"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you. Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Mingxian, dressed in an exquisite and majestic imperial robe adorned with a four-clawed golden dragon, sat upright on his dragon throne. His tiger-like eyes swept across the room with an air of authority. He spoke in a loud voice: "Today I have a momentous announcement to make. The final list of candidates for the Crown Prince has been determined, and all my sons have reached marriageable age. Today, I will arrange a good marriage for them all!"
Everyone was shocked. This was a major move! Emperor Mingxian had six princes in total. Was he going to decide on his principal and concubine wives today?!
The eunuch over there had already taken out the imperial edict that Emperor Mingxian had prepared and began to read it aloud!
☆、165、A Mysterious List, A Prince Becomes King!
The princes and courtiers in the main hall had different thoughts, but they all listened attentively with bated breath.
The eunuch's shrill voice immediately echoed throughout the hall: "By the grace of Heaven and the decree of the Emperor, all my princes are now of marriageable age, elegant and refined, outstanding among their peers. Therefore, I seek virtuous and talented women to marry them—I hereby bestow upon Ning Xihe, the legitimate daughter of the Ning family, to be the principal wife of Crown Prince Baili Cheng; upon Lin Yingying, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, to be the secondary wife of Crown Prince Baili Cheng; upon Sun Meng'er, the legitimate daughter of the Sun family, to be the secondary wife of the Third Prince Baili Zhi; upon Bai Ying, the legitimate daughter of the Bai family, to be the principal wife of the Fourth Prince Baili Chang; upon Fu Meier, the legitimate daughter of the First Imperial Merchant Fu family, to be the secondary wife of the Fifth Prince Baili Jian; upon Princess Mingyue Ouyang Yue, to be the principal wife of the Seventh Prince Baili Chen; and upon Leng Caidie, the legitimate daughter of the Leng family, to be the principal wife of the Ninth Prince Baili Mao. The engagements are to be made today, and the wedding will be held on a chosen date. This is the imperial decree. Thank you for your grace!"
"Your subject obeys the imperial decree and thanks Your Majesty for bestowing this marriage upon you!"
After the imperial edict was read and the princes immediately expressed their gratitude, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence. This imperial edict was completely unexpected by everyone. Apart from Emperor Mingxian himself, no one had imagined that he would bestow marriages upon all the princes at the same time as the selection of the crown prince. Although there were both principal and secondary consorts, each woman had a powerful force behind her that could shake the capital. The simultaneous arrangement of these marriages would surely shake the entire court.
This imperial edict was not only unexpected but also extremely strange. Even the most trusted ministers of two or three dynasties couldn't fathom what Emperor Mingxian intended by bestowing this marriage, what the various factions involved were thinking, and the extent of their impact on the court. No matter how they tried to understand it, the deeper they pondered, the more confused they became, and the more unpredictable and enigmatic Emperor Mingxian's intentions seemed.
These women, who were bestowed the titles of principal and secondary consorts upon the princes, came from all five major families, and they did not all choose to align themselves with their original powers; rather, they were all scattered.
Take Crown Prince Baili Cheng as an example. The current Empress is his birth mother, from the Lin family, one of the five great clans. Naturally, she would rely on the power that nurtured the Crown Prince. No one doubted that the Lin family would marry a legitimate daughter into the Crown Prince's family. Previously, everyone thought that the most likely candidate for the primary wife was Princess Mingyue, Ouyang Yue. Although the remaining concubine position might change, Lin Yingying, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, had at least a 70% chance of winning it. She was indeed the Crown Prince's concubine, but the one above her was not Princess Mingyue, but Ning Xihe, the third-ranked among the five great clans, who was to become the Crown Princess and the most likely to become Empress. This was truly illogical. Regardless of kinship or family power, Ning Xihe was at most a concubine, or perhaps a noble concubine because of her previous reputation being ruined. That would have been the best arrangement for her. Now, she had jumped two ranks. What right did Ning Xihe have to suppress the legitimate daughter of the Lin family?
The Lin family patriarch looked displeased, while Ning Baichuan, a third-rank imperial censor, was somewhat bewildered. Xihe had actually been chosen as the Crown Princess? Previously, Ning Xihe had a secret affair with the Crown Prince, and the Ning family even thought she would be disqualified from participating in the imperial concubine selection. Now she was actually the Crown Princess? Did the Emperor really think so highly of the Ning family and intend to elevate them, giving them such great honor?
