Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Requesting a Bestowed Marriage, 18 Suitors
Wei Ting raised his head, looking directly at the man on the Dragon Chair.
With a determined expression, he said, "I wish to ask for the hand of the Ji Family’s Fifth Miss, Ji Qingwu."
A storm brewed in Emperor Wu Su’s eyes, but Wei Ting did not flinch in the slightest.
As the sunlight outside grew brighter, the hall exploded with discussion.
Prince Yong, standing in the front ranks, stiffly turned his head to look at Wei Ting kneeling in the middle of the hall.
Prince Yong had lost a lot of weight recently, and the wicked glint in his eyes seemed to have vanished along with it.
He had intended to remain a mere spectator, but when he heard Wei Ting ask to marry Ji Qingwu, he couldn’t help but make a sound of surprise.
After the last incident, it could be said that Prince Yong had suffered a double loss.
His Fifth Cousin’s methods weren’t sophisticated, but her luck was extraordinary. Of the thousand people in the Prince Mansion, who couldn’t she have picked? Yet she just had to choose Princess Yong, the very person he had been deliberately neglecting.
Ji Qingwu had precisely struck his fatal weakness, which was why he had so willingly allowed himself to be manipulated.
’Good fortune... in a way, isn’t that a skill in itself?’
’Who knew Ji Qingwu’s skills didn’t end there.’
’Even Wei Ting, all the way from the Northern Border, wanted to marry her, and he proposed it publicly on his very first day back at court.’
’Thinking back to the last time the Emperor summoned him to the Diligent Governance Hall... although his intentions weren’t made clear, Prince Yong had sensed something unusual in all the trouble he’d gone to.’
’Emperor Wu Su’s feelings for Ji Qingwu were far from ordinary.’
’Now, with the pregnant Tao Wanxin still confined in Anle Hall in the palace, this was the perfect opportunity for him to prove his loyalty.’
After turning it over in his mind a few times, Prince Yong finally stepped forward, walking to the center of the hall to stand beside Wei Ting.
"Imperial Brother, Fifth Miss Ji is my cousin. If Wei Ting wishes to marry a woman from the Ji Family, I believe he must first ask for the Empress Dowager’s opinion."
’Anyone could tell that the Empress Dowager would never agree to a woman from the Ji Family marrying into the Wei Family.’
A ghostly green flame seemed to flicker deep in Emperor Wu Su’s eyes. His face was grim, and he said nothing.
Not long after Prince Yong finished speaking, Li Chengxun, dressed in red robes, also stepped out from the ranks of the civil servants on the left.
"General Wei, why do you wish to marry Fifth Miss Ji? General, you have been in the Northern Border for a long time and may not know, but this Fifth Missy has been married before and even has a daughter."
Wei Ting watched them with a smile, a profound meaning in his eyes.
’Prince Yong and this top scholar stepping out one after another, their words doing nothing but trying to stop me... Both of them are part of the Empress Dowager’s faction. It’s understandable.’
Wei Ting said fearlessly, "So what? I will go and personally ask the Empress Dowager as well."
The more people tried to stop him, the more resolute his attitude became.
From the right, a military general in black armor quickly stepped forward, but he addressed the Emperor, calling out, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Wei Ting turned his head and saw clearly who it was.
’His brow furrowed slightly. This man was once his subordinate, and they were on good personal terms. Why was he also opposing him?’
What was even more unexpected was that the black-clad military general knelt directly behind Wei Ting.
Emperor Wu Su’s expression became inscrutable. His voice was cold as he asked, "Wu Bo, what do you have to say?"
The young military general, full of courage, shouted, "I also wish to ask for the hand of the Ji Family’s Fifth Missy!!"
His mother was the very same lady who had grabbed Ji Qingwu’s arm at the competition grounds that day and refused to let go.
At these words, the smile on Wei Ting’s lips vanished completely.
Emperor Wu Su’s crown shifted, and its jade beads clinked crisply.
What was even more "surprising" was that, with Wei Ting leading the way, numerous military generals came forward one after another and knelt behind him.
