Chapter 71

Chapter 70

Without delay, Zhao Hongrun immediately led the palace guards out of the palace and headed straight for the Hanlin Academy. After all, at this hour, He Xinxian, the secretary, should be in the book pavilion of the Hanlin Academy, copying books.

Sure enough, Zhao Hongrun saw the third-place winner of the recent imperial examination in the book pavilion. Who would have thought that this third-place winner, the legitimate son of the prestigious He family, would willingly become one of the many secretaries?

"He Secretary, someone is looking for you."

At the announcement, all the secretaries named He in the book pavilion raised their heads and looked towards the door. A quick count revealed about four or five of them.

Seeing this, the official who made the announcement called out again, "It's the new third-place winner, He Xinxian."

Looking for me?

He Xinxian muttered, put down the book he was copying, and walked towards the door. He immediately saw Zhao Hongrun and his guards standing under a tree in the courtyard, looking in his direction.

The Eighth Prince?

He Xinxian couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. After all, it was reasonable to think that Zhao Hongrun, who had been delivering messages between him and Princess Yulong, wouldn't need to come to the Hanlin Academy, let alone with such a large entourage.

"May I ask what the Eighth Prince needs from this humble official?" Since they were in the Hanlin Academy and He Xinxian was a secretary there, he used the formal and humble self-reference.

Zhao Hongrun didn't speak immediately but instead put his arm around He Xinxian's shoulder and led him to a secluded corner. Then he took out the important message from his chest and handed it to He Xinxian.

He Xinxian, puzzled, took the letter and opened it, only to be shocked by its contents.

"This... this... how can this be?"

"Calm down. ... What do you think about this?"

Under Zhao Hongrun's reminder, He Xinxian finally calmed down and frowned, thinking, "I haven't heard this news... According to reason, such a major event as a marriage alliance should not be kept secret in the court. ... Could someone be playing a joke on Your Highness?" he asked suspiciously.

"Who would play such a joke on me, having nothing better to do?" Zhao Hongrun rolled his eyes.

"This..." He Xinxian thought for a moment and hesitantly said, "Should I go home tonight and ask my father and grandfather?"

Zhao Hongrun knew that He Xinxian's father, He Yu, was the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and his grandfather, He Xiangxu, was the Chancellor of the Chui Gong Hall, a key minister in the court. Even so, Zhao Hongrun didn't hold much hope that they would know about this matter.

After all, if his father, Emperor Wei, really had this intention and deliberately kept it secret, even He Xiangxu would find it difficult to know.

"No, I have a better plan." Rejecting He Xinxian's suggestion, He Xinxian lowered his voice and said, "Today, when you return home, you must convince your grandfather, Old Master He, to propose to my father on your behalf tomorrow. If my father agrees to marry Princess Yulong to you, then this matter is baseless. But if my father refuses... then we will discuss it further."

He Xinxian nodded in agreement but felt a bit awkward when he thought about proposing: "Princess Yulong hasn't reached the age of marriage, this..."

"Stupid!" Zhao Hongrun said irritably, "Can't you just get engaged first?"

"This... Alright, I'll talk to my grandfather about it today..."

Hearing his lack of resolve, Zhao Hongrun frowned and corrected him, "Show some spirit! ... What do you mean by 'talk about it'? You must convince Old Master He! If you're so weak, how can I entrust my sister to you?"

Encouraged by Zhao Hongrun's words, He Xinxian's face turned red, and he nodded vigorously.

That evening, He Xinxian returned home from the Hanlin Academy and, upon learning that his grandfather, He Xiangxu, had also returned, went straight to his grandfather's study.

He Xiangxu, who always doted on his grandson, smiled when he saw him enter and greeted him, "It's Xinxian."

"Grandfather." He Xinxian bowed.

He Xiangxu noticed that his grandson seemed to have something to discuss and put down his pen, jokingly saying, "Are you getting impatient at the Hanlin Academy? Let me tell you, I won't help you with that."

He Xinxian forced a smile and shook his head, "Grandfather, you misunderstand. I'm doing well as a secretary at the Hanlin Academy and have no complaints. Today, I have another matter to request."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

With this, He Xinxian mustered his courage, knelt before his grandfather's desk, and pleaded, "I beg you, Grandfather, to propose to His Majesty on my behalf, to marry Princess Yulong."

"..." He Xiangxu was taken aback by this request and stood there in shock.

After a while, he came to his senses and asked, surprised and doubtful, "You... Xinxian, what did you just say?"

"I beg you, Grandfather, to propose to His Majesty on my behalf, to marry Princess Yulong." He Xinxian repeated, mustering his courage.

He Xiangxu, both angry and amused, got up, walked over, and helped his beloved grandson to his feet, hesitantly asking, "Xinxian, you and Princess Yulong..."

So, He Xinxian recounted how he had met Princess Yulong at the Elegant Wind Poetry Gathering several months ago and how they had been corresponding ever since.

"Are you saying that the Eighth Prince secretly helped you, delivering messages for you?" He Xiangxu stroked his beard and thought for a moment. In his view, the Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongrun, must have approved of his grandson, otherwise, he wouldn't have delivered messages for him.

The problem was that his grandson wanted to marry a princess, which was a bit complicated.

