The Second Master of the Red Chamber

What happened in front of Chonghua Palace was conveyed in the palace in a secret but fast way.

In Weiyang Palace, the old maid from Chonghua Palace conveyed the Emperor's will to the Queen Mother.

"The Empress Dowager, the Emperor's request is that you please select one of the princes and princes in the capital as your consort as soon as possible for Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess."

"I know, please go down."

After shooing away the people from Chonghua Palace, the Queen Mother sat on the phoenix couch, frowning in thought for a moment, tilted her head and asked, "Where is Zhaoyang?"

"The eldest princess is in Zhaoyang Palace."

The Queen Mother sighed softly, stood up and went to Zhaoyang Palace.

Zhaoyang Hall is the side hall of Weiyang Palace, and it is also where Princess Zhaoyang grew up.

At this time, Princess Zhaoyang was sitting blankly in her former boudoir. She heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw the Queen Mother walking alone. She quickly stood up to greet her and asked, "Grandma, how are you doing ahead? Did Grandpa Huang make things difficult for him?"

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang was still thinking about Jia Lian at this time, the Queen Mother felt a pity in her heart. Poor this girl, she is now deeply in love.

"Don't worry. After Jia Lian made great contributions to the founding of the country, he is also a minister that your father relies on. As long as he does not directly offend Long Yan, your emperor will not do anything to him."

The Queen Mother touched the top of Princess Zhaoyang's head, walked to the couch and sat down, and suddenly said: "But this is only temporary. If you two don't listen to the advice and insist on getting together, your grandpa will do it for the sake of the Tian family's face." , I don’t know how I will deal with you two when the time comes.”

Princess Zhaoyang's expression, which had softened just now, changed again.

The Supreme Emperor has been in the imperial court for decades. Princess Zhaoyang has remembered the Supreme Emperor's dragon power since she was a child, and no one is allowed to offend it.

This was also the reason why she was so desperate after learning that the Emperor was clearly opposed to her and Jia Lian.

Because he looked at the Queen Mother sadly, "Royal Grandmother, is it really impossible for me and him to be together?"

As a child who was raised by herself, the Queen Mother knew very well that Princess Zhaoyang had a good heart, but now that she appeared like this in front of her, it showed how much she cared and how much she wanted to be with Jia Lian.

but……

"No one in this world can disobey your grandfather's wishes, including me and your father."

The Queen Mother said to Princess Zhaoyang very calmly.

"Isn't it possible for Jia Lian to ask Grandpa Huang for mercy according to what the Imperial Grandmother means? He has always had the most ideas, and even his father can persuade him to do so.

Last time at Grandpa Huang's birthday party, I saw that Grandpa Huang also liked Jia Lian..."

The Queen Mother was a little surprised. She didn't know where Princess Zhaoyang got the confidence to think that Jia Lian might persuade the Supreme Emperor.

"You must have seen your grandpa's attitude. Do you think that if your father goes to plead for mercy at this time, is it possible for your grandpa to take back his life?"

Princess Zhaoyang was silent.

She could imagine that the Supreme Emperor would not show any favor to Emperor Ning Kang in such a matter. Besides, it was impossible for Emperor Ning Kang to argue with the Supreme Emperor over such a matter.

She could feel that her father and grandpa were not attracted to each other.

The father is willing to help himself and Jia Lian, but it is impossible for him to fight with the Supreme Emperor because of this disgraceful thing.

If the father is like this, Jia Lian will naturally have no chance of success.

"I understand." Princess Zhaoyang responded lonely.

The Queen Mother waved to her, pulled her to sit next to her, and said softly: "I know you like Jia Lian, and if possible, I naturally hope that you can be with him.

But the matter has come to this, if you really care about him and want his best, you must know how to let go.

Your imperial grandfather did not punish you two severely this time, but it does not mean that he is reluctant to punish you two severely.

Maybe you are not afraid. But didn't you say that Jia Lian had lofty ambitions and was a hero destined to lead an era?

If he disobeys the Holy Order this time, he will definitely offend your grandpa. The consequences are obvious, ranging from loss of official position to loss of life.

Either way, it's probably not what you want to see.

Even if he is lucky enough to survive, even if your father uses him again in the future.

But after all these ups and downs, who can guarantee that he will still have the same spirit and style at that time, and will he still have enough time to realize his ambitions?
You must like the Jia Lian who is as high-spirited and ambitious as he is now, and can accomplish great things that others can't even imagine while talking and laughing, instead of a Jia Lian who is depressed or whose ambitions are difficult to achieve.

Therefore, for the sake of Jia Lian and for myself, listen to the emperor's grandmother and let it go. "

Hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang shed tears silently, caressing her belly and said, "Zhaoyang understands what the imperial grandmother said. I just can't bear to leave my child..."

