Chapter 265 - A Dangerous Man
Chapter 265 A Dangerous Man
Soon, Ma De waiting outside the Imperial Study received the news and walked in at once. He turned around and saw Eunuch Feng who knelt on the ground. He was afraid and instantly bowed to kneel beside Eunuch Feng.
“Your Majesty! Wish you a long life!”
Dongfang Xiao opened his eyes slightly and looked at Ma De who was kneeling on the ground, and suddenly said softly, “Wish me a long life? I knew that you want me to die now.”
Ma De was frightened when he heard it. He raised his head and said nervously, “Your Majesty, why do you say that? I’m so loyal that I’m willing to die for you! If you don’t believe me, I…I can…”
“Enough.”
Dongfang Xiao impatiently stopped Ma De and asked calmly, “Tell me. What’s the matter with your son?”
Ma De wiped his cold sweat and got relaxed, but thinking of the reaction of Ma Jintian, he couldn’t help frowning,
“I promise that I’m the only one who knows that you are going to arranged the marriage, and I never told my son. But now everyone in Yunjing City knows that because of my son. I think it must be someone who deliberately make trouble!”
Deliberately made trouble?
Dongfang Xiao thought for a moment and then shook his head slightly, “No matter how the information was leaked, they have achieved their goal. Since that boy is not qualified, who else do you think matches my niece?”
“I…”
Eunuch Feng thought about it. Although Ma De was upset, he didn’t dare to show his emotions, so, he had to do his best to solve the problem for Dongfang Xiao.
After a while, Eunuch Feng first said, “Your Majesty, how about the First Childe of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites? He looks handsome…”
Dongfang Xiao interrupted him impatiently before he finished, and scolded, “Idiot! He is 24 years old, and he has three wives. Su Li is my niece and the Princess of Dahan Country. If she becomes a concubine, I will be reviled by my future generations!”
Eunuch Feng trembled and he kowtowed incessantly, “I’m sorry!”
“Humph!!”
Dongfang Xiao stood up and turned his back. With his sleeve brushed past Eunuch Feng’s face, he said, “Listen to me carefully. It’s very serious to choose a husband for the princess of Dahan Country. If you can’t find the suitable candidate, not only me, the royal family will be disgraced! We cannot afford this risk!”
“Kneeling down until you think of a suitable candidate!”
Dongfang Xiao finished his words and left the Imperial Study. Hearing that his footsteps were getting farther and farther, Ma De and Eunuch Feng sighed and looked at each other with fear and helplessness.
It was obvious that Dongfang Xiao punished them because of Ma Jintian.
“Eunuch Feng, do you know why the Majesty suddenly arranges the marriage for the princess?”
After all the servants in the Imperial Study left, Ma De couldn’t help asking.
“If the Majesty really wants to arrange the marriage for the princess, it’s easy to find the suitable candidate because there are many excellent men with good backgrounds in Yunjing City.”
Eunuch Feng whispered to remind Ma De. He looked around and dropped his voice, “The Majesty must have a special intention to do this. We have to figure it out carefully.”
Ma De was frightened and thought of many things in a flash, but… how dare he say such disobedient things? If the Majesty only tried to test him, and he acted too smartly, maybe then the Majesty tended to deal with him…
Ma De wiped the sweat on his forehead with struggle flashing through his eyes.
Eunuch Feng knelt aside obediently and didn’t continue to remind Ma De because his words were explicit enough. He knew the Majesty’s intention, but he could only be safe by pretending to be confused. He deliberately recommended the First Childe of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites just to protect himself.
He knelt because of Ma De. He knew that the Majesty wanted to ask Ma De, not him. So, if he recommended the suitable candidate, the Majesty would be even unhappier.
The sound of Ma De’s heavy breathing became much harsher in the quiet Imperial Study. The ground under his forehead was moistened by his sweat, which showed that how much he was struggling inside.
“Lord Ma!”
Ma De suddenly heard a secret voice which made he shook slightly. He was about to speak, but the voice came again.
“Be quiet. I just can’t bear to see you continue to kneel, so, I want to remind you something. You just need to listen.”
There was a flash of doubt in Ma De’s eyes. He suspected that the owner of the voice was the one who leaked the information. He didn’t expose the man because he was not sure that he could take care of the consequences of this matter, and he also need the one’s advice to go through this matter.
As for whether he was used or not, he could wait until he was not doubted by Dongfang Xiao.
“There are only three requirements for the suitable candidate!”
Three requirements?!
Ma De was shocked that there were only three requirements.
“Firstly, the person who marries the princess should match her and be as perfect as possible, at least he is equal to the princess in social rank!”
