nycdaug Chapter 456 The right candidate
Chapter 456 The right candidate
Emperor Shun of Zhou did not kill Liu Shan, but he punished him by confining him to his quarters for a month and deducting half a year's salary.
"Your Majesty, you may confine this old minister to his quarters, but you cannot fine him! My family is almost starving!" Liu Shan didn't care about being confined; he could play with his concubines at home anyway, so whether he went out or not was unimportant.
But fining someone from their salary is excessive.
Emperor Zhou Shun rolled his eyes and ordered him to be thrown out.
"You Song, go and see what's going on with Chen Rui." After saying this, Emperor Zhou Shun waved his hand and said, "Dismiss the court."
You Song then went to the Chen residence with Chen Guodong and the others.
The outcome of the treatment was also not optimistic; whether he would wake up depended entirely on luck.
The Imperial Palace, Jianjia Palace.
Emperor Zhou Shun felt a little indebted to the Third Prince, so he took the initiative to come and have lunch with Consort Chen.
"His Majesty's complexion is getting better and better." Consort Chen personally poured tea for Emperor Zhou Shun.
"Really?" Emperor Zhou Shun raised his hand to touch his face. "It's all thanks to the Imperial Advisor." Although he hadn't been able to get Fang Yunyi's blood at the banquet, the Imperial Advisor had come up with another way and used a secret method to concoct a sleeping potion that was even more effective than the previous one. He even displayed his masculine prowess again and favored a palace maid yesterday.
"The Imperial Preceptor is truly a blessing to our Great Zhou," Consort Chen smiled.
"My dear consort, it seems there will be another change in the third prince's marriage. What do you think?"
"I, my concubine, listen to your Majesty."
"I know you're sensible, but now, which girl do you think is suitable?"
"I don't have many thoughts, but there are only a few eligible young women in the capital." Consort Chen glanced at Emperor Zhou Shun. "Whoever he marries, it will be a blessing for Xuan'er."
"You know how to talk." Emperor Zhou Shun was very satisfied with the other party's reaction. "It would be unfair to the third prince if someone of too low a status was chosen, so I have thought of a few people. The Gong family, the Lan family, and the Zhuang family are all good choices."
“Your Majesty,” Consort Chen smiled, “Actually, the third prince was engaged to the eldest daughter of the Fang family. Before, because she disappeared, the other person was replaced. Now that she has returned, I feel that if we do not fulfill the engagement, it would be a bit unfair to the deceased Qi Miao’er.”
"That girl is already a widow, how can she become the Third Prince's consort?"
"Even so, Xuan'er still cares for her, and that girl is pitiful too." Consort Chen sighed. "I think that perhaps what happened to Rui'er was fate?"
Emperor Zhou Shun took a deep breath and remained silent.
Consort Chen felt a little uneasy. After all, this man was becoming more and more unpredictable. The tricks she used to use to coax him were no longer effective. But this was an opportunity, so she got up, walked over, and knelt down in front of him: "Your Majesty, when I first entered the palace, I mistook Your Majesty for a young master who was just going through the motions, and I made a fool of myself."
Emperor Zhou Shun raised his hand and patted Consort Chen's head: "Hmm, back then you loved wearing pale yellow clothes, like a lotus just emerging from the water." He seemed to be recalling those beautiful memories, and the corners of his mouth turned up.
“When I was pregnant with Xuan’er, I had severe morning sickness. Your Majesty even personally picked mulberries for me in the courtyard. Strangely enough, I was vomiting, but after eating the mulberries, I stopped vomiting…”
Emperor Zhou Shun smiled: "Xuan'er is a good child."
"Your Majesty, we are husband and wife, and husband and wife both love their children. So, if I say anything wrong, please don't scold me."
"how come?"
"I knew Your Majesty loved me the most," Consort Chen smiled, revealing the charming and innocent demeanor of a young girl.
As Emperor Zhou Shun looked at him, he felt something and bent down to pick him up and carry him into the inner room.
Consort Chen served Emperor Zhou Shun very diligently, pleasing him until he finally relented. However, she did not allow Fang Yunyi to become the principal wife. She would give her the position of a concubine once the principal wife was chosen.
Consort Chen was quite satisfied with this, after all, she didn't think much of Fang Yunyi, that slut.
As for the principal wife, any of the three women mentioned by Emperor Zhou Shundi would be fine; find an opportunity to get to know her.
After taking a nap here, Emperor Zhou Shun left. Consort Chen then sent people to investigate the situation of Gong Xuer, Lan Tingwan, and Zhuang Xiuxiu, and the results came back quickly.
Gong Xuer went back to her hometown to pay respects at her parents' graves on the third anniversary of their passing. She hasn't decided when she'll return yet. Lan Tingwan, on the other hand, was unconscious for several days after accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms and hasn't recovered yet. She's been sent to a manor outside Beijing to recuperate.
In the end, only Zhuang Xiuxiu remained in the capital.
"What a coincidence!" Consort Chen was annoyed. Although Zhuang Xiuxiu was of high status and marrying her would be equivalent to bringing the Duke of Zhenguo over, in her eyes, Zhuang Xiuxiu was a tomboy and an unruly wild monkey. How could she be worthy of her bright and upright son?
However, since Emperor Zhou Shundi had already spoken, they could not remain inactive, so they could only send a letter to Shi Ning.
Duke Zhuang Zuming was a veteran of three reigns. He had fought alongside Emperor Gaozu to establish the dynasty and held a pivotal position in the Great Zhou.
He and his wife have three children.
The eldest daughter, Zhuang Xiaowei, married Zou Xuzhi. Many years ago, when Zou Xuzhi was transferred to a post outside the capital, she and her children followed her husband to his new post. Last year, Zou Xuzhi was promoted to the position of Prefect of Baoding, and they now live in Baoding Prefecture.
The second son, who was also the eldest son, Zhuang Xiaogang, inherited the title and became the second Duke of Zhenguo. He and his wife, Lady Hou, stayed at the border, and both of their sons were born there.
Their eldest son, Zhuang Yi, was granted the title of Imperial Grandson. However, he was injured in a battle a few years ago and had to take his wife and children back to the capital for treatment. Three years ago, his wife passed away, leaving him and his son to depend on each other for survival.
The youngest son, Zhuang Xiaozhou, followed the imperial examination route and is now the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He and his wife, Shi Ning, have a son and a daughter. Their son, Zhuang Nan, also followed the imperial examination route and is now a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), but he did not continue his studies. Instead, he went to the frontier to continue his training with his grandfather and uncle.
The youngest daughter, Zhuang Xiuxiu, stayed in the capital. Although she was raised to be a proper young lady, unfortunately, she was not one to settle down and focused. Instead, she became quite skilled in martial arts.
Shi Ning was also a straightforward and impulsive person, not good at beating around the bush, so she was a little confused after receiving the invitation. She had no connection with Consort Chen, so why was she being asked to enter the palace?
If you can't figure it out, go ask someone who can. Unfortunately, her husband didn't come back, so her daughter probably understood even less. So she sent someone to find Zhuang Yi.
"Second Aunt, what happened?" Zhuang Yi came over in a wheelchair.
"Take a look." Shi Ning didn't hide anything and handed over the invitation directly.
After reading the post, Zhuang Yi couldn't help but sneer: "They're trying to force our Zhenguo Duke's Mansion to choose sides."