Chapter 6 Bestow Marriage

In the Weiyang Palace, Huo Shengzhe magnificently sat on a soft chair, on his hand piled a lot of Confucian classics. From the curled side pages, it could be seen that he had read it many times. Apparently he seemed to not understand some parts of the book, his brows frowned and tightened, and his resolute and stern face showed a little irritable expression.

Just when Baifu want to persuade him to take a sip of hot tea and relax, there was a message from a eunuch outside the hall, saying that Marquis Zhenbei seek an audience with him.

“Chen GuangI think it’s Zhao Luli’s courtesy name? Really a rare visitor. Announce him to come in.” Huo Shengzhe put down his book, and the sword eyebrows that flew diagonally into the temple slightly raised. Since Ye Zhen was sent to him, this former comrade-in-arms haven’t communicated with him for a long time, even conferring him as Marquis Zhenbei still unwilling to participate in the courts, as if he was evading from everything in the past. Of course, Huo Shengzhe could understand his feelings. As a man, it was indeed a shameful thing.

Zhao Luli walked into the hall cautiously, and then bowed respectfully, his eyes kept hanging down, he did not dare to look directly at the holy face. Just looking at his horrified appearance, no one could imagine that he and the man on the dragon chair were once confidants who talked about everything, and trusted each other with their lives on the battlefield.

“Long time no see, hope you have been well since we last met?” After a long silence, Huo Shengzhe spoke first.

Zhao Luli hurriedly replied, because his voice was too low, even Huo Shengzhe, who had a deep internal strength, could not hear clearly for a while. It was only after a moment of recollection that he realized that he was saying “Everything is well.” A talented general among his generation who had fought bravely on the battlefield and planning strategies to kill the enemy, did not know when he turned into this cowardly and dull appearance. Huo Shengzhe was quite contemptuous of this, even more so for the fact that he didn’t have the courage to protect his own woman. Slowly, the feeling of comradeship faded.

“Ones doesn’t visit a temple without a cause. You finally enter the palace for the first time, you have something to ask ZhenI/we imperial use?” With the one below didn’t say anything, Huo Shengzhe straightforwardly pointed out.

Zhao Luli’s eyes showed a struggle, resentment surged in his heart. But he didn’t dare to let this person notice the slightest abnormality, and pressed the already drooping head again, and said with difficulty. Enlighten the emperor, the small minister entering the palace this time is to ask you to bestow a marriage decree.”

“Oh. You want to remarry?” Huo Shengzhe was very surprised, “Which young lady is so noble that you are willing to come to me?”

In order to satisfy the wishes of his children, Zhao Luli dared to break through mountains of daggers and sea of flames, let alone endure a little humiliation? He calmed down and replied, “Enlighten the emperor, the small minister wants to marry Old Master Guan’s granddaughter Guan Suyi. Although her family background is not prominent, she is superior in her moral character, has a pure and good temperament, reliable and elegant, she surely will be able to bear the responsibility of Zhao family’s madam.”

The family background is not prominent? Hearing this, Huo Shengzhe stroked the bloody jade ring on his hand, and his eyes flashed something that like a smile yet not a smile. If it weren’t for the person in front of him was Zhao Luli who didn’t care about the world’s affairs, he really wanted to suspect that the other person was pretending to be stupid. The Guan family was precisely the benchmark for his promotion of Confucianism, and would surely be elevated in the future. It was not enough to give official position. If there were girls of the right age in the family, they would also enter the palace and be given grand favor and emperor’s grace. In this way, the people of the world could clearly see how His Majesty admired Confucianism, and how the study of Confucianism could make progress.

The prosperity of the world is for profit, and the hustle and bustle of the world is for profit. All were driven by huge interests, within three years, Confucianism would surely become national culture, while other theories would gradually fade out of people’s field of vision.

