The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 84 A Joke
In the capital city, within the Forbidden Palace, Chengqian Hall.
“The Empress Dowager wants you to marry that concubine-born daughter of the Marquis of Yongding?”
Imperial Concubine Shu had just received the news from the Empress Dowager’s Shou’an Palace, stating that the Empress Dowager was reconsidering the grooming of a new crown prince. She knew that her son, Xian, was likely to be assigned a marriage by the Empress Dowager, but she hadn’t expected it to be so soon, and certainly not with someone from the Marquis of Yongding Mansion. However, considering that person’s status…
Imperial Concubine Shu frowned deeply—a concubine-born daughter, and even a love child representing a disgrace to the royal family…
The Second Prince, Feng Xian, did not look particularly pleased either. However, the excitement of soon holding power outweighed this slight dissatisfaction in his heart.
“Mother, the Empress Dowager only intends for Xie Qing to become my concubine. Given Xie Qing’s awkward status, no family in the capital would dare risk offending the imperial family by marrying her. So even as a concubine, it is considered a favor to the Marquis of Yongding.”
When Feng Xian first learned that Empress Dowager wanted to arrange a marriage for him, he was somewhat anxious, especially since his preferred choice for a primary wife was Qin Yan.
However, since Xie Qing would only be a concubine, there was still hope for him and Qin Yan.
His father had previously wanted to pair Qin Yan with the Taizi, but now that the Taizi’s fate was uncertain and the situation in the capital had drastically changed, Qin Yan’s best option was him, Feng Xian.
“Has your uncle still not relented?” Imperial Concubine Shu looked at Feng Xian.
Feng Xian’s expression changed slightly at the mention of his uncle, the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng. Feng Xian felt quite displeased.
Feng Xian sneered coldly and said, “My uncle is probably still sitting on the fence. Hmph, does he really think that, with the Right Prime Minister Mansion being my maternal family, he can remain uninvolved? Such shortsightedness.”
Imperial Concubine Shu’s expression turned colder. She had once believed she could persuade Wenzheng. Now that the Taizi was almost out of the picture, the heir could only be chosen between the Second Prince and the Third Prince. All the court officials were picking sides; what reason did Wenzheng have to remain aloof?
Feng Xian no longer held any hope for his uncle, the Right Prime Minister. But now that he had the Empress Dowager’s support, the assistance from his uncle was just a bonus.
“Tomorrow, I will depart for Jiangnan. Mother, you must keep an eye on matters in the capital and inform me immediately of any news. Take care of yourself.”
“Do your best. The Empress Dowager might still be evaluating you. Don’t seek merit, but make sure not to give others any handle against you,” Imperial Concubine Shu advised carefully.
“I understand.” Feng Xian knew exactly what the Empress Dowager meant. This trip to Jiangnan to take over the Taizi’s unfinished business was an opportunity. If he succeeded, the credit would be his. If he failed, he could blame it on the Taizi.
———–
Xie Qing anxiously waited for an hour in General Xie Zhao’s residence before he finally returned.
“Brother,” Xie Qing immediately stood up when she saw him, but with the servants present, she had to hold back her words.
Xie Zhao strode over and sat down in a chair opposite Xie Qing. He ordered the servants to bring tea and then closed his eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve his fatigue.
In recent days, the situation in the capital had become particularly tense, and the same was true within the Southern Imperial Army under the Taizi’s command. However, their leader, Lu Chen, had chosen to remain passive, which left Xie Zhao puzzled and increasingly wary. He wondered if there was more to the Taizi’s disappearance.
Xie Zhao had previously served in the Pingxi Army, a simple border force. He had never been involved in factional struggles, let alone the internal battles for the throne. Now that he was truly in the thick of it, he realized how treacherous the undercurrents were.
On his way back to the residence today, someone had intercepted him, inviting him to collaborate with their master.
But the more Xie Zhao saw Lu Chen’s lack of reaction, the more uneasy he became.
Xie Zhao had ambitions and wanted to make a name for himself. If the Taizi truly lost power, he didn’t want to become a casualty of political infighting along with the Taizi’s faction.