At the same time, some court officials secretly murmured that with the Emperor's bestowal of such a marriage, although the Lin and Ning families had both been won over by the Crown Prince, they were now essentially on opposing sides. Moreover, both the Empress Dowager and the Empress were daughters of the Lin family, and it was said that Lin Yingying, the current daughter of the Lin family, was very much favored by the Empress, yet she had to be inferior to Ning Xihe. This situation seemed rather intriguing.
The eldest daughter of the Sun family is from the maternal family of Consort Sun, and naturally she is dependent on the Fifth Prince. Now, this eldest daughter of the Sun family has married the Third Prince Baili Zhi. Could it be that the Emperor favors the Fifth Prince Baili Jian, and is therefore secretly building up his power?
Although the Fourth Prince Baili Changqi's principal wife is from the Bai family, one of the five great families, the Bai family has long existed in name only. Although it still holds the title of one of the five great families, it is worlds apart from the other four families, and is no different from some of the newly rich in the capital. It is clear that the Fourth Prince has no hope of ascending the throne. But the Bai family is the maternal family of the Third Prince and the Seventh Prince's mother. Is there something going on here?
The Fifth Prince, Baili Jian, married Fu Meier, the eldest daughter of the Fu family, the wealthiest merchant family in the Great Zhou Dynasty. With such a powerful addition, it was like adding wings to a tiger for Baili Jian. Moreover, Fu Meier had previously been on good terms with the Second Princess, Baili Jing. Could Emperor Mingxian's actions be an attempt to divide the Crown Prince's power? This caused quite a stir. If so, the power dynamics in the court would change dramatically, and the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince would be the most prestigious in this situation.
Among all the legitimate daughters of the five great families, none can compare to Princess Mingyue, the principal wife of the Seventh Prince. Princess Mingyue is not only the granddaughter of Princess Shuangxia, the most noble princess in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but also the younger sister of Xuanyuan Chaohua, who holds one-third of the military power of the Great Zhou. Although there has always been the saying of civil officials and military generals, when it comes to rebellion, even a hundred or a thousand civil officials are not as fearsome as a general who holds a large army. This is because civil officials only use words and can only stir up public sentiment, while military generals who hold military power can directly kill, take over, and become kings.
Historically, almost every great nation that fell was conquered by a powerful military state. Therefore, among these princes, Baili Chen's choice of principal wife is the most prestigious and coveted. Many court officials couldn't help but think that the Seventh Prince had been quite flamboyant all these years, yet hadn't attracted much attention because he was ill and might die at any time. Moreover, the Seventh Prince didn't actually possess any real power; he only enjoyed the Emperor's favor but had no chance of vying for the throne. However, now that Xuan Yuan Yue was involved, he had that qualification. It seemed the Emperor truly favored the Seventh Prince, and the struggle for the throne was gradually becoming clearer.
However, even so, it was still not enough to keep these courtiers from recovering for a long time. They couldn't understand it, their minds were in turmoil, and their heads were blank.
How did Leng Caidie, the legitimate daughter of the Leng family, end up marrying the Ninth Prince, Baili Mao? Baili Mao's background was inferior to Baili Jian's, and he had always relied on Baili Jian. The Leng family was also Ouyang Yue's true maternal family, so they were related by marriage. When the Emperor allowed Leng Caidie to marry into the family, Baili Chen's power seemed to have increased slightly. However, it could also be said that with the support of the Leng family, Baili Jian also gained the support of Xuan Yuan Yue and even the Seventh Prince, Baili Chen. This relationship could be the reason for the split between the Leng family and the Princess's family, but it could also be the reason for their connection and unity.
Furthermore, Xuan Yuan Yue was born into the General's Mansion and has an inextricable connection with the Ning Mansion. If it's the former reason, then she is also related to the Crown Prince's Mansion. Your Majesty wouldn't expect all the powerful families to submit to the Seventh Prince Baili Chen because of this marriage alliance, would you? Let alone whether these families would agree, even the princes themselves wouldn't agree. Who would give up their supreme status for this?
