Chapter 310 - Wei Yinlian’s Marriage (2)

After all, they had been married for many years. Even if they didn’t get along very well in the past, the crown prince could notice that the crown princess was concealing her panic and worry. He raised his eyebrow and joked with a smile, “What if I say I want your sister to be doubly related to us?”

“I’ll accept any decisions you make,” The crown princess’s smile remained unchanged, but there was a trace of reluctance in her expression. She said, “However, it hasn’t been long since Mother passed away. If you marry her now, I’m afraid it would affect your reputation…”

“I’m just kidding!” The crown prince wanted to tease his wife, but then he remembered that she was pregnant and couldn’t be upset. Hearing this, he hurriedly said, “In fact, Grandmother summoned me today and talked about one thing with me!”

In fact, the crown princess also felt that her husband would not be interested in her sister and probably faked his disappointment and upset. After the crown prince told her truth, she put on a serious look and asked, “What did you talk about?”

“Grandmother wanted to select a wife for Qiu Shuxia’s adopted son.” The crown prince paused and said, “She thought your sister was the right person.”

The Empress Dowager’s parents’ family had only one male descendent, Qiu Shuxia. Few people could watch her parents’ family vanish without descendants. However, Qiu Shuxia’s biological son died early, and he was no longer in his prime, so his hope of having another son was very slim.

Therefore, he adopted Qiu Zhiyin from the Liu Family. Although Qiu Zhiyin wasn’t the real offspring of the Qiu Family, the Empress Dowager still cared about him.

Of course she considered more for Qiu Shuxia. Qiu Shuxia tried his best to protect Prince of Zhao and was almost the daring vanguard among the people on Prince of Zhao’s side. Even the Su Family was not as active as him. He offended and clashed with people in the imperial court at will because he was the Empress Dowager’s nephew. Sometimes he didn’t even take Emperor Xianjia’s attitude seriously and he had offended Jian Xubai who was in the crown prince’s camp completely!

At the time, the Empress Dowager was still alive. Even if Qiu Shuxia was relegated, no one dared to harm him.

If the Empress Dowager died in future, who could protect him after he made so many troubles over the years?

The Empress Dowager thought about it and found it was a good thing that he had adopted a son. His son could marry a wife with a strong background so that Qiu Shuxia could have a backer!

For that purpose, the best choice at present was Wei Yinlian, the crown princess’s sister!

After all, the crown prince would undoubtedly be the new emperor, but he didn’t have any sisters. Although Princess Yushan was still unmarried and she wasn’t on bad terms with the crown prince, this noble princess was thinking about Su Shaoge wholeheartedly and would certainly not agree to marry Qiu Zhiyin whose status was inferior to hers!

The Empress Dowager had only two granddaughters. Although she had to spare a thought for her nephew, she didn’t want her granddaughter to marry down. Besides, Princess Yushan had a bad temper. Even if they forced her to marry down, she might vent her anger on the Qiu Family!

The only girl who was old enough for marriage in the crown prince’s mother’s family, the Cui Family, was Cui Jianlian. She entered the palace to serve the crown prince last year and had died at the beginning of this year.

Therefore, none of the crown prince’s sisters and cousins could marry Qiu Zhiyin. The Empress Dowager could only select the right person from the crown princess’s sisters.

After all, the crown princess gave birth to Commandery Prince Zhongling the first legitimate son of the crown prince. At the time, she got well along with the crown prince and was pregnant again. If things went smoothly, she would be the owner of the Palace of Mingren soon or later.

As it happened, Wei Yinlian, the only sister of the crown princess, was unmarried. She was excellent and pretty and was deeply loved by the crown princess. The Empress Dowager thought that if Wei Yinlian could marry into the Qiu family, even if someone got the Qiu family into trouble in future, the crown princess would plead for the Qiu family for the sake of her sister.

Even if their official career was frustrated, they would always have a glimmer of hope if the crown princess was their backer!

The crown prince faltered out the Empress Dowager’s intention and asked the crown princess with apprehension, “Do you think…we should agree to grandma’s proposal?”

