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Once the kidnapping of Rong Feiyan was linked to the position of crown prince, the truth naturally became less important, and the emperor was prepared to smooth it over.

If we were to say who the most dissatisfied people are, it must be Concubine Rong and the Rong family, but the emperor is unwilling to investigate thoroughly, and they have no way to deal with it.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1147: Gu Er gets married, Qi Heng meets Ming Lan in secret

"Recently, you must take good care of your family and not cause any trouble. Try not to go out if you can."

After returning from the morning court, Zhou Chen gave Hua Lan serious instructions.

At today's morning court, civil officials headed by Prime Minister Han Zhang once again advised the emperor to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible to strengthen the country's foundation.

The emperor was so angry that he was furious and had another argument with all the officials. However, due to his old age and lack of strength, he almost couldn't breathe. All the officials were frightened and panicked, and they quickly called the imperial physician over.

Although the morning court had to end early because the emperor was so angry and ill, Zhou Chen knew that the more the emperor was like that, the more anxious the officials would become.

The emperor is in such a state now, he might die at any time. If there is no successor to the throne at this time, the government will surely be turbulent and the world will be in chaos.

After all, the current emperor has no son, and it is not easy to choose a son of the royal family to inherit the throne.

Therefore, all the officials must have wanted to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible before the emperor's illness reached that serious stage, but the more they pressed, the more resistant the emperor became.

In this way, a vicious circle was formed, which turned into a confrontation between officials and officials.

It is conceivable that similar situations will occur for a long time to come, and the issue of succession will inevitably be mentioned in every court meeting.

It is precisely because of this that the struggle between Prince Yong and Prince Yan has become more intense. Now, the two of them are the most likely to become the crown prince. If they do not fight now, it will be too late when they want to fight.

When he was dismissing court today, a distinguished colleague invited him to have dinner at Fanlou, but he declined with various reasons.

It goes without saying that these people came to him to lobby for him. He is now also an important official in the court, not to mention that he is in charge of the Ma Junsi, one of the three yamen. He is definitely one of the people with the most military power and strength in Bianjing City. Of course, Prince Yong and Prince Yan both want to win him over.

However, he looked down upon both Prince Yong and Prince Yan and did not want to have any contact with them, so at this juncture, the best thing to do was to stay indoors.

Seeing Zhou Chen so serious, Hua Lan also replied with a serious expression: "I know, but when I went back to Sheng Mansion a few days ago, my grandmother said that after the Lantern Festival, my uncle and his family might come to Beijing to visit. Calculating the date, it should be soon."

Zhou Chen said, "You can go to Sheng's house, but you still have to keep a low profile. I ruined Prince Yong's plan this time, and he might hold a grudge against me. He probably won't dare to do anything to me, but you still have to be cautious about everything. Bring more guards with you when you go out, especially Lao Cao. I'll feel at ease if you bring him with you."

Cao Er is the most valiant personal soldier under his command. He is capable of fighting a group of more than ten people at a time and is deeply trusted by Zhou Chen. However, he is rarely with Zhou Chen. Most of the time, he stays by Hua Lan's side to protect her when she goes out.

When Hua Lan heard this, she immediately looked nervous: "When did you offend Prince Yong? I heard that he has the best chance of becoming the crown prince."

Zhou Chen didn't want Hua Lan to worry, so he didn't explain much. He just responded: "The matter of the previous dynasty is more complicated. Just remember what I told you. Recently, no matter who comes to ask you out, don't agree. If you really can't refuse, just say you are not feeling well."

"Okay, I see."

Feeling Zhou Chen's seriousness, Hua Lan also took it seriously.

For more than a month, the emperor did not attend court. There were arguments and quarrels in the court every day. It could not be said to be in chaos, but there were constant disputes and everyone had their own plans.

At this time when the court was in chaos and the situation was turbulent, the marriage of Gu Tingye, the legitimate son of Ningyuan Marquis, and the eldest granddaughter of the old Tai Shi Yu happened to take place.

