Chapter 239: Requesting the Emperor's Permission for Marriage
"How dare you, Gongsun Ning! Who gave you the audacity!"
The Emperor's expression was icy cold.
The Gongsun family, relying on the Empress and Crown Prince, had frequently caused trouble, and he had tolerated it for far too long.
He slammed his hand on the table, roaring in fury, "Guards!"
"Your Majesty," the Empress immediately interjected, "Miss Yun was once the foremost beauty of the capital. When she married into the Xie family back then, all the men in the capital were heartbroken. Now that Ning'er has this opportunity, he merely wishes to get closer to Miss Yun. In truth, he hasn't overstepped any boundaries. Why not seize this chance to turn a bad situation into a good one and create a beautiful match?"
Gongsun Ning was overjoyed and promptly kowtowed, "I beg Your Majesty to grant this marriage!"
Lin Shi was so furious her head spun.
First, they accused her Chu of seducing Gongsun Ning, and when that failed, they resorted to requesting an imperial marriage.
A daughter of the Yun family would never marry such a scoundrel.
While Lin Shi was still contemplating how to respond, an extremely cold and deep voice sounded beside her.
Chu Yi's voice seemed to have emerged from an ice cellar, chilling to the bone: "If Your Majesty grants this marriage today, then all men in the world will learn that if they fancy any woman, they need only harass her a little to turn a bad situation into a good one. Wouldn't that throw the world into chaos?"
The Empress's face darkened, and she quickly turned to the Emperor, explaining gently, "Your Majesty, what I meant was..."
"Enough," the Emperor waved impatiently. "Gongsun Ning insulted the eldest daughter of the Yun family, as witnessed by Yi'er and Rui'er. There is no need for further investigation. Guards, drag Gongsun Ning away and administer thirty cane strikes according to the law!"
Two Imperial Guards stepped forward, seized Gongsun Ning by the shoulders, and dragged him out.
The Empress's face was as dark as a storm cloud.
She glared coldly at Chu Yi.
She couldn't understand why Chu Yi opposed her at every turn.
If Chu Yi hadn't already had someone in his heart, she would have thought he had feelings for Yun Chu as well.
"Father," Chu Yi clasped his hands and spoke, "For generations, the men of the Yun family have died on the battlefield, defending the borders of our Great Jin. Now, General Yun is missing, and the Yun family is left with only the elderly, weak, women, and children. As a result, they are bullied and humiliated. If this happens once, it will happen again. The men of the Yun family died for Great Jin, yet their women are humiliated by the men of Great Jin. I ask you, Father, is this fair?"
Yun Chu had already been helped to her feet by Lin Shi, and her tears had been wiped away.
She looked at Chu Yi in astonishment.
The matter had already been resolved, and she couldn't understand what this man was trying to do.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly.
He trusted Yun Silin deeply and believed the Yun family would never betray Great Jin.
But so many days had passed, and Yun Silin was still missing. It was highly likely he had perished in the Southern border region.
If Yun Silin were truly dead, the Yun family would have no heir and would gradually fade away among the great families...
"The Yun family's alleged crimes have yet to be clarified. Let us set this matter aside for now," an elderly minister stepped forward. "As for the eldest daughter of the Yun family, I've heard that Miss Yun established an Orphanage, providing shelter for homeless orphans and offering them a safe haven. The eldest daughter of the Yun family is charitable and benevolent; she should not suffer such humiliation."
Chu Yi turned his head slightly.
With a single glance from him, several more ministers stepped forward.
"The men of the Yun family fight on the front lines, while the women care for the people. During the intense heat months ago, it was the Yun family who opened the Summer Retreat Courtyard, saving countless commoners from dying of heatstroke.""Now, Miss Yun has established the Orphanage before the harsh winter, saving countless children from dying in snowy nights. This is truly a great act of merit."
The Emperor tapped his fingers lightly.
In his view, such deeds by the women of the Yun family were hardly worth mentioning.
