Chapter 16：

—As long as it is not the Fourth Miss of the Ming family, or any other woman, I can try my best for you.

This sentence echoed in Shen Yu's ears, the words were clear, but when connected together, people couldn't understand: "Why, why?"

His head was in a daze, and he couldn't get back to his senses for a long time: "My lord, why can't I be the fourth young lady of the Ming family? Is it because of her family status?"

Jiang Xu looked directly at him, his eyes were very calm: "I don't need subordinates who are bound by their children's affair all day long."

...?

Why are you confined to your children's affair all day long?

"You can lie to me just because you want to see her. How does this king know that in time, you won't draw your sword to me because of her."

Shen Yu was stunned for a moment, did the prince know that he went to Lingmiao Temple to meet cousin Tan?

It was his fault to lie about this matter, but what could Cousin Tan do that required him to draw his sword to the prince?

He wanted to explain something, but Jiang Xu had lowered his eyes, and said without emotion: "Go out."

"Subordinates—"

"Little General Shen, please." The dark guard quietly came out from nowhere, and stopped Shen Yu with his scabbard from going forward to explain.

When Shen Yu returned to Jing'an Hou Mansion, it was past dinner time. Shen Hua specially made some snacks and came to look for him. Seeing him practicing martial arts in the yard, the corners of his eyes were red, she understood a little.

"elder brother."

Shen Yu glanced at her, and left half of the move, turned around to draw the sword, and walked to the pavilion with a little panting: "Ah Hua, why are you here?"

Shen Hua opened the food box, and said softly: "I heard from the girl, today you met Mingchu in the East Garden."

Shen Yu nodded and sat down.

Shen Hua also took a seat: "Did she, tell you to do something?"

Shen Yu thought for a while: "It doesn't count."

Shen Hua wanted to tell the truth, but it is clear that this person is domineering and perverted, and his thoughts are not pure and kind, so don't talk to him too much in the future. But seeing her brother's expression, he didn't care to listen to her right now.

So she started another topic and said: "A few days ago, I heard by chance that the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty have both summoned Lord Hou into the palace to talk. It seems that they intend to marry the Hou family."

"Where did you hear that?" Shen Yu was stunned.

Shen Hua avoided answering, and only said: "Brother, don't please Ming Tan."

Shen Yu stood up suddenly: "Why doesn't one or two make me happy with her, I—"

"Brother!" Shen Hua stood up and interrupted, "Is this hard to understand?"

Shen Yu's eyes were red with anger, don't look away from her.

"You don't have the same temperament as Ming Tan. You have only met her a few times, but you are just pleasing to the eye. I have lived with her in the same house for half a year. You can't control her temper and mind at all. You should marry a virtuous woman. Your wife set up the Shen family's door for you in the future, she didn't marry an ancestor who can only spend money and go home to make offerings!

"Also, although I don't know much about government affairs, I have also felt in recent days that Ming Tan's marriage may not even be decided by Mrs. Hou Ye. As a general, don’t you notice it? If you are in love with each other, you can fight for it, but they have made it clear that they have no intention of you, so why do you rush to find it?

"This Shangjing family is a bloodless battlefield. Just because you and I live in the Jing'an Hou Mansion, you can't and shouldn't have any thoughts on Miss Ming's family. Take a step back, you married Ming Tan smoothly, But have you ever thought about how Ming Tan and I will be criticized behind our backs?"

She imitated: "The two brothers and sisters live in the Hou's mansion, obviously with impure motives and desire to cling to them. The elder brother married the prostitute of the Hou's mansion, and the younger sister is definitely not a good thing. Qing is waiting to climb the dragon and the phoenix!

"Marrying a distant cousin who lives in my family's mansion, maybe she has secretly done something scandalous with the money song. Didn't the ex-fiancé of this young lady of the Ming family have an affair with her cousin? Shameless!"

Shen Yu's mind went blank.

He turned his head to stare at Shen Hua, dazed.

Shen Hua slowed down, and her voice also softened a lot: "Brother, Ah Hua is doing it for your own good. Love in this world is nothing but vain, not to mention this illusory, originally just your wishful thinking.

"I just hope you still remember what daddy said, revive the Shen family as soon as possible, and honor your ancestors. Why don't you have a wife? If you make great achievements for Daxian like His Royal Highness King Dingbei in the future, what kind of woman is not a woman?" You choose?"

She took out the snacks from the food box and put them on the stone table, then took a deep look at Shen Yu, and walked away slowly with the food box.

Shen Yu looked at her back and stood there for a long time without moving.

In fact, Shen Hua didn't want to speak so bluntly, but her brother was such a person that if you didn't speak bluntly, he couldn't understand or listen to him.

She knew Shen Yu's thoughts for Ming Tan very early on, but at that time Ming Tan still had a marriage contract, so it was useless to adore him. She couldn't get used to Ming Tan, and a large part of it was because of Shen Yu's admiration.

If it was in the past, she would have let her brother bump into the south wall a few times with cold eyes, but since she overheard the Jinganhou couple worrying about the meaning of the palace, she has been thinking about it, and now she has figured it out a little bit. ——The marriage in the Jing'an Hou Mansion is probably not just a simple marriage of children, she can no longer let her brother get involved in it and cause any trouble.

Thinking about it, that **** Mingchu also heard the news of the palace's intention to give a marriage from Aunt Liu, so she was upset and didn't want Mingtan to get married.

She doesn't care and doesn't care how that **** wants to deal with Ming Tan, but if she dares to drag her brother into a raft, then she will remember this grudge well.

She stopped outside the courtyard and looked up.