Everyone's minds raced, and several possibilities immediately came to mind: First, the Emperor might be deliberately disrupting the balance of power among the five great aristocratic families of the Great Zhou Dynasty out of genuine favor for the Seventh Prince, Baili Chen, thus linking everything to the Seventh Prince's faction, which would benefit his ascension to the throne. Second, the Emperor might be eyeing the Fifth Prince, Baili Jian, because Consort Sun had been the most favored concubine in the palace for years, and the Emperor's affection for her was common knowledge. By disrupting the balance of power among the major aristocratic families, he was subtly linking the Fifth Prince with the Seventh Prince, giving the Fifth Prince more leverage in his struggle for the throne. Third, the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince would clash over this incident, and who would ultimately benefit? Crown Prince Baili Cheng. If the two continued to fight, the Crown Prince would have no more worries and would smoothly seize the throne!
However, the ministers in the hall could only look at each other and shake their heads, unable to understand or dare to think about who the emperor truly favored.
A cold glint flashed in Baili Chen's eyes, a mocking smile playing on his lips, before he let out a slight sigh of relief: "Yue'er is his principal wife." Baili Chen couldn't help but look at the man standing upright in the hall, his head slightly lowered, as if he didn't care about anything and nothing could move him. Baili Chen's expression was somewhat complicated. He knew that his third brother's words had indeed had a great effect, but what was the real meaning behind them?
"Next, the second imperial edict!" After the court officials had finished their discussion, Emperor Mingxian's deep voice suddenly rang out. Everyone was stunned. There was actually a second imperial edict today? What could it be? Could it be that the future crown prince had already been chosen, and that he was going to rival the crown prince?
The shrill voice rang out again: "By the grace of Heaven and the Emperor's decree... It is hereby decreed that all princes be granted the right to establish their own residences outside the palace. The Third Prince is granted the Baili Zhizhi Prince's Residence, the Fourth Prince the Baili Changlin Prince's Residence, the Fifth Prince the Baili Jiangui Prince's Residence, the Seventh Prince the Baili Chenchen Prince's Residence, and the Ninth Prince the Baili Maosheng Prince's Residence. This is the decree. Thank you for your grace!"
Everyone was shocked. Over the years, Emperor Mingxian had never allowed any of the princes other than the Crown Prince to leave the palace and establish their own residences. Everyone was puzzled and made all sorts of guesses. But this time, through the selection of princes, each prince was granted a princely residence. That meant that all the princes would be princes from now on. Although their status was slightly lower than that of the Crown Prince, it wasn't too much different. This... this was too intriguing.
Baili Cheng's face was dark and gloomy, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins bulged. This was a huge miscalculation. He had originally intended to do everything in his power to marry Xuan Yuan Yue, but instead, he had lost more than he gained, and that wretched woman Ning Xihe had become his Crown Princess. If he were to truly ascend the throne, would Ning Xihe be his Empress? Moreover, the other princes had received just as many favors as he had. The purpose of this selection process had been completely lost. He had hoped to increase his power through the selection, but now everyone had received the same amount, so it felt like no one had gained or lost anything. How could he not hate it?
Of course, after the court session, the Crown Prince was still surrounded by many ministers. Not only him, but all the princes were surrounded and offered their congratulations. The Crown Prince and the others were trapped for nearly half an hour before they went back to their respective places.
Although Emperor Mingxian had issued an imperial edict to allow the prince to leave the palace and establish his own residence, he would not leave the palace immediately. He would at least need to select a residence and decorate it. Of course, the reason why Emperor Mingxian bestowed the marriage and granted him the title of prince at this time was probably largely due to this marriage. He couldn't let the prince's wedding still take place in the palace.
The princes, each with their own thoughts, left one after another. The Crown Prince, however, stormed back to his residence in a rage. The usually dignified and composed prince smashed all the tables, chairs, and utensils in the hall to pieces as he stepped into the main hall, cursing incessantly.
"Damn it, damn it! Father actually betrothed Xuanyuan Yue to Baili Chen, damn it!" Baili Cheng cursed incessantly, smashing things in his anger. A group of servants who had been standing in the hall rushed out, while others stood in a corner, afraid of being caught in Baili Cheng's rage. Even so, many were still hit and suffered grievances. But who dared to provoke the enraged Baili Cheng? Everyone kept their mouths shut, wishing they could disappear or find a hole to crawl into. Some of the Crown Prince's servants had never even seen Baili Cheng so angry before.
