Chapter 204

Chapter 204: Sincere Admiration

Qi Shu Xian felt absolutely certain.

However, Sheng Zhi Wan did not come to beg him. The next day, while he was on duty, he heard that two major things had happened at court.

The first was that Chief Minister Liu Ru Gao had been impeached for nepotism and for letting his wife’s younger brother run wild. Liu Ru Gao was demoted two ranks and banished to the Ministry of Works as a Vice Minister – the kind of post with the least grease to skim.

The second was that Northern Di Fourth Prince Lu Chuo, who had been stuck in capital city because of the cold disaster in Mo Bei, actually requested an audience in open court early that morning. Lu Chuo asked Emperor Chong Sheng to grant him Princess Qing Ning as his consort.

Qi Shu Xian could not believe it.

How could Lu Chuo ask to marry Sheng Zhi Wan? Sheng Zhi Wan was a divorced woman, while Lu Chuo was a Prince of Northern Di. Even if Lu Chuo was out of favor, he still should not have asked for a woman who had already remarried once.

Unless-

Unless it was because Sheng Zhi Wan had saved Lu Chuo. After he learned that no one was willing to marry Sheng Zhi Wan, he came up with this way to help her out. And even if Sheng Zhi Wan married again, she was still a Princess of Sheng Kingdom. Lu Chuo probably thought Sheng Zhi Wan could bring him Sheng Kingdom’s support.

Yes. It had to be that.

Qi Shu Xian thought he had seen through Lu Chuo’s true intentions.

But Sheng Zhi Wan was so jealous that she could not even accept him taking a single concubine. How could Sheng Zhi Wan possibly agree to marry far away to Northern Di and become someone else’s concubine?

On top of that, with Lu Chuo’s body, no one even knew whether Lu Chuo could stay alive long enough to leave Sheng Kingdom.

Sheng Zhi Wan had to be regretting it to death. Sheng Zhi Wan had to be terrified.

Qi Shu Xian did not know what Emperor Chong Sheng was thinking, so Qi Shu Xian immediately asked for leave and went to the Third Prince’s residence.

But the Third Prince was in the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Chong Sheng’s face stayed dark.

He had not rejected Lu Chuo in the Imperial Court because he could not think of a reason on the spot. But letting Qing Ning marry far away to Northern Di was absolutely impossible.

Qing Ning’s very existence was a threat. Emperor Chong Sheng would never send that threat into Northern Di’s hands. If her identity was exposed one day, and those people found her, and Northern Di tried to use it to do something…

No. Absolutely not.

Emperor Chong Sheng’s expression shifted again and again.

Sheng Yuan Hao did not understand. Sheng Yuan Hao asked, “Imperial Father, why did you not agree to Prince Lu Chuo?”

The court officials did not know, but Sheng Yuan Hao did. Besides asking for marriage in court, Lu Chuo had privately promised many benefits to Imperial Father.

Lu Chuo was a sickly Prince, yet Lu Chuo had offered three thousand warhorses. Lu Chuo had even said he would hand over the horse-training methods of the Northern Di imperial clan.

That truly shocked Sheng Yuan Hao.

Sheng Kingdom’s cavalry had always been weak. With those three thousand warhorses, Sheng Kingdom could slowly breed and raise more fine steeds. And with the Northern Di imperial clan’s training methods, Sheng Kingdom’s fighting strength might rise by a huge margin.

Yet even those benefits had not moved Imperial Father.

What was Imperial Father worried about?

Did Imperial Father feel sorry for Qing Ning?

Sheng Yuan Hao did not believe it.

Emperor Chong Sheng only glanced at Sheng Yuan Hao and said, “Drop this matter. If Lu Chuo insists on seeking marriage, tell Lu Chuo that the Empress Dowager has already chosen a Prince Consort candidate for Qing Ning.”

“…Yes.” Sheng Yuan Hao’s eyes flickered slightly. Sheng Yuan Hao sensed that Imperial Father did not want to say more, so Sheng Yuan Hao did not ask again.

Emperor Chong Sheng waved a hand, and Sheng Yuan Hao was about to rise and leave. But at that moment, Su De Yun entered with a strange expression.

Su De Yun reported, “Your Majesty, the second Young Master of the Fengguo General’s residence, Shang Xing Yu, is kneeling outside and asking to see you.”

Emperor Chong Sheng froze.

Sheng Yuan Hao raised an eyebrow. Shang Xing Yu? Oh, that flashy dandy who had shown off at the Drill Ground last time. Why was Shang Xing Yu here?

Emperor Chong Sheng rubbed his forehead. Emperor Chong Sheng said, “Go ask what it is. If it is nothing important, send Shang Xing Yu away.”

Su De Yun looked like his teeth hurt. Su De Yun said, “Your Majesty, Shang Xing Yu said Shang Xing Yu wanted to be a Prince Consort. Shang Xing Yu said Shang Xing Yu wanted to marry into Princess Qing Ning’s residence.”

