Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

Chapter 63.4 – Reunion (4)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by Anon! Thank you for sponsoring!
Just as Du Xiao Li said, at the moment, Han Ming Hong had already reached the imperial palace, directly heading
to Shouyang Hall, where the Empress Dowager resided. Arriving at the main hall, and before entering, he heard the
sound of laughter coming from inside.
“This son greets imperial mother.” After entering, Han Ming Hong brushed his clothes and bowed to the Empress
Dowager.
“Hong’er has come.” The Empress Dowager, Zhong Li Ya, looked to Han Ming Hong and said, “Quickly get up,
why did you all decide to come see this grieving one* today. Someone come, quickly get Ming Hong a seat.”
(T/N: Self-address of the empress dowager is ‘aijia’ which translates to ‘this grieving one’, because she’s supposed to
be grieving for the late emperor.)
Han Ming Hong got up and saw that the Emperor Han Ming Ze, the Empress, Han Ming Yi, and also Han Ming
Xiang were all present. Soon after, he immediately bowed to the Emperor and Empress as well, only getting up after
receiving the Emperor’s permission, and sat down on the seat that was prepared just now.
“Hong’er, did you come for something today?” Zhong Li Ya looked to Han Ming Hong and said.

“Imperial mother, this son had gone to Prime Minister Du’s home earlier.” Han Ming Hong said, “And then, gave Du
Xiao Li an engagement breaking letter.”
“What did you say?”
“Imperial mother, this son has dissolved the engagement with Du Xiao Li of my own accord.” Han Ming Hong got
up and knelt down.
“Preposterous!” The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the armrest at once as she berated.
“Imperial mother, in the beginning, the target of the marriage decree never was Du Xiao Li, why should this son
marry her?” Han Ming Hong, seeing the Empress Dowager get angry, instantly cowered. He then took a deep breath
and continued, “In the beginning, the engagement was with Ke Xin, just at the time, we didn’t know about Du Xiao
Li’s existence, so it was said as the Du family’s di daughter. Now that Du Xiao Li has returned, why have this son
matched together with a countryside girl? The one this son wants to marry is Ke Xin, not Du Xiao Li. That’s why
today this son went to have the engagement breaking letter delivered.”
“Are you treating this grieving one’s words as a joke?” The Empress Dowager angrily said.
“Imperial mother, you don’t want this son’s main consort to be a talentless and virtueless countryside girl either,
right?” Han Ming Hong said.
“Imperial mother, don’t be angry, Ren Wang must have his own reasoning.” At this time, the Emperor spoke.
Afterwards, he turned to Han Ming Hong and asked, “How do you know the other party is a talentless and virtueless
person? Have you interacted with her before?”
“Although I haven’t interacted with her before, a few days ago, when Ke Xin invited everyone to Feng Xue Lou,
many people all saw her. That day Changle also went, right?” Han Ming Hong said.
“Oh? Imperial sister also went?” Han Ming Ze asked.
“Yes.” Han Ming Xiang nodded.
“Then is what they say true? Is she really like what old four says?” The Empress asked.
“That day, we certainly did play a game, by spinning a teacup on the table, and whoever the teacup stops in front of
will have to perform something. When it stopped in front of Xiao Li, she only sang a song without accompaniment.”
Han Ming Xiang replied.
Han Ming Yi sat in his seat and didn’t say a word the entire time. Only when Han Ming Xiang spoke did he lift his
eyes to glance at her, following which he lowered his head again, playing with the teacup in hand, but his attention
was clearly not on his hands.

“Imperial mother, see, even Changle says so. How can this kind of girl be the main consort of the Ren Wang
Manor.” Han Ming Hong looked to the Empress Dowager in grievance, “Moreover, Du Xiao Li has already
accepted the engagement breaking letter.”
(T/N: Damn, I didn’t think one song can cause this big of a scandal, this is like the funniest ‘reputation ruiner’ I’ve
ever read in any cnovel. Sing one song and bye bye reputation.)
The teacup in Han Ming Yi’s hand stopped spinning.
“She accepted?” The Empress Dowager was still very angry, but she’d obviously calmed down quite a bit already.
“Yes.” Han Ming Hong nodded.
“Imperial mother, the letter I’ve already written, and she’s also accepted. Since it’s already like this, don’t be angry
anymore.” Han Ming Hong said.
“But you were also too reckless! What kind of position are you putting Prime Minister Du in like this?” The
Empress Dowager said.
“When Du Xiao Li accepted the letter, Prime Minister Du was also present. This son promised him to marry Ke Xin.
This doesn’t really affect him that much either. Imperial mother, just bestow a marriage for this son and Ke Xin!”
Han Ming Hong said.
“Nonsense, you breaking off your engagement with Du Xiao Li is already making others laugh at you. If this
grieving one were to pass a decree again to engage you and Ke Xin, what will Prime Minister Du think? What will
the people of the world think of our imperial family?”
“Imperial mother, no matter what, I want to marry Ke Xin. Once she reaches marriageable age, I will marry her.”
Han Ming Hong said.
“Right now, this isn’t something you can decide!” The Empress Dowager directly picked up the teacup on the table
and threw it at Han Ming Hong in anger, hitting him straight in the forehead. Instantly, the blood rushed forth,
flowing down along his cheek.
“Imperial mother, please quell your anger.”
“Empress Dowager, please quell your anger.”
“Someone, quickly summon an imperial physician.”
Momentarily, the room broke out in clamor. On one hand, they needed to worry about the Empress Dowager’s
mood, and on the other hand, needed to let the imperial physician bandage Han Ming Hong’s wound. After the
imperial physician finished treating Han Ming Hong’s wound, the room finally settled down again.

The Empress Dowager angrily looked Han Ming Hong, who had a white gauze wrapped around his head. When her
eyes landed on the dark red area of the wound, her gaze softened a bit.
“No matter what, this grieving one won’t decree a marriage for you and Ke Xin again. You cancelling the
engagement on your own will already make the commoners of the world laugh at our imperial family. If we were to
then abandon the di and marry the shu, our imperial family’s face, do you still want or not?!”
Han Ming Hong didn’t speak and just stubbornly knelt on the ground.
“Imperial mother, don’t be angry anymore, careful not to harm your body from anger.” The Empress softly said.
“Hmph, how I see it, he probably wants to anger this grieving one to death, so that he can do whatever he pleases!”
The Empress Dowager angrily said.
“This son doesn’t dare!” Han Ming Hong heavily kowtowed his head to the ground.
“Imperial mother, calm your anger, Ming Hong’s thoughts, we all understand. He’s always viewed his feelings rather
seriously and has been waiting to marry Du Ke Xin. But with the sudden appearance of Du Xiao Li, for him to do
something like this, it is also within reason.”
“You’re still helping him talk! Just look at the foolish thing he did!”
“Imperial mother, it’s not like this matter can’t be resolved.” The Emperor said.
“What method do you have?” The Empress Dowager asked.
“Since Ming Hong and Du Xiao Li’s engagement is already broken now, and he’s also insisting on marrying Du Ke
Xin, why don’t we just bestow another marriage for Du Xiao Li.” The Emperor replied.
“Bestow another marriage?”