On the wedding day, the city of Bianjing was bustling with activity, especially the streets where Ningyuan Marquis Mansion and Yu Family were located, which were bustling with people and filled with joy.

On this day, Zhou Chen naturally brought his wife Sheng Hualan to the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion to attend the wedding banquet.

The ones who received Zhou Chen and his party were naturally Gu Yankai and Madam Qin from the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion.

It can be seen that Gu Yankai is very happy today and is in high spirits.

Zhou Chen could naturally understand his behavior. Even though he was usually very mean to Gu Tingye, he actually knew in his heart that among his sons, Gu Tingye was the most promising one. In the future, the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion would probably have to rely on Gu Tingye for support.

He usually beats and scolds Gu Tingye, more out of disappointment in his work than out of wanting to make it work, and also to put it on show for others to see.

After all, he has been a marquis for more than 20 years. How could he not be cunning? How could he not understand the situation at home?

But they are all members of the family, and the palms and backs of his hands are full of flesh. He is a true upright official who can't handle housework, so he simply ignores it and vents his anger on the second son, who has the most stubborn temper and is easy to bully.

Gu Yankai's smile seemed to be from the bottom of his heart, and Madam Qin beside him also seemed to be smiling from the bottom of her heart.

I have to say that this woman is really good at hiding things. If Zhou Chen hadn't known the plot, he probably wouldn't have been able to see through this woman's scheming and truthfulness when they met for the first time.

There are a lot of guests in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion today. Most of the nobles in Beijing are here, many civil officials are here, and even Prince Yong and Princess Yong are here.

Not long after Prince Yong and Princess Yong arrived, Prince Yan and Princess Yan also arrived.

Gu Yankai showed a very warm welcome on the surface, but he was probably cursing in his heart. How could he not know why these two princes came?

Although he is now the Marquis of Ningyuan, he has not been in charge of affairs for a long time due to his health, and their Gu family has little voice in the court.

But things are different now. Although Gu Tingye has only been in the officialdom for a short time, he has been promoted very quickly and has become a new upstart in the court. Even the emperor praises him. Everyone can see that the Ningyuan Marquisate is slowly gaining momentum.

The purpose of Prince Yong and Prince Yan attending the wedding is naturally self-evident.

However, although these two people were tit-for-tat, they also knew the occasion clearly. Today at the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, they did not argue with each other and appeared to be in harmony on the surface.

Zhou Chen didn't want to be in the spotlight, so he just greeted some people he knew, and then sat aside without saying much.

Fortunately, he has always been a low-key person in the eyes of others, so no one thinks there is anything wrong with him.

"Zhou Hou."

Zhou Chen turned around and saw that it was Rong Yuan whom he had seen that day.

"Lord Rong."

Rong Yuan said enthusiastically, "It was all thanks to the Marquis that we were able to make it happen that day. We have always wanted to repay you, but we just never had the chance. Please don't blame me, Marquis."

"That's my job, Lord Rong, don't take it to heart."

"Your Excellency is so modest, which is admirable."

Rong Yuan said in a low voice: "My little sister's matter has brought trouble to Mr. Hou. We, the Rong family, are very sorry. That King Yong really bullied others too much. He actually..."

Zhou Chen immediately interrupted: "Master Rong, today is Gu Erlang's wedding day, let's not talk about this."

Rong Yuan was stunned for a moment, then understood: "My Lord, you are right. I was too abrupt."

When Gu Tingye brought Yu Yanran back, Ningyuan Marquis Mansion reached its busiest moment.

It was not until Gu Tingye and Yu Yanran successfully got married that Zhou Chen still felt a little surprised. Gu Tingye really got married to Yu Yanran, and Gu Yankai was not angry to death. The plot of the male protagonist Gu Tingye had changed completely.

On the other hand, Minglan was still arguing with Qi Heng and Madam Wu.

Thinking of Minglan, Zhou Chen suddenly remembered that Hualan had mentioned that Minglan seemed to have come here with Sheng Changbai and the others today. The Duke of Qi's Mansion and the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion are relatives, and since Gu Tingye is getting married today, people from the Duke of Qi's Mansion will naturally come as well.

