Chapter 120 - Granting a Marriage
Chapter 120 Granting a Marriage
“Do you think I’ll help you become an imperial merchant with these words?”
Imperial Merchant!
Why did she forget?!
The medicine for the army was provided by the imperial merchants, and it was directly distributed by the court to various military camps.
She must have been too cold to think just now.
Xia Houmo was amused to see the excitement on her little face disappear immediately.
“Sorry to disturb you, Your Royal Highness. Please excuse my retreat.” Su Muge packed up her little bag and was ready to get off.
“Wait a moment.”
Su Muge looked back doubtfully. “What else can I do for you?”
“Leave your stuff.”
“What?”
Xia Houmo glanced at her bag.
“Not for me?”
Uh…
Of course, Su Muge wouldn’t say no. But it was so strange for her to send him medicine.
“If you don’t mind, you can have a try when you are in need.” While speaking, she put the small bag in front of Xia Houmo.
Xia Houmo picked up an oil-paper packet and smelled it. “Is this to stop bleeding?”
She had just made some marks on these medicines, without labeling their specific functions. However, Xia Houmo could figure them out with their smell.
“Your Royal Highness, do you know pharmacology?”
“People living on killing know more or less about it.”
Su Muge looked up and met Xia Houmo’s eyes; her heartbeat inexplicably accelerated.
“Your Royal Highness, keep them and take a pill to save your life in danger.” She secretly took out a red porcelain bottle from her clothes and handed it to him.
Xia Houmo reached out to take it over. “You’ve specially made it for me?”
Su Muge didn’t want to lie but she nodded against her will at the sight of Xia Houmo’s deep eyes.
Xia Houmo slightly raised the corner of his lips and put away the porcelain bottle.
“I’m going to Xiangshan Mountain tomorrow.”
Su Muge blinked, wondering why he told her the matter. She was not so concerned…
“Okay.”
“Before I return, keep yourself as safe and sound as now. Go back.”
The carriage stopped slowly, and Su Muge jumped off the carriage in a daze. Just as she wanted to ask Xia Houmo what he meant, the pure black carriage had disappeared.
What did he mean by “keep as safe and sound as now”? It sounded as if she were to die!
Su Muge looked back and found herself in the alley of the back door of Su Mansion. How did he know that she came out through the back door? …
It was getting dark. After a long day, she not only failed to fulfill the task but also sent her medicine away. Su Muge shook her head helplessly and returned home.
…
Early the next morning, just after dawn, Xia Houmo had led the honor guards to Xiangshan Mountain in Hulan prefecture to take the Emperor’s mother back to the capital.
The imperial honor guards attracted many people on the street.
In a teahouse on the main street, King Dingxi was standing in front of the window and watching the honor guards pass by.
A black figure came to him, looked at the lively street, and laughed out loud. “Now, the biggest stumbling block was away.”
King Dingxi narrowed his eyes slightly.
“The next step of Your Royal Highness will be much smoother.”
“Of course!”
As soon as Xia Houmo left, the Emperor called Xia Houkun to the Imperial Study.
Xia Houkun felt so lucky that the Emperor had sent Xia Houmo instead of him to Xiangshan Mountain. Without Xia Houmo here, he could take advantage of it to do many things.
“Father, pay my respects to you.”
The Emperor in a dragon robe stood at the desk with his back to Xia Houkun.
“Get up.”
“Thank you, father.”
The Emperor looked back at Xia Houkun. “I think you’ve grown up, and your mother has also reminded me that you should take a wife now.”
Xia Houkun was excited immediately. He was clear whom his mother wanted him to marry. He had also intentionally contacted with those girls in some seemingly coincidental occasions, and those girls all had a crush on him. After marriage, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to control them.
Had his mother talked with his father about it? Was his father to grant him a marriage?!
At the thought of this, Xia Houkun revealed a flicker of joy in his eyes, but he kept a serious look.
“As for my marriage, it’s all up to you, father.”
