“Princess Anping, the Empress Dowager dotes on you so much. Why don’t you have the Empress Dowager bestow upon you a good marriage? Look at how blissful Duchess Mingyang is, and you will know how satisfied she is with her marriage.” Consort Yu smiled and steered the topic to Mo Xuetong. She wanted Mo Xuetong to ask the Empress Dowager herself.
If she asked the Empress Dowager to bestow marriage upon her, what could Emperor Zongwen say!
The Empress Dowager and Emperor Zongwen would not make things hard on her. They would only think of her as a young lady who had no definite views and treated marriage as a game in order to butter up to the Empress Dowager. This would annoy Emperor Zongwen.
However, could she refuse? The Empress Dowager bestowing a marriage was a great honor. If she did not accept it, she would be going against a royal decree. Furthermore, while Emperor Zongwen had already agreed to bestow her marriage with Feng Yuran, he had not said so openly. She could not use that as an excuse. Mo Xuetong felt very anxious when she thought of that and broke out in a sweat.
“Princess Anping…” Consort Yu said with a smile when she saw Mo Xuetong lowering her head and not answering. It was as if she would not allow Mo Xuetong to leave if she could not answer them.
Mo Xuetong had no choice but to answer. She calmed down slightly and lifted her soft cheeks. There was soft dust of pink on her pale complexion and she looked charming and beautiful. She said, “Your Highness, Consort Yu, you must be joking. How can an unmarried young lady ask for this herself? My father should be the one to decide this.”
Even though her father might not be able to take charge of her marriage, he was her father. It was most appropriate for her to push the responsibility onto her father.
“Princess Anping, do you not want me to bestow your marriage?” The Empress Dowager looked up with a smile. Even though the smile on her face was benevolent and kind, one could not help but shudder when looking at her with rosaries in her hand.
Mo Xuetong was secretly shocked. The Empress Dowager’s question was difficult to answer. She was a daughter of an official, so she did not dare to say that she was unwilling for the Empress Dowager to bestow her marriage. However, if she said that she was willing, the Empress Dowager would definitely do what she wanted and say that it was Mo Xuetong who asked her for it. Even if Emperor Zongwen were to be dissatisfied, Her Majesty would be able to push the blame onto her.
The Empress Dowager had lived in the palace for many years and was not a simple woman. Just a simple statement from her was enough to push Mo Xuetong off the precipice.
Consort Yu leaned back into her wide nanmu chair back and smiled softly. There was a hint of satisfaction in her eyes as she waved her fan lightly. She did not speak, but she was listening intently for Mo Xuetong’s reply.
The room quieted down as everyone looked at Mo Xuetong, waiting for her answer.
If Mo Xuetong did not answer well, she would end up in endless trouble. There was a shy smile on Mo Xuetong’s face. Her long lashes fluttered and she stood up. She knelt before the Empress Dowager and said with a flush on her face, “Many thanks for your kind love, Your Majesty, if I were not engaged, I would definitely ask Your Majesty to…”
“You are already engaged? When did that happen? Are there any witnesses?” The Empress Dowager’s smile froze on her face. She did not expect Mo Xuetong’s reply. Her expression cooled.
“Princess, you must not make things up and lie to the Empress Dowager. That’s a crime worthy of death.” Duchess Mingyang said with disdain. It sounded as if she were reminding Mo Xuetong, but she was actually threatening her.
Even though Emperor Zongwen might have intended the marriage to happen, he had not done it openly. It was not truly considered a betrothal. Mo Xuetong could not speak about it. That was why the Empress Dowager had asked her when she got engaged and if she had any witnesses.
Even though Mo Xuetong was still blushing, and a shy smile appeared on her face. It was difficult for girls to speak about their own marriages. She looked down and said gently, “I have been engaged since I was a child. This was decided by my mother and I was promised to her good friend. The two families have once promised that if we do not get engaged by 15, then the matter will not be considered again. Mother left behind a pair of jade bangles as proof and my second uncle knows about this as well.”
Even though she was soft, everyone present heard her clearly.
“Why would the matter not be considered again after 15 years? Could it be that the two families have already lost contact long ago?” Consort Yu asked, not willing to give up.
“I heard Mother’s wet nurse say that a woman saved her when she was gravely ill. That was how the two met. However, that family moved away and told Mother that the engagement was off on that day. However, Mother was very grateful to them and was unwilling to do so. As such, that family and Mother made this promise.”
“They said that if we are fated, they will come and marry me. If not, they will also send a letter and that our marriages in the future will be decided by our own families.”
Mo Xuetong answered shyly but also explained the situation clearly. What she had just said was true. Nanny Ming had told her very clearly about this marriage pact. Mo Xuetong’s words were mostly true. In fact, Nanny Ming did not know who that family was either, but the part about marrying her before she turned 15 was true.
She had been especially careful here and had phrased her sentence carefully. She did not say 15 years old for she was not at all interested in this marriage.
Mo Xuetong remembered that the person had not appeared even after she died in her past life. He would naturally not appear again in this life. As such, she might as well make use of it as her shield. No matter how powerful the royal family was, they would not make her back out of this engagement and marry a royal. She was not even 14 now.
While the Empress Dowager wanted Mo Xuetong in her camp, or perhaps, one should say that she wanted Fu General Manor and her father in her camp, she would not drag it out for too long. King Ning had returned from the Yan Kingdom and needed a legitimate reason for it. Otherwise, leaving without permission as a hostage son was enough to make trouble for Feng Yuzhen.
“To think that there is something like that. Why didn’t I hear anyone talk about it?” Lady of Xian said curiously.