In the plot, Minglan and Qi Heng met privately at Gu's house. Now, they have all come to Gu's house. Could they be having another private meeting?

Thinking of this situation, he couldn't help but frown.

He didn't want to comment too much on the relationship between the boy and girl Minglan and Qi Heng. After all, when it comes to feelings, you can never empathize with them unless you are the party involved.

As a bystander, you can see the problem with some relationships at a glance, but the people involved are unaware of it, or even if they know it, they are willing to bear it.

Especially first love, it is hard to forget and makes it difficult to control one's emotions.

As the second male lead in “The Story of Minglan”, many people may think that Qi Heng is cowardly and incompetent when watching the TV show, and prefer the domineering male lead like Gu Tingye.

But how can we actually say it? In such an era, people like Qi Heng are more in line with the mainstream of this era. People like Gu Tingye are considered heretics in the eyes of mainstream people.

At the very least, when it comes to marriage, nine and a half out of ten families would choose Qi Heng instead of Gu Tingye.

As Zhou Chen was born in modern society, he naturally admired Gu Tingye, who was a man who relied on himself to work hard and dared to fight and kill.

But he had no ill feelings towards Qi Heng. In fact, Qi Heng was a very good person. It was just that in such an era and in such a family, he was raised with care since childhood, and with such a strong mother, his emotional life was destined to be bumpy, because his emotions would definitely not be chosen according to his temperament.

Let’s not talk about anything else, just take the fact that Prince Yong placed his father under house arrest. If you put yourself in his shoes, if you were a normal person, faced with such a choice, I’m afraid most people would make the same choice as Qi Heng.

To be honest, the behavior of breaking into Prince Yong's mansion as Gu Tingye mentioned is really not feasible. Prince Yong even dared to put a duke under house arrest. If you, a legitimate son of a marquis, break into the mansion to snatch someone, you are gambling with your own life. The possibility of success is very slim.

Of course, Gu Tingye had good intentions, because there was really no better way at the time and he could only take a gamble and give it a try.

It’s a pity that Qi Heng didn’t dare to gamble, nor could he afford to gamble, so the tragedy between him and Minglan was doomed.

In fact, based on his experience, Zhou Chen does not quite agree with Minglan and Qi Heng. With a strong mother-in-law like Princess Pingning, Minglan will definitely suffer if she marries her. And Qi Heng's character will definitely not be able to protect Minglan. Everything depends on Minglan herself, which means she is destined to have a hard life.

Zhou Chen quietly walked out of the banquet hall, walked in the Gu Mansion for a while, and came to a garden. Suddenly, he saw Minglan's maids Xiaotao and Danju, and Buwei, the servant beside Qi Heng.

"Are you really that brave?"

When Zhou Chen saw this situation, he knew that Qi Heng must have taken this opportunity to contact Minglan privately.

Since they have already had contact, it means that Qi Heng's mother, Princess Pingning, has most likely discovered their secret meeting. Given her personality, she will definitely not tolerate it.

Minglan and Qi Heng used the bamboo forest to hide their bodies and ate the thousand-layer cake that Qi Heng brought. Qi Heng looked at them intently from the side, his eyes so gentle that they seemed to melt everything.

Qi Heng told Minglan of his determination, saying that he would find a way to marry Minglan even at the cost of his own life.

Minglan ate the thousand-layer cake silently and did not seem very happy. She was different from Qi Heng, who was spoiled since childhood. She had experienced a lot and was not as naive as Qi Heng.

Although she also liked Qi Heng in her heart, she was more rational and knew that there was almost no possibility between her and Qi Heng. Qi Heng's mother alone made it impossible to pass the test.

But even so, she still couldn't let go, thinking that as long as Qi Heng could hold on for one day, she would hold on for one day. If Qi Heng finally compromised and no longer wanted to marry her, she would not blame Qi Heng, because she also knew how difficult it was for Qi Heng.

