Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress-Chapter 2081 - 2089: Grand Wedding of Bright Pearls (2)
Nangong Yi said, "Do you mean to immediately marry Zhu’er to him, right?"
Cai Wei said, "Look at you, acting all sour, as if I’m an evil stepmother trying to harm your daughter. Zhu’er is not only my own flesh and blood, painstakingly carried for ten months and born with great effort—how could I bear to see her get married? But what if we make her stay in mourning for Mingzhu and she’s unhappy with us? I think it’s best to listen to Zhu’er in this matter. If she wants to marry, we’ll secretly delay the mourning and handle their wedding first before holding the memorial service for the Retired Emperor; if she wants to stay in mourning for the Imperial Father, we’ll respect her wishes and keep her at home for three years to fulfill your love for your daughter! Do you find this arrangement satisfactory?"
Cai Wei’s words were reasonable, and her tone was gentle and cordial, leaving no room for Nangong Yi to refuse. He pondered for a moment and said, "Very well, albeit this isn’t something suitable for me, as a father, to inquire about. You should go and probe our daughter’s thoughts!"
Then, as if something had occurred to him, he added, "I’ve noticed you’ve been favoring that boy Wanyan Chao; you mustn’t deliberately incite our daughter to marry him now, alright?"
Cai Wei helplessly laughed and said, "Listen to you, as if I’m the stepmother. In fact, I’m just like you, wishing our daughter would never marry and stay with us for her entire life. But, it also depends on her willingness. It’s often said that a grown woman can’t be kept home, and forcing it will only create enmity. As a good father, would you really be content to make your daughter resent you?"
Nangong Yi was rendered speechless by her words and only spoke after a long pause: "Go on, no matter what she decides, we will support her. Tell her that I don’t dislike her betrothed; it’s just... just... never mind. Anyway, as long as she’s happy, I will be sure to send her off with great joy and pomp!"
Cai Wei understood his thoughts and replied with a smile, "Alright, I’ll go ask her and assure you I won’t sway her decision. Everything will be up to her own wishes!"
After she finished speaking, she got up and headed towards Ming Zhu’s Palace.
...
In the Mansion of Marquis Jian’an, Wanyan Chao was walking in circles in the Flower Hall, anxiously coughing and sighing, like an ant on a hot pan, wishing he could storm into the palace and take Ming Zhu away.
Old Madame Wu looked at her grandson with distress, comforting him, "Chao’er, there’s no need to worry. The letter from the north arrived before the old Emperor passed away. You are to be wed in three days, and the Retired Emperor has no reason to prevent your marriage. Otherwise, it would be like cursing that the old Emperor has died. By the time he finds out whether the old Emperor has passed, you and Ming Zhu will already be married, and the Retired Emperor won’t be able to do anything to you. So, why the anxiety?"
Wanyan Chao exclaimed, "Grandmother, I fear that the Retired Emperor will use the old Emperor’s illness as an excuse to stop my marriage to Ming Zhu. As you know, the Retired Emperor has never liked me. Without the support of the Empress Dowager and Ming Zhu’s firm determination, I wouldn’t stand a chance of marrying her. This is a rare opportunity for him to stop my marriage to Ming Zhu, and I believe the Retired Emperor might deliberately sabotage us!"
Old Madame said, "A gentleman’s word is his bond, and the Retired Emperor has already agreed to marry Ming Zhu to you—he won’t go back on his word. Moreover, you are young, handsome, and of noble status; you and Ming Zhu are a match made in heaven. If he spoils your marriage to Ming Zhu, where else could Princess Ming Zhu find such an outstanding young man as you? Additionally, it would tarnish her reputation. I believe the intelligent Retired Emperor wouldn’t do something so foolish and irrational."
Wanyan Chao said, "The Retired Emperor agreed to our marriage as a result of pressure from the Empress Dowager and Ming Zhu, not because he favored me. Every time he sees me, he shows me a cold face. I’ve heard privately that the Retired Emperor hoped Ming Zhu would marry a family’s child in the Capital, so he could enjoy her company every day. If Ming Zhu goes with me to Qing Luo, he won’t be able to see his daughter daily and will surely miss her terribly. Therefore, the Retired Emperor is dissatisfied with me. At today’s court banquet, he even cast a cold eye and shared harsh words. I’m worried that if the old Emperor really passes away, the Retired Emperor will use it as a pretext to disrupt our marriage and choose a new husband for Ming Zhu according to his wishes in the Capital."