However, most of the Yun family's men had indeed died on the battlefield, and Yun Silin had gone missing while eliminating the Empress Dowager's ally, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, on his behalf.
The civil officials from the Yun family in the previous court had almost all been dismissed due to Yun Silin's incident.
It seemed appropriate to compensate the Yun family somehow.
With this in mind,
the Emperor declared, "Yun Chu, the eldest daughter of the Yun family, is dignified, benevolent, and kind-hearted, with a gentle disposition and deep concern for the people. She is truly a person of genuine goodness and purity. By my decree, she is hereby conferred the title of Fifth Rank Consort. So it is decreed!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.
In this dynasty, women typically received honorary titles through their husbands. If a husband made contributions to the court, he could request an honorary title for his wife.
But Yun Chu's husband had long passed away.
Some women received titles through their natal families, but the Yun family had already collapsed.
The Emperor bestowing an honorary title upon a woman of the Yun family at this time indicated that he had not abandoned the Yun family.
Yun Chu knelt and kowtowed, "This humble woman, Yun Chu, thanks Your Majesty for your grace. May the Emperor live ten thousand years!"
She understood clearly that Chu Yi had done this to secure a protective talisman for her, ensuring no one would dare harbor such vile intentions toward her again.
She also knew that the Emperor's decision was not because of the Summer Retreat Courtyard or the Orphanage, but to console the Yun family.
As long as her father remained missing, the Emperor would not truly abandon the Yun family.
She wondered why the Emperor, who trusted the Yun family so much now, would believe slanderous rumors over a decade later and order the execution of the entire Yun family.
The Empress's expression turned grim.
The Emperor had caned Gongsun Ning but rewarded Yun Chu.
It was like a slap in her face.
She had invited the Emperor to the banquet for welcoming the Side Princess Consort to honor the Crown Prince.
Instead, the Gongsun family was humiliated.
A knot of resentment tightened in the Empress's chest.
The banquet for the Crown Prince's Side Princess Consort thus concluded.
Many people gathered to congratulate the Yun family.
Lin Shi shielded Yun Chu, briefly thanked the crowd, and then led her daughter to the carriage.
"Today's events were orchestrated by Prince Pingxi," Lin Shi said softly. "Since he couldn't protect you openly, he sought this honor for you instead."
Yun Chu dared not dwell on it too deeply.
She feared that once she fell into that line of thought, she might never escape.
When the carriage arrived at Yulin Lane, Yun Chu had just entered her courtyard when two little ones rushed toward her one after the other.
For a small palace banquet like the Crown Prince's Side Princess Consort reception, the children could attend or not. Since Yu Ge'er had unfinished studies, Yun Chu had left them at home.
After being apart for most of the day, she missed them dearly.
Chu Hongyu said cheerfully, "Mother, I heard from Uncle Cheng Xu that Grandfather Emperor conferred you as a Fifth Rank Consort!"
Yun Chu sighed in disbelief.
Were palace rumors spreading so quickly that even such young children received news this fast?
She pinched the little one's cheek, "Yes, from now on, Mother is an honorary titled lady."
"Fifth Rank is still too low," the child mused, chin in hand. "The most esteemed woman in the world is Grandmother Empress, right?"
Yun Chu nodded, "The mother of a nation is naturally the most esteemed."
"I want Mother to become the mother of a nation too, revered by all..."
Before the child could finish, Yun Chu covered his little mouth with her hand.She said sternly, "Yu Ge'er, such words must never be spoken again, even in front of your closest family."
If overheard by those with ill intentions, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Chu Hongyu widened his eyes and nodded earnestly.
Yun Chu released him and said gently, "What book did you read today? Read it for Mother and your sister."
The little one turned to fetch his book, placed it on the table, and began reading seriously.
Later, Chu Yi returned from the palace and brought back a tutor for the child, who would henceforth be responsible for teaching the little one reading and writing at home.
OpenNovel