freenovelworld Chapter 341 Father and son talk
Chapter 341 Father and son talk
Until the first light of dawn the next day, a glint of determination finally flashed in Nangong Zhaolie's eyes. Having made up his mind, he secretly thought that he must find a way to keep Shen Li in the Xiqi Palace, and let his son Nangong Qi spend time with Shen Li day and night. In this way, he could create a good situation where the one who is close to the water gets the moon first.
Looking at his own son Nangong Qi, he was born with outstanding looks and dignified bearing, with his eyes and eyebrows full of intelligence, as if he had inherited all the advantages of himself and Ling'er. How could anyone not be attracted to such a handsome young man?
He was certain in his heart that if these two could fall in love and be in love with each other over time, then even if Xuan Ye was unwilling, why would he be so stubborn and refuse to let her go?
Thinking of this, Nangong Zhaolie's excitement grew stronger, and there was no trace of the fatigue that should have come from not sleeping all night.
At this moment, Zhang Quanshun, the chief eunuch in charge of the morning court affairs, hurried in. He stumbled and fell to his knees with a plop, kowtowed, and shouted in panic, "Your Majesty, you have not slept all night. Your health is the most important thing. Please take care of yourself!"
Nangong Zhaolie glanced up at the time indicated by the clepsydra, and realized that it was already time for the morning court session. He waved his hand gently and said to Zhang Quanshun, "No problem. Quickly change into court robes for me and proceed to the court."
The dim morning light shines through the carved window lattices of the palace and falls onto the solemn and dignified court.
As the court meeting was drawing to a close, the ministers bowed and filed out.
Nangong Zhaolie sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before finally settling on Nangong Qi. His expression was filled with concern and a subtle hint of meaning. He spoke slowly, "Qi'er, follow me to the imperial study later. I have something important to discuss with you."
Nangong Qi's heart moved slightly when he heard this. He quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully and replied, "Your son obeys your order."
He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, and his dark brocade robe made him look extraordinary. There was a hint of doubt between his sword-like brows and bright eyes, but in this court, he could only suppress his curiosity and wait for a private conversation with his father.
The father and son walked slowly along the long palace road, one in front and one behind, their steps steady but each with their own thoughts.
Before long, they had already stepped into the imperial study. Nangong Zhaolie, with a calm expression, raised his hand and waved gently, and the eunuchs serving beside him retreated silently. For a moment, only father and son were left in the huge imperial study.
Nangong Zhaolie walked gracefully to the dragon throne carved with dragons and phoenixes, slowly sat down, looked at Nangong Qi with gentle eyes, raised his hand and gestured, "Qi'er, there's no need to be so polite. Sit down and listen to me slowly."
Nangong Qi was filled with doubts. He sat down on a chair beside him as he was told. He clasped his hands together, stood upright, and said in a clear voice, "Father, I am here. If there is anything I can do for you, please tell me."
Nangong Zhaolie looked at his son like this, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile, and slowly said: "Qi'er, in the past, your father may have been a little inconsiderate about your marriage. Now that your father has thought it through, since you are deeply in love with Shen Li, your father has decided to support you this time."
Nangong Qi's brows lit up when he heard this. He stood up suddenly, his eyes gleaming with surprise and excitement. He asked anxiously, "Is what your Majesty said serious? Do you really agree that your son will marry A'li as the Crown Princess?"
Nangong Zhaolie smiled and nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a bit of concern and expectation. He said in a gentle voice: "As the saying goes, a beautiful lady is a good match for a gentleman. I heard that Shen Li is surrounded by many other outstanding young talents. If my son does not seize the opportunity to firmly tie this girl's heart, I am afraid that this delicate flower will be plucked away by someone else."
Nangong Qi's mind flashed with Su Ran's face, and he couldn't help but snort, his face full of disdain as he said, "Take Su Ran for example, I admit that he is indeed handsome, but he is much older than A'li.
Moreover, you don’t know, Father, this person is a complete hypocrite! "
Nangong Zhaolie couldn't help but be interested when he heard this. He leaned forward slightly, stretched his neck, and asked, "Oh? How did he become a hypocrite? Tell me."
Nangong Qi clenched his fists as he thought of his past entanglements with Su Ran. He said bitterly, "He always acts like a modest gentleman, gentle as jade, but I know in my heart that he's just pretending! I've fought him before, and he hits hard, it hurts terribly, and he shows no mercy. He's nothing but a sinister and cunning villain!"
When Nangong Zhaolie heard what Nangong Qi said, he immediately raised his head and burst into laughter. The laughter was hearty and cheerful, and echoed in the imperial study for a long time.
After laughing for a while, he noticed that his son was staring at him with an unconvinced look on his face, his cheeks puffed up, just like a puffed-up pufferfish, so adorable.
He quickly put away his smile, sat up straight, coughed lightly, and tried to cover up his previous loss of composure. He said seriously, "Qi'er, if I encounter someone who tries to snatch my beloved, I will definitely use all my strength, not just a few light slaps like he did, humph!"
Nangong Qi muttered softly, "Of course I understand these principles, but Su Ran is the teacher of the Shen family after all. He has known Ah Li for many years and they have a deep friendship.
When Ah Li was unconscious before, he was the one who worked tirelessly running around to find a doctor and ask for medicine…” At this point, Nangong Qi’s eyes suddenly became gloomy, as if a cloud of haze instantly enveloped him, but this look disappeared in a flash, so fast that it was almost imperceptible.
However, Nangong Zhaolie was a man of long experience in the court and sharp mind, so how could this fleeting change in expression escape his eyes?
He thought to himself: This is my son, Nangong Zhaolie. He knows how to show his courage and ruthlessness at critical moments. As long as he can achieve his goal in the end, some means will do.
Thinking of this, his expression became even more amiable, and he spoke earnestly to Nangong Qi, "Qi'er, that day you mentioned asking me to summon Shen Li. I've carefully considered it, and I think it's best not to see her for now. If she asks, tell her that I'm busy with government affairs today, and I'll definitely summon her another day after I've dealt with the important matters."
Nangong Qi was filled with confusion after hearing this and asked hurriedly, "Why is this, Father? Don't you like A-Li and don't want to see her? Father, you don't know that A-Li is truly an excellent girl, gentle and kind, and very easy to get along with."
Nangong Zhaolie saw that his son had misunderstood his meaning, so he quickly waved his hand and explained, "Qi'er, you misunderstood your father. It's not that I don't want to see her, but I actually have other plans. I intend to let her stay in this palace for a while longer so that you will have more opportunities to spend time with her. The one who is close to the water gets the moon first.
If you two can gradually develop feelings for each other during this daily companionship, and she willingly becomes your Crown Princess, wouldn't that be a happy occasion for everyone? Of course, if she's still undecided, your father will lend a hand and make sure she agrees!"
After saying this, Nangong Zhaolie looked into the distance with a determined gaze, as if he had already seen the scene of Nangong Qi and Shen Li getting married.