Chapter 1109: Chapter 267: Qingming (Part 1)
"Yes, yes, yes, choose like this, choose like this."
The Chu nobility’s aesthetic preference for women leans towards softness and femininity, ideally those with petite and slender figures and graceful waists.
"What about your children, why didn’t you bring them to the palace for me to see?" asked the Empress Dowager.
Wu Tingting replied, "Empress Dowager, originally they were all clamoring to come to the palace to meet their ’grandmother’ you mentioned, but my household said they didn’t understand court customs and might disturb you, so we didn’t bring them in."
Xiong Tingshan held his forehead,
Having one mother who doesn’t understand the rules is enough; add a few mischievous little ones, and Yuxin Palace would truly be without order.
The Empress Dowager glared at Xiong Tingshan and said, "When people get old, they fear being lonely, next time bring them to the palace to make it lively."
Xiong Tingshan smiled and said, "Naturally, the five sons also want to come before the Empress Dowager to receive guidance."
"No, no, no."
The Empress Dowager hurriedly waved her hand,
Then covered her chest with one hand and said:
"I have already taught such a good daughter and dare not lead others astray again."
Princess Xiong Liqing of Chu, during Qu Clan’s grand wedding, took the initiative to throw herself into the arms of Lord Pingye of Yan State and fled with him to Yan.
This action caused an uproar throughout Chu State.
The Chu people feel it is their great humiliation!
Of course, the most humiliated is still Qu Clan.
Even though the royal family soon arranged another princess to marry another member of Qu Clan, and Qu Clan immediately declared their continued support for the Regent, jointly announcing their intention to continue cooperation as a political signal, everyone understood that this time, Qu Clan had truly lost face greatly.
Wu Tingting, hearing this, directly said:
"Empress Dowager, that’s not right."
"Not right?" The Empress Dowager seemed puzzled.
"I think the princess did the right thing. Just imagine, a man dares to risk enormous danger to come to the enemy state, to take her away during a wedding surrounded by troops;
Such deep feelings, such intention,
how many women in this world could not be moved by it?"
The Empress Dowager was momentarily speechless, realizing she might not be very good at communicating with this Shanyue-originated woman.
Wu Tingting continued, looking at her husband beside her:
"Back then, my Ah Daddy intended to marry me to the young tribal chief of a neighboring clan, but he came with two followers and barged into my tribe, asking my Ah Daddy to marry me to him."
Xiong Tingshan continued to hold his forehead.
Seeing the Empress Dowager’s gaze shifting onto him,
Xiong Tingshan could only say:
"This, youthful folly, youthful folly."
Wasn’t it just youthful folly, but being young is truly wonderful.
Wu Tingting continued: "At that time, he was tied up by my Ah Daddy’s people, yet he still shouted my name, telling me not to marry anyone else. Entire tribe was alarmed by him.
In the end, I had to go beg my Ah Daddy in tears until he finally spared him and let him go back."
The Empress Dowager nodded and asked, "And then what?"
"Later, I packed my belongings myself, ran away from the tribe, and went to the county town to find him. After his commotion, I became famous in my tribe and surrounding tribes; who else could I marry besides him?
So, after marrying him, I just tried hard to give him children as revenge!"
"Hehehe."
The Empress Dowager was really amused.
"I see, the root of the issue lies with her Fifth Brother."
The Regent entered from outside.
All the palace maids and eunuchs kneeled together:
"Greetings to His Majesty the Regent."
"Minister, greetings to Your Majesty."
"Your son, greets Mother with best wishes for health and happiness."
The Empress Dowager glanced at her son and said, "Fifth family, accompany me for a walk in the garden. This place, shall be left to the men for their conversation."
"Yes, Empress Dowager."
Soon, only the Regent and the Fifth Prince were left in the hall, with even the palace maids and eunuchs thoughtfully waiting outside.
The Regent looked at the Fifth Prince,
and said:
"So, Liqing learned it from her Fifth Brother, didn’t she?"
Xiong Tingshan, who was timid before the Empress Dowager, showed no restraint before his Fourth Brother and just smiled, saying:
"You can’t blame me for this; I heard that back then, Fourth Brother, you were with him. When our two sides were competing at the riverbank, wasn’t he watching the match from the side?"
"Sigh."
The Regent let out a sigh,
and said:
"Who knows."
"Is Fourth Brother really unaware?"
The Regent shook his head, then nodded, and said:
"I felt he wasn’t like Su Mingzhe but thought, he might be a real talent from Qian State, but didn’t expect him to be Zheng Fan.
If I had known earlier it was Zheng Fan,
I would..."
"And how would Fourth Brother act?"
"I would have canceled the marriage with Qu Clan directly; if he likes Liqing and Liqing likes him, let them marry in Chu."
"If Liqing heard this, tsk tsk..."
"On Qu Clan’s side, I have already handled it, nothing big will come of it, as you lead Wutong County to submit, Chu State is already within my grasp.
As the ruler, one must prioritize centralized power; Qu Clan wouldn’t dare defy, nor would they attempt."
"Qu Clan can indeed be disregarded; with Qu TianNan gone, their status has actually dropped a notch. Fourth Brother, what we need to do now is still to consolidate the royal family’s army, we can’t let the Yan people keep oppressing us as before."
"I understand, but it must be done step-by-step, ruling a great state is like cooking a small fish, you can’t rush it. For the army, I’ve decided to appoint you to lead this task, start organizing it, and I’ll figure out the rest."
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