All of them were asking the Emperor for permission to marry Ji Qingwu.
Since one person was already asking, all those who had taken a fancy to her during the previous equestrian archery competition might as well step forward too.
Their mothers had been turned away at the gates of the Ji Mansion, so these men simply decided to take their requests directly to the Emperor, forming a queue.
Emperor Wu Su watched with cold eyes as man after man emerged, and soon, a large number of officials were kneeling in the center of the hall.
A scene like this had never occurred, except for the time the Emperor punished officials in the corruption case.
But last time, the hall had been so silent you could hear a pin drop, the atmosphere perilous. Now, it was just a chaotic, jumbled mess.
Emperor Wu Su’s bone-chilling gaze swept over their faces, one by one.
’Very good. Eighteen of them in total.’
A few of the military generals, who had been stubbornly craning their necks in competition, suddenly felt as if their heavy official robes were drafty. A sinister chill crept up their necks, and the hair on their backs stood on end.
They quietly looked up and found that the Emperor’s gaze was even more terrifying than General Wei’s.
No one could have possibly expected this scene.
Even someone as unflappable as Wei Ting hadn’t anticipated that so many men coveted Ji Qingwu.
’He had originally thought that for this marriage request, he only needed the Emperor’s nod. Now, the situation was becoming more and more complicated.’
The corners of Wei Ting’s mouth could no longer lift into a smile.
’That woman had used every trick in the book to seduce him in the Northern Border, only to give up halfway and suddenly disappear.’
’And now, after being taken back by the Ji Family and returning to Lin’an for only a few months, she had attracted so many random men.’
’She really doesn’t stay idle for a single moment!’
It wasn’t until a decrepit old man in his sixties also stepped forward that Wei Ting’s barely maintained composure finally began to crack.
The emotion churning in his eyes intensified, and his hanging hands clenched tightly into fists.
The white-haired old man smiled and said, "It has been many years, General Wei Ting."
Wei Ting turned his head for a closer look and only then recognized him as Mr. Li, who had indeed aged quite a bit.
His tone was sharp. "I haven’t heard any news of Madam Li passing away. Is Mr. Li looking to take a new wife? Have you also come to compete with me?"
Mr. Li shook his head, speaking slowly and unhurriedly. "General Wei, you embarrass me. It is not for myself. I have a son who admires Fifth Miss Ji. I am here to ask on behalf of my third son, Li Shuming..."
"Enough!"
The Emperor on his throne in the hall finally spoke.
Silence returned to the court. In the oppressive quiet, it seemed one could hear the breathing of others.
Emperor Wu Su pinched the bridge of his nose, looking utterly exasperated. "This Fifth Miss Ji... all of you want her. But to give her to any one of you would harm the camaraderie between the rest. This matter is not to be mentioned again."
This meant that none of them would be permitted to marry Miss Ji.
A glint appeared in Wei Ting’s narrow eyes. He spoke up, "Your Majesty, I am different from them."
Emperor Wu Su paused. "How are you different?"
Wei Ting straightened his back. "The difference is that Fifth Miss Ji has always been in love with me. Her husband should be me."
Emperor Wu Su’s tone was flat. "General Zhenbei, you had best think clearly before you answer."
Wei Ting heard the threat in the Emperor’s voice, but now that he had spoken, there was no turning back.
"Everything I say is the truth. Five years ago, while she was still wandering, Miss Ji used the name Ji Wu and served as a military doctor in the army camp at the Northern Border. The soldiers in my battalion all know her."
The others kneeling on the floor had never imagined Ji Qingwu had such a past; they had only assumed she had been living in the countryside.
Emperor Wu Su’s pupils contracted, and his eyes lost all warmth.
Like a triumphant victor, the smile returned to Wei Ting’s lips.
"At that time, Fifth Miss Ji was completely infatuated with me. There are many witnesses who can attest to this."
"Oh, and she once wrote me dozens of love letters. I happen to have one of them with me. I can show it to everyone."
