Chapter 117: Thunder
Less than half a month later, the honest Fourth Prince dropped a huge bombshell on the Emperor of Southern Qi - new criminals were implicated in an old case of false salaries in the Ministry of Justice, dragging half of the officials of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice into the water.
The Emperor of Southern Qi was extremely furious and ordered the Imperial Cavalry Division to cooperate with the Fourth Prince to investigate the case.
While the empress, concubines and others in the harem were busy choosing concubines for their children, the emperor of the previous dynasty, Southern Qi, was vigorously investigating corruption in the military. The Minister of War Qin Huan and the Minister of Revenue Fang Jian'an were the first to be imprisoned and were sent to the Imperial Cavalry Prison.
Tang Ying: "Tsk tsk, Imperial Concubine Wan is really good at choosing. I heard that she chose Minister Qin's daughter for the Second Prince. The imperial decree to grant the marriage has been issued. The Second Prince should not regret it, right?"
The second prince has always paid attention to his external image. If he breaks off the engagement at this time, it may be detrimental to his reputation.
Fu Chen: "Are you hoping that the Second Prince will regret it, or are you afraid that he will regret it?"
Tang Ying: "As long as the Second Prince is happy, everything is fine. Right, Fourth Prince?"
"Ah?" The fourth prince Yuan Jian had been in the imperial prison for several days. His eyes were bulging and his face was pale as a ghost. He looked up blankly from the file and finally realized, "Well... my second brother's marriage was indeed... a bit complicated."
The first time he personally requested for a marriage, he didn't expect that it was not worthy of the name, and finally the emperor had to revoke the order.
In the second chapter, Noble Consort Wan requested a marriage, but just a few days after the marriage was confirmed, her father-in-law was imprisoned.
Nothing goes smoothly.
The Fourth Prince was so confused that his mind was in a knot. He spoke directly, "If the Second Prince regrets, I'm afraid some people will think he's hypocritical. If he doesn't regret, and marries a wife who is of no help to him, and her family is convicted, and his father-in-law is abandoned by the Emperor, he will have more grudges in his heart. He is really in a dilemma."
The Second Prince was at a loss as to what to do. Tang Ying was happy to see this happen. She changed the subject and patted Yuan Jian on the shoulder: "Let's not talk about that unlucky Second Prince. Let me ask you, does Concubine Rong have a crush on a girl?"
The fourth prince scratched his head and seemed very distressed: "My mother doesn't have any ideas."
"What about you?"
Yuan Jian had limited contact with unmarried girls, and he had no powerful maternal family. He was not well-known in the past and was ostracized in the palace. Everyone knew that he and his mother were cowardly. Even though he was now working in the Ministry of Justice, he was not considered a popular prince, and no one was willing to work for him.
"Listen to my father." He didn't seem to care about his own lifelong event.
He was relieved. When the Emperor of Southern Qi asked him about it, he also responded with this sentence. Unexpectedly, the Emperor of Southern Qi was delighted: "Don't you have a girl you like?"
"Your son...Your son has only met a few girls, and the one I am most familiar with is Tang Ying from the Phoenix Department."
Emperor of Southern Qi: "Well... Tang Ying is still in mourning period, so it is not appropriate to talk about marriage in a high-profile manner." The emperor had to save face after being rejected by this girl last time.
The Fourth Prince's face suddenly turned red: "Father, you misunderstood." He came to talk to the Emperor of Southern Qi about the case of empty payroll. Based on the experience he had accumulated in investigating cases of empty payroll in recent days, he was afraid that this matter was not limited to one city or one state, but might be a common phenomenon in the army. Unexpectedly, during the conversation, the Emperor of Southern Qi went off topic and actually talked about marriage.
"I treat Tang Ying... like my own brother." Facing the surprised look in the eyes of the Southern Qi Emperor, he hurriedly explained: "She once saved my life in the hunting ground and taught me how to hunt... I will always remember your life-saving grace." In fact, Tang Ying had been very kind to him, and this was not the only time. This was the only thing he could tell the Southern Qi Emperor about.
The Emperor of Southern Qi breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, she saved my son's life and she should be remembered." He kept it in mind. Since this honest child likes girls who know some martial arts, then wouldn't Yang Wei's daughter be a perfect fit?
That afternoon, right after the Fourth Prince came out of the palace, he received an imperial decree granting him marriage - the Emperor of Southern Qi had chosen a princess for him, Yang Yinjun, the daughter of General Yang Wei.
When Tang Ying heard the news, she was stunned: "Your Majesty, isn't this... a random matchmaking?"
The Fourth Prince was sitting in Fu Chen's official residence, discussing the next arrest and investigation. Holding the bright yellow imperial decree of marriage in his hand, he was still a little confused: "General Yang's daughter?" Who is that?
"My childhood friend." Tang Ying really didn't expect that these two people could get together: "Yinjun, she has a rough temper, but she is very protective. With her protecting you in the future, I guess few people dare to bully you, and I feel relieved." Thinking from another angle, it seems not bad.
