jdhmnovel Chapter 321 The Prince Rescues
Chapter 321 The Prince Rescues
Chapter 321 The Crown Prince Rescues Him
In the majestic palaces of Cangling Kingdom, the morning light shines through the carved window lattices, casting a golden glow on the golden bricks of Yangxin Hall.
Shen Yuxi sat upright on the dragon throne, his face gloomy. The chief eunuch Li Fuquan beside him lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.
Outside the door, Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou was extremely anxious. He paced back and forth, his folding fan opening and closing intermittently, making a "snap snap" sound.
Today I heard that my father intends to force Miss Shi Wanxia to enter the palace and betroth her to him, regardless of whose family this marriage will be with.
He was worried about Miss Shi's temperament, fearing that his father might do the opposite of what he intended, and he could no longer sit still.
Although Shi Wanxia was a woman, she possessed extraordinary talent and had unique insights into military strategy and governance, which had already made her famous among the people.
Shen Yanzhou knew that if such a talent could be used by Cang Ling, he would surely help the country prosper, rather than being confined to the inner palace.
Finally, disregarding his own impoliteness, Shen Yanzhou abruptly pushed open the doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and strode into the hall.
He knelt down before Shen Yuxi with a thud and respectfully said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"
Shen Yuxi looked at the Crown Prince who had suddenly barged in, his face showing displeasure, but he thought of the father-son relationship they had shared for many years, and also of his long-standing affection for the Crown Prince.
She raised her hand to make him stand up and questioned, "Why are you here! Didn't I tell you to wait outside?"
Shen Yanzhou stood up, his gaze firm. He glanced at Shi Wanxia, who looked somewhat frightened, and nodded slightly, as if to comfort her.
Then, he said loudly, "Father, I believe that Miss Shi's great talent can bring prosperity to Cangling, making our Cangling strong and powerful, and bringing peace to the world."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Since Miss Shi is unwilling to marry, then Father should withdraw his sincerity! Besides, my Crown Princess is virtuous and capable of managing the household, and I have no plans to take a concubine for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia was filled with gratitude. She looked up at Shen Yanzhou, her eyes glistening with tears.
Shen Yuxi was furious. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to shake.
"I am only thinking of Cang Ling and you, how could you... I have made a decision, how can you change it with just a few words? Do you want to defy the imperial decree!"
Shen Yanzhou immediately knelt down again and said, "Father, please calm down. How could I not know your good intentions?"
"As the crown prince, I know that a loyal and capable minister is more useful than a woman in the harem."
"If Miss Shi could enter the court as an official, she would surely make great contributions to Cangling."
Looking at the Crown Prince kneeling on the ground, Shen Yuxi's anger subsided slightly.
He pondered for a moment and said, “Since ancient times, women have been forbidden from interfering in politics; this is an ancestral rule. I have already made an exception by having Shi Wanxia serve as an official in the court, but this is not a long-term solution! If this continues, won’t the world descend into chaos?”
Shen Yanzhou kowtowed and said, "Father, times have changed. Cangling is facing many internal and external troubles."
"The Xiongnu are eyeing us covetously in the north, and floods are frequent in the south. Although there are many talented people in the court, there are very few who have such ingenious ideas and unconventional thinking as Miss Shi."
"Your subject believes that as long as it brings blessings to Cangling, why should we adhere to ancestral rules?"
At this moment, Shi Wanxia, who had been silent all along, also bowed gracefully and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for the Crown Prince's kindness and know that Your Majesty is also doing this for the sake of the country."
"Although I am a woman, I have been well-versed in poetry and literature and studied military strategy since childhood, and I am determined to serve my country."
"If I have the opportunity to realize my ambitions, I will do my utmost to live up to the trust of Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince."
Shen Yuxi looked at the two kneeling on the ground and felt a little wavering.
He recalled the situation in Cangling in recent years and realized that it truly needed capable people to share the burden.
After a long silence, he sighed and said, "This matter is of great importance; allow me to consider it further. You may all leave now."
