met free Chapter 232 You want boots? Have your own daughters.
Chapter 232 You want boots? Have your own daughters.
If Emperor Jing'an does not agree to Princess Guangning marrying Shen Du, he will refuse to marry the Northern Qi in the Golden Palace.
Emperor Jing'an did not refuse Northern Qi's request in the Golden Palace, indicating that he had softened his stance and intended to let Shen Du marry Princess Guangning.
Although Emperor Jing'an's decree has not yet been issued, his attitude has been made clear.
Under these circumstances, wasn't the Prince of Zhenbei's decision to privately mobilize troops to go to the northern border a clear indication to Emperor Jing'an that he did not agree to the marriage?
Prince Yu turned the jade thumb ring on his thumb: "After the Northern Qi envoy left, Father Emperor secretly summoned Prince Zhenbei?"
"When the Prince of Zhenbei left the palace, he looked very unhappy, as if the meeting had ended badly." The Chamberlain asked, "Your Highness, do you intend to proceed with this marriage?"
"What's the rush?" Prince Yu said calmly. "This is something that Northern Qi should do. What does it have to do with me?"
He turned around and walked towards the desk: "The situation is unclear. If we act rashly, we will only be waiting for our doom."
The Grand Master was taken aback, but instantly understood that the situation regarding the Prince of Zhenbei's troop deployment to the northern border was still unclear, and it was not advisable to act rashly.
We must wait for Northern Qi to take action, and then combine that with Emperor Jing'an's reaction, before we can determine whether the Prince of Zhenbei left the capital without permission or conspired with Emperor Jing'an.
If it were the latter, they would be eager to arrange this marriage... Thinking of this, the Grand Tutor broke out in a cold sweat.
Prince Yu pushed a letter on the table in front of the Grand Tutor: "You shall deliver the information in this letter to Boss Qin discreetly."
The Grand Tutor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and held the letter in both hands: "I will take care of it right away."
-
After the Prince of Zhenbei finished inspecting his troops, he returned to his residence. Guided by a maid, he arrived at the entrance of the hall. He pushed open the door, and a room full of warm light poured out.
A family of six sat down around an octagonal table.
That chair, which had been empty for so long, has finally found its owner.
The Prince of Zhenbei tightened his jaw, slowly walked towards his wife and children, and sat down in his seat.
Shen Qingtan called out, "Father, you're back."
The Prince of Zhenbei grunted in agreement. “Manman, your good-for-nothing brothers are still unmarried, causing you all so much worry.”
He glanced at his three sons: "Now that you have received your rewards, it's time to think about your personal matters."
Shen Du, Shen Zhuo, and Shen Lue fell silent; they had never considered getting married.
Previously, Manman had gone missing, and the atmosphere in the manor was somber, not suitable for a wedding. The only thought on everyone's mind was to find Manman.
Who knew that these roughnecks would suddenly become so sought-after?
Shen Du and Shen Zhuo said, "We'll follow Mother's arrangements."
Just as Shen Lue was about to agree, Qi Chuyin's image suddenly popped into his mind, and he immediately put the pressure on his two older brothers: "My eldest and second brothers have gotten married, so I'll get married next."
Shen Du and Shen Zhuo looked at him with dangerous glint in their eyes.
Shen Lue said matter-of-factly, "As the younger brother, I can't get married first, can I?"
He rubbed his face and said, "This doesn't make sense here, does it?"
Shen Du and Shen Zhuo frowned, and then Shen Lue continued, "Little sister, is what third brother said right?"
Shen Qingtan smiled and said, "When I'm looking for a husband for my eldest and second eldest brothers, I'll also look for one for you. We can arrange the wedding date according to the order of seniority, which will save us a lot of trouble."
Shen Lue: "..." She's definitely his younger sister.
The Prince and Princess of Zhenbei watched their children playing, a smile unconsciously appearing in their eyes.
At this moment, a maid brought a basin of water for the Prince of Zhenbei to wash his hands.
Princess Zhenbei rolled up her sleeves and washed his hands.
The Prince of Zhenbei said in a low voice, "My hands are dirty, do it yourself."
"We part tomorrow, and I don't know when we will meet again."