“Well, marriage is serious. I think Su Lun’s daughter is good and she has also saved you. I think she is appropriate to marry you.”
“I …” Xia Houkun paused before he expressed his thanks to his father.
Su Lun’s daughter?
Su Muge!?
Xia Houkun looked up at Xia Hourui in surprise; he didn’t come to himself and lower his head until Xia Hourui narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Father, do you want Miss Su to be my wife?”
“How do you think?”
Su Muge!? To marry Su Muge as his wife!?
He didn’t expect his father to take a fancy to her.
Su Muge had superb medical skills. If he could use her properly, she would also be a powerful weapon. Although the power of Su Mansion in the court was incomparable with that of Meng Mansion, he could still marry two daughters of powerful officials as his two concubines.
“I’m at the order of you, father.”
Xia Hourui nodded in satisfaction. “Well, I think she is good.”
“Yes.”
Xia Houkun didn’t know how to describe his current mood when he walked out of the Imperial Study. He seemed to be looking forward to this marriage.
“Su Muge, how can you escape from me this time?!”
“Ah-choo”
Su Muge sneezed violently. Who was cursing her?
“Miss, are you cold? I’ll fetch you one more charcoal basin.” Yueru turned around and left.
“No, there have been three charcoal basins in this room. If one more is added, I’ll be poisoned. I’m preparing medicine. How can I catch a cold? I’ve already been sweating all over.”
Seeing her reddish face, Yueru rest assured.
She thought she was so rash indeed to sell medicine to Xia Houmo. It was an army of hundreds of thousands of people after all. If anything went wrong, no matter how many death-free golden medallions she had, she couldn’t be forgiven.
So, she decided to open a drug store by herself, and she had let Cheng Ran find a store.
Although Su Muge didn’t understand Xia Houmo’s words before leaving, she had recently been subconsciously more cautious than before.
If unnecessary, she wouldn’t leave Su Mansion, and half a month had passed.
“Miss, Infanta Ceylon invites you to her palace.”
Su Muge didn’t stop kneading the medicine. “I see.”
Xia Houpo’s stitches on his leg had already been taken out. Next, he would begin rehabilitation after his bones had healed.
However, to ensure that the bones weren’t crooked during the healing process, Su Muge would reexamine his condition regularly.
She put the kneaded medicine on the dustpan to air-cure and sun-cure. After washing her hands, she took off the headscarf. “Xinlan, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Outside the palace, Su Muge walked into Xia Houpo’s palace.
“Miss Su, please.”
There was a heavy snow last night, and the courtyard was covered with snow. Su Muge took off her cloak and walked in.
“The eldest Master, Miss Su is here.”
“Let her in.” Xia Houpo said coldly in the room.
Su Muge walked into the room and felt a warm wind, which made her much more comfortable.
In the room, Xia Houpo and Xia Houkun were sitting opposite to each other. As soon as Su Muge entered, both of them fixed their eyes on her.
“Your Royal Highness.”
“It turns out that my cousin’s legs are cured by you.”
Xia Houpo frowned unpleasantly. “Come on, see His Royal Highness off!”
Xia Houkun sneered. “Cousin, your temper is still as hot as before.” While speaking, he stood up, walked past Su Muge, and looked at her with a faint smile. He hadn’t seen her for a while and he somehow felt her more and more good-looking.
After Xia Houkun left, Su Muge stepped forward to reexamine Xia Houpo.
She rolled up his trousers; his wound recovered quite well and even the scars began to fade.
She reached out to gently touch his calf bone.
“Do you have any discomfort?”
Looking at her delicate little hands on his legs, Xia Houpo was in a daze for a while. He didn’t look away until he sensed Su Muge’s puzzled look. “No.”
“The eldest Master, your bones have healed well. I believe you can start rehabilitation training soon.”
“If you can help me recover to my original state, I’ll reward you greatly!”
Having been a doctor for so many years, she had been numb for all kinds of nice words of the patients before recovery.
Without getting a response from Su Muge, Xia Houpo turned sullen immediately. “You don’t believe me?!”