Princess Yulong? ... I believe Princess Yulong is the daughter of the late Xiao Shuyuan, right?

He Xiangxu recalled, his already gray eyebrows furrowing, "Xinxian, if it were any other princess, given our family's current status, it would be a bit of a stretch, but not impossible. However, Princess Yulong... is a bit more complicated."

He Xinxian was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "Grandfather, how is Princess Yulong different from the other princesses? ... Does His Majesty favor her?"

"On the contrary, Princess Yulong is not favored."

"..."

Seeing his grandson's puzzled expression, He Xiangxu stroked his beard and explained, "This relates to an incident from over a decade ago... Xiao Shuyuan was the daughter of General Xiao Boyuan, who guarded the southern border of Yan. ... Before His Majesty ascended the throne, Xiao Boyuan strongly supported him and even betrothed his daughter to him..."

"Xiao Boyuan?" He Xinxian was taken aback, "Grandfather, are you mistaken? The current commander of Yan is General Wei Mu."

"How could I be mistaken? I was the Minister of Personnel at the time." He Xiangxu shook his head and continued, "I remember clearly that Wei Mu was the top candidate in the military examination of the second year of Hongde, and the court appointed him as the deputy commander of the then-commander of Yan, Xiao Boyuan. ... After Wei Mu arrived in Yan, he discovered that Xiao Boyuan had been amassing power, embezzling soldiers' salaries, and keeping the majority of the military funds for himself, leading to several mutinies among the soldiers. Wei Mu then secretly sent a report to the capital, impeaching Xiao Boyuan... His Majesty was furious and ordered Xiao Boyuan to come to the capital immediately for an investigation. However, Xiao Boyuan refused to hand over his command and incited the soldiers to rebel, claiming that the army was unstable and could not go to the capital. Later, it was rumored that he had ties with the northern Han and intended to defect to them... His Majesty was enraged and sent troops to suppress the rebellion. With Wei Mu's secret assistance, Xiao Boyuan was captured and brought to the capital, and the other rebels were executed."

"The Xiao family rebelled?" He Xinxian was shocked.

He Xiangxu looked at his beloved grandson, shook his head, and sighed, "This incident caused a great stir at the time... Xiao Boyuan was always arrogant, relying on his past support for His Majesty to amass power in Yan, acting like a state within a state. His fate was not surprising."

"Then what about Princess Yulong's mother..."

He Xiangxu sighed and shook his head, "According to what I heard, before Xiao Boyuan was executed, Xiao Shuyuan pleaded with His Majesty for mercy... However, rebellion is an unpardonable crime. Even though His Majesty favored Xiao Shuyuan, he could not grant her request. Unexpectedly, a few days after her father's execution, Xiao Shuyuan, disregarding her marriage to His Majesty and the young Princess Yulong, committed suicide in the Yuzhi Palace..."

"Suicide? I thought Xiao Shuyuan died of illness?" He Xinxian asked in shock.

He Xiangxu looked at his grandson with a wry smile and said in a low voice, "Pleading for a rebel, and then committing suicide after failing to save him, do you think the palace would allow such a scandal to spread? ... By the way, don't reveal this to anyone. His Majesty hates this matter deeply."

"I understand, Grandfather." He Xinxian nodded quickly, "Then what about Princess Yulong..."

He Xiangxu frowned and said, "After all I've said, don't you understand? Princess Yulong is the daughter of Xiao Shuyuan, and in His Majesty's eyes, Xiao Shuyuan was a woman who didn't know her place and disregarded His Majesty's favor. ... In my opinion, with your talent and our family's status, you shouldn't have trouble finding a suitable wife. Don't get involved with Princess Yulong."

Seeing that He Xiangxu was clearly not willing to help, He Xinxian became anxious and knelt down, pleading, "I will not marry anyone but Princess Yulong. I beg you, Grandfather, to help me."

"This..." He Xiangxu was at a loss, and, being fond of his grandson, he tried to reason with him, "Even so, you don't have to rush, right? Marrying a princess is a big deal and needs careful consideration..."

He Xinxian, having already received the news from Zhao Hongrun, wouldn't listen to He Xiangxu's advice and kept bowing, pleading.

Seeing his grandson's urgency, He Xiangxu became suspicious and asked, "Xinxian, as far as I know, Princess Yulong hasn't reached the age of marriage. Why are you so anxious?"

He Xinxian, being quick-witted, thought for a moment and lied, "Grandfather, after the Elegant Wind Poetry Gathering, He Song also developed feelings for Princess Yulong. I'm afraid that if we wait too long, something might go wrong."

"He Song? The grandson of Minister of Personnel He Mei?" He Xiangxu muttered, nodding in understanding. After all, given the He family's status in the court, it was reasonable for a princess to marry into their family.

"I beg you, Grandfather, to help me."

"This..." He Xiangxu, having no choice, said, "Alright, I'll probe His Majesty's thoughts in the Chui Gong Hall tomorrow. If His Majesty has let go of the past, I'll propose on your behalf. How does that sound?"

"Thank you, Grandfather!" He Xinxian bowed again, his face beaming with joy.

"You, this child..."

He Xiangxu shook his head helplessly.