Princess Zhenbei took out some scented soap and wiped his large hands.
His palms were covered with thick calluses and deep and shallow knife scars.
The status of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion was entirely established by these two hands, who provided them with a safe haven.
At an age when he should be enjoying the company of his grandchildren, he still has to fight on the front lines for the sake of his children and grandchildren.
Princess Zhenbei lowered her head and washed his large hands inside and out, then wiped them clean with a handkerchief.
“I have failed as a mother. I failed to find suitable marriages for my sons, which allowed the Northern Qi to take advantage of the situation. We have only had a few days of family reunion before you have to go back to guard the frontier.”
“They need to establish their careers before starting a family. How can you blame them?” No matter how reluctant the Prince of Zhenbei was, he could not shirk his responsibilities: “I am a military general, and it is my duty to guard the border and protect the peace of this region.”
Princess Zhenbei only felt sorry for him.
Shen Du said, "Father, I will go to the Northern Border with you."
Shen Zhuo quickly added, "I'll go too."
Shen Lue quickly said, "Hey, don't leave me out."
"You all stay here," the Prince of Zhenbei said in a deep voice, "to protect your mother and sister."
The group fell silent.
"My trip to the northern border this time is ostensibly to express my dissatisfaction with the marriage alliance and to openly put pressure on the emperor."
The Prince of Zhenbei's gaze sharpened: "Since the Emperor deliberately turns a blind eye, Northern Qi dares not act rashly. They fear that I will send troops to attack Northern Qi, and once war breaks out, Northern Qi's envoys will be detained as hostages."
The Northern Qi dared to be so arrogant simply because they were using Princess Yizhen to threaten Emperor Jing'an. Once Emperor Jing'an was no longer threatened, the Northern Qi would have no advantage and would have no choice but to behave themselves.
Shen Du and Shen Zhuo understood their father's meaning. They knew that Northern Qi would assess the situation and that this war was unlikely to break out, so they did not mention going to the northern border again.
At this moment, the maidservant brought the food to the table.
"Let's not talk about that anymore." The Prince of Zhenbei picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of roasted meat, and placed it in the Princess of Zhenbei's bowl: "Eat."
Princess Zhenbei subconsciously looked at Shen Qingtan and saw Zhao Yi serving her a bowl of soup and handing her a spoon, taking meticulous care of her.
Shen Qingtan noticed the gaze of the Princess of Zhenbei and looked up at her.
Princess Zhenbei had a gentle smile in her eyes and brows, as if she was pleased that her husband had found her a good match.
Feeling embarrassed in front of her elders, Shen Qingtan blushed and took a sip of soup.
Seeing her charming appearance, the Princess of Zhenbei's smile became even more genuine.
A woman will only show her girlish charm in front of someone she likes.
For some reason, she turned to look at the Prince of Zhenbei beside her, only to see him calmly gazing at Shen Qingtan.
The daughter, whom they had longed for, was only cherished for a few years before being forced to leave their side.
Now, after only a few days of reunion, we are about to part again.
This man couldn't bear to part with it.
Princess Zhenbei spoke up, "Manman, Yi'er, will you stay at the manor tonight?"
Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi nodded slightly: "When we arrived, we informed the elders of the household that we would be staying here tonight."
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Zhenbei seemed to have his sharp edges smoothed out, becoming even more serene.
After dinner, the Prince of Zhenbei did not keep Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi, and instructed his maid to take the young couple back to their room to rest.
Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi left.
Princess Zhenbei took a bundle from the side and placed it in Prince Zhenbei's arms: "These are the boots that Manman prepared for you."
The Prince of Zhenbei was taken aback. He opened the bundle with both hands, revealing a pair of boots made of deerskin.
He raised his hand and touched the boots; they felt very soft.
This type of leather is also very durable when worn on the feet.
Princess Zhenbei smiled and said, "Manman only prepared this for you; none of us received anything."
The Prince of Zhenbei looked up and saw his sons staring at the boots.
He scoffed, "If you want boots, go have a daughter yourselves."
He ripped off the cloth covering the boots, not letting those brats see them.
Shen Du, Shen Zhuo, and Shen Lue: "..."