When Chang Shun arrived, he couldn't help but gasp when he saw the scene of the vandalism in the hall. He wisely stood outside the hall with his head down, wondering to himself if something major had happened in court today.
At this moment, a few people turned in from a side alley. It was Mu Cuihuan, dressed in a gold lace-patterned dress, who came over with several of her servants.
Damn it!
As soon as she approached, Baili Cheng's angry shouts rang out. Mu Cuihuan was immediately frightened and dared not even walk over. Finally, she had no choice but to steel herself and walk outside the hall to ask Chang Shun, "What happened? Why is the Crown Prince so angry? What is the reason?"
Chang Shun shook his head and said, "Consort, this servant doesn't know either. As soon as the Crown Prince returned to the mansion, he went straight to the main hall. This servant didn't even have time to ask the Crown Prince a single question before he smashed up the entire main hall."
Mu Cuihuan was startled. Even Chang Shun didn't know? What had suddenly happened in court? What could it be?
"Bang bang bang!" Baili Cheng kicked and stomped for a while before the noise in the room gradually subsided. Seeing this, Mu Cuihuan carefully walked in. Looking at Baili Cheng panting heavily, but with an extremely gloomy expression on his face, she couldn't help but gasp and whisper, "Crown Prince."
"Get out! All of you, get out!" Baili Cheng roared, startling everyone. The servants who were still in the hall fled as if they were running away. In fact, they had been waiting for Baili Cheng to say this. Otherwise, they really wouldn't have been able to leave even if they wanted to.
"Your Highness... what is this...?" Mu Cuihuan was startled and instinctively took two steps back, but then approached softly and said gently.
Baili Cheng suddenly raised his head, his eyes seemingly bloodshot as he stared at Mu Cuihuan, his gaze filled with a violent aura. Mu Cuihuan's heart skipped a beat; she had never seen the Crown Prince like this before: "Crown Prince, what has happened..."
"What else is there to ask? It was all your brilliant idea, you bitch! Now you've ruined me!" Baili Cheng stared coldly at Mu Cuihuan, startling her. She was blaming her? Could her brilliant idea be related to Xuan Yuan Yue's affair during the talent show?!
Baili Cheng saw Mu Cuihuan's shocked expression and suddenly rushed over, raising his hand to slap Mu Cuihuan hard across the face. Mu Cuihuan screamed and fell to the ground sideways, clutching her extremely painful face. She looked at Baili Cheng in disbelief. The former crown prince was always very elegant and extraordinary. When had she ever seen him lose his composure like this?
Baili Cheng's voice was icy: "You know the current situation, right? Xuanyuan Yue married the seventh prince, while Ning Xihe became my principal wife, and my cousin is only a concubine. Do you know my situation?"
Mu Cuihuan's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't process the Crown Prince's words for a long time. After a while, she said in a trembling voice, "This... how is this possible! What is Ning Xihe? She ruined her reputation before. Even being a concubine would be a huge honor for her. How could she be the Crown Princess? Could there be a mistake?"
"Hmph, you've got it wrong. The imperial edict that Father read aloud in front of all the civil and military officials at the morning court session this day could be wrong!" Baili Cheng's voice was clearly filled with resentment and gritted teeth.
"Your Majesty actually values the Ning family so much? This...this..." Mu Cuihuan was stunned, and at the same time, she was extremely resentful. She hadn't taken Ning Xihe seriously at all. Even if the plan failed, it would only mean that Ning Xihe would get the same rank as her, so that Xuan Yuan Yue could become the Crown Princess. But what was Ning Xihe? What right did she have to be the Crown Princess? It turned out that Yi Yue was possible because she was the daughter of the Crown Prince's tutor and had a childhood sweetheart relationship with the Crown Prince. Otherwise, would Mu Cuihuan have failed to win the Crown Princess position all these years? Besides, Ning Xihe had ruined her reputation. Even if the Crown Prince suppressed her later, she was still absolutely not qualified to be the Crown Princess. How could the Emperor be so confused? This was completely beyond her expectations.
"Hmph, it's exactly the kind of wicked idea you're thinking of. I'm determined to marry this lowly woman. It's my father's imperial decree, how could I dare to disobey it?" Baili Cheng's face was ashen; this was what he found most unacceptable.
