After the hunt was the banquet. The banquet was held in the temporary palace. The emperor, empress, concubines, princes, princesses, and others rode in carriages in the front, while the military officials who participated in the competition and the civil officials who watched the competition rode horses in the back.
Prince Hui had already sat in his wheelchair and got into the carriage with the princess on the way back.
As soon as the carriage door closed, Yao Huang could no longer maintain the calmness on her face. While helping Prince Hui fix the wheelchair, she asked in a low voice, "What does Father Emperor mean by this? Why did he suddenly think of granting the second young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to my brother?"
Letting Li Fuwei marry her brother was just like letting her marry Prince Hui. Both were forcibly putting together a pair of men and women who had nothing to do with each other.
Prince Hui's legs were crippled, and other noble ladies didn't want to marry him. Prince Hui didn't want to force others, so he chose her, who took the initiative to flirt with him. However, Li Fuwei was the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. She could almost choose any handsome and talented civil or military official with a comparable appearance and family background among the noble young men in the capital to be her husband. Emperor Yongchang forcibly made her marry her brother. Her brother had picked up a treasure, but could Li Fuwei really be willing?
Furthermore, the words of the Second Princess and Emperor Yongchang both revealed one thing: the red fox was tacitly given to Prince Kang by the participating military officials. It was her brother's first time participating in the competition and he didn't know the rules. He foolishly stole Prince Kang's thunder and might have offended Prince Kang and Consort Xian. The emperor actually wanted to grant Prince Kang's sister-in-law to her brother?
The more Yao Huang thought about it, the more she felt that Emperor Yongchang was using the marriage between her brother and Li Fuwei to warn Prince Kang, including the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion!
After fixing the wheelchair, Yao Huang sat next to it, waiting expectantly for Prince Hui to analyze it for her.
Born in the royal family, Zhao Sui thought much deeper than the princess. Some things were very obvious from his father's performance and he was also very certain of them, while some things were unpredictable and he couldn't guess them either.
It was best to keep those things he couldn't guess from the princess, lest she think wildly and add to her worries.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Sui said to the princess, "Eldest Brother is not good at riding and shooting. Father Emperor knows this very well, so he is not happy that the two young masters of the Li family forcibly helped him win the first place, which obviously damaged the original intention of selecting talents in the hunting competition."
Out of respect for the royal family, it was understandable for the military officials to give up the red fox. If Prince Kang only hunted the red fox and then won the first place because other people's scores were balanced, his father wouldn't be angry. But Prince Kang's victory relied on those white foxes, wolves, and deer that were difficult for him to hunt by himself. It was conceivable that the military officials would continue to give way and be constrained when they saw Prince Kang chasing the three kinds of prey.
The time Zhao Sui won the first place, he went into the mountain to find the dens where red foxes could easily hide. After succeeding, he went down the mountain immediately. The military officials chased fiercely in the mountain, and the second and third places both scored more than eighty points.
Later, Prince Qing won the first place. After hunting the red fox, he only hunted one more deer to ensure that his total score was leading.
Yao Huang, "I can understand Father Emperor's displeasure. Then he can just reprimand the Eldest Prince in private, and then reprimand the two young masters of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Why must he grant marriage to my brother? Won't this make the Eldest Prince and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion resent my brother even more?"
Zhao Sui, "First, your brother snatched the red fox, which is considered as him offering himself to be used by Father Emperor. Second, Father Emperor granted the marriage, they dare not resent. Third, that is your brother and my brother-in-law. No matter how much they resent, they have to give me face and won't bully others by flaunting their power."
Yao Huang thought about it and stopped worrying about her brother. She only worried that Li Fuwei would feel wronged and uncomfortable and become a resentful couple with her brother after marriage. It was her brother's own fault for not knowing the rules and getting involved between Emperor Yongchang, Prince Kang, and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Li Fuwei was sitting there watching the competition properly, and encountering this matter was really an unexpected disaster.
Zhao Sui, "..."
This was not what he should analyze, and he had no intention of asking.
.
Li Qian and his two sons were all riding horses outside. Only Li Fuwei and her mother were in the carriage of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
The Madam of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion looked at her daughter, who had just been forced into a mismatched marriage but still looked calm, and asked worriedly, "Are you really willing to marry that Yao Lin? Or did you see that the emperor was unhappy and were afraid that refusing the marriage would drag down our family?"
Li Fuwei said calmly, "Both. The emperor has already spoken, why should father and I go against his wishes? As for Yao Lin, he has the talent of a military scholar and a handsome appearance, and he is the brother of Princess Hui. It's not too much of a condescension for me to marry him."
The Eldest Princess's consort was a civil scholar, and the Second Princess's consort was a military scholar. Their family backgrounds were also inferior to those prominent nobles in the capital.
Her father was a first-rank duke. If she found a well-matched marriage, there would be a suspicion of forming a clique. Rather than arousing the emperor's suspicion, it was better to obey the emperor's wishes.
The Madam of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion sighed.
In the final analysis, this matter was all caused by Consort Xian. If Consort Xian hadn't wanted Prince Kang to show off, even if her two sons didn't compete for the first place, they wouldn't have angered the emperor.
