bullyxtreme Chapter 118: An Imperial Decree Granting Marriage
Chapter 118: An Imperial Decree Granting Marriage
Inside the palace.
Ouyang Ming sat in the imperial study, with the memorial he had just reviewed in front of him. He put down the brush in his hand and gently pinched his brows. Eunuch Gui quickly handed him the tea he had just poured.
Ouyang Ming picked up the teacup, scraped it gently, and took a sip: "Has Prince Yi returned to the palace?"
Eunuch Gui nodded: "According to the spies, His Royal Highness Prince Yi left not long after you left the General's Mansion."
Ouyang Ming nodded and said, "Tell the spies in Prince Yi's Mansion to be careful and keep a close eye on them. Tomorrow you can think of a way to see if you can find an opportunity to arrange two more spies to sneak into the General's Mansion."
Eunuch Gui clasped his hands together and bowed: "Yes."
Hearing Eunuch Gui's agreement, Ouyang Ming finally put down the teacup in his hand.
The candlelight on the palace lantern flickered, making the tea in the cup flicker.
"Xiao Guizi, you have been with me for quite a few years."
Eunuch Gui was standing beside Ouyang Ming at the moment. When he heard Ouyang Ming's question, he immediately answered, "Yes, when little Guizi followed Your Majesty, Your Majesty was only fourteen years old. But at that time, Your Majesty had so many servants around you that Your Majesty probably forgot about me. I have been serving Your Majesty for more than twenty years. It is a blessing for me to be favored by Your Majesty and to serve You."
At that time, the emperor was still the prince, and he followed him.
Ouyang Ming sighed and looked into the dark night: "It's been so long."
When he was fourteen, Ouyang Yi was not yet born. When did the younger brother who used to make him proud start to make him feel uneasy?
Now... there is one more Bai Wei.
Whether it was the Spring Hunt or the Spring Banquet, no matter how outstanding Bai Wei's performance was, as long as she had not recovered her martial arts, he did not care much. However, there was one thing he could never ignore, that was Bai Wei was the most precious granddaughter of the King of Zhennan, and the only woman of the third generation of the Xiao family. The Xiao family treated her as a treasure.
Although Bai Wei had deliberately distanced herself from the Xiao family in order to take care of Bai Qian's feelings, he could see how much the Xiao family cared about her.
Everyone thought that he had arranged a marriage for Ouyang Qi because the Zhennan King had asked for it with his meritorious service. In fact, the Zhennan King had never mentioned this matter, and he had insisted on the marriage. Firstly, Bai Wei's injuries were caused by Ouyang Qi, and secondly, if Qi'er married the Zhennan King's granddaughter, it would stabilize the entire Zhennan Palace.
He wants to marry a virtuous woman, a woman who is loyal and righteous and comes from a prominent family. As long as he respects and loves her, she will definitely become his strongest support in the future.
Even if he really couldn't accept Bai Wei's disfigurement for a while, she could consider not consummating the marriage with him, but keeping him in the palace and giving her the honor of a princess.
But he didn't expect that he would do such a thing on his wedding day, wasting such an opportunity. What made him even more unacceptable was that Bai Wei actually fell in love with Ouyang Yi after she became disheartened.
At first, Ouyang Yi said that he didn't want to delay her, but now he has compromised.
He didn't know whether Ouyang Yi was attracted to Bai Wei as a person, or the Zhennan Palace behind her? Could it be that he... knew something?
If that’s the case… Ouyang Ming clenched his hands gently under his dragon robe.
Eunuch Gui looked at Ouyang Ming's slightly frowned brows and asked, "Is the Emperor thinking about His Royal Highness Prince Yi?"
Ouyang Ming looked at him and asked instead of answering, "Is it that obvious?"
Eunuch Gui was shocked and knelt down in front of him and said, "I am wrong. I spoke out of turn."
Ouyang Ming sighed and waved his hand casually: "Get up, I don't mean to blame you. I am indeed worried about what happened today... I agreed to the marriage between Ayi and General Bai at the General's Mansion, but I am a little afraid that if I do something wrong, I will eventually suffer a severe backlash."