But at the moment, Zhao Luli wanted to cut off Huo Shengzhe’s pre-determined ‘vice empress’ with a few words, which could be said to be rebellious. The hall was quiet for a while, not to mention that the palace people were terrified, even Baifu had cold sweats. If it hadn’t been known that Marquis Zhenbei never asked about the court affairs, he would have suspected that this was the other party’s revenge towards His Majesty for taking away his wife.

Huo Shengzhe looked at Zhao Luli for a while, and finally smiled lightly, “You have a comradeship with Zhen, how can Zhen not grant this will? Baifu, grind the ink for me.”

Your Majesty, why did you agree? Miss Guan is your default Zhaoyi niangniang! Baifu’s expression was stupefied for a moment and then quickly converged, and he hurriedly stepped forward to grind the ink. Zhao Luli breathed a sigh of relief. After the imperial decree was issued, he thanked the holy grace and returned home to his children.

“Why would he look at Guan Suyi?” Huo Shengzhe asked, staring at the man’s back.

A death soldier appeared out of thin air, kneeling and cupping his hands, “Enlighten the emperor, Miss Zhao went to worship Confucius temple. On that day, her carriage was damaged and unfortunately trapped at the foot of the mountain, coincidentally met the mother and daughter of the Guan family who were passing by, so they took her up together. Since then, Miss Zhao felt familiarity at first sight with Miss Guan and clamored for her to become the mother. Marquis Zhenbei gave in, so he came to propose marriage but was rejected by Guan’s family.

Huo Shengzhe waved back the death soldier, looking down and pondering. Miss Zhao, who was the daughter left behind by Ye Zhen back then, Zhao Chunxi, should be thirteen years old. Without the upbringing and supervision of the mistress, marriage would be a bit difficult. There was nothing wrong with her eagerness to find a stepmother, but was it really a so-called ‘coincidence’ to choose Guan Suyi?

Huo Shengzhe walked to the window and looked in the direction of Ganquan Palace, shook his head and laughed. Coincidence or not, he had no intention of pursuing it. Since Chen Guang deliberately breaks away from the past, why couldn’t he help accomplish it? After all, he felt ashamed to those two people back then, so that the husband and wife were separated and lived far apart. Now the family and the country were unified, the universe had changed, it was time to look forward.

—–

At the same time, Zhong shi and Guan Suyi were hosting several family members at home. One of them was the wife of cousin Guan Yunqi. Usually an expert at inquiring the news. She heard that Guan family had rejected Marquis Zhenbei’s proposal and immediately came to be a lobbyist.

“Sister-in-law, you are so stupid that you even rejected the marriage with Marquis Zhenbei. If you missed this village, there will be no more shop! Who is Marquis Zhenbei? Maybe because you just came to Yanjing so you don’t understand, let me very well tell you.” She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and talked eloquently. “Marquis Zhenbei is the son of an important official in the former dynasty. Because his father was wronged, he was sent to the frontier by the former emperor to enlist. There, he accidentally got acquainted with the current emperor and became close friends. Then he followed him to fight in the north and south and made great contributions. His current title is all based on military exploits. It can be said that he is well versed in literary and military, and also very handsome.

“No matter how high-powered and handsome, he is still a widower, with a pair of children under him. My Yiyi will not be a second wife, let alone a stepmother!” Zhong shi curled her lips.

“What’s wrong with a widower? A widower is good enough for our family’s status!” The cousin spit out a few pieces of melon seed shell and said anxiously, “He and the emperor have a comradeship, during the Battle of Sushui they fought to death together; his di younger brother was named General Dangkou, he is now guarding the border and has a bright future. Is this mansion with two heroes not good enough? What’s more, his wife’s clan is even more important. Ye Zhen, the twin sister of the deceased wife, has a life-saving grace to the emperor, and she is now the Jieyu, two steps up is Zhaoyi and the Empress! Who doesn’t know that Ye Jieyu loves the children left behind by her sister so much that she always give generous rewards and takes care of them everywhere. As long as our Yiyi take good care of them, don’t be afraid of losing our footing in the Marquis Mansion. Two of half older children, who have not been loved by their mother since childhood, should be coaxed very well. Yiyi is extremely smart and knowledgeable, she definitely will be able to deal with it.”

