bookrandom Chapter 239 Shocking News
Chapter 239 Shocking News
Lan Zhi looked at him calmly.
“If I hadn’t come, you would have committed the crime of disobeying the imperial decree and putting the entire Crown Prince’s residence in danger.”
"I cannot accept this imperial edict..."
“Since the Emperor’s decree has been issued, you have no choice but to accept it. You can bear the crime of disobeying the decree, but the Crown Prince’s residence cannot.”
Her eyes held a sharp edge, giving Wei Jianning a sense of unfamiliarity.
"Miss..."
He called softly, and she responded with a restrained whisper in her eyes.
"My lord, you are the crown prince, the heir apparent of the country. It's normal for you to have three wives and four concubines. Besides, she is the eldest daughter of the Grand Commandant's family. She doesn't mind being a concubine, so what reason do you have to refuse?"
"But……"
"No buts, I, as the mistress of the Crown Prince's residence, will agree to this on your behalf."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor, completely disregarding Wei Jianning's unpleasant expression, nodded happily.
"I never expected you to be so magnanimous. Rest assured, as long as you successfully give birth to a son, the position of Crown Princess will always be yours."
"What do you mean by that?"
Wei Jianning's face was extremely ugly, and he coldly questioned,
"What do you mean that if she gives birth to a son, the position of Crown Princess will be hers? As long as I am the Crown Prince, no matter what she gives birth to, the position will always be hers. Also, even if I am forced to marry Zhu Fangfei, I will not touch her."
His resolute attitude displeased the emperor, but he still nodded in agreement.
"Don't speak too soon. I've heard that Zhu Fangfei is not only beautiful, but also kind and kind-hearted. She's an interesting girl, and I believe you two will develop feelings for each other over time."
"Apart from Lan Zhi, I, Wei Jianning, will never fall in love with anyone in this life."
His words made Lan Zhi's heart sink, and a feeling of inexplicable bitterness welled up in her heart.
But what can be done?
Zhu Kui was a first-rank official in the court, wielding immense power. If he were to allow his daughter to become Wei Jianning's concubine, anyone who spoke of it would say that he was climbing the social ladder.
Besides, the Emperor has already announced this marriage to the entire city. Even if we have to consider the Emperor and Zhu Kui's feelings, we still have to agree.
As the two of them walked out of Zhenlan Garden, Wei Jianning stopped, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Why did you come? Why did you agree to this?
She looked up, deliberately giving a relaxed smile.
"Husband, the eldest daughter of the Grand Commandant's family has condescended to marry you as a concubine, what are you still complaining about?"
"You know that's not what I meant. I once promised you that I would only marry you in this life..."
"But you can't disobey the imperial decree. This time, the emperor's decree was not issued hastily. It was discussed with Zhu Kui and the court officials. If the emperor really punishes you for disobeying the imperial decree, what will happen to the more than one hundred people in the Crown Prince's residence?"
"I don't want to marry a concubine, I don't want to marry another woman."
"I know how you feel about me, but as a member of the royal family and as the crown prince, there are some things you can't simply choose not to do just because you don't want to."
"At worst, I'll just quit being the crown prince..."
"Even if you don't become the crown prince, with your current status, do you think you can live a peaceful life as an ordinary citizen? Besides, Zhu Kui is, after all, the Grand Commandant, with great power and a large army. Marrying his daughter will only benefit you."
"I don't need to rely on other people's rights."
"My lord, I know how you feel about me. The Emperor didn't give us time to consider this matter, nor did he consult with us before issuing the decree. He didn't want to give you a chance to object. You have to accept this marriage whether you like it or not. The court is unstable right now, and there are people eyeing your position as crown prince. If you don't accept this marriage, someone will use it to make a big fuss. By the time someone wants to impeach you for disobeying the imperial decree, it will be too late."
At this point, she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Before you become fully powerful, you can only compromise and let nature take its course."
It turns out that during the war before the new year, due to the defeat at the border, the emperor not only revoked his regency but also took away the tiger tally from him. They didn't know who had it now.
The only way the emperor could save face for him was by not mentioning it to anyone; to outsiders, he still wielded considerable power.
So at present, although he is the crown prince, he has no real power. Even if he is not just a figurehead, it can only be said that the position of crown prince is just a glamorous shell.
"Don't worry, my wife. Even if I am forced to marry her by imperial decree, I will never look at her twice. I really won't. When we become strong, I will divorce her as soon as possible. Don't be sad, okay?"
Lan Zhi looked up at him and forced an awkward smile.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't sad, but for the sake of the bigger picture, she could only pretend not to be.
She raised her hand to smooth out his slightly wrinkled collar, then took his hand and placed it against his chest, revealing a gentle smile.
"My husband, just remember that I'm here for you, that's enough."
Wei Jianning's eyes suddenly reddened, and he immediately reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault for losing the power I had. Now I can only be manipulated by others, and it will hurt you because of this. I'm sorry."
His voice trembled slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Although she was a person who had traveled from the modern era and advocated monogamy, in this era where imperial power reigned supreme, who would understand the most sincere feelings between them?
If marrying a woman into the Crown Prince's household would bring peace to the entire residence, she would be willing to accept it.
Compromise might be the best way to protect him and the entire Crown Prince's residence.
She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, rubbed against his chest, and shook her head vigorously.
"It's not your fault, don't blame yourself anymore. Let's just leave it at that!"
Wei Jianning let out a long sigh of relief, then asked as if he had thought of something:
"By the way, guess who I saw at Zhenlan Garden just now?"
She looked at him with eyes full of curiosity.
"Who is it?"
"Your aunt..."
"Who?"
She stared at him, wide-eyed. "The Cui family?"
"Yes, you didn't know about this?"
Has Lady Cui entered the palace?
Lan Zhi couldn't help but gasp.
"Madam, what's wrong with you?"
She quickly shook her head, "Nothing, why would she go to the palace? What did she say to you?"
"She didn't say anything. I wanted to ask, but she ran away. You didn't know about this?"
She shook her head awkwardly and gave a wry smile.
"How would I know about this? I haven't seen any of their family since after the New Year, except for Ling Jiawei."
"Have you found your younger sister, Ling Lanhua?"
At this point, he looked at her as if he had just remembered something.
"Consort Lan? Ling Lanhua? Cui Shi? Do you think it's possible?"
At this point, he shook his head vigorously in denial.
"No, even if Father is incompetent, he wouldn't..."
"you guessed right."
Before he could finish speaking, she interrupted him.
Anyway, this matter has nothing to do with her, and she doesn't want to hide it for Ling Lanhua anymore. Besides, it's impossible to hide it now; Wei Jianning will find out sooner or later.
Her words startled Wei Jianning so much that he didn't react for a long time.
He just stared at her blankly for a long time before finally asking:
"what did you just say?"