jdhmnovel Chapter 1688 Conflict
Chapter 1688 Conflict
Wan Lianxing pulled Madam Wan up: "Wasn't that just a word from my sister-in-law?"
Wan Lianxing never intended to do anything to Han Muran. Everyone in Fengqi knew that he had no son and could not have one. Although it was unpleasant to hear, it was an undeniable fact.
If it were someone else who was so disrespectful today, Wan Lianxing would not have let it go so easily. Unfortunately, this person is his sister-in-law's family member, and his sister-in-law has brought up Cheng Youning again. How could he not listen to his sister-in-law?
At this moment, Cheng Feng requested an audience, accompanied by the drunken Ge Dongqing. Although the people kneeling on the ground had all stood up, Cheng Feng still sensed something was wrong. He looked at Shang Xi, who had her head slightly lowered, and Shang Xi shook her head slightly, indicating that he should not ask anything. The clever Cheng Feng then pretended to be mute.
Ge Dongqing was drunk and couldn't see that something was wrong in the room. When he saw Zhong Siyu standing next to Wan Lianxing, he asked in surprise, "Eh? The Empress is alright?"
Zhong Siyu, her face deathly pale, shook her head slightly at Ge Dongqing: "It's nothing serious."
"Brother, you look so pale. Did someone offend you?" Ge Dongqing looked around, his eyes landing on Han Muran's face. The fear on Han Muran's face hadn't completely faded, and tears still clung to her eyelashes. "Was it this little girl who talked back to you, brother? Why?"
The old steward was like a mind reader to Wan Lianxing; he could handle even the most complicated matters of love and relationships for the Emperor. The old steward's expression was solemn, his authority undiminished, as he said, "Because her birth charts are incompatible with the Emperor's."
"Clashing?"
"Incompatible! And incompatible with children!" The old butler's tone was harsh, making Han Muran feel suffocated! She hated the old man who had just scolded her, and she also hated his lack of approval.
Even Ge Dongqing felt a pang of regret at Han Muran's handsome face. He had noticed the woman beside Madam Wan at the banquet; she was quite beautiful, and the alluring charm in her eyes made Ge Dongqing's heart itch. However, this woman's eyes were fixed on the Emperor the entire time. At that moment, Ge Dongqing understood. For Madam Wan to bring a girl who admired the Emperor to such a welcoming banquet, the meaning was self-evident. Would she have appeared there if she didn't want to enter the palace as a concubine?
Ge Dongqing was well-read and knowledgeable in fortune telling. He spoke casually and without restraint: "She will be widowed and childless, and will have difficulty finding a husband. Even if she marries, she may be rejected."
These words pierced Madam Wan's heart. They had spent half a year cultivating Han Muran, hiring the best matrons and nannies to teach her palace etiquette and manners. To win favor with the Han family, they had even gone to great lengths to teach Han Muran some bedroom arts. All of this was ruined because of a supposed incompatibility in their birth charts. Not only was Han Muran, with tears welling in her eyes, unwilling to accept it, but Madam Wan was equally resentful!
Ge Dongqing's words offended Madam Wan. Just a moment ago, Madam Wan regarded her grandniece as an outstanding person, but now her grandniece was in trouble getting married. Wasn't this just like throwing Han Muran, who was on cloud nine, to the ground?
Madam Wan was still able to remain calm at this moment, but there was already a hint of anger in her eyes as she looked at Ge Dongqing. "Lord Ge, these birth dates were matched by Huang Chenming. It's hard to say whether there's anything fishy going on here."
Looking around, the room was full of Wan Lianxing's men. He wanted to call a deer a horse, but he had a whole group of people with him.
Ge Dongqing was utterly impressed by Huang Chenming's divination skills. "The Imperial Advisor's plans are meticulous and flawless. Years ago, when Fengying suffered a severe drought, the Imperial Advisor calculated that if His Majesty prayed for rain, Fengying would be free from drought for five years. His Majesty is a celestial being, and his prayers for rain were divinely granted. That rain lasted for three days and three nights, filling ditches and moats, and the whole prefecture rejoiced. Sure enough, our Fengqi enjoyed five consecutive years of favorable weather and abundant harvests." Suddenly, Ge Dongqing changed the subject, asking Wan Lianxing, "Brother, when are you going to pray for rain again? Those waterwheels on the river are about to dry up the pumps..."
Wan Lianxing was furious, but his expression remained unchanged. He coughed lightly and said, "Brother, you've gone off on a tangent!"
Ge Dongqing rolled his eyes and looked at Han Muran, who was glaring at him angrily. He then got back to the point, "You little girl, there's no need to hate me. It's a big taboo to harm your husband and children. People who are particular about these things would rather remain single than marry you."
The Emperor glanced at Ge Dongqing, his smiling eyes filled with appreciation, reflecting his approval of Ge Dongqing as a person; his sworn brother was indeed somewhat useful.
Han Muran dared not speak, but that did not mean Madam Wan dared not. Madam Wan had suspicions in her heart, suspecting that Wan Lianxing, Huang Chenming, and Ge Dongqing had conspired to slander her grandniece. "In my sixties, I have never heard of anyone who can calculate without omissions!"
Huang Chenming smiled. He knew that Madam Wan did not believe him. "If Madam Wan does not trust Chenming, she can ask someone else to match the horoscopes of the Emperor and Han Muran. Chenming can guarantee with his own head that if I miscalculate or miss something, I will let the old lady deal with me as she sees fit."
Upon hearing this, Madam Wan was greatly surprised. Wan Lianxing also looked at Huang Chenming. He thought that Huang Chenming had said this after being instructed by the old steward. It turned out that this Han Muran really was destined to bring misfortune to her husband and children!
Seeing Huang Chenming's certainty, Ge Dongqing became even more enthusiastic. "Madam, in folk tradition, a woman who harms her husband and children is considered an unlucky person. This girl is your grandniece, not an outsider. In my opinion, she is not suitable to find a husband; marrying would only bring harm to others."
Madam Wan was so angry with Ge Dongqing that she almost dropped the prayer beads in her hand. She questioned Ge Dongqing with great dissatisfaction, "Then, Lord Ge, please choose a 'removal' for my grandniece!"
Without a second thought, Ge Dongqing said, "Let's send them to a temple for spiritual practice! It'll be better for everyone!"
Seeing his mother's expression, Cheng Feng couldn't stand it anymore. If she couldn't get into the palace smoothly, she couldn't just be sent to a temple. This girl had high aspirations. "Uncle Ge, even if she's widowed and childless, it doesn't have to be sent to a temple to shave her head and become a nun. At worst, we can keep her at home."
No one in the Han family has ever spent a single day in a temple for quiet meditation.
Ge Dongqing adopted the demeanor of an elder, saying, "Nephew, you just don't understand. This kind of person is not worthy of being married off. Marrying her would only harm her!"
Madam Wan stood up angrily and said, "Let's go! If we're not welcome here, there are other places that will."
Wan Lianxing got up and helped his sister-in-law up, speaking softly and somewhat humbly, "Sister-in-law, why get so angry? Dongqing has had too much to drink, don't take it to heart."
"Are you trying to annoy me by saying I'm Lord Ge? It's clearly you, Wan Lianxing, who's making me angry. You've been a troublemaker since you were little, and you're still making people angry now that you're grown up. I think you don't need to acknowledge me as your sister-in-law anymore."
Madam Wan rarely spoke such angry words to Wan Lianxing. Today, Wan Lianxing was really disrespectful to her. She was already so old, shouldn't she be making plans for her own family?