The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 904: Marriage (Part )

With red eyes from crying, Ankang still said sadly: "Haitang, you don't know, today my mother called me to Qiyun Palace for dinner, and at the end she pretended to care about my life. I thought she felt sorry for me."

"But the real intention was revealed at the end. Do you know what the Queen Mother wants to do?"

"She actually told me that she wanted to marry me to the grassland. Later, I was so angry that I went to ask my father to make the decision for me. But my father also persuaded me to agree. They were in cahoots and didn't want me anymore."

Haitang stretched out her slender fingers to smooth the long hair that was stuck to the tear marks at the corners of Ankang's eyes. She looked at the helpless girl in front of her with pity and sighed in her heart that these daughters of wealthy families seemed glamorous, but in fact they did not have any freedom at all.

People do not have the final say in their marriages, and their ultimate fate is still subject to the power.

The two talked as they walked, and Haitang and Ankang arrived at the study room in Cheng'en Hall of the inner palace.

There is a small lake behind the palace, and between the lake and the palace is a colorful garden. Li Yan's former study was located here. After Haitang married into the East Palace, she also liked this place very much, and she and Li Yan spent the best few months of their lives here.

Later, after the prince disappeared, Haitang often brought her children here to quietly enjoy the scenery.

"Ankang, men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough."

Seeing the princess still sad, Haitang persuaded her, "You are not two years younger than me. I have been married for five or six years now, and Xiang'er is five years old. According to common sense, you should have chosen a husband three or four years ago, but the emperor was reluctant to let you go, so he kept keeping you."

"You are already seventeen this year. Look at the emperor's princesses. All of them got married at the age of thirteen or fourteen. Who could wait until you are your age now?"

"Listen to my advice, we women will all have this day sooner or later, you can't be crazy forever!"

Ankang curled his lips and said angrily: "Who said I don't want to get married? I have wanted to get married for a long time, but I was afraid that my father and mother would not agree, so I didn't dare to bring it up. But who would have thought that they wanted to marry me to the grassland as a marriage."

“Is this a marriage?”

"My father actually wants to marry me off to another emperor. Doesn't he regard me as his favorite daughter? Was all the love he showed me before fake?"

As Ankang's best friend, Haitang naturally knew that Ankang was devoted to the young man from the Dou family. However, one of them was the most noble princess in the Tang Dynasty and the apple of Li Shimin's eye; the other was the adopted son of a lowly merchant with no social status at all.

Just because of the emperor's favor, many people are targeted. How could it be the turn of an ordinary merchant's son?

Since a few years ago, many aristocratic families have repeatedly expressed their desire for Princess Ankang to Li Shi. Even the young leader of the Jinshan Grand Military Governor's Office far away in the northwest has submitted petitions to the court several times, hoping that the emperor will marry the princess.

I heard some time ago that Yinan petitioned the emperor to grant him the title of princess. Could it be that the emperor has already agreed?

Although she knew that Ankang's fate was bound to be a political marriage, Haitang still felt a little reluctant to think that such a beautiful woman would marry those crude Hu people from outside the Great Wall.

So he asked tentatively: "Ankang, has the Queen said who she wants to marry you to?"

"My mother said that one is Yi Nan from the Xueyantuo tribe, and the other is the Right Wise King of the Turkic Khanate. Now they have deployed a large number of troops outside the Great Wall. They are very important to the Tang Dynasty. Does the court need to use me, the princess, to win them over?"

"As for who it is, it has not been finalized yet?"

After Ankang finished speaking with sobs and a look of grievance, combined with the information about the enemy obtained from Hou Junji, even though Haitang was just a woman staying in the deep palace, she knew that the court was going to pull one person to fight one person. As for who to pull and who to fight?
That depends on the specific negotiation results.

Perhaps there is an intention to sow discord among them. Everyone knows that Yi Nan has been eyeing Ankang and coveting it for a long time.

Now that two candidates have emerged at once, the emperor's intentions have become clear.

"Ankang, what do you think?"

When Ankang heard this, his cheeks suddenly flushed with embarrassment. If it were in the past, when the two of them talked about this topic, they would definitely laugh and joke for a while.

But now Ankang knew that there was no room for retreat, so he took a deep breath, suppressed the girl's shyness and said: "Haitang, you know, I have always liked him in my heart."

After saying this, as if her inner boldness had stirred up her shyness, Ankang couldn't help but lower her head. The gentleness of her head lowering was like a water lotus in the wind, too shy to withstand the cool breeze, and even Haitang, a woman, felt her heart tremble when she saw it.

Haitang did not tease the princess who was immersed in love, but asked seriously: "Ankang, let me ask you, do you really want to be with Mu Yikuan? You should know that your statuses are very different. He is just the adopted son of a businessman."

"As a princess, marrying into such a family, do you know what you are about to face?"

"You may lose your current dignity as a princess and be rejected by the royal family. Even the noble families and officials will not approve of your union. Your union will be despised and cursed by the world!"

I thought these would scare off this princess who lives in a honeypot, but Ankang's eyes showed an extremely firm determination and he said: "Haitang, do you think I'm a three-year-old child? I know everything you said, but I just like him."

"I don't care what others think. As long as I can be with him, I'm willing to lose everything."

