Chapter 1414 - Chapter 1414: Emperor of the Wei family
Chapter 1414: Emperor of the Wei family
Editor: Atlas Studios
Su Xiaoxiao suddenly looked at Wei Ting seriously. “Are you hiding anything from me?”
Wei Ting looked puzzled. “Of course not!”
Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
On the roof, Wuhu flapped its small wings. “A man’s mouth cannot be trusted”
Wei Ting gritted his teeth. Little stinky parrot! Come down!
In the carriage back to the palace, Princess Jingning carefully recalled a few poems written by Shen Chuan.
After entering the Hanlin Academy, he seemed to be smooth and worldly, hiding his sharpness, but he was actually ambitious and had high aspirations. He was a good seedling in the cabinet.
“Princess.”
Taozhi smiled and said, “I think Lord Shen is really good!”
“Yeah.”
Princess Jingning did not deny it.
“Eh?” Taozhi was surprised. “Princess, you don’t praise people easily.”
Princess Jingning said frankly, “He is indeed ambitious and talented.”
Taozhi asked curiously, “Princess, how do you think he is compared to Scholar Wei?”
Princess Jingning said seriously, “I’ve never competed in poetry with Wei Ting.”
In the past, her useless sister had gone against Guo Lingxi in various ways and even wanted to snatch Wei Ting from Guo Lingxi.
She had always kept a distance from Wei Ting.
Taozhi continued, “There’s also Fourth Young Master Su. He’s ranked first with First Scholar Shen. If he didn’t miss the palace examination because of illness, I wonder if there will be two top scholars!”
It was impossible for two top scholars.
She had seen their essays. Shen Chuan was slightly better at the real thesis.
Su Xuan’s strength was that his analysis and understanding of the malpractice of the Imperial Court was spot on. He was so sharp that he did not look like a fledgling scholar.
Thinking of something, Taozhi asked softly, “Princess, do you think Lord Shen is on the list of candidates for the Prince Consort?”
Princess Jing Ning asked, “So what if he is?”
Taozhi said weakly, “If he’s…”
As Taozhi spoke, she glanced at the indifferent Princess Jingning and swallowed the rest of her words.
The princess was clearly so outstanding, but she did not believe that there was a man in the world who really liked her.
Actually, she felt that Lord Shen was different from those men.
The next day, the empress had just finished her breakfast when she heard shocking news from her trusted eunuch.
“Is this true?”
The trusted eunuch said, “I’m not sure if it’s true or not. I just heard from Xiao Dezi from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It’s spread throughout the capital. He said that the royal princess has taken a fancy to Lord Shen of the Hanlin Academy and wants to take him in as her…”
The Empress slammed her fist on the table. “How dare you!”
The trusted eunuch knelt down. “Empress, calm down!”
The other palace servants in the hall also knelt down in fear and lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.
The Empress said coldly, “Call the princess over!”
The trusted eunuch went to invite Princess Jingning.
Princess Jingning was already dressed neatly and wearing her last hairpin.
Taozhi broke out in cold sweat for her princess. “Princess…”
Princess Jing Ning calmly put on the hairpin and went to the empress’s bedroom with a dignified bearing.
The Empress dismissed the palace servants, leaving her and Taozhi alone.
“Did you leave the palace last night?”
The Empress went straight to the point.
Princess Jingning replied neither servile nor overbearing, “Yes.”
The Empress looked at her appraisingly. “What did you do?”
Princess Jing Ning said, “Relax.”
The Empress said, “Why did I hear that you went to see Lord Shen of the Hanlin Academy?”
Princess Jingning said calmly, “Oh, that’s true. I’ve heard a lot about Lord Shen’s talent. It’s rare to meet him, so I invited Lord Shen to eat together.”
The Empress looked at her suspiciously. “Is that all?”
Princess Jingning said without changing her expression, “I hit it off with Lord Shen at first sight. I even recited poems and composed poems with Lord Shen. We played chess and had a good chat.”
The Empress stood up and walked up to her. “What a good saying. You hit it off at first sight and chatted happily. In order not to marry into the Su family, you even used such a method to ruin your reputation. You’re a princess of the royal family. Even if you really raise a few subordinates under your skirt, who would dare to gossip about you?!”
Princess Jingning said, “It’s true that no one dares to gossip about me, but I’m afraid Marquis Su and Minister Su aren’t willing to marry a notorious princess as their granddaughter-in-law, especially… Shen Chuan and Su Xuan are good friends. The Su family won’t touch the woman Shen Chuan has touched.”
The last sentence was simply a fatal blow.
The Empress clenched her fists.
She had always known that her daughter was smart, but she did not expect her to be so smart. She had just mentioned the plan to choose a husband in the afternoon, but Jingning had blocked her way at night.
Didn’t they stay up all night?
The Empress suppressed her anger. “It’s just poetry and chess. What’s there to touch!”
Princess Jingning said calmly, “I was distracted last night. Perhaps there’ll be more next time.”
The Empress fell back in anger!
The Empress could not accept that her daughter, who had been obedient for 19 years, had suddenly rebelled.
This was unlike Hui An, who was always naughty and angered Concubine Xian every few days; Concubine Xian was already used to it.
The Empress said coldly, “You’ve grown up and are hard-headed. Don’t you listen to your mother?”
Jingning mustered her courage and faced the Empress’s domineering aura. “Mother, I’ve always listened to your arrangements all these years. If you want me to study, I’ll study obediently. If you want me to be a princess who does things according to her limits, I’ll be a princess who does things according to her limits. If you want me to shoulder the luck of the Great Zhou, I’ll bear the luck and not dare to make any mistakes. But Mother, I don’t want to suffer for the rest of my life with a man I don’t love… I don’t want to be the next you.”
The Empress’s heart trembled.
Jingning regretted it after saying that. She looked at the Empress’s red eyes and said sadly, “Mother, I’m sorry…”
The Empress turned around. “Taozhi, help Princess Jingning back to her room.”
Taozhi looked at the Empress’s lonely back and lowered her head. “Yes, Empress.”
After the duo left, the Empress sat back in her chair in a daze, her eyes empty. She was stunned for a long time, thinking about something.
Until Nanny Yu entered with a bowl of ginseng soup.
Nanny Yu was the Empress’s nanny. After so many years of relationship, they were already close.
There were some things that others did not dare to say, but she did.
She placed the ginseng soup on the table and sighed. “Princess said this because her heart aches for you. She has seen all the hardships you’ve suffered all these years. Don’t take it to heart.”
The Empress finally felt a little aggrieved in front of the nanny. “I don’t want to do this either… But if I don’t marry her into the Su family… I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect her…”
Nanny Yu said, “Your Highness, the princess has a good relationship with Madam Wei. Perhaps Madam Wei can protect her.”
The Empress choked bitterly. “When the Purple Star descends on the Wei family, the Wei family will definitely have an emperor. How can the new emperor easily let go of the princess of the previous dynasty who is shouldering the fate of the country? She will definitely die before the Xiao family’s luck runs out. Other than letting her marry into the Su family, I can’t think of a better way to protect her!”