The Fourth Prince: “…” His heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Ever since the case of empty salaries was exposed, Tang Ying had been so busy that she had no time to even go home. Yang Huniu couldn't stand the boredom and insisted on finding fun on her own, so Tang Ying sent someone to send her to Shen Qian's residence. Although Lord Shen had a bad reputation, he was indeed a good playmate and had a first-rate ability to entertain guests. Besides, he only liked beautiful women. In his eyes, Yang Huniu could be considered a tomboy, so Tang Ying was still very relieved.
I heard from Zhang Qing that Lord Shen and Yang Huniu have been having a great time these days. They have gone out of the city for outings and hunting, and never come back empty-handed. They also brought along Prince Zhao, who is getting married soon.
In ten days or so, the Ninth Princess will be getting married. The King of Nanyue is busy preparing for his son's wedding, but the Crown Prince Zhao takes every opportunity to go out and have fun. The good-tempered King of Nanyue can't help but scold him: "Are you afraid that you will be put on a bridle after the marriage?"
Prince Zhao smiled and said, "Father still understands me."
When Yang Huniu came back from the countryside outside the city, she heard that the emperor had granted her a marriage and that she would become the future consort of the Fourth Prince. Her first reaction was, "Could the Fourth Prince and the Second Prince be of the same kind?"
The second question was: "What does this boy look like?"
Tang Ying felt that she had an obligation to help her childhood friend and the Fourth Prince's marriage, so she hurriedly told him . Yang Huniu rolled her eyes after hearing this: "How weak is this boy?"
Tang Ying had a headache: "Don't bully him, he's a very nice person. Besides, I think His Majesty will make him a king soon. With the Fourth Prince's generous personality, you will have the final say in the future. Don't make trouble for no reason."
Yang Huniu snorted coldly: "Who are you in the same group with?"
Tang Ying: "...I'm afraid that you'll bully the Fourth Prince and it will be hard for me to report to His Majesty. After all, aren't I in the same group with you?"
Yang Huniu: "I don't believe it."
After a while, she came over again, rubbing against Tang Ying, and nagging her: "Good Yingzi, take me to see that... Fourth Prince?"
Tang Ying: "Forget it. I'm afraid you'll bully him."
Yang Huniu: "I am such a kind person, even if it is for your sake, I will not bully him, don't worry!"
Tang Ying: "I can't feel at ease at all."
Tang Ying could not bear her pestering and had to take her to the Imperial Cavalry Department again. When Yang Huniu stepped into the prison, she heard screams and her eyes rolled around. She saw the thin boy through the window of the interrogation room and her eyes almost glowed: "Is it him?"
Naturally, his bearing and demeanor could not match that of the Second Prince, but Yang Huniu was a rough man, and she did not know how to approach a young man who was too delicate, especially since the Second Prince had a sense of superiority written all over his face, while Yuan Jian was more peaceful. She touched her chin and was 50% satisfied: "He is not bad looking."
Tang Ying was just about to roll her eyes at the sky - no matter how bad the genes of the imperial family were, they would not be much worse after being transformed by beauties of all generations. Moreover, the Southern Qi emperor was majestic and handsome, and he was considered a handsome uncle in middle age. It was just that his imperial power was too great, so many people ignored his appearance.
After Yuan Jian had interrogated a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he felt as if someone was secretly watching him. When he turned his head, he saw Tang Ying standing outside with a girl. The girl was looking at him unscrupulously and her eyes met his without any intention of avoiding him. He had a premonition in his heart.
Sure enough, he stood up and walked over, and the girl smiled roguely: "Your Highness the Fourth Prince, please take care of me in the future. My surname is Yang." The girl clasped her fists and bowed.
Yuan Jian was speechless: "Ms. Yang... Miss Yang?"
"Yes, your fiancée." Yang Huniu had never known what shyness was. Instead, she was somewhat dissatisfied with the Fourth Prince: "You don't have to be shy like a woman. We will meet each other sooner or later." When she saw the real person, she was actually quite accepting.
Yuan Jian's face turned red, but he felt relieved in his heart - as long as she was not like his own mother, always crying, enduring and compromising.
The Fourth Prince's marriage was settled. Fu Chen first breathed a sigh of relief, and when he saw Tang Ying again, his smile became even more intense.
"Miss Yang and the Fourth Prince are quite a good match."
Tang Ying: "How can they be matched? The Fourth Prince might be bullied by Hu Niu." She knew her childhood friend's personality too well. She was more manly than any other man and very decisive. The Fourth Prince had a kind nature, and he would suffer if he fell into her hands.
Fu Chen: "Are you worried about the Fourth Prince?"
Tang Ying: "I'm worried that Hu Niu will get into trouble."
Master Fu breathed a sigh of relief.
After the news spread, Imperial Noble Consort Wan was so angry that she almost threw things again: "The girl named Yang deliberately did not want to marry my son. She made a big fuss at the palace gate. I don't know how many people are laughing at my son behind his back, but I was wrong again this time." She chose the daughter of Minister Qin for him.