“Secondly, his family should be as loyal to Dongfang Family as Lord Ma, or they only have status and no power. It’s easy for the Majesty to control.”
“Thirdly, he should make the princess disgusted. It would be better if the princess could resist him, and then the Eighth Lord will… Do you understand?”
Hearing it, Ma De was enlightened and shocked.
Just as he expected!
Was the Majesty going to deal with the Eighth Lord?
The emperor wanted to deal with Eighth Lord in this way. It was hard to guess his mind.
But who just reminded him?
He could not only understand the Majesty’s intention, but also transmit the sound in Imperial Palace. Couldn’t he be the one who leaked the information, but the one from the Dongfang Family?
“Did the Majesty send him to remind me…”
Ma De was puzzled and didn’t say it outside, because he didn’t want to make trouble for himself.
“Anyway, after the mysterious man reminded me, I know who is the suitable candidate.”
Ma De thought that there was no need to investigate Su Li. Everything happening around this first beauty in Yunjing City would be spread by others.
Such as the thing that every young boy wanted to learn in the Affiliated School, which caused much discussion in the past few months.
Thinking of that, Ma De smiled confidently and said to Eunuch Feng, who was kneeling beside him, “Eunuch Feng, you’ve worked hard this time. I know who is the suitable candidate.”
Eunuch Feng was surprised that Ma De had a perfect plan so quickly. It seemed that Ma De was much more intelligent than that he imagined.
Soon, Eunuch Feng invited Dongfang Xiao.
“Eunuch Feng told me that you have already thought of the suitable candidate. Tell me about him.”
Dongfang Xiao sat down with dignity. He looked at the modest Ma De and no one knew what he was thinking about.
“Your Majesty!”
Ma De got up and bowed to salute, “I think that the Third Childe of Ling General’s Mansion was the most suitable person!”
“He?”
Dongfang Xiao was a little surprised, and his tone became gentle, “Why?”
Ma De noticed that the Majesty was interested in it and hurriedly said, “As for the background, the Ling Family is loyal to the imperial court and Mrs. Gu is a heroine, so, Ling Li matches the princess in identity!”
“Moreover, I heard that the Third Childe of the Ling Family loved Su Li before. Although he was rejected by the princess, if you arrange a marriage for them, not only do you help them, but also you solve the matter for the marriage of the Ling Family. And you achieve two things at one stroke.”
Dongfang Xiao was happy, but he pretended to be sad and then he sighed, “Ling Li was a playboy, and Mrs. Gu had come to me for help many times. Now he has changed a lot, it would be great if my niece marries him. But the Eighth Lord may be unwilling…”
Hearing it, Ma De was very happy. He said, “Your Majesty, don’t worry! You are the Majesty of Dahan Country, and the elder brother of Eighth Lord. A big brother is like a father. It’s a favor for him that you arrange a marriage for the princess despite your busy schedule! How could the Eighth Lord refuse?”
“Ha-ha-ha…”
Hearing it, Dongfang Xiao smiled, “You’re right. I thought too much. The matter must not be delayed. Eunuch Feng, order someone to draft the imperial edict immediately and then Lord Ma, announce it in Lord Rui’s Mansion. I hope he can understand me.”
“Your Majesty, it’s not appropriate for me to announce the imperial edict. It is read always by…”
Ma De felt awkward and looked at Eunuch Feng who was standing aside. Not only did Dongfang Xiao want to deal with Lord Rui, but also wanted to make use of him!
“Aren’t you willing to do it?”
Dongfang Xiao looked at Ma De with a threatening look. Ma De was frightened and hurriedly answered and saluted, “I am willing to do it!”
Ma De smiled bitterly in heart when he promised. He had no other choices, and if he didn’t agree, Dongfang Xiao would target him. Until he left the Imperial Study in a daze, he didn’t know why Dongfang Xiao doubted him.
“I made a wrong choice that year…”
The sky outside the Imperial Study was clear, and Ma De exhaled and thought that Dongfang Xiao was a dangerous man, so, he couldn’t rely on him completely.
After Ma De left, Eunuch Feng stood beside Dongfang Xiao with full of doubts on his face.
He really didn’t know why Ma De was still punished despite that he did it according to the command of Dongfang Xiao.
Dongfang Xiao snorted, which dragged him out of his thought, “Send someone to monitor Ma De. Don’t you see that he understood my intention in less an hour? That’s too fast. This might be a flaw.”
Eunuch Feng was shocked, and he quickly bowed his head, “Yes.”
The next day—
Ma De came to Lord Rui’s Mansion with the imperial edict without any notice in advance. The information in the imperial edict immediately made a great disturbance in Yunjing City!