Chapter 256: Imperial Marriage Decree
After Xiao Yanci learned that the new play being performed in the theater was a fabricated story based on his affairs, he immediately went to argue with the troupe leader and demanded they stop performing the play.
The troupe leader had received benefits from Zhou Wangshu and had the Great General Who Protects the Nation’s son-in-law as a powerful backer, so of course he wouldn’t give up such a profitable play.
The two sides failed to reach an agreement, and Xiao Yanci, still angry, threatened the troupe with Prime Minister Wang.
“Tanhualang, forgive this commoner for speaking bluntly, but there are no nobles from the Prime Minister’s Mansion in my play, and the nobles from the Prime Minister’s Mansion wouldn’t meddle in trivial matters. Once you become the beloved son-in-law of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, I naturally won’t dare to neglect you, and at that time, if you tell me to withdraw it, I will. But right now, you haven’t become the noble son-in-law of Prime Minister Wang’s Mansion yet. You’re so eager to use the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s power to bully the people— if Lord Prime Minister finds out, I’m afraid he’ll dislike you even more, and your chance of marrying Miss Wang will be even slimmer.”
“What exactly do you want to stop performing this play?” Xiao Yanci said coldly.
“This number.” The troupe leader held up five fingers.
“Five hundred taels?” Xiao Yanci frowned. “I’m at least the Third Scholar personally appointed by His Majesty, and you’re slandering my reputation like this—aren’t you afraid of punishment from the Imperial Court?”
“Forget the Third Scholar personally appointed by His Majesty—even if it were imperial relatives, that shouldn’t stop us common people from making a living, right? We didn’t name names, so how can you assume it fits you?”
“You didn’t name names, but you used the title of Tanhua, and anyone who hears it will immediately think of me. How is that not using me to attract attention?”
“Is there only one Tanhualang in the world? Tanhualang, you’re being a bit conceited. Even the Zhuangyuan Lang from the General’s Mansion wouldn’t dare say he’s the only Zhuangyuan Lang!”
“You… if I give you five hundred taels, will you withdraw this play immediately?” Xiao Yanci said coldly.
“Five hundred taels… heh, that’s just to send off beggars. Do you know how much we earn from staging this play once? Let me tell you, one performance earns more than five hundred taels. I meant fifty thousand.”
“Outrageous! This is pure extortion.”
“If you’re not giving it, then don’t interfere with our business.” The troupe leader finished speaking and started to leave.
Xiao Yanci looked at the young male lead kneeling and weeping bitterly on the stage, his face ashen: “I’ll give it to you, but withdraw it first. I’ll give it to you in an hour.”
“Withdraw when you pay—if you don’t pay, won’t we suffer heavy losses?” the troupe leader said. “Alright, go raise the money!”
Seeing that the troupe leader wouldn’t yield to soft or hard tactics, Xiao Yanci left the theater in frustration.
However, fifty thousand taels of silver was no small sum. Even if he borrowed from the bank, he needed collateral, and he had nothing, so the bank wouldn’t lend him the silver.
There was only one way…
Peach Blossom Workshop. Jiang Jing returned carrying the medicine box.
Su Yaoguang was coming out from inside and, seeing her exhausted expression, asked, “Did you just come back from the Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion?”
“Mm.” Jiang Jing slumped over the table and said tiredly, “That Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo is really too difficult to serve, but luckily, the medicine I used on him stopped his pain, and he restrained himself a bit.”
“Can his injury be cured?”
“I’ll do my best to try, but I don’t know yet,” Jiang Jing said. “His injury is too severe—even the Imperial Hospital is at a loss. If I claimed I could cure him, that would be arrogant.”
Peach Blossom Workshop’s business was getting better and better, and under his father-in-law Su Rende’s guidance, Zhou Wangshu was thriving in officialdom like a fish in water.
This year’s Top Scholar and Third Scholar were both big celebrities. The Top Scholar Lang’s good luck and the Tanhualang’s romantic affairs had become the talk of the town.
When speaking of the new Top Scholar’s good fortune, there were many who praised and many who envied, but few who spoke sourly. Somehow, the story of the Zhuangyuan Lang and the Great General’s daughter spread widely, and even theater troupes had started performing it. Combined with the previous events involving the Tanhualang, and now the mutual support, deep understanding, and love between the Zhuangyuan Lang and the Great General’s daughter through various hardships—even how the Great General’s daughter led the local government office in treating the people of two cities, making that area the one with the least disaster damage—this matter, which hadn’t spread before, was now known to everyone.
“The Empress wants to see me?” Su Yaoguang looked at Su Rende in surprise.
