After the Crown Prince finished speaking, he turned to Xiao Yan:
“You and Princess Xiangning have endured hardships and faced life-and-death together. Last time, you asked me to grant your marriage, but it was delayed due to the many affairs in court.”
“Now that Father Emperor has awakened, it is only proper for him to issue the decree for your marriage, as it carries greater legitimacy. You must not blame me for taking the liberty to request Father Emperor’s edict on your behalf.”
Xiao Yan glanced at the Crown Prince’s hand resting on his shoulder. “Of course not.”
Seeing the familiarity between the Crown Prince and Xiao Yan, Emperor An’s expression darkened slightly. “You wish for Us to grant a marriage?”
Xiao Yan did not deny it. “Your subject admires Tangning and wishes to take her as my wife.”
“And is the young lady willing?”
“Your subject and Tangning share mutual affection.”
As if concerned about tarnishing Tangning’s reputation, Xiao Yan added, “I have long admired her, but because my father’s冤屈 (冤屈: injustice or grievance) remained unresolved, I did not dare speak of it. Originally, I intended to care for her as a brother for the rest of my life, but matters of the heart are difficult to control.”
“After the palace banquet, I made my feelings clear to her and proposed to Lady Rong. But if Your Majesty grants this marriage, your humble subject would be overjoyed.”
Emperor An gave Xiao Yan a deep look. “You hold that young lady in high regard.”
“I noticed before how you protected the Rong family’s daughter. So there was such a reason behind it. No wonder she cares so deeply for you, even daring to deceive the emperor for your sake.”
He made a jesting remark before continuing:
“Since you two share mutual affection, and the Rong family’s daughter is not unworthy of the position of Duchess of Dingguo, We shall grant your marriage and fulfill your love.”
Xiao Yan replied, “Tangning and I thank Your Majesty.”
Emperor An smiled. “Well, aren’t you all going to demand a wedding feast from him?”
The atmosphere in the hall lightened, and Cao Dejiang and others turned their heads.
“Congratulations, Duke of Dingguo.”
“Great joy to the Duke of Dingguo.”
“May you and Princess Xiangning grow old together and remain forever united.”
“Don’t forget to invite us for a cup of wedding wine.”
Listening to the blessings, some genuine and some feigned, Xiao Yan’s eyes softened with a smile, tempering the sharpness of his demeanor.
He paid no mind to what others thought. He accepted all blessings graciously, and the slight upward curve of his lips made it clear to everyone that he was in high spirits.
He truly cherished this imperial marriage decree and genuinely cared for Princess Xiangning.
Seeing this, everyone in the hall couldn’t help but regard the already renowned Princess Xiangning with even greater esteem.
After some lighthearted banter, Emperor An’s expression grew serious. “The matter of the marriage decree will be handled as I instruct. However, the affairs of the court are of greater urgency now.”
“We have been unconscious for some time. Physician Jiang says We still need to rest, but the matter of vindicating the He family and addressing the corruption in the southern regions cannot be delayed. This matter will be entrusted to Duke Cao and Grand Preceptor Liang. Those who were coerced, such as Prince Ji and He Cheng, must be dealt with strictly to punish the wicked and restore justice to the wrongfully deceased.”
“Your subjects obey the decree.”
“Furthermore, posthumously confer the title of Earl of Cheng’en upon Tao Zian, the former magistrate of Rongjiang County. His family shall be granted a thousand taels of gold and may inherit a county title upon entering the capital. Search for the relatives of the victims in Rongjiang. Those with surviving kin shall receive the same compensation as fallen soldiers. For those without kin, establish a communal tomb in Rongjiang and appoint caretakers to perform memorial rites to console the souls of the departed.”
Emperor An continued, “Our shame lies in failing Our ancestors and Our people. Once We have recovered, We will personally visit the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices and prayers to bring peace to the departed souls.”
The courtiers knelt in unison. “Your Majesty is wise.”
…
Emperor An, having just awakened, soon grew weary after speaking for a short while.