Emperor Mingxian's decree of marriage was read aloud during court. If it were anywhere else, even the Imperial Study, Baili Cheng could have expressed his feelings and hoped that Emperor Mingxian would rescind the decree. However, in the main hall, with all the civil and military officials watching, he absolutely dared not speak. To openly defy the decree would likely enrage Emperor Mingxian, and he might even face a more severe punishment. So he could only endure it, endlessly enduring it. But how could he be willing to accept this?
From the moment Ning Xihe thwarted his plans, Baili Cheng harbored a deep-seated loathing for this woman. Now, this woman held the position that would be of greatest help to him in the future, which inadvertently blocked a major force supporting the Crown Prince. Even though Ning Xihe had the Ning family behind her, she was still inferior to Ouyang Yue in status, and even inferior to Lin Yingying and Mu Cuihuan. Lin Yingying was being suppressed by Ning Xihe, and if things went wrong, he might develop a rift with the Lin family. Currently, the least likely person in the court to betray him was the Lin family, so he had to firmly grasp onto the Lin family and use it to gain more power. The Lin family was far more important than the Ning family. As for Mu Cuihuan, although her rank was lower, her father was the governor of Yuezhou, one of the three major prefectures in the Great Zhou, and the wealthiest prefecture in the Great Zhou. This was more important than many people in the capital who held higher positions than him. Therefore, although he was angry and resentful that he couldn't marry Xuanyuan Yue, either Lin Yingying or Mu Cuihuan would be far better than Ning Xihe.
Ning Xihe is indeed related to Xuanyuan Yue. If Baili Chen wants to seize the throne and Xuanyuan Yue helps him, it's hard to say what choice the Ning family will make. It's also unknown whether Ning Xihe will become a spy. There are many things involved. He originally only wanted to give Ning Xihe as a concubine, but now she is the Crown Princess, his future Empress. It's such a waste!
Even if Baili Cheng wanted to get rid of Ning Xihe now, he couldn't. With Yi Yue and Mu Cuiwei dead, and the fire at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he absolutely couldn't allow any other scandals involving him to happen. Otherwise, it wouldn't be that he had offended any deity; others would probably believe it was true.
Mu Cuihuan covered her face, her expression already sinister and terrifying. However, Baili Cheng was too lazy to pay attention to her at the moment. He paced around the hall twice and suddenly said, "No, I must go to the palace. I must find out the truth about this matter." With that, he flicked his sleeve and left the Crown Prince's residence.
Several servants rushed in immediately and helped Mu Cuihuan up. Mu Cuihuan was so angry that her hands were trembling. She shrieked, "Ning Xihe, Ning Xihe, I really underestimated you. You even managed to pin me down in the end! Humph! It's easy to get into the Crown Prince's residence, but to get out, you'll only die!" Mu Cuihuan's expression at this moment made the servants supporting her tremble with fear.
Baili Jian was also in a very bad mood at this moment. However, he had not yet built a residence outside the palace and could only live in the Prince's Palace in the palace. He had always presented himself as gentle and refined, and since he was in the palace, there were many eyes watching outside each palace. Even though Baili Jian was trembling with anger, he had to grit his teeth and endure it. As soon as he returned to the main hall of the Prince's Palace, he immediately summoned the palace servants to serve tea. He wanted cold tea, the coldest kind, iced tea!
The servants had intended to advise him that this was bad for his health, but although Baili Jian hadn't lost his temper, it was impossible for him to maintain his previous gentle demeanor. His expression was indescribably unpleasant, and no one dared to say anything more.
After the tea was served, Baili Jian drank five cups of ice-cold tea in a row. Suddenly, he flung the teacup in his hand, and the teacup fell to the ground with a "crash" and shattered instantly. Veins bulged on Baili Jian's forehead, and he clenched his back teeth tightly, his expression extremely ferocious.
"He actually let Baili Chen secure Xuanyuan Yue's place! He actually let him secure it! Father Emperor is so biased, so incredibly biased!" He couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath. Then, with a jolt, he waved his hand, and the palace servants quickly left with their heads bowed. Baili Jian picked up another teacup, poured himself a glass of cold tea, and narrowed his eyes. "That's right. Baili Chen has always been Father Emperor's favorite. I should have expected this, but I didn't expect him to mess up even the Crown Prince's position. He still has the Empress Dowager and the Empress above him, yet he couldn't compete with them. Haha, how laughable." Baili Jian's face was full of sarcasm, but his lips were tightly pursed.