The Queen Mother's expression was also condensed. When she married the Emperor, the Emperor was already over sixty years old, so she never had any children.

Princess Zhaoyang is the bloodline left by her biological niece, and the same bloodline flows with her.

Therefore, if possible, she also hopes to see Princess Zhaoyang's child born.

“Since this world cannot tolerate him, even if you bring him here, it will be destined to be miserable and unfair for him.

You are still young and can still have children in the future. So this doesn't have much impact on you. "

"Even if I can have children in the future, can they still belong to Erlang and me?"

The Queen Mother could not answer Princess Zhaoyang's rhetorical question, and only said: "You can't protect him. Now that your grandfather is not really angry, make a choice that is most beneficial to you and Jia Lian."

I know you are always smart and know how to choose. Think about it carefully and come to me when you have figured it out. "

After the Queen Mother finished speaking, she patted Princess Zhaoyang's hand, stood up and left.

She said everything that needed to be said. She believed that Princess Zhaoyang had made the right judgment and would make the right decision.

……

In front of the Chonghua Palace, Jia Lian did not wait too long before he saw Wang Fu walking reluctantly with steps that seemed like [-] to [-] steps.

"Get up, the Emperor declares you to enter the palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, father-in-law..."

Jia Lian expressed his gratitude on the surface, but in fact he knew clearly that it was definitely not the eunuch who had found out his conscience and helped him pass the message.

The reason why he knelt here to ask for an audience was because he was sure that the Supreme Emperor would definitely get the news.

He didn't believe that Wang Fu could cover the sky with one hand in Chonghua Palace. In fact, a smarter emperor would not be able to let a eunuch block the emperor's hearing.

Not to mention, this Wang Fu is not the chief eunuch of Chonghua Palace.

The fact was just as Jia Lian expected, Wang Fu was only ordered to come out to inform Jia Lian. He was also very angry. This Jia Lian had committed such a serious matter, and the Supreme Emperor was willing to receive him even though he was punished lightly.

However, seeing that Jia Lian's attitude towards him became so polite, he thought that Jia Lian had understood the current affairs. His face looked a little better, but his nostrils were still turned upward and he said calmly: "Let's go."

Little did he know that he had already decided death in the heart of the person in front of him.

It was the first time for Jia Lian to step into the Chonghua Hall, the emperor's sleeping palace. When he first stepped in, Jia Lian's first feeling was not solemnity or majesty, but luxury, extreme luxury.

In the deep and spacious hall, all kinds of expensive and extravagant appliances can be seen everywhere. The walls and gold-painted carved pillars are covered with various calligraphy, paintings and calligraphy.

Although he is not a lover of artifacts, Jia Lian knows that each of the hundreds of furnishings here may be priceless.

There is a high couch at the northern end of the hall, and two old men are playing chess at this time.

One of them was the Supreme Emperor whom he had met at the birthday banquet that day. Wearing a loose dragon robe, he was leaning on the couch, with a pair of young eunuchs behind him patting his shoulders.

Opposite him, an old eunuch knelt on a shoe stool, leaning on the dragon couch and playing chess with the Supreme Emperor.

"Reply to the old prince, Jia Lian, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, will bring him."

Wang Fu stepped forward to communicate with the Supreme Emperor. After the Supreme Emperor raised his hand to signal, he stood aside in a polite manner.

Jia Lian also called at the right time: "Jia Lian, a humble minister, comes to see the Supreme Emperor."

"Ah."

The Supreme Emperor seemed careless. After placing a piece on the chessboard, he asked without raising his head: "You insist on asking for an audience. Why are you here?"

After saying that, without waiting for Jia Lian to speak, he added: "If you are here to discuss matters between you and Zhaoyang, I advise you to think carefully before speaking.

I think you have a reputation for being talented and you are the grandson of Daishan, so I am open to you.

You should be content. "

Although the Emperor's voice was not harsh, it put a lot of pressure on Jia Lian as soon as he spoke.

This calm and oppressive voice is enough to show that the Emperor's mind has been made up, and no one else can question it, and there is no room for bargaining.

Those who were smarter or less courageous would have followed the Emperor's wishes at this time and knelt down obediently.

But Jia Lian was Jia Lian after all, so he bowed his head and said, "I understand, thank you so much for your kindness.

But Wei Chen and Princess Zhaoyang are in love with each other and truly love each other. The Supreme Emperor is kind and hopes that he can help us both. "

On the dragon bed, the Supreme Emperor's originally calm expression froze slightly, and the chess piece sandwiched between his index finger and middle finger was thrown down heavily.

The jade chess pieces collided with the jade chess board, and the crisp sound they made was extremely harsh in the quiet hall.