As the courtiers emerged from the Imperial Dragon Platform, they observed the Crown Prince’s somewhat pale expression, each harboring their own thoughts.
Emperor An had comforted Xiao Yan, posthumously honored old vassals, and addressed court matters, but aside from appointing Xiao Yan as the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor to guide the “impulsive and reckless” prince, he had not mentioned him once.
Court affairs were led by Liang Guangyi and Cao Dejiang, while military matters were handled by Xiao Yan and Marquis Wenxin. The Crown Prince, who should have governed in Emperor An’s stead, was treated as if invisible. Emperor An neither delegated tasks nor showed intent to rely on him, bypassing him entirely when issuing orders. This left the Crown Prince, who had been brimming with confidence just days ago, in an awkward position.
Liang Guangyi glanced at the Crown Prince and said to Xiao Yan, “Supervisor Xiao… no, it should be Duke of Dingguo now.”
“This old man thought the He family’s case would take longer to resolve, but I didn’t expect His Majesty to directly vindicate them. It seems the Crown Prince’s efforts on behalf of the He family these past days were in vain.”
“The Crown Prince has worked hard, but now that His Majesty has awakened, Your Highness can finally take some rest.”
The Crown Prince’s face darkened.
This old fool was mocking him, implying that his father’s awakening meant he had lost power?!
Xiao Yan’s expression remained calm. “The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, so naturally, he must work harder than others. Though His Majesty has awakened, his health remains frail. I’m afraid the Crown Prince cannot afford to rest.”
The Crown Prince’s anxious heart steadied, and he gained some confidence when facing Liang Guangyi.
Seizing the earlier slight, the Crown Prince showed no courtesy to Liang Guangyi. “The Duke of Dingguo is right. As the heir apparent, I must share my father’s burdens. Though the He family’s matter is settled, the court’s parasites remain. The matters of the Li and Fan families are still unresolved.”
“Grand Preceptor Liang vouched for them before, so I did not investigate thoroughly. But now that Father Emperor has entrusted you with great responsibility, you must carefully investigate those around you to avoid making a fool of yourself or allowing another treacherous and greedy clan like the Lu family to emerge.”
“Of course, if Grand Preceptor Liang is too busy to investigate, I can assist you.”
“…”
Recalling Cui Lin, whom he had just “redeemed,” and the people of the Li and Fan families, as well as the 800,000 gold painstakingly gathered for Xiao Yan, Liang Guangyi’s smile faltered.
Cao Dejiang, seeing Liang Guangyi’s face turn ashen, shook his head.
Hurting the enemy a thousand times while injuring oneself a thousand times, both sides were mired in their own messes. Who could claim the upper hand?
Why bother?
“Duke of Dingguo, since the He family’s case has been clarified and His Majesty has issued the decree to conclude it, there are still some points I don’t understand. We should discuss them with Grand Preceptor Liang,” Cao Dejiang said, smoothing things over.
Xiao Yan nodded. “The palace is not a suitable place. Let’s go to the Ministry of Justice.”
Cao Dejiang turned. “Grand Preceptor Liang?”
Liang Guangyi flung his sleeve harshly. “Let’s go!”
As Xiao Yan and the others left, the Crown Prince considered following but, seeing Liang Guangyi and Cao Dejiang, stopped himself. He planned to find another chance to meet Xiao Yan but couldn’t help muttering “old thing” at Liang Guangyi’s retreating figure.
Having witnessed the lively scene, the other veteran ministers outside the Imperial Dragon Platform sighed.
“The He family has truly risen. Even when He Qing was alive, he never attained the title of Duke. For Xiao Yan to achieve such fortune at such a young age, it’s truly…”
Someone shook their head as they spoke.
In the future, no one in the court would likely be able to suppress him.
Another person, more clear-headed, remarked, “Fortune? This was bought with the lives of the entire He family. Would you want it?”
The earlier speaker’s face darkened. “Don’t curse me with bad luck!”
As if he would trade his entire family’s lives for it!
===============
You can read ahead to chapterr 770 (100+ extra chapters) here
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