Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

As soon as she finished speaking, she kept giving hints to Prince Rui, who was sitting to the side. Prince Rui immediately understood, stepped forward, clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Father, I am indeed deeply in love with my cousin Wan'er. I humbly request that you grant us our wish."

Emperor Erkang remained expressionless and silent.

Upon seeing this, everyone in the hall held their breath and dared not slacken their vigilance in the slightest.

At this moment, Consort Xi stepped forward with a smile, trying to ease the atmosphere. "Your Majesty, since that's the case, we don't need to separate this couple. It would be reasonable to bestow Miss Mai upon Prince Rui as a concubine. After all, it wouldn't be a disgrace for a daughter of a marquis to become a prince's concubine."

Emperor Erkang then slowly revealed a softened expression, "In that case, bestow upon Prince Rui the daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an, Liao Wan'er, as his principal wife, and the daughter of the Marquis of Changtai, Mai Xiyue, as his secondary wife."

Prince Rui immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Father Emperor."

The people from the Jing'an Marquis's residence and the Changtai Marquis's residence also knelt down and said in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this marriage upon us."

Consort Chao said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you can't be biased. You've arranged two good marriages for Prince Rui at once, while my Duan'er is still single."

Emperor Erkang glanced at Consort Chao and asked gently, "Has Consort Chao chosen someone she likes?"

Consort Chao's gaze fell in the direction of the Duke of Huguo's mansion. "My niece and Prince Duan have known each other since childhood and have a deep affection for each other. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant them a marriage."

Emperor Erkang nodded slightly, "In that case, bestow upon Prince Duan the daughter of the Duke of Huguo, Chao Huimin, as his principal wife."

Prince Duan immediately stood up and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Father Emperor."

The people from the Duke of Huguo's mansion also bowed in unison to express their gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chao Huimin, however, remained expressionless, mechanically following the others in bowing like a puppet. Her heart seemed to have died, devoid of any vitality.

"Your Majesty, since you have already arranged two good marriages for Prince Rui, you should also arrange another marriage for Duan'er."

Consort Chao said with a smile.

"Oh? Who else, Imperial Consort, could be selected?"

Consort Chao smiled slightly and turned her gaze to the Zhenbei Marquis's residence. "I think the daughters of the Zhenbei Marquis's residence are also very talented. Why not choose one to bestow upon Prince Duan as a concubine?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Emperor Erkang's face instantly turned gloomy.

Consort Xi, who was watching quietly from the side, and Marquis Zhenbei, who was sitting below her, were both involuntarily stunned.

Consort Chao's scheme was truly ingenious. The Marquis of Zhenbei controlled 100,000 elite troops. If Prince Duan could marry the Marquis of Zhenbei's daughter, Prince Rui would be powerless to resist him.

Consort Chao's strategy was crystal clear: the civil officials had the backing of her powerful maternal uncle, while the military generals had the support of her father-in-law, who held considerable military power. Once Prince Duan received this double assistance, his succession to the throne would almost certainly be a foregone conclusion.

Everyone knew Consort Chao's intentions perfectly well; her schemes were as clear as day.

If the Emperor were to agree to marry the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei to Prince Duan, it would indirectly acknowledge Prince Duan's status as the heir. Everyone in the Yongle Palace anxiously awaited Emperor Erkang's reply.

Prince Duan was even more impatient, his eyes fixed intently on Emperor Erkang. At this moment, he felt as nervous as if he were waiting for the emperor to appoint the crown prince.

"Your Majesty, this is my report."

The Marquis of Zhenbei suddenly stood up, breaking the tense atmosphere in the hall.

Emperor Erkang's expression relaxed slightly. "What do you have to say, my dear minister?"

“I have two daughters in my household, both of whom are in love with other men. I am afraid I cannot obey the order to become Prince Duan’s concubines.”

Although Consort Chao was displeased, she maintained a smile on the surface.

Prince Duan glared angrily at Marquis Zhenbei below, cursing him inwardly for his ignorance and daring to defy his wishes. He vowed that when he ascended the throne, he would strip Marquis Zhenbei of his military power and make him regret it.

