Chapter 152 - Marrying Two Beauties at a Time?
Shen Ninghua was not the only one who was shocked. Even Xiao Fengjue was also kept in the dark. Hearing Xiao Jingran’s words, the storm in his eyes was ready to explode. If this wasn’t Chengqian Palace, he would definitely take Xiao Huanxi’s life with one punch, so as to stop her from causing disasters to the entire Xiao family! Father was so stupid! Did he want to destroy the Xiao family for a daughter?
Baili Qingcang lowered his eyes lightly. The five-clawed golden dragon on his bright yellow robe shone majestically. The eyes of the dragon which were inlaid with luminous pearls seemed to project a ghostly light.
“General Xiao, you said that you found the evidence. Then present it for everyone to take a look.”
How could Xiao Jingran not know the risks of this move? But to save Xiao Huanxi, he had to make use of the Xiao family’s status again. For the sake of the Xiao family’s great contributions to Da’an, although the emperor would be angry, he would not pursue too far into his covering up for his daughter. Thinking about it, he took out an ink-colored token from his sleeve and presented it to the eunuch beside him.
“Your Majesty, this token was found at the periphery of the place where wolves had gathered in the incident. Someone must have accidentally left it behind.”
Bu Jinglan tightened his grip on the wine cup, and a trace of hostility appeared in his eyes. That was the token of the royal family of Great Yue Kingdom.
“Old General Xiao, what do you mean? Did you mean that our Great Yue Kingdom secretly planned this suburb hunting incident?”
Xiao Jingran turned around and looked coldly at Bu Jinglan. “Your Highness, I was just reporting to His Majesty truthfully. I did not mean anything else. If you are willing to guess like this, it’s up to you.”
Bu Jinglan frowned as he stared at Xiao Jingran. After a long while, he suddenly sneered. “When I was in the Great Yue Kingdom, I always heard that Patriarch Xiao was a wise and divinely powerful and is the guardian of Da’an. After seeing you with my own eyes today, you are really a man of great demeanor.”
He was the prince of the Great Yue Kingdom. Although he came from another country, he was a member of the royal family. Besides, he came as an envoy to Da’an. Even Baili Qingcang would show some respect to him, but Xiao Jingran dared to talk to him so bluntly. Wasn’t this a sign that the Xiao family was above the royal family?
Xiao Jingran felt that something was wrong after hearing Bu Jinglan’s words. However, he had always been respected, and because he was worried about Xiao Huanxi, he wasn’t in the mood to defend himself. In the eyes of everyone, this kind of behavior made him look even more arrogant and domineering.
Baili Qingcang’s expression was slightly cold, and his eyes were filled with emotions that no one could understand. “General Xiao, what can this token prove?”
“Your Majesty, this is a token of the royal family of the Great Yue Kingdom. It is said that only when assassins are mobilized will such a token be issued. This token alone is not enough to prove anything, but coincidentally, someone from a pharmacy delivered some Wanying pollen some time ago to the guesthouse where the Sixth Prince lived. I cannot help but become suspicious.”
Baili Qingcang narrowed his eyes and said, “Sending Wanying pollen to the guesthouse…Sixth Prince, have you bought any Wanying pollen?”
“Your Majesty, I bought some medicinal ingredients after I came to Da’an. Among those ingredients, there is a bag of Wanying pollen. However, this is all to be brought back to Great Yue. I also asked for your permission. Furthermore, those medicinal ingredients were all registered and have not been used yet.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jingran’s heart slowly relaxed. He had already secretly ordered someone to steal the Wanying pollen. Bu Jinglan had no way to avoid this basin of dirty water. “Since that’s the case, then let people investigate it. After that, we’ll know who is telling the truth.”
Bu Jinglan raised his head. The corners of his lips curled up faintly. Fortunately, he was prepared. Otherwise, he would have to take the blame for someone else. He stood up abruptly and swept his cold gaze over Xiao Jingran. “Your Majesty, I never thought that in Patriarch Xiao’s eyes, our Great Yue Kingdom can be easily bullied. It seems that my status as an insignificant prince is nothing. Since that’s the case, I won’t climb up the high branch of your country. I want to cancel my engagement!”
Xiao Jingran frowned. Bu Jinglan was taking advantage of this opportunity to launch an attack. He was simply pushing his luck!
Baili Qingcang’s eyes turned cold as he sternly berated Bu Jinglan.