But if the Taizi returned, how would the situation change? Was Lu Chen testing him?
Xie Zhao frowned deeply. These were not the considerations of a mere military general, but in the capital, a single misstep could lead to being crushed in the power struggle. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
———-
A faint clink of porcelain touching the table broke the silence—it was the servant serving tea.
Xie Zhao raised his hand, dismissing the servant.
Once only Xie Zhao and Xie Qing remained in the hall, Xie Qing immediately spoke to her brother, “Brother, the Empress Dowager has issued a decree, ordering me to marry the Second Prince as a concubine. This is not what I want—do you have any way to help me?”
Xie Qing’s expression was anxious, but her years of managing the Marquis of Yongding Mansion had given her a calmness beyond that of an ordinary woman. Even now, despite her distress, her words were not overly rushed, nor did she seem completely lost.
Xie Zhao paused in his actions, then lowered his hand onto the table beside him and looked up at Xie Qing, frowning slightly, as if this news was indeed unexpected to him.
After a moment of deep thought, Xie Zhao spoke, bringing up an old matter instead, “Years ago, when I left our hometown in Yingchuan to go to the northwest, I asked if you wanted to come with me. Do you remember what you said?”
Xie Qing was at a loss for words, remembering those times…
Xie Zhao continued, “Since you chose to follow Xie An into the Marquis Mansion and became the lady of the house, did you not consider that this day might come?”
“Children of noble families are often married off for alliances. Didn’t you foresee this?”
“Xie Qing, you’re a smart girl. You don’t want to marry the Second Prince as a concubine—do you have someone else in your heart? Or do you just despise the position of a concubine?”
Xie Zhao noticed a fleeting, almost imperceptible discomfort on Xie Qing’s face and sighed inwardly. His once innocent and lovely sister had, in the end, been changed by the splendor of the capital.
But then, who hadn’t changed?
Xie Qing hadn’t expected her brother to bring up the past. Was he displeased with her? But now, she had no choice but to seek his advice.
“Brother, I am just a weak woman. Back then, besides following Father’s arrangements to enter the capital, what else could I have done?”
Xie Zhao chuckled at her words.
To Xie Qing, what she said seemed only natural.
At that moment, Xie Zhao recalled how his comrades in the northwest used to praise Qin Yan, some even claiming she was as capable as a man, perhaps more so.
Must a woman always be at the mercy of others?
“Brother…” Xie Qing was puzzled by his attitude.
Xie Zhao sighed softly. Xie Qing was, after all, his own sister—how could he not wish for her to find a good match? But given the current situation, what power did he, a mere fourth-rank general, have to change things?
Power, oh power—how he longed for it, to do whatever he desired.
“Xie Qing, the Empress Dowager controls Yizhou, and now that Yizhou is allied with the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, they want you to marry the Second Prince. Do you understand what this means?”
How could Xie Qing not understand? It was precisely because she fully grasped the implications behind this that she was so worried.
Lowering her eyes, Xie Qing spoke with a trace of sorrow in her voice, “The Empress Dowager wants to support the Second Prince, and the Yongding Marquis household is the link between them. My engagement with Xie Changyuan is Father’s pledge of allegiance to the Empress Dowager. We are merely pawns.”
Xie Zhao sighed deeply, “I almost wish you weren’t so perceptive, but this is the truth. Unless you die, even if you elope or marry someone else, or worse, lose your virtue before marriage, they will still find a way to make you the Second Prince’s concubine.”
“Qingqing, this is the fate you were bound to the moment you entered the capital.”
Xie Zhao glanced at Xie Qing, whose face was filled with sorrow, and then stood up to leave the main hall.
Left alone, Xie Qing gradually calmed down. Before coming here, she had already known that her marriage was almost certain. Even her brother had to rely on the Emperor’s favor to remove his name from the Xie family’s registry—how could he change her fate?
Xie Qing had once thought that, even though she was just a concubine-born daughter, as a lady of the Marquis’s household, it wouldn’t be difficult to marry into an ordinary noble family and become a legitimate wife.