Emperor Erkang chuckled, "Today is indeed an auspicious day. Since that's the case, my dear minister, please speak frankly. I will personally arrange a marriage for the two of you."

"Not long ago, my family attended the banquet for the eldest son of the Duke of Wei's family who had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations. We witnessed the extraordinary demeanor of the three sons of the Duke's family, all of whom are outstanding individuals. After returning home, both of my daughters expressed their affection for the sons of the Duke's family and wished to ask me to propose marriage to them."

Upon hearing this, Princess Ziyan, who was sitting next to the eldest princess, gripped the edge of the table tightly, her knuckles turning pale from the force.

The eldest princess gently placed her hand over Princess Ziyan's hand to comfort her. As a mother, how could she not know her daughter's feelings?

Sitting at the end of the table, Jiang Huaiyu's thoughts were in turmoil when she heard the Marquis of Zhenbei suddenly mention the Duke of Wei's mansion. The Marquis of Zhenbei clearly knew Wei Fengyao's true identity, and his refusal of Consort Chao's proposal was undoubtedly an attempt to marry his daughter to Wei Fengyao. The Emperor should also be aware of this plan.

However, the Marquis of Zhenbei has two daughters. One is betrothed to Wei Fengyao, so what about the other? Are the two sisters supposed to serve the same husband? Although there are precedents for this, it is still easy to attract criticism.

The Marquis of Zhenbei continued to elaborate on his request: "My eldest daughter, Yao Zhengxi, is in love with the heir of the Duke of Wei's family, while my youngest daughter, Yao Zhengyun, is in love with the three sons of the Duke of Wei's family. I hope Your Majesty will be merciful and help to bring about this beautiful marriage."

Upon hearing this, Princess Ziyan felt a great weight lifted from her heart, relieved that the person she loved had not been snatched away by someone else.

Emperor Erkang pondered for a moment, then softly agreed: "Well, the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Duke of Wei once fought side by side on the frontier, loyal and brave in serving their country. If they can be united by marriage today, I believe the Duke of Wei's spirit in heaven will be pleased. So, I agree to this matter."

Upon hearing this, Wei Fengyun was shocked. He and Princess Feixue, the daughter of the King of Shu, were already deeply in love and had secretly pledged their lives to each other. However, Princess Feixue had already returned to Shu and was not in the capital. If he were to marry someone else now, how would he explain everything to Princess Feixue when she returned?

Wei Fengyun was about to get up to refuse, but Jiang Huaiyu stopped him in time. She gently shook her head and whispered, "The imperial edict cannot be disobeyed. We should obey the emperor's will."

"But mother..."

Wei Fengyun wanted to explain further, but Jiang Huaiyu had already stood up and thanked Emperor Erkang.

"Your Majesty's grace is deeply appreciated. I believe that the two daughters of the Marquis of Zhenbei are intelligent and virtuous. The Duke of Wei's mansion is willing to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion."

Emperor Erkang nodded in satisfaction. “Very good. Then we will betroth the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei to the heir of the Duke of Wei’s family and make her the Crown Princess; the second daughter will betrothed to the three sons of the Duke of Wei’s family and made their principal wives.”

Wei Fengyun completely lost his composure, sitting blankly in his seat without uttering a word.

With the imperial edict issued, everything was set in stone and could not be changed.

"We are grateful for Your Majesty's bestowal of marriage."

Jiang Huaiyu and the Marquis of Zhenbei expressed their gratitude together.

Jiang Huaiyu secretly speculated that Emperor Erkang's move might have been pre-arranged with the Marquis of Zhenbei, intending for Wei Fengyao to marry his daughter and for Erkang to assist Wei Fengyao in ascending the throne. She, naturally, had to comply with the emperor's wishes.

As for Wei Fengyun's marriage, Jiang Huaiyu never wanted him to marry Princess Feixue, and she was also worried that if he became related to the Marquis of Zhenbei by marriage, his power would become too great and arouse the emperor's suspicion. However, since Emperor Erkang had no reservations about it, she was happy to go along with it.