“How can you take the serious issue of marriage so lightly? You personally wrote the marriage contract, and now you want to renege on it. Do you think Da’an can be bullied at will?” Baili Qingcang paid Bu Jinglan back with the same words.
Bu Jinglan raised his head. “Your Majesty, this hunting incident caused the deaths of many young masters and young ladies of aristocratic families. This made me uneasy. After I woke up, I immediately sent people to investigate what happened on the day of the hunting party. I had wanted to find an opportunity to report it to you, but I didn’t expect that before I could say anything, Patriarch Xiao would actually splash a basin of dirty water on me. Is he looking down on the Great Yue Kingdom? Then how can I marry a Da’an girl? In the future, if she gets slightly unhappy when living in the Great Yue Kingdom, will Patriarch Xiao personally lead troops to attack us?”
Xiao Jingran frowned and said angrily, “What do you mean, Sixth Prince? Why don’t I understand?”
Bu Jinglan laughed mockingly. “Patriarch Xiao doesn’t understand my words? Then I’ll explain them in detail. Someone, bring up all the medicinal ingredients I’ve purchased these days.”
Xiao Jingran’s heart suddenly trembled. Damn it, Bu Jinglan was prepared.
Bu Jinglan’s guards carried three boxes into the hall. Bu Jinglan opened the boxes one by one. “Your Majesty, all the medicinal ingredients I bought are in these boxes. The name and quantity of each type are all recorded in the booklet. Here is the booklet for registration. You can send someone to check it. I bought a total of 375 grams of Wanying pollen and it’s all here in the box!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a buzzing discussion sounded in the hall. Xiao Jingran had expressed his suspicion of Bu Jinglan righteously, but a moment later, he was slapped in the face by Bu Jinglan with the truth. This time, he suffered a big loss of face.
Chu Junyi clenched his fists on his seat. His handsome face was so tense that there was not a trace of expression on his face. Anger surged in his heart: it was ok for Xiao Jingran to make a decision by himself, but the trouble was that he failed to manage things thoroughly and left a loophole for Bu Jinglan to take advantage of and turn the table, landing Da’an in a disadvantageous situation.
Baili Qingcang’s expression was cold as he instructed a eunuch to carefully check the medicinal ingredients. For a moment, the hall became completely silent.
Bu Jinglan stood there with a confident smile on his face.
After more than fifteen minutes, the eunuch reported with trepidation, “Your Majesty, the amounts of all the ingredients are consistent with the records.”
Baili Qingcang abruptly gritted his teeth, which made a fit of rustling sound. “Looks like there’s a misunderstanding about this matter. Since nothing is wrong with the medicinal ingredients, then…”
Bu Jinglan took a step forward and said, “Your Majesty, I really want to know why Patriarch Xiao had the token of Great Yue’s royal family and solemnly testified that I purchased Wanying pollen?”
Xiao Jingran’s expression was sullen. “I was just suspecting. You are too sensitive, Sixth Prince.”
‘”Heh, you splashed dirty water over my head. There’s no way for me not to be sensitive. Your Majesty, I can let go of this matter, but I really can’t feel at ease. I really don’t feel that I’m worthy of marrying a Da’an girl. Let’s call off my engagement with Second Miss Shen.”
Anyone with discerning eyes could see what the situation was like. If the matter was pursued further, Da’an would be the one to lose face in the end. Therefore, no one could criticize Bu Jinglan for taking advantage of this to cancel the engagement.
The aura of Baili Qingcang was so chilly that all the officials lowered their heads and didn’t dare to look directly at him as he said, “Since that’s the case…”
“Your Majesty,” Empress Zhao Huiying suddenly said, and her clear voice broke the silence in the hall. “May I have a word?”
Baili Qingcang nodded. “Say it.”
Zhao Huiying turned her head to look at Bu Jinglan, and her slightly knitted brows carried a dignified aura. “Sixth Prince, His Majesty has already sent an official document to your father to finalize your engagement. If you want to cancel it, you need to ask for your father’s agreement. You are not qualified to cancel it on your own.”
Bu Jinglan’s heart skipped a beat. The smile on his lips deepened a bit. He didn’t buy it. “Your Majesty, my father said earlier that my marriage could be decided by myself.”
“Even so, marriage is not a child’s play. You can easily talk about cancelling the engagement, but for Second Miss Shen, it’s a big matter that will ruin her reputation!”
So the empress disagreed with his cancellation of the engagement? If she did not agree, she would need to find a way to achieve the best for both sides. What did she plan to do?
Bu Jinglan’s gaze swept past Shen Ninghua, who was silent at the side, and a light flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he said, “Your Majesty, what you said is reasonable. How should we handle this matter in your opinion?”
Zhao Huiying turned to look at Shen Ninghua. Her expression relaxed a lot. Her watery eyes were filled with warmth, but her words were hard as nails.
“Ninghua, Linghan is your younger sister. As an elder sister, you are supposed to protect her reputation. Besides, you also understand her situation. It’s indeed inappropriate for her to be a princess.”
Shen Ninghua sat beside Zhao Huiying with her eyes slightly lowered so that nobody could see her dark eyes that were filled with coldness. Shen Linghan was not suitable for the position of a princess, so who was suitable? Needless to say, it was her, Shen Ninghua!
Zhao Huiying continued. “It’s been a while since your fifteenth birthday ceremony. His Majesty loves you and hasn’t chosen a husband for you. In my opinion, the Sixth Prince has both ability and virtue, and his status is extremely suitable. You and he will make a good marriage. As for your sister, Shen Linghan, since they were already engaged and there was no going back on his words, she can be a concubine of the Sixth Prince. You two sisters will get along. In this way, the good relationship between our two countries is secured and your sister’s reputation is also protected. Are you willing?”
She would be willing only if she was stupid! Two sisters married one man. The empress really knew how to daydream!
Hearing Zhao Huiying’s words, Chu Junyi restrained the anger in his heart with all his might. In order to protect Shen Linghan’s reputation, she wanted Ninghua to marry Bu Jinglan. This was truly ridiculous! His sharp gaze swept across Bu Jinglan like a bone scraping knife, and a red light flashed in his eyes: This guy wanted to marry two beauties at a time! Was he sure he had such blessing?
Everyone’s gaze was focused on Shen Ninghua, waiting to hear her answer.
Shen Ninghua raised her eyes. Her expression was cold and calm, making people unable to tell whether she was happy or unhappy. Her gaze was unfathomable. Her gorgeous face became even more dazzling against the red dress and gave her a trace of dignity and solemnity.
“Your Majesty, have you forgotten something?”
The empress’s words were a combination of carrot and stick. Her plan was good, but she targeted the wrong person. She, Shen Ninghua, would never allow anyone to interfere with her marriage!
Baili Qingcang lowered his eyes lightly. The five-clawed golden dragon on his bright yellow robe shone majestically. The eyes of the dragon which were inlaid with luminous pearls seemed to project a ghostly light.
“General Xiao, you said that you found the evidence. Then present it for everyone to take a look.”
How could Xiao Jingran not know the risks of this move? But to save Xiao Huanxi, he had to make use of the Xiao family’s status again. For the sake of the Xiao family’s great contributions to Da’an, although the emperor would be angry, he would not pursue too far into his covering up for his daughter. Thinking about it, he took out an ink-colored token from his sleeve and presented it to the eunuch beside him.
“Your Majesty, this token was found at the periphery of the place where wolves had gathered in the incident. Someone must have accidentally left it behind.”
Bu Jinglan tightened his grip on the wine cup, and a trace of hostility appeared in his eyes. That was the token of the royal family of Great Yue Kingdom.
“Old General Xiao, what do you mean? Did you mean that our Great Yue Kingdom secretly planned this suburb hunting incident?”
Xiao Jingran turned around and looked coldly at Bu Jinglan. “Your Highness, I was just reporting to His Majesty truthfully. I did not mean anything else. If you are willing to guess like this, it’s up to you.”
Bu Jinglan frowned as he stared at Xiao Jingran. After a long while, he suddenly sneered. “When I was in the Great Yue Kingdom, I always heard that Patriarch Xiao was a wise and divinely powerful and is the guardian of Da’an. After seeing you with my own eyes today, you are really a man of great demeanor.”
He was the prince of the Great Yue Kingdom. Although he came from another country, he was a member of the royal family. Besides, he came as an envoy to Da’an. Even Baili Qingcang would show some respect to him, but Xiao Jingran dared to talk to him so bluntly. Wasn’t this a sign that the Xiao family was above the royal family?
