My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 278 Princess, You're the One
"Your Majesty, you have made up your mind to further your relationship with me, your aunt..."

Shangguanli, the mansion of Tangyi Marquis.

The emperor was crowned and took power, and his wedding was imminent. As the most core powerful class and interest community of the Liu Han Dynasty, the nobles and relatives in Shangguanli were actually quite happy.

——Let’s celebrate together!

It is a happy event after all, especially a happy occasion for the current emperor. Even if you are not happy, you have to pretend to be happy.

Those who are willing to humble themselves can take some time to go to the Pingyang Marquis's mansion to mingle with the soon-to-be-prominent Cao family and build some relationships with them.

Those who really couldn't humble themselves racked their brains to find an excuse to send gifts to the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion, just as a way to keep a sense of gratitude and avoid standing on the opposite side in the future.

It was not the first time in the Han Dynasty that a family of meritorious officials became a descendant.

Zhang Yan, the legitimate empress of Emperor Xiaohui Liu Ying, was the daughter of Zhang Ao, who had just been implicated in the Guan Gao case and deposed from the throne of King of Zhao to the title of Marquis of Xuanping.

Xuanping Hou does not sound as well-known as the titles of Ying Hou, Pingyang Hou, Wuyang Hou, Huaiyin Hou, etc.
However, few people in later generations know that Zhang Ao, Marquis Xuanping, was one of the extremely rare dozen or so marquises with ten thousand households in the entire 400-year history of the Liu Han Dynasty.

——Emperor Taizu conferred titles of nobility upon 146 families of meritorious service, and there were only three families with the title of marquis of ten thousand households.

Cao Shen, Marquis of Pingyang, with 10,630 households;
Xiao He, the Marquis of Ling, who had 10,000 households;
And Zhang Liang, Marquis of Liu, who refused the imperial decree of 30,000 households granted by Emperor Taizu Liu Bang and was eventually granted the full 10,000 households.

Zhang Ao, Marquis of Xuanping, was the fourth marquis of ten thousand households in the Han Dynasty.

But the price of this marquisate was a bit high—it was obtained in exchange for the throne of King of Zhao.

But considering that other princes of different surnames were all eliminated one by one by Emperor Taizu Liu Bang using the method of "suppressing if they rebel, and forcing them to rebel before suppressing if they don't rebel", Zhang Ao, as a prince of different surname, was able to have a smooth landing and be demoted to a marquis, and even become the father-in-law of Emperor Xiaohui, which was already a blessing.

Of course, the title of Marquis of Xuanping Zhang Ao was obviously a consolation prize for voluntarily giving up the throne;

Empress Xiaohui Zhang Yan, in addition to being the daughter of Marquis Xuanping Zhang Ao, was also the concubine's daughter of Princess Lu Yuan.

The situation is somewhat different from that of the Pingyang Marquis family, which was awarded the title based on military merits, had no connection with the previous emperors or relatives of the Han Dynasty, and fell into decline in just fifty years.

But it doesn’t matter;
There was a precedent of Marquis Xuanping marrying his daughter to Emperor Xiaohui, and Marquis Pingyang's family had another empress, so there was also a precedent to follow.

However, the atmosphere in Tangyihou Mansion was obviously somewhat out of tune with the half-true and half-false purification of Shangguanli.

Especially the real owner of Tangyi Marquis Mansion: Liu Piao, the eldest daughter of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, the eldest sister of Emperor Xiaojing, the only surviving child of the current Empress Dowager Dou, and the only aunt of the current Emperor Rong, was obviously not very happy.

"What's so good about him, Marquis of Pingyang?"

"If Cao Shen were still alive, the emperor would have wanted to marry the Marquis of Pingyang, and that would have been fine."

"——Now, the Marquisate of Pingyang has been passed down to the fourth generation Cao Shou. It has been a long time since the three words 'Marquis of Pingyang' appeared in the court!"

