SWDnovel Chapter 924 - 760: Compensation
Chapter 924 - 760: Compensation
Could it be that De’an, who is close to the Emperor, has already been bought over by the officials of the Eldest Prince’s faction?Only this can make sense, after all, the only one who can attend closely to the Emperor is De’an, and the Emperor trusts him the most.
The Emperor is getting old, and who knows which day he might pass away. It’s normal for De’an to seek a new patron for himself; after all, people plan for themselves.
Although this is a possibility, Gu Chengyu still cannot be certain for now.
Thinking further, Gu Chengyu suddenly recalled that the Emperor is indeed aging, his health is not as good as before, and he suffers from chronic cold leg pain.
Therefore, two charcoal braziers are lit in the Imperial Study Room in winter, so the temperature in the room is very high.
The last time Gu Chengyu went there, he even broke a slight sweat. He usually dressed rather lightly, which shows how much the Emperor fears the cold.
But relying solely on these two charcoal braziers, without getting too close, it’s not certain it would be effective, right? Overall, there are too many uncontrollable factors.
However, Gu Chengyu knows that during extremely cold weather, the Emperor also uses a hand warmer. When reading memorials, the Emperor places the hand warmer beside the documents.
Chou Yifan’s father-in-law is of the Standard Third Rank, and it’s not impossible for him to have private audiences with the Emperor, so it’s not surprising he knows about this.
Could it be that Chou Yifan is gambling on this? But Gu Chengyu feels this is somewhat unreliable.
He still leans towards the former possibility, it seems De’an should be kept in check, although Gu Chengyu has no intention of warning the Emperor.
Firstly, he has no evidence, and the Emperor wouldn’t believe his words based on just that.
Moreover, this is a fight between the Princes in which he cannot intervene at this moment. To speak coldly, what does it matter to him who becomes the Emperor?
However, the evidence has now fallen into his hands, and dealing with Chou Yifan on this matter won’t be easy.
At the moment, Gu Chengyu wasn’t sure what move Chou Yifan might have made, so being cautious, he did not dare to act rashly.
If he had known what Chou Yifan planned, he would have given it to Zhang Hai directly.
And without any evidence, it wouldn’t be easy to bring down Chou Yifan. It seems, he can only wait for an opportunity.
Gu Chengyu felt uneasy, as if watched by a viper, while common in the court, he would not hesitate to eliminate any potential threat if given the chance.
With a wistful glance at the paper in his hand, Gu Chengyu placed it back in the space it came from.
The next day, Prince Jing came out of the palace with a steely gaze, and seeing the Prince’s displeased look, Xiao Chengzi understood that his visit to the palace hadn’t gone smoothly.
When the carriage drove away from the palace gates, Prince Jing lifted the curtain of the window, staring at the retreating, towering city walls, feeling a frustration he had no way to vent.
Throwing the curtain aside, Prince Jing leaned inside the carriage, closing his eyes to rest.
Xiao Chengzi watched the Prince’s tightly pressed lips, feeling suffocated by the silence within the carriage.
Prince Jing thought about the recent audience with his father, which was again about his marriage.
Even though he had prepared for this outcome, when his father mentioned that the legitimate daughter from Duke Zhen’s Mansion had been promised to Gu Chengyu, he could hardly reign in his overwhelming emotions.
A cold smile appeared on his lips, compensation? How to compensate? Could it possibly make up for all the grievances he’s endured since childhood?
Over the years, Father had never shown the slightest remorse or offered any compensation; now he feigned sincerity.
Speaking of letting him choose a consort, he actually believed it.
His father clearly knew that he had already chosen a certain lady as his main wife, yet because of a few words from Liang Zhirui, his choice for a main wife was replaced.
The scene he had just witnessed loomed large in Prince Jing’s mind, difficult to forget.
Ah, Fourth! Liang Zhirui had followed father since when he was still the Crown Prince.
He is wholly devoted to the court and utterly loyal to His Majesty. Later, when he retired, Father, on an impulse, agreed to his request.
Now, for the marriage of his granddaughter, he has asked His Majesty once again, leaving him powerless to refuse.
After all, His Majesty had given his word to Liang Zhirui, and this time he has come to ask it be fulfilled.
Fourth! His Majesty knows he’s wronged you, but he’s already chosen a lady of aristocratic descent as your main wife; the rest of the concubines you can choose yourself.
Rest assured, that lady’s family is not lacking, and their strict upbringing is worthy of your status.
Prince Jing opened his eyes slightly, a coldness surging in his gaze, who was that young woman? It was none other than Li Fangyun, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Li Wei.
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites holds a third-rank official position, and his legitimate daughter somewhat matches his status.
But according to Prince Jing’s knowledge, Li Wei had long aligned himself with Xia Qing, who held Li Wei in high regard.
Father must have deeper intentions with this move; if he became Li Wei’s son-in-law, what path would Li Wei ultimately choose?
As a powerless, neglected Prince, after the heir appointment ceremony, he would be sent back to his fief, would Li Wei switch loyalties to him?
Even if he became Li Wei’s son-in-law, seeing no hope in himself, Li Wei likely wouldn’t stake everything on him.
Moreover, he finds Li Wei’s talents unimpressive, adept at flattery, but lacking in real ability compared to Gu Chengyu.
Indeed, it would be tough to find anyone comparable to Gu Chengyi within the entire court.
Li Wei’s position stemmed from both his family’s power and Xia Qing’s support.
As for his own abilities, they account for only a small part.
Prince Jing holds disdain for Li Wei and holds no anticipation for the Li family’s daughter.
Rumor has it that the daughter’s upbringing is overly strict, with her behavior rigid and devoid of the charm and liveliness found in young maidens.
Father wasn’t wrong in saying the Li family’s strictness is impeccable, leaving no grounds for criticism.
But the girls of the Li family behave as if they were aged matrons of the inner palace, their every step measured and uniform.
Faces perpetually stern, seemingly uninterested in all things.
This is no secret in the Capital, mainly because the old matron of the Li family was renowned for such propriety in her youth.
When attending banquets, the matron would showcase her granddaughter’s decorum, taking pride in it.
Unaware that the aristocratic families in the Capital privately mocked the Li family, saying their daughters were nothing but puppets on strings.
However, this wasn’t such a significant matter to Prince Jing. A Princess Consort who prioritizes decorum could indeed help manage the inner court well.
As for understanding and intelligence, if it’s absent, so be it. After all, a single Princess Consort is never the end.
What angers him is that Father simply didn’t regard him; informing him only two days after promising Liang Zhirui, how little regard did he have?
Now, a few words seemed to placate him, treating the selection of a main wife as a mere charitable act granted to him.