coobybook Chapter 71 Her Intrigue
Chapter 71 Her Intrigue
Inside the Yongchun Palace of the Imperial Palace, incense was burning on a table.
Inside the palace, two people sat facing each other.
The man in the middle sat upright, wearing a brocade robe, with eyes as clear as water.
He placed a white piece on the chessboard and looked at the cold-faced Imperial Concubine opposite him.
"Does Mother mean that Marquis Zhenyuan will not be kept?"
Opposite her, the Imperial Noble Consort, dressed in a golden embroidered pomegranate skirt, opened her half-closed eyes, revealing a fierce glint in them.
"I knew that the Prince of Liang had let the Marquis of Zhenyuan go in Linlangfang."
She picked up a black piece and placed it on the chessboard, saying coldly, "He cannot be kept."
“Liu’s family is backed by the Duke’s Mansion. As long as the Marquis of Zhenyuan dies, she will be in charge of the entire Marquis of Zhenyuan’s Mansion.”
“As long as she is pregnant now, the child in her womb will still be able to inherit the title in the future.”
Gu Yuan's eyes changed slightly as he looked at the Imperial Noble Consort's face.
"Mother was right to think things through. She removed the father and kept the son to inherit the title."
The Imperial Noble Consort put down the chess piece in her hand and took a sip of tea.
"I didn't expect Jiang Zhi to be so capable. Originally, I wanted you to marry her, but I didn't expect her to become the Princess of Liang."
"Although you are His Majesty's favorite, your real power cannot surpass that of the Prince of Liang. Half of the military power of Great Yan is in the hands of the Prince of Liang. How will you fight against him in the future?"
Gu Yuan put down his teacup, a sarcastic expression on his face.
"Mother, I do not like her. As for my elder brother..."
"Mother, don't worry, the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet is coming soon."
“I have long wanted to ask Bailu Academy for a group of students who are good at calligraphy and painting, so that they can demonstrate their skills on the spot.”
The Imperial Noble Consort looked puzzled.
Gu Yuan smiled and calmly stated her plans.
"At that time, I will put those collections of poems and paintings on sale in major bookstores. In this way, the filial piety of the grandson and the charity of the imperial grandmother will be widely known throughout the world."
How could he possibly gain fame for his hard-earned position of supervisory officer only in the eyes of his grandmother?
The Imperial Noble Consort smiled faintly, "You are indeed clever. Then why not have all the court officials compose poems to congratulate you, instead of choosing those scholars who have not yet made their mark?"
Gu Yuan said calmly, "Those officials write the same old clichés every year. Even the Empress Dowager is tired of them. I want to give those students a chance to see the Emperor. That way, they will remember our kindness."
Few who did not hold official positions had the opportunity to meet the emperor, let alone the empress dowager. Even those who did hold official positions but did not participate in the palace examination and could not stay in the capital would rarely see the emperor's face in their entire lives.
His decision to make an exception this time will leave a mark on the young students, and when they embark on their official careers in the future, they will naturally become his advisors.
The Imperial Noble Consort smiled and said, "Since you have already made up your mind, your uncle will naturally help you with the matter of asking for students."
As soon as the Imperial Noble Consort finished speaking, a flash of coldness crossed his eyes.
He looked at the Imperial Noble Consort and said softly, "Your subject understands."
"It is getting late, so I will not disturb Mother's rest any longer."
After Gu Yuan left, the old nanny behind the Imperial Noble Consort came out.
“Your Majesty, this second young lady of the Jiang family, Jiang Luan, is also a member of the Jiang family.”
"She is the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, and now Prince Jing also likes her. Why does Your Majesty object?"
The Imperial Noble Consort lowered her gaze and set down her teacup. "The legitimate daughter? Hmph..."
"She's not the legitimate daughter; her status is not worthy of my attention..."
The old woman's expression froze, somewhat surprised.
"What do you mean, empress?"
The Imperial Noble Consort said, "What I wanted was for Lu Pingsheng to lend Yuan'er a hand, but I didn't expect Jiang Zhi to appear out of nowhere."
"Moreover, Jiang Luan is currently engaged to Pei Shangdao of the Guangde Marquis's mansion, and is also with Yuan'er."
"If this gets out, it will probably damage Yuan'er's reputation."
"How could I tolerate such a thing happening?"
“But Yuan’er isn’t stupid either; he has his own plans.”
The old woman then said, "General Lu also has a daughter, why not?"
The Imperial Noble Consort said with a disdainful look, "His daughter is not his biological daughter, and she has nothing special about her. No matter how you look at it, she is not the best choice."
"The Princess Consort of Liang?" She sneered. "I'd like to see just what she's capable of, that she could actually get the Prince of Liang to request that she marry him. Go and make the arrangements."
"Yes, ma'am."
Moonlight cast shadows across the ground as the man lifted his robes and stepped down from the carriage.
The guard Xiao Feng rushed over and told him what had happened at the Jiang residence.
He strode into the mansion and said coldly, "Since the Duke's mansion has already stepped in to resolve this, I don't need to get involved."
"Let Lady Liu do as Mother Consort wishes."
"Just a pawn, being used as a sacrifice is their honor." Gu Yuan's eyes were cold and piercing.
"I truly cannot win over the heart of the Marquis of Zhenyuan."
He took two steps forward, paused slightly, and looked back at Xiao Feng.
"How is Marquis Zhongjing?"
"Did you sense anything from the great gift I gave you?"
Xiao Feng said, "He probably won't dare to make any rash moves."
"I risked my life to plant someone at my aunt's spring banquet so that he would know that if he dared to disobey me, his family would suffer the consequences."
"Besides, he's no good either."
His thought was that rather than being schemed against, he would rather scheme against others.
“Now that you’re on board, don’t even think about getting off. Go tell him not to forget what you asked him to prepare.”
Xiao Feng took his leave and left, just as Wen Xiangyu entered. "Did you forget something?"
“Uncle,” Gu Yuan stood up to greet him, “Uncle did not attend court today.”
"There is nothing amiss in the court," the Prime Minister said.
Gu Yuan accompanied him to sit down by the window. "Uncle, you've come at the right time. I have something to discuss with you."
"what's up?"
"How did it go last time when Zilan asked her uncle to find out what the Prince Consort Qin Qi was thinking?"
Wen Xiangyu frowned slightly, "Qin Qi is lazy and has nothing special about him."
Gu Yuan smiled, "Uncle, you've misunderstood. Your imperial aunt is four years older than Qin Qi and has caused the deaths of four husbands. Why did Qin Qi give up his official post to marry her? Wasn't it just for the comfort and pleasure he'd enjoy over the years?"
"If he truly has no unique qualities, how could he be worthy of the title of the most handsome third-ranked scholar?"
"Moreover, he teaches at Bailu Academy, one of the three great academies, and his courses are in calligraphy and painting. He is also the teacher and student of the dean of Bailu Academy."
“He often presents paintings and calligraphy to the palace. As long as we say that he can get recognition by hosting this birthday banquet, he will run faster than a dog.”
Wen Xiangyu cast an admiring glance at him, "I didn't expect my nephew to think so far ahead."
"Uncle is ashamed; I never expected to have such an intention."
"Uncle, you're too kind. It's just that you've been trying to teach Zilan all along," Gu Yuan said.
After a moment of deep thought, Wen Xiangyu said, "Then I'll ask him to meet again in a couple of days."
"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle."