Tong Xi, standing by the side, interjected, "His Highness is also very good to the Eighth Prince, and Her Majesty is extrely kind to him as well." If the Eighth Prince, for the sake of his grand ambition, lets Wang Siqi swallow Second Master’s business, then he would be truly ungrateful.
"To Eighth Brother, my mother and I are his closest relatives in this world," Zhao Yao said, "Of course, we also regard him as family."
Hearing Zhao Yao’s words, Liang Run was montarily taken aback, then quickly asked, "Yao Yao, you’re not going to help the Eighth Prince fight for that position, are you?" Yao Yao’s reluctance to fight for the position; it couldn’t be for the Eighth Prince’s sake, right?
"No, I won’t help Eighth Brother." Zhao Yao said solemnly, "Eighth Brother wouldn’t let help him either. Both he and Fourth Brother shouldn’t drag into their struggle."
Hearing this, Liang Run felt relieved.
"That’s good."
"I won’t involve myself in the matters of Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother." Both Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother are his dear brothers, and it wouldn’t be good to help either, so it’s best not to help anyone.
"You’re right not to get involved, it would be too dangerous otherwise." Liang Run said, handing the brocade box to Zhao Yao, "Yao Yao, take back these two gold coins."
"Uncle, you should keep them." Zhao Yao pushed the brocade box back, "It’s not appropriate for to hold onto them."
Liang Run understood Zhao Yao’s concerns, "Alright, I’ll keep them." Then, as if suddenly rembering sothing, he quickly asked, "Yao Yao, these two gold coins are very valuable, should I return sothing to Wang Siqi?"
"He said it’s a peace offering, so you can just accept them without needing to reciprocate." Zhao Yao flicked the tea cup with his finger, making a crisp sound, "Uncle, although Eighth Brother instructed Wang Siqi to secretly help you, you should avoid having any contact with him."
"I understand." Liang Run thought about how Wang Siqi might coerce him into a business partnership, and wondered if other noble families would go after him the sa way. "Yao Yao, what if, in the future, the Xun Family or the Yuan Family also approach for business cooperation, what should I do?"
"Uncle, the Xun Family and the Yuan Family don’t care for your small business." Zhao Yao reassured Liang Run, "Wang Siqi wants to swallow your business by himself, it’s not the Wang Family’s decision to do so. Although these noble families are insatiably greedy, they are arrogant as well and might disdain swallowing your business. With their ans, they would simply seize it outright."
"Ah, what should I do if they really seize my business?" If the Wang Family and the others truly steal his business, he would have no power to retaliate.
"Uncle, rest assured, they won’t snatch your business." Zhao Yao comforted Liang Run, "Now that the Liang Family has beco Imperial rchants, even these noble families like the Wang Family dare not casually rob a business from the Liang Family."
Liang Run suddenly rembered the matter of the Liang Family becoming Imperial rchants, he raised his hand and slapped his forehead, "I forgot about that."
"Uncle, since there’s nothing else, I’ll go find my second uncle."
"Go ahead."
Zhao Yao left the teahouse to find He Lianfang.
Upon eting Zhao Yao, He Lianfang said, "At today’s morning court, the eldest Prince of the Anran Country proposed marriage to the noblewoman from Great Zhou."
Zhao Yao, who was drinking tea, was so shocked by these words that he choked on the tea.
"Cough cough cough..."
He Lianfang raised his hand to gently pat Zhao Yao’s back.
Zhao Yao stopped coughing after a while. He said in surprise, "Second uncle, did you just say the eldest Prince of Anran Country proposed marriage to a noblewoman from Great Zhou?"
"That’s right."
"The eldest Prince of Anran Country is over twenty years old, it’s impossible for him not to have a consort, how can he be proposing to a noblewoman from Great Zhou?" Zhao Yao was shocked, "Is he planning to marry a noblewoman from Great Zhou as a concubine?"
"The consort of the eldest Prince of Anran Country recently passed away, and he has not yet taken a successor consort."
"Then why didn’t he ntion marrying a noblewoman from Great Zhou when he first arrived?"
He Lianfang looked at Zhao Yao, and asked in return, "What do you think?"
"It wasn’t the eldest Prince of Anran Country who suggested marrying a noblewoman from Great Zhou, but soone proposed the idea to him."
"Who do you think it was?"
Zhao Yao thought for a mont and said, "The Crown Prince and Duke Zhen."
He Lianfang laughed, "You guessed right."
"Did my father agree?"
"Your father didn’t agree, but he didn’t refuse either."
"Is it possible that Duke Zhen wants to marry a girl from the Xie family to the eldest Prince of Anran Country?"
Why would the eldest Prince of Anran Country propose to marry a noblewoman from Great Zhou as a consort, rather than a princess? Mainly because the princesses of Great Zhou are all very young, most of them are not even of age and couldn’t possibly marry the eldest Prince of Anran Country.
The emperor has five daughters. The eldest princess is already of age and is married with children. The second princess is not yet of age, but was recently betrothed to the youngest son of Marquis Wucheng. The third, fourth, and fifth princesses are not yet of age and couldn’t possibly be married to the eldest Prince of Anran Country as a consort, therefore, the eldest Prince of Anran Country can only marry a noblewoman from Great Zhou as a princess consort.
"What does the marriage alliance between the Duke Zhen Country Mansion and the Anran Royal Family signify?"
"It signifies that the Duke Zhen Country Mansion can gain control over the Anran Royal Family." Zhao Yao sneered, "Duke Zhen has indeed devised a shrewd plan, but my father won’t agree." Father certainly won’t agree to the marriage alliance between the Duke Zhen Country Mansion and the Anran Royal Family.
He Lianfang smiled with deep aning and said, "Not necessarily, your father might agree."
In astonishnt, Zhao Yao said, "Has my father’s mind gone awry?"
He Lianfang laughed, "Who says the eldest Prince of Anran Country can only marry one noblewoman from Great Zhou, why not two?"
"Second uncle, you an my father might allow two noblewon to marry the eldest Prince of Anran Country?" Zhao Yao’s mind spun quickly, imdiately thinking, "Noblewon from the Duke Zhen Country Mansion and the Wang Family?"
"Possibly." He Lianfang continued, "And perhaps also betroth noblewon from the Xun and Yuan Families to the second Prince."
"Wouldn’t that an..." Zhao Yao’s expression beca very subtle, "With my father’s nature, he could really do such a thing."
anwhile, in the Imperial Study at Chengguang Hall, the emperor was discussing the matter with Pri Minister He and others.
"Many princes have co for the court celebration, why not be generous and bestow noblewon upon them, fulfilling the desires of these noble families, what do you all think?"
Grandmaster Liu supported, "That works, there are many girls from these noble families."
Pri Minister He echoed, "If we are to bestow, then bestow the firstborn daughters."
The emperor pointed his finger at Grandmaster Liu and Pri Minister He, smirking, "Old Liu, Old He, you’ve really gone astray."
Grandmaster Liu straightforwardly said, "Learned from you."
Pri Minister He more tactfully added, "Proximity to cinnabar makes one red, to ink, black."
The emperor glared at them, saying, "You’re insulting , don’t think I can’t tell."
"Since it was Duke Zhen’s proposal, Your Majesty, you should fulfill Duke Zhen’s wish." Grandmaster Liu said with ill intent, "Isn’t Duke Zhen’s youngest daughter coming of age this year, perfect to marry the eldest Prince of Anran Country as his successor consort."
Pri Minister He followed, "And bestow a concubine from the Wang Family as a princess consort to the eldest Prince of Anran Country, I think the eldest Prince would be very pleased."
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