“Normally, we should not refuse it.” When the crown princess heard this, she pondered for a moment and showed an embarrassed look. She said, “Although there is resentment between Xubai and Uncle Qiu, Uncle Qiu will leave the court soon. He is also an elder of Xubai. After he returns to his hometown, I guess Xubai will not get even with him. The problem was that Uncle Qiu’s adoptive son is from the Liu Family!”

“The Liu Family?” The crown prince was stunned and then patted his head with annoyance, “I actually forgot this!”

Qiu Zhiyin’s original name was Liu Zhiyin. He was the first legitimate son of Liu Zhenxi, the Vice Minister in the Ministry of Punishments, and the nephew of Song Yixiao’s first stepmother Madam Liu!

Back then, the downfall of the Liu Family was inextricably related to Song Yixiao.

Later, Prince of Zhao and his followers saw that the Liu Family could not be saved, so they persuaded Liu Zhenxi to have a last try at the risk of his life by offering that Qiu Shuxia would adopt his son. After Liu Zhiyin changed his surname to Qiu, he lived a secluded life and rarely appeared in front of outsiders. In the past year, there had been ups and downs in the imperial court, so they gradually forgot such a story.

After the crown princess mentioned this, it dawned on the crown prince, “You are afraid that Yixiao would have a problem with that? However, it was Madam Liu who treated Yixiao harshly back then and it was only Liu Zhenxi who intended to slander her. Both of them had been killed, but those things had nothing to do with Liu Zhi…Qiu Zhiyin. It’s said that Yixiao’s father’s family bought Liu Zhenxi’s legitimate daughter and let her marry Yixiao’s father as a concubine. Yixiao won’t bear a grudge against Qiu Zhiyin for those things, will she?”

The crown prince didn’t know that the resentment between Song Yixiao and the Liu Family had existed since Song Yixiao’s previous life. In his opinion, Song Yixiao had only lived with Madam Liu for one year. No matter how Madam Liu treated her harshly, she only lived with Madam Liu for a very short time. She probably hadn’t got a chance to meet Liu Zhiyin. In the Liu Family, Madam Liu died with dishonor, which also affected the Liu Family’s reputation. Liu Zhenxi loved his sister and then wanted to avenge her. However, the whole Liu Family was implicated!

The Song Family bought Liu Zhijin at that time, and Elder Lady Pang gave Liu Zhijin to her son as a concubine, which was obviously an action of profiting from the misfortune of the Liu Family. So, people who didn’t know the inside story naturally thought that Song Yuan had been thinking about having this niece for a long time. Seeing that the Liu Family was in trouble, he hurriedly took this young beautiful junior in with the help of his mother.

Therefore, the crown prince thought that the Liu Family was the one who suffered losses. In fact, he was more worried that Qiu Zhiyin would bear a grudge against Song Yixiao and think about getting even with her because he became Qiu Zhiyin’s brother-in-law after Qiu Zhiyin married Wei Yinlian.

However, the crown princess said, “You’re probably wrong. Yixiao has always been sensible, and Qiu Zhiyin has been adopted by the Qiu Family for nearly a year. Yixiao never mentioned him. Obviously, she has no intention of getting even with him.”

Speaking of this, she sighed, “What I’m worried about is Yinlian. You know, she and Yixiao are friends. They knew each other before Yixiao got married. Therefore, she naturally takes Yixiao’s side! And what happened to Yixiao back then is no secret in the imperial capital. Do you think she will like the Liu Family’s offspring? I know my sister well. Even if she doesn’t like Qiu Zhiyin, she will certainly marry him if I ask her to. But after she marries him, there will inevitably be estrangement between them! Grandmother wanted Yinlian to marry into the Qiu Family for the sake of the Qiu Family’s future, and she certainly hoped that Qiu Zhiyin and Yinlian could get well along with each other. That’s what I’m worried about!”

The crown prince thought what his wife said made sense. He wanted to agree to the Empress Dowager’s proposal. After all, the Empress Dowager was his grandmother. The bond between him and his grandmother over the years could not be completely wiped out by the Empress Dowager’s defection in recent months. Moreover, politically, if he agreed, he could win the favor and guilt of the Empress Dowager, placate the courtiers who previously supported Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao, stabilize the situation, and let others know he and the crown princess were kind and forbearing.

