The stand-in didn't take it seriously for three years, and the minister was furious when they b

I have to say that the imperial concubine was smart. She arranged everything with just a few words, both explicitly and implicitly.

On the one hand, it prevented King Rui from refusing; on the other hand, it protected him from possible conflicts and dissatisfaction; on the other hand, it also hinted to him who he should choose to enter the palace.

In fact, the imperial concubine prefers Li Fangfei, the daughter of Li Shangshu of the Ministry of Personnel. In comparison, she is more outstanding in terms of appearance, talent, and character. Moreover, the Ministry of Personnel is on good terms with them, and the strong alliance can also consolidate their relationship.

She wanted to bring them together at this time last year, but her son was not up to the task, and Ling Feier intervened, ruining the whole thing. The girl couldn't just wait for him, so they discussed the marriage at the beginning of this year.

Because of this incident, there was some estrangement between the Ministry of Personnel and them.

But the situation has changed since then. The imperial concubine doesn't mean that she must use any force to fight for the world. It's just that after staying in the harem for a long time, she knows very well that just like the harem in the previous dynasty, it is difficult to live without some power and support.

This time, everyone gets what they need and combines their interests.

Just like the current Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Works chose to be friendly with them, not only because many regional factions are inherently incompatible, but also because they have more or less some conflicts with the prince, so they naturally tend to favor them.

The sons of the Minister of Works were also not very promising. One had a physical disability, and the other was a hopeless case. The daughter was average but not outstanding.

It is said that “No one knows a son better than his mother”, how could the imperial concubine not know what her son was thinking?

Putting aside other things, Mu Lianzhi's appearance is indeed first-class. Even she has to admit that these young women, even those in the palace, cannot compare to her.

How should I put it? It's not that she is so stunningly beautiful, but she is unforgettable.

She doesn't seem to be conspicuous in the crowd at this moment, but as long as you look over, you can notice her at a glance. There is an indescribable energy in her, like a crane lying among a flock of chickens, it all depends on whether she wants to "stand up" or not.

Don't say that she is now Beitang Yi's wife and beloved one, and they should not offend her at all. Even if she is not, her identity as a widow is bound to be criticized, and she is not suitable at all.

As a mother, how can I not care about my son's happiness and make plans for him?

Precisely because of this, and because she is fully aware that it is better to loosen than to block, she has never made strong demands. With a year's buffer, she feels that she can force the situation a bit now.

So after getting the emperor's approval, when Xiao Tingrui stood up, she also stood up and took the initiative to walk out of her seat. She seemed to be giving him instructions, but in fact she was constantly winking at him and giving him hints:

"Rui'er, marriage is a major event in life. You are a prince and you are not young anymore. You cannot take advantage of your favor and do whatever you want. You must not be careless about this matter of a lifetime. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again."

"The Queen Mother, His Majesty, and Mother all hope that you can love each other and live happily ever after."

Everything can happen once or twice, but not three times. Patting his hands, the imperial concubine almost said clearly, if you don't make a choice today, you will not have the final say in the future.

Xiao Tingrui is such a smart person, how could he not understand?

Moreover, although he didn't know what was going on, he always felt that the atmosphere of today's banquet was not right, and the Royal Concubine's face was solemn under her relaxed smile, and he could not fail to see it:

"Don't worry, mother. I will obey your orders."

He knew that the reason he had been able to hold on until today was not only because of his father's love, his obsession with Taoism over the years and his lack of attention to the princes, but also because of his mother's protection along the way. He was able to escape danger last year because of a coincidence and his fifth brother's wedding blocked it for him.

It was never that he didn't want to get married, but he just didn't understand his own heart and hadn't waited for the right person. He had envied the relationships of both the Crown Prince and his fifth brother.

Unfortunately--

Now thinking about it, what Mu Lianzhi said might be right, no one is perfect; the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were once a harmonious couple, but now they have changed. The current Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are not bad either, but they have no children of their own. Isn't this a pity?

Just now, the elders were still urging me to get married.

As for the Fifth Prince and the Fifth Prince's Consort, I don't know if they have any feelings for each other or if they truly like him, but at least it seems pretty good now.

He couldn't let his mother down anymore.

Thinking so, he turned and walked down the stage. At this moment, the hall was quiet and everyone heard it. All eyes were focused on the imposing figure.

After walking down from the stage, Xiao Tingrui bowed from a distance as a greeting to the elder ladies in the women's area.

He naturally understood what the imperial concubine meant, so he slowed down his pace. He was thinking as he walked, because he had seen the wife of the Minister of Works before.

He originally planned to take a walk and make a decision when he came back, but he suddenly stopped not far in front of Mu Lianzhi and looked into her eyes from a distance.

Beitang Yi was only the Shaoqing of Dali Temple. Normally, Mu Lianzhi's seat could not be so close to the front. But the people in the palace didn't know whether to give him face or on purpose, so this time her seat was near the front, just in the middle of the third row.

When they looked at each other, Mu Lianzhi's heart skipped a beat.

Just when she subconsciously wanted to avoid it, she stopped. Why was she being so sentimental?

She is married now and has just gotten married.

So, in the end, she responded with a faint smile in a graceful and generous manner. Similarly, as she expected, Xiao Tingrui's lips also slightly raised, and then his eyes fell to the side.

He saw two young women beside the wife of the Minister of Works. One of them was obviously dressed as a girl and should be the Qi Quan his mother mentioned.

The next second, Xiao Tingrui's heart sank.

Because that woman really looked too blessed. She was more than half a body fatter than everyone around her. She had an ordinary appearance, ordinary clothing style, and ordinary posture. It was really hard to describe her at first glance.

Xiao Tingrui now has only one feeling: if you compare yourself with others, you will die; if you compare goods with others, you will be thrown away.

Just when he was feeling depressed and thinking about how to break the situation, a familiar light yellow figure came into his sight.

It’s the girl who snatched the chicken leg before.

At this moment, she was rubbing her arms with her head down. A dignified old lady was sitting upright beside her, tapping the girl's arm with chopsticks in her hand from time to time.

As if possessed by a magic spell, he took a few big steps and pulled the girl up.

Then, everyone present was dumbfounded.

On the high seat, the imperial concubine had just returned to her seat when she jumped up in shock. Their eyes met, and the round-faced girl was also visibly stunned.

With a start, Xiao Tingrui came back to his senses immediately. Just when he was about to let go, he inadvertently lowered his eyes and saw a red mark on the girl's arm, and then he clenched his fist again.

"Haha, good, good, good! It seems that today is really a rare good day."