"By marrying the daughter of such a poor marquis, does the emperor expect the current Marquis of Pingyang to become a prime minister like Cao Shen did back then?!"

As Liu Piao complained, Tangyi Hou Chen Wu, who was instinctively hunched over, looked somewhat embarrassed.

But after all, he was a good man recognized by Emperor Taizong, and he knew that he had no say in this family;
Therefore, Chen Wu had no choice but to give a bitter smile full of apology to Dou Ying who was visiting him, and then he wisely left.

——The rules of Tangyihou Mansion: when guests come to visit, the distinguished guests will be personally met by Guantao Master Liu Piao;

If the guest is relatively unimportant, or if Liu Piao is really inconvenient to meet the guest, the old butler beside Liu Piao will go to meet him.

As for Tangyi Marquis Chen Wu, the descendant of a meritorious official, he also holds the title of Chehou, but his status in the marquis's mansion is not much different from that of a servant.

If there is any difference, it is that in certain special occasions, Chen Wu needs to show up symbolically.

Just like now, Weiqi Hou Dou Ying was invited to visit. As the theoretical owner of Tangyi Hou Mansion, Chen Wu had to show his face to express his respect and courtesy to Dou Ying.

As for showing up and leaving, Dou Ying naturally understood the reason, as well as the special situation of Tangyi Marquis Mansion...

"What the princess said is a bit of a veiled criticism..."

"It is unprecedented for the Han Dynasty to have a relative of the emperor serve as prime minister.

"——But as the saying goes: When you raise an outsider, don't avoid your enemies; when you raise an insider, don't avoid your relatives."

"If a very talented person is prevented from becoming a prime minister or even an official simply because of his status as a relative of the emperor, it would not only be a loss to the ancestral temple and the country, but also a pity for the people of the world, wouldn't it?"

Having said this, Dou Ying lowered his head with an awkward but polite smile, and pretended to pick up the tea bowl.

In private, he couldn't help but complain about Liu Piao's behavior.

——Dou Ying didn’t expect to come!
It was Liu Piao who sent the note, specifically inviting Dou Ying to her house for a chat, saying that there was something important to discuss.

But right now, it was the critical time when Dou Ying was about to be appointed as the Imperial Censor and become the candidate for the Prime Minister.

At such a critical moment, Dou Ying did not dare to displease the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace by failing to take care of Liu Piao's little emotions.

The personal visit was just to give face to the old empress dowager of the Eastern Palace and the position of the Imperial Censor that he was about to obtain.

As a result, before I could even sit down, Liu Piao started talking about these things again. Not only did she curse me in her words, but she also included them in the conversation?

That is to say, Dou Ying was born into a scholarly family, and even though he had a military background, he still called himself a "scholar-general."

Otherwise, based on what Liu Piao had just said, even if Dou Ying had stormed out on the spot, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace would not have been able to find any fault with him.

——Even a clay man still has some temper!
Hearing Dou Ying's implicit complaint about herself, which she couldn't hide, Liu Piao's expression changed quickly - she immediately acted as if she had said something wrong unintentionally, and apologized to Dou Ying with an awkward smile.

When Dou Ying's face warmed up a little, and basically returned to its previous indifferent look, Liu Piao carefully chose her words and tried to test him: "Speaking of which, Wei Qihou will be appointed as the Imperial Censor and the day of his becoming the second prime minister is not far away;"

"But I wonder if you have any understanding of the daughter of Cao family?"

When Liu Piao said this, Dou Ying frowned in response;
Even though he wanted to give the old empress dowager some face, his expression was a little embarrassed.

What words?

Listen to what you are saying?