Of course it would be unfavorable to his wife’s sister, but for the crown prince, it would only cause her a small loss. After all, he had sent someone to get the information about Qiu Zhiyin. Qiu Zhiyin was originally the legitimate son of the Liu Family. After being adopted, he was Qiu Shuxia’s son. Both his father and adopted father were very devoted to his cultivation.

He was also good-looking, fair-skinned, and gentle. Although he was a little slack and lazy when he was in the Liu Family, he began to study hard after he was adopted by the Qiu Family. It was said that he had the hope of becoming a Scholar. Even if he couldn’t pass the imperial examination, his family could pull a few strings and get him a position in the imperial court. Jian Xubai didn’t participate in the imperial examination. However, he still got a position in the imperial court and was promoted again and again.

In short, the crown prince weighed it and felt that it wasn’t a bad thing for Wei Yinlian to marry Qiu Zhiyin.

Moreover, besides the crown princess, he also felt that the Wei Family’s loyalty to him wavered.

If the Wei Family married Wei Yinlian to Qiu Zhiyin as the Empress Dowager wanted, the Wei Family could atone for that.

With these thoughts in his mind, the crown prince said, “Grandma is old and rarely entrusts us with something. We should try our best to complete it. Why don’t you invite your sister over tomorrow and have a good talk with her? What the Liu Family did has nothing to do with Qiu Zhiyin. Madam Liu was his aunt and Liu Zhenxi was his father. They were both his elders. How could Qiu Zhiyin interfere with their actions as a junior? He was just implicated. Moreover, he is not a member of the Liu Family anymore.”

“Don’t worry. I will convince her!” The crown princess nodded seriously.

In fact, the crown princess had decided to agree when the crown prince explained the truth. After all, Wei Yinlian’s marriage to Qiu Zhiyin could help them repair the relation between the crown prince and the Empress Dowager, and made the Empress Dowager become the backer of her and her son.

If the Empress Dowager wanted her to protect the Qiu Family in future, she must ensure her a safe future first, right?

Otherwise, if she was unable even to fend for herself, how could she protect her sister and her sister’s family?

As for Wei Yinlian’s inclination, the crown princess thought the same as the crown prince. Qiu Zhiyin might not be a very satisfactory husband, but given his performance so far, he was not a bad choice for Wei Yinlian.

“Yinlian, don’t blame me!” The crown princess politely refused before just because she was afraid that the crown prince wouldn’t take this matter to heart in future if she agreed quickly. At the moment, she promised to the crown prince and thought to herself silently, “I did this for your own good. If something happens to me, how can the Wei Family not be affected? At that time, even if you are already married, you might be implicated! On the contrary, as long as I’m safe, no one dares to bully you!”

However, the crown prince and the crown princess didn’t know that another person also wanted Wei Yinlian to marry her junior.

Grand Princess Daiguo knelt in front of Emperor Xianjia and cried, “My husband and I deserve to die, but now we’re lucky to be forgiven by you. Zifu is our son. It’s okay that he is implicated because of our mistake! However, Mingfei is just our nephew. His parents died early, and my father-in-law brought him up. We only supported him for a few years! Although he had whirlwind romance with many girls, they were all consensual relationships. He has never hurt anyone or violated the law. If he is implicated because of our mistake, how can I face my father-in-law after I die?”

Her mother-in-law died early and she only met her father-in-law when she married Marquis Fuyang. Emperor Xianjia also sighed when she mentioned old Marquis Fuyang. He made great contributions when Emperor Xianjia ascended the throne, and he had always been loyal to Emperor Xianjia and worked hard, but he died before Emperor Xianjia could repay his favor.

So, the emperor kept silent for a while and then said, “Do you want me to give Ji Mingfei an official position?”

“He already has a position in the Ministry of Works, and with his temperament, he probably can’t be trusted with major responsibilities.” Even if he could, the emperor would not do that and let others think that the Ji Family was about to make a comeback. If he really wanted to do that, he would leave this matter to the crown prince and let him give the order. Grand Princess Daiguo knew this very well, so she shook her head, “I want him to marry someone with a strong family background so that no matter what happens to our family in the future, his wife’s family could help him.”

After a pause, she saw the questioning eyes of the emperor, and then said, “I think the crown princess’s sister is the right person for Mingfei. Please betroth her to Mingfei!”