Several eunuchs standing in the hall lowered their heads involuntarily.

They all knew that the Supreme Emperor seemed displeased.

The Supreme Emperor Long Yan was displeased, which could mean someone was unlucky at best, or someone's head fell to the ground at worst.

Even the old eunuch, who had always kept a smile on his face, temporarily suppressed his smile. What surprised Jia Lian was that the moment he lowered his head, he seemed to shake his head at him and cast a dissuading look.

If Jia Lian's guess was correct, this person should be the chief eunuch of Chonghua Palace.

He is sure that he has no interaction with this person, so why is he expressing kindness at this time? Could it be that it was Princess Zhaoyang or Yuanchun.

Jia Lian thought to himself.

After all, the Supreme Emperor did not get angry, but after walking in silence for two rounds, he said: "Perfect? ​​If I fulfill you two, what will happen to the face of the Tian family?
A princess of the Tian family is entangled with a married man, and even wants to steal her husband. If word spreads, the world will definitely talk about it endlessly, which will greatly damage the face of the Tian family.

Can you afford this relationship? "

After saying that, without waiting for Jia Lian's reply, he added: "Well, for the sake of Daishan, I will give you a chance.

I will issue an order to kill Wang, and then you will announce that Wang died of illness.

In this way, one of you is unmarried and the other is widowed, and no one will talk about it. In this way, you can not only save the face of the Tian family, but also make your marriage with Zhao Yang come true. What do you think? "

After the Supreme Emperor said these words, he looked back as if he wanted to see Jia Lian's reaction.

Jia Lian's face was as sinking as water.

After a long time, Jia Lian raised his head and said in a deep voice: "Please forgive me and give me a second way."

The Supreme Emperor was no longer looking at Jia Lian. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "I only give you this chance. Before the end of this game, tell me your answer."

The Supreme Emperor put down these words lightly and concentrated on playing chess. Little did he know that Jia Lian underneath had already clenched his fists.

He seemed to understand the difference between the old emperor who had been in power for decades and Emperor Ning Kang.

Although Emperor Ningkang had imperial power, he showed it externally and had traces to follow. Jia Lian can use this to figure out his preferences and thoughts and give guidance.

However, facing the Emperor, who looked indifferent and spoke calmly, it seemed that all his ministers could only respond with a "yes" in front of him. In addition, anyone who dares to say one more word is disobedient and will offend Long Yan at any time, causing disaster.

Jia Lian didn't know how to deal with such an emperor. It seems that such an emperor does not need the advice of his ministers at all. He has long developed a posture of "those who obey will prosper, and those who rebel will perish".

Without even thinking, Jia Lian knew that he would not accept the opportunity given by the Supreme Emperor.

If he simply wanted to follow the dragon and the phoenix, he would have directly agreed to the Queen Mother's marriage offer.

Therefore, even if Princess Zhaoyang is good enough to him, even if Princess Zhaoyang can certainly bring him a lot of help, he cannot exchange Sister Feng's life for her dependence.

Furthermore, he had a keen sense that the opportunity given by the Supreme Emperor might not be an opportunity at all.

He didn't know the motive, but Jia Lian had a feeling that even if he agreed to the Emperor's request, he still wouldn't get Princess Zhaoyang.

Because in just one meeting and a few words, he had already determined the attitude of the Supreme Emperor.

There is not much to say. Even Emperor Ningkang could not disobey the Supreme Emperor's ideas, and Jia Lian did not think that he was more capable than Emperor Ningkang.

Seeing that the chess game above had been decided, Jia Lian kowtowed and said, "Thank you so much for your kindness, Your Majesty. I understand. I will retire."

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Emperor turned back to look at Jia Lian and nodded secretly.

Sure enough, as rumored, his character and city are both good.

Seeing Jia Lianna about to retreat after bowing, he actually laughed and asked: "Can we play chess?"

"Go back to the Supreme Emperor and learn a few things."

"In that case, come and play a game of chess with me."

The Supreme Emperor had his destiny, so Jia Lian naturally did not dare to postpone it. After the young eunuchs cleared the chessboard, they bowed to the Supreme Emperor and sat down opposite him.

The eunuch Wang Fu was surprised and jealous that Jia Lian was left to play chess by the Supreme Emperor. After all, in his eyes, being able to play chess with the Supreme Emperor was a great honor. There were few ministers in the entire dynasty who had this honor.

At this moment, when he saw that Jia Lian was sitting on the dragon couch with one leg crossed, he subconsciously wanted to scold him.

The old eunuch who had given up his position to Jia Lian glanced at him at the right time and found that the Supreme Emperor didn't say anything. Instead, he had already taken the lead and did not dare to come forward to disturb him. (End of chapter)