What happened at the palace gate was widely circulated. Yang Huniu exposed the Second Prince's secret plan and laid it out in the open for everyone to see. All the court officials who had previously intended to send their daughters to the Second Prince's mansion began to wait and see. More people placed their hopes on the Emperor's grandson Yuan Yi. In fact, the title of crown prince had already been decided. If she could enter the East Palace and become the Crown Prince's Consort, she would be the Queen Mother in the future, which was a world of difference from a Princess of a vassal state.
After that, Imperial Concubine Wan intended to send out invitations to several famous ladies she liked to enter the palace, but they were all declined by the elders of the other party's families. Most of them gave the excuse of being unwell. However, the next day, these people accepted the invitation of the Crown Princess and went to the Eastern Palace. This was really too much.
The Minister of War Qin Huan remained neutral in the court on the surface, but in fact he was secretly close to the second prince. After much selection, Noble Concubine Wan found it difficult to choose a daughter-in-law from among the military generals, so she had to set her sights on her own camp and chose Qin Huan's youngest daughter.
"No matter how knowledgeable and magnanimous my son is, how can he be inferior to that brat? They are all a bunch of snobbish things. How dare they look down on my son!" Imperial Noble Concubine Wan cursed once and became more furious. She wished she could rush into the East Palace and strangle Yuan Yi to death so that her son could ascend to the supreme throne.
Unfortunately, no matter how much the emperor favors her, it is difficult to exchange for the qualification of inheriting the throne. From then on, she felt that the sweet words of men were just illusions and should not be taken seriously. She also gave a pessimistic advice to the ninth princess who was about to get married: "In the future, no matter how many sweet words your husband says, you should only believe three-tenths of them, and never take them all seriously."
Yuan Shu protested that the marriage was invalid. Everything inside and outside the palace was proceeding in an orderly manner. The princess's mansion was completely completed the day before yesterday. Officials from the Ministry of Works even specially asked the Emperor of Southern Qi to ask for permission, inviting the princess to move to the princess's mansion for inspection. If there was anything she was not satisfied with, she could make further changes. However, she refused.
"I'm not stupid." Yuan Shu lay listlessly on the couch: "Mother, you should worry more about my brother's marriage. I heard those gossipers in the palace say that my brother has bad luck. First, he missed the marriage with the Tang family, and then the marriage with the Qin family was successful, but Minister Qin fell. They are all waiting to see the joke. I heard that some people are betting on whether my brother will marry Miss Qin." She hesitated and said, "Mother, is my brother really going to marry Miss Qin?"
"I don't know!" Concubine Wan slapped her on the back in annoyance: "Mind your own business."
Princess Yuan Shu’s question is also the Second Prince’s question.
The second prince has been in deep self-doubt recently.
If he had not been determined, he would have suspected that everything in his previous life was just a dream.
In his previous life, Yuan Jian had never worked in the Ministry of Justice, so the case of false payroll had never been exposed. Qin Huan sat firmly in the position of Minister of War, and was a close minister who helped him ascend to the supreme throne. Later, he took Qin Huan's young daughter, Qin Xinmei, into the palace as a concubine.
He still remembered Qin Xinmei's gentle and charming appearance, and how well-educated and polite she was. However, her love for the emperor could not compare to her emphasis on her family.
It’s a mess, everything is a mess!
What worries the Second Prince more than whether to marry Qin Xinmei is that Qin Huan has entered the Forbidden Cavalry Division, and it is still unknown whether he can come out.
In his previous life, after he ascended the throne, Qin Huan entered the cabinet and became prime minister, and his daughter entered the palace as a concubine. The Qin family was once prosperous in the court. Later, when he saw that the Qin family had become more powerful, he ordered the Imperial Cavalry Division to thoroughly investigate Qin Huan. He also convicted him of a case of false pay and eliminated the Qin family in one fell swoop.
Whenever Yuan Lang was troubled, in addition to discussing with his staff, he would sometimes go to the Grand Princess's mansion to sit and sit, and he always felt that the clouds had cleared and the sun had appeared.
The Grand Princess gave him very pertinent advice: "Since the imperial decree has been issued, if His Majesty has not changed his mind and the wedding is held as scheduled, you should not disobey the order, otherwise how will others look at you? When the big things are settled in the future, there will be no problem of not having a wife. Just find a way to deal with Qin. If you openly disobey the order, His Majesty will be more inclined to favor the Crown Prince."
This method sounded very familiar. It was exactly the trick he used on Tang Ying in his previous life. They were indeed aunt and nephew, and they thought of the same thing.
"Thank you for your advice, aunt. I understand now." Yuan Lang said with a grateful look, "Aunt is not in good health, and she still has to work hard for me. I feel really bad for her."
The eldest princess closed her eyes tiredly, hiding all the emotions in her eyes: "Yan'er is gone, and your aunt treats you as her own child. Why should we be so distant with each other?"
