0p0 Chapter 129 Father and son collude
Chapter 129 Father and son collude
Chu Chengyan ignored the strange looks from the courtiers and continued, "Prince Anle is young and strong, at the peak of his life, and will surely be able to give birth to many children!"
An Qingxuan, who was standing aside, lowered his head, thinking to himself that the Third Prince was clearly trying to take this opportunity to win over Shang Boxian. Shang Boxian and the Crown Prince were now complete enemies, and if he wanted to avenge his son, he might very well form an alliance with the Third Prince!
Emperor Wen smiled slightly and said with a double meaning, "Marriage is a big deal. It is important for both parties to be in love. I can't just randomly match them up! Everything depends on whether they are destined to be together."
Shang Boxian took a deep breath, then resolutely walked out of the crowd, bowed and said: "Thank you for your kindness, Third Prince! Your Majesty is wise! I am willing to marry the Third Prince's sister Kong Luanying!" His words were firm and powerful, as if he had made some decision.
Emperor Wen immediately issued an imperial decree to finalize the marriage between Shang Boxian and Kong Luanying, and granted them generous dowries and gifts. After Shang Boxian and Kong Luanying got married, they could set off to Shang Boxian's fiefdom to take up their posts.
However, at the same time, Prince Anle Shangwei was asked to stay in the capital and continue to serve as the general of Gyeonggi Guard.
Although everyone knew that Shang Wei was actually a hostage that Emperor Wen had deliberately left in Shangjing to check and balance Shang Boxian, for Shang Boxian, this only son who had once placed great hopes on him was now useless...
After he and Kong Luanying tie the knot and celebrate their wedding, there will still be many new lives born in the future! After all, with Shang Boxian's status and Kong Luanying's beauty and talent, the offspring they will give birth to will definitely be numerous and of extraordinary talent. In this way, for Shang Boxian, even if he loses Shang Wei, what's the problem?
In Deqing Palace, Emperor Wen sat on a gorgeous chair, looking at everything in front of him with indifference. At this time, the third prince Chu Chengyan walked up carefully and handed a cup of steaming hot tea to Emperor Wen.
Emperor Wen took a sip. The tea was just the right temperature and had a light fragrance. However, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible sneer: "Cheng Yan! You performed really well in the court today! I'm sure that old guy Shang Boxian has already believed in you!"
Chu Chengyan lowered his head and said nothing, secretly thanking himself for not revealing any flaws in his performance in the court. He knew that the reason why Emperor Wen said this was because he had successfully deceived Shang Boxian and made him mistakenly believe that he was on their side.
Emperor Wen went on to say, "As for Kong Luanying, I'll leave it to you to arrange. Remember, I don't want Shang Boxian to die easily, but I want him to live. Only when he is alive can Kong Luanying eat away at his Shang family army bit by bit. After Kong Luanying completely controls the Shang family army, we can wipe out the Shang family in one fell swoop and prevent future troubles!" At the end, Emperor Wen's voice became cold and ruthless, as if he came from the depths of hell.
Hearing this, Chu Chengyan was shocked, but he quickly regained his composure. He raised his head, his eyes gleaming with determination, and assured Emperor Wen: "Father, your majesty is wise! Shang Boxian dared to despise the imperial power so much, which is really a heinous crime! I will follow your will and make proper arrangements for this matter!"
Emperor Wen looked at his well-behaved and obedient son and could not help but feel relieved. In contrast, the crown prince always contradicted him, which gave him a headache. Chu Chengyan was different. He was not only smart, but also obedient to Emperor Wen, which made him loved by Emperor Wen.
Emperor Wen gently patted Chu Chengyan on the shoulder, with a hint of appreciation on his face. Then, he slowly waved his hand, signaling Chu Chengyan to leave first. When Chu Chengyan gradually walked away and disappeared, Emperor Wen slowly withdrew his gaze and sighed deeply, as if he was in endless contemplation...
At this moment, a light sound of footsteps reached Emperor Wen's ears. He looked up and saw Consort Zhang Lijun walking slowly from the side hall. She was dressed in plain clothes, her face was pale and haggard, and her eyes revealed endless sorrow and despair. Ever since the Zhang Liu family was brutally exterminated by the crown prince, Zhang Lijun became silent as if she had lost her soul. She neither went to Emperor Wen to cry and complain, nor did she make a scene. She just silently endured this sudden and huge blow, immersed in grief alone and unable to extricate herself.
Emperor Wen looked at the woman who was once so beautiful but now so haggard, and he could not help but feel a strong sense of guilt. These days, he often felt guilty and uneasy about this matter, so he went to Deqing Palace more often than before.
Emperor Wen gently patted Concubine De's soft and boneless little hand, and said earnestly: "My beloved concubine, you have lost a lot of weight in recent days. I am very distressed to see this, so I have specially ordered the imperial kitchen to carefully prepare nourishing delicacies for you every day to ensure that you have a proper diet and a healthy body. This is all my care and love for you, my beloved concubine!"
The gentle voice of Concubine De sounded: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace. I am grateful to you! But I am upset and can't let it go!"
Emperor Wen hurriedly pulled Concubine De to sit beside him, and said softly and comfortingly: "Regarding the matter of Zhang Liu, I will find a way to solve it. Chengyan has also secretly explored many of the prince's unknown secret bases. My beloved concubine, there is no need to worry. I will definitely support Chengyan with all my strength. As long as the right opportunity arises, I... will depose that useless prince! My beloved concubine, just wait patiently. This beautiful country that I have conquered will definitely be passed on to Chengyan in the future!"
Emperor Wen stayed at Concubine De's place for a while, then stood up and left. Not long after, the Third Prince walked out of the side hall with a gloomy face, walked straight to Concubine De, and said indignantly: "Mother! This man is good at making empty promises and empty words! He regards the country as his lifeblood, and only wants to hold it tightly in his hands. Whoever is appointed as the crown prince will become a big worry and a thorn in his eyes and flesh!" His words were full of dissatisfaction and resentment towards Emperor Wen.
A sneer appeared on Concubine De's lips, and her eyes revealed a hint of dissatisfaction and resentment: "Humph! I'm afraid you've gone to that vixen An Qinghuan again now. It seems that in the emperor's heart, the most valued and beloved son is none other than Chu Chengjin! And we, mother and son, are being neglected..." She became more and more angry as she spoke, and her voice unconsciously rose eight octaves.
The Third Prince, who was standing by, listened to his mother's complaints, his face became increasingly gloomy and cold. He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth as he said, "Mother, please calm down. I have sent a large number of assassins to hunt down Chu Chengjin, but no news has been received so far. I wonder where this bastard is hiding?"
Defei frowned and asked anxiously: "Are the people you sent out all useless? How come you can't even find a living person! Why haven't you killed Chu Chengjin yet?" She knew very well that if Chu Chengjin returned to the capital alive, he would pose a huge threat to them.
The third prince hastened to explain: "Don't worry, mother. The people I sent are all elites among elites. It's just that Chu Chengjin disappeared on the way to Beiyuan this time, which was really unexpected. As far as I know, not only did my men fail to find his whereabouts, even the spies arranged by the crown prince and the prime minister in the Luo family army could not find Chu Chengjin!" At this point, the third prince thought to himself, could it be that Chu Chengjin was really blessed by God?
Upon hearing this, Concubine De's face became even uglier. She widened her eyes and shouted angrily, "Damn it! In this way, won't that little beast escape? No, he must not be allowed to return to the capital alive! Otherwise, there will be endless troubles..."