freenovelworld Chapter 863 The Empress's Intention!
Chapter 863 The Empress's Intention!
The Empress intended to betroth Sun Ruomei to the royal family, but after the incident with Sun Ruoxiang, the Sun family was probably already wary of the royal family.
The Empress's favorite was Duanmu Xing.
The next day, the Empress personally went to the East Palace, played with Duanmu Zonghua for a while, and then explained her thoughts.
Mu Xin Nuan actually understood the Empress's thoughts.
The Sun family has always been quite law-abiding in the capital, which is why they were not implicated in the Prince An incident.
The Emperor has seen everything about the Sun family, and he fears that whenever he meets Minister Sun's eyes in court, he will feel that he has wronged him.
However, Sun Ruomei was not a direct descendant of the Sun family, and her biological father did not hold a high official position. Given her status, she could only marry Duanmu Xing as a concubine.
So, back then, Sun Ruoxiang married Prince An as a concubine, and now Sun Ruomei has married Duanmu Xing as a concubine. I'm afraid...
"Mother, have you spoken to Lady Sun about this matter?"
The Empress's eyes flashed. "You mean to have Sun Ruomei adopted under Madam Sun's name, so that she becomes a legitimate daughter of the Sun family, and then be betrothed to Xing'er as his principal wife?"
"Your Majesty, that is indeed what I mean. Think about it, if Sun Ruomei can become the principal wife, it doesn't really matter to the Sun family whose daughter she is. Besides, Sun Ruomei's biological mother has passed away, and isn't this new mother a stepmother? Even if she treats Sun Ruomei well, I'm afraid it won't be as affectionate as Madam Sun treated her."
“That’s true. She was raised by Madam Sun since she was a child. After losing her biological mother, and then living without her mother for several years, I heard that she has always lived in the Sun family. Your idea is brilliant, but we should discuss it with Madam Sun first.”
"Mother, you are the Empress. If you just say one word, she will understand."
"That's true, but Sun Ruoxiang was a good girl before. It's just a pity that because of Chen'er, she moved to Yanzhou, which has separated her and her daughter."
Mu Xin Nuan blinked slightly. "Mother is kind. Some things can't be rushed, can they?"
The Empress was taken aback. She had only said it casually, but she hadn't expected Mu Xin Nuan to give her such an answer.
Yes, many things don't need to be rushed.
Duanmu Chen made a mistake, but his son might still be able to return to the capital, though of course, it's impossible within three to five years.
The Empress couldn't help but glance at Mu Xin Nuan again, unsure whether her words were her own or Duanmu Chu Ze's.
However, when the Empress thought of the close relationship between Duanmu Chuze and the former Crown Prince, she felt relatively at ease.
"Anuan, I see you're just sitting around in the palace with nothing to do. How about I leave Sun Ruomei's matter to you?"
Mu Xin Nuan was taken aback, then gave a wry smile, "Mother, are you really treating your daughter-in-law as a matchmaker?"
"Anyway, this isn't the first time you've done this, so you might as well help your mother arrange another one."
"I understand Mother's thoughts, but what about Princess Ming?"
"Don't worry, I'll talk to her. She's a very calm and collected person. The Sun family has been a scholarly family for generations, and they're not the kind of family that likes to cause trouble, so she'll be satisfied. Besides, Sun Ruomei's performance in the main hall last night was also excellent. Originally, after the three beauties performed each year, they would be married off by the royal family according to their status."
"Does Mother mean that these three young ladies are all about to get married?"
"How could that be? At the very least, that Miss Huarong has to go back to her Turkic homeland. As for that Lu Xiaoxiao..."
The Empress glanced at Mu Xin Nuan as she spoke, "I heard that the other day, that mother and daughter offended you?"
"Not at all. To me, it seems more like Madam Lu's wishful thinking. Those two young ladies are quite nice."
The Empress was quite satisfied with Mu Xinnuan's attitude.
She must not harbor hatred towards a family because of one person; this is something that any woman who will hold that position in the future must be able to do.
If one acts solely based on personal likes and dislikes, it is likely that sooner or later, one will harm Duanmu Chuze, or even destroy the entire Dayong Dynasty.
And Mu Xin Nuan's current attitude is exactly what she wanted to see.
The Empress naturally knew how outrageous things Madam Lu had done. When Duanmu Chen was favored, she often took her two daughters to visit the Prince An's residence, and hinted at her intentions to Wang Xinyan countless times.
She would occasionally enter the palace, but she always brought her two beloved daughters with her, hoping to marry one of them into the royal family.
But this Mrs. Lu never considered that some people are ultimately unsuitable.
The Duke of Dingguo's family is powerful and influential, and is naturally a prestigious family. It's just a pity that in recent years, the Duke of Dingguo's family has not had good connections. What use is it if only the daughter is outstanding?
The current Duke of Dingguo is only a fairly honest person; compared to the previous two, he is far inferior.
Besides, the daughter of the former Duke of Dingguo was married to the heir of the Prince Su's mansion, and is now considered a member of the royal family. How could the Duanmu family possibly marry two daughters of the Lu family as daughters-in-law?
Even a concubine is not permitted.
Unfortunately, this is something that Madam Lu will never understand.
“Anuan, you are perhaps more suitable to speak with Madam Sun than I am. After all, there is also Sun Ruoxiang among you.”
"Yes, Mother, rest assured, your daughter-in-law will definitely handle this matter perfectly for you."
Soon, as the New Year approached, the ladies of various households naturally brought gifts to the Eastern Palace to offer their congratulations.
When Madam Sun arrived, both Madam Li and Madam Liu were there, so they sat down and chatted together.
Mu Xin Nuan smiled faintly, "Madam Sun, Ruo Mei's performance in the main hall that day was truly wonderful."
"You flatter me, Your Highness. If we're talking about playing the zither, who in the capital could compare to you?"
"I've heard that Sun Ruomei has two stepsisters. Although they're family, they're still related by blood. Madam Sun, aren't you worried that your niece might be mistreated?"
Madam Sun was taken aback. Why was the Crown Princess so concerned about Sun Ruomei for no apparent reason?
"The Empress Dowager visited the East Palace before. This Sun Ruomei is a good person."
Madam Sun's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes began to redden.
"I know that Madam Sun only has one daughter, Ruoxiang. Now that she is married, you are lonely and have no one to accompany you. Why not adopt Sun Ruomei into your family? Wouldn't that be better? In this way, your stepmother will also be satisfied."