“Mother has always been in Cloud City and in poor health. She did not keep in contact much with her family in the capital and only mentioned it to Second Uncle before. After that, she passed away…” Mo Xuetong’s eyes were filled up with tears as she spoke. She wiped the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief and sniffed before continuing, “Father said that since that whether the engagement will work out cannot be determined right now, it would not be too late to speak about it after we end the mourning for Mother.”
There should not be any auspicious events while they mourned for her mother. Mo Xuetong had spoken about it politely. She had not only mentioned why they did not speak about it, but she had also indicated that she was still in mourning. Discussing this was not something a filial daughter should do. The Empress Dowager forcing her to talk about her marriage today was simply too unreasonable.
“Get up!” The Empress Dowager could not say anything at this moment. There was a sharp glint in her eyes as she spoke coldly to Mo Xuetong.
Mo Xuetong stood up with tears in her eyes and bit her lips. Her hands fell by her sides and she looked extremely aggrieved. However, no one discovered the flash of light in her eyes.
“I am tired now, you can all go,” said the Empress Dowager coldly. Even though the Empress Dowager was still smiling, she did not seem as benevolent as before. She seemed a little cold and she picked up the rosaries and thumbed through it. She looked slightly displeased. The matter was already almost set, but then she realized that reality conflicted with her plans. She no longer felt in the mood.
The others did not dare to say anything else. They answered in affirmative and left.
After everyone left, the doors of the palace closed behind them.
“Zhen’er, what do you think?” The Empress Dowager put down the rosaries she was holding and turned to look at the drapes in the corner.
The heavy drapes moved slightly and a tall young man wearing light purple robes emerged. He went up to the Empress Dowager and bowed politely. Then, he said with a smile, “This Princess Anping is indeed different.”
It was rare for a woman to be so intelligent. She had been able to handle the matter earlier very graciously, even in such a situation before the high and mighty Empress Dowager. From where he was standing, Feng Yuzhen could see Mo Xuetong’s lips lifting up slightly when her eyes filled with tears and shyness.
If he had not seen that, even he would have thought that the young lady was shy and very cowardly and was forced to say something that young ladies should not. He would have believed that what she said in that situation was true. The fear on her beautiful face had almost tricked even him.
A young girl who was not even 15 had an expression that did not befit her age. She put on a facade before different people. Which one was she truly? Perhaps that was what made her different. How many sides did she have…?
“Grandmother, if she really agreed just now, what will happen to Wang Xiuiu?” Feng Yuzhen reigned his running thoughts and asked with a smile. He did not tell the Empress Dowager what he saw earlier.
“Grand Secretariat Wang is still being very careful and has not indicated where he stands. You do not need to worry about Wang Xiuxiu. I have already spoken to her. There is only be one consort. If she loves you, she will let the position go. I promised that she can have the position if she wants in the future once the matter is done.” The Empress Dowager’s voice did not shake at all. She spoke so lightly it was as if what she was saying had not concerned her at all.
Feng Yuzhen fell silent. Wang Xiuxiu was an ambitious woman. Feng Yuzhen knew that his grandmother would not agree to this matter if she did not need the support of Grand Secretariat Wang. His grandmother still favored the cousins from the Ding General Manor. However, this was not the best time to act.
He could not marry the daughters of the Ding General Manor, he also had to let the position of his main consort off to marry a pawn that would be of use to him. He was a prince, and even if he were a hostage son, the position as his main consort was not low. Mo Xuetong, the new princess met all the criteria as his main consort.
Princess Anping did not seem as if she had any real power, but her position was a good one. However, when she considered the power she had backing her, the Empress still chose her amongst all the other noble ladies in the end.
Even though Fu General Manor had been keeping a low key in recent years, they still had power. They had power both in the army and in court and they could settle any matter that arose quickly. They were also an old and noble family with strong roots. Even though the Ding General Manor had promised to stand by the Empress Dowager, they were hesitant about the Empress’ chosen heir. They were waiting to see who was stronger.
Considering the other side of the argument, this meant that Ding General Manor was not reliable!
With the help and support of Fu General Manor, the power of their faction would definitely increase. Furthermore, Mo Huawen was doing well as an official lately and he was in charge of the safety of the capital. He was also a close subject of the Emperor. He would be able to send them the information quickly if anything was to happen. They would be able to find things out before anyone else did. Even though Grand Secretariat Wang had Emperor Zongwen’s trust, it was obvious that there were some things that the Emperor would rather let Mo Huawen settle and not the Grand Secretariat.
A person in a position that was average and not eye-catching was the best.
“Grandmother, let’s talk about my marriage later. The matter of the two factions is more important. Who will the Emperor favor?” Feng Yuzhen said with a frown. The marriage could not be rushed. They might as well wait and set this up first. Then, they could appear before all with a good excuse.
“The matter of the two factions is just a struggle between King Chu and King Yan. On the surface, it looks as if King Chu’s power has been affected but this incident happened on such a large scale. Half the people in court are involved in this. Anyone can see that someone is stirring the matter behind the scenes. The Empress thought that she had dealt with the matter seamlessly but never thought that the Emperor knows everything.” The Empress Dowager’s appearance seemed a little blurry behind the smoke of the incense.
“What will happen to the Ding General Manor? If they are to be involved…” Feng Yuzhen said hesitantly.
“I will take care of the Ding General Manor and tell them not to be involved in these murky waters. The Empress was in too much of a hurry. The matter is not yet settled!” The Empress Dowager sighed and a smile slowly stretched on her lips.
