Don't panic if your home is confiscated or you are exiled, just empty the warehouse and stock u

Chapter 176 Li Jingyao Grants Marriage

"Your Majesty, my daughter has never been married."

Baili Jingyao's eyes swept across Baili He meaningfully, and he called softly, "He'er, come here."

Upon hearing this, Baili He slowly stepped forward, stood in front of Xie Zhuo, and called out politely, "Thank you, Sir."

Xie Zhuo quickly bowed and said respectfully, "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Thank you, sir, you don't have to be so polite."

Seeing this, Baili Jingyao nodded with satisfaction, turned his gaze to Xie Zhuo, and asked with a smile: "I wonder if Xie Qing's family is satisfied with the prince?"

Xie Zhuo's face changed slightly, and he was secretly calculating in his mind.

He already knew that the purpose of His Majesty's visit was to choose a son-in-law for his beloved daughter Xie Wangshu, and the candidate he originally preferred was Baili Zhao.

Although Baili He was the crown prince, his political achievements were inferior to those of Baili Zhao. Moreover, he lacked the ability to lead troops in battles and seemed quite overwhelmed.

But Xie Zhuo still said: "The prince is very handsome and talented, but my daughter is still young..."

"Oh? Thank you, my dear, you are wrong." Baili Jingyao smiled slightly, his eyes flashing with deep thought, "I remember that your daughter has reached the age of marriage, eighteen years old, how can you say she is young?"

At this time, Baili Zhao, who was standing by, keenly caught the subtle undercurrent between father and son, and interrupted at the right time: "Father, you always favor your brother, but you have never noticed the sincerity of your son. Your son has long respected and admired the Xie family."

As soon as these words were spoken, Baili Jingyao's expression suddenly became complicated, as if he was weighing something.

Although the prince is incompetent, he is obedient. But Baili Zhao can no longer be allowed to gain power.

Xie Wangshu looked quietly at the two princes in front of her. She didn't want to get involved in the royal struggle at all.

However, under the current circumstances, she knew that she had to be cautious in every move she made. Even though she was a bit unruly in character, she also understood that the emperor's majesty could not be offended in the slightest.

There were undercurrents in the palace, and Baili Jingyao could no longer be biased in public. "Since you all like Miss Xie, then Miss Xie will make her own decision. No matter where she is concerned, I am pleased."

This was already a huge honor to the Xie family, so Xie Zhuo and Xie Wangshu could only kneel down to express their gratitude.

Despite the rich harvest and various rewards, Xie Wangshu did not show any joy in his heart.

On the way home, she couldn't help but pour out her grievances to her father: "Dad, I have already made it clear that I don't want to step into the palace walls, but you insisted on persuading me. Now that we are in this situation, what should we do?"

Xie Zhuo had a complicated expression and sighed softly, "Child, do you think your father is happy with this? In fact, it was His Majesty who personally ordered me to bring you into the palace. At that moment, I vaguely realized that His Majesty seemed to have the intention of granting us a marriage. It is difficult to disobey the king's order, so how could I not obey?"

After hearing this, Xie Wangshu could only sigh helplessly, with a hint of bitterness flashing in his eyes: "In the final analysis, I have been pushed to the balance between the Crown Prince and Prince Yu. It seems that I have a choice, but in fact, I am restricted step by step and have no autonomy at all..."

She had no intention of participating in the struggle in the court.

……

Baili He returned to the East Palace and was so angry that he almost smashed all the vases. "This is outrageous! Baili Zhao, how dare you compete with me! My father has clearly said that the marriage will be granted to me, but you intervened and tried to steal from me."

Although he did not have much affection for the daughter of the Xie family, he knew the interests involved better than anyone else.

Once he marries the daughter of Xie's family, it is equivalent to bringing Xie's army into his pocket. Its importance is self-evident.

Baili He secretly swore that he would never let Baili Zhao get what he wanted. He was determined to take over the Xie family.

At this moment, a clear and pleasant laughter suddenly came from the palace, like the breeze blowing across the lake in spring, with a bit of gentleness and comfort.

Bailihe was attracted by the sudden laughter, and his anger subsided a little. He followed the sound and saw Wen Daidai gently coaxing the child in her arms. She was bright and gentle, which made people's hearts soften involuntarily.

The girl's eyebrows gradually opened up, her cheeks were like plump dewdrops in the morning, chubby and full of endless cuteness and loveliness.

Whenever Baili He's eyes fell on this little life, the shadow of Meng Wanran would involuntarily appear in his mind.

