SGEIRS -Chapter 546 Intending a Marriage Alliance

Over the past few days, the court officials had all been on edge, terrified of making the slightest mistake and getting demoted.

No one knew what had gone wrong with Emperor Jingwen, but he was in an abysmal mood. He found fault with everyone—so much so that he looked like he wanted to kick even a dog that happened to pass by. Many officials were summoned to the palace over the most trivial matters and scolded mercilessly. Those who were lucky merely endured a dressing-down; those less fortunate were demoted, and some even had their stipends docked.

Those who suffered demotion all belonged to the faction of Lord Xiao, the maternal uncle of the Second Prince. Some had only just entered the Ministry of Personnel when they offended the emperor and were promptly banished to remote, impoverished regions as local officials—effectively ending any hope of advancement for the rest of their lives.

Aside from Gu Jingxi and Minister Yu, none of the civil or military officials knew why the emperor was in such a foul temper.

Minister Yu had been anxious about it for several days. Fortunately, when he went to audience, the emperor treated him no differently than usual and did not make things difficult for him. Only then did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Gu Jingxi, on the other hand, was not worried at all. However fiercely the princes fought among themselves had nothing to do with him—he did not involve himself in such affairs. The case of Crown Prince Huizhao had already been concluded, allowing him to close yet another case. As for how the emperor would deal with the Second Prince, he reckoned a decision would only be made after the envoys from the State of An departed.

After leaving court and returning home, seeing his beloved wife and young son filled Gu Jingxi with contentment. A smile lingered on his lips as he walked toward them and said gently, “A-Yao, I’m back.”

Hearing his voice, Meng Jinyao looked up. Seeing his tall figure approaching step by step, she curved her lips into a smile. “Husband, you came back at just the right time. I was studying a chess manual today and working on endgames. There’s one position I can’t solve—come take a look.”

As she spoke, she stood up, pulled him over to the table where a chessboard was set out, pointed at the board arranged according to the endgame, tilted her head, and said, “This is the one. Husband, see how it can be solved.”

Gu Jingxi glanced at it and saw that it was an unfamiliar endgame he had never encountered before. He sat down at the table, then pulled her to sit with him. Gazing at the crisscrossing lines of the board, the two of them began to study it together.

Seeing this, the wet nurse understood that the marquis and his wife would not have time for the young heir for a while. She quietly carried the little heir away, and the other maids, understanding the situation, also withdrew in tacit agreement. Soon, only the husband and wife remained in the room.

After studying the position for quite some time, Gu Jingxi finally cracked the endgame. He then asked, “Which book did you see this in, A-Yao? It’s rather interesting. It took me quite a while to break it. Are there any other endgames?”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao lifted her eyes to look at him. Unconsciously, a trace of grievance crept into her gaze. They both had just one brain—so how could the difference be this great?

Gu Jingxi was startled. “A-Yao, why are you looking at me like that?”

In a faintly plaintive tone, Meng Jinyao retorted, “Husband, do you know that I stared at this board for more than half an hour and still couldn’t think of a way to solve it? In the end, I lost my patience and gave up.”

Gu Jingxi immediately caught her meaning and hurried to say, “It’s just that I used to study these things often with Mobei, so I have more experience. That’s why it was easier for me.”

Although she felt rather discouraged, the thought that this clever mind belonged to her own husband made her feel pleased instead. Her smile returned. “Forget it. It’s good that you’re smart. You’ll surely be able to educate Wanwan well in the future. Under your guidance, Wanwan is bound to amount to something.”

Gu Jingxi did not quite agree. He had once believed that an outstanding teacher could always produce outstanding students—until he tried teaching A-Yao painting and playing the zither. He taught earnestly, and A-Yao learned earnestly, yet he still couldn’t manage to teach her properly. That experience changed his view. Afraid that A-Yao might place too much hope in his abilities as a teacher—and that if Wanwan turned out to be a hopeless case, he himself would suffer for it—he said, “Even an excellent teacher doesn’t necessarily produce excellent students.”