When she came to Beijing last year, she didn't realize that the night in Beijing was really thick, neither the stars nor the moon could be seen. Those who walk alone will fall into this boundless night if they are not careful.

After the Spring Festival, and gradually approaching late spring, Zhang Hanmiao, the third lady of the second room of the Pingguo Duke's Mansion, also wrote a poem post as scheduled.

It's just that this post was not only sent to Ming Tan and Bai Minmin as Zhou Jingwan said, but also sent to Shen Hua and Ming Chu.

Judging by the situation, far and near are irrelevant, so I invite you to post.

Seeing that it was a sour poetry club, Mingchu didn't want to go at all, she couldn't compose poems, and she was very tired of those young ladies in Shangjing who were constantly comparing themselves with each other.

Aunt Liu persuaded her only after she talked about it. After all, she is also a woman of marriage age. Who knows if her future husband will be a cousin of a certain young lady's family?

Besides, there are not no martial arts girls who were born in the middle of the capital. It's not a bad thing to go out and walk around and make friends with people.

Last time, Mrs. Pei and Ming Tan said that they can discuss with her first if they have anything to do in the future.

This time when I went to the late spring poetry meeting, when Ming Tan was choosing clothes, he mentioned Shu Jingran to Mrs. Pei: "Mother, do you know the second son of the Shu family who is now in Ketanhua? That day when he was riding a horse through the street, my daughter glanced at him from afar. His demeanor and appearance are very extraordinary."

Mrs. Pei paused, originally she was still smiling when she saw Mingtan picking clothes, but she couldn't help but lighten up a little when she heard the words, she thought about it and said: "The Shu family is full of nobles, and the children they raised... are not bad."

"Well, my daughter doesn't think it's bad either." Ming Tan was in a good mood.

Pei Shi took a sip of tea, feeling a little worried.

During the time when Ming Tan entered the temple to pray for blessings, both the Queen Mother and the Holy One summoned Lord Hou to gossip about the family affairs. Although Lord Hou was careless, the Empress Dowager and the Holy One were both talking about their children's marriage, so he could not fail to hear it. , This is meant to refer to relatives!

This refers to relatives, the Holy Majesty still doesn't know which candidates to choose, but the Empress Dowager has clearly given the position of a county king's princess and a prince's son's princess for her to choose.

Those two were not fading clans with empty names, but at the same time, they were both queen dowagers on the bright side. Besides, what Ming Tan mentioned about Second Young Master Shu again today, the appearance and bearing of those two are far from Second Young Master Shu, even far inferior to Liang Zixuan, how could she be willing.

"Mother, what's wrong with you?" Ming Tan asked.

Pei Shi hurriedly smiled to cover up: "It's nothing."

She tentatively asked, "Does A-Tan like the Second Young Master Shu?"

"It's not really my favorite." Ming Tan's eyes still fell on the table full of fresh heads, "I just think that if you want to talk about marriage, Second Young Master Shu is very suitable."

It's fine if you don't like it.

It's a headache if you don't marry.

Mrs. Pei breathed a sigh of relief, thinking about it, tomorrow is the poetry meeting, first let the little girl go out and relax, there is no conclusion about the marriage right now, it's better not to add to her worries for the time being.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Pei got up again, and picked clothes together with Ming Tan.

Early the next morning, the chariots and horses stopped outside the second gate, ready to send the three ladies to Pingguo Gongfu.

Ming Ting was about to go to court, so he went out much earlier than the three of them. And until the dynasty. At the end of the meeting, he wanted to leave with Bai Jingyuan, but he was stopped by the servant next to Emperor Chengkang, saying that His Majesty called him to the imperial study to discuss something important.

Ming Ting went away with the servant.

Entering the imperial study room, Ming Tingyuan bowed his hands and said: "I have seen Your Majesty, Your Majesty is blessed."

"No need to be too polite." Emperor Chengkang raised his hand, went back to the table, held up a roll of bright yellow silkworm brocade, and blew on the ink that was still wet on it, "I called you here for the instruction I said earlier. about marriage."

When Ming Tingyuan heard it, he wanted to evade it.

Emperor Chengkang raised his eyebrows and looked directly at him, saying: "You know, Shoukang Palace is dissatisfied with you for making repeated excuses, and it already intends to make an order."

"...?"

Don't save face and directly force marriage?

"I won't stop you, but I can give you a second choice." Emperor Cheng Kang knocked on the table, motioning him to come forward to see the imperial decree, "Look at the one I chose for your daughter."

"..."

What is this called the second choice, no it is forced marriage.

Ming Tingyuan knew that he held a lot of power and was coveted by many parties, and he had always been extremely unwilling to get involved in these factional disputes. But now that the situation in the court is changing, it is obvious that he can no longer stand in the middle and stand alone, but it is just a marriage of children, which can lead to all kinds of hidden disputes.

He bit the bullet and stepped forward.

Cheng Kangdi stood aside and said brokenly: "Actually, the marriage of your children does not represent your Ming Tingyuan's position. You don't need to worry too much. I respect your choice. You don't think about other things now. You only look at people. What you mean is comparable to what I chose for you?"

Ming Tingyuan's eyes were glued to the imperial decree, a little unbelievable. It was this one, how could it be this one?

"Chen, can you allow me to think about it again."

He was so startled that he stumbled a bit when he spoke.

Emperor Chengkang: "The queen mother's edict has been drawn up. I found an excuse to stay here temporarily. If I stay for a while, I won't be able to stay forever. Maybe the empress dowager's edict will come to your Jing'an Hou Mansion before you leave this palace. You What are you hesitating about? If he hadn't spoken in person, I..."

"marry!"