Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 603: An unusual drama
Princess Yongping's seemingly light words caused the huge third floor to fall into silence.
Although Wu Ge Lao and Zhang Yu were outsiders, they also heard that the emperor looked at Song Juren, who had argued with Princess Yongping in public, was good at cooking and didn't care much about the imperial examination, differently. As dignified elders, they certainly wouldn't gossip in the officialdom about whether the emperor was planning to match someone with Princess Yongping, but they always felt that the possibility of some kind of father-in-law looking at his son-in-law was very high.
Now the empress dowager has mobilized a large number of people to invite the two imperial concubines and several princesses, county ladies and other daughters of the royal family. This situation makes them think of the empress dowager personally choosing a son-in-law for her grandson. Of course, it is true that Imperial Concubine Yu is also invited to choose a son-in-law, but the rest of the girls are probably just a decoy... After all, there was a precedent of the emperor personally choosing a son-in-law last time, and the two did not find it strange at all.
But first, Princess Hailing fell in love with Mr. Song and asked him in public whether they were going to get married or not, and then Princess Yongping asked the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to help the couple get married. They both felt that they had lived most of their lives and worked in officialdom for decades, but all of it was in vain.
Why is this drama not being performed according to the lyrics and plot in the script?
Zhang Shou was not surprised at all by Princess Yongping's sudden statement. He gently nudged Zhu Ying with his elbow and saw that the young lady suddenly woke up, but her face darkened and she was obviously angry. He said softly, "Yingying, I told you a long time ago that some things are impossible. You know, a forced melon is not sweet."
"Come and show off your good taste to me again... humph!"
Zhu Ying raised her eyebrows unhappily, then stood up suddenly, breaking the silence: "A Ling has good taste, but there is a saying that love should be mutual, and Chef Song has not agreed yet! Even though I fell in love with Shou at first sight, we got along first after we made it clear. He recognized what kind of person I was, and then he brought up the engagement again. Isn't it too early for you to agree now?"
Princess Yongping's eyes became colder and colder: "Zhu Ying, do you want everyone to follow your example, regardless of the difference between men and women?"
"You said you wanted to make it happen, not me. Marriage is a big deal, parents' orders and matchmaker's words are the final word, but don't both parties have to love each other? A-Ling thinks Chef Song is good, but Chef Song also has to think she is good, only then can there be a basis for making it happen. Otherwise, if you are clamoring for making it happen, aren't you treating Chef Song as a living person, but as an object that can be arranged at will?"
"Our dynasty is not like those self-righteous emperors of the Han and Tang dynasties, who married off daughters of the royal family one by one, calling them princesses, while hiding their own daughters in the deep palace. When they reached a certain age, they were betrothed to unwilling noble sons and daughters just like forced marriages! The rules left by our Emperor Taizu, even when choosing a bride, have always been voluntary and will not affect one's future."
"As for the marriage of a daughter of a clan, if her father and grandfather are still alive, even the royal family will never interfere!"
Zhu Ying stared at Princess Yongping and said word by word: "You look down on Chef Song, but the Emperor does, A Shou and I do, and now A Ling does too. You don't have to worry about someone forcing him on you. Chef Song is a man of ambition and will, not a bead that can be manipulated by others!"
"Besides, if you look down on him, does he look down on you?"
If he were a playboy, he would be complacent at this moment when a county princess, a gifted girl from heaven, expressed her feelings to him, and then the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhao’s mansion and Princess Yongping actually argued for him in person. But Mr. Song... Well, he was essentially a vain man. At first he was terrified but also a little delighted, but as he listened he knew something was wrong.
And when Zhu Ying broke through that crucial window paper, he suddenly realized it.
Someone actually wanted to pair him with Princess Yongping? This was simply a fantasy... Did your head get hit by a hammer? How could the princess who even chose eight-part essays for literary meetings be paired with him who didn't like eight-part essays at all and just went through the motions? Moreover, as Zhu Ying said, Princess Yongping didn't like him at all... Of course, he didn't like this one at all!
He doesn't have a good life anymore, why would he marry a princess who he has to serve carefully all the time after marriage?
Thinking this way, Mr. Song felt that Zhang Shou had a very good vision, and he could actually pick a straightforward girl like Zhu Ying. But when he saw Princess Yongping turned pale with anger, he felt like he couldn't watch the show anymore.
However, just as he, who was involved in the situation without knowing what was going on, wanted to talk about something else and try to change the subject, he suddenly found that the little girl who had just asked him if he was willing to be her father's son-in-law had red eyes. Realizing that the ignorant Hailing County Lady was the most aggrieved person, he, who also felt aggrieved, suddenly felt a sense of sympathy.
I don't know where the impulse came from, but Mr. Song stepped forward and said loudly: "If the Hailing County Lady doesn't despise me for not striving for progress, preferring cooking, and being just a scholar with no future, then why should I be unwilling? Even when I was in the Guangdong Song family, I was just the most insignificant boy among the brothers."
"I don't ask for any great achievements in my life, I just hope to make all the sweet soups in the book left by my great grandfather, and make them all taste the best! If Princess Hailing doesn't mind my messy problems, then I..."
Seeing that a lot of eyes were focused on him again, Mr. Song said with a stiff upper lip: "Then I will go back and ask my uncle to come and propose marriage!"
Even though his uncle had tied him up and given him a beating last time, if he heard that he was going to marry a princess from the royal family, a princess who could be brought out so casually by the emperor and the empress dowager, who could get along well with Zhu Ying, and whose ancestors definitely didn't seem to have any political problems, he would definitely be ecstatic, right?
No, no, no, what a mess he was thinking! The most important thing is that Princess Hailing is really a good-looking girl! In this day and age, where can you find a woman who can tolerate a man's lack of ambition and even prefers cooking skills!
Hailing County Lady did not expect that the dazed Song Juren would suddenly confess like this. At that moment, her face, which had turned slightly pale, suddenly became happy. If Zhu Ying's cheeks were flushed, then at this moment, her whole face was like a ripe red apple, which made people want to take a bite.
She stood up without hesitation and bowed to the Queen Mother .
"Empress Dowager, although I am a woman, I am also a person who speaks my mind! Since I have mentioned it in public, and Mr. Song has agreed in public, then..." Princess Hailing paused for a moment, then turned her head to glance at Zhu Ying. Seeing her face full of encouragement, she said loudly, "I will go back and tell my father, mother, and brothers clearly!"
Princess Hailing did not ask the emperor and the empress dowager for their approval, but directly reported that she would go back and mention the marriage to her parents and brothers. Zhang Shou heard it and saw Zhu Ying smiling like a flower, obviously not thinking there was anything wrong. The emperor sighed slightly, with a bit of annoyance on his face, while the empress dowager seemed to be smiling, and it was hard to tell whether she was happy or angry. Zhang Shou knew that today's incident was indeed an emergency.
However, if there were no such unexpected incidents, this blind date-like scene would be really embarrassing. But in this situation, can it be regarded as the supporting actress stealing the show from the leading actress?
Seeing that the confrontation between Princess Yongping and Zhu Ying was completely frozen on her face, Concubine Yu couldn't help but sigh in her heart, and then she took the initiative to laugh out loud, "Mingyue has a strong personality and likes those contemporary essays for the imperial examinations. However, Mr. Song is only mediocre in the imperial examinations, but he loves cooking. He is indeed more compatible with A Ling."
"Since A-Ling is interested, and Master Song has already expressed his feelings to her face, it would be a good story if this good thing gets out."
Princess Hailing was a little apprehensive at first, but now she knelt happily and saluted, "Thank you, Imperial Concubine!"
"Why thank me? I just said something fair!" Concubine Yu smiled. She usually stayed at the Yonghe Palace and rarely went out. Although she was a favorite concubine, she had little presence in front of outsiders. When Princess Deyang and the other two princesses saw her smile, they were all amazed. The third prince's mother and concubine couldn't help wondering why they couldn't smile so beautifully.
As for Mr. Song, he was stunned at the first sight. He lowered his head and chanted "Amitabha" in his heart - he had discovered that the concubine that Princess Hailing thanked was the one who had been looking at him thoughtfully before.
In his opinion, the person who could say such fair and peaceful words was most likely the biological mother of the future crown prince. Otherwise, if it was Princess Yongping's biological mother, she must have been dissatisfied with him before and even more dissatisfied with him now! But he knew he was wrong.
