boyutpedia Chapter 77: Another Self-Recommendation to the Crown Prince
Chapter 77: Another Self-Recommendation to the Crown Prince
She felt extremely uncomfortable during the meal, as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
Xiao Hengzhi hadn't done anything, and even seemed perfectly proper. But the moment Jiang Wan met his eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine and a desire to flee.
After finally getting through the ordeal, she grabbed Jiang Xun and hurriedly headed outside.
As soon as she stepped out of the palace gate, she encountered a guard who bowed to her.
"General, His Highness the Crown Prince invites you to a chat."
"Your Highness?"
"Yes, Your Highness learned today that Commander Jiang has entered the palace, so he made a special effort to invite you for tea and a chat."
After the guard finished speaking, he looked at Jiang Mian and said, "Miss Jiang, if you have some free time, you might as well come along."
She already had something she wanted to say to Ning Zhi, and this was a good opportunity. Going with her father would prevent others from speculating.
"Since Your Highness has invited me, I should naturally go."
Jiang Mian agreed and followed Jiang Xun, glancing back every now and then, afraid that Xiao Hengzhi would follow.
The guards led the two to the Cloud Tower, a place originally used to receive guests from the border regions. However, since the border became unstable and war broke out, no one has come to visit, and it has remained vacant ever since.
No one comes here on ordinary days; it is one of the few quiet places in the palace. Besides being suitable for conversation, it is also suitable for doing other things, such as private meetings.
In her past life, Ning Zhi would occasionally bring her here, where they would be intimate with each other, carefree and affectionate, facing the sun, moon, flowers, and grass.
On one occasion, he even caught Consort Yu and the Emperor making noise in the pavilion. By the moonlight, he could even see the color of Consort Yu's bodice and how taut the instep of her foot was on the Emperor's shoulder.
She laughed and said that the father and son were just like each other, both loving to come to places with few people.
But Ning Zhi was born with a learning ability, and even in such a situation, he was learning while observing.
The following evening, Jiang Wan's instep also felt tight and sore...
The Cloud Tower at this moment is exactly the same as she remembers it.
When I went upstairs and entered the house, Ning Zhi was already sitting inside.
"This humble official greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The two greeted each other, and Ning Zhi was quite friendly, personally helping Jiang Xun to sit down and ordering someone to pour tea.
He hadn't seen Jiang Mian for a long time, and his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer.
But unlike before, this time his gaze held a hint of inquiry. It was because of the matter of the Third Prince; he had heard from the Grand Tutor that it was thanks to the clues provided by Jiang Mian that they were able to get help.
His interest in Jiang Mian grew stronger, and he even wanted to keep her by his side to explore her in detail.
But there was someone else watching her intently. In the past, Ning Zhi wouldn't have cared. What could an adopted son have to compete with him?
Unexpectedly, that person transformed into the Empress Dowager's grandson.
He held his teacup and chatted idly, saying, "I've heard that Young Master Xiao is the Empress Dowager's grandson? I didn't realize it when I visited the residence the other day."
“Yes,” Jiang Xun sighed. “If it weren’t for Wan’er sending him out of the Jiang residence, the token wouldn’t have been recognized by the old acquaintance of the Prince of Beiqin.”
"Has the manor never seen him carry such a token before?"
Jiang Xun replied with shame, "Our household did not pay much attention to this matter... The Empress Dowager searched everywhere, but unexpectedly found it in the capital... Fortunately, the Empress Dowager did not blame our Jiang family for not recognizing talent."
Ning Zhi smiled faintly: "Grandmother has always been forgiving. She is too grateful to the Jiang family for raising her to blame anyone."
"Your Highness is right, it was my mistake."
Jiang Mian sat to one side, listening to the two exchange pleasantries.
Ning Zhi's gaze swept over her from time to time. He only wanted to see Jiang Wan today, but he was afraid of being gossiped about having a secret rendezvous with her, so he asked Jiang Xun to come along.
But she looked preoccupied, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Could it be that she is considering marriage with Xiao Hengzhi?
Now that Xiao Hengzhi's status and position are different from before, Jiang Xun should be very happy to marry her daughter to him.
He stroked the rim of his cup and couldn't help but ask, "I remember that Miss Jiang and Young Master Xiao had a verbal engagement. I wonder if it still stands?"
Jiang Xun smiled and said, "Of course it counts. The Empress Dowager just gave her permission."
Jiang Wan quickly interjected, "It's just talk, don't take it seriously!"
She didn't want to actually marry Xiao Hengzhi like that, spending the rest of her life looking at that face every day.
If he scares you to death again, you won't be so lucky to be alive again; you might become a wandering ghost.
Her shouting silenced the room, and no one spoke for a moment.
Jiang Xun looked a little embarrassed, and Jiang Wan also felt that she had been too rash.
After a moment, she said in a low voice, "Father, I have something I want to say to His Highness. May I ask you to wait for me outside?"
What kind of father is being driven away by his daughter?
Jiang Xun glared at her, about to refuse, when she saw Ning Zhi close her eyes and nod gently, which was considered as consent.
Helpless, he stood up and said, "Then I will wait for you in the carriage. Please don't be impolite."
Jiang responded.
After Jiang Xun left, Ning Zhi calmly asked, "Miss Jiang, what is it? Why are you being so mysterious?"
Jiang Mian took a deep breath and said seriously, "Does Your Highness still remember asking me a question before?"
"What?"
"His Highness asked me if I would like to enter the palace and stay by his side."
Ning Zhi chuckled softly, "Of course I remember."
"Does that promise still stand?"
Ning Zhi paused for a moment: "You are engaged to Young Master Xiao. Once he is made a king, you will become his queen. Does Miss Jiang not like the title of queen?"
