Chapter 32 — The Three Little Ones: Niannian, Part 26
Zhu Jingchen naturally caught the reluctance in Xu Heming’s words.
But today, he had come with the intention of proposing a marriage.
And from the looks of it, Xu Heming clearly wasn’t pleased with his troublesome Third Son.
It seemed it would not be easy to get him to willingly marry Niannian off to the Third Son.
“Heming, this is the site plan for the neighboring compound.” Zhu Jingchen took out a drawing and handed it to Xu Heming.
Though somewhat puzzled, Xu Heming accepted it and examined it. Next door had originally belonged to the Zhang family, but the Zhangs had long since fallen from grace. This compound, along with the surrounding properties, was all included in Zhu Jingchen’s plan.
The planned estate was even somewhat larger than Prince An’s residence.
Xu Heming looked at Zhu Jingchen in confusion, unable to understand what he meant by this.
“Lao Xu, I know you can’t bear to let Niannian marry away, so I thought I’d demolish the neighboring property and build a princely residence for the Third Son,” Zhu Jingchen said with a smile.
“If you want to establish a residence for your son, then establish one for your son. What does that have to do with my Niannian?” Xu Heming snapped, deeply displeased.
“Lao Xu, I was thinking that the two children know each other well, and we know each other well too. If they end up together, we can all rest easy. If you’re worried about letting Niannian marry into the palace, they can live next door from now on. We can open a small gate between the compounds, and you’ll be able to visit anytime to see how the two children are doing, won’t you?” Zhu Jingchen said with a smile.
Li Zhiwei, who had initially been somewhat surprised, looked toward Xu Heming after hearing this. She thought to herself that Zhu Jingchen had struck right at Xu Heming’s weak spot—she wondered how he would respond.
“Take your daydreams back to the palace. My home does not welcome you!” Xu Heming shot to his feet and said coldly.
“Uncle, please calm down. If you are unwilling to let Sister Nian Nian marry me, then I can marry into your family instead!”
Seeing that Xu Heming was still about to refuse, the Third Prince quickly spoke up.
“Shut your mouth!” Zhu Jingchen said, thoroughly displeased.
This son of his truly knew how to undermine him. Couldn’t he see that Zhu Jingchen was still negotiating terms with Xu Heming?
“Father, you have plenty of sons. You won’t miss one of us. I’ve finally found a girl I like—please grant me this wish,” Zhu Hanyu said quickly when he saw Zhu Jingchen’s darkening expression.
“Yu’er!” The Empress frowned. A dignified prince talking about marrying into another family—how humiliating would that sound if word got out?
Deep down, the Empress was unwilling as well.
“Mother, don’t worry. Later, I’ll bring you to live next door too. Then you won’t have to stay in the palace, fighting all of Father’s concubines over him,” Zhu Hanyu said carelessly.
After all, it was the princely residence his father was building for him. He could let whomever he wanted live there.
He thought it would be quite a good arrangement: he and Niannian could live in Prince An’s residence, while his mother lived in his own princely residence.
“You certainly have it all planned out. And what about me?” Zhu Jingchen asked Zhu Hanyu, his face darkening.
“Your Majesty, you are occupied with affairs of state every day. Besides, even if Mother were not here, the palace is full of consorts and concubines—you surely would not be lonely,” the Third Prince said softly as he looked at Zhu Jingchen.
“You little brat!” Zhu Jingchen felt that this trip had been a complete waste.
He had worked hard negotiating with others, only for his own son to undermine him first. And now the boy even wanted to take away his rightful Empress, leaving him an old widower in the imperial palace.
“Lao Xu, I think you were right not to marry your daughter to him. He has far too much time on his hands,” Zhu Jingchen said to the Third Prince with a sinister look.
“Your Majesty!” The Empress lightly tugged at Zhu Jingchen’s sleeve, thinking, Hadn’t they agreed to come and persuade Prince An?
How had this father and son managed to turn against each other first?
How was she supposed to continue the conversation now?
Xu Heming sat back and watched the father and son perform.
His Niannian deserved the finest young man in the capital.
The imperial palace was the very last place he wanted Niannian to marry into.
As for the relationship between the Third Prince and Zhu Jingchen, Xu Heming felt it was none of his concern—as long as the prince did not come and trouble his daughter.
If the Emperor wanted to make him Crown Prince, Xu Heming would even give his full support.
“Prince An, isn’t it time for our kingdom of Lannuo to establish a heir to the throne?” Zhu Jingchen’s words were sincere, yet he cast a meaningful glance at the Third Prince.
The implication could not have been clearer.
He wanted to name the Third Prince as Crown Prince.
But if that happened, Xu Heming would never agree to let Niannian become the Crown Princess.
After all, Niannian did not like the kind of caged-bird life one led in the imperial palace.
“Your Majesty may decide as you see fit.” Xu Heming calmly sipped his tea.
He was merely giving a perfunctory reply.
After all, whether to establish a Crown Prince—and who that Crown Prince should be—was not something a prince like him ought to interfere with.
“I think Third Son would be quite suitable. Empress, have you finished looking over the young ladies I asked you to consider last time?” Zhu Jingchen turned and asked the Empress beside him.
The Empress was momentarily stunned. It would naturally be impossible to say no.
After all, she was the Empress; countless young ladies wished to become her daughter-in-law.
It was only because her son liked Niannian that the Empress could not bear to press the matter.
It was not that the Empress looked down on Niannian. Rather, she knew perfectly well that Prince An would most likely be unwilling to let Niannian enter the palace.
That was why she had not dared to include Niannian on the list.
“Father, your son does not wish to become Crown Prince. Your son only wishes to marry into Prince An’s residence!” Zhu Hanyu suddenly dropped to his knees before Zhu Jingchen and declared solemnly.
“Even if it means no longer being a prince?” Zhu Jingchen frowned at his son.
He thought to himself, There had never been any love-struck fools among their ancestors. How had he ended up with a son like this?
At that thought, Zhu Jingchen looked at the Empress with a touch of grievance.
Surely he had inherited it from her.
And with that realization, Zhu Jingchen suddenly felt somewhat guilty.
After all, the Empress loved him deeply, yet in his heart, she had never been his only one.
“You have suffered all these years,” Zhu Jingchen said, taking the Empress’s hand with an expression of remorse.
“Your Majesty, Yu'er is still kneeling,” the Empress said with a frown, having no idea what the Emperor was up to this time.
Their son was the one kneeling—why was he suddenly apologizing to her?
However, when she thought of the Third Prince’s insistence on marrying into Prince An’s household, she couldn’t help feeling troubled.
“Let him kneel if he wants to. He wants to become someone’s live-in son-in-law, but they don’t even want him,” Zhu Jingchen said indifferently.
Xu Heming continued sipping his tea, while Li Zhiwei lowered her head beside him. Naturally, she had nothing to say in response to this.
Niannian had never said that she liked the Third Prince, either.
No matter what, she hoped that her children would marry someone they truly loved.
“Prince An, Princess Consort of An, please take me in! I promise I’ll be obedient and well-behaved. If you tell me to go east, I’ll go east; if you tell me to go west, I’ll never go east!”
Seeing that Zhu Jingchen remained unmoved, the Third Prince turned to Xu Heming and Li Zhiwei and pleaded with them.
