Red Mansion: After being expelled from the family, I was granted the title of Marquis of Mobei

Chapter 40 The Duke of England's Plan
After hearing what Jia Jue said, Cheng Shi instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

"My Lord, do you mean that the implications of this matter are extremely huge?"

Jia Jue looked at Cheng Shi meaningfully and said.

"General Cheng, there are some things where knowing too much is of no benefit. Do you understand what I mean?"

Cheng Shi nodded repeatedly and said with great trepidation.

"I am ignorant and I am deeply grateful for your advice, Your Majesty. I will come to thank you again someday."

Jia Jue waved his hand slightly, and then Cheng Shi left the side hall.

Looking at Cheng Shi's back, Jia Jue couldn't help but shook his head.

Speaking of Cheng Shi, he can be considered a loyal and brave man, but his blind filial piety makes Jia Jue look down on him.

But after all, this was someone else's family affair, so Jia Jue couldn't say much.

Besides, Jia Jue didn't care much about mid-level generals like Cheng Shi.

If there was anything in the Quling Marquis Mansion that really interested Jia Jue, it was probably the lively and beautiful Cheng Shaoshang.

A man remains a boy until he dies, unless one day he is hung on the wall, then the desires of his lower body will disappear.

After all, even the eunuchs in the palace had the custom of eating with the palace maids, which shows the value of the saying "food, sex and nature".

After sending Cheng Shi away, Jia Jue had a rare moment of free time and returned to the back hall to play with Wang Xifeng.

Time flies, and it is the evening of the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.

In the villa of the Duke of Ying's mansion in the east city of Shendu, Sheng Hong, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, was waiting in a side hall with a puzzled look on his face.

Just yesterday, Sheng Hong received an invitation from the British government, inviting him to visit the villa today for a chat.

After receiving the invitation, Sheng Hong was very confused.

If it was other dignitaries who invited him to the banquet, Sheng Hong could understand that these people might be trying to curry favor with his future son-in-law, Marquis Jia Jue, and try to build a relationship with him.

But obviously, the British are definitely not among them.

First of all, the British government was one of the four founding kings and eight dukes, and has a long history.

Secondly, the contemporary Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Bi, has been in charge of the Zhenbei Army for decades. He is very famous in the army and is a general that both the Supreme Emperor and Emperor Yongping rely on very much.

Jia Jue himself stood out in the Zhenbei Army and was immediately awarded the title of Marquis of Guanjun. He was an old subordinate of the Duke of Ying.

Whether in terms of current power or family background, Jia Jue, the Marquis of Guanjun, still has a considerable distance to go with Duke of England Zhang Bi.

The Duke of England personally invited him, and to such a private place as the villa, which made Sheng Hong feel a little uneasy.

After all, the Sheng family had little contact with the British government, so it was inevitable that Sheng Hong felt panicked by this inexplicable meeting.

With mixed emotions, Sheng Hong stayed in the side hall, waiting anxiously.

About a quarter of an hour later, Duke of England Zhang Bi came to the side hall.

After seeing the Duke of England, Sheng Hong hurriedly came forward and bowed and said.

"Your humble servant, Sheng Hong, a scholar at the Imperial Academy, greets you, sir."

Duke Ying was very polite to Sheng Hong. He helped Sheng Hong up with both hands and said.

"Master Sheng, there is no need to be restrained. Please excuse yourself."

"I feel deeply guilty for bothering Lord Sheng to come here in the middle of the night."

Sheng Hong said very humbly.

"You are too kind, sir."

The Duke of England said this very gently.

"Master Sheng, you and I are officials in the same court. There is no need to be so formal. Come, take a seat."

Sheng Hong was even more puzzled by the Duke of England's unusually good attitude, and could only sit down along with the Duke of England.

After instructing the maid to serve tea, Duke Yingguo waved his hand and sent all the maids and servants away. Only Sheng Hong was left in the side hall.

After seeing this, Sheng Hong pondered for a while and then looked at the Duke of Ying and said.

"Sir, you are meeting me in the other courtyard. I believe you have something important to tell me."

"If you have any questions, please feel free to tell me. I once heard from the Marquis of Guanjun that he was in the Zhenbei Army and was under your care."

"Now my mansion and the Marquis's mansion are about to become a close alliance. You have done a favor to the Marquis of Guanjun, just as you have done a favor to the Sheng family. As long as I can do it, I will do my best. Please rest assured."

Looking at Sheng Hong's flawless response, Duke Ying hesitated for a moment and then sighed and said.

"Master Sheng, I have no choice but to invite you to my villa so late at night."

"The reason I asked Lord Sheng to come here today is related to my daughter's matter."

Sheng Hong said after hesitating for a moment.

"I don't think I and my family have ever had any contact with the princess. I wonder if there is anything I can do to help her."