But now, in this situation, what should she do?
Her marriage was about to become a tool. If anything went wrong in their alliance, she would be the first to be sacrificed.
Or perhaps she could think of it differently—if she was being used as a tool, it meant she had value.
But still, only a concubine… Whom was the position of the Second Prince’s main wife being reserved for?
———–
In the Borrowing Moon Pavilion at Wanning Temple in the capital’s Northern Suburbs.
The Third Prince, Feng Yi, casually placed one foot on the edge of the couch as he sat in a relaxed manner on the low couch by the window, playing chess with the refined man in a broad-sleeved plain robe seated opposite him.
Outside, the mountain winds roared, and the sound of pines rustled in waves. Although the two sat quietly, focused on their game, their hearts were far from calm.
“Uncle Ning Wang, why do I always feel uneasy?” Feng Yi toyed with a black chess piece in his hand, raising his eyes to look at Prince Ning across from him.
Ning Wang kept his gaze on the chessboard, his expression indifferent, and said nothing.
Feng Yi was accustomed to his uncle’s taciturn nature and continued speaking on his own, “Those people from the East went to Sanhe Town, and not a single one of them came back alive. But the rumor spread that the Taizi was attacked and went missing. Could it have been another group of assassins, or perhaps…?”
Feng Yi rubbed the chess piece between his fingers, pondering for a moment before murmuring,
“The Taizi has been cultivating his influence in court for many years. Recently, quite a few officials have openly pledged their allegiance to Feng Xian. If this was all orchestrated by the Taizi himself, it doesn’t make sense…”
Ning Wang slowly lifted his gaze, revealing a pair of striking amber eyes. His features were sharp and handsome, but his skin was pale from years out of the sun, giving him a slightly fragile appearance.
“The Empress Dowager didn’t choose you. Are you disappointed?” Ning Wang’s voice was low and rich, carrying the magnetic quality of a mature man.
Feng Yi scoffed lightly at this, “Hah, that was expected.”
“The Empress Dowager would certainly pick a prince without strong backing, someone easier to control. From her perspective, Feng Xian is indeed more suitable than I am.”
As he spoke, Feng Yi suddenly thought of something, his pupils shrinking as he looked at Prince Ning, “So, considering this, when Imperial Concubine Xian miscarried in the Empress’s palace back then, perhaps the Empress Dowager had a hand in it.”
“By driving a wedge between the Taizi and the Left Prime Minister Mansion, severing one of his key allies, the Taizi would be forced to rely solely on the Empress Dowager… This is something Empress Dowager Xiao would definitely do.”
Ning Wang’s lips curved slightly—indeed, the ruthless Empress Dowager Xiao was capable of anything.
Suddenly, Ning Wang spoke casually, “The Empress Dowager has chosen a concubine for Feng Xian, which means she’s likely considering his main consort as well. Aren’t you going to make your move?”
Feng Yi’s expression turned mocking, “I just didn’t expect that to consolidate her power, the Empress Dowager would choose that illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongding for Feng Xian. Hah, the so-called imperial dignity is nothing but a joke in the face of power.”
“As for Feng Xian’s main consort, he’s probably still thinking of reserving that position for Princess Zhaoren, Qin Yan. But that woman…”
“A rather interesting piece of news came from Jiangnan recently—the famous first bank of Great Xia, Yu Qingfeng, is actually owned by Qin Yan. This woman never ceases to surprise.”
“I’ve heard that Father once considered making Qin Yan the Crown Princess. Now that the Taizi’s fate is uncertain, many might be eyeing Qin Yan as a potential match—more than ever.”
Prince Ning’s lips curled, “Does that include you?”
Feng Yi smiled at this, “Princess Zhaoren, Qin Yan, is of noble birth, stunning beauty, and possesses great skill and determination. With such wealth and influence, who wouldn’t want someone like her?”
Ning Wang lowered his eyes, concealing the brief flash of light in them.
Qin Yan… That day in the Fengtian Hall, the woman who dared to act in front of the Empress Dowager and Emperor Hui…
Indeed, who wouldn’t be moved by her?