Zhen Does Not Approve (2)
“What’s the matter?” Mo Rongzhan frowned and looked at his younger brother. “Where were you planning to go if you’re not in the study at this time?”
“Brother Emperor, today I do not need to go to the study. Just now, I came from the Imperial Mother’s palace.” Mo Rongyi bowed before he smiled at his brother and began speaking. “Brother Emperor, Imperial Mother is going to bestow marriage between Yaoyao and Marquis Jing Ning. I also want to buy something to add to Yaoyao’s dowry, but I don’t know what to buy. Brother Emperor, can you lend me a few people? I want to buy—”
Mo Rongzhan’s heart suddenly sank and when he spoke, his voice was low and cold. “What did you just say? Marriage bestowment?”
“Imperial Mother is going to bestow marriage between Yaoyao and Brother Tang, Brother Emperor—” Before Mo Rongyi could finish his words, he saw Mo Rongzhan standing up fiercely.
BANG!
The teacup in Mo Rongzhan’s hand shattered to pieces as he stood up with a sullen expression. Then, he strode out of the imperial study.
Extremely frightened, Eunuch Fu knelt on the ground and kept his eyes there, not daring to raise his head at all, let alone take a look at the emperor. He knew better than anyone that his master had feelings for Lu Yaoyao. If the empress dowager really bestowed her a marriage… he couldn’t imagine what the emperor would do.
Therefore, out of everyone gathered there, only Mo Rongyi was confused. “Eunuch Fu, what did this prince say wrong? Why does Brother Emperor look so angry?”
“Little Prince, it’s not that you’re wrong, it’s… Marquis Jing Ning can’t marry the princess,” Eunuch Fu said, almost in tears.
“Why? Marquis Jing Ning and Yaoyao are a pair of talented man and beautiful woman*. Where in the world is he undeserving of Yaoyao’s hand?” Mo Rongyi asked unhappily.
[*郎才女貌: láng cái nǚ mào– talented man and beautiful woman; ideal couple]
Eunuch Fu lowered his voice and said, “Then, do you think that His Majesty and Young Miss Lu are not a pair of talented man and beautiful woman?”
“Nonsense!” Mo Rongyi reprimanded. “Yaoyao is the princess—”
Wrong! Yaoyao was merely bestowed with the title of a ‘princess’. She had no blood relationship with the Imperial Mo Family. Mo Rongyi seemed to finally realize he had stumbled upon a great secret, and glared at Eunuch Fu in horror. “You… you are saying that Brother Emperor , he and Yaoyao…”
Eunuch Fu lowered his head. “This slave didn’t say anything!”
Mo Rongyi stood in place blankly, his face a picture of horror.
♚
Mo Rongzhan was striding towards Cining Palace, feeling as if there were silk threads tearing at the tip of his heart. It was not a sharp pain, but it made him feel as if he could not breathe.
How could she marry someone else? She is mine, whether now or in the future, she is mine!
Just the thought of her marrying someone else, lying with another man, letting someone else taste her beauty… Just the thought alone was enough to rouse his impulse to kill. So, unless he died, he would not let Yaoyao marry anyone else.
When she didn’t enter the palace today, did she already know that the empress dowager was going to bestow a marriage to her? Did she not even think of saying no? Or did she think I would agree to this?
Mo Rongzhan felt angry and helpless. He wanted to spank her hard, but he could not bear to see her tears. And more than anything else, what he wanted most right now was to press her under his body and ‘eat’ her up directly, so that she wouldn’t have any other thoughts in her mind!
He now regretted his decision immensely. He should not have agreed with Imperial Mother that day. If she had not been made a princess, nothing would have happened today!
Soon, he arrived at Cining Palace. As soon as he entered the gates, all the people in the palace knelt and bowed. Alas, without even looking at them, Mo Rongzhan went straight to the main hall.
There, Empress Dowager was still happily choosing a dowry for Ye Zhen. When she saw Mo Rongzhan coming in, she smiled and greeted, “Your Majesty, why are you here at this time? Come here and look at this for aijia. Is this box of pearls suitable to be rewarded to Yaoyao?”
Mo Rongzhan looked at the pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets placed on the table, as well as the double happiness bead hairpin, all of which looked like things that would be added to a girl’s dowry, his eyes stung. Anger and jealousy welled up at the bottom of his heart.
“Imperial Mother, why do you suddenly want to reward Yaoyao with these things?” he asked quietly without moving, hands clenched into fists under the table.
“Yaoyao is fifteen years old and aijia wants to bestow a marriage between her and Marquis Jing Ning. Although the Tang family is a little small, it suits Yaoyao’s temperament. What do you think, Your Majesty?” she asked with a smile.
Not so good! Mo Rongzhan was so jealous he felt as if his heart was being roasted on the stove. Thus, he coldly said, “Zhen doesn’t agree!”
Empress Dowager was stupefied with his response and she looked up at him. “Why?”
Mo Rongzhan suppressed the anger that was about to erupt and said, “Imperial Mother, Zhen will not marry our Yaoyao to another man. This marriage… better not happen!”
“Your Majesty?” Empress Dowager looked at him in surprise. Does he know what his words mean?
“Imperial Mother, Zhen will take away Yaoyao’s title of imperial princess* and let her become a county princess (Junzhu).” Mo Rongzhan’s tone was cold, but there was an indescribable firmness in it.
[*gōng zhǔ jué wèi… gōng zhǔ- princess, jué wèi- order of feudal nobility, namely: Duke 公[gong1], Marquis 侯[hou2], Count 伯[bo2], Viscount 子[zi3], Baron 男[nan2]]
Empress Dowager’s face froze. “Your Majesty, did Yaoyao do something wrong?”
Mo Rongzhan answered indifferently, “No.”
Since she has done nothing wrong, then why should she be demoted to a county princess (Junzhu)? Empress Dowager thought, looking puzzled. However, when she looked at Mo Rongzhan’s cold expression, a flash of light combusted in her mind and she suddenly understood everything!
“Your Majesty, you… Yaoyao is already an imperial princess, and your status is already that of brother and sister. Have you not given up on her yet?” Empress Dowager hurriedly asked.
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