flstandardbreds Chapter 136 Willing to be a Concubine
Chapter 136 Willing to be a Concubine
Of course, he had to investigate secretly. Considering that he was the emperor, if he tried a common doctor or servant for such a matter, where would his power be if it got out?
Not long after, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple brought the truth.
There was indeed drug in Song Wei's wine, but it was not Lu Mingqin who put it there. Someone gave money to the waiter in the restaurant to drug Song Wei.
She was the madam of a brothel. She had wanted to take advantage of the fact that Song Shaobao was intoxicated and send her own girl to him, but she didn't expect that there was suddenly another girl in Song Shaobao's room, so she had to let the matter go.
"Ridiculous!" Concubine Song angrily scolded the Junior Official of the Dali Temple, "My brother has always been a clean man. How could he be involved with a brothel?"
The Junior Official of the Dali Temple lowered his voice and recounted awkwardly, "The madam said that Young Master Song has a good reputation, and the value of the girls he has enjoyed will definitely increase exponentially."
A resounding laugh echoed through the hall, and Chu Mingzheng earnestly reminded, "Young Master Song is a beautiful and charming girl. When you go out in the future, you must take good care of yourself."
The emperor angrily said, "You have done enough absurd things yourself, and you have the nerve to laugh at others."
After saying that, he waved his hand and let the Shaoqing of Dali Temple go away.
Things have come full circle and are back to square one, or even worse than they were.
Concubine Song cried and said, "Your Majesty, no matter who it is, my brother was framed after all."
Chu Mingzheng said, "Although Young Master Song is innocent, the fifth lady of the Lu family is even more innocent. If it weren't for him saving her, Young Master Song would have been beaten with a stick by Duke Song! Such a good girl, and she's pregnant with your child. It's only right and proper that Young Master Song should give an explanation!"
Concubine Song despised: "How can a woman who sleeps with men casually be considered a good girl?"
"Why didn't the Imperial Concubine ask her brother what he was like at the time?" Chu Mingzheng reminded him calmly, "If a weak woman like her had resisted, Young Master Song would probably be a dead body now, right?"
"If she was truly a good girl, she should have committed suicide after the incident, instead of using her child to blackmail a man. How shameless! If such a filthy thing, bringing disgrace to our family, had appeared in my family, I would have beaten it to death long ago. Your Chengyang Marquis's Mansion is so impressive that you still have the nerve to propose marriage to me."
As Concubine Song spoke, she looked at Lu Mingyang and said with disgust, "It really is a family tradition. No wonder you are so confident. It turns out that's how you were taught at home."
Over and over again, it always came back to Lu Mingyang, and Chu Mingzheng became angry.
"They say the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. As the elder sister, the fourth daughter has been home for less than a year. I don't know whose daughter raised her in the past few years."
"Stop arguing."
With a bang, the emperor slapped the armrest, and the huge Xiefang Palace finally became quiet.
After a long while, the Queen Mother spoke first: "Your Highness is right. Such behavior is truly unbearable. Considering that she encountered it by chance and her mistake was unintentional, please leave her body intact."
"Grandma!"
"Queen Mother!"
Neither Chu Mingzheng nor Lu Mingyang had expected that the Empress Dowager would respond to Concubine Song's request. The Emperor, however, felt that something was wrong and said to Song Wei, "Although she is not a decent woman, God has mercy on her, and she is pregnant with your child, so you should marry her."
Zheng Xuan sobbed. The Marquis of Bei'an's wife hugged her, her face also filled with grievance. The Duke of Song's wife's face had turned pale.
Concubine Song knelt beside the emperor and pleaded, "Your Majesty, she is a Xiongnu. If you marry her as a wife of the Song family, how will my father face the world in the future? I will also be ashamed to live."
The emperor helped Concubine Song up and sighed, "I didn't say that she should be your brother's legal wife."
"Your Majesty!" the Queen Mother warned sternly, "The fourth daughter of the Lu family is Zheng'er's princess consort, and her sister has become a concubine of a courtier. Where is your dignity as an imperial official?"
The emperor thought for a moment and said, "Since she is a Xiongnu, she is not Lu Shao's daughter. It is inappropriate for a great marquis of Dasheng to adopt a Xiongnu daughter. She should be removed from the Lu family tree."
"Your Majesty!" Lu Mingyang knelt down. "I originally thought it was Young Master Song... Since Young Master Song was also murdered, then you don't need to worry about her life. As for the child..."
"Fourth sister, how can you be so cruel! As long as I can marry Brother Yuanrui, even if it means being a concubine, I am willing." Lu Mingqin interrupted Lu Mingyang hastily and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, thank you for your grace."
The emperor looked at the wife of the Marquis of Bei'an and asked, "Madam, are you satisfied?"
"Mom!" Zheng Xuan looked at Lu Mingqin's belly and said with disgust, "How can I afford to share a husband with such a slutty woman?"
The emperor smiled and said, "Since Miss Zheng is unwilling, I will personally arrange a marriage for you."
"I'm not dissatisfied!" Lady Bei'an hurriedly pulled her daughter down to her knees. "Your Majesty is wise. I thank you for your wise judgment."
A farce ended in this way, funny and ridiculous, and no one knew whether they won or lost.
The palace had not been so lively at night for a long time. Rows of red lanterns illuminated the red walls and green bricks, leading all the way to the Xuanwu Gate.
The Queen Mother stood outside the Xiefang Palace, looking at the departing person, her brows deepening. "I've always thought she was sensible and considerate, and a well-behaved person. How could she do something as absurd as coming to propose marriage?"
Xu Pei said, "Maybe I was worried and panicked for a moment."
"What's the point of having such a shameful sister here?" Concubine Song's words were like a thorn in the Queen Mother's heart. She asked uncertainly, "Did you say she really have deep feelings for Zheng'er back then?"
"Empress Dowager, please don't let your imagination run wild. This Fourth Young Lady is the descendant of the Marquis of Chengyang, not that Xiongnu bastard." Actually, Xu Pei didn't know, but the matter was done, and she didn't want the Empress Dowager to overthink it. She smiled and said, "It seems that the young prince likes the Fourth Young Lady more and more."
"That's enough!" the Queen Mother ordered, "It's time to talk about that matter. Let them both come to the palace tomorrow!"
Outside the Xuanwu Gate, Song Wei called out to Chu Mingzheng, but his eyes were looking at the girl beside him.
"Wait for me in the carriage!" Chu Mingzheng shook Lu Mingyang's hand.
Watching Lu Mingyang walk away, Song Wei sneered, "Your Highness is quite capable. You arranged everything so perfectly in less than an hour. But there's one thing I can't figure out. How did Your Highness get the news out? That painting?"
"Song Shaobao! It's the third day of the second month, more than three months ago, right? But Yangyang said..."
Chu Mingzheng's face was filled with sweetness as he explained with a smile, "Yangyang is the maiden name of my princess. She said Lu Mingqin was only two months pregnant. It's really unfair to put all the blame on a little girl."
Chu Mingzheng patted his chest with his backhand and turned away.
"You like her!" Song Wei's voice rang out again. They all knew who Song Wei was talking about.
Chu Mingzheng paused and did not look back, but his words fell on Song Wei's heart, making him breathless.
"It doesn't matter whether this prince likes it or not. What matters is that you are not qualified to like it."