Zhong shi‘s expression became more and more disgusted, and she was about to retort, but Guan Suyi, who had been silent all this time, said slowly, “So my aunt, you also know that if you want to stand firm in the Marquis Mansion, you have to take care of the two children. Am I going to be the mistress or a maidservant? Who doesn’t knows that Marquis Zhenbei is still infatuated with his deceased wife, and loves his children like his life. Now he want to remarry, just to consider the future marriage of his daughter Zhao Chunxi. What status can the married woman have? After my usefulness has passed I will be put aside. In the future, I will be alone in my empty boudoir, and my misery will be unspeakable. Besides, it was originally to be Zhao family’s madam, why should the Ye family come to see me? Will I be ruled by a dead person everywhere in the future? If Aunt like this marriage, leave it to your daughter.”

Twin sister? Guan Suyi lowered her eyes and sneered, Ye Zhen叶蓁, the Zhen means abundant, Ye Zhen叶珍, the Zhen means treasure (TN: the name is homophone, they sound the same only the characters are different), these two names were good, and there was no fear for people who knew the inside story would make a mistake; there were no better excuse than a twins, even the point of making mistakes was completely avoid, really covered up the bad things in the past. She didn’t want to explore how Ye Zhen could feigned death and escape, and she didn’t want to know how she changed her name and became the superior Ye Jieyu. She just wanted to stay away from the Zhao family, this house full of male thieves and female prostitutes.

Fortunately, her parents and grandfather loved her very much, as long as she refuse, this marriage would not be possible. Zhao Luli’s self-esteem was too strong that he would not come back after being rejected several times. In the previous life, she would not easily agree marrying into Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion if it weren’t to rescue the Guan family that was trapped in a bad situation. The so-called glory and wealth, brocade clothes and jade meals, have never been her heart’s desire.

The woman was a little annoyed after being confronted, and was about to scold a few words, Zhong shi immediately said, “My husband and old master are both common people and low-minded, so dare not marry our daughter into such a high-gate deep house. Sister-in-law and everyone, please return, I have a bit of cold recently and have a splitting headache, so I won’t stay too much.” the words was issued, Taohong escorted the guests off.

The sister-in-law and everyone stood up angrily and left one after another. Just at this moment, a eunuch arrived with the imperial decree of marriage, shaking Guan’s family ups and downs, especially Guan Suyi, who was dumbfounded for a while before slowly kneeling down, her hands trembled when receiving the decree, her skin was cold.

Was this fate? In this life, even if she didn’t play along, Zhao Luli would still have a way to push her into the fire pit. For a moment, Guan Suyi began to doubt the meaning of rebirth, even completely disheartened, her heart was like a dead wood. But soon, she broke free from the suffocating pain and became steady and strong.

Good! Very good! It’s better to marry into the Zhao family than to marry someone with unknown foundation. This world is inherently difficult for women. Whether it was a merchant, a farmer, or a noble scholar, as long as they have wealth, they would keep taking concubines at home. This was the normal state of men in the world, and it was inevitable. Instead of going through the journey from joy and hope to despair and numbness in the future, it would be better to sit on the sidelines from the beginning.

The reason why she failed in her last life was precisely because she did too much and said too little, which made those people think that everything she gave was justified. In this life, she decided to just say nothing, put on the hypocritical face of a virtuous wife and mother, and strive for the reputation as a gentle and virtuous woman. Instead, she wanted to see what kind of beautiful flowers the Zhao family could produce without her own efforts, and what a luscious fruit they could yield.

While thinking, Guan Suyi grabbed the bright yellow imperial edict in her hand and smiled sarcastically.

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