Last night, seeking to marry the Princess of Nandu, and at the birthday banquet seeking to marry Princess Zhenguo—how could this be proper?
Wei Qiheng stood stunned, turning to look at Bai Qingyan with eyes full of disbelief.
“Bai Qingyan has already sworn an oath to never marry in this lifetime! Moreover, the Fourth Prince may not know that Bai Qingyan was injured in her early years, leaving her with weak prospects for bearing children. I dare not delay the Fourth Prince,” Bai Qingyan respectfully bowed, not avoiding the matter in the slightest, appearing determined not to marry.
Dong Shi frowned tightly, wringing her handkerchief and sighing.
Wei Qiheng looked completely bewildered.
Liu Ruofu loosened her tightly clenched fists and smiled, saying, “Princess Zhenguo need not belittle herself so much. Great Liang’s Fourth Prince is devoted to Princess Zhenguo, and surely wouldn’t mind the matter of children…”
“Ruofu!” Prince Xian looked toward Liu Ruofu, signaling her not to act rashly and to sit down first.
After all, the Emperor had already spoken, and likely wouldn’t permit Bai Qingyan to marry into another Kingdom. If Liu Ruofu continued to contend, she might incur the Emperor’s displeasure.
“Princess Nandu is our Jin Kingdom’s first beauty. Even though the Fourth Prince mistook her identity, it wouldn’t hinder forming a good match with Princess Nandu!” Concubine Qiu smiled as she looked toward the Emperor. “Look how Princess Nandu, upon learning that Great Liang’s Fourth Prince favors Princess Zhenguo, is still willing to help mediate. This shows she has feelings for the Fourth Prince in her heart.”
Bai Qingyan was quite surprised, her gaze falling on Concubine Qiu. Was Concubine Qiu helping Liu Ruofu save face?
She looked again toward Prince Xian’s direction—Jin Kingdom’s only prince of a different surname, who also held military power…
Bai Qingyan’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, tightened slightly. Could it be that Prince Liang had already conspired with Prince Xian?
The Emperor nodded, focused entirely on the beauty beside him: “Concubine Qiu speaks truly.”
Liu Ruofu’s expression became even uglier than before. Was this Concubine Qiu humiliating someone?
Prince Xian’s expression also darkened. Just as he was about to refuse, he heard the Great Liang envoy say with an ingratiating smile, “Concubine Qiu speaks correctly—this shows that Princess Nandu and our Great Liang’s Fourth Prince are destined by heaven.”
Seeing the Emperor nod, Prince Xian could only swallow his words of refusal to avoid offending the Emperor.
The Great Liang envoy signaled the deputy envoy to pull the Fourth Prince, who was still standing there dazed, back to his seat.
Wei Qiheng was now caught in a dilemma. Although he had no designs on Great Liang’s imperial throne and could completely avoid taking concubines or secondary wives, having no children was unacceptable.
But if he took Princess Zhenguo as his wife, the oath of not taking concubines was his own words—he couldn’t go back on it, and Princess Zhenguo certainly wouldn’t marry him.
“This time, His Majesty’s birthday banquet has brought about a good match between the Princess and Great Liang’s Fourth Prince, and also a good match between the Crown Prince and the Western Liang Princess. How truly joyous and congratulatory!” Concubine Qiu’s water-like eyes gazed toward the Emperor.
“My beloved consort speaks perfectly.”
The Empress cleared her throat. The Emperor was still immersed in Concubine Qiu’s spring-water-like gaze when Consort Yu stepped in to smooth things over: “His Majesty cares so much for the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince also thinks of His Majesty, wanting to present the divine deer to His Majesty. This truly shows a father’s kindness and son’s filial piety—a blessing for our Great Jin!”
The Crown Prince seized the opportunity and quickly ordered people to bring up the white divine deer.
In the Jin Kingdom, white deer were sacred beasts. Such a large white deer was the first time all those present had seen one, and they were endlessly curious.
The Jin Emperor was greatly pleased. After praising the Crown Prince extensively, he stood up, raised his cup, and declared in a voice like a great bell: “Heaven sends down auspicious signs to bless our Great Jin! May our Great Jin’s dynasty prosper and endure!”
