nucmednet Chapter 353 Their Marriages Are Their Own Choice
Chapter 353 Their Marriages Are Their Own Choice
Prince Ning stood there, tall and elegant, coldly looking at the Second Prince, and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I believe that if the marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers without consulting the Marquis of Anle's family, isn't that tantamount to kidnapping?"
A court official stepped forward and said, "Prince Ning, you are mistaken. The Emperor's bestowal of a marriage is an unparalleled honor. Would Marquis Anle possibly refuse?"
Prince Ning frowned: "However, it's about marriage, not enmity. I heard that yesterday the Second Prince kidnapped someone in the street, and the Second Miss Si refused to submit even at the cost of her life. Today, the Second Prince directly requested an imperial decree to grant the marriage. What if the Second Miss is unwilling and threatens to kill herself?"
The second prince was furious: "Who dares to refuse a marriage bestowed by the Emperor?"
Prince Ning knelt down: "Your Majesty, it is a great crime to refuse a marriage bestowed by the monarch. Perhaps the Si family dares not refuse and can only marry their daughter to the Second Prince. But I believe that Your Majesty is a benevolent monarch. In all the marriages Your Majesty has bestowed, you have consulted the elders of both sides before making the bestowal. If Marquis Anle is willing, I will not obstruct you any further."
The Second Prince asked, "Xiao Youchuan, why are you obstructing us like this? Could it be that you have improper thoughts about the Second Miss Si?"
“Your Highness, please be careful with your words!” Prince Ning said firmly. “Now that the second young lady of the Si family is working at the Dali Temple, she is my subordinate, and I will certainly protect her.”
Hearing such an argument, the emperor sat above, remaining silent for a long time.
The courtiers had no idea what he was thinking.
He was thinking about the sorrowful look in Si Muwan's eyes when the Imperial Concubine wanted to ask for the Second Prince's hand in marriage with the eldest daughter of the Si family.
He didn't want to think about it, yet he couldn't help but think about it.
That's Si Muwan, his nominal niece. How could he have such filthy thoughts?
But that beautiful girl, her heart and eyes were filled with nothing but him.
This made him have those thoughts again.
These thoughts, which were previously suppressed by Consort Rong's company, are now being suppressed by the imperial physician's advice to rest and recuperate, as Consort Rong is now pregnant.
He wasn't interested in the other women in the harem.
Occasionally, my dreams would be filled with something beautiful: her coquettish embrace after she was drunk that day, her hesitant gaze.
The Emperor rubbed his temples and said, "All of you, step back. This matter need not be mentioned again. The Lady of the Marquis is my sister. Today, I will grant them this favor. Their marriages can be decided by themselves."
For a moment, the hall was completely silent.
The court officials were unsure of the Emperor's intentions—whether he had decided against the Second Prince. However, the Emperor did not impose any punishment for yesterday's events.
Upon receiving the news, Si Xingzhi immediately went to the palace to express his gratitude.
Si Muyan breathed a sigh of relief. She was genuinely worried about what they would do if the Emperor granted them a marriage.
"Speaking of which, we should thank Prince Ning. If it weren't for his reasoned argument, the Emperor probably wouldn't have agreed so quickly."
The second sister pursed her lips and remained silent, her eyes filled with sadness. She sighed and said, "Eldest sister, I truly have no intention of getting married again in this life."
"I know."
As Si Muyan spoke slowly, the gatekeeper came up to report that someone from the estate had arrived.
Where did this money come from?
Zhu Lao Er and his companions went to Yuncheng with Xie Lan and Princess Rou Shu. They had only been there a short time and did not know the specifics of the situation.
He Song's family went to the estate. Si Muyan made them the estate managers and gave He Laiqian a sum of money, allowing them to do whatever they wanted with the estate.
He Laiqian brought blueprints with him this time.
“Young Miss, I have measured the entire estate in and out these past few days. I have also made basic plans. I think this part can be developed into a tourist attraction, just as you planned.”
"Oh? Let me see."
Si Muyan had drawn up blueprints in Songji Village before, but the villagers couldn't work together, so the scenic area couldn't be built.
Now, He Laiqian has made numerous modifications based on Si Muyan's previous drawings. Leisure and entertainment areas, children's play areas, theaters, and tea areas are all included.
He Laiqian said, "People in the city also like to play polo and horse racing, but unfortunately the venues needed are too big, which is not suitable for our village."
“If you really want to do it, I can inquire about the nearby estates and see if I can buy them,” Si Muyan said.
He Laiqian shook his head repeatedly: "No need, no need. I've also inquired. City people usually need a whole day to play polo or race horses, and they have to set aside time specifically for it. If our village were to open so many projects, it would be one thing if we couldn't handle them all, but the real problem would be the waste of space."
Si Muyan agreed: "Anyway, there are plenty of places to have fun in the suburbs of Beijing, so there's no need to make it a big gathering. If we really want polo or horse racing, we can cooperate with polo fields and racetracks, which is the same thing."
He Laiqian's eyes lit up: "So, Miss thinks that my blueprint is feasible?"
"can."
Si Muyan laughed and called her mother over, saying, "Give him another five hundred taels of silver."
He Laiqian quickly waved his hand: "Miss, I didn't come here today for money. I still have plenty of the silver you gave me last time, more than I can spend."
"If you're going to get things done, do it properly. You can't run a business with substandard products," Si Muyan said. "I trust you to handle things."
He Laiqian was extremely grateful and made numerous promises, saying that he would definitely complete the task assigned by the young lady and would never let her down.
After everyone left, her mother came over and asked, "Miss, with such a generous gesture, aren't you afraid they might have ulterior motives?"
The two sums totaled a thousand taels of silver, more than an average family could spend in a lifetime. Apart from one maid who remained in the mansion, the other three members of the He family didn't even have indentures; if they absconded with the money, they would be impossible to catch.
Si Muyan smiled and shook her head: "If Laiqian wants to do big things, he won't care about a thousand taels of silver."
The mother was speechless, thinking that the young lady was too naive.
After the Second Prince harassed the Second Sister, Prince Ning arranged for eight guards to escort her to and from duty every day.
This made the second sister quite embarrassed, and she didn't dare to tell Prince Ning. She only said to Feng Zizhou, "I don't have a very important task. I'm just here to assist everyone in compiling the classics. It's a waste that Your Highness has to go to such lengths."
"What's the big deal? If Prince Ning doesn't do this, I'll get up early and leave late every day to pick you up and drop you off." Feng Zizhou patted his chest.
When Feng Zizhou finished his shift that evening, he was about to escort his second sister home when he saw Prince Ning returning from outside.
"Your Highness, weren't you supposed to be on official business today? Why are you back so soon?" Feng Zizhou asked curiously.
Prince Ning glanced at his second sister and said, "I rushed back as soon as I finished. How was today's revision?"
The second sister bowed before replying, "Your Highness, there was no compilation today. There are some parts that I don't quite understand, so I asked Lord Li and Lord Wang. They gave me guidance and some documents, which I have been studying carefully these past two days."
Prince Ning nodded and said, "Finish your shift early, don't go back too late."
"Yes."
Feng Zizhou followed his second sister out of the mansion and said, "Speaking of which, Prince Ning is very indifferent to everyone else, even his fiancée Zhao Ning. But he values you very much."