V38 The King of Western Shu Forces Marriage (Part Two)
After the King of Western Shu and his daughter left, the emperor stood in a daze in Zhengyang Palace.
Thinking of the last words the King of Western Shu said when he left, his brows furrowed even more.
Yes, he is now very eager to win over Western Shu, because the Hua Dynasty is growing stronger and stronger and is showing a trend of surpassing Lanling. Therefore, he is very worried that there will be unrest on the border. Now, Western Shu is offering ten cities as a condition, which is really tempting.
Most importantly, a marriage alliance between the two countries would prevent Western Shu from siding with Hua Chao and instead unite with Lanling against a common enemy, which would be entirely beneficial to Lanling.
However... I'm afraid Mi'er won't agree to this marriage!
The next morning, he summoned Huangfu Mi, calmly recounted his story, and then waited for Huangfu Mi's reaction.
As expected, Huangfu Mi listened quietly, his face growing increasingly grim, until finally he was furious: "Father, how can our great nation of Heaven allow Western Shu to coerce us like this? To equate a marriage alliance with diplomatic relations between the two countries is far too childish!"
"I know that he is trying to take advantage of the situation, but in fact, we really need the ally of Western Shu. Moreover, a marriage alliance is entirely beneficial. I want you to agree. As for the rest, don't say anything more."
"Father, how could you say such a thing? You promised me that you would arrange my marriage to Wan'er soon, so why are you going back on your word and asking me to marry the princess of Western Shu?" His tone was urgent and somewhat annoyed.
The Emperor paused, both of them looking helpless: "That's the situation now. Princess Hongxiu specifically asked for you, and I have no choice but to accept it! But I've thought about it. After you marry Princess Hongxiu, you can take Wan'er as your concubine. It's not a big deal. Although it will be unfair to her, you two are in love, so this is not a bad solution."
"No way!" Huangfu Mi shouted, refusing without even thinking.
Putting aside his relationship with Meng Wan, he would never yield to such coercion from Western Shu.
"Don't say such hurtful things. This matter is of great importance. How can you decide it just because you don't want to marry her?" the emperor reprimanded in a low voice.
“Father, a king’s word is law. Since you have already agreed to my marriage with Wan’er, you should not waver no matter what the King of Western Shu says. Now that you have agreed to the King of Western Shu, why don’t you marry that princess and make her your concubine?”
"Insolence!" The emperor's voice suddenly rose, angered by Huangfu Mi, and his tone became sharp: "So what if I agreed? I only agreed to your marriage, I didn't specify whether she would be the principal wife or a concubine. Now that Princess Hongxiu insists on marrying you, then I can only give in to her wishes. After all, compared to you, the stability of the country is the most important thing!"
"Your subject will not agree." Huangfu Mi was not one to easily yield. The emperor's tone was firm, but he did not back down. He raised his head and said, "Our Celestial Empire is a great nation with a strong military. Even if small countries on the border invade, it is not a big deal. Your subject can lead troops to fight. However, if you treat my marriage as a joke, your subject will never agree to it under any circumstances."
"Nonsense! I'm not playing games with this. She's a princess, and it's your good fortune that she's willing to marry you. Besides, you were born into the royal family, so you have to share the burdens of the royal family. How can I allow you to have everything go your way!"
The emperor's face darkened abruptly, as he had never been reprimanded like this before. At that moment, the empress entered from outside and, seeing the scene, smiled inwardly but hurriedly stepped forward without stopping: "Seventh Prince, His Majesty is not preventing you from marrying Wan'er, but the position of principal wife will be reserved for Princess Hongxiu. As for Wan'er, although she is a concubine, His Majesty and I both like her very much and will never wrong her."
"Wouldn't marrying another woman be a disservice to her? Then may I ask, Mother, what exactly constitutes a disservice?" He snorted coldly, showing no respect whatsoever.
"It's quite common for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Even if you make her your principal wife now, you'll still have countless concubines and maids in the future. Even now, don't you still have other women in your palace?"
