Chapter 1296
Chapter 771 - 751
1,470 words
•
8 min read
The next day, after attending the morning gathering, Yan Huisheng managed to make some time to visit the Fengyi Palace to greet the Empress.
The Empress looked at Yan Huisheng, "It’s well-known that you have been busy lately. Focus on your work; you don’t always have to come greet me."
Looking at the Empress, Yan Huisheng replied, "I have an issue, Your Majesty."
"Oh, what is it?" The Empress sat upright.
"I want to marry my cousin." Yan Huisheng said forthrightly.
The Empress was taken aback, "Which cousin?"
Yan Huisheng couldn’t help but laugh, "Mother, it’s Duanhua."
The Empress looked at him in shock, "What did you say?"
Yan Huisheng sighed inwardly. Yes, his wanting to marry Duanhua was indeed unimaginable. No wonder his aunt and uncle were shocked, and even his own mother was speechless. Even Duanhua herself seemed frightened by his proposal.
He smiled and said, "It’s Duanhua. She agreed."
The Empress who was so overwhelmed that she felt speechless inquired in disbelief, "You...how do you think of marrying Duanhua suddenly?"
𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Yan Huisheng briefly explained the circumstances.
After hearing everything, the Empress found it absurd, "Marriage is a serious matter. Can you take it lightly? Especially since you’re the Crown Prince, the woman you marry will be the Crown Princess. Don’t you think your decision is a bit hasty?"
Yan Huisheng shook his head, "Although it seems rash, but whoever becomes my Crown Princess must be someone I can accept. Accepting Duanhua makes her far superior to other women."
The Empress was reminded of how Yan Huisheng had avoided contact with any of the women at the Eastern Palace over the past few years. She was momentarily speechless.
Afterward, she asked, "And does Princess Qingping agree?"
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Both my aunt and uncle have agreed."
He briefly talked about how the two had not raised any objections when they visited the Eastern Palace together yesterday.
The Empress fell silent, taking some time to digest everything. Looking at her own son, she was genuinely surprised, "So, you’ve really made up your mind?"
Yan Huisheng nodded.
The Empress sighed, "Well, Duanhua has indeed become far more sensible over the last year. If you want to marry her, I won’t stop you. However, I must warn you beforehand. Given her status as a princess, she can do anything she wants regardless of whom she marries. But marrying you is different. If you can’t tolerate her, you will be harming her. Don’t mistreat her after the wedding, leading to a disruption in your family life. If this were a common family, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But you are the Crown Prince. This affects the stability of the royal family."
"I understand, mother. You don’t have to worry." Yan Huisheng reassured her.
While the Empress was somewhat unsure, she saw that her son had made up his mind. She also preferred Duanhua at least as she was familiar with her. Furthermore, it freed her from having to hold the Flower Banquet and select a suitable wife for the Crown Prince. She had no assurance of picking the right woman who would make a good match for her son and bring him happiness. It would be disappointing if she put in all that effort only to select someone he wouldn’t be happy with. Now that he had chosen Duanhua, a major issue in his life had been resolved, which wasn’t too bad after all.
The Empress quickly accepted the situation. "Have you discussed this with your father?"
Yan Huisheng shook his head, "I wanted to let mother know first. I’ll head to the Imperial Study Room later to discuss it with father."
The Empress nodded, "Once your father agrees, I will invite Princess Qingping to the palace and start preparing for your wedding."
Yan Huisheng shook his head, "Mother, my aunt is one month pregnant and shouldn’t overexert herself. It would be better if you tasked the Ministry of Rites with the wedding preparations."
The Empress was stunned, "Princess Qingping is pregnant?"
"Yes, Duanhua told me."
The Empress burst into smiles, "She’s been hoping for this for so many years. Thankfully her wish has been fulfilled now. With her pregnancy, she should rest. Okay, I’ll visit her outside the palace one of these days and then discuss with the Ministry of Rites."
Yan Huisheng nodded.
Mother and son chatted for a while longer before Yan Huisheng asked for leave and headed to the Imperial Study Room.
The Emperor was getting a head massage from Yu An. Upon hearing of the Crown Prince’s arrival, he gestured for him to be brought in. Ever since he had mentioned his migraine problem to Yan Huisheng, he no longer tried to hide it. Yan Huisheng walked in without the Emperor asking Yu An to stop.
As Yan Huisheng paid his respects to the Emperor, he asked, "Is father suffering from a headache again?"
The Emperor nodded, "Ah, it’s my old problem."
Yan Huisheng thought for a moment, "What if son writes down your symptoms and sends a message to Su Rong? Maybe she has a cure for headaches."
The Emperor, feeling tormented by his migraine, nodded, "Fine."
As he looked at Yan Huisheng, just about to say something, Yan Huisheng said to the Emperor, "Father, I want to marry my cousin, Duanhua."
The Emperor sat upright instantly, "What did you say?"
Yan Huisheng rubbed his forehead, made an effort to explain the reasoning and noted the Emperor’s disapproval. Afterward, he paused momentarily before calmly saying, "Father, I’ve made my decision, and mother has agreed."
The Emperor was taken aback and exclaimed angrily, "Duanhua’s personality isn’t suitable for a bride of a Crown Prince at all. You should have declined her proposal to announce your marriage in public. She’s just a young girl. What can she do to you? How can you act so absurdly? Your Crown Princess should be dignified and virtuous."
"There’s nothing wrong with her personality. I can tolerate it," Yan Huisheng replied, looking at the Emperor, "Father, mother has been dignified and virtuous all her life, but she’s had a hard time. I want to marry Duanhua because I chose to do so. Once I marry her, I will take responsibility for her."
The Emperor choked on his words.
Yan Huisheng stood up, "I still have official duties to attend to, father. I’ll take my leave now. Please take care of your health and don’t worry about this. No need to trouble my aunt either. She’s been hoping for a pregnancy for over a decade. Finally, she’s conceived again. You wouldn’t want her to cry in front of you. If by chance this disturbs her pregnancy, I won’t be able to marry my Crown Princess, and I won’t marry anyone else afterward either."
Having said this, he gave a farewell bow and left.
The Emperor was extremely cross, only then realizing that his son had only come to inform him, without any intention of seeking his opinion. Even if he disagreed, his son was determined and there was no chance of a change in plans.
After fuming for a while, the Emperor turned to Yu An, who was startled and didn’t know what to do, and said irritably, "Continue massaging."
Yu An quickly approached and continued the massage, all the while experiencing a storm of emotions inside. Who could’ve predicted this development for Princess Qingping’s family? It was nothing short of making it big. Princess Qingping was indeed lucky. Being a biological sister of the Emperor, she had spent years enjoying honor and privilege. Her daughter, Duanhua, had been chasing Zhou Gu for many years, making a laughingstock of herself to no avail. Yet, now, Duanhua was destined to marry the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace. If the princess gave birth to another child, wouldn’t that child walk sideways in Daliang in the future?
It was truly amazing!
The Emperor was angry for a while before he said in annoyance, "Go, summon Duanhua."
Even though he couldn’t summon Princess Qingping here, he could still summon Duanhua.
Yu An gently reminded him, "Your Majesty, you mustn’t scold the Princess. It seems that the Crown Prince has made up his mind. If you try to break them up through Duanhua, leading her to call off the wedding, it might cause great trouble if the Crown Prince really decides not to marry anyone else, just like he said."
The Emperor urged him, "Just go and have someone fetch Duanhua."
Sighing, Yu An agreed and promptly sent someone.
— End of Chapter 1296 —