Chapter 24: The Three Little Ones Miss Niannian 24
“Then I’ll talk to Xu Heming again later.” Zhu Jingchen fell silent for a moment, tapping his hand against the chair beside him at irregular intervals as though considering whether this was even possible.
“That child has only this one thing on his mind.” The Empress sighed. She knew this matter concerning her son would be difficult.
Who could blame them? Niannian was Prince An’s daughter.
“Your Majesty, don’t make things difficult for him. If it doesn’t work out, then perhaps Yu’er and Niannian simply aren’t fated to be together.” The Empress could only offer Zhu Jingchen some consolation.
“What’s there to fear? Xu Heming wants Niannian to take a live-in husband, doesn’t he? I have plenty of sons. If one of them helps raise our grandchild, we’ll have less to worry about.” Having thought it over, Zhu Jingchen felt that it made perfect sense.
Before the two of them could finish speaking, the Third Prince arrived.
“Father!” The Third Prince’s eyes lit up when he saw Zhu Jingchen.
“What... What is it?” Seeing his son being so unusually enthusiastic, Zhu Jingchen carefully thought back. Ever since the boy was little, he had always tried to avoid him whenever they met.
Now, seeing the expectant look on his face, Zhu Jingchen felt somewhat nervous. Surely this boy wasn’t plotting something?
“Father, I have a favor to ask of you!” The Third Prince solemnly knelt before Zhu Jingchen and the Empress.
“All right, get up and speak.” Zhu Jingchen sounded a little impatient. He thought to himself that asking him wouldn’t be of any use. The boy might as well go ask Xu Heming.
It wasn’t as if he was the one giving away his daughter.
“Father, I would like to ask you to arrange a marriage for me.” The Third Prince seemed not to understand the meaning behind Zhu Jingchen’s words. He simply knelt before him and made his request.
“Oh? A marriage? Which young lady does my son wish to marry?” Zhu Jingchen was furious. This brat did nothing but give him difficult problems to solve.
“Father, I wish to marry Niannian of Prince An’s residence.” Thinking Zhu Jingchen would agree, the Third Prince spoke with delight.
“Have you asked for Prince An’s opinion?” Zhu Jingchen asked coldly.
“Father, if you issue the decree, surely Uncle Prince An wouldn’t dare refuse?”
The Third Prince thought that if his father personally arranged the marriage, Prince An would have no choice but to obey the imperial will.
“You foolish boy. Prince An has already said that Niannian’s marriage is not under consideration for now.” Looking at his son, Zhu Jingchen thought that he deserved not to be able to marry a wife.
With this level of sense, he still wanted to go up against that old fox Xu Heming?
“Later, you should arrange something for him as well. Find him a daughter from a prestigious family.” Zhu Jingchen turned to the Empress with evident displeasure.
“Your Majesty is right.” The Empress sighed inwardly, knowing that her son was destined to be disappointed this time.
“Father, I only want to marry Niannian.” The Third Prince’s face was full of unwillingness.
“There are plenty of people in the capital who want to marry Niannian. With so many suitors, do you think she’ll marry whoever happens to want her? Prince An has said that Niannian won’t marry. He intends to find her a live-in husband.” Zhu Jingchen rolled his eyes, feeling that his son still couldn’t tell who held the reins in this matter.
Yes, he was the emperor, but he wasn’t going to fall out with Xu Heming over his children’s marriages.
For one thing, Xu Heming was his right-hand man. For another, marriage was supposed to be a matter of mutual consent. Since Xu Heming hadn’t given his approval, that meant Niannian hadn’t agreed either. He was an enlightened emperor; he could never allow his son to forcibly take another man’s daughter.
He could never allow his son to forcibly take another man’s daughter.
“What?” The Third Prince was stunned. A live-in husband?
He was an imperial prince. How could he possibly become someone else’s live-in son-in-law?
“Father, did Prince An really say that?” The Third Prince looked at Zhu Jingchen in disbelief. Could it be that his father simply didn’t want him to marry Niannian and had made up an excuse to crush his hopes?
“If you don’t believe me, you can go to Prince An’s residence and ask him yourself.” The moment Zhu Jingchen saw the Third Prince’s expression, he knew that the boy didn’t believe him.
The Third Prince didn’t care that the person before him was his own father. As soon as he heard this, he ran out.
“Your Majesty, what if something happens to Yu’er?” the Empress asked, her face full of concern.
“What could happen? Besides, if he doesn’t go and ask, how will he ever give up?”
Zhu Jingchen sighed. He thought that Prince An had only one daughter, Niannian, which was why he guarded her as if she were the apple of his eye.
If he had more children, would he really be so overprotective?
But then Zhu Jingchen remembered that Prince An had no intention of taking another wife or concubine, and he abandoned the thought of granting Xu Heming a few more women.
It seemed that his son’s marriage would have to be left to fate.
In the end, it would all depend on the choice he made himself.
“Your Majesty, what if Yu’er insists on becoming Prince An’s live-in son-in-law? Would you really agree?” the Empress asked, sounding a little troubled.
“If he’s willing, Prince An may not agree,” Zhu Jingchen replied with a quiet laugh. Did they think he didn’t know? Xu Heming had very high standards.
After Xu Heming returned to Prince An’s residence, his expression remained dark. At dinner, Pingping glanced at his father’s grim face, then cautiously leaned toward Xu Qingshi and asked, “Big Brother, is it because the Gu family refuses to marry Sister Gu to you?”
Pingping figured that otherwise, his father wouldn’t look so gloomy.
“We haven’t even gone to the Gu family yet. Stop talking nonsense.” Xu Qingshi rolled his eyes at his younger brother.
They hadn’t even set out, and already his little brother was declaring that he would fail.
Xu Qingshi rolled his eyes at Pingping again.
“If my marriage to Sister Gu doesn’t work out, I’ll pack you up and send you to the Northern Frontier to become the princess’s husband.” Xu Qingshi glared at Pingping and spoke in a chilly voice.
Pingping immediately covered his mouth and didn’t dare say another word.
That little princess was practically a demon.
After saying this, Xu Qingshi carefully glanced at Xu Heming as well. He wanted to know what had made their father so angry.
“What’s wrong with you?” Li Zhiwei asked with a sigh.
Ever since Xu Heming had returned to the capital, he seemed to be wearing a stern expression all the time.
Thinking of his visit to the palace that day, Li Zhiwei wondered if the emperor had objected to their return to the capital.
At the thought, her hands tightened unconsciously.
“It’s nothing. Niannian, stay in the residence for the next few days and take good care of yourself.” Xu Heming’s expression was unpleasant, but his voice softened when he spoke to Niannian.
“Father, did I cause you some trouble?” Niannian asked with a frown. After thinking it over, the only person she had offended recently was Xiao Tao.
But hadn’t Xiao Tao’s father been described as merely a minor official?
Could it be that he had some powerful connections after all?
Otherwise, how could he have put even her father in such a difficult position?
“Nothing of the sort.” Xu Heming shook his head without hesitation.
“Then what has upset you, my lord?” Li Zhiwei asked, puzzled. Since it wasn’t something to do with the emperor, she couldn’t understand what else could be troubling Xu Heming so much.
“My lord, are we still going to the Gu family tomorrow?”
Seeing Xu Heming like this, Li Zhiwei asked uncertainly.