The Duke of England had an extremely complicated expression on his face. After organizing his words in his mind for a long time, he spoke with great difficulty.

"Sir Sheng, you are a scholar in the Imperial Academy and a well-read person. I believe you are familiar with the Strategies of the Warring States."

Sheng Hong nodded slightly and said.

"The Strategies of the Warring States is a historical book from the Western Han Dynasty. It mainly records the ideas and strategies of the diplomats during the Warring States period. It also shows the historical characteristics and social outlook of the Eastern Zhou and Warring States periods. It is an important classic for studying the history of the Warring States period."

"I am not a talented person, but I have studied it before."

The Duke of England continued.

"There is a famous chapter in The Strategies of the Warring States that records the story of Chu Long and the Queen Mother of Zhao."

"There's a famous saying: 'Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run.'"

"Old man, old man, ah, Mr. Sheng, you are also a father. We parents, at this age, are here to repay our children's debts."

The more Sheng Hong listened, the more confused he became. After thinking for a while, Sheng Hong looked at the Duke of Ying and said.

"Master, as parents, we naturally have to consider our children."

"I don't know what problem the princess has encountered that makes you so embarrassed."

The Duke of England's old face turned red. After preparing himself mentally for a long time, he looked at Sheng Hong and said.

"Master Sheng, I, this old man, will speak frankly."

"Years ago, the Champion Marquis visited my house, and my daughter met him once."

"But I never thought that my daughter would fall in love with Guanjun Hou at first sight and would never forget him."

"After learning that the Champion Marquis was engaged to your daughter, I became depressed and fell ill. Now I am seriously ill."

"My wife and I have a daughter in our old age, and we really don't want to see our daughter die before our eyes, so we asked Master Sheng to come here today."

When Sheng Hong heard this, he was almost furious. Hey, old man, you have been laying the groundwork for a long time, and your feelings are waiting for me here.

Our Sheng family finally got a high-ranking son-in-law, but you actually want to steal him away. This is intolerable. My uncle can tolerate it, but my aunt can't.

Although he was extremely angry, Sheng Hong did not lose his mind. He suppressed his anger and looked at the Duke of England.

"My Lord, my daughter's marriage to Marquis Guanjun was requested by Marquis Guanjun himself, who came to our Sheng family and requested it. This request was granted by me and my mother."

"Then the Marquis of Guanjun petitioned His Majesty to grant the marriage an imperial decree."

"This marriage has been reported to the emperor. I deeply admire your love for your daughter, but I'm truly sorry that I can't help you."

"It's getting late, sir. I'll take my leave now."

Just as Sheng Hong was about to get up and leave, the Duke of Ying hurriedly grabbed him and said, "Sir Sheng, Sir Sheng, please listen to me. I have no intention of breaking up your daughter's marriage to the Marquis of Guanjun."

"I know that the Marquis of Champion and your daughter have a deep friendship. Although I admire the Marquis of Champion, I don't want to steal his love away. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so depressed and devastated."

Sheng Hong said calmly after hearing this.

"So, my Lord, you wouldn't tell me that the daughter of the Duke, Princess Yong'an, is willing to lower herself to become the concubine of the Marquis of Guanjun."

The Duke of England said solemnly.

"Sir Sheng, my daughter will naturally not be a mistress. But don't worry, Sir Sheng, with His Majesty's imperial decree granting the marriage, your daughter will naturally not be a mistress either."

Sheng Hong said in confusion.

"Then please tell me what you want to do."

Duke Ying looked at Sheng Hong sincerely and said.

"Master Sheng, if I had no other choice, I would never trouble you like this."

"Among the Five Ancient Emperors, Emperor Yao had two daughters, named Ehuang and Nvying."

"The two daughters were betrothed to Emperor Shun, the successor of Emperor Yao, and were treated as equals, regardless of age."

"I wish to follow the example of the ancient sages and marry the daughters of our two families to the Marquis of Guanjun."

"Both of them are legal wives and are equal."

After hesitating for a moment, Sheng Hong looked at the Duke of England and said.

"Master, does the Champion Marquis know about this?"

The Duke of England said hurriedly.

"Marquis Guanjun doesn't know yet, but that's okay. If Lord Sheng agrees to this, I'll speak to Marquis Guanjun."

"Also, Lord Sheng, rest assured that my daughter and his descendants will never covet the future title of Marquis of Guanjun."

"With the ability of the Champion Marquis, and with my help, it won't be difficult for him to earn another title and a fortune for my daughter and grandson in the future."

"If Lord Sheng is willing to facilitate this, everyone in the British government will be deeply grateful for Lord Sheng's kindness for the rest of our lives."

After hearing this, Sheng Hong fell into deep thought.

It has to be said that Sheng Hong was moved.

The favors of the Duke of Ying were of great value in the entire Zhou Dynasty.