——She’s already the future queen!
The court has already started the matchmaking procedure, and once the procedure is completed, she will move into the Pepper Room in the Weiyang Palace!
What understanding could Dou Ying have of others?
How dare you know anything about others?
Not to mention that in the past few years, the Pingyang Marquis family had long since faded from the core of power decision-making in the court. Even Pingyang Marquis himself, Dou Ying had only seen him from a distance a few times during major celebrations and political activities in recent years.
Even if Dou Ying really had some "knowledge" about the younger sister of the current Marquis of Pingyang and the younger daughter of the previous Marquis of Pingyang, how could he dare to admit it?
What?
Was Liu Piao making such a fuss because she felt that there were too many in-laws in the Dou family?

Or do you think Dou Ying lived too long?
After all, the two of them are related, so why do they talk without thinking?
After complaining inwardly for a long time and exhaling heavily, Dou Ying finally managed to suppress the anger in his heart.

He pretended to ponder for a moment and finally decided: to take this opportunity to do something for Liu Rong.

Even if it is impossible to break Liu Piao's beautiful fantasy, at least let Liu Piao realize that things have changed. Today's Emperor Rong is no longer the Prince Rong who once forced Liu Piao to swallow her losses, or the later Crown Prince Rong.

——Liu Rong, indeed, should call Liu Piao aunt;
But just like Dou Ying, who was half considering the face of the old queen mother and half considering the face of the position of the Imperial Censor, he was willing to be nice to Liu Piao reluctantly;
Emperor Rong was willing to tolerate Liu Piao, partly out of consideration for the old empress dowager's face, and partly because of the blood relationship between the aunt and niece.

"In the fifth year of Emperor Xiaohui's reign, Cao Shen, the first Marquis of Pingyang, died;"

"Crown Prince Cao Qiu inherited the title and, thanks to his father's influence, was appointed as a palace official by Emperor Xiaohui."

"During the reign of Empress Dowager Lü, the Second Marquis Cao Qiu had close contacts with Lü Chan, Lü Lu and others, and was even more respectful to Empress Dowager Lü, to the point that he was appointed Imperial Censor and was listed as the second prime minister of the Han Dynasty."

"——When the Lü clan was plotting rebellion, Cao Qiu did not join the rebels, but he also did not join forces with Chen Ping, Zhou Bo and other meritorious officials to punish the rebels."

"When Emperor Taizong ascends the throne from Dai, Cao Qiu will be dismissed from office and return to his hometown to be raised..."

In response to Liu Piao's test, Dou Ying first gave an irrelevant answer by briefly recounting the rise and fall of the first two generations of Pingyang Marquis' family.

——It is easy to say, the first generation prospers, the second generation declines;
The reasons for the rise and fall are also clear at a glance: Cao Shen followed the emperor to found the country, so Pingyang Hou prospered; Cao Qiu stood on the wrong side, so Pingyang Hou declined.

Then, Dou Ying lowered his head thoughtfully and continued, "In the third year of Emperor Taizong's Houyuan reign, the second Marquis Cao Qiu passed away and was posthumously named Marquis Jing."

"Crown Prince Cao Qi succeeded to the throne."

"——As early as the reign of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, I had quite a bit of contact with Marquis Cao Qi."

"When the marquis inherited the title, he also visited the third marquis Cao Qi."

"Until the third year of Emperor Xiaojing, the third generation Marquis Cao Qi died and was posthumously named Marquis Jian, and the crown prince inherited the title."

"Ever since the fourth generation of Pingyang Marquis Cao Shou inherited the title, I have never been to the Pingyang Marquis's mansion again."

···
"After all, I was just friends with the Third Marquis Cao Qi earlier, and I didn't have much contact with the Third Marquis' offspring."

"Plus, the third generation of marquis passed away after only seven years of illness, and the current Pingyang Marquis Cao Shou has just come of age;"

"Perhaps it's because he calls me uncle that Pingyang Hou can't let go of his feelings. But he is much younger than me, so we can't be friends on the same level?"

Having said this, Dou Ying couldn't help but smile bitterly and shook his head, as if he felt a little regretful that he could no longer maintain close contact with the descendants of Pingyang Jianhou.

