Chapter 276 - 276 Refusal

276 Refusal

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

However, just as Empress Dowager Yuan finished speaking, the Emperor rejected it indifferently.

“That won’t be necessary.”

These words were neutral and lukewarm. There was a sharpness in his tone that left no room for doubt.

Liu Shuang was stunned. She lowered her head and stood rooted to the ground.

The originally peaceful atmosphere suddenly became tense again because of the Emperor’s words.

Meeting Empress Dowager Yuan’s sharp and gloomy gaze, the Emperor casually flicked his sleeve and rubbed the gourd-shaped hand stove in his hand. He continued, “The Empress Dowager also said that as a father, I have to give my son some consideration.”

“The Yu family’s daughter won’t do.”

The Emperor’s tone grew colder and sharper. When he reached the last few words, he was firm.

Empress Dowager Yuan’s expression changed instantly. She looked at the Emperor, who was only a foot away from her, as if he was a stranger.

The Emperor had always been a soft person and rarely got angry. To put it nicely, he was gentle, but to put it bluntly, he was weak and easy to control.

Empress Dowager Yuan had been married to the previous Emperor for more than 20 years. Only eight years ago, when the Eldest Prince was sent to the State of Yue as a hostage, she saw the Emperor angry once.

After eight years, Empress Dowager Yuan had already forgotten. She didn’t expect the Emperor to suddenly become unyielding today and refute her words in public. Even Chu You glanced sideways and retracted his gaze from Gu Yunrong to look at the Emperor in surprise.

Empress Dowager Yuan’s body stiffened, and her face turned green and red. Her wrists trembled uncontrollably, and her words were cold. “Does the Emperor have something against the aristocratic families?”

She cut to the chase. Her voice echoed across the deck and clearly entered the ears of the others around her.

The expressions of the descendants of the aristocratic families turned cold. They all looked in the direction of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager and pricked up their ears.

A corner of the Emperor’s dragon robe was blown up by the cold wind. The cloak draped over him bulged slightly, making him look even thinner.

The Emperor looked straight into Empress Dowager Yuan’s dark eyes without evasion and announced slowly but firmly,

“My Eldest Prince will not marry a daughter of an aristocratic family.”

With that, the Emperor turned to look at Chu Yi beside him. When he faced his son, he had that gentle smile again. His loving expression seemed to say, “Don’t worry, Chu Yi. I’m here.”

“…” Chu Yi smiled. His beautifully shaped eyes narrowed, and light shimmered in them.

Her father was still the same. He was exactly the same as when he was young.

Empress Dowager Yuan didn’t expect the Emperor to not only reject her flatly, but also not even find an excuse. Her face instantly turned ashen.

She had lived a smooth life. When she was in her mother’s family, she was valued by her parents and brothers. When she married the previous Emperor, she was also doted on by him. Even if the previous Emperor passed away, she was still the high and mighty Empress Dowager, the most respected woman in the Great Jin Dynasty.

Her fingertips dug into her tender palms, and her eyes were sinister.

More and more people looked over. Even a young master, who had been playing the flute, put down the jade flute in his hand.

When the flute stopped, there was silence except for the cold wind whistling on the plywood.

Yuan Zhe, who was standing beside Chu You, stared straight at the emperor. His eyes were as deep as an abyss, and his hands were behind his back thoughtfully.

First Feng Yang, then the Emperor…

Were they planning to attack the aristocratic families?!

How ridiculous.

Yuan The’s eyes turned cold bit by bit, as if a snowstorm were raging in his eyes. He sneered in his heart. His grandfather and father were right. The current Emperor is indeed useless and still doesn’t know his limits.

If he were the Emperor, he would endure his temper and lie low. He would plan slowly, like the previous Emperor, and slowly take control of the royal court before plotting something else.

It had only been a short year since he ascended the throne. He had yet to even sit firmly on the dragon throne, and he wanted to make an example of their aristocratic family. He thought that he was Emperor Taizu!

Empress Dowager Yuan was still staring at the Emperor. Her lips curled into a smile, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She asked, “Then I’ll ask Your Majesty if there’s any girl you like. I can help take a look.’

The Emperor smiled leisurely and said calmly, “Emperor Taizu once said that marriage can’t only be based on parents’ orders. It has to be mutual.’

This sentence seemed to be saying that he knew how to choose Chu Yi’s marriage himself, so there was no need for the Empress Dowager to worry.

Hearing the Emperor mention Emperor Taizu, Yuan The’s eyes darkened.

Back then, Emperor Taizu rebelled and defeated the previous dynasty. When the situation in Jiangbei was settled, their Yuan family and the other aristocratic families also took the initiative to submit to him.

However, Emperor Taizu hated the aristocratic families because they didn’t help him take down the previous dynasty. He was determined to support those poor ministers to replace the aristocratic families.

Most of their noble families had been passed down for a hundred years or even hundreds of years. In the states and counties they belonged to, they were all large families. They had also suppressed scholars from the poor families locally. However, Emperor Taizu was decisive and immediately made an example of them. As a result, the Wang family of Qingzhou was destroyed.

Only then did the other families not dare to act rashly.

Emperor Taizu had always been a man of his word.

However, there was only one talented Emperor Taizu in the Great Jin Dynasty.

It was said that a tiger father wouldn’t have a dog son. Everyone knew that the late Emperor was inferior to Emperor Taizu… Now, the current Emperor was even inferior to the late Emperor!

The three emperors of the Great Jin Dynasty were getting worse with each generation…

Yuan Zhe looked at the Emperor’s old and sick side profile with almost contempt.

He had long been nurtured and crippled by the previous Emperor. What was there to fear?

Just as his father had said, since this one was disobedient, he might as well change to an obedient one.

Yuan Zhe slowly shifted his gaze from the Emperor to Kang Wang Chuyou.

Chu You was standing under the eaves of the pleasure boat. The shadows from the eaves cast faint shadows on his well-defined side profile, making his narrow and sharp eyes colder than the cold wind. He was like a leopard about to hunt.

Kang Wang had the blood of an aristocratic family in his body and was naturally on their side. Moreover, Kang Wang was still young and needed the support of their aristocratic family.

‘Seventh Brother.” The Emperor also looked at Chu You like Yuan The. His gaze was meaningful as he asked slowly with a smile, ‘Do you think this sentence is right?”

‘ Chu You’s expression darkened and he pursed his thin lips.

This sentence originally came from his mouth. It was what he had said to the Emperor last year when he asked the Emperor to fulfill his wish with Gu Yunrong. The Emperor was just returning the favor.

Meeting the Emperor’s slightly provocative gaze, a cold smile gradually appeared on Chu You’s thin lips, and his eyes were dark.

He and Rong’er truly loved each other. It had nothing to do with those external family backgrounds. He liked Rong’er and it didn’t matter if her surname was Gu or if she was Gu Ce’s daughter.

Rong’er admired him only because he was him, not because he had the glory of Kang Wang.

Their feelings were different.

But the Emperor..

The Emperor kept talking about Emperor Taizu and having mutual feelings, but he was just using it as an order. To put it bluntly, he was just trying to suppress the aristocratic families..