Cut the Gordian knot…
Until he was dragged into the palace by Zhu Ying helplessly, Zhang Shou was still thinking about these five inappropriate words. Was the relationship between him and Zhu Ying a mess
Well, given that there are still rumors out there that Duke Zhao's family is committing marriage fraud, it's a mess. However, Zhu Ying forcibly dragged her father into the palace to ask for an explanation on the day he returned. Does this count as a form of forcing abdication
Compared with Zhu Ying, who had been in the palace since childhood, Zhang Shou did not have this treatment. However, after the Lantern Festival, he threatened and appeased the fourth prince who wanted to leave the palace to join in the fun in Xingtai. Afterwards, the fourth prince bravely confessed to the emperor that he had been punished. So Zhang Shou's status as the prince's teacher was confirmed, and the emperor generously allowed him to enter the palace.
When he just entered Donghua Gate, Zhang Shou habitually ignored the envious and jealous looks of the officials waiting to see him. But when he reached Qianqing Gate, he saw Chu Kuan rushing out, his eyes passing over Zhu Ying and falling directly on him with a very subtle look. He couldn't help but feel something in his heart, wondering what the emperor and his cousin Zhu Jing had just said to each other
Sure enough, he didn't even need to ask. After Chu Kuan led them in, he whispered, "Doctor Zhang, after Duke Zhao and the Emperor talked about some military matters, they mentioned your marriage with the eldest lady, and then..."
Chu Kuan hesitated for a moment, as if he was considering whether to say it or not, but finally sighed: "Duke Zhao said that it was just a verbal agreement back then, and there was indeed no marriage certificate. He did not expect that so many things would happen after this expedition, so that this marriage would become a hot topic. He said that if the public opinion was too strong, otherwise..."
Before Chu Kuan could finish his words, Zhu Ying's face suddenly changed, and she said angrily, "What does Dad want? Even my grandmother and mother know about this engagement. It was he who invited Grandpa Ge to Ah Shou's village. Now the whole city knows about Ah Shou and me. Could it be that he wants to go back on his word? Mother and Ah Shou's mother are friends for life and death, and our family must be worthy of them!"
Seeing Zhu Ying rushing straight to the Qianqing Palace regardless of anything, Zhang Shou was caught off guard and failed to stop her. When he wanted to chase her, he took two steps and suddenly stopped. Then he looked at Chu Kuan thoughtfully: "Eunuch Chu, didn't you just say half of what you said just now? If I'm not mistaken, Duke Zhao definitely doesn't mean to disown this marriage, right?"
Under Zhang Shou's gaze, Chu Kuan smiled nonchalantly and said, "Oh, really? I haven't had time to finish my words yet. The young lady is really too impatient!"
After the Chinese New Year, he officially took over the position of the retired Chief of the Imperial Household Department, Xu Liu, and became the Chief of the Imperial Household Department. Although there were not many eunuchs in those days, and their ranks were quite limited, and there were not as many eunuchs as in the Ming Dynasty that Zhang Shou remembered, he was still considered a top figure. Therefore, although Zhang Shou explained that the white man was deliberately keeping Zhu Ying in suspense, he did not become as angry as Zhu Ying.
He jokingly said, "Eunuch Chu, aren't you afraid that Yingying will make a scene after she goes in, and come back to settle the score with you after she finds out that it's not what she thought? Yingying has a fiery temper, and she won't recognize anyone when she gets angry."