Eunuch Gui stood up respectfully and stood beside Ouyang Ming: "Your Majesty is the ruler, and Prince Yi is the minister. If Your Majesty feels that he has done something wrong, then just let this matter go. I don't think Prince Yi would dare to say anything."
Ouyang Ming heard this and slammed the table heavily. "Are you saying that I should be a person who does not keep my word? A king's words are not a joke. If I do this, how can I gain credibility in the world?"
Eunuch Gui was so frightened that he knelt on the ground again. He dared not say another word and just kowtowed and admitted his mistake.
After a while, Ouyang Ming glanced at him with a slightly red forehead and said calmly: "Xiao Guizi, do you think I am too petty?"
Eunuch Gui knelt on the ground and said, "How is that possible? Your Majesty is the true emperor, the most open-minded man in the entire imperial city. How could he be so petty? Besides, there is a saying among the people: Don't have the intention to harm others, but be on guard against others. Your Majesty is worried, but he is also worried about the country and the people of the world."
He spoke passionately, and clasped his hands together in a slight salute to heaven.
Ouyang Ming's expression obviously improved a lot. "You are right. However, since I have already agreed to this marriage, there is no way I can take it back. Moreover, I actually still hope that Ah Yi can have someone who understands his feelings and sympathizes with him during the last part of his life. If he can leave a child, that would be even better. I will definitely raise him as if he were my own son."
Eunuch Gui smiled and said, "Your Majesty is kind-hearted. It is a blessing to His Royal Highness Prince Yi and the people of Dongqin."
Ouyang Ming was still unhappy: "I just don't know what Ah Yi is thinking."
Eunuch Gui: "Didn't the emperor say that? In the past, His Royal Highness Prince Yi only had him. Even if the emperor doted on him and cherished him, he would still feel sad and depressed about the end of his life. But if he had a princess, if he had flesh and blood before he left, he would have hope and bondage. In the future, he would definitely consider his wife and children more than himself."
As soon as these words came out, Ouyang Ming's eyes suddenly lit up: "Xiao Guizi, you are right."
Eunuch Gui: "I just said what the emperor meant."
Ouyang Ming was in a good mood, and he immediately said, "I will draft an imperial decree to grant the marriage, and you will go to Prince Yi's mansion to announce it tomorrow."
Eunuch Gui said quickly, "Your Majesty, it's too late tonight. Concubine Wang said she had cooked your favorite chicken soup and has come to invite you several times."
Ouyang Ming's displeasure was obvious when he heard this: "Isn't today the fifteenth? Doesn't she know that I'm going to see the Queen tonight?"
Eunuch Gui showed an embarrassed expression: "Concubine Wang said that the Queen Mother sent this chicken to nourish the emperor. She stewed it for two and a half hours herself. She said that even if you want to see the Queen Mother, you can drink the chicken soup first."
When Ouyang Ming heard the word "Empress Dowager", his brows furrowed even more, and he raised his hand and knocked the teacup on the table to the ground.
Eunuch Gui stepped forward immediately and said, "Oh, Your Majesty, what happened to you? Your health is the most important thing. If you hurt yourself, I will be guilty of a thousand deaths!"
Ouyang Ming looked at the broken porcelain pieces on the ground, his anger gradually hidden. He raised his sleeves and gently shook off the tea stains on his sleeves twice before saying, "Xiao Guizi, go to the storehouse and pick out some exquisite jewelry for me to send to the Queen's bedroom. Tell her that I can't accompany her today. Try to pick jade ones with butterfly or orchid patterns, as they are her favorite."
Eunuch Gui showed an expression of sympathy for Ou Yangming: "Yes."
Ouyang Ming lowered his head, turned around and walked out of the imperial study, his face even darker than the night.
In the imperial study, Eunuch Gui watched Ouyang Ming's back disappear outside the study door. The servile smile on his face instantly disappeared, and he turned and walked away.
In the general's mansion.
After washing up, Bai Wei lay on the large carved bed, thinking about everything that happened today. For the first time, she deeply felt the complexity of the Dongqin Palace and connected this virtual world with the real world.
The thing that we can see most directly in this world, apart from the sun, is the human heart.
Ouyang Yi had already calculated everything for today's situation. It could even be said that today's event was a three-birds-with-one-stone move for him.