"Daidai," he sighed softly, with a barely perceptible resentment in his tone, "These days, your heart and eyes have been full of this child, and you have even left me aside."

"Your Highness, why do you say that? This is also your Highness's child, so I will naturally take good care of him."

Meng Wanran and Wen Daidai had been at odds before, but now she was truly affectionate towards the child and took care of him meticulously, and Bailihe really believed her sincerity.

"Daidai, I'm really sorry for you."

"Your Highness has been extremely gentle to me. Recently, I heard that His Majesty intends to find another good match for Your Highness. Does this matter bother Your Highness?"

"My father has always doted on me, but this time he gave Baili Zhao the opportunity to make us fight for a woman. I am extremely angry."

He will not be at peace until he gets rid of Baili Zhao.

"Your Highness, I recently received a letter from my brother, and a plan suddenly came to my mind. Your Highness, would you like to listen to my humble opinion?"

"Dade, you can say whatever you want."

Wen Daidai leaned close to his ear, and the more Bailihe listened, the more horrified he became. "No, this is too dangerous. We must not do this. Once my father finds out, not only will my position as crown prince be in jeopardy, I'm afraid even my life will be in danger."

"Your Highness, you are the honorable Crown Prince, the treasure in the hearts of His Majesty and the Queen. Who can easily shake your position? Besides, all this is done in secret and will not be put on the surface."

Bailihe shook his head. "No, this is not possible. Dai Dai, when did you have such an idea?"

Wen Daidai's expression was as calm as water, and she said softly: "If Your Highness is afraid, then forget it. You also know that Baili Zhao once killed my Mu country's soldiers. This hatred is naturally unforgettable in my heart. This time, I just want to do my best for Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Baili He thought to himself that what she said was true, but this plan was indeed too dangerous.

"Your Highness, you only need to help my twenty loyal and brave men sneak into the capital. You don't need to worry about the follow-up matters. Once the big thing is accomplished, they will definitely end their lives on their own. Your Majesty will never notice anything unusual, nor will he be able to find out their identities."

Baili He's heart was slightly rippled. After pondering for a moment, he slowly said, "This matter is of great importance. Please allow me to think about it carefully."

……

Xie Wangshu sneaked out of the house and came to the manor that Jiang Lixuan had mentioned before, but he felt that it was inappropriate to look for him rashly, so he stood outside the door and hesitated for a while.

"Hey, Miss Xie, why are you here? Are you waiting for the second brother to come?" A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Jiang Siyu who had quietly stood beside her and was looking at her with a smile.

"It's really freezing outside, but I..." She hesitated for a second before nodding, "Then I'll excuse you for disturbing me."

Xie Wangshu didn't care about all that and followed Jiang Siyu in.

As Xie Wangshu followed Jiang Siyu into the manor, the scene before his eyes suddenly opened up.

Inside the greenhouse, it is as warm as spring. Various precious flowers and exotic green plants are arranged in an orderly manner, colorful and full of vitality.

"My second brother has gone out to do some work. If you are not in a hurry, Miss Xie, you can wait here for a while. He will be back soon."

Jiang Siyu then told the maid to prepare the fire and fragrant tea, and carefully arranged peanuts and fresh fruits.

"If I remember correctly, you are Lixuan's fourth sister?"

"Miss Xie, if I'm not mistaken, you look worried. Is there something urgent you need to discuss with your second brother?"

"I do have something important to tell you. I'm willing to wait here." Xie Wangshu nodded slightly.

She took a sip of the cloud tea, and the lingering tea fragrance instantly spread between her lips and teeth, as if even the anxiety in her heart was slowly dissipating with the tea fragrance.

Seeing this, Jiang Siyu carefully peeled the peanut shells for her and handed the golden and soft sweet potatoes to her. "Miss Xie, if you don't mind, have some?"

"Thanks……"

Xie Wangshu's thoughts drifted back to the time when they first met and how rude she had been to her at that time. Thinking about it now, her cheeks felt slightly hot and she felt embarrassed.

"At that time, I was too reckless. I hope Fourth Sister won't take it to heart." There was sincere apology in her voice.

"I never took it to heart. Miss Xie, don't be so reserved."

Jiang Siyu had heard about her affair with her second brother a long time ago. At first, she did think that he was too spoiled. But when she learned that Xie Wangshu disregarded his own safety and resolutely went looking for his second brother, she couldn't help but admire his deep friendship.