“The Empress is summoning you and your mother into the palace,” Su Rende said. “It should be related to that ‘Top Scholar’s Wife’ play being sung in the theaters lately.”
“I don’t know the palace rules and fear I’ll be rude,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “Maybe I shouldn’t go into the palace.”
“Who says you don’t know the rules? Last time Wangshu became the Top Scholar, you entered the palace for the palace banquet and did very well. If you’re nervous, I’ll wait outside for you—just go ahead.”
With his current status and position, even if his wife knew nothing, no one would dare to point out her faults.
Since the Empress wanted to see the female relatives, Su Rende sent his wife and daughter into the palace, then went to play chess with the Emperor.
Seeing him arrive, the Emperor smiled and patted the table beside him: “Watch from the side. I don’t want to play with that bad chess player of yours. I’ve summoned your son-in-law into the palace to play with me.”
“Your Majesty, he’s just a fifth-rank minor official right now and not qualified to see His Majesty yet. If you favor him like this, be careful he attracts others’ jealousy.”
“Your family has been so high-profile lately that even if I didn’t summon him, he’d attract jealousy. But your wife and daughter are truly extraordinary! I can only say your family is loyal through and through, which greatly comforts me.”
“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wang requests an audience,” a young eunuch came in and said.
“What does he want?” The Emperor frowned. “That old official has been increasingly lacking in propriety lately—I don’t even want to deal with him.”
“Since he’s entered the palace to request an audience, he must have important matters.”
“Don’t you two always clash?” the Emperor said. “On the same matter, he wouldn’t speak up for you in front of me—you’re the honest brute.”
“Your subordinate general just can’t stand his hypocritical demeanor. As long as what he does benefits the country and the people, your subordinate general has no issue with him.”
Su Rende stood up and entered the inner chamber.
After Prime Minister Wang entered, he first paid his respects, then stated his purpose: “This minister has come to request that Your Majesty grant a marriage.”
“Oh, tell me—what kind of marriage do you seek?” the Emperor said.
“This minister wishes for Your Majesty to grant marriage between my young daughter and the newly selected Third Scholar,” Prime Minister Wang said. “The newly selected Third Scholar has been subject to some idle gossip lately, all deliberately spread by those with ulterior motives to slander him. In truth, this man’s talent, character, and appearance are all exceptional. This is the national policy he submitted—please review it, Your Majesty.”
The young eunuch took the item from Prime Minister Wang and presented it to the Emperor with both hands.
The Emperor unfolded it and looked. From initial casualness, his eyes grew fervent, and his expression turned serious.
“Good, very good—this national policy is excellently written,” the Emperor said. “This national policy was written by the newly selected Third Scholar?”
“Precisely him. Your Majesty, this man is extremely talented, but precisely because he’s so outstanding, he easily attracts jealousy, leading to the cold treatment and slander he’s suffering now. This minister greatly admires his talent and doesn’t care about the outside gossip. I wish to take him as a son-in-law—please personally grant this marriage, Your Majesty.”
“From this national policy, it’s indeed excellent. Since you trust his character, I have nothing to say.” When a prime minister of the nation wanted a marriage decree, he’d certainly give him that face.
With the Emperor’s personal promise, Prime Minister Wang left reassured.
As soon as he left, Su Rende came out from inside.
“Your Majesty truly trusts that newly selected Third Scholar. Forgive your subordinate general for speaking bluntly, but while I don’t know if this man’s talent is truly good, he may not be a wise minister.”
“Prime Minister Wang wants a marriage decree—I’m not stingy, so I gave it to him. He’s just using the marriage decree to bolster his new son-in-law’s face.”
Whether he’s a wise minister or not has nothing to do with the marriage decree. If he is, use him generously. If not, demote or execute him—who would dare defy the Emperor?
“Your Majesty, Lord Zhou has arrived.” The young eunuch brought Zhou Wangshu in.
The Emperor called out, “No need for formalities—come sit and play a game with me.”
After paying respects, Zhou Wangshu walked over and greeted Su Rende: “Dad.”
“Why do you call him Dad?” the Emperor asked. “Not ‘father,’ not ‘father-in-law,’ but ‘Dad.'”
“Among noble families, children call their father ‘father,’ and sons-in-law call him ‘father-in-law,’ but this minister is from commoner origins and prefers calling him ‘Dad’—it feels more intimate.”
“Well said—my most favored little daughter calls me that too. She’s the only child who calls me ‘Dad.'” The other children had more awe than closeness. “By the way, Lord Zhou, what do you think of this national policy?”