Xiao Jingran felt that something was wrong after hearing Bu Jinglan’s words. However, he had always been respected, and because he was worried about Xiao Huanxi, he wasn’t in the mood to defend himself. In the eyes of everyone, this kind of behavior made him look even more arrogant and domineering.
Baili Qingcang’s expression was slightly cold, and his eyes were filled with emotions that no one could understand. “General Xiao, what can this token prove?”
“Your Majesty, this is a token of the royal family of the Great Yue Kingdom. It is said that only when assassins are mobilized will such a token be issued. This token alone is not enough to prove anything, but coincidentally, someone from a pharmacy delivered some Wanying pollen some time ago to the guesthouse where the Sixth Prince lived. I cannot help but become suspicious.”
Baili Qingcang narrowed his eyes and said, “Sending Wanying pollen to the guesthouse…Sixth Prince, have you bought any Wanying pollen?”
“Your Majesty, I bought some medicinal ingredients after I came to Da’an. Among those ingredients, there is a bag of Wanying pollen. However, this is all to be brought back to Great Yue. I also asked for your permission. Furthermore, those medicinal ingredients were all registered and have not been used yet.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jingran’s heart slowly relaxed. He had already secretly ordered someone to steal the Wanying pollen. Bu Jinglan had no way to avoid this basin of dirty water. “Since that’s the case, then let people investigate it. After that, we’ll know who is telling the truth.”
Bu Jinglan raised his head. The corners of his lips curled up faintly. Fortunately, he was prepared. Otherwise, he would have to take the blame for someone else. He stood up abruptly and swept his cold gaze over Xiao Jingran. “Your Majesty, I never thought that in Patriarch Xiao’s eyes, our Great Yue Kingdom can be easily bullied. It seems that my status as an insignificant prince is nothing. Since that’s the case, I won’t climb up the high branch of your country. I want to cancel my engagement!”
Xiao Jingran frowned. Bu Jinglan was taking advantage of this opportunity to launch an attack. He was simply pushing his luck!
Baili Qingcang’s eyes turned cold as he sternly berated Bu Jinglan.
“How can you take the serious issue of marriage so lightly? You personally wrote the marriage contract, and now you want to renege on it. Do you think Da’an can be bullied at will?” Baili Qingcang paid Bu Jinglan back with the same words.
Bu Jinglan raised his head. “Your Majesty, this hunting incident caused the deaths of many young masters and young ladies of aristocratic families. This made me uneasy. After I woke up, I immediately sent people to investigate what happened on the day of the hunting party. I had wanted to find an opportunity to report it to you, but I didn’t expect that before I could say anything, Patriarch Xiao would actually splash a basin of dirty water on me. Is he looking down on the Great Yue Kingdom? Then how can I marry a Da’an girl? In the future, if she gets slightly unhappy when living in the Great Yue Kingdom, will Patriarch Xiao personally lead troops to attack us?”
Xiao Jingran frowned and said angrily, “What do you mean, Sixth Prince? Why don’t I understand?”
Bu Jinglan laughed mockingly. “Patriarch Xiao doesn’t understand my words? Then I’ll explain them in detail. Someone, bring up all the medicinal ingredients I’ve purchased these days.”
Xiao Jingran’s heart suddenly trembled. Damn it, Bu Jinglan was prepared.
Bu Jinglan’s guards carried three boxes into the hall. Bu Jinglan opened the boxes one by one. “Your Majesty, all the medicinal ingredients I bought are in these boxes. The name and quantity of each type are all recorded in the booklet. Here is the booklet for registration. You can send someone to check it. I bought a total of 375 grams of Wanying pollen and it’s all here in the box!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a buzzing discussion sounded in the hall. Xiao Jingran had expressed his suspicion of Bu Jinglan righteously, but a moment later, he was slapped in the face by Bu Jinglan with the truth. This time, he suffered a big loss of face.
Chu Junyi clenched his fists on his seat. His handsome face was so tense that there was not a trace of expression on his face. Anger surged in his heart: it was ok for Xiao Jingran to make a decision by himself, but the trouble was that he failed to manage things thoroughly and left a loophole for Bu Jinglan to take advantage of and turn the table, landing Da’an in a disadvantageous situation.
Baili Qingcang’s expression was cold as he instructed a eunuch to carefully check the medicinal ingredients. For a moment, the hall became completely silent.
Bu Jinglan stood there with a confident smile on his face.
After more than fifteen minutes, the eunuch reported with trepidation, “Your Majesty, the amounts of all the ingredients are consistent with the records.”