Just when Qi Heng and Minglan said that they would never let Minglan down, a voice suddenly rang out.

"If a man is not absolutely sure, it is better not to say such words easily."

The sudden sound startled both Qi Heng and Minglan, and they both stood up in shock.

Minglan suddenly panicked when she saw the person coming.

"Big, big brother-in-law."

"Zhou Hou."

Qi Heng also looked nervous. Buwei was clearly watching outside, so how come Zhou Chen suddenly came in?

Especially when he used this method to meet Minglan secretly, and happened to meet Minglan's brother-in-law, it was really embarrassing and awkward.

Seeing Minglan lowering her head and not daring to speak, Zhou Chen snorted.

"They are getting married in the front hall, but you are running to meet in the backyard. If someone doesn't know, they would think this is your own garden."

Qi Heng hurriedly excused Minglan: "Lord Zhou, this was entirely my fault. Sixth sister was forced into it. Please don't blame her."

Zhou Chen said calmly, "It's useless to explain to me. You should think about how to explain to your mother, Princess Pingning, when you go back. When I came here just now, I saw her leaving with a dark face. I'm afraid she saw all your little actions, but she didn't make a big deal because this was in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Minglan trembled, and Qi Heng's already pale face turned even paler.

Seeing their reactions, Zhou Chen couldn't help but shook his head. Even though Minglan was more introverted, after all, their temperaments were not much better than those of children. Qi Heng was a few years older than Minglan, but his temperament and maturity were not even as good as Minglan's.

With such a mind, it is simply a dream to break through the obstacles of family and power.

Qi Heng gritted his teeth and said firmly: "Even if mother knows, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I have made up my mind. If I don't marry my sixth sister, I will ask the Marquis of Zhou to make it happen."

Zhou Chen was speechless. He even asked him to help her, but he was not willing to help her at all. Minglan was not his daughter. Qi Heng was really immature.

But it's true, being able to fight against your mother by going on a hunger strike, like a child playing house, isn't that naive?

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1148: Propose a plan and change the plot

"It's no use asking me to help you. I can't be the master of Sixth Sister, nor can I be the master of you. If you want to be with Sixth Sister, you can only rely on your efforts."

Zhou Chen suddenly changed the subject when he said this: "But with all due respect, using a hunger strike as a way to confront your family is really too childish and stupid. A responsible man should use his wisdom and ability to achieve his goals, rather than relying on a hunger strike to make his family compromise."

"Not to mention that your method is impossible to succeed. Even if you succeed and make your parents compromise, and you marry your sixth sister as they wish, how will your parents treat her in the future?"

"I……"

Zhou Chen interrupted Qi Heng who was about to speak: "Stop, I know what you want to say. You want to say that you can protect her and not let her suffer any injustice, but how can you guarantee that? You have to go on a hunger strike to marry her. Such a cowardly act, how can you protect her and let her go on a hunger strike with you?"

Qi Heng's pale face turned red, and he was eager to explain.

"I, I can do it. I definitely can do it."

Seeing Qi Heng trying his best to defend himself but unable to explain what he did, Zhou Chen shook his head. He was a good man, but too idealistic and couldn't stand a little wind and rain.

"What about you? Do you think you can handle Princess Pingning if you marry into the Duke of Qi's mansion?"

Minglan raised her head and said hesitantly, "Brother-in-law, I, I think, it should, it should be possible."

"Should? I don't hear you have any confidence at all."

Love can indeed make people lose their minds. In fact, Minglan can see everything clearly, but she is still willing to give it a try.

"Let's not talk about Princess Pingning for now. I'll tell you another story. You also know about the incident in which Rong Feiyan from the Rong family was kidnapped on the day of the Lantern Festival."

"I know."

Minglan nodded. Because of this matter, the Rong family, Prince Yong and Prince Yan were in a big quarrel. Even she, a girl from the backyard, heard about it. She also knew that the person who saved Rong Feiyan was her eldest brother-in-law.