NOVEL WEB Chapter 112: The Eldest Princess
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—Meng Qingqian, who was staying at ChangHe Palace to read the folders, got up as soon as she heard that there was a change at the Empress Dowager’s place, and rushed to FengHua Palace.
Meng Qingqian knew in her heart that her mother’s character was prone to impulsiveness, and she also liked to act on instinct.
Fortunately, she has no real power now, but unfortunately, her own marriage is still in her mother’s hands.
Meng Qingqian did not like those boring men, and intended to become a nun. In this way, she would not allow her mother to ruin the rest of her life on a whim.
If her mother did make any promises, Meng Qingqian would be able to negotiate with her. If she did not comply and did not want the royal family to lose face, no one would be able to do anything about it.
However, if she went back on her word, the Empress Dowager’s face would be lost, and the Meng royal family would lose face in the eyes of the people.
When she finally arrived at Fenghua Palace, Meng found that the atmosphere was different from what she had expected.
Except for Yang Xingguang, the Minister of Labor, whose face was gloomy, everyone else was talking and laughing.
He Yuanhao said, “Is Li Jin actually studying at the Antler Academy as well?”
Li Gongqin waved his hand, “Lord He, it’s better not to mention this guy. Rather, I often heard Li Jin talk about He Yunxiao ……”
He Yuanhao said, “It’s good if he doesn’t cause any trouble.”
Huang Qinghe said indignantly, “Humph. Not only is he not causing trouble, he is also very well liked by him.”
Li Gongqin laughed and said, “Li Jin said that He Yunxiao is quite talented in reading.”
He Yuanhao had never heard anyone praise He Yunxiao in his life. but today he was praised by the minister, so he smiled brightly and said, “I thought that this bastard went to study because he wanted to meet the lady of the Fan family. I didn’t expect that he would put some thought into his studies as well.”
When Meng Qingqian heard the word “He Yunxiao”, a hint of anger flashed over her usual cold and arrogant face, and she secretly clenched her fist and took several deep breaths before regaining her composure.
She then stepped into the hall.
“I pay my respects to my mother.”
When the Empress Dowager saw her daughter coming, she smiled and said, “Get up quickly.”
After that, it was the ministers who greeted the Eldest Princess.
As it was the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber, there was no need for heavy formalities. Just a greeting, and then it was over.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not pleasant, especially when He Yuanhao was happy and Yang Xingguang was silent, Meng Qingqian guessed something in her heart.
She stood next to the Empress Dowager and asked in a quiet voice, “Mother, what did you promise again?”
The Empress Dowager frowned and said, “Qingqian, you told me to ask less about political affairs and not to promise people casually. I didn’t promise anything.”
Meng Qingqian didn’t believe it at all.
If you didn’t promise, what’s wrong with this atmosphere?
“Mother, tell me about what just happened.”
The Empress Dowager said, “Just now, Li Gongqin and the others came to visit me.”
Meng Qingqian nodded, this matter did not surprise her.
The Empress Dowager continued, “Then, the Marquis. As soon as he arrived, he quarrelled with Lord Huang.”
Meng Qingqian continued to nod, the feud between He Yuanhao and Huang Qinghe was also known to her.
“Halfway through the argument, Marquis took out the gift list and said he wanted to marry Nanzhu. Lord Huang then argued with Marquis again because of this. But that Huang Qinghe dared to say that his son was inappropriate.”
The Empress Dowager said, “He knows how to be polite, he speaks well, and he is a good-looking man, and he was born a marquis, so he has everything going for him.”
Meng Qingqian: You are the only one who thinks that He Yunxiao is good.
The Empress Dowager added: “I wanted to marry Nanzhu to He Yunxiao, but as a result, they all told me to think twice. After thinking twice, I decided not to marry Nanzhu.”
Meng Qingqian:?
“I have decided to ask He Yuanhao to increase the money and marry you to the He House.”
Meng Qingqian:?
“He Yuanhao was indeed being nice and doubled the bride price on the spot.”
Meng Qingqian:?
Thinking was already a bit too much to keep up with, and Meng Qingqian could only do so for the sake of it, “Mother, speak more slowly.”
Before coming, Meng Qingqian had only heard from the palace maid that there was a quarrel at Fenghua Palace and that Lord Li GongQin had invited her over. She had thought it was just a quarrel about Nanzhu’s marriage, but then when she thought about it, she noticed that it wasn’t the case.
Nanzhu’s marriage was not something that could be argued about, and even if it was, it was nowhere near enough to notify her to come over. Now, with all this commotion, it must be her mother talking nonsense about her marriage again.
Although she had been prepared, she had never expected things to start like this.
The mother, who was thinking twice about her own daughter, not only thought twice about it, but also told the Marquis, who had come to marry Nanzhu, to raise money on the spot. The Marquis really did not say a word and increased the money?
Although her mother’s character, Meng Qingqian has always known, but after all, she is the eldest princess of the ruling Qi-state, marriage matters, so rash?
One dared to give. The other dared to take it.
The Empress Dowager then said: “After I said I wanted to promise you to Marquis, Minister Yang, Minister Huang were not willing. Lu Liang also forbade it at first, but later after hearing that Marquis was willing to defend his own borders in exchange for your hand in marriage, then he agreed to marry you to the Marquis family.”
Hearing this, Meng Qingqian frowned.
Why would Lu Liang agree? He had just entered my service and should be setting an example of merit before me. How could he let me leave the court? He should not have agreed.
The Empress Dowager said, “Later, Minister Yang used the authority of the Yang clan in western Hebei to pressure Marquis. Wanting him to give up and have me grant the marriage.”
Meng Qingqian nodded.
She knew what the Hexi Yang Clan had in mind.
However, she was not a member of the Yang clan, so she had no intention of sacrificing herself for the Yang clan.
The Empress Dowager went on to say, “Then came the fun. The Marquis pretended to drop the military amulet and flaunted it in front of everyone. It was very much like the time when he went to the Zhang Mansion with a sword to snatch his bride.”
When Meng Qingqian heard this action of He Yuanhao, she suddenly thought of He Yunxiao.
It was true that like father, like son, this father and son, both acted quite out of the box and did not follow the rules.
I don’t know what mystery is hidden in the he deliberately buried. I will have to take a good look at it tonight.
The Empress Dowager sighed and said, “Qingqian, it is a pity that you are not lucky. After the Marquis scared the Minister of Yang with his military talisman and taunted him a bit, he still intended to court Nanzhu.”
Meng Qingqian thought to herself, “The Marquis is very good, using me as a pretext to scare the important ministers, and then turning around and asking for a compromise to marry Nanzhu. In this way, no one would object, and he would even be grateful to the Marquis for taking a step back for the Qi state. But he did not know that he had come for Nanzhu from the beginning.
Meng Qingqian said, “Has mother promised him?”
The Empress Dowager said, “I have received his bride price, but I have not yet agreed. I wanted to ask your opinion again. But here you are. What do you think of this marriage?”
Meng Qingqian said, “Mother has her own plans, why do you still ask me?”
The Empress Dowager said in annoyance, “I was going to send you there. If you hadn’t been unable to leave, I would have done everything I could to help you get such a good thing as marrying He Yunxiao.”
Meng Qingqian: What good can marrying He Yunxiao be? Being teased by him with a handkerchief every day?
Meng Qingqian thought of that day, He Yunxiao’s deep love for Nanzhu, and thought of her promise not to interfere with him and Nanzhu, so she said, “If Mother agrees, then so do I.”