In the carriage in front, Consort Xian sat expressionlessly in the carriage. No one shared the carriage with her, and there was dead silence in the carriage.
Just as Yao Huang worried about her brother and the Madam of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion worried about her daughter, what Consort Xian worried about at this time was entirely her son's future.
The Duke of Zhenguo was Prince Kang's father-in-law. Regardless of whether he took sides or not, the outside world would regard him as Prince Kang's clique. The Duke of Zhenguo could only be used by her and her son.
The emperor was in good health. Consort Xian was not stupid enough to drag the Duke of Zhenguo into plotting rebellion. It was just to let their father and son do what they could for her son.
Consort Xian just didn't expect that the emperor would be unhappy with her son winning the first place.
No matter how stupid he was, he was still the eldest prince. The two younger brothers had both won the first place. Now one was reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors and the other was crippled. The emperor didn't want to promote the eldest, did he want to promote the wet-behind-the-ears fourth child?
Shaking her head, Consort Xian threw the lazy Fourth Prince out of her mind, and immediately thought of Prince Hui, who could still hunt back sixteen points even with crippled legs.
The emperor granted the other girl of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to Prince Hui's brother-in-law!
Did he see that Prince Hui could work in the Ministry of Works and could still ride horses and hunt, and had the intention of promoting Prince Hui again?
If so, Prince Kang and Prince Hui both became in-laws of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Once the two princes fought, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion could only remain neutral and not favor either side.
But Prince Hui was crippled!
Consort Xian still didn't believe that Emperor Yongchang would choose a cripple who damaged the royal majesty over two healthy adult princes. Then, could the emperor's act of granting marriage be an open demotion but secret praise for the eldest?
The relationship between the eldest and Prince Hui was already closer than that of Prince Qing's side, and the emperor also pitied and loved Prince Hui very much. Perhaps the emperor just wanted to use this marriage to make Prince Hui and the eldest closer, let Prince Hui assist the eldest brother with peace of mind, let Prince Qing's side give up early, and also let the civil and military officials see the situation clearly and not take the wrong side?
Sitting in the carriage next to Consort Xian were Consort Rou and Princess Fucheng. The two lived close to each other in the West Palace and were in-laws, so they shared a carriage when they set off.
They shared the same thought as Consort Xian. Whether Emperor Yongchang intended to divide the power of Prince Kang's wife's family to elevate Prince Hui, or he planned to entrust the disabled Prince Hui to Prince Kang through a closer marriage tie, neither was good news for Prince Qing.
Consort Rou asked in a low voice, "Which one do you think the Emperor favors more?"
Princess Fucheng looked gloomy. "We'll have to wait and see."
The only thing she was certain of was that the person in her imperial brother's heart was not Prince Qing.
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Upon arriving at the temporary palace, the nobles had to return to their respective quarters to rest and freshen up before heading to the banquet.
As soon as Zheng Yuanzhen entered the Songfeng Hall, she clutched her chest and began to dry heave.
This was quite normal in the early stages of pregnancy, so the maidservants attending her didn't think much of it and carefully supported the princess consort inside.
Prince Qing, who was grounded and reflecting on his mistakes, could still move freely within his own residence. When he came out and saw Zheng Yuanzhen looking as pale as paper, he was startled. He ran over, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her all the way to the couch in the side room.
Seeing him made Zheng Yuanzhen want to vomit even more, and she threw up some bitter bile.
Once she had completely calmed down, Prince Qing dismissed the servants and asked, "Were you bumped around on the road? If you're feeling unwell, you don't have to go to the luncheon later."
Zheng Yuanzhen replied, "If I don't go, people will suspect that I am upset."
Prince Qing frowned. "What do you mean?"
Leaning against the soft pillows and closing her eyes, Zheng Yuanzhen told him about Emperor Yongchang's bestowed marriage.
Since it concerned the position of the Crown Prince that he longed for, Prince Qing was quite sharp. Thinking of those two possibilities, he felt as if he had plunged into an ice cave.
Why? He had only been less than thorough in suppressing the bandits; he had still achieved merit in the end. Why would his imperial father give up on him completely?
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After washing her hands and face, Yao Huang changed into a new dress and returned to the front courtyard. Finding that Prince Hui had also finished freshening up, the couple set off.
Prince Kang's large family was waiting in front of Qinghui Hall, and Zheng Yuanzhen soon emerged from the other side.
Yao Huang could tell at a glance that Prince Kang's expression was somewhat off, while Zheng Yuanzhen had clearly dressed up carefully, her smile forced.
Yao Huang had no time to ponder Zheng Yuanzhen's unusual behavior; her mind was full of how to deal with the awkwardness regarding Prince Kang.
Military officers yielding red foxes was only an unspoken rule. If she actually apologized for her brother snatching the red fox that Li Guantang had driven toward Prince Kang, Prince Kang would lose even more face.
But if she acted as if nothing happened, would Prince Kang think she was actually happy for her brother?
