Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

As you walk into a sea of ​​colorful flowers, pavilions and waterside terraces come into view, and you have arrived at the venue of the palace banquet.

As soon as Chu Shiyu appeared, all the seats were full. When they saw him, except for a few people, everyone stood up and saluted.

"Meet Prince Duan."

Chu Shiyu nodded, and those people sat back down.

At this time, Princess Changning went to the seat blocked by a light veil. A palace maid came forward to greet Liu Rusi, bowed and said softly: "Madam, follow..."

"No need, she sits here with me." Chu Shiyu interrupted the palace maid, pulled little Qin Hao, and gestured for Liu Rusi to follow him.

Liu Rusi's heart began to pound. In Daxia, there was a strict separation between men and women. At a banquet with many people, people would sit at different tables. The symbolic covering with a veil was considered open-minded. Wouldn't it be rude for her to sit with Chu Shiyu on the male guests' side?

But after a few moments of thinking, she moved to follow Chu Shiyu. First, she couldn't offend Chu Shiyu, and second,...

Many strange looks fell on Liu Rusi, a few were amazed, most were questioning. Only high-ranking people could attend the imperial family banquet, and even a third-rank official might not receive an invitation. Beauty was secondary to them.

Chu Shiyu frowned and walked to the chief seat on the right, letting Liu Rusi sit with him as usual, separated by little Qin Hao.

"Since it's a family dinner, why don't you sit with your families?" The voice, as soft as a spring breeze, came from Prince Kang, who was sitting opposite Chu Shiyu. As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled the beauty standing behind him over and sat down next to him.

The Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Revenue looked at each other in surprise, but then turned around and signaled to the maids behind them. Many other officials also took a step back and whispered to the assigned palace maids.

"Hahaha, since it's Yu'er's welcoming party, just do as he wishes and remove the veil." A kind smile came from not far away.

Everyone, including Prince Kang and Prince Duan, stood up one after another. Liu Rusi and little Qin Hao also stood up immediately.

Little Qin Hao imitated his adoptive father and bowed with his hands clasped. Liu Rusi quickly followed the example of the beauty of King Kang opposite and performed the salute of bowing. The mother and son copied it so quickly that it was hard to tell that they were imitating others.

"See Father."

"Long live the emperor!" All the ministers came to the table and knelt down.

"Everyone, please sit down. There's no need to be so formal at my family dinner." The emperor walked to the center and sat down.

Everyone thanked him and returned to their seats.

"Yu'er, you have suffered a lot since the fight against the enemy in the southwest..." A pair of wrinkled auspicious phoenix eyes looked at Chu Shiyu on the left with heartache.

"There will be hardships in achieving success, thank you for your concern, father." Chu Shiyu lowered his head slightly with an expressionless face.

"Yu'er has a good character!" The emperor first praised him, then looked at Prince Kang and then Chu Shiyu, and asked with doubt on his face: "You and Kun'er are having a mystery, but when we met today, it seems that you are still a friendly brother?"

Chu Shiyu looked up at King Kang with mixed feelings, and said calmly, "I believe it was not my brother's doing, but...everything should be proven with evidence. Only by finding the culprit can we seek justice for the people of Daxia who died in the second dam breach."

The emperor nodded in praise, then glanced at the ministers and their families who were quietly sitting down one after another, and said kindly: "Other female guests, please come and sit down. Move a little. There is enough space."

"Yes!" Everyone responded, and the venue began to get busy.

Seats cannot be randomly assigned, but must be arranged according to status. Although many female relatives can sit directly at their husbands' seats, some concubines and female guests who come by themselves need to have additional seats, such as Princess Changning.

However, the central and left and right chiefs did not need to move. During this period, the emperor turned his eyes to the women and children around Chu Shiyu and asked casually: "Yu'er, would you like to introduce the two people at your table?"

Hearing this, Chu Shiyu stood up with a serious expression, and Liu Rusi and Qin Hao stood up with him.

He introduced her solemnly: "This is Madam Liu Rusi, a doctor who specializes in treating injuries. I was attacked by bandits in Jinyan City and was seriously injured and dying. It was Madam Liu who saved me from the brink of life and death and took good care of me until I recovered."

"A drop of water is worth a spring of gratitude, and a life-saving grace is beyond repayment. I am willing to protect you for my entire life as a token of my gratitude."

