Wearing a book, hooking him up

On the second day after returning to Beijing, Jun Zechen first went to report the war situation to his father, and then prepared to go to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to his mother.

At this time, the queen was sitting on the couch, slightly sideways, holding the edge of the couch with one hand, and looking towards the door from time to time.

After Jun Zechen came in, he saluted respectfully, clasped his hands together, and bent slightly, his movements smooth and solemn.

After paying his respects, he calmly sat down on the couch on the other side.

"The prince has become more mature and resolute after his trip."

The queen smiled and was very pleased.

Jun Zechen nodded slightly, his tone sincere.

"It would be unfilial of a son to make the Queen Mother worry about him. I will live up to the trust of my father and mother and return victoriously."

"I have also heard from your father that you performed very well in this expedition and completely eliminated the barbarians for the monarchy. You have the style of your father."

"However, since you have already returned to the capital yesterday, why don't you return to the palace to meet your father? You stayed in the Crown Prince's Mansion outside the palace yesterday, and you don't plan to rest in the East Palace today when you return to the palace?"

The queen frowned slightly.

She originally didn't care where her son lived. As the crown prince, sometimes he had to deal with matters and meet with court officials, so it was normal for him to stay in the crown prince's mansion outside the palace.

But he should have gone to the palace to meet His Majesty yesterday, and even come to pay his respects to his mother, the Queen Mother. Instead, he waited until today and did not return to the East Palace.

"It is more convenient for me to do things outside the palace. I came back exhausted yesterday, so I thought of paying my respects to the Queen Mother today to avoid her worrying."

Jun Zechen spoke in a steady tone and answered flawlessly.

Since Yaoyao doesn't plan to get engaged to him before she reaches the age of 15, then don't let the queen mother know for the time being. After all, the queen mother has always wanted him to take a concubine.

The Queen Mother didn't know that Jun Zechen refused all the proposals on the grounds that he was not interested in women and was busy with government affairs, and the Queen Mother could do nothing about it.

If the Queen Mother knew that he didn't want to take a concubine because of Yaoyao, she would probably be dissatisfied with Yaoyao.

After listening to Jun Zechen's explanation, the queen's expression eased slightly and she nodded gently.

"Well, if that's the case, I won't pursue it any further."

It’s not a big deal. If you like to stay outside the palace, then stay outside the palace. When you become the emperor, you won’t spend much time outside the palace.

"This time, your son pays his respects to you. I also have something to discuss with you, mother."

"What's the matter?"

The Queen raised an eyebrow and looked at him with interest.

What could the prince possibly need to discuss with her?

"Minghui and Qi Wanyin are both sixteen years old. Why don't you arrange marriages for them? Hold a banquet and invite the young masters of the noble families in the capital, and let them choose."

Jun Zechen calmly stated the purpose of his visit today.

The queen stared at her son for a long time, her eyes full of suspicion, and remained silent.

Is this her son?

When did her son start to care about other people’s marriages?

The queen narrowed her eyes, with a scrutinizing look in them, something was wrong.

"Minghui is indeed old enough, so it would be nice to hold a wedding banquet for her, but..."

The queen nodded slightly, as if thinking about something.

"Wan Yin...Prince, do you really not know that Wan Yin has always been fond of you?"

Qi Wanyin was raised by the Queen for several years. Although she was not taken seriously at the beginning, she developed some feelings for her after getting along for a long time. Besides, she was her brother's daughter after all.

This time when his brother returns to the capital, Qi Wanyin can also marry into the Qi family. It is better to be a concubine's daughter than a daughter of a concubine. Although her status is lower, it is okay for her to marry into the Eastern Palace as a concubine. After all, Wanyin herself admires the prince.

If you want to marry the prince, you can only be a concubine.

A hint of annoyance instantly appeared on Jun Zechen's face.

"I have no intention of marrying a wife or taking a concubine now."

When it came to the prince's marriage, the queen became unhappy and her face darkened.

"You are already eighteen years old. Other young masters already have children. You are the crown prince, so the crown princess can observe you more and pay more attention to you. But you have to take in some concubines in the East Palace."

The Queen raised her voice, her tone filled with dissatisfaction.

"Even if you don't like Wanyin, mother can find other women for you."

"Mother, I only want to make achievements in the court now, and I have no time for love affairs. When I want to get married, I will get married. Mother, please don't worry about it."

Jun Zechen picked up the teacup, took a sip, and lowered his head, obviously not wanting to say anything more.

The queen frowned at him, confusion written all over her face.

"As a brother, you have not married yet, so why are you here today to find a husband for your two sisters?"

"I don't like Qi Wanyin. The Queen Mother arranged a marriage for Qi Wanyin, which helped to dispel her thoughts. As for Minghui, her character became more and more domineering. She will be more restrained after getting married."

The queen's frown deepened.

Wanyin is not liked by him, and he wants to marry her off. She believes this reason for the time being. Will Minghui become more domineering?

"Did Minghui cause trouble outside the palace?"

There was a fierce look in the queen's eyes.

"Some minor things, but her temper is indeed getting worse. She is getting old, and the Queen Mother should be looking for a husband for Minghui. I think it can be done as soon as possible."

The Queen was indeed looking for a husband for Minghui, but it was because Minghui was almost old enough.

She looked at the prince's face carefully again, and seeing that he looked determined, she didn't ask any more questions. If he didn't want to talk, she couldn't get anything out of him.