Su Muge frowned. “Of course I do.”
Only then did Xia Houpo look better. “I always keep my words. Just wait and see.”
“Yes.”
“Stay at home obediently these days. Don’t go around.”
Su Muge raised her eyebrows and responded gently. She didn’t bother to ask him the reason. After all, he couldn’t control her.
After a quarter, she left the palace.
“Stay away from the people of Dingxi Mansion in the future.”
Just as she went out of the door, she heard an unpleasant voice behind.
Su Muge was stunned for a moment. When she turned back, she saw Xia Houkun who was not far away. He was still here?
“I know how to do. Don’t worry about me, Your Royal Highness.”
Xia Houkun put on a displeased face; there was something he didn’t want to tell her. “Just do as I said. As a woman, how could you show up in the public all day long?!”
Ha? …
Su Muge almost laughed out loud. To speak to her in this tone? Who did he think he was to her?!
“It seems to have nothing to do with you, Your Royal Highness?”
Xia Houkun snorted coldly and laughed again. “Nothing? Soon you’ll know whether it has anything to do with me. I’m looking forward to it.”
Su Muge looked at Xia Houkun’s back with a frown. Had anything that she didn’t know happened?
After returning to Su Mansion, Su Muge found the gate of Su Mansion widely open. Were there any guests in the mansion?
As soon as she got off the carriage, the guarding maid ran forward and saluted.
“The eldest Miss, you are back. Please go in quickly. There is an imperial edict for you.”
“Imperial edict? What imperial edict?” Su Muge was full of doubts. Recently, neither she nor Su Lun had done anything worthy of the commendation by the Emperor. Except for treating Xia Houpo’s legs at night and giving lessons to the children, she had always stayed at home. And neither she nor Su Lun had committed any crimes.
Without merits or demerits, what imperial edict could it be?
Thinking of this, Su Muge accelerated her steps to the front yard.
By the time she reached the front yard, Su Lun had ordered to burn incense, and everyone had knelt.
Su Muge also had to kneel.
Seeing that everyone was here, the eunuch opened the imperial edict and read it out. “According to the Emperor, Su Muge is talented and virtuous … I specially grant her to be the wife of Second Prince. An auspicious day will be chosen for the wedding. That’s all.”
When the eunuch finished his announcement, everyone except Su Lun was stunned.
“Long may you reign.”
Su Lun stepped forward to accept the imperial edict.
The eunuch looked at him with a smile. “Lord Su, congratulations!”
“Thank you so much.”
The housekeeper stepped forward and stuffed a big purse to the eunuch; the eunuch accepted it delightedly.
“Please have a cup of tea before leaving.”
“No, the Emperor is still waiting for me to report on the task.”
“Let me see you off.” The housekeeper sent the people out.
“Congratulations, My Lord, Madam, and the eldest Miss.” The servants all came forward to congratulate. Su Lun waved his big hand with a smile and gave everyone some money as a reward.
“Miss, get up.” Seeing that Su Muge was still kneeling on the ground, Yueru stepped up to support her up.
Su Muge suddenly looked back at Yueru. “What did the imperial edict say?”
“Miss, the imperial edict said that the Emperor granted you to marry Second Prince as his wife,” Yueru whispered.
The Emperor granted her to marry Xia Houkun as his wife?!
She was actually to marry Xia Houkun!
Wasn’t the Emperor kidding her??
“Mumu, what’s wrong with you?”
Zhao was also stunned for a long time. She could never expect her daughter to suddenly become a prince’s wife.
She was not as happy as Su Lun; she was worried about Su Muge. There had been so many tricky affairs in the backyard of Su Mansion, not to mention the family of Second Prince.
“I won’t marry …”
Su Muge’s words were not very loud but enough for Zhao to hear. She hurriedly pulled Su Muge.
“Mumu, don’t talk nonsense. Send the eldest Miss back to Peachblossom Courtyard.”
“Mother …” Su Muge only felt her fingertips trembling!