Prince Kang didn't look much at his second sister-in-law. He simply walked over, took charge of his younger brother's wheelchair, and left the female family members behind, pushing his brother forward alone.
Zhao Sui glanced at Prince Kang's shadow to the north and said in a low voice, "This is Yao Lin's first time participating in the Northern Park hunt, so he doesn't know the rules. Please don't hold it against him, Big Brother."
Prince Kang said, "...It has nothing to do with him. I was too obsessed with the empty title of champion."
The words of praise his imperial father had for Yao Lin were meant to beat down the Li brothers as well as him.
Prince Kang didn't know what had possessed him. He had been disdained by his imperial father since childhood, so why did he still delusionally think that winning the championship by relying on others would earn him a word of praise?
Zhao Sui said, "After the luncheon is over, don't go anywhere else, Big Brother. Go seek an audience with Imperial Father first. Confess to him what you just told me. He might say some angry words, but once his anger subsides, this matter will pass."
Prince Kang was a father himself. He knew that when children made mistakes, a father expected them to recognize their faults and correct them, rather than lying to cover them up.
However, if his second brother hadn't reminded him, Prince Kang probably wouldn't have dared to take the initiative to bear his imperial father's wrath and would have needed his mother to push him.
So, his second brother truly meant well for him.
.
Emperor Yongchang and Empress Zhou hosted separate banquets for the officials and the female family members. No matter how anxious Consort Xian was, she couldn't see her son.
On the side of the sovereign and his subjects, Emperor Yongchang seemed to have forgotten about the bestowed marriage, happily chatting and drinking with the civil and military officials.
For the first time, Yao Lin drank absentmindedly, occasionally sneaking glances at the Li family father and sons, constantly worrying that the three of them would secretly glare at him.
When the banquet concluded, Yao Lin noticed that the Li family father and sons didn't walk out with the military officials. It seemed they followed Prince Kang to see Emperor Yongchang!
Could it be that they were requesting Emperor Yongchang to retract the bestowed marriage?
As soon as this thought popped up, Yao Lin let out a deep sigh of relief. Let it be retracted quickly! His sister was beautiful and eloquent, able to win Prince Hui's favor, but he couldn't do the same. If he deeply offended the noble daughter of the Duke's estate, and she ran back to her maiden home crying, bringing down the wrath of the Great Qi Dynasty's most prestigious Li family father and sons to beat him up together, he and his old man combined wouldn't be able to fight them off!
On the other side, Emperor Yongchang first met his eldest son, whom he hadn't expected to come running on his own initiative.
After entering, Prince Kang directly knelt on the ground, shedding tears of shame while confessing his incompetence and vanity.
His twenty-seven-year-old eldest son was crying like this, crying so much that Emperor Yongchang couldn't bring himself to scold him further. He only said, "A person's greatest virtue is self-awareness. Knowing your shortcomings clearly and admitting them frankly are both strengths. I didn't order you to win the championship, so why did you try so hard to fight for it? Did you really think others wouldn't see through it, that others would admire you for a fake championship?"
Prince Kang lowered his head, feeling even more ashamed.
Emperor Yongchang said, "I know you are not someone who covets fame. Someone must have talked it up to you and encouraged you to fight for it, right?"
Prince Kang started to panic, afraid his imperial father would ask him to name that person.
Emperor Yongchang instead said, "You manage your own people. I only hope you remember this lesson, learn to distinguish right from wrong, and don't let others push you into doing things."
Prince Kang immediately replied, "Imperial Father's teachings are correct. This son will definitely engrave them in my heart."
Emperor Yongchang twitched his lips. This wasn't the first time he had taught his eldest son this. If his eldest son could really remember it, today's incident wouldn't have happened.
After Prince Kang withdrew, Eunuch Wang led Li Qian and his sons in.
These three also directly knelt down after entering, with Li Qian in the front and his two sons kneeling behind him.
Li Qian confessed that he had failed in teaching his sons, causing them to lose the loyalty and bravery a military general should possess. Tossing Emperor Yongchang's encouragement to "go all out" to the back of their minds was disloyal, and not daring to shoot prey and strive for the lead was cowardly.
Emperor Yongchang stood up, walked to the window, and spoke half-turned towards the Li family father and sons: "Hunting does not forbid teaming up. If others ran to serve as Prince Kang's deputies, I wouldn't be dissatisfied. But what is the status of your Li family? One of the top military families since the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty over a hundred years ago. Li Qian, you have illustrious military achievements and have not failed the name of the Li family ancestors. I have the same expectations for Jingtang and Guantang. But what did they do today? They are clearly two wolves, yet they insisted on acting as someone else's dogs. Does that sound good if word gets out? Is this the integrity of your Li family, the family tradition of a famous general's family of my Great Qi Dynasty?"
Li Jingtang and Li Guantang clenched their fists, feeling almost too ashamed to show their faces.
Emperor Yongchang looked at Li Qian: "You are a few years younger than me. I haven't gone senile yet, so don't you go acting foolishly either."
Li Qian felt a chill in his heart and bowed his head to kowtow: "Rest assured, Your Majesty. This subject would not dare."
"Good. I believe you."
