Chapter 254: Marriage Scheme Within a Scheme
The cuju match concluded.
The Great Jin Kingdom defeated the envoy team six to three.
The Emperor was immensely pleased, immediately bestowing numerous rewards and hosting a celebratory banquet.
During the feast, the Empress summoned Princess Guli to her side and said with a smile, "The princess is sixteen, the prime age for a woman. I am quite fond of you. Why not remain in our Great Jin Dynasty?"
Princess Guli had come with a mission—to marry into the Great Jin Dynasty and preserve the friendly relations between the two nations.
She nodded, "Guli is also very fond of Your Majesty."
"What do you think of Prince Pingxi?" The Empress pointed to Chu Yi, who was conversing with others at the banquet. "He is twenty-five this year. Older men know how to cherish their partners. He will surely make a good husband."
Princess Guli lowered her head. Just as Prince Gongxi had said, the Empress intended to arrange a marriage between her and Prince Pingxi.
She tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, may Guli decline?"
The Empress was somewhat surprised, "Why is that?"
Though young, Princess Guli knew better than to speak ill of a prince of Great Jin in front of the Empress.
She remained silent.
The Empress patiently probed, "Among the countless men of Great Jin, is there not one who has captured the princess's heart?"
"If I must choose one..." Princess Guli lifted her head, "Prince Gongxi is quite commendable."
The Empress's heart sank.
Hadn't the princess shown particular interest in the third prince at yesterday's banquet? Why had her feelings changed overnight?
What had the second prince done in private to make the princess choose him?
"Guli, you may not be aware, but Prince Gongxi already has a principal consort," the Empress maintained her smile. "Prince Pingxi has yet to marry and has no women in his residence. If you marry him, you would be the only woman in his manor."
Princess Guli bit her lip, unable to restrain herself from saying, "Even with a principal consort, Prince Gongxi is better than Prince Pingxi. At least he hasn't been so reckless as to have a son and daughter out of wedlock..."
Moreover, she had vaguely heard that Prince Pingxi had a beloved, for whom he had even fallen out with the imperial family. She didn't know whether it was true or not.
Yin Pin, who happened to be passing by, overheard these words and nearly lost her composure in anger.
Prince Gongxi already had a principal consort and a household full of women—how dare he compete with her Yi'er for a wife!
This was the first time Yi'er had agreed to take a principal consort, and now Prince Gongxi had intercepted the match!
"Princess Guli, you are mistaken!" Yin Pin took a deep breath and said, "The word 'reckless' may apply to anyone, but never to Yi'er. For the nation, he donned armor and went into battle, eradicating the fierce bandits of our Great Jin. For the people, he saved countless civilians. His only fault was being schemed against and having children, but for their sake, he remained unmarried for years. He is an excellent father and, likewise, will become an outstanding husband."
The Empress advised, "Perhaps the princess should reconsider."
She would rather the princess marry the third prince than let the second prince gain such an advantage for nothing.
Although the second prince had a principal consort, one of the positions for a secondary consort was still vacant. If Princess Guli insisted on marrying the second prince, she probably wouldn't mind being a secondary consort, especially since the Red Sandalwood Kingdom had a tradition of sisters sharing a husband.
The second prince was outstanding in his own right, and Consort Hui's maternal family held some influence. If combined with the military power of the Red Sandalwood Kingdom, he could fully rival the Eastern Palace.
Princess Guli twisted her fingers tightly.The woman she used to be indeed admired warriors, but after meeting the Gong Xi Prince, she realized that gentle men could also make one's heart flutter.
However, choosing the Gong Xi Prince would mean she could only become a Side Princess Consort.
As a princess of noble status, becoming a Side Princess Consort would truly bring shame to the royal family of Hongnan Kingdom.
"No need to rush," the Empress spoke softly. "There are still a few days before the envoys return. The princess may take more time to consider."
Yin Pin felt both angry and deeply saddened—sad for her son.
If this marriage arrangement fell through, it would be difficult to ever get Yi'er to agree to marry again.
Would her son remain alone for the rest of his life?
Yin Pin said gently, "Princess Guli, I have some delicious pastries at my place. Come, let's go taste them."
She deliberately brought the princess to Chu Yi's side.
Chu Yi raised his wine cup. "I'd like to speak with the princess alone. Mother, please excuse us."
Yin Pin's expression relaxed. So the boy knew to get closer to the princess—perhaps this marriage could still be salvaged.
After Yin Pin moved away, Chu Yi finally spoke. "I can tell that if it weren't for the friendship between our two nations, the princess would not have come to speak with me. Am I right?"
"Prince Pingxi is perceptive." Guli lifted her chin proudly. "If you were the one I loved, I would be willing to bear your children. But you are not."
"I understand." Chu Yi nodded. "The princess means that the Gong Xi Prince is your beloved, and thus you're willing to marry him as a Side Princess Consort?"
Princess Guli's cheeks suddenly flushed.
She lowered her head in shy embarrassment.
Chu Yi smiled faintly. "From what I know, the Gong Xi Prince and his Princess Consort do not get along well. If you marry him, someday you might even become the principal consort."
Guli looked up sharply. "Really?"
Chu Yi nodded. "The princess's innocence reminds me of my young daughter. If there's any way I can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I never expected Prince Pingxi to be so broad-minded and kind." Guli beamed like a flower in bloom. "Then I, Guli, shall consider you a friend."
This smile was clearly seen by the Gong Xi Prince not far away.
He took a cold sip of tea.
The third prince had always been one to conceal his emotions and would never stoop to pleasing a woman. To gain the support of Hongnan Kingdom, he'd actually gone this far.
And this princess was truly foolish—swayed by a few words from the third prince, forgetting that he already had children and a beloved woman?
Just then, Chu Yi parted from Princess Guli and approached the Gong Xi Prince, wearing a troubled expression. "Second Imperial Brother, let's have a drink."
The Gong Xi Prince forced a smile. "With your happy event approaching, Third Brother, why do you look so unhappy?"
"His Majesty has elevated my marriage to a matter of state. For the sake of the Great Jin Kingdom, I have no other choice." Chu Yi drank a cup of wine and sighed. "Second Imperial Brother, if I were to request that my beloved and the Princess of Hongnan Kingdom enter the palace on the same day, do you think His Majesty would agree?"
The Gong Xi Prince's eyes flickered. "Princess Guli is the treasured daughter of the Hongnan Kingdom's king. Having another woman enter on the same day might cause friction with our Great Jin Kingdom."
"You're right." Chu Yi smiled bitterly. "Fortunately, my beloved is reasonable and willing to compromise. I hope His Majesty will compensate her properly..."
The Gong Xi Prince's fingers slowly clenched.
His Majesty had always favored the third prince. Recently, even when the third prince had repeatedly committed acts of grave disrespect, His Majesty would at most scold him or give him a few strokes of the cane before letting it go.Now that the third prince has sacrificed his beloved for the greater good and reluctantly married the princess, the Emperor must be deeply pained by his sacrifice. Their father-son bond will surely transcend the formalities of ruler and subject...
If the Crown Prince were to fall from grace one day, the Emperor would undoubtedly prioritize the third prince as his successor.
Gong Xi Prince’s expression darkened.
If the third prince’s marriage to Princess Guli was already an unchangeable outcome, then he would turn this outcome into a dead end.
Let the third prince resent the Emperor for life, severing their father-son bond forever—eliminating any possibility of reconciliation.
OpenNovel