The Empress knew that Huangfu Mi was in a bad mood. He had just taken the initiative, and now she was eager to kick him while he was down. She kept looking at him and provoking him with her words, hoping that he would anger the Emperor and be punished.
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Mi glared coldly at him and stood up abruptly: "I can marry any woman in the world, but I will never be coerced into this situation. Father may fear Western Shu, but I do not. If it leads to a major conflict with the Celestial Empire because I refuse to marry its princess, then I will not hesitate to draw my sword. I have said all I have to say. Father, please take care of yourself."
After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and strode out.
"You..." The emperor trembled with rage, watching Huangfu Mi's departing figure, wishing he could chop him down with a single stroke.
Seeing this, the Empress hurriedly helped him sit down, then patted his back to help him catch his breath, but she was secretly delighted: "Your Majesty, calm down. That's just how the Seventh Prince is. He didn't mean to talk back. It's just that he's been away from home for too long."
The emperor frowned even more deeply: "It is because I have been too lenient with him that he has become so presumptuous. He has actually disregarded the people of the world for the sake of a woman. They say that beautiful women bring disaster, and that is absolutely true."
The hatred in his eyes was obvious, which made the Empress even happier.
She smiled inwardly, but put on a worried expression as she looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
--
After Huangfu Mi left, the Empress was also driven out by the Emperor. After a long silence, she sent someone to summon Prime Minister Meng.
Meanwhile, Huangfu Mi went all the way to the Prime Minister's residence.
"Girl, let's get married, tomorrow, no, let's get married today!" A huge hug enveloped her in his arms, and he held her tightly, whispering in her ear.
He held her so tightly, as if he were afraid of losing her if he let go, which made Meng Wan's eyes sting with tears.
She had heard the news early in the morning and felt distressed, but seeing him like this, she couldn't say anything.
Letting him hold her, she leaned against his chest and chuckled almost imperceptibly: "Alright, alright, but even if we're going to get married, you need to be well-rested. Judging from your appearance, you must not have slept all night, right?"
She chuckled softly, her heart pounding with unease, but she tried her best to suppress it, pretending not to know anything, and pushed him into the inner room.
At this moment, she didn't care about avoiding anything. She pushed him onto the bed and laid him down, then covered him with a brocade quilt. She reached out and touched his cheek, saying softly, "Sleep for a while. We'll talk about everything when you wake up."
Huangfu Mi was truly in dire straits.
I felt uneasy last night and barely slept. I got very angry early this morning, but now I'm finally feeling tired. Smelling Meng Wan's scent on the bed and holding her hand tightly, I actually fell asleep in no time.
V39 The Empire and the Beauty (Part 1)
Huangfu Mi was truly in dire straits.
I felt uneasy last night and barely slept. I got very angry early this morning, but now I'm finally feeling tired. Smelling Meng Wan's scent on the bed and holding her hand tightly, I actually fell asleep in no time.
Meng Wan finally stopped smiling, and looking at his handsome face, her eyes welled up with tears.
Judging from his expression, the Emperor must have said something to him, right? This means that they have no choice but to compromise?
Tears welled up instantly, her heart filled with unbearable sorrow. She raised her hand to wipe them away, and just then, Huanyan quietly entered from outside: "Miss—"
It is said that the Third Madam invited her over. It is easy to guess that her father went to the palace early in the morning, and her aunt must be looking for her about this matter.
With her mind in turmoil, Meng Wan closed her eyes and waited until her emotions calmed down before carefully removing Huangfu Mi's hand and quietly walking out.
The Third Madam was already waiting inside. After Meng Wan entered, she first paid her respects. Once she was seated, all the maids were dismissed, leaving only Meng Wan and the Third Madam. Looking at Meng Wan's slightly tired face, the Third Madam sighed: "You probably didn't sleep well last night either, did you?"
Meng Wan lowered her head and remained silent, waiting for the Third Madam to continue.