Chapter 471

Xiao Yin's biggest flaw in this life is showing off, especially boasting to his fellow officials about how adorable his two children are.

Even the ice sculptures prepared for the two little ones, he would brag about in front of his colleagues, saying how magnificent and fun the children's ice sculptures were.

Prince Rui had already blown his own horn to this extent; if the court officials didn't give him face, they would find it hard to save face.

These people had no choice but to flock to show support, giving Xiao Yin full face, and even suggested they wanted to go to the rear garden of the Prince Rui's residence to personally see what the ice sculpture display of the young Heir Apparent and Commandery Princess looked like.

Xiao Yin, delighted, naturally agreed.

When Gu Jiu Ling gave birth to the two children earlier, he was not by his wife's side, and he always felt that as a father he was somewhat lacking.

Therefore he had been extremely good to this mother-and-child trio, and now he wanted even more to use this birthday banquet to give his children a proper name.

When Gu Jiu Ling gave birth to these two children, she was not at the Prince Rui's residence.

In other words, the young Heir Apparent and Commandery Princess of the Prince Rui's residence were not born there, although those in the know all knew the children were indeed Xiao Yin's.

However, throughout Shang Jing there has always been a rumor that the Princess Consort of Rui led a disordered private life and constantly followed the Crown Prince around.

Later, she caused a scandal at a palace banquet, and soon became pregnant; everyone thought Gu Jiu Ling was an immoral woman who had conceived out of wedlock.

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Moreover, since the children were not born in the Prince Rui's residence, the people of Shang Jing said all sorts of things, even claiming that Gu Jiu Ling's children were not Prince Rui's, as if they were giving him a green hat.

After all, Prince Rui Xiao Yin had been carried back from Qi Sha Gu in a broken state, and even the palace's imperial physician said he was impotent; under such circumstances, how could he have children?

This is probably the most embarrassing position for the young Commandery Princess and Heir Apparent in Shang Jing.

Now Xiao Yin simply wants to use this birthday banquet to announce to the whole world that these two children are his, and how much he values them.

The more the people around him flattered and fawned over Xiao Yin, the happier he became, gradually losing himself.

He only wanted to give the two children a proper name, after all, they would still have to grow up in Shang Jing; if their reputation were truly ruined and they were harmed, he himself could not forgive himself.

Xiao Yin then asked a few drunken colleagues to come with him to the rear garden, wanting to personally show them what the bearing of the Prince Rui's residence's young Heir Apparent and Commandery Princess was like.

At this birthday banquet, let alone other aristocratic youths, even the princes and princesses in the palace don't have such a spectacle.

Unexpectedly, when Xiao Yin brought a large crowd to the rear garden, he watched helplessly as the current Crown Prince, Xiao Ting, tightly gripped his wife's wrist.

Their appearance suggested nothing was going on, but no ghost would believe it!

For a moment the scene became terribly embarrassing, even Xiao Ting froze there.

Before he came to the rear garden to look for Gu Jiu Ling, he saw the Ninth Imperial Uncle and other officials drinking heavily, enjoying themselves, so he took the opportunity to come over and find Gu Jiu Ling.

Actually he didn't have much to say; it's just that lately the Li family members have been feeling anxious.

Although he had a head start, he is the legitimate son born of the Empress Li.

Back then, Empress Li and Emperor Longqing were a deeply affectionate couple, their relationship was good.

But the person is already dead, and even the deepest affection will fade away with time.

Moreover, Emperor Longqing is not truly a sentimental person; the reason he did not appoint a new empress after Empress Li's death was his fear that the aristocratic families would exploit his weakness and strengthen their own power.

He was using the name of a dead person to suppress those families, so they would not indulge in foolish fantasies.

After all, a deceased Empress Li with no background made a suitable persona for his deep affection.

If he supported a woman with genuine aristocratic background as the new empress, it would easily lead to maternal relatives wielding power.

Emperor Longqing may lack political talent, but he still has some wits in strategy.

The Li family, to which the deceased Empress Li belonged, is a scholarly clan from Jiangnan, and they also deeply resent the several great clans monopolizing the Southern Qi court.

This time the greatest clan, the Duan clan, was inexplicably exterminated; the Li family saw an opportunity and thus flocked to Shang Jing, preparing to support the Crown Prince.

In their view, although the Crown Prince's abilities are somewhat lacking, he is ultimately a benevolent and righteous ruler.

However, compared to the Sixth Prince Xiao Zheng, the Crown Prince's biggest shortcoming is the lack of a backing and familial support.

At this point the Crown Prince also urgently needs a powerful family to back him to the end, and marriage alliance is the best way.

For this marriage alliance, the Li family has already helped him select a candidate: the principal wife is none other than the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites, Li Songyue.

The Minister of Rites Li and the Jiangnan Li clan's ancestors were originally of the same lineage, but later the Minister of Rites branch entered officialdom, and their relatives also advanced, their positions growing ever larger.

Meanwhile, the branch that originally belonged to Empress Li has gradually declined; now they urgently need connections in officialdom.

Therefore Li Songyue as principal wife is a must for the Crown Prince; there is no alternative.

Furthermore, if the Crown Prince wants to contend with Xiao Zheng for the heir position, he also needs a great deal of money, which he also lacks.

This is also what the Li family lacks; although the Li family, as a scholarly clan, is not short of reputation, they lack money.

Because they previously followed the path of the upright officials, so each of them is clean in office and rarely wealthy; even establishing academies is supported by their own clan's fields.

Under such circumstances, where would they find any surplus to support the Crown Prince in recruiting troops and buying horses to expand his power?

But Xiao Zheng is different; behind him is the Cao clan, the second greatest family after the Duan clan.

The Cao clan not only controls grain transport, but is also united with the Jiangnan salt merchants; they have so much silver they cannot spend it all.

In this situation, when the Crown Prince competes with the Sixth Prince Xiao Zheng, he naturally lacks things.

Therefore the Li family also selected a concubine for the Crown Prince: the eldest daughter of the great Jiangnan salt merchant Wei family, Wei ZiQing.

The Wei family, due to some interest conflicts, has developed a major rift and contradiction with the Cao clan.

At this point the Wei family had to find a patron, sending their daughter to the Crown Prince as a concubine, along with an astronomical dowry.

In the future, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Wei family's daughter will at least be a noble consort.

Although they are merchants by origin and cannot become empress, the money is there; the affection of a young couple surely cannot be overcome, right?

So once the palace has their daughter as a consort, the Wei family's path ahead will be smooth and unobstructed.

But this time the Wei family is putting all of its wealth and life on the line before the Crown Prince, which must also be a final break with the Cao clan.

Although outsiders are not clear, they can also guess that the Wei and Cao families have likely developed several irreconcilable contradictions, forcing the Wei family to enter officialdom to vie for power.

Crown Prince Xiao Ting never expected that, after these two fine marriage alliances arrived, what he couldn't get out of his mind would still be Gu Jiu Ling.

After drinking a few cups, in a hazy intoxication he slipped to the rear courtyard and blocked Gu Jiu Ling's path.

He had long been holding back words of affection, but before he could speak them he was caught red-handed by her husband.

After a while, the atmosphere in the garden became extremely oppressive.

All the aristocratic officials looked at Xiao Yin in astonishment; this is the bearing of the little Heir Apparent and little Commandery Princess that Xiao Yin spoke of.