LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 26:
Changji Hall, in the evening.
The weather in May was already a bit sultry, and all the windows were opened, allowing a cool breeze to blow in slowly, mixed with the faint fragrance of flowers.
Xiao Junzhan was sitting on the chair, reviewing the memorials on the desk. When Ning Hai made a pot of tea and presented it, he whispered: "Your Highness, the chief minister is waiting outside to see you."
Xiao Junzhan paused at the tip of his pen, without raising his eyes, and said: "Xuan."
Different from those hundred-year-old marquis mansions in the capital, the Nagato Marquis has only been passed down for two generations. The old marquis made great achievements in establishing the current high position, and was awarded the title of marquis. His son has also been studying with the prince since he was a child, and he is deeply trusted by the prince. He is a popular and meritorious nobleman in the capital.
Xie Li, the chief minister, was a few years older than the prince. After entering the gate, he knelt down and saluted, saying, "I have met your highness."
Xiao Junzhan looked away from the memorial and lowered his eyes, saying goodbye: "Why is Ziyi here?"
Xie Li stood up, bowed his waist slightly and said, "Today, when I returned home after my duty, I heard some news from my wife. I felt uneasy and came here to report to Your Majesty."
Xiao Junzhan looked slightly calm: "What's the matter?"
Xie Li bent even lower and said, "The Gu family...is the eldest son of Gu Xulin in Xuzhou, who intends to enter into a marriage contract with the second wife of Zhongyong Hou Mansion."
Xie Li's face was covered with sweat. He followed His Highness to Xuzhou and witnessed with his own eyes the difference in His Highness's treatment of the girls from the Wei family, including the subsequent series of investigations into the identities of the girls from the Wei family, which he personally did.
I didn’t expect such trouble to happen.
It just so happened that the marriage between the Gu and Wei families was actually arranged by his wife.
Mrs. Changmenhou and Mrs. Gu had a handkerchief relationship, and she was the one who was entrusted by Mrs. Gu to inquire about Wei Mansion's comments.
Xiao Junzhan looked indifferent, lowered his eyes and contemplated for a while, then said: "Which girl from the second room of the Wei family?"
"..." Xie Li hesitated, then knelt down again with a plop: "The daughter of the second daughter of the Wei family... Xingjiu."
Xiao Junzhan said: "Is the Wei family going to leave?"
“Yes.”
The hall was silent for a few moments, and then there was a "click" sound, which was the sound of the memorial being placed on the table. Xie Li's back was stiff, and he even controlled his breathing carefully.
"Growing up together since childhood..." Xiao Junzhan stood up and glanced at Xie Li, who was kneeling down, with a cold look in his eyes: "Is this what you do?"
Xie Li touched his forehead to the ground, smiling bitterly in his heart.
The power of the king is unpredictable. On that day, he only vaguely guessed that His Highness treated the girl differently, but no one could be sure of what kind of difference it was.
After all, His Highness the Crown Prince has never been flirtatious with women. How could he make such a judgment based on his short appearance? Then he rushed back to Beijing and only checked the other party's true identity. After there was no doubt, who could go and check whether there was a marriage proposal.
Today I heard that the girl actually had a marriage contract, and I was suddenly shocked. Even though it was getting late, I had to go to the palace to report it. I thought it was enough, but I never thought...
Xiao Junzhan walked down the stairs and turned his head to ask Ning Hai, "Are the Jiang family still on the way?"
Ning Hai was startled, his mind changed quickly, and he hurriedly said: "Counting the days, we should be in Mianzhou."
“It’s a solitary message,” Xiao Junzhan said calmly: “Mr. Jiang is getting old, so someone might have neglected him on the way and asked Gu Xulin to go to Mianzhou to **** the Jiang family back to Beijing safely.”
“…” Ning Hai paused for a moment and said cautiously: “The Jiang family came to Beijing this time because they were serving as officials…”
Where are the third-rank officials asked to **** prisoners to Beijing? The **** is not enough. Is this oral order not...
"Don't worry about it," Xiao Junzhan said: "When delivering the order, I gave Gu Xulin a beating before returning to Beijing and restrained my movements. Whatever you say, I don't want to see the 'proposal' happen tomorrow."
“This slave takes the order.” Ning Hai’s expression remained unchanged, and he felt worried for the Gu family. It was the first time in so many years that His Highness was so interested in a girl. If he dared to steal someone from His Highness, the Gu family would suffer.
When Ning Hai went to announce the decree, Xie Li was the only one left in the palace who was still kneeling on the ground. Xiao Junzhan stood quietly for a while, lowered his eyes and said, "I want to see her."
“…” Xie Li was stunned, unable to believe what he heard. Is this still his noble and noble Highness?
Xiao Junzhan said: "Be careful. If she wants to leave the house, remember to come and report her."
Xie Ligong said: "Yes."
Xiao Junzhan's tone became softer: "And the eldest son Gu who grew up with her, please pay more attention."
Xie Li's forehead was dripping with sweat, and he kowtowed and said, "I accept your order."
…
—
But it’s no wonder that he was sent a message from the Gu family early in the morning. Gu Yunran’s father received a secret order from the prince last night to go to Jiangnan on errands and left the city overnight.
Proposing a marriage to the eldest son is a big deal, and if Gu Xulin, the head of the family, is not present, it can only be postponed.
The Wei family will be more satisfied if the in-laws who are about to get married are highly valued, so there is no reason to postpone the proposal of marriage.
When Wei Hanzhang heard the news, his first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief.
It is very sad to say that she was obviously looking forward to the marriage before, but after learning that Gu Yunran had had two wives, she could no longer regain the joy she had before.
Although Gu Yunran kept saying that he had never touched her, he had said before that no other woman would get involved between them. Didn't he quietly accept his mother's arrangement?
Trust is such a thing. Once it is broken, it is difficult to restore it to its original state.
Wei Hanzhang knew very well that her feelings for Gu Yunran were no longer what they were before as her trust diminished.
She didn't believe that Gu Yunran had never touched them during the time when he took in the two wives without telling her.
If you can hide it from her the first time, there will definitely be a second time.
In Wei Hanzhang's eyes, Gu Yunran was no longer clean. He was no longer the obedient little bamboo horse in her mind who would fight wherever he was told.
…
Ever since the Gu family arrived in the capital, Gu Yunran has been coming to the house early in the morning for several days in a row. He is familiar with the door and the road, and goes straight to the second room.
Several times before Wei Hanzhang woke up, he was waiting outside the hospital.
So these days, Wei Heng and Mr. and Mrs. Jiang looked at their daughter with bright smiles in their eyes.
This couple, who have respected each other for many years, have reached a rare consensus: their little daughter has extraordinary charm, and by the looks of it, she has already determined her future husband.
It was a slightly hot day in May. When Wei Hanzhang walked out of the room, he saw Gu Yunran standing in the sunshine and smiling at him.
“Ran Ran, you have been in the capital for so long and you are more familiar with it than me. Please take me to play with you today.”
Wei Hanzhang was stunned by his smile. After a slight pause, he said disgustedly: "You are not at home to study your books. Why are you thinking about having fun?"
"It's still early next year, so Wen Shu is not in a hurry." Gu Yunran walked up to her in a few steps and whispered: "Okay Ran Ran, just go out for a walk with me."
(End of this chapter)