Baili Qingcang abruptly gritted his teeth, which made a fit of rustling sound. “Looks like there’s a misunderstanding about this matter. Since nothing is wrong with the medicinal ingredients, then…”
Bu Jinglan took a step forward and said, “Your Majesty, I really want to know why Patriarch Xiao had the token of Great Yue’s royal family and solemnly testified that I purchased Wanying pollen?”
Xiao Jingran’s expression was sullen. “I was just suspecting. You are too sensitive, Sixth Prince.”
‘”Heh, you splashed dirty water over my head. There’s no way for me not to be sensitive. Your Majesty, I can let go of this matter, but I really can’t feel at ease. I really don’t feel that I’m worthy of marrying a Da’an girl. Let’s call off my engagement with Second Miss Shen.”
Anyone with discerning eyes could see what the situation was like. If the matter was pursued further, Da’an would be the one to lose face in the end. Therefore, no one could criticize Bu Jinglan for taking advantage of this to cancel the engagement.
The aura of Baili Qingcang was so chilly that all the officials lowered their heads and didn’t dare to look directly at him as he said, “Since that’s the case…”
“Your Majesty,” Empress Zhao Huiying suddenly said, and her clear voice broke the silence in the hall. “May I have a word?”
Baili Qingcang nodded. “Say it.”
Zhao Huiying turned her head to look at Bu Jinglan, and her slightly knitted brows carried a dignified aura. “Sixth Prince, His Majesty has already sent an official document to your father to finalize your engagement. If you want to cancel it, you need to ask for your father’s agreement. You are not qualified to cancel it on your own.”
Bu Jinglan’s heart skipped a beat. The smile on his lips deepened a bit. He didn’t buy it. “Your Majesty, my father said earlier that my marriage could be decided by myself.”
“Even so, marriage is not a child’s play. You can easily talk about cancelling the engagement, but for Second Miss Shen, it’s a big matter that will ruin her reputation!”
So the empress disagreed with his cancellation of the engagement? If she did not agree, she would need to find a way to achieve the best for both sides. What did she plan to do?
Bu Jinglan’s gaze swept past Shen Ninghua, who was silent at the side, and a light flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he said, “Your Majesty, what you said is reasonable. How should we handle this matter in your opinion?”
Zhao Huiying turned to look at Shen Ninghua. Her expression relaxed a lot. Her watery eyes were filled with warmth, but her words were hard as nails.
“Ninghua, Linghan is your younger sister. As an elder sister, you are supposed to protect her reputation. Besides, you also understand her situation. It’s indeed inappropriate for her to be a princess.”
Shen Ninghua sat beside Zhao Huiying with her eyes slightly lowered so that nobody could see her dark eyes that were filled with coldness. Shen Linghan was not suitable for the position of a princess, so who was suitable? Needless to say, it was her, Shen Ninghua!
Zhao Huiying continued. “It’s been a while since your fifteenth birthday ceremony. His Majesty loves you and hasn’t chosen a husband for you. In my opinion, the Sixth Prince has both ability and virtue, and his status is extremely suitable. You and he will make a good marriage. As for your sister, Shen Linghan, since they were already engaged and there was no going back on his words, she can be a concubine of the Sixth Prince. You two sisters will get along. In this way, the good relationship between our two countries is secured and your sister’s reputation is also protected. Are you willing?”
She would be willing only if she was stupid! Two sisters married one man. The empress really knew how to daydream!
Hearing Zhao Huiying’s words, Chu Junyi restrained the anger in his heart with all his might. In order to protect Shen Linghan’s reputation, she wanted Ninghua to marry Bu Jinglan. This was truly ridiculous! His sharp gaze swept across Bu Jinglan like a bone scraping knife, and a red light flashed in his eyes: This guy wanted to marry two beauties at a time! Was he sure he had such blessing?
Everyone’s gaze was focused on Shen Ninghua, waiting to hear her answer.
Shen Ninghua raised her eyes. Her expression was cold and calm, making people unable to tell whether she was happy or unhappy. Her gaze was unfathomable. Her gorgeous face became even more dazzling against the red dress and gave her a trace of dignity and solemnity.
“Your Majesty, have you forgotten something?”
The empress’s words were a combination of carrot and stick. Her plan was good, but she targeted the wrong person. She, Shen Ninghua, would never allow anyone to interfere with her marriage!
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