The cannon fodder female supporting role is busy in the book, and she gets mad when she disagrees wi

While Shi Lidie was busy taking care of the Queen's health, Fang Ruoruo was also not idle.

Because of Princess Jiamin's matter, she was embarrassed to go out, so she stayed in her room every day embroidering purses and handkerchiefs, and these things were for the third prince.

Your Majesty does not have many children, ten in total, five sons and five daughters.

The eldest, the second, the fourth, the seventh, and the tenth are princesses; the third, the fifth, the sixth, the eighth, and the ninth are princes.

Therefore, the third prince is considered the oldest among the princes and his abilities are also acceptable. His Majesty intends to train him and assigns him a task.

He has not been in the capital during this period of time. He has been out of the capital on business. According to the date, he should be back.

Sure enough, about five days later, the third prince returned to Beijing. Fang Ruoruo immediately sent someone to deliver the embroidered purse to him and asked him to meet on the cruise ship.

It is winter now.

The capital city is located in the north and has had two snowfalls. Although the snow is not heavy, there is still a thin layer on the ground, which makes the ground look white and flawless, and very beautiful.

The weather is cold at this time, and most people would rather stay at home and not go out, holding a hot water bottle all the time and wrapping themselves in a thick mink coat to avoid freezing themselves.

But there are some people who have a special liking for snow scenes, and they are happy to invite three or five friends to go out to look for plum blossoms in the snow.

Or you can set up a small red clay stove on a cruise ship, warm up a pot of hot wine, and drink together. As the boat passes through the river, you can appreciate the snow scenery on both sides of the river, which is a unique experience.

Fang Ruoruo arranged exactly this kind of cruise ship or pleasure boat.

The houseboat is very large and there is plenty of space inside the cabin. In addition to tables and chairs, there are also soft couches for people to rest.

The cabin was covered with thick curtains on all sides to block the cold wind outside. Top-quality silver charcoal was lit inside, and there was no smoke or dust, so it was neither choking nor very warm.

There was only a ventilation hole in the corner of the top of the cabin to prevent the people inside from suffocating.

There is a small stove next to the table, with hot wine on it, and a copper pot on the table, surrounded by fresh meat and vegetables. This is the hot pot that everyone loves to eat in winter.

Fang Ruoruo arrived at the houseboat early and prepared everything. After she warmed up, the third prince finally arrived.

He lifted the curtain and came in, bringing in a gust of cold wind that made people shiver.

Fang Ruoruo quickly stood up and went to greet him:

"It's cold, I shouldn't have invited Your Highness to go out, it's just that Your Highness has been away from the capital for too long, I haven't seen Your Highness for a long time, I miss you so much, please don't mind, Your Highness."

"How could that be?" The Third Prince was very patient with Fang Ruoruo, "I was a little late and made you wait for a long time. Don't blame me."

"Of course not. Your Highness, please sit down. We can talk while we eat." Fang Ruru pulled the third prince to take a seat.

The two of them ate and chatted in a harmonious atmosphere until Fang Ruoruo asked why the Third Prince was late:

"Your Highness, didn't you hand in your errand two days ago? Didn't His Majesty allow you to take a few days off? Did you get up late?"

"That's not the case. It's just that my mother asked me to come to the palace this morning." The third prince was a little hesitant when talking about this matter. After thinking it over again and again, he finally said, "Ruoruo, my mother is going to arrange a marriage for me."

After hearing this, Fang Ruoruo smiled shyly:

"Are you asking His Majesty to grant me a marriage?"

"Yes." The third prince nodded.

"Then after I go back today, I will tell my mother and prepare my dowry." Fang Ruoruo said in a low voice, very shyly.

After all, no rich lady would discuss marriage with others on her own. She only dared to speak up because she and the third prince were childhood sweethearts and they had a deep friendship.

But the Third Prince did not respond. He hesitated for a while and explained:

"The marriage that my mother arranged for me is not with you, but with the eldest daughter of the Dingbei Marquisate, who is my uncle's daughter, her niece, and my cousin who is one year older than me."

Nowadays, there is no such thing as close relatives not being able to get married. In order to ensure the purity of the clan bloodline, everyone is even willing to get engaged to their cousins, which is considered a closer relationship.

But the third prince's words were undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Ruoruo.

She widened her eyes in shock, tears filling her eyes:

"Why? Concubine Shu once promised you that she would ask His Majesty to grant me marriage when I reach the age of marriage! She also said that I was very good and was willing to have me become her daughter-in-law. Why did she choose someone else now?"

The Third Prince could not bear to deceive the woman he loved, so he told her what Concubine Shu had said:

"My mother said that she used to think you could be the consort of the Third Prince because you were the daughter of the Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, but now that the matter of the real and fake daughters has become a hot topic, your identity is no longer enough to become the consort of the prince."

"Moreover, she liked you in the past because you were excellent and well-known among the noble ladies in the capital. But in recent months, you first lost to Princess Yun'an in the calligraphy competition, and then your reputation was damaged because of Princess Jiamin's incident."

"Besides, although the Earl's Mansion is also one of the nobles, it actually doesn't provide me with much help."

"The Earl's Mansion of Loyalty and Bravery was founded on military merit, but Lord Fang had long since surrendered his military power after being injured in his early years and took a sinecure. He does not have much real power in the court. Moreover, your two brothers are neither in the army nor in the court."

"My mother said that the prince cannot just like his wife, he must marry someone who can help him. The daughter of Dingbei Marquis's family is of high status, and Dingbei Marquis also rose to prominence through military merit and currently has a certain amount of military power in the northern border."

"Ruoruo, when my mother told me this, I resisted, but you know her. She has a strong temper and will not change her decision easily. I don't know how to convince her."

Fang Ruoruo listened to the Third Prince's words, and her initial shock and sadness turned into despair and numbness.

She couldn't help but think of her mother's instructions.

The Third Prince is her only trump card now, and the most effective means to defeat Shi Lidie. If the Third Prince cannot marry her, what else can she expect in her life?

Could it be that after all her efforts, she is still defeated by Shi Lidie?

Fang Ruoruo asked with tears in her eyes:

"If...if I don't want to be the principal wife, can Your Highness marry me as a concubine?"

The third prince hugged her in his arms with heartache:

"Father will not agree."

"The Earl's Mansion of Loyalty and Bravery does not have real power, but it has connections in the army, and the foundation laid by the old uncle is still there. My father will not allow me to marry the daughter of a military commander as my principal wife, and then let me marry the daughter of a military commander as my concubine."

"This is the emperor's way of checks and balances. He is afraid that the military generals will become one with the city. After all, military power is the foundation for the stability of the throne."

If the daughters of military generals marry the same prince, then even if these generals are not on good terms with each other, they will work together for the honor of their family and send this prince to the throne.

After all, the merit of following the dragon can ensure the continued prosperity of the family.

And this is exactly what the emperor fears.