The smiling faces around were particularly dazzling for Su Muge. She didn’t want to stay here anymore and turned away with Yueru.
When Su Muge returned to the Peachblossom Courtyard, she had calmed down.
She felt so lucky that she had asked the Emperor for a death-free golden medallion; otherwise, she really didn’t know what to do!
“Miss, are, are you okay?” Seeing Su Muge with a sullen face, Yueru asked worriedly.
Su Muge shook her head lightly. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Now she was worried about what she would do next time if she refused this marriage with the death-free golden medallion this time?!
The news that the Emperor granted Xia Houkun and Su Muge a marriage soon spread in the capital.
In the garden of An Mansion.
“What did you say? The Emperor granted the bitch … Su Muge and Second Prince a marriage?” Su Jingwen screamed in disbelief.
Seeing Su Jingwen’s behavior, An Shuyue frowned slightly. “Yes, the imperial edict has already arrived in Su Mansion. She is your sister anyway. You should go back and congratulate her; otherwise, it will be impolite.” An Shuyue was a standard noble lady in the capital, and she thought little of much of Su Jingwen’s behavior.
An Ying’er glanced at Su Jingwen and said with a smile, “Eldest sister, you ask her to go back and congratulate Su Muge? She can’t wait to go back and kill her.”
Su Jingwen wanted to marry Second Prince, which was known to them all.
“An Ying’er, don’t think I don’t know your thoughts. Do you think the King of Jin will like you?!” Seeing her cousins making fun of her, Su Jingwen snorted coldly and stood up.
An Ying’er changed her face. “What are you talking about?!”
Seeing that An Ying’er was irritated to be seen through, Su Jingwen laughed proudly, “You are clear if I am talking nonsense, hum!” After talking, she turned around and left.
Watching her leave, An Ying’er threw the pastry back to the dish with a disdainful look. “She really thinks she is the Miss of An Mansion. Ingrate!”
“Ying’er!” An Shuyue reproached, “Marriage is always decided by parents. You can’t do anything that will shame our family.”
“You… I’m tired of speaking with you!” An Ying’er blushed and ran out of the gazebo.
An Shuyue watched her run away with a frown.
After Su Jingwen left the gazebo, she kicked and destroyed many flowers and plants in An Mansion all the way. The servants of An Mansion following her were all curling their lips behind her.
She walked to An’s courtyard and rushed in without reporting.
“Mother, help me.”
An, in a lunar-white casual robe, was resting on the couch with her eyes closed. She was taken aback by Su Jingwen’s sudden breaking in.
“Why are you still so rash? How many times have I told you …”
“Mother! The little bitch Su Muge is going to marry Second Prince!” Su Jingwen interrupted her nagging.
Hearing this, An paused. “What did you say?” Since returning to An Mansion, much news had been blocked to her.
“They said that His Majesty granted the slut a marriage and made her the wife of Second Prince! Mother, the bitch has never taken us seriously. If she marries Second Prince, she is bound to tread on us!”
The news was so sudden that An froze for a while before she came to herself.
Seeing her silent, Su Jingwen was even more anxious. “Mother, don’t you worry that the slut will suppress us?”
An looked at Su Jingwen. She was her truth-born daughter after all. How could she not know her thoughts? On one hand, she didn’t want Su Muge to live well; on the one hand, she really wanted to marry Second Prince.
“That’s a marriage granted by His Majesty. What can I do?”
“Mother, can you bear her climbing up over us? Do you want to stay at An Mansion all your life? Don’t forget, you are Madam Su now, no longer the Miss of An Mansion!” Hearing An’s words, Su Jingwen shouted angrily. Her words were like a heavy slap in the face of An.
An put on a sullen face immediately.
Minister An and Madam An treasured their daughter and let her live in An Mansion. Nobody dared to make any comments in the public, but there would always be someone discussing and humiliating her in secret!
Seeing An’s changing face, Su Jingwen realized her improper words.
With red and tearful eyes, she stepped forward into An’s arms.