What's more, from the beginning to the end, this matter did not cause any loss to Sheng Hong at all.

First of all, Sheng Minglan did not give up this marriage. Sheng Minglan is still Jia Jue’s legal wife, but there is an equal to Princess Yong’an.

While the Sheng family maintains a marriage relationship with the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion, they can also establish a stable relationship with the Duke of Yingguo. This will be of great benefit to the future development of the entire Sheng family.

However, although he was moved, Sheng Hong still had some literary spirit and had to pay attention to his reputation.

After pretending to hesitate for a while, Sheng Hong looked at the Duke of Ying and said with embarrassment.

"I truly empathize with your deep love for your daughter, sir."

"However, my daughter and the Marquis of Guanjun are indeed deeply in love. Now that the princess has suddenly appeared, how does my daughter feel in her heart? I really can't express it in words."

The Duke of England is also an old fox with many years of experience. He has already heard Sheng Hong's intentions from his words.

He knew very well that Sheng Hong was very willing to accept his proposal, but he still needed to take the initiative.

After a moment's thought, the Duke of England spoke slowly.

"Lord Sheng, I have never questioned the friendship between your daughter and Marquis Guanjun."

"However, the Marquis of Guanjun is young and hot-headed, and he has a deep grudge against the Rongguo Mansion."

"The Jia family was unique among the founding fathers in that they had two dukes."

"Although it has declined somewhat over the years, it still has a lot of heritage and has a very good relationship with the Prince of Beijing."

"The Champion Marquis is loyal and affectionate to your daughter. Even after his meteoric rise to prominence, he hasn't forgotten his old friend. This speaks volumes about his character and his deep appreciation for friendship and loyalty."

"But Lord Sheng, your daughter should also consider the Champion Marquis."

"The current emperor is determined to make progress and create a prosperous era."

"Marquis Guanjun already has enemies in the court, and assisting His Majesty in implementing the new policies will inevitably make him enemies."

"I am not talented, but I do have some abilities in the Great Zhou."

"I know that your daughter will inevitably feel a little uncomfortable sharing a husband with you."

"But compared to having someone to walk with you through the storms in the future, your daughter should be able to tolerate this little grievance."

"Sir Sheng, to be honest, with my family background in the Ying family, I can become the Crown Princess."

"But I have three sons and only this one daughter."

"She is deeply in love with the Champion Marquis. I am helpless and can only follow her wishes."

"I hope Lord Sheng will go back and discuss this matter with your beloved. I will be waiting for your news at home."

With the reason given by the Duke of England, Sheng Hong nodded slightly.

"My Lord is so mature, I admire him immensely."

"Well, I'll discuss this with my daughter after I get back."

"My humble position is low, and my influence is insignificant. It is difficult for me to offer any assistance to the Marquis of Guanjun in the court. If you can truly emulate the ancient sages and do the deeds of Ehuang and Nvying, I will definitely send someone to summon you, my lord."

"However, the affairs of His Majesty and the Marquis of Guanjun can only be handed over to you, Lord."

Duke Ying looked at Sheng Hong and said solemnly.

"Don't worry, Lord Sheng. As long as there's no problem with you, I'll go and talk to His Majesty and the Marquis of Guanjun without any hesitation."

Soon, the two people, each with their own calculations, reached an agreement.

It’s just that the Duke of England gave up many interests for his daughter’s lifelong event, and even damaged the reputation of the British government.

Sheng Hong, on the other hand, used Sheng Minglan's lifelong event to gain many benefits for the Sheng family.

Comparing the two, we have to say that the difference is obvious.

After finishing the business, the two exchanged a few pleasantries and then left.

After returning home, Sheng Hong went straight to Mucangzhai where Sheng Minglan lived.

Sheng Hong did not beat around the bush and directly told Sheng Minglan what the Duke of England said about the marriage with the British family. Then he looked at Sheng Minglan and said.

"Minglan, Dad has told you everything the Duke of England meant."

"Whatever you choose, Dad will listen to you."

After hearing this, Sheng Minglan felt mixed emotions. To be honest, how could she be willing to have another wife who was on equal footing with her in the Marquis' Mansion?

Moreover, they were on equal footing, as Princess Yong'an's family background completely surpassed his own.

But it must be said that the Duke of England was extremely insightful and could see Sheng Minglan's weakness at a glance.

Sheng Minglan's weakness lies in the fact that she really loves Jia Jue, and her sincere feelings for him have existed since Jia Jue was still an obscure person.

Sheng Minglan sincerely hopes that Jia Jue will be safe.

Anyone can see the benefits of Jia Jue's marriage to the British family.

Even though Sheng Minglan felt aggrieved, she was willing to endure these grievances so that Jia Jue could get real help in the complicated court affairs in the future.

(End of this chapter)