"The most troublesome one now is the Crown Prince. With this newly appointed principal and secondary consort, the Crown Prince's residence is bound to be lively. However, he also has the Ning family as an ally. Although Father Emperor has favored Baili Chen the most over the years, he has also shown appropriate affection and leniency towards the Crown Prince." Over the years, Baili Jian and Baili Cheng have been secretly fighting for a long time. Sometimes he can even obtain some evidence to deal a major blow to Baili Cheng, but Emperor Mingxian seems to be blind to it and rarely punishes Baili Cheng. Therefore, the Crown Prince's prestige has not diminished over the years, but has instead grown stronger, and his popularity is extremely high.
Baili Jian and Baili Cheng lost because of the issue of legitimate and illegitimate children, which is extremely important in the royal family. The Crown Prince's three tutors are all pillars of the court. Although he has many capable people under his command, they still lack the foundation of the Crown Prince. Currently, the most advantageous contenders in the court are the Crown Prince and him. Perhaps this is the only good thing. Xuan Yuan Yue was not designated as the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince also lacks this great support. Their situation remains unchanged. After all, the Fu family is incredibly wealthy. However, the Fu family was originally suspected of being affiliated with the Crown Prince's family. Even if Fu Mei'er marries into the family, can he trust her?
Slightly pondering Fu Meier's past, Baili Jian narrowed his eyes: "Fu Meier, a proud and lowly merchant's daughter? Hmph, I have a hundred ways to make this kind of woman submit."
Baili Jian gulped down the iced tea in his hand, and a chill instantly swept over his entire body, making him shiver. But Baili Jian smiled, a smile that was extremely strange and unpredictable.
After Crown Prince Baili Cheng entered the palace, he went straight to the Anle Hall where the Empress was. He entered the main hall and had a palace servant announce his arrival. Soon, the Empress appeared in an exquisite red dress embroidered with phoenixes. The Empress and Consort Sun were two completely different kinds of beauty. If Consort Sun was the kind of charming and alluring, then the Empress was the kind of dignified and noble. For example, as soon as she appeared, everything else in the hall seemed to pale in comparison because of her. However, the Empress's expression was not very good at this moment.
Baili Cheng immediately bowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
The Empress nodded: "Rise." As she spoke, she waved her hand, "You may all leave. I wish to speak with the Crown Prince."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The palace servant quickly withdrew and closed the hall door behind him. For a moment, only the mother and son remained in the empty hall. However, both of them looked rather pale and did not speak.
The Crown Prince, being young, couldn't help but ask the Empress, "Mother, what do you think Father is planning to do? It's one thing for him to arrange marriages for all the princes at once, but to betroth Xuanyuan Yue to Baili Chen, fine, putting all that aside, he's even going so far as to make Ning Xihe my Crown Princess! That slut, she doesn't deserve it!"
The Empress's face darkened: "Crown Prince, watch your words!"
Baili Cheng didn't speak, but his expression was still not good. If that bitch hadn't ruined his plans, Xuanyuan Yue wouldn't have needed his father's bestowal of a marriage right now. She would already be his, and his father would never betroth her to anyone else. Wasn't all of this Ning Xihe's fault?
The Empress's voice was low but laced with rebuke: "You dare to criticize others? This whole affair was a result of your impulsiveness. Your father is giving you a warning. You actually dared to have a daytime rendezvous with someone during the imperial concubine selection. It was suppressed, but if it were to spread among the common people, do you know how much of a laughingstock you would become? How many people would laugh at your father's poor discipline and at our Great Zhou Dynasty?" Baili Cheng remained silent. He had only dared to act because he was confident the news wouldn't spread. If it had, how could he have dared? The Empress's voice seemed laced with sarcasm, "He's telling you that you must bear the consequences of your mistakes. Since you dared to defy his wishes and touch Ning Xihe, he will give Ning Xihe the best possible position so you will remember this lesson."
Baili Cheng's face was extremely ugly. He remembered this lesson and was also full of regret: "Mother, is there no other way? Although the Ning family is still of some use to us, it is not enough to make her worthy of this position."