“Mother, I was too anxious and silly for a while to say the wrong thing. Please forgive me. But now that they can drive us out, won’t they be able to kill us in the future?”
She was her truth-born daughter after all. Seeing Su Jingwen nestling in her arms, An put on a much softer look.
“Kill us? Is she so capable?!”
Hearing this, Su Jingwen felt spirited. “Mother, do you have any idea?”
An sneered. “Don’t worry. It’s not so easy for her to become a phoenix. I’ll never make her do it!”
…
In Zhaohe Palace, in the Imperial Palace.
Concubine Qin walked back and forth in the hall with an angry face.
“What does the Emperor mean? Let Kun’er marry Su Muge?! What is she? How can Su Muge deserve to be the wife of my Kun’er?”
The imperial maids in the palace had been evacuated by An Mama. Seeing the angry Concubine Qin, An Mama could only sigh in secret.
“Your Grace, don’t be mad. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Concubine Qin suddenly stopped and narrowed her eyes dangerously.
No, she mustn’t allow Su Muge to hinder Xia Houkun’s success!
“An Mama.”
“Yes, I’m here.”
Concubine Qin walked to the chair, sat down, and fiddled with a flower on the table with narrowed eyes.
“I heard that she had a deep grudge with Infanta Ceylon?”
An Mama looked up and met the cold eyes of Concubine Qin. “Yes, Infanta Ceylon even fought with her at Minister An’s birthday banquet.”
“Infanta Ceylon has always regarded human life as a trifle. It is not strange even if she kills Su Muge, is it?”
An Mama frowned. If Su Muge was killed as soon as the Emperor granted her a marriage, the Emperor would inevitably suspect. But if the killer was Infanta Ceylon…
Concubine Qin silently fixed her eyes on An Mama’s face. “An Mama, do you understand what I mean?”
An Mama trembled inexplicably. “Yes, I know what to do.”
…
After picking up the Emperor’s mother on Xiangshan Mountain, Xia Houmo rode his horse at the front on their way back. Within a few days, they could return to the capital.
Holding the letter he had just received, Donglin looked up at Xia Houmo’s back and dared not to step forward after a few deep breaths.
Seeing his bitter expression, Zuoqiu patted on him. “What are you doing behind?”
Donglin turned to Zuoqiu and said seriously, “Here’s the news from the capital. Give it to His Royal Highness.” After he finished speaking, he stuffed the letter to Zuoqiu and went to the back of the queue silently.
Zuoqiu looked at the letter in his hand puzzledly. “It’s just a letter. Why is he so timid?!”
Zuoqiu took the letter to Xia Houmo. “Your Royal Highness, here’s the news from the capital.”
Xia Houmo kept his countenance and quickly took it over as Zuoqiu approached him.
Just as Zuoqiu was about to fall behind him, he felt a frozen air and his chest seeming to be punched hard, making him almost unable to breathe.
“Well!”
Donglin at the back of the queue silently showed sympathy for Zuoqiu.
Zuoqiu worked up his courage to look up and found Xia Houmo with a cold and sullen face, realizing that he had been tricked by Donglin!
“Zuoqiu.”
“Yes, I’m here!”
“Be prepared. I’ll return to the capital in advance tonight.”
“Yes.”
Zuoqiu couldn’t bear the great pressure anymore and retreated silently. At the sight of Donglin, he almost couldn’t refrain from punching him.
“What’s the news from the capital?”
“His Majesty has granted Second Prince and Miss Su a marriage.”
Zuoqiu was stunned. “What?”
No wonder His Royal Highness would return to the capital in advance!
They couldn’t make clear His Royal Highness’s attitude towards Miss Su, but they had never seen His Royal Highness treat a woman like this after following him for so many years.
“What do you think His Royal Highness will do after going back?” Zuoqiu asked with a simple look.
Donglin froze for a moment; he wanted to scold him subconsciously but didn’t know what to say.
Because he was also curious about what His Royal Highness would do after hurrying back!