bookrebus Chapter 352 Requesting an Imperial Decree to Grant a Concubine
Chapter 352 Requesting an Imperial Decree to Grant a Concubine
The second sister looked longingly at her, then laughed and said, "I don't have Aunt Du's abilities."
"Everyone has different abilities. Although you don't know kung fu, you are quite knowledgeable about the law, which many people praise. It's just that nowadays, people have different levels of acceptance of men and women."
The second sister nodded: "Thank you, Fourth Young Master Du."
Du Zhirong scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Miss Si, you are my sister Shangge's good friend, so you are also my sister. There's no need to be so reserved. You should call me Brother Du, just like before."
Now it was the second sister's turn to feel embarrassed. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Fourth Brother Du, thank you so much today. And before... at the Lantern Festival, thank you all for your help in finding Xiaoxia'er for me..."
"We weren't able to help either; instead, we were careless and almost lost our child."
The second sister mustered her courage and said, "Fourth Brother Du, I shouldn't have gone out that day. I had no intention of getting married again, I..."
"Second Miss," Du Zhirong looked at her and said seriously, "I know. Actually, I could tell that night that you didn't have any feelings for me or for Young Master Yu. Perhaps you were just too embarrassed to refuse our elders."
The second sister was somewhat surprised: "Fourth Brother Du... thank you for your understanding."
Du Zhirong laughed heartily: "What I just said to the Second Prince was the truth. Since Luo Hua has no intention of pursuing me, I will not pursue her."
He then started talking about his childhood.
"Although I have been stationed on the border for a long time, I do return to the capital. In the past, when I returned to the capital, I became very close to your second brother. He practiced martial arts at home, and as soon as I came back, he would pull me aside to teach him and train with him."
The second sister seemed a little disappointed when her second brother was mentioned.
Du Zhirong continued, "Although Jingyuan is no longer here, he will always be my brother in my heart. His sister is my sister. Whether it's you, or your sisters, they are all my sisters. So, I hope that when I'm in the capital, you won't stand on ceremony with me, but treat me like an elder brother, okay?"
When the gatekeeper told Si Muyan that her second sister had been brought back by Du Zhirong, Si Muyan was very surprised.
Outsiders might think that the second sister had ulterior motives, but Si Muyan knew that was impossible. The second sister was stubborn and remembered Jiang Jianqiu wholeheartedly. Even though Jiang Jianqiu was dead, she often missed him. Moreover, now that Jiang Jianqiu was still alive, he had become someone else.
Moreover, given Second Sister's personality, even if she wanted to forget someone, she would never replace them with another person.
Si Muyan came to find her second sister, only to learn that the second prince had once again blocked her way in the street. She was both angry and anxious.
"How dare the Second Prince be so audacious? Does he have absolutely no regard for his own reputation?"
The second sister shook her head: "Maybe he just wanted to invite me for tea and apologize, but that doesn't matter. I won't agree."
Si Muyan frowned: "I never knew the Second Prince was so arrogant. He blocked your way in the street, and when you refused, he ordered his guards to drive away the people and restrict your freedom. Isn't he afraid of being impeached by the court officials?"
The Si sisters were all puzzled, but the most puzzled was the Imperial Concubine in the palace.
Even though the Third Prince caused trouble, he was only spared from being demoted to a commoner thanks to Consort Rong. However, the Emperor still heavily relied on Consort Xin, and now the power of the six palaces is in Consort Xin's hands.
The imperial concubine was extremely helpless and kept a very low profile.
They knew that the Emperor was in a bad mood because of the Third Prince's matter, and that it was easy to accidentally bring trouble upon oneself.
But to everyone's surprise, the Second Prince was originally supposed to be released on New Year's Eve, but he was granted a general amnesty and was not imprisoned. He only behaved himself for a month before running off to find that Si Mutong again.
Upon receiving the news, the Imperial Concubine gripped the armrest of her chaise longue so tightly that she nearly snapped her long fingernails in half.
"The Si family again? What kind of bewitching drug did Si Mutong give him to make him so infatuated that he's trying to detain her regardless of the situation?"
The old nanny who answered hurriedly said, "Your Highness, this is not His Highness's fault. It's just that lately, the nobles have been talking about this second young lady of the Si family. They say that although she was married and is a widow, she is good in every way, bold and meticulous, and a genius at solving cases."
"Is there such a thing?"
The old woman nodded: "Even His Highness Prince Ning, who is aloof from women and rarely smiles, has praised her highly. He recently invited her to serve as a principal officer in the Dali Temple and asked her to help revise the laws."
The Imperial Concubine grew anxious: "No wonder Jingren is so anxious; he's afraid someone will beat him to it. But is that Si family girl really that outstanding?"
The old woman sighed, "Even the most outstanding person has been married before. The Second Prince is going to..."
Seeing the imperial concubine glance at her, she quickly changed her words.
"His Highness will be granted the title of King sooner or later. How can a Queen be a remarried woman?"
The Imperial Concubine rubbed her aching fingernails and slowly nodded: "Those young ladies from the Si family are just a bit strange. Not to mention Si Mutong, I think Si Muwan is no ordinary person either. Have Jingren come over tomorrow; I have something to tell him."
However, the incident of the second prince trying to abduct a noblewoman in the street caused a great uproar that very night.
From ordinary people to the emperor in the palace, everyone heard about this.
Opinions on this matter are divided. One side believes that the second young lady of the Si family is immoral, showing her face in public and seducing people everywhere. The other side believes that the second prince, as a member of the royal family, should set an example and how could he kidnap people in the street?
As for what he said, the Second Prince was in love with the Second Miss of the Si family.
That's nonsense. If everyone just snatched the girl they liked, why would they need a proper marriage?
The news has spread far and wide.
Madam Wan was the happiest, her face beaming with pride: "I knew Si Mutong wasn't a good person. Why did she have to try to investigate cases like a man? She should have stayed at home and raised her children properly. Humph, in my opinion, it's all her fault for causing this mess."
Lord Wan seemed somewhat uneasy and said, "Alright, say less. Their business is none of our concern."
Madam Wan said smugly, "I just can't stand her. What is she? A penniless country bumpkin who actually thinks she's someone important. In my opinion, she's just putting on a show, probably trying to curry favor with Prince Ning!"
"Alright, what's the point of saying all this? Let me tell you, don't talk nonsense outside. We, the Wan family, are a clean and upright family. We don't get involved in other people's affairs, understand?"
Madam Wan pursed her lips, outwardly agreeing but inwardly disapproving.
The next morning, the emperor summoned the second prince and severely reprimanded him.
The second prince immediately knelt down and begged the emperor to bestow the second young lady of the Si family upon him.
"Father, I have fallen deeply in love with the second young lady of the Si family and cannot control myself. I beg Your Majesty to grant me her as a concubine."
She's not qualified to be the principal wife, and she's not willing to be a concubine, so let's reluctantly make her a secondary wife.
The Second Prince believed that he had already shown great care for Si Mutong, and that she was willing to be given the rank of concubine, so she should be grateful.
Just then, Prince Ning stepped forward.