang said, “My son naturally listens to the arrangements of the Empress Dowager Father.”
“That being said, it’s also important that you find your own favorite. When your brothers married, they all asked what they wanted, and the same goes for you.”
“Yes.”
“At first you are far away from the border, no title title, can only let you submit to the Duke of England’s House of the commoner daughter. The empress dowager loves you, want you are not what you used to be, want to seek another high family first daughter for you to be your main consort, that Rong family fourth girl, with you as a side consort, do you see how? ”
Zhou Xian Yang immediately said, “My son thinks it’s not right.”
“How is it not proper?”
“At the time when my son’s status was meager, I’m sure my royal grandmother and father wasted a lot of thought for my son’s marriage. Lamentably, the Duke of England’s heart of loyalty to the king is unrivaled, and is willing to betroth his daughter to the king. Now if his family’s thousand gold to be the side consort of the royal family, will not hurt the face of the British Duke’s House, but also hurt the friendship between Father and the British Duke for decades.”
His Majesty was silent for a moment and nodded his head, “You have grown up now and understand a lot.”
Noble Consort Shu was at the side, gently sighing in relief. Just now, His Majesty went to Chengqian Palace and suddenly swung by Yonghua Palace to come, entering with a grim expression, seemingly angry, not knowing what the Empress had said before her. I’m afraid that Yang Hsien’s words are not right and will offend the heavenly authority.
His Majesty asked, “But you are a man of honor, and you’ve done a great service for the country. How can you marry so hastily?”
Zhou Xian Yang replied, “My son is only blessed by my father’s favor, and only then did I have the opportunity to make a name for myself. Recovering Western Qin was my father’s labor of love for many years, and General Rong sacrificed himself in Yangzhou, so I don’t dare to take credit for it. If General Rong’s spirit were to know that I have slighted the House of England, how would he feel? So many of the best soldiers and generals in the army grew up under him, and they would be chilled by this as well.”
As Princess Shu listened to these words, she wondered in her heart: how could this child, Xian Yang, think so much? But then she looked at His Majesty, who looked quite approving, so she thought he was right.
“It’s good that you can put the affairs of the country first.” His Majesty suddenly joked and teased, “I have heard that Uncle Ji, several state princes have stepped over the threshold of this Yonghua Palace, and the nobles in the capital value you very much. Yesterday, so many high noble families came to the polo field, which was not the case in previous years.”
Zhou Xian Yang followed and laughed: “Who wouldn’t do the cheap thing of adding flowers to the icing on the cake? The Empress Mother is enthusiastic, one word from the Empress Dowager, and she was all over Jinling making arrangements for my son, all because of the Empress’ face.”
This was a reminder to His Majesty.
After Xian Yang returned to the palace, the Empress was not the least bit remorseful about the past, and praised and rewarded Xian Yang incessantly, which made His Majesty pleased for a time that she finally knew how to be an Empress.
Just now in the Chengqian Palace, the Empress also opened her mouth to say that Xian Yang is the most outstanding of all the emperors, no wonder all the relatives and nobles want to climb the family …… Now I think that I am afraid that it is not the word “virtuous” that can explain it. The emperor has always been the most abhorrent thing, and she is not in the flurry of this thing?
The emperor continued to probe: “this full of relatives and nobles, no you see on?”
“These relatives and nobles in the beginning is how to push the three obstacles, I’m afraid that the father is more clear than me, right?”
“You do have a temper!” His Majesty laughed.
“I just feel that the icing on the cake is not as good as the sentiment of sending charcoal in the snow. If I, my son, were to break the old contract because of the title of king, how would I be any different from those who worship the high and step on the low?”
Shu Guifei only smiled with satisfaction at this moment, she is not Yü Wang’s biological mother, it is not good to persuade him to accept Rong to meet with him, at this moment she realized that he and she thought together.
The emperor looked at this son thoughtfully, feeling that he was unfamiliar.
The Xian Yang in his memory was still a child who knew something had happened to his mother and cried helplessly. All these years, I wonder what he went through in the borderlands.
He raised his hand to greet Xian Yang to come over and sit beside him. In all the days since he returned to the capital, he had never spoken to his son in such close proximity.
It was not until this moment that he saw a scar between Xian Yang’s fingers. The emperor turned his palm over and rolled his sleeve up to the elbow, creating a shocking scar from the center of his palm all the way up his arm.
Concubine Shu exclaimed, “How did this happen?”
Zhou Xian Yang replied indifferently, “This is a silver hook commonly used in the Western Qin army, and Great General Rong’s throat was cut by this.”
Instantly, Shu Guifei’s tears had fallen.
The emperor removed Xian Yang’s sleeve and looked at him closely, his complexion was not as powdered as when he was a child, darker, rougher, and more manly, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
“You have suffered a lot these years, right?”
Zhou Xian Yang smiled, “Since I joined the army, it’s all part of my job.”
When Yu’s accident happened, Xian Yang was a child, how innocent.
The emperor was filled with guilt and wanted to make up for his son’s shortcomings over the years, so he said, “I’ll let you marry the third girl of the Rong family, which will bring honor to the House of the British Dukes as well as to you, so how about it?”
For a moment, Zhou Xian Yang hesitated.
When the third girl …… was in Yangzhou, he really thought that he would return to the capital to ask for a marriage one day when he had built up his career, and treat her well, take care of her, and repay her. At this moment, the opportunity is right in front of him ……
But he has always thought of that flying and lovely girl behind the lanterns, in the fire, and on top …… of the court lately.
Is the human heart so fickle, even for himself? As a child, what qualifications did he have to blame the Emperor for favoring Zhang Guifei?
“Xian Yang?” Noble Consort Shu called out to him, “Your father is asking you! Do you like the third girl?”
Do you like her?
Xian Yang didn’t even know the answer to his question. He asked, “If I marry the Third Girl, what will happen to the Fourth Girl?”
“There is a difference between the first and the concubine, so naturally, she would be a side consort with you.”
No, Zhou Xian Yang came to his senses and got up and replied, “How can my son enjoy the blessings of being in the same family and take two ducal daughters into the family? It would be too unfair to them, and the Duke of England would be plagued with gossip about it.”
“What do you mean, just the third girl?” This plan coincided with the proposal made by the Duke of England’s house a few days ago.
The Emperor had a suspicion: could it be that the British Duke’s House had long ago decided in private consultation with Yu Wang to put on two plays at his place?
Shukui Fei was on the sidelines, seeing a hint of displeasure in the emperor’s eyes, the heart that had just been loosened up tensed up again.
She only heard Zhou Xian Yang say, “Fourth girl was given in marriage by Father, wouldn’t my son’s breaking of the contract fail Father’s intentions and embarrass fourth girl. Moreover, yesterday, Zhongqing told me that I had already spoken to the third girl about marriage, so how can my son discuss marriage with her? Thank you for your father’s kindness, please forgive me for not being able to accept it.”
The Emperor tried, “You don’t have to worry about Fourth Girl, I can arrange a place for her to go. Zhongqing and the third girl are just a verbal agreement, not crossing the clear path, if you want the third girl, I will naturally give another good marriage to Zhongqing.”
“Marriages can be changed, but hearts are hard to change. Father’s love for the Eldest Princess and the Seventh Imperial Uncle’s hand and foot is a model for the world, how can you break the Eldest Princess’s heart for the sake of your son?”
The words, his majesty face and happy, Shu Guifei is completely relieved: “good child, hard for you filial piety, everywhere for his majesty’s sake.”
Who expected that the emperor had another question: “You said you can’t, not unwilling. You like the third girl, but worry about me and the eldest princess, do not dare to marry her, is it?”