Zhou Wangshu took it, examined it carefully, and said, “Your Majesty, this minister actually shares some rapport with this man, because this minister also brought his own Ten-Year Preparation Theory today.”
“Ten-Year Preparation Theory?”
“It’s about the areas our dynasty needs to improve and develop over the next ten years.”
“Let me see it.”
Zhou Wangshu took a booklet from his bosom.
The Emperor took it and saw it was a thick volume, covering scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants—the development and important roles of all industries, as well as recent activities of neighboring countries and their plans…
From this booklet, it was clear he’d spent a long time preparing it—otherwise, it wouldn’t be so comprehensive, including problems from every industry.
“Good, very good.” The Emperor slapped the table in approval. “You’ve got something, boy. I thought the previous one showed a fine talent, but now seeing yours, you’re a genius.”
“Your Majesty, don’t praise him too much, or he’ll get arrogant,” Su Rende said.
“You old thing, just secretly rejoice! During the years you had amnesia, whenever I wanted to grant you a marriage, you refused, saying you felt there was a loved one in your lost memories and absolutely couldn’t marry in a muddle before figuring it out. I thought you were foolish back then, but now I see you’re the cleverest. Now your wife is back, and you have such an outstanding daughter and son-in-law—a family full of harmony.”
“Your subordinate general is just a rough man, unworthy of the noblewomen in the capital. Your subordinate general is fine like this—Your Majesty, please don’t mention that matter again, or be careful my jealous wife gives me trouble.”
“No ambition.”
“Your Majesty, between these two national policies now, which do you think is better?”
“Needless to say, of course your son-in-law’s is better. Tomorrow at court, I’ll announce this and have each department draft three-year plans based on this national policy.” The Emperor finished, then looked at Zhou Wangshu. “With your talent, being just a Director of the Ministry of Personnel is a waste. Tomorrow, I’ll promote you to Vice Minister of Personnel and have you attend morning court.”
“Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty.”
“Alright, I called you to play chess. Your father-in-law is such a bad chess player it’s no fun—his few skills were learned from me, but even my five-year-old young son plays better than him.”
Zhou Wangshu gained a new understanding of how favored his father-in-law was with His Majesty.
Generally, military generals with too illustrious war achievements were to be guarded against by the Emperor, lest they one day command troops for rebellion. But given the Emperor’s closeness with his father-in-law, outsiders might think they were blood brothers.
Father-in-law and son-in-law accompanied the Emperor in several games, then followed him to the Empress’s chambers to dine with the womenfolk from both families. After the meal, the family returned to the General’s Mansion in grand style, laden with abundant imperial gifts.
The items bestowed from the palace weren’t hidden at all—they were packed in extremely luxurious gold-threaded nanmu wood.
Meanwhile, the Emperor had issued the marriage decree, and it was being proclaimed at the house where Xiao Yanci currently lived.
The house Xiao Yanci rented was small and in the busy market, where he had to endure harassment from many people daily, plus some self-important village girls primping and posing at him, as if their few charms could let them climb onto this newly selected Third Scholar.
After all, in the play, this newly selected Third Scholar even took a widow, showing that while he was good-looking, he was indiscriminate with women—any woman would do.
After the decree was announced, the nearby people got the news and no longer dared to harass Xiao Yanci.
“This guy really climbed onto Prime Minister Wang.”
“It’s a marriage granted by the Emperor, showing how much importance is placed on it. Could it be that the story in the play is fake, and this man was actually framed?”
Xiao Yanci listened to the crowd’s discussions, a strange glint in his eyes.
Using memories from his previous life, he wrote a national policy. The policies in it were ones that had happened in his previous life, but three years from now. By writing down those past events now, he made himself the one who achieved great merit, letting them enjoy those benefits three years early.
And the fifty thousand taels the troupe leader extorted from him—he got from Jiang Yihuan. After all, among the people he knew now, she was the only woman with that kind of wealth.
That woman really knew how to coax men—she had Marquis Jing’an wrapped around her finger, even handing the entire household over to her. If Marquis Jing’an knew she was using his silver to support her former lover and cavorting with that old flame in the theater, who knows what he’d think.
Xiao Yanci thought he truly despised Jiang Yihuan, but when she was no longer his nominal wife and became someone else’s woman, he suddenly discovered the pleasure of playing with another man’s wife.
The people from the palace who proclaimed the decree had just left when the butler from Prime Minister Wang’s Mansion arrived.
“Lord Xiao, the Prime Minister invites you to the mansion to discuss the marriage,” the butler said. “Anyway, you’ll be a son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family, so no need to stay here. This servant will immediately have people pack your things and move you to the Prime Minister’s Mansion.”