Jiang Mian did not answer, but her fists clenched slightly.
Ning Zhi smiled and said, "If you don't like it, then my words will stand, as long as you're willing..."
“I’m willing,” Jiang Wan interrupted him, “but I have one condition.”
Ning Zhi was surprised by her quick and unhesitating answer and asked, "What are the conditions?"
"I want to be the Crown Princess."
These words stunned him completely, and he was quite surprised.
He hadn't expected Jiang Mian to have such a big appetite. Although he did have some affection for her and was willing to make some concessions for her, he could also bring her into the palace, even if she was a little spoiled.
But being the Crown Princess? That's far from enough.
Perhaps Jiang Wan had no idea what the title of Crown Princess meant; she was not only his wife, but also a pawn in his game.
......
Jiang Mian dared to say this because she had thought it through carefully.
She remembered that after Ning Zhi ascended the throne, the Chi family's power rose rapidly, and the court officials lined up to support them, creating a situation that rivaled Duan Zhi'an. Ning Zhi had no choice but to accept the Chi family's impolite requests on several occasions.
Even Duan Zhi'an probably didn't expect that after relying on the Chi family, he would be tripped up by them again.
Seeing that Ning Zhi remained silent, she took a deep breath and slowly said, "It is naturally advantageous for Your Highness to form a marriage alliance with the Chi family, but after ascending the throne, purging the Chi family's influence in the court will be a major challenge. If you are not careful, it could lead to the situation where the maternal relatives interfere in politics and usurp the imperial power."
Chi Yu relied on the Empress in everything; with her by His Highness's side, it was tantamount to the Empress planting spies to watch over him.
After she finished speaking, she saw Ning Zhi frown slightly, as if he was weighing his options.
She continued, "But I am different. Your Highness knows that my maternal clan has declined and cannot interfere in the inner palace. My father's clan has great prestige in the army. Although the civil officials are slightly weaker, they hold a tight grip on military and political power."
Ning Zhi lowered his eyes in thought. Jiang Mian was right. Most of the soldiers in the army listened to Jiang Xun, and it was even rumored that the general's orders were equivalent to military tally. It was precisely for this reason that his father wanted to get rid of Jiang Xun.
The Chi family wielded considerable influence among civil officials, and while eliminating them would be a troublesome matter in the future, he did indeed need their support to gain popular support at the beginning of his reign.
He understood everything Jiang Mian said, but now that the Third Prince had fallen from power, no one in the court could contend with him anymore. Since Jiang Xun was loyal to the emperor, he would naturally be loyal to him from now on.
Whether Jiang Mian becomes the Crown Princess or not, Jiang Xun will remain loyal to him.
However, the fact that Jiang Mian could think of this and dare to speak frankly with him shows that she is much smarter than that little girl, Chi Yu.
Jiang Wan seemed to see through his thoughts and added, "Military connections cannot be cultivated overnight. If I marry Xiao Hengzhi, my father's former subordinates and followers will definitely lean more towards him. Your Highness also knows that the morale of the army is of paramount importance..."
With military power in hand, why worry about not being able to handle a few civil officials? Jiang Mian was practically making her point outright.
Ning Zhi's expression faltered slightly. This was something he had overlooked. Although Jiang Xun was loyal to the emperor, he would eventually retire. If the army's morale was now aligned with Xiao Hengzhi, then his throne would be precarious.
But why didn't Jiang Mian want to marry Xiao Hengzhi? He recalled the wish Jiang Mian made on the day the lanterns were released, which meant she must have feelings for Xiao Hengzhi.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "I have something I'm curious about. Why does Miss Jiang insist on becoming the Crown Princess instead of a princess?"
Jiang Wan smiled sweetly: "Because I like Your Highness, I naturally want to stay by Your Highness's side."
She looked at him with a smile, her appearance was very beautiful, and Ning Zhi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He would be quite pleased if Jiang Mian were to become the Crown Princess.
But before he could answer, a servant knocked on the door and announced, "Your Highness, Miss Chi has arrived. She's downstairs. Would you like her to come up?"
Ning Zhi replied softly, "Just say I'm meeting with guests here and it's inconvenient for me to see anyone."
“This servant has already said so, but Miss Chi saw Commander Jiang downstairs and said she wanted to come up and see Miss Jiang.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan replied, "Why don't I go downstairs? That way, she won't have to come up here."
She got up and went outside. Just as she was about to go downstairs, Ning Zhi chased after her.
“Miss Jiang, I’ll go instead. She won’t leave unless she sees me.”
Ning Zhi rubbed his temples and walked downstairs with a helpless expression.
As Jiang Mian watched his retreating figure and recalled their conversation, she felt that Ning Zhi was so intelligent that he would definitely choose her after weighing the pros and cons.
However, the selection of the Crown Princess is a serious matter, and he will likely need to consult Duan Zhi'an.
I wonder what Duan Zhian will think.
Her words today were quite rash; Ning Zhi might think she had ulterior motives.
But she was indeed anxious. Xiao Hengzhi was now the Empress Dowager's darling, and if the marriage were to be officially arranged, it would be even more difficult for her to extricate herself from the situation.
As she was pondering, the door to the room next to her suddenly opened, and a hand swiftly pulled her inside.
Before she could make a sound, her mouth was covered and she was pressed against the door.
When she finally saw the person's face clearly, her eyes widened in shock—
Xiao Hengzhi?!
She tried to pull his hand down, but he wouldn't budge.
“Woo…!”
She made a sound in her throat, and in her desperation, she bit his hand hard before letting go.
"Xiao Hengzhi! What are you doing here?!"
Xiao Hengzhi rubbed his palms, breathing slightly heavily: "If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known that the Second Miss would be recommending herself to the Crown Prince again."