After he said this, the room fell silent, leaving only the slight bumping sounds of tables and chairs being moved. There were no fools in this place, and everyone could hear the implication of Prince Duan's words.

The female relatives who had entered the room all had strange expressions on their faces. At the table of the Minister of Rites, Shen Yuqin, who was wearing a green dress like a green bamboo, had a calm expression, but when she looked at the other green, she couldn't help revealing a chill in her eyes.

After a few moments of silence, the emperor in the center showed no joy or anger in his eyes. He smiled gently and said, "The life-saving grace should be repaid well. What about this child?"

Everyone present understood what this meant. The child was not Prince Duan's, and Liu was a woman with a child.

"This is Madam Liu's biological son. He is very intelligent, studious, and has a good memory. I cherish his talent and love him very much. I have adopted him as my adopted son. In addition, because of Madam Liu, I will definitely treat him as my own son and train him wholeheartedly."

There was silence again, the emperor had no expression on his face this time, while the others had different expressions, and they split into several groups and looked at each other.

Are women important? Not in themselves, but the relationships that women from aristocratic families carry are very important. This is especially true for the princes who want to compete for the throne. With just a little effort, the positions of the Duan prince's one main concubine and two side concubines can be given even more powerful support.

An unknown widow? Prince Duan's attitude doesn't seem to indicate that he will only take her as a concubine, but even if she is just a concubine, it will be a huge loss!

"I am Qin Liu, a commoner, greeting His Majesty..." Liu Rusi spoke softly despite her pounding heart.

When Chu Shiyu heard the name Qin Liu, his heart tightened and he had a bad feeling, but at this moment he couldn't stop her from speaking.

The emperor then turned his gaze to her and said kindly, "Qin Liu? You saved my son Yu'er and saved me from the pain of losing my son. I should also express my gratitude to you..."

"I will now confer upon you the title of First-Rank Lady, with a reward of 1,000 taels of gold and a hundred acres of good farmland. How about that?"

Liu Rusi's heart beat faster. Oh my god, a thousand taels of gold! That's equivalent to 10 million in modern times, and a hundred acres of fertile land is also worth a lot!

But Liu Rusi suddenly walked to the side of the table and knelt down, speaking clearly and calmly: "I thank the emperor for his grace! But... can you exchange the thousand taels of gold and the hundred acres of fertile land for something else?"

Chu Shiyu's face became more and more gloomy, but the emperor seemed to be interested. He stood up slightly and asked with a smile: "What do you want to exchange for it?"

Liu Rusi could feel that Chu Shiyu's eyes were about to poke two holes in her. In fact, she shouldn't take the initiative to speak in this situation, but if she didn't speak up and let Chu Shiyu talk nonsense, she would never be free in her life.

Money is precious, but freedom is priceless.

"My youngest son, Qin Hao, was fortunate enough to be adopted by His Royal Highness Prince Duan as his adopted son. His Royal Highness loves talents and wants to bring Qin Hao to the capital to be taught by a good teacher. I couldn't bear to leave my child behind, so I went to the capital with him."

"Your Highness Prince Duan is loyal and righteous. He allowed Qin Hao and I to live in his mansion until we find a place to live. However, I have just arrived and I am afraid that I cannot find a suitable house for the time being. As a married woman, if I stay in the palace for a long time... I am afraid it will be inconvenient..."

Everyone on the field had a variety of expressions on their faces. They were all smart people and could naturally do the reading comprehension: Prince Duan threatened her with his young son and brought her to the capital. Now she is stuck in Prince Duan's mansion and cannot leave, so she begs the emperor to help her.

"Mrs. Liu's late husband has been dead for many years!"

Chu Shiyu could not bear it any longer, and looked directly at the emperor and said seriously: "I promise to protect her for her whole life. If a woman like her lives alone with a child, it will be difficult to ensure her safety."

Everyone's faces became even more excited, as Prince Duan's words confirmed that what Liu said was true.

The emperor's face showed more interest. He glanced at Liu and Chu Shiyu and said in a peacemaker tone, "Yu'er and Liu's concerns are justified. Let me think of a foolproof solution for you."

"Xu Jin." The emperor called softly.

"I'm here." Eunuch Xu stepped forward immediately.