After sighing for a while, Dou Ying pretended to be helpless and said, "When Marquis Jian was dying, he entrusted the Crown Prince to me, saying: If the Crown Prince encounters difficulties in inheriting the title, I hope you will not hesitate to help him."

"——In the early years, Lord Jian showed me some kindness. I dare not let him down."

"If Pingyang Hou really encounters trouble in the future, I will definitely do my best to save him."

“At the very least, we must try to preserve the bloodline of Lord Jian, so that when he is in heaven, there will be no sacrifices and blood for him, and the incense and inheritance will be cut off…”

Dou Ying seemed to be reminiscing about the past when he said these words, but he was obviously speaking to Liu Piao.

In fact, the relationship between Dou Ying and the late third Marquis of Pingyang Jian: Cao Qi was not as good as they said.

At most, the two of them sat at the same table and drank some wine, and chatted for a while when the atmosphere was awkward.

Anyone who can make it into the circle of Gonghou can basically establish this kind of relationship, as long as they don't have low emotional intelligence or have made enemies with any big shots.

Dou Ying said all this to Liu Piao, even going so far as to make up the lie "I have to ensure the continuation of the bloodline of the Pingyang Marquis family". Naturally, this was not to show off his close ties with the Pingyang Marquis family and to make friends with the future queen's family.

Instead, he wanted to tell Liu Piao implicitly: It is absolutely impossible for me and the Pingyang Marquis family to be on opposite sides.

You have a problem with your brain. You want to fight to the death with the Pingyang Marquis family for your daughter's position as queen, but don't ever think that I can help you!
Not only will I not help you, I may even turn around and help others come to you to mediate...

"But I've never heard that Wang Sun has such a connection with Jian Hou Cao Qi?"

"I guess that as early as the time of Emperor Taizong, Wang Sun already had many old friends and confidants all over the world, right?"

"--Too;"

"No matter what, he is a world-renowned scholar~"

"If I can't even get in touch with the Marquis of Pingyang, who has fallen on hard times, then I can't even claim to be the 'Grandson of the Dou King' of the Han family..."

Liu Piao naturally understood the hidden meaning of Dou Ying's words.

But in the end, Liu Piao still couldn't suppress her resentment, but she didn't dare to take it out on others, such as the old queen mother and Emperor Rong.

So he had no choice but to use such heart-piercing words to vent Dou Ying's sarcastic anger.

I thought that even if Dou Ying was angry, he would not offend the old queen mother.

Unexpectedly, when Dou Ying heard this, he just laughed out of anger and shook his head.

While sneerfully shaking his head, he stood up from his seat.

Then he raised his head without caring about etiquette, and stared straight into the depths of Liu Piao's eyes, as if he wanted to see through Liu Piao's soul, or even pierce it!
After a long time, Dou Ying's almost cold and indifferent tone finally reached Liu Piao's ears.

"What the Lord of Guantao wants to do is known to everyone in Chang'an, including women and children."

"I have only one word to say, so that the Lord of Guantao will know."

"——If one's virtue is not in line with one's position, one will suffer the consequences."

"The Lord of Guantao wants to send a maid to the imperial chamber. Princess A Jiao may be virtuous or not.

"However, the reason why the princess did not have the chance to marry into the imperial concubine's chamber was not because the princess had no virtue, but because the master of Guantao did not have such great fortune."

···
"Although we are not relatives, I still have to give Master Guantao a word for the sake of the old queen."

"——The lineage of Marquis Pingyang is the descendant family that Your Majesty has chosen after repeated selections and is bound to support."

"Your Majesty's original words at the time were: The current fourth-generation Marquis Cao Shou is unruly and has erratic behavior. He must be strictly disciplined;"

"If not, when I am gone for a hundred years and a new emperor takes over, leaving behind such an unruly grandfather, the future emperor of Han will blame me, the 'predecessor', for not being able to clear the court of treacherous villains for his descendants..."

"That's all I have to say."

"Master Guantao, take care of yourself..."

(End of this chapter)