Chapter 365 - Whom was Emperor Zongwen’s Favorite Candidate? (2/2)

From now on, he would be much busier…

The wind blew with some scent of flowers. The two people just lay on the bed quietly, cuddling each other, just like a couple of mandarin ducks.

In the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager almost recovered, and was accompanied by Lady of Xian, Consort Yu, and d.u.c.h.ess Mingyang.

Consort Yu had just been released from the Cold Palace. No matter what she ate or used in that place could not be compared with those outside. Therefore, she looked wan and sallow. Although she was not obviously pregnant, she a.s.sumed a sheer posture, surrounded by several palace maids, as they were afraid that Consort Yu would be uncomfortable and did not dare to leave behind her.

“You have to take care of your belly. As you are in such poor health, how can you give birth to the child for the Emperor?” Empress Dowager asked with concern. The Buddha pearls rolled gently in her hands. With a benign look, she looked at Consort Yu’s belly with a smile and asked servants to take a cus.h.i.+on for Consort Yu.

“Thank you, Your Excellency. My health was slightly hurt in the Cold Palace. But I feel better recently.” Consort Yu smiled a bit shyly, setting off her face more charming.

“Your Highness, you look rather good now. Your Excellency, please don’t worry. Before long, you will have a little grandson.” d.u.c.h.ess Mingyang came to say in amus.e.m.e.nt and look with a smile at Consort Yu’s inconspicuous belly.

“Yes. Your Excellency, please feel a.s.sured. It must be a baby boy. There hasn’t been a new prince born in the palace for a long time. So it is a great event.” Lady of Xian congratulated with a quick tongue.

Empress Dowager looked sullen at the words and sighed with some depression, “How can I feel a.s.sured? After Consort Xian gave birth to King Xuan, no more prince has been born in the past more than 10 years. I thought the Emperor would have just three sons. But luckily, Consort Yu is pregnant now. G.o.d bless us!”

Seeing Empress Dowager frowning slightly, Lady of Xian persuaded, “Your Excellency, don’t worry about it so much. As you said, the Emperor has already had three sons. It is not a problem. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Frankly speaking, Emperor Zongwen had already had three adult sons. Even if Consort Yu could give birth to a baby boy, what could she do? Would the Emperor choose the youngest son as the Crown Prince instead of his grown-up children? Impossible! However, someone did not think so, even though it was an acknowledged fact.

A glimmer of gloom flashed in Consort Yu’s eyes, but then faded in her gentle smile.

“Even if I don’t need to worry about it, I still need to worry about other things. Zhen’er has come back. He has grown up, but doesn’t have a consort. It does make me worried, as he is older than King Xuan and King Yan. As for his consort, no one will select for him, and I still have to decide for him.” Empress Dowager said with a sigh.

This was really hard to answer. Would the Empress Dowager blame the Emperor for not selecting a consort for King Ning, or would she just mention it? Although Lady of Xian was straightforward, she knew it was hard to answer, and just reply with a smile, pretending that she didn’t understand what the Empress Dowager meant.

“King Ning is young and handsome. Your Excellency, you should choose a gentle and polite one. Well, the family background does not matter. With your presence, who dares to cheat?” Consort Yu answered with a smile.

“That being said, I am sick, so I cannot choose the proper one now. Can you help to recommend some to me?” The Empress Dowager put down the Buddha pearls, took a sip of tea, and said with a gentle smile, as if she were just an ordinary Old Madam who cared about her grandson’s marriage.

“Your Excellency, don’t pick up any longer. I will recommend one to you. You are bound to agree with me!” d.u.c.h.ess Mingyang covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled. She took a glance at Lady of Xian and teased. However, Lady of Xian’s eyes looked a little sullen.

“Go ahead.” Empress Dowager showed interest in her remarks.

“There is a niece in Lady of Xian’s maternal family. The girl is not only beautiful but also demure, elegant and decent. She is 15 years old, a flower-like age. If she will marry King Ning, I think, Your Excellency, you can rest your mind.” d.u.c.h.ess Mingyang said.

A hint of anger flashed in the eyes of the Lady of Xian who sat beside, and she refused with a smile before Empress Dowager replied.

“Your Excellency, although my niece is always with me, she does not have a powerful background, and her father is just a small official. I am afraid it will disgrace King Ning’s name and she is not good enough for upper King Ning.” Lady of Xian declined uneasily. Since she had no daughter herself, she raised her niece around her and loved her niece as her own daughter. Lady of Xian would usually keep one more for her niece equal to her son’s. In fact, the reason why the Lady of Xian came to the capital was for her niece’s marriage.

But the situation in the palace was unknown now. How could she feel a.s.sured to marry her niece into the palace?

Moreover, it did not only involve marriage.

“My Lady, don’t be so modest. Your niece is good-looking and good-tempered in a million. If she marries King Ning, it is really great marriage. If so, the niece of your maternal family can enjoy superior wealth and rank. Two royal consorts came from the same family. How envious it is!” d.u.c.h.ess Mingyang laughed and said.

Seeing d.u.c.h.ess Mingyang mention the niece again and again, Lady of Xian felt a bit unpleasant, but she did not manifest it and just said to the Empress Dowager with a smile, “His Highness, King Ning is really the one in a million. My niece comes from a humble family and cannot marry above herself. Besides, although I am her aunt, I cannot decide for her, as her marriage should be decided by her own parents. It may be half a year before her parents come to the capital. If it causes any delay in King Ning’s marriage, it will be too terrible.”

The engagement could be made after half a year? The Empress Dowager pulled a long face and thought it was really a long time. she had planned to draw Lady of Xian to her side, but did not expect that Lady of Xian did not know how to appreciate the favor. The Empress Dowager, though smiling, looked unhappy and said, “Let’s discuss the matter later. I feel tired now, so I will not keep you here.”

“Your Excellency, we will not disturb you.” The three stood up and leave, as they saw the Empress Dowager close her eyes tiredly and knew that she was going to rest.

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