"Appoint Liu Rusi as a first-rank lady and grant her a three-story house in the west of the city. Also, reward her with eight castrated warriors to serve as guards." The emperor said as he smiled as he watched Chu Shiyu's face become increasingly uglier. How could a father be afraid that his son would be unhappy?

What the emperor just said to Liu was a question, which could be discussed, but now he has given a firm order to Eunuch Xu, and his words are official and cannot be changed.

"I thank the emperor! Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long live the emperor!" Liu Rusi's voice of thanks could not help but reveal a bit of excitement.

Chu Shiyu's face became even darker!

After the awarding of the prize, all the seats had been rearranged and the emperor motioned for everyone to sit down.

But Chu Shiyu was no longer in the mood to eat. He sat there with a gloomy face and a cold aura all over him.

Seeing him like this, Liu Rusi couldn't help feeling guilty, and at the same time pulled little Qin Hao to sit a little further away... In fact, if there were any other ways, she would not ask the emperor to pressure him, but there was no other way, she didn't want to live in Prince Duan's Mansion for the rest of her life.

"Kun'er, Yu'er, Huan'er, Jin'er and others, it's rare that my sons are all together, let's have a drink together today." The emperor picked up the wine glass on the table and gestured to the princes on the field.

The old prime minister who had been silent all the time and the virtuous concubine who had just sat down next to the emperor suddenly looked unhappy. The eighth prince Chu Shiqi had been sent to the border to serve as a soldier. How could he be considered together at this time?

However, someone else was stirring up trouble, and Chu Shiyu said indifferently: "After my son was seriously injured, Madam Liu told me not to drink alcohol to avoid harming my body. Can tea be used instead of wine?"

Liu Rusi was stunned for a moment. She wanted to tell him not to care about it at this time, but... her hatred for alcohol prevented her from saying it.

The emperor naturally turned the conversation to Liu Rusi and asked expressionlessly, "Is that so?"

"Yes, I have suggested to Your Highness Prince Duan that you should drink as little as possible, and it is best not to drink at all." Liu Rusi said respectfully. She still couldn't go against her will.

The emperor nodded with a puzzled look on his face and said, "Then Yu'er, please drink tea instead of wine."

"Thank you, Father."

Chu Shiyu's expression warmed up a little, and he glanced at Liu Rusi helplessly. It was hard to change what she insisted on. For what happened tonight, he could only blame himself for his mistake...

But he was still angry! If Liu Rusi moved out, they would have to eat separately. How could he keep doing it?! If they didn't meet every day, at the current slow pace, when would he be able to open the iron cage?!

"Your Majesty, I had originally planned to have some young ladies from official families perform some talents to liven up the party. Can we arrange this now?" asked Concubine Xian.

The emperor nodded calmly.

Young ladies from official families usually display their talents in order to stand out and marry an ideal husband in the future. Today, a welcoming banquet was held for Chu Shiyu, and many young girls of marriageable age came. It can be said that 80% of them came for Chu Shiyu.

The previous incident made many women look embarrassed, but none of them wanted to give up. Not to mention whether the Emperor would agree if Prince Duan wanted to marry a widow with a child, even if she was really welcomed into Prince Duan's mansion, it would be difficult for her to become a concubine.

Even if Prince Duan insists on making her a princess, there are still plenty of other positions available. Prince Duan has a chance to ascend to the throne, and when that time comes, they will be too old and won't be able to make it no matter how hard they try.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!" The applause was thunderous.

"Good!" Cheers.

The opening act was Princess Changning. She danced with her red skirt fluttering in the wind, which was extremely outstanding. However, even if she didn't dance well, people would still applaud her because of her status and they had to give her face.

After the dance ended, Changning panted slightly and looked towards Prince Duan's position, but she only saw Prince Duan looking at the teacup in his hand with a gloomy face and absent-minded. However, the child and Liu beside him were smiling and applauding her...

It’s hard to describe how it felt. Changning pouted his lips, snorted, and returned to his original position.

Then another person who played the zheng and another who played the pipa and sang a song came on stage. The applause was sporadic. They were not outstanding themselves and their status was average. This was the reality.

At this time, Shen Yuqin, dressed in blue, came on stage. As soon as she came on stage, many people looked back and forth between her and Liu. The blue they wore was very similar, and although the styles were different, it still gave people a feeling that they were wearing the same clothes.