The Empress snorted coldly: "Of course she is not worthy, but she is the most suitable person for this position now. Judging from your father's attitude over the past few years, he has treated the Ning family very well. The Ning family may be more useful than we think. Moreover, when the time is right, it is not difficult for you to deal with Ning Xihe as you wish. But you cannot touch her now. In addition, after you get married, you should still show some favor to Ning Xihe. At least you should make reasonable arrangements."
A cold glint flashed in Baili Cheng's eyes: "What Mother means is..."
The Empress shook her head: "There's no need to say more about this matter. But this time, His Majesty's decision is something even I didn't expect."
Baili Cheng's heart sank, because right after the selection process ended, the name next to the Crown Princess on the list of candidates he had sent was Xuan Yuan Yue's. Moreover, the Empress had submitted it, but when it reached the Emperor, it completely disrupted the selection process. This was something that no one knew except the Emperor, which is why it shocked so many people in the hall.
The Empress's eyes flickered: "Now that the Emperor has made all the princes kings, their positions are almost equal to yours. Baili Jian is also more capable of competing with you, and now even Baili Chen has a chance to contend for the throne. Does the Emperor intend to watch the princes fall into internal strife?"
Baili Cheng said repeatedly, "Mother, I have never understood what Father is thinking. Who is Father interested in?"
The Empress remained silent: "Perhaps the Empress Dowager knows about this, but when I asked her, she refused to say anything."
"Grandmother, why is this?"
"Alright, you don't need to worry about this for now. Now that the Emperor's bestowed marriage has concluded and the princes have been granted titles, the next step is the engagement and the delivery of the marriage certificate. As the Crown Prince, you don't need to go in person. However, the etiquette must not be neglected to avoid ridicule. I have already gathered people to handle it, and I will discuss it with you later. Don't think about these things for now. Even though the Emperor has made a big move this time, it won't have much impact on you. Now that the marriage is settled, you must firmly grasp these forces. Moreover, since the principal and secondary consorts have been established, you can start looking at some concubines. However, for some powerful families, they may only be able to send some illegitimate daughters. I will carefully select them. The most important thing now is to consolidate your position," the Empress said earnestly.
Baili Cheng immediately replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have taken note of everything you have done for me."
"Well, it's alright, you can go back to your residence first. Just be careful not to give yourself away. If people find out that you are unhappy with the marriage, and it gets back to the Emperor, who knows what he'll do then." The Empress's expression was somewhat cold.
Baili Cheng nodded repeatedly, then withdrew and left the Empress's palace. The Empress, however, remained seated in the hall without moving, only squinting her eyes: "Over the years, the Emperor's thoughts have become increasingly deep. Even I find it difficult to see through him. And this matter, is he still thinking about that vile woman?" As she spoke, the Empress's face turned extremely cold, her eyes filled with a vicious glint, and her face twisted with jealousy.
Emperor Mingxian's bestowal of marriage news spread instantly among the royal family, noble families, and common people. All the princes were very satisfied with Emperor Mingxian's bestowal of marriage, and each of them appeared with a smile on their face as they prepared for the marriage certificate and other matters. This marriage certificate was actually an engagement certificate issued by the royal family. If there were no accidents before the formal wedding, such as the death or disability of either the bride or groom, the wedding ceremony would proceed as normal. Only when the wedding ceremony was actually held would the princes' wedding procedures be followed, and their names would be recorded in the royal family register. Only then would it be considered a true success.
To show respect, all the princes, except for the Crown Prince who instructed his most trusted subordinates to deliver the marriage certificates, chose to personally deliver them. This immediately sparked a lot of discussion in the capital, but most of the comments were positive.
Three days later, Baili Chen was among the princes who had personally come to deliver the marriage certificate. Early in the morning, Baili Chen bathed and changed his clothes, carefully selecting several outfits. Finally, he chose an exquisite brocade robe. The entire robe was embroidered with various patterns in silver thread, and both sides were embroidered with flying dragons riding on clouds and spewing dragon pearls from their mouths, making them appear brave and extraordinary. Baili Chen's head was tied up with a translucent white jade crown, and from a distance, he looked like a jade tree, upright and handsome. As he slowly walked in, he exuded an innate noble air and a touch of otherworldly temperament.