Because the woman with a bright and even gorgeous smile said in a calm voice after making a joke: "Mingyue, your father brought your third and fourth brothers here today. In addition to selecting the imperial chefs for the imperial kitchen, he also plans to select suitable people from the imperial chefs to serve in Qingning Palace. Although the few people the empress dowager is used to are not bad, they are old and they have to be replaced."
"As for the Queen Mother bringing us women out of the palace, firstly, she did it to join in the fun, and secondly, she did it to see Young Master Song. After all, some of the rumors were very serious before, and the Queen Mother was curious, and naturally, as a mother, I am even more curious. But everything is not something that cannot be explained openly, just like what A Ling said just now, although it may be misunderstood, it is commendable that she thought it through."
"She is quick and decisive, not afraid of what others say, and dares to love and hate! You probably still think that this is a plan by others... Think about it carefully, A Ling is also spoiled and pampered by her parents and brothers. Even if she is the county lady and you are the princess, she is not any worse than you! Who would disregard her reputation and test her?"
Realizing that the person who was speaking was actually Princess Yongping's biological mother, and that some people even called Concubine Yu a scourge behind her back, Song Juren almost popped his eyes out. Fortunately, he lowered his head at the moment, so no one noticed his almost twitching and deformed face.
The emperor had already made the life stories of Zhu Ying and Princess Yongping public. Now, listening to Concubine Yu's words, why did he seem to feel that Concubine Yu liked Zhu Ying's personality more? Could it be that Zhu Ying was not the daughter of Duke Zhao, but the daughter of the emperor and Concubine Yu?
When Mr. Song heard that Concubine Yu actually thought that Princess Hailing was no worse than Princess Yongping, he put aside his doubts and became delighted. He felt that Concubine Yu was indeed impartial and what she said was extremely fair.
Compared with Princess Hailing's perspective on people, Princess Yongping is indeed far behind!
Mr. Song had long forgotten the initial nervousness, and even forgot that he had just expressed his feelings to Princess Hailing, who then made the matter clear to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Although Concubine Yu had already expressed her position, he still had to wait for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to have their final say - in short, he was just standing there in a daze, lost in thought.
Seeing his dreamy expression, Hailing County Lady felt that he had a dull air of not caring about fame and fortune, which was more in line with her heart. She looked innocent, but she had seen her older cousins marry men who were only interested in their careers, and then became exhausted for them, but they still didn't appreciate it. In addition, they were rich and self-satisfied, and didn't care about the word "progress" at all.
Princess Yongping was so angry at Concubine Yu's words that she trembled all over. She had always felt that her mother liked Zhu Ying more, and just now, which of the words Concubine Yu used to praise Princess Hailing could not be used on Zhu Ying? Although she had realized that her initial guess was indeed a bit outrageous, and perhaps no one had instigated Princess Hailing, she still felt that she was being set up today.
If Princess Hailing hadn't stepped forward, who's to say that no one would have pushed the man named Song into his hands in front of her today?
Seeing Princess Yongping's eyes sweeping over Concubine Yu's almost invisible belly, and then lowering her eyelids and sitting silently without saying a word, Zhang Shou couldn't help but frown, thinking that if Princess Yongping could really make a scene because of Concubine Yu's words, then maybe some things could be saved. But she actually endured it silently... Maybe the thorn would only pierce deeper.
You know, once a paranoid person gets stuck in a rut, he will definitely become more and more paranoid.
Although he was not a nosy person and had no contact with Princess Yongping in the past, even if he became a lecturer in the East Palace, even if he might not meet this princess, he still hoped to eliminate the hidden dangers based on the principle of preventing problems from happening. For example, he could make an extra effort to light Princess Yongping's firecrackers now...
However, before Zhang Shou could decide whether to go in person or have his mortal enemy Zhu Ying stab Princess Yongping again to draw out her anger, he suddenly heard the emperor laugh, "Sanlang, what do you think I should do?"
The Third Prince had never expected that he would be named by the Emperor. His face was even more confused than the Emperor's. After a long while, he said in a very uncertain tone: "Father, Sister A Ling's parents are still alive and she has several brothers. After she goes back to report, she can arrange the marriage. This matter does not require other people to intervene, right?"
The emperor frowned slightly, then said indifferently: "What if I insist on intervening?"
"But..." The Third Prince was confused, but facing his father's unpredictable face, he endured it again and again, but finally couldn't bear it anymore and uttered, "Isn't that meddling in other people's business?"