Meng Jinyao felt his words made sense and nodded lightly. But in the next moment, she sensed something amiss and frowned. “Husband, are you saying our Wanwan is stupid and can’t be taught?”

“A-Yao, that’s not what I mean,” Gu Jingxi said quickly, shaking his head. Then he hastily tried to cover for himself. “As for one’s own child, it’s better to let someone else teach him. Back then, my father patiently taught me to read, but my temperament was unruly and drove him nearly mad. Yet in front of the academy teachers, I was much more well-behaved.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao found herself somewhat in agreement. “That’s true. Most students are afraid of their teachers. Sometimes what parents teach doesn’t work, but once a teacher says it, it does. Of course, the most important thing is still parents leading by example and nurturing the child’s character well.”

Gu Jingxi did not wish to dwell on their son for the moment and changed the subject. “A-Yao, the envoys from the State of An will be arriving soon. There will be a palace banquet then. As a titled noblewoman, you will need to attend as well.”

Meng Jinyao was taken aback. She had been granted her title last year, but she had never entered the palace. During the New Year, the emperor and empress had been plunged into grief over the loss of their beloved son, and no palace banquet had been held. Now, suddenly being told that she would have to attend a banquet in the palace made her a little nervous. Attending a banquet in the imperial palace was vastly different from attending one at the residences of princes or high officials.

Gu Jingxi said gently, “Her Majesty the Empress is very kind, and Mother will also enter the palace with you. There’s no need to be nervous. As for palace etiquette, find some time to ask Mother about it, so you won’t make any mistakes then.”

Meng Jinyao responded, “All right, I’ll go seek Mother’s advice tomorrow.” Then, curious, she added, “Husband, why do you think the State of An suddenly sent envoys to our State of Zhao?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “I heard some rumors yesterday. It seems there’s an intention to form a marriage alliance.”

Meng Jinyao nodded, then said, “I heard that it’s the Third Prince and the Seventh Princess of An who are coming. I wonder whether the Third Prince intends to marry a noble lady of our royal family, or if the Seventh Princess will be marrying into our imperial clan.”

Gu Jingxi was not particularly concerned about the matter and said mildly, “That will depend on His Majesty’s wishes. Although An is a vassal state, the two countries have fought wars in the past, and An has always wanted to break away from Zhao. The current king of An is fairly compliant. Since An wishes to cement friendly relations through marriage, His Majesty will not refuse, for the sake of harmony between the two states.”

Meng Jinyao nodded again and did not pursue the topic further.

At present, however, there was only one princess of marriageable age in the dynasty—the Third Princess, born to Consort Tao Shufei. She was greatly favored by the emperor, who would likely be reluctant to send her far away in marriage. If the Third Prince of An were to marry a woman from the Zhao royal family, the emperor would probably select someone from the imperial clan, grant her the title of princess, and have her marry in place of the Third Princess. There was precedent for this—when emperors could not bear to marry off their own daughters, they would choose from among the clan instead.

But if the Seventh Princess of An were to marry into Zhao, then there were two eligible princes of suitable age: the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. Since a prince was not the one being sent away, the emperor could simply choose any prince who would not inherit the throne to marry the Seventh Princess of An. That would be far simpler.

Seeing Meng Jinyao propping her chin on her hand, seemingly lost in thought, Gu Jingxi smiled and asked, “A-Yao, what are you thinking about?”

Meng Jinyao sighed softly. “I was thinking that even people as exalted as members of the imperial family are not in control of their own marriages. Most of the time, they’re political alliances.”

Gu Jingxi said, “Since one enjoys the privileges, one must shoulder the corresponding responsibilities when the time comes. Whether imperial kin or members of great families, sons or daughters—it’s the same. Marriage is the most direct means of consolidating family interests.”

As he spoke, his tone paused. He reached out to hold Meng Jinyao’s hand and continued, “But that sort of thing won’t happen in our family. In the future, if our Wanwan falls in love with some girl, as long as her family background is clean, her demeanor dignified, and her heart kind, that will be enough. Even if her status is low, it won’t matter.”