"Haitang, you know, if I leave Yikuan, I will wither. As long as I am with him, I feel that life is full of colors. I am sure that I love him, just like you love the prince brother."

Haitang was moved by Ankang's persistence. When she was about to say something, Ankang shed two lines of tears again and murmured, "It would be great if the prince was here. He loves Ankang the most. As long as Ankang is happy, he will give Ankang everything."

"It's a pity that I will never see my brother the prince again, and he can't help Ankang?"

After saying this, Ankang was about to throw himself into Haitang's arms again and continue crying, but Haitang helped Ankang up and said solemnly: "Who said the prince can't help you?" Haitang turned around and found a golden nanmu box from the bookshelf, put it on the table, opened it, and took out a roll of white silk from it.

He handed it over in Ankang's puzzled eyes: "Although the prince is not here, he still remembers you."

Ankang took it and slowly unfolded it. There were words on it. He took a closer look and his breathing became rapid. His eyes became brighter and brighter. Finally, he was so excited that his body trembled a little. "This is the will of my father. When did my father issue an imperial decree to let me choose my own husband?"

"I do not know how?"

Ankang's jade-like fingers, as white as scallions, tightly grasped the imperial edict in her hand that could help her resolve her predicament and determine her lifelong happiness.

Haitang said with a sad look, "This was written by the emperor himself six years ago, before the Battle of Dingxiang. The prince was sent as an envoy to the Turks to meet with the Turks on behalf of the emperor. He risked angering the emperor and asked the emperor to write it himself. The emperor also gave the prince credit for risking his life."

By the end of her speech, Haitang's eyes were filled with tears.

Ankang never expected that the prince brother, who always loved him, would use the mission as a price to buy himself a chance to escape from the political marriage. It was because of this mission that the prince brother died on the grassland forever, and he couldn't even see his own son.

"Sister Haitang."

Ankang burst into tears and threw himself into Haitang's arms: "Brother Crown Prince is so stupid. I would rather not have this imperial edict than have anything happen to Brother Crown Prince."

The two of them were sad for a while, but Haitang was stronger and comforted him: "Ankang, since the prince risked his life to ask for this imperial decree for you, your marriage is in your own hands. Go and pursue your love boldly!"

"The prince and I both support you."

Before Li Yan went on the mission, he gave this imperial edict to Haitang and told her that if Ankang wanted to get married and had no choice, she should take out this edict so that Ankang could legally choose her ideal husband.

Haitang has always known about the imperial edict, but considering Haitang's childish nature, she might not understand what she wants. Only now that Ankang is very sure of her feelings and that her happiness lies with Mu Yikuan, did Haitang take it out.

In addition, Haitang has more considerations.

Whether it is Yinan or Youxian King, their influence is on the grassland. If Ankang marries to the grassland, it will be like losing this person.

Although this move is beneficial to the Tang Dynasty, it is extremely disadvantageous to the Eastern Palace.

As a person who could move Li Shimin, Ankang had always been loyal to the Eastern Palace. After the prince was gone, he placed his feelings for his brother on Li Xiang.

Once Ankang marries out, the Eastern Palace will lose an important force.

The crisis of the Tang Dynasty had nothing to do with her. Naturally, Li Shimin and the civil and military officials in the court were concerned about it. However, Haitang cared most about her son's future. Regardless of whether the future prince could return safely, as long as Ankang stayed in Chang'an, he would be a support for her and her son.

So Haitang finally decided to take out the imperial edict and keep Ankang.

After a moment of grief, Ankang cheered up, raised the imperial edict, and said firmly: "I will go and ask my father for an explanation."

She was about to leave when Haitang grabbed her and whispered, "My silly princess, do you really think this imperial decree can change the emperor's mind?"

"The words above were written by my father himself. The emperor's words are golden, so how can they not be counted?" Ankang asked foolishly.

"This decree was written by the emperor himself, how could he not know it? And now he is taking you as a marriage partner, obviously he doesn't want to acknowledge it. If you go to him now, he can take it back, what can you do?"

Haitang said this angrily, "Before the Crown Prince went on a diplomatic mission, the Emperor clearly promised in front of all the important officials in the court that if the Crown Prince had any mishap, the Crown Princess would make the prince the Crown Prince. But later, you saw it."

"Who mentioned that the emperor broke his promise?"

Ankang was stunned, yes!

The emperor's words are law, but that is only for others. If the emperor himself wants to be overthrown, it is just a matter of waving his hand.

What role can this imperial edict play in the interests of the Tang Dynasty?

Ankang, who had just escaped from the predicament, became sad again and asked with a pout, "Haitang, what should I do? Can you help me?"

"Don't worry, Ankang. We have been good sisters for so many years. This is the prince's wish. I will stand by you no matter what."

Haitang said with sparkling eyes: "In fact, this imperial edict is still useful. Your prince brother gave you this opportunity at the cost of his life. How can it not solve your problem? But before taking this medicine, you need a medicine guide."

"What kind of medicine introduction?"

Then Haitang pulled Ankang and whispered in his ear: "You are like this..."

No one would have thought that the conspiracy of two young girls deep in the East Palace would cause such a huge disturbance in Chang'an City not long after.

(End of this chapter)