However, the two of them have completely different styles. Shen Yuqin's thin figure and elegant temperament make her look like a green bamboo, while Liu's exquisite curves are fully displayed, and her charm is like a jade hook...

Shen Yuqin's appearance was above average, and she looked very pretty with light makeup and plain clothes, but most people felt that she was inferior to Liu in this respect.

Liu was a rare beauty with her natural charm. At this moment, she was not wearing any makeup, but with just a touch of red lips, she was very beautiful and attractive. If the people sitting here were not all smart, someone would probably be embarrassed.

Liu Rusi and Shen Yuqin noticed everyone's gazes. Their eyes met inadvertently. Shen Yuqin smiled, and Liu Rusi smiled back.

A desk and writing brush and ink were brought to the scene. Shen Yuqin took the writing brush and dipped it in ink. She waved her hand gracefully, and the ink fell on the paper with the movement of the brush. In a moment, a seven-character regulated verse was completed.

"Your Highness Prince Duan, this poem is written for you. Can you read it to me?" Shen Yuqin asked with a slight bow.

"Read it yourself."

Chu Shiyu's face never brightened up. He glanced at the emperor in the center. Why didn't he leave? Normally, wouldn't he leave soon after the banquet started?

Being scolded coldly, Shen Yuqin's face froze slightly, but she remained calm overall. She looked at Liu who was standing beside her, and asked with a kind smile, "I feel a little embarrassed to read it myself... Madam Liu, can you recognize the characters? How about reading it for me?"

Liu Rusi sighed inwardly, little girl, can you figure out the direction of your efforts? Trying to push her will only have the opposite effect.

Chu Shiyu on the side immediately cast an unfriendly look at Shen Yuqin, but Liu Rusi still spoke first and said, "I am not very knowledgeable and I don't know how to write. My son Qin Hao likes these things. How about letting him read them?"

Shen Yuqin could hardly hold back her smile. Prince Duan's eyes made her feel uneasy, and by pushing her son out, wasn't Liu mocking her?

But little Qin Hao had already run over, stood on tiptoe and started to recite: “…………”

After he finished reading it, he paused and said, "Your rhyme is not correct."

Liu Rusi raised her hand to support her forehead. She was wrong. She shouldn't have suggested that Qin Hao read it. She mentioned Qin Hao to remind Shen Yuqin that she was not a competitor. But this girl looked smart, but in fact she was stupid and stingy. Now...

"What do you know? What's wrong?" Shen Yuqin couldn't hold it anymore when she was questioned by a child.

"It's indeed wrong, boy, can you tell me what's wrong?" The emperor suddenly said in a light voice.

Shen Yuqin immediately stopped looking angry and lowered her head to look at the ground.

"****" Little Qin Hao raised his head confidently. He not only pointed out the mistake, but also corrected it for Shen Yuqin on the spot.

"He is really born smart." The emperor praised, looked at Chu Shiyu and asked: "Your adopted son is also my grandson. Which teacher have you found to teach him now?"

"We have selected a few so far, but the teaching has not started yet. Before this, I was the one teaching... and my eldest brother also taught me for a few days." Chu Shiyu said calmly. His father likes literati and likes geniuses even more. This is something many people know.

"Haha, you are so lucky that my two most talented sons have become your teachers." The emperor joked.

"Your Majesty is more fortunate. Both your adoptive father and Uncle Prince Kang, who are so smart, are your sons." Little Qin Hao said sincerely.

"Hahahaha! You can talk!"

Chu Tianming laughed heartily. The childish words and witty remarks were the most delightful. He turned to Eunuch Xu and said, "Qin Hao, the adopted son of Prince Duan, is very talented and intelligent. I also like him. He is named Marquis of Chaoyang and will enjoy endless wealth."

Everyone was a little envious. Although it was not a hereditary title, a title of marquis was very useful in officialdom. For example, one could enter the court as an official without having to take the imperial examination. A first-rank lady sounded nice, but a woman could not be an official.

However, little Qin Hao asked hesitantly, "Then Grandpa Emperor, can I still take the imperial examination? I want to start with the academy examination."

A pair of phoenix eyes with fine lines on them looked at Qin Hao in surprise, then at Chu Shiyu. Is this boy really an adopted son?