His usually cold and rigid face now wore a relaxed smile, making his already exquisite and otherworldly features even more three-dimensional and vivid. Even the palace servants, who were used to seeing Baili Chen's beauty, couldn't help but stop and stare when they saw him. They couldn't help but sigh that this Seventh Prince truly deserved to be called the most handsome man in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although this title was only tacitly accepted by them, it was an absolute authority. They had seen countless handsome men and beautiful women in the palace, but none of them could compare with the Seventh Prince. Princess Mingyue was truly blessed to be able to marry such a handsome man as the Seventh Prince.
However, many were secretly watching the drama unfold. The Seventh Prince was quite frail; even if he wanted to feign illness, his pale complexion still made him appear sick. Just a few days ago, they had heard that he had vomited blood again, supposedly due to excessive joy upon hearing of the arranged marriage. Some of the more sarcastic palace servants even discussed privately whether the Seventh Prince might die from vomiting blood on his wedding night due to excessive excitement. They hoped Princess Mingyue wouldn't be left a widow so soon after her marriage; that would certainly be quite a spectacle.
As for these rumors, there are always two or three new ones circulating in the palace every day, so Baili Chen naturally doesn't pay any attention to them. Today, he simply rode in a carriage, with two teams of guards leading the way and Leng Sha acting as the coachman. The convoy slowly arrived at the Princess's residence. The Princess's residence had already heard the news, and the servants outside were already there to greet him. Normally, the entire residence would be mobilized to greet him, but the Princess's residence also had Princess Shuangxia, who was Baili Chen's elder, so naturally she couldn't come out to greet him. Therefore, Princess Shuangxia, Ouyang Yue, and Xuanyuan Chaohua all waited for Baili Chen in Shuangxue Pavilion.
As Baili Chen strode confidently into the hall, Princess Shuangxia's eyes lit up. Looking at Baili Chen, her eyes flickered with nostalgia. Xuan Yuan Chaohua had already stood up to pay his respects, but Baili Chen quickly stepped forward to stop him: "From now on, we're all family. Brother-in-law, there's no need to be so polite."
Xuan Yuan Chaohua's face darkened as he looked at Baili Chen, who was beaming with pride. His sister had just been recognized, and this guy was about to steal her away. He felt as uncomfortable as if he had drunk excrement. He couldn't help but glare coldly at Baili Chen. Baili Chen was in a good mood today and didn't care at all. No matter how cold Xuan Yuan Chaohua was, he still had a smiling face. In the end, Xuan Yuan Chaohua simply sat down in his chair and ignored him, preferring not to see him.
Baili Chen bowed respectfully to Princess Shuangxia, then brought out two large red chests and carefully took out a golden book from his bosom: "Grandma, this is a marriage certificate personally written by my father concerning my nephew and Princess Mingyue. Please take a look, Princess Shuangxia."
Princess Shuangxia picked it up and examined it carefully. She nodded slightly and handed it to Granny Shan with both hands, passing on the marriage certificate. This marriage certificate could not be in the hands of unmarried men and women; it had to be kept by the elders in the household until the wedding day, when it would be given to the married couple. Baili Chen had come today to deliver the marriage certificate, but of course, the two large red boxes were not in accordance with the rules. Princess Shuangxia smiled and asked, "What's inside these?"
Baili Chen immediately said, "Grand Aunt, these two boxes contain some fun things that your grand-nephew has collected over the years. They are for your grand-aunt, brother-in-law, and Mingyue to play with in their spare time. They are not anything of great value."
Princess Shuangxia looked at Baili Chen and smiled, "You really have a kind heart. Put everything in Liuyun Pavilion. If there's anything extraordinary, I'll go to Mingyue's place to admire it." As she spoke, Princess Shuangxia reached out her hand, and Granny Shan immediately helped her up, "Chaohua, accompany your grandmother inside."
Xuan Yuan Chaohua's face darkened further. He sat there for a long time without moving, then suddenly stood up and threatened Baili Chen in a low voice, "If you dare to touch my sister before we get married, see how I deal with you."
Baili Chen merely blinked, offering no reply. Soon, only Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue remained in the hall. Baili Chen's smile deepened as he stared intently at Ouyang Yue: "My wife, I have succeeded. What reward do you have for me?"