“May Great Jin prosper and endure!”
“May Great Jin prosper and endure!”
“May Great Jin prosper and endure!”
All officials kowtowed and thrice proclaimed prosperity.
As if this could truly make the Great Jin dynasty prosper.
Bai Qingyan followed in the kowtowing, her expression blank.
Outside the hall, a small eunuch took small steps around to Gao Demao’s side, covering his lips with one hand as he whispered in Gao Demao’s ear.
After listening, Gao Demao waved his hand to dismiss the small eunuch, then walked smilingly to the Emperor’s side: “Your Majesty, the Grand Princess has sent Nanny Jiang to deliver birthday gifts and wishes to have an audience with Your Majesty.”
“Aunt still remembers my birthday.” The Emperor smiled happily, “Let Nanny Jiang come in!”
Gao Demao turned and signaled the small eunuch to bring Nanny Jiang in.
Soon, Nanny Jiang entered from outside the great hall, her hands folded over her lower abdomen in a dignified and respectful posture, followed by several people carrying large objects covered with red cloth—one could vaguely guess they were screens.
After Nanny Jiang kowtowed and paid her respects, she said: “This old servant greets Your Majesty. The Grand Princess is practicing Buddhist purification at the Imperial Pure Nunnery, praying for the nation’s blessings, and has specially commanded this old servant to deliver birthday gifts to Your Majesty…”
Nanny Jiang slightly turned to the side and ordered the red cloth to be removed, revealing indeed a screen.
When the Emperor saw this screen, his pupils trembled, and he suddenly stood up.
Nanny Jiang seemed not to notice the Emperor’s loss of composure and spoke ethereally: “I wonder if Your Majesty still remembers—when the Grand Princess’s legitimate daughter Miss Suqiu was still alive, she once promised to embroider Your Majesty’s painting into a screen as a birthday gift for Your Majesty. But this screen was only half-embroidered when the young lady passed away, so the Grand Princess stored it in the warehouse. Unexpectedly, this time the Grand Princess encountered a remarkable person whose embroidery technique was identical to our young lady’s. The Grand Princess had people find this young lady, and this morning she just finished embroidering the screen. The Grand Princess immediately commanded this old servant to bring it to Your Majesty, fulfilling the promise our young lady owed Your Majesty back then.”
The Emperor’s lips trembled lightly as he walked quickly down from the high platform to look at the screen—half the embroidery thread was old, half was new, yet the technique and craftsmanship truly seemed to come entirely from Bai Suqiu’s hand.
Seeing the Emperor’s eyes reddening, Nanny Jiang knelt beside the Emperor and kowtowed: “Your Majesty, the Grand Princess wishes to ask Your Majesty for a favor. Your Majesty once said you owed our young lady a princess title, and when our young lady returned from Jiaozhou, you would request the former Emperor to grant the title. But… though the epidemic in Jiaozhou was contained, our young lady never returned! The Grand Princess wishes to take this Miss Lu, whose embroidery is identical to our young lady’s, as an adopted daughter to receive the princess title in place of our young lady.”
Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s brow immediately furrowed: “Has Aunt become confused in her old age? She’s merely an embroiderer whose work resembles Suqiu’s—how can she replace Suqiu?”
His Suqiu was unique in this world!
Nanny Jiang quickly kowtowed, seeming to find it difficult to speak: “But Your Majesty, this Miss Lu… this Miss Lu…”
“Nanny Jiang, go back and tell Aunt that if she likes her, she can keep her around like a cat or dog, but a commoner cannot be compared to Suqiu!” The Emperor had fire in his heart and spoke rather rudely.
Nanny Jiang gritted her teeth, kowtowed heavily, and said: “But Your Majesty! This Miss Lu is eighteen years old this year, born on the sixth day of the second month! Not only is her embroidery technique identical to our young lady’s, but she also looks almost exactly like our young lady!”
Nanny Jiang spoke extremely quickly, then kowtowed again and said with a choked voice: “Originally the Grand Princess forbade this old servant from speaking of this, but… Your Majesty, that young lady is not just a cat or dog to the Grand Princess. This old servant and the Grand Princess both believe that the young lady is the reincarnation of our young lady!”