Chapter 956

Hu Xiaotian's face changed upon hearing this; truly, what he feared came to pass. Just moments ago he had mentioned this to his mother, and in the blink of an eye it became reality. He was certain he hadn't misheard—Wu Jing Shan had been entrusted by the Emperor. The Emperor isn't dissatisfied with them over the Nanjing Xu family affair, so why would he suddenly propose marriage to the Hu family? This old man changes his face too quickly. Or perhaps this old man has long seen through everything; his current foolish and decadent rule is merely a facade, his true intention being to support Qiqi, letting Qiqi win the hearts of the subjects.

Xu Fengyi's heart startled, but she remained composed on the surface: 'Sir Wu, for whom are you proposing marriage?'

Wu Jing Shan smiled, brows relaxed: 'The Emperor entrusted me to arrange a splendid match between the Yongyang Princess and Commander Hu. Sir Hu is young and capable, handsome and graceful, wise and brave; the Yongyang Princess is in her lovely youth, peerless in beauty, well-read and reasonable, lovely outside and wise within—they are truly a heavenly-made pair of divine companions!'

Xu Fengyi said: 'Thanks to the Emperor's favor, how could our Hu family deserve such grace? But our father is not at home; by common practice we ought to inform him first.'

Wu Jing Shan smiled narrowly: 'The Emperor said we must first ask Commander Hu for his opinion.' By saying this he meant that Sir Hu Buwei's opinion doesn't matter; the crucial point is Hu Xiaotian.

Xu Fengyi furrowed her brows slightly, gazing at her son; on such matters the son must decide.

Hu Xiaotian laughed: 'Mother, Sir Wu is right; this concerns my lifelong affair, so of course I should hear my own opinion more. Mother, why don't I speak with Sir Wu privately for a moment?'

Xu Fengyi nodded, rose to bid farewell to Wu Jing Shan and left; Wu Jing Shan rose to see her off.

After Xu Fengyi left, Wu Jing Shan again clasped his hands and smiled: 'Congratulations, Brother Hu, congratulations!' Having received the Emperor's proposal, Hu Xiaotian will become a prince consort of Dakang, rising swiftly—success is imminent. Wu Jing Shan truly admires Hu Xiaotian's fate; this kid's luck is truly good—formerly Ji Feihua shielded him, now Ji Feihua has fallen and he has attached himself to the Yongyang Princess. Who doesn't know that the Emperor now entrusts all state affairs to the Yongyang Princess to manage, and has even enfeoffed her as the Yongyang Prince? If Hu Xiaotian marries the Yongyang Princess, he may well share the realm with her in the future.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: 'Sir Wu, don't joke with me—don't you know my father has been arrested by the court?'

Wu Jing Shan laughed: 'How could that be?'

Hu Xiaotian knew Wu Jing Shan might not understand the situation, and didn't bother to explain further, he said quietly: 'Sir Wu, tell me truly—was it really the Emperor who sent you to propose marriage?'

Wu Jing Shan said: 'How could I be wrong? If not for the Emperor's word, how dare I act on my own? I'm not so tired of living that I'd offer how many heads for the Emperor to chop off.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'What does the Yongyang Princess herself think?'

Wu Jing Shan said: 'I haven't seen the Princess. How would I know her thoughts? But since the Emperor sent me to propose, surely he has already informed her and gained her consent.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought: when he previously saw Qiqi, she hadn't mentioned a word to him. This little girl hides her feelings deep, though she is still a girl under fourteen. Even with deep scheming, facing such a marriage matter she couldn't appear so calm—could she have still been unaware of this at that time?

Hu Xiaotian guessed correctly; Qiqi too had just learned of the proposal. She immediately sought Long Xuan'en, her pretty face clouded with some anger, she demanded: 'Your Majesty, why did you act on your own to propose to the Hu residence?'

Long Xuan'en said: 'Marriage is a major affair, ordered by parents and matchmaker; for me to propose on your behalf is hardly improper.'

Qiqi angrily said: 'Why didn't you consult my opinion?'

Long Xuan'en sighed: 'You're no longer small; lately suitors have come knocking nonstop. Rather than let people meddle in this, it's better to turn passive into active and choose a lover you like.'

Upon hearing this, Qiqi first furrowed her brows, then her pretty face flushed with two patches of red; she whispered coyly: 'What lover you like—how could you know what I think of you?'

Long Xuan'en said: 'Do you think I'm truly senile? You took the Hu couple away first; your aim was certainly not to revenge them, but to worry that I might vent my anger over the Nanjing Xu affair on them—superficially controlling them, actually protecting them. I admit, letting you and Hu Xiaotian become engaged also involves some private motive of mine.'

Qiqi said: 'You want to use our engagement to bind the Hu family with us, advancing and retreating together, thereby linking the fate of the Nanjing Xu family with Dakang.'

Long Xuan'en nodded: 'Exactly!'

Qiqi said: 'Have you considered what if I simply don't like Hu Xiaotian?'

