Chapter 430 — Betrothal

Empress Yi too found the whole affair beyond belief, and said, "It is only that Princess Ninghuai has always been cautious and steady in her conduct—how could she conjure something out of nothing?"

The Emperor was somewhat at a loss. He turned on the two parties involved: "This Song Cen—there is not a moment when he is at peace. Look at the things he has done since he inherited the title; even I feel embarrassed for him. And Princess Ninghuai—what was she thinking, going to the Empress Dowager with such talk? Now see what has come of it: Mother insists on granting a marriage to this second son of the Song family. If matters truly stand so, is this not a slap in our faces?"

The moment his words fell, both Empress Yi and the Emperor's expressions froze.

Song Cen wishes his second son to marry a princess. Could it be that he means to use the authority of the imperial house to preserve his second son's life?

In an instant, the two of them changed their view of Princess Ninghuai.

What if Princess Ninghuai had learned the truth and, unable to stop Song Cen from marrying his second son to a princess, had resorted to this means of making them aware of what was happening in the Song household?

The Emperor flew into a thunderous rage. "This scoundrel—his conscience has been eaten by dogs! I said it before: why did he take such a dislike to Song Yantang? So it was that he meant to pamper a concubine and cast off his wife! A good thing I promoted Song Yantang. Had I not intervened, would Song Yantang not have been done to death by him? To think that the old Duke of Zhenguo, such a kind and gentle man, could have sired a son with such a venomous heart! He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey. He takes everyone else for creatures as rotten in heart and liver as himself... Issue my decree: let him hand over the great seal of the Five Armies Command and go keep watch over the imperial tombs for the late Emperor!"

In his heart he was already convinced that Song Han was a bastard born of a concubine!

Wang Ge was so frightened that cold sweat covered his brow; his legs trembling, he answered "Yes" and made to withdraw.

But Empress Yi said, "Wait a moment," and counseled the Emperor: "Song Cen may well be counted first among the men of merit. If you require him to surrender the great seal of the Five Armies Command and go keep the late Emperor's tombs, there must at least be a reason. Are you to say it is because Song Cen muddled the bloodline? Where is the evidence? Is it merely because this Jiang Yan looks exactly like Lady Jiang? In my view, this matter is better left to unfold slowly. First settle the marriage of Song Cen's second son. Fortunately no one knows that Song Cen wished his second son to marry a princess; better to let Mother grant the marriage as she pleases. Thus we may both soothe Mother and give Song Cen a warning."

The Emperor understood the Empress's meaning and said, "Tomorrow, remember to have a few rare treasures sent to Princess Ninghuai as a reward. Had it not been for her this time, we would have muddled through and married our daughter to Song Han. Then we should have been a true laughingstock!" He then told the Empress to go at once to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. "As for Mother, I must ask you, my dear, to make my apologies on my behalf, and say that whatever pleases Mother, I shall not refuse."

The Empress answered with a smile and went to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

The Empress Dowager's face immediately crinkled with smiles. "I know the Emperor is a filial son," she said, and had the chief eunuch of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility invite the Emperor to come for the evening meal; then she drew Empress Yi aside to discuss Song Han's marriage. "Which one do you think would be suitable?"

Since Empress Yi meant to make amends for the Emperor's fault, she had inquired thoroughly into the household of Consort Dowager Miao before coming. At these words she smiled and said, "Mother has eaten more salt than I have eaten rice. How could I be more thorough than Mother? Mother's judgment is certain to be right."

The Empress Dowager was all the more pleased to hear this. "Then let us marry that girl of the Miao family, the one called Ansu, to the Song family's second son!"

Miao Zhi was the sixth young lady of the Miao family.

The eldest daughter of the Consort Dowager Miao's own full nephew.

It was said that this girl was not only outstanding in beauty but also kind and virtuous in character, and most filial. To pray for her ailing grandmother, she had once copied out by hand a hundred copies of the Lotus Sutra and given them away to passersby.

In the eyes of the world, for the Miao family—formerly no more than keepers of a general store—to marry a granddaughter into so illustrious a house as the Duke of Yingguo's was a stroke of smoke rising from the ancestral graves. Yet for the Miao family, to give a carefully reared daughter to a second son of a noble house who could never inherit the family fortunes was not necessarily a cause for joy.

Empress Yi smiled and assented, and summoned a female official in person to write out the imperial decree.

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Brothers and sisters, here is today's update.

o(n_n)o~

ps: Begging for pink votes!