Shen Yanzhou and Shi Wanxia exchanged a glance, bowed in gratitude, and slowly withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
As Shi Wanxia stepped out of the palace gates, she said to Shen Yanzhou, "Thank you, Your Highness, for speaking up for me today. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid..."
Shen Yanzhou smiled and said, "Miss Shi, you don't need to be so polite. You have great talent and should be employed by the imperial court."
"If you need anything in the future, just let me know." With that, the two parted ways.
The atmosphere in the imperial study was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
Emperor Shen Yuxi's face was full of anger. He slammed the memorial in his hand to the ground. The vermilion annotations on the memorial trembled in the air with the movement, as if they were also afraid of the emperor's wrath.
Yu Heng, an old eunuch who had served in the palace for many years, was carefully carrying a cup of cooling tea and hurried forward with small steps.
He bowed slightly, his face showing a mixture of respect and fear, and said softly, "Your Majesty, please calm down and have some tea to soothe your anger."
As he spoke, he handed the teacup to Shen Yuxi.
Shen Yuxi glanced at him, took the teacup, took a small sip, and her brows remained furrowed.
Yu Heng stood to the side, not daring to breathe.
Although he was a eunuch and knew that he shouldn't speak out about matters of state, he felt he had to say something given the current situation.
After much hesitation, Yu Heng finally spoke up: "Your Majesty, in this old servant's opinion, His Highness the Crown Prince respects Lord Shi more than he likes him."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuxi looked at him sharply, and Yu Heng quickly lowered his head in fright, continuing, "If His Majesty were to forcibly betroth Lord Shi to His Highness the Crown Prince, given Lord Shi's personality, I'm afraid it would be a case of more harm than good!"
"Moreover, those ministers are also apprehensive about the fact that Your Majesty is a woman with outstanding political achievements. They are worried about losing the Emperor's favor and there are many voices of opposition."
Shen Yuxi snorted coldly: "Those pedantic ministers, do you think I don't know what they're thinking! They're just afraid that there will be someone in the court who is not under their control."
Seeing that the emperor did not immediately become angry, Yu Heng became a little bolder and continued, "Why doesn't Your Majesty let go? This old servant believes that Lady Shi's temperament and character are sufficient to deal with those ministers who oppose her."
"His Majesty has witnessed her actions in the court. If this marriage causes her to lose heart, the court will lose another capable person."
Shen Yuxi paused in his tea-drinking, thinking to himself that the old man was indeed right.
Shi Wanxia, despite her young age, has already distinguished herself in the imperial court, and her ability to handle government affairs is in no way inferior to that of the veteran officials.
He was just thinking that if he could marry her to the Crown Prince, he could have a capable assistant for the Crown Prince and also control her better.
But I never imagined there were so many considerations involved.
"The Empress sent you to act as an intermediary, didn't she?"
Shen Yuxi suddenly spoke, her eyes fixed on Yu Heng.
"Is she really afraid that I will ruin her son's marriage?"
Yu Heng was so frightened that he knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please understand, every word I said was my own thought, and I was absolutely not instructed by Her Majesty the Empress."
"Although Your Majesty the Empress also feels sorry for His Highness the Crown Prince, this old servant is truly thinking of His Majesty and the court in this matter."
Shen Yuxi looked at Yu Heng kneeling on the ground and remained silent for a long time.
He recalled the Empress's usual affection for the Crown Prince and realized that the Empress might really not want to see the Crown Prince being forced into a marriage.
But as emperor, he had to consider the fate of the country.
It would be a real pity if someone as talented as Shi Wanxia could not be used by the royal family.
"Get up."
Shen Yuxi waved his hand, and Yu Heng stood up tremblingly.
"Your Majesty, this old servant has something else to say, but I'm not sure if I should," Yu Heng said softly.
"Speak!" Shen Yuxi said impatiently.
"Lord Shi has great ambitions. If she can be given the freedom to realize them, she will surely make even greater contributions to His Majesty and the world."
"A forced marriage is not sweet. If there is no affection between His Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Shi, a forced union may cause rifts in the future, which would be detrimental to the stability of the court."