Chapter 175: The Mastermind Behind the Original Imperial Marriage Gift

"Ah, what a great plan, and His Majesty actually refused."

Walking out of the Imperial Palace, Chen Yan shook his head and sighed, seeming to regret that Li Shimin didn't adopt his method.

Beside him, Cheng Yaojin frowned, "With your plan, His Majesty agreeing would be a ghost story."

"And don't forget, your Aunt Cui is also from a noble family; if we follow your method, Old Cheng can't escape a chopping death either."

"What's that? You little weakling think you can get away with me?"

"Hmm......?" Chen Yan pondered for a moment after hearing that, his face showing sorrow, and said, "There's nothing I can do; I'll have to plead with His Majesty on your behalf then."

"If His Majesty refuses to grant mercy outside the law, the Tang people will remember…"

"Hey! Hey! Hey, damn!"

"No, no, no, I'm wrong, I know I'm wrong."

Before he could finish, Cheng Yaojin's large hand clasped Chen Yan's shoulder, and the latter instantly felt his shoulder blade as if being crushed—so painful.

"Speak, what were you about to say just now?" Cheng Yaojin, with a dark face, asked, "What do the Tang people remember?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Chen Yan found himself unable to break free and could only comply.

When Cheng Yaojin moved, he actually sensed something, but his motion was too fast; even if Chen Yan tried to dodge, he couldn't.

"Hmph, you little brat, now you finally understand Old Cheng's might, huh?" Cheng Yaojin was pleased with Chen Yan's attitude, easing his grip by a third.

"Alright, Old Cheng, I understand, Old Cheng."

"Hmm?"

"...... Uncle Cheng, Uncle Cheng."

"Hmm, that's about right." Cheng Yaojin immediately said, "Enough idle talk, tell Old Cheng what's happened during this time."

"I just came back from Weinan County to report, haven't had time to catch up, and already heard you kid is heading to Weinan County?"

"It's like this......" When it came to business, Chen Yan stopped joking and told him everything that had occurred during this period.

The more Cheng Yaojin listened, the more subtle his expression became.

Until Chen Yan finished, Cheng Yaojin happily patted Chen Yan's shoulder three times.

"Alright, alright, you kid, that's impressive—besides Princess Gao Yang, you actually won Princess Changle's heart."

"Good, very good, now Old Cheng finally doesn't have to worry about you spreading your lineage; when Old Cheng passes on, it'll be a reckoning for your father and mother."

At this point, Cheng Yaojin's tone grew a bit emotional; it was clear he was genuinely happy for Chen Yan.

But Chen Yan rolled his eyes, "Why do you keep worrying about my descendants? I'm still young—are you saying all I can do is have kids?"

"You know nothing." Cheng Yaojin retorted, "Do you realize you're the only sole sprout of the old Chen family? When your two uncles were fighting on the battlefield, they treated life and death as nothing, had no time to marry. When you were born, your father and those two uncles were overjoyed."

"Their sole wish before death was that you would proliferate the Chen lineage and bring great glory to the old Chen family."

He said, somewhat helpless, "If Old Cheng hadn't worried that after us brothers left there'd be no one to look after you, I wouldn't have let you marry a princess."

"He would have given you ten or eight wives, spawning a bunch of weaklings."

Chen Yan: "......"

Divine stepping horse ten or eight.

Do you really think he's a pig?

No, a breeding pig?

Then Chen Yan recovered, mildly angry, "I knew it—you must have had a hand in the marriage with Princess Gao Yang."

"I used to ask you and you wouldn't admit it; now you slipped, huh?"

"I was damn confused, just lying at home, occasionally visiting brothels—how could His Majesty suddenly issue an edict marrying Princess Gao Yang to me, or sending her down?"

"So it was all your doing."

"You, from now on don't think you can get good stuff from my family."

Cheng Yaojin, upon hearing, rushed, "What do you mean I caused the mischief?"

"I'm only trying to do what's good for you, okay?"

"You have no relatives in the world, and we old brothers are getting old; when we leave, who will support you?"

"Although your forebears earned great merits, who can know what will happen later, what accidents may arise?"

"Marrying a princess can at least guarantee you a safe life."

"Zi An, Zi An, this is the name your father and mother, and your uncle gave you at birth, hoping you live a life free of illness and disaster, safe and sound."

"You must understand Uncle Cheng's good intentions."

Chen Yan opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but in the end said nothing.

One saying of Cheng Yaojin is spot on: no matter what, they are wholeheartedly considering him.

Even if the process may have overlooked his own thoughts, he cannot fail to recognize the kindness.

Moreover, he's now on good terms with Gao Yang; bringing up the past is pointless.

Cheng Yaojin, seeing his expression soften, tossed out another piece of news: "My dear great-nephew, actually this matter wasn't originally proposed by Old Cheng."

"You didn't propose it?" Chen Yan asked, puzzled.

"Right." Cheng Yaojin clapped his shoulder, carefree, "That day Empress Changsun suddenly summoned Old Cheng, Old Black Weichi, you, and your Uncle Qin to the Imperial Palace, saying you're no longer a child and should marry."

"Then she said Princess Gao Yang is close in age, at marriageable age; the three of us thought, this isn't a bad thing, so we went along and agreed."

"Now you understand, right?"

"So that's how it was......" Chen Yan finally understood why Li Shimin suddenly issued an edict granting the marriage.

It turned out Empress Changsun was the one stirring the waters behind the scenes.

Thinking about it, it's understandable, because after the Xuanwu Gate incident, Empress Changsun had been closely watching him.

Seeing his age not small, marrying a princess to him wasn't impossible.

"Fine, let's end this here." Chen Yan: "If there's good stuff later, I'll definitely remember you."

Cheng Yaojin let out a sigh, then changed the subject, saying, "By the way, big nephew, since you're heading to Weinan County, why not… bring Cheng Chu Mo along as well?"

"Bring Chu Mo along…," Chen Yan thought for a moment, and gave a look full of implication.

"Uncle Cheng, I'm a county magistrate, a civil official; Cheng Chu Mo is a military general. What use is it for him to follow me?"

"Moreover, I haven't taken office yet, so anything I say doesn't count."

"Why don't you go yourself to see the Crown Prince or His Majesty? I heard… Weinan County has a Mediation Office."

Cheng Yaojin's eyes lit up; in the Tang dynasty there was the militia system, and the Mediation Office was a local military office.

The Mediation Office is further divided into Upper Office, Middle Office, and Lower Office.

Given Weinan County's location, there's no need to think; its Mediation Office is definitely the Upper Office.

Chen Yan's meaning was simple: let him do the work himself and get Cheng Chu Mo into the Upper Mediation Office of Weinan County.