Long Xuan'en said: 'For now it's just an engagement; the marriage contract is merely a piece of paper. If you don't like him, you could easily kill him later.' His eyes flashed with a chilling glare.

Qiqi felt a chill in her heart; to them the engagement is just a paper that can be torn anytime, but for the Hu family it means something else entirely—it's like putting a tight curse on the Hu clan. Given Hu Buwei and his son's shrewdness, they will surely see through their intentions; perhaps Hu Xiaotian will come to hate her because of this? Qiqi bit her lip, then suddenly wondered why she should care about his feelings—from the start her aim toward him was exploitation; she must not be soft-hearted.

Qiqi said: 'You just said someone is meddling in this affair—who is it?'

Long Xuan'en gave no answer, merely letting out a long sigh.

Qiqi said: 'Hong Beimo?'

Long Xuan'en said: 'No need to get to the bottom of it; in any case, I will never let others dictate your happiness.'

Qiqi gazed at Long Xuan'en without speaking, yet inwardly she sneered: 'You won't let others sway my happiness, yet you want to control my destiny.'

Hu Buwei sat quietly in the courtyard, gazing at the flourishing blossoms, his heart uneasy. He had always regarded the Yongyang Princess as a little girl, but now he suddenly realized she was not simple. Whether he wished it or not, the Hu family's fate had become intertwined with the survival of the Dakang dynasty.

From behind came a low cough; Hu Buwei turned to see Quan De'an approaching slowly with a tray holding freshly brewed fragrant tea. Hu Buwei smiled: 'Eunuch Quan, what brings you here?'

Quan De'an set the tray on the stone table, poured a cup of tea, and presented it with both hands to Hu Buwei.

Hu Buwei took the teacup, sniffed the aroma, his face showing an expression of enjoyment, and softly praised: 'Good tea!'

Quan De'an said: 'These tea leaves are the court's finest Yue'er Mei, specially brought by the Princess for you to sample.'

Hu Buwei smiled: 'The tea is good, but I must say something unpleasant—the Yue'er Mei should not be brewed this way.'

Quan De'an's lips curled slightly: 'Sir Hu, you are well-versed; this tea was brewed by the Zajia, a mere ignorant servant incapable of such refined affairs. Another day, when the Princess is free, let her personally brew tea for you—she has studied tea art since childhood and has considerable accomplishment in this.'

Hu Buwei replied calmly: 'Eunuch Quan, your words make me feel uneasy; I am merely a commoner, how dare I trouble the Princess to come in person?'

Quan De'an also poured himself a cup, took a sip, and said: 'The Emperor intends to betroth the Yongyang Princess to Sir Hu's precious son.'

Hu Buwei heard this news without surprise; in fact, since they were taken by the Yongyang Princess, he and his wife had already sensed this possibility, only they hadn't expected it to come so quickly. It seems the imperial family has already become wary of them father and son; they had secretly planned to flee by seeking grain supplies in Luosong, but likely the court has seen through it. The Emperor's proposal means for the Hu family supreme honor, yet also an imperial command that cannot be defied, leaving them no room to refuse. Once their son becomes a prince consort, the Hu family will naturally become relatives of the imperial house; whether they wish it or not, their fate will henceforth be tightly bound to the imperial household. Thinking of this, Hu Buwei's mood instantly grew heavy.

Quan De'an glanced covertly at Hu Buwei, his tone meaningful: 'Sir Hu, you seem somewhat unhappy—could it be that you feel our Princess is not worthy of your Hu family's son?'

Hu Buwei sighed: 'Eunuch Quan, you've mistaken me; I'm not unhappy, but rather apprehensive—I know my son well; he has always been wayward and dissolute, and I worry he would wrong the Princess.'

Quan De'an chuckled: 'The Zajia thought Sir Hu was displeased; indeed your son is somewhat dissolute and worldly, yet for some reason such a temperament easily wins girls' favor—the Zajia has never seen the Princess treat anyone so kindly.'

Hu Buwei secretly sighed: this marriage is fundamentally about binding the Hu family's fate to the Dakang dynasty; moreover, it likely also drags the Nanjing Xu family onto this boat. The Yongyang Princess, so young, already possesses such scheming—if his son truly marries her, he will merely become her tool, perhaps forever unable to hold his head high. Hu Buwei said: 'But I do not know what the Princess herself thinks.'

Quan De'an said: 'The Princess's meaning is to follow the Emperor's arrangements; indeed she is still under fourteen, her feelings about love and marriage are still vague, so she will naturally do whatever the Emperor says.'

Hu Buwei became more certain: the old Emperor and the Yongyang Princess must have reached some tacit understanding; much of what the Princess does is likely Long Xuan'en's intention. He readily said: 'I naturally wholeheartedly agree with this; I only wonder what my good-for-nothing son thinks of it.'

Quan De'an smiled narrowly: 'According to the parents' order and matchmaker's word, once Sir Hu agrees, the matter is settled; Sir Hu's son, being both loyal and filial, will certainly not go against your wishes.' (To be continued~^~)