There were voices coming from the yard. The moment Xie Wangshu heard Jiang Lixuan's familiar voice, her heart suddenly tightened. Then she stood up involuntarily, with a bit of urgency in her steps.

"Lixuan, you're finally back. I have something urgent to discuss with you!" Her voice was full of anxiety. Without waiting for him to stand firm, she pulled him to a quiet corner without saying a word, completely forgetting her usual reserve and courtesy.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty actually wants to grant me a marriage and ask me to choose between the Crown Prince and Prince Yu."

"What?!" Jiang Lixuan had just returned from an old friend's place and was still immersed in the joy of reuniting with his old friend. This sudden news was like a heavy hammer, causing his brows to involuntarily frown and his expression to become solemn.

"Lixuan, I don't want to join the royal family. The person I want to marry is..."

Jiang Nianwei had already learned the news and wanted to find Xie Wangshu to discuss the matter, but she didn't expect that she would rush over in such a hurry.

"Miss Xie, if it's for this matter, you don't have to worry, just choose His Royal Highness Prince Yu, and I will naturally assist you."

"But, but...the only person I want to marry is your second brother." She seemed so anxious that she was about to cry.

"This is just a fake marriage."

"Not even fake!"

Hearing her firm tone, Jiang Nianwei could only explain in detail: "Your Majesty's decree, you must marry one of the two. If you choose the prince, you really have to marry him. He will use the power of the Xie family to his advantage. But the choice is different. His Majesty does not want you to marry Prince Yu. Even if you are engaged, this marriage will not be successful?"

"What does this mean?"

Jiang Lixuan immediately understood his sister's plan. "Wangshu, just follow my third sister's advice. She will definitely have a good idea. I can also guarantee that you and His Royal Highness Prince Yu are only pretending to be engaged. You don't know that His Royal Highness Prince Yu... has already married my third sister. The two of them are very much in love, and he will never change his mind. Everything is just a temporary measure."

When Jiang Nianwei heard the word "very affectionate", she couldn't help but cough a few times, "Second brother, there's no need to explain these."

Xie Wangshu pondered for a while, and finally understood, "So this is what you mean?"

"You will become my second sister-in-law in the future, and this will definitely not change. Now all this is just a temporary measure."

Because she wanted to force the prince to reveal his flaws.

She and Wen Daidai had planned all this long ago. If Xie Wangshu chose Prince Yu, Bailihe would definitely be angry and would jump into the web she had woven.

Xie Zhuo sent people to look for Xie Wangshu everywhere, but she came back with a woman.

The heavy stone in his heart finally fell, "My little ancestor, you are finally back! Come back with me!"

Originally, Xie Zhuo was filled with worry when he saw his beloved daughter missing, fearing that she would act on impulse and do something ridiculous like eloping with some young man.

"Thank you, young lady, for sending my daughter back safely."

"You're welcome." Shuangshuang just smiled slightly. She looked harmless.

Jiang Nianwei sent her to escort Xie Wangshu back home, but along the way, she felt that Xie Wangshu might be even more powerful than herself and didn't need to protect himself at all, so she seemed a little redundant.

As soon as Shuangshuang left, Xie Wangshu told Xie Zhuo directly: "Dad, I have thought it over. Instead of worrying about it, I'd rather let things take their own course. I have inquired about it. Prince Yu has a high reputation. I am willing to marry him."

Xie Zhuo felt a mixture of surprise and sadness. He had never expected that his daughter would let go so quickly and embark on this path that he absolutely did not want her to take.

He felt sad and powerless to fulfill his daughter's seemingly resolute but actually heavy decision.

"Marriage is a serious matter and no joke. Once you make the decision, it is a lifelong commitment and there is no turning back." His voice was low and full of worry.

Xie Wangshu seemed to have weighed all the pros and cons carefully: "Father, I have made up my mind. There are rumors outside that the prince is dissolute and not dedicated to government affairs. In addition, the death of the previous crown princess is really frightening. In comparison, although Prince Yu's mansion is simple, it is peaceful and calm."

"So, let it be like this!"

Now we can only take one step at a time. At least Prince Yu is satisfied.

The Xie family has already made a decision on this matter, but at this moment, Baili He does not know what the two are thinking. He is still thinking about performing well in front of Xie Wangshu and gaining her favor.

Xie Wangshu looks like an ignorant girl, and her looks are barely pleasing to the eye. The most irresistible thing about such a girl is her deep love.

Coincidentally, he is best at playing the role of a passionate man.

Bailihe found out about Xie Wangshu's preferences and sent someone to buy some gifts to him.