Emperor Chong Sheng and Sheng Yuan Hao both fell silent.

Shang Xing Yu? A dandy who wanted to be a Prince Consort?

Even if Qing Ning could not find the best choice, Qing Ning would never pick a man who spent his days chasing women and drinking. Even if Emperor Chong Sheng agreed, Empress Dowager would never agree.

Just thinking of Shang Xing Yu’s scandals gave Emperor Chong Sheng a headache.

After the Drill Ground, Emperor Chong Sheng had once considered using Shang Xing Yu. But after he investigated, and after even Shang Tian Hao admitted how outrageous his own son was, Emperor Chong Sheng dropped the idea.

Emperor Chong Sheng was about to have Su De Yun dismiss the man.

But Su De Yun continued, “Young Master Shang Er also said that if Your Majesty refused to see Shang Xing Yu, Your Majesty would definitely regret losing Shang Xing Yu, the best possible Prince Consort…”

Sheng Yuan Hao coughed and could not hold back a laugh.

What was this? Where did a dandy get that kind of confidence?

Still, Sheng Yuan Hao really was curious how Shang Xing Yu dared to say something like that. Was it because of that little cleverness at the Drill Ground?

Emperor Chong Sheng clearly thought the same. Emperor Chong Sheng was ready to scold and send Shang Xing Yu away, but then Emperor Chong Sheng thought of Lu Chuo.

Emperor Chong Sheng changed tone and said, “Then let Shang Xing Yu come in. Tell Shang Xing Yu that if Shang Xing Yu cannot convince Us, We will punish Shang Xing Yu severely.”

“Yes!” Su De Yun bowed and left.

Sheng Yuan Hao had meant to excuse himself, but out of curiosity, Sheng Yuan Hao stayed.

Shang Xing Yu followed Su De Yun inside. The moment Shang Xing Yu saw Emperor Chong Sheng, Shang Xing Yu performed a proper salute.

Three kneels. Nine prostrations. Shang Xing Yu’s expression stayed solemn.

Each time Shang Xing Yu knocked his head to the ground, the sound made Emperor Chong Sheng’s scalp ache.

Emperor Chong Sheng had not cared at first, but for some reason, Shang Xing Yu’s seriousness made Emperor Chong Sheng take Shang Xing Yu seriously too.

After the final prostration, Shang Xing Yu said, “Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!”

Emperor Chong Sheng nodded. Emperor Chong Sheng said, “Enough. Get up. You said you wanted to be a Prince Consort and marry the Princess?”

Shang Xing Yu immediately replied, “In response to Your Majesty, yes!”

Without waiting for Emperor Chong Sheng to speak again, Shang Xing Yu added, “I heard that Prince Lu Chuo actually asked to marry Princess Qing Ning, so I came here!”

Sheng Yuan Hao said, “Oh? Lu Chuo is a Prince of Northern Di. Why could Lu Chuo not seek marriage with Princess Qing Ning? No matter how you look at it, Lu Chuo is still better than you.”

Shang Xing Yu said, “But Lu Chuo did not like Princess Qing Ning. I truly admired Princess Qing Ning!”

Shang Xing Yu continued, “Your Majesty loved the Princess so much. Your Majesty surely could not bear to send the Princess far away, so Your Majesty did not agree to Prince Lu Chuo in court!”

Shang Xing Yu said, “Your Majesty considered the Princess in everything. Your Majesty was a true loving father. I came today to prove my feelings for Princess Qing Ning!”

As Shang Xing Yu spoke, Shang Xing Yu did not care about Emperor Chong Sheng and Sheng Yuan Hao’s expressions. Like an impatient boy, Shang Xing Yu took out a box and handed it to Su De Yun.

Shang Xing Yu said, “Your Majesty, this is the token of Qin Trading House that Mother left for me. I was willing to use it to ask Your Majesty to grant me to Princess Qing Ning as Prince Consort.”

Qin Trading House?

Emperor Chong Sheng thought about it, but Emperor Chong Sheng did not touch what Su De Yun brought forward.

Shang Tian Hao’s deceased first wife seemed to have been a daughter of the Merchant Qin Family. Emperor Chong Sheng had some vague memory of Qin Trading House, but not much.

The Qin Family was gone. With a dandy like Shang Xing Yu, how much could Qin Trading House possibly have left?

Emperor Chong Sheng could not even be bothered to look. Emperor Chong Sheng asked casually, “Oh? A few shops?”

“There were a few shops,” Shang Xing Yu admitted, “but the main thing was not the shops.”

Emperor Chong Sheng asked, “Then what was it?”

Emperor Chong Sheng guessed it was just some remaining silver.

Sure enough, Shang Xing Yu said, “It was silver. After Maternal Grandfather died, Maternal Grandfather feared Mother, as a woman, would struggle to manage the business. So Maternal Grandfather sold eight or nine tenths of the shops and farmland and converted it all into silver at Yu Kang Bank.”