Moreover, as long as the Queen's requests to the Prince are not major ones, she will satisfy them.

"I will ask the Shangyi Bureau to prepare it."

"Thank you, mother. I will not disturb you any more. I will take my leave."

Jun Zechen stood up, bowed respectfully, then turned around and strode away.

After Jun Zechen left, the queen fell into deep thought, tapping the table unconsciously with her fingers.

Something must have happened outside the palace yesterday.

"Jinhua, call Minghui." The queen came back to her senses and spoke in a serious tone.

"Yes, master."

After receiving the instructions, Aunt Jinhua bowed slightly and went out to ask someone to call Princess Minghui.

When Princess Minghui was summoned by her mother, she was copying the palace rules carefully with a bitter face. The brush in her hand moved on the paper and she was mumbling to herself.

She did not dare to complain to her mother about her brother punishing her, so her mother did not know that she had copied the palace rules.

When Princess Minghui arrived at Kunning Palace, she first paid her respects politely, then walked to the couch on the other side and sat down in a very intimate manner.

"Mother, what is it that you called me here for?"

Princess Minghui blinked her eyes, her face full of curiosity.

"The prince just came over and asked me to hold a banquet for you and Wanyin to recruit a husband. What do you think?"

The queen tilted her head slightly, her face showing no emotion, she just stared calmly at Princess Minghui.

Princess Minghui's eyes suddenly widened, her mouth slightly opened, and her whole body froze.

It was not enough for the emperor's brother to punish her, he even asked her to get married!

When the queen saw Minghui's shocked expression, she understood a little bit and knew that something must have happened yesterday.

"You went out of the palace yesterday and met the prince?"

Princess Minghui nodded first, then lowered her head and remained silent. She kept twisting the corners of her clothes with her fingers. She was a little nervous, not knowing what her brother had said to their mother.

"Your brother said that you were arrogant outside the palace. Is that true?"

Princess Minghui suddenly raised her head, her eyes full of grievance.

How is she domineering?

As a princess, everyone outside the palace flatters her, so she has no chance to act domineeringly. Only Su Jingyao and Chu Yinxue never give her face whenever they meet them.

She was a princess, but the two of them lived a more extravagant and luxurious life than she did. Of course she couldn't stand them.

How can my royal brother say that she is domineering just because of this!

"Mother, I didn't...I ran into Miss Su and Miss Chu at Mofeng Tower yesterday. Although there was an argument, it was Miss Su who was disrespectful to me first!"

Princess Minghui explained eagerly, not wanting her mother to misunderstand her.

"Miss Su? Are you the daughter of Minister Su?"

The queen raised her eyebrows slightly, looking a little confused.

"Yes." Princess Minghui nodded quickly.

The daughter of Minister Su has always been on the Queen's list of candidates for the Crown Princess. She is said to be well-educated, talented in writing, and well-mannered.

The queen looked at Minghui suspiciously, with a scrutinizing look in her eyes.

"Are you saying that your brother framed you?" The queen's tone became increasingly severe.

Minghui was frightened by her mother's questioning. She trembled violently, stood up immediately, and then squatted down quickly.

"I dare not. It is because I did not observe the princess' etiquette when I was outside."

Princess Minghui naturally did not dare to act rashly in front of the Queen, let alone speak ill of her brother in front of the Queen.

But she was not domineering outside the palace. At most, she just showed off her power in front of Su Jingyao and Chu Yinxue. And didn't she always return empty-handed?

She felt aggrieved and her eyes were slightly red.

"Get up. I won't pursue what happened to you outside the palace. You are now a legitimate princess, and you must not lose your princess' demeanor. Do you understand?"

The Queen's tone softened a little.

"Yes, I will remember your mother's teachings."

Princess Minghui stood up, her expression full of obedience.

Seeing that the queen looked relieved, Princess Minghui walked to the couch, sat down next to the queen, put her arms around the queen's arms, and began to act coquettishly, swaying her body gently.

"Mother, I don't want to hold a wedding banquet because I already have someone I like."

Princess Minghui had a shy blush on her face and pouted her lips slightly.

She was quite straightforward.

"Who is your crush? Wouldn't it be nice if he could come along?"

"I like Yan Shuhan, the eldest son of the Yan family, but he has gone out of town for inspection and work, and I'm afraid he won't be back for several months."

She didn't know why her royal brother wanted to send Master Yan away. At that time, she thought that her royal brother was punishing Master Yan because he was helping her, but later her royal brother was not polite to her at all.

Princess Minghui had no idea why her brother had such an attitude towards Master Yan.

"Mother, how about we hold this wedding banquet later, when Master Yan returns to the capital?"

Princess Minghui's eyes were full of earnestness and her voice became more gentle.

Naturally, she wanted to marry the one she loved, and the Yan family was also a prominent family, so marrying into the family would not be unfair to her.

"I don't know how long it will take for him to come back, so I plan to hold a wedding banquet for you and Wanyin."

The queen patted Princess Minghui's hand gently, the smile on her face faded a little, and she looked a little embarrassed.

The prince had just come to her to talk about this matter, and his obvious purpose was Wanyin. He didn't want Wanyin to like him or cling to him.

The Queen usually does what she promised the Prince.

"boom!"

With a crisp sound, the teacup fell heavily to the ground and shattered into pieces.