Song Ruiyang's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's hopes.
Zi'an still refused to give up, "Blood antelope horns come in pairs, Liu Yue stole one, so where is the other one?"
Song Ruiyang's words shattered Zian's last glimmer of hope, "She stole a couple."
Hope had just emerged, but it was immediately destroyed. This feeling was really uncomfortable, especially for King Liang, who suffered greatly from it.
Song Ruiyang asked about Zhuangzhuang, and Zi'an did not hide anything and told him about Xiao Xiao's love for love after she committed suicide.
Song Ruiyang was very moved after hearing this. He sighed repeatedly and even expressed his desire to go see Zhuangzhuang.
Everyone admired his magnanimity. After all, he had been engaged to Zhuangzhuang before, but Da Zhou broke off the engagement. This time, he still insisted on marrying her. Even after such a thing happened again, he was not angry at all.
Zi'an felt that the Prince of Liang was also a man of temperament.
At the end of the banquet, no one was in the mood to drink anymore and they dispersed hastily. Murong Jie asked someone to take Song Ruiyang to another courtyard to rest.
The next day, the Empress Dowager personally summoned Zi'an and the imperial physician to the palace to inquire about Zhuangzhuang's condition.
After hearing that there was no other way, the Empress Dowager sighed deeply and let Zi'an and others leave.
Not long after Zi'an and others left, the noble concubine entered the palace.
After Zhuangzhuang got into trouble, she never visited him again.
This time when she entered the palace, she said that Zhuangzhuang might not make it anymore and she had to find someone to marry him, otherwise she would become a lonely soul.
There is such a custom among the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If an unmarried woman dies, she will be without an owner and without a temple. She will become a wandering ghost and unable to be reincarnated.
Therefore, generally, when an unmarried woman dies, she will seek a ghost marriage, and the same is true for men.
What the noble concubine meant was that instead of waiting for Zhuangzhuang's death to have a ghost marriage, it would be better to hold the wedding now while she was still alive.
The Empress Dowager naturally disapproved. "Xiao Xiao and Zhuang Zhuang couldn't be together when they were alive. Now that they are about to die, it's natural to let them become a ghost couple, which will also fulfill their wish."
The noble concubine said, "Sister, please don't forget that Xiao Xiao has a wife. Do you want our Zhuang Zhuang to be a concubine? Absolutely not. Moreover, we don't know whether Xiao Xiao is dead or alive, and we can't divorce him. Han Qingqiu's status is fixed. How can we ask them to be ghost couples? This is an insult to our princess."
The Queen Mother had not thought of this. Indeed, how could Zhuang Zhuang be a concubine? Moreover, Han Qingqiu and Xiao Xiao's marriage was arranged by her personally. She couldn't let the Queen Mother ask them to leave. What would the Xiao family think? What would the people think? People in the world didn't know about Zhuang Zhuang and Xiao Xiao's affairs.
Zhuangzhuang took sleeping pills and cannot be saved. Although Zi'an can extend her life for a few days now, she will still die after a few days. If we don't hurry up to hold this wedding, we will have to hold a ghost marriage in the future, which will also damage the reputation of the royal family.
The Queen Mother was at a loss for words. "Why not wait and ask the Seventh Master what he thinks?"
The noble concubine smiled, "Sister, the princess is Ajie's elder, how can she ask Ajie about her marriage? Only you can make the decision. You are her sister-in-law, you can make the decision for her marriage."
The Queen Mother thought for a moment and said, "The Prince of Yuedong will be arriving in Beijing soon. Let's ask him tomorrow. I don't know how to explain this to him. Before he left for Yuedong, he repeatedly told me to take good care of Zhuangzhuang."
The noble concubine said: "Yes, the prince loves the princess very much. He must be heartbroken when he knows that the princess is in trouble."
The Queen Mother thought of Zhuangzhuang's appearance and tears fell again, "I feel so sad."
The noble concubine lowered her eyes and sighed softly, "Yes, it's uncomfortable!"
After a moment, she raised her eyes and said, "Now that the princess is in trouble, it's time to ask Lao Ba to come back and send his aunt off."
The empress dowager was stunned. Indeed, Zhuangzhuang was the Princess Zhenguo and the aunt of Prince Nan Huai. If she left, Prince Nan Huai would come back.
The ancestors had rules of etiquette and laws, and Emperor Hui advocated governing the country with benevolence and filial piety. If he was not summoned back by imperial decree, it would be contrary to Emperor Hui's rule of the country with benevolence and filial piety.
But, will his return cause trouble again
The noble concubine said softly, "I know what you are worried about, sister. Don't worry, I will keep a close eye on him. He and the princess grew up together and have a deep relationship. If I don't let him come back to see the princess off, I'm afraid he will regret it for the rest of his life."
The Queen Mother said, "I will consider this matter."
The noble concubine did not force him, but said softly: "Yes, you should think about it slowly. After all, you are her mother."
The Queen Mother raised her head and slowly frowned again.
These words were not meant to force her, but they forced her to consider it seriously.
Moreover, even if he had asked the Ministry of Rites and Prince Li, according to the rules, he should have come back.
The noble concubine left the palace and went straight back to the palace.
Ah Fu asked, "Would the noble concubine like to go see the princess?"
The noble concubine said with disgust: "What's so good about a dying person?"
“But for the sake of face, the noble concubine still has to go.” Ah Fu said.
"I have never had much to say to her, and we don't have a close relationship. If I go to see her eagerly, it will only make people speculate. I don't want to go out now, so let them think whatever they want."
"Well, should I go and invite my cousin?" asked Ah Fu.
"Have him come over right away." The noble concubine ordered calmly.
"Yes, I'll go right away!" Ah Fu said, turned around and left.
Not long after, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen came to the palace with two servants. This man was wearing a red robe and walked in a frivolous manner. One could tell at first glance that he had an greasy face and powdered hair. He went straight to the Qingning Pavilion of the noble concubine.
"Aunt!" The young man bowed and greeted her.
"A-chan, sit down!" The noble concubine looked at him and frowned, "Dress more properly in the future. You are already eighteen or nineteen years old, but you always dress like a peacock. Also, why should a man wear rouge? Nonsense!"
"Aunt," the young man said aggrievedly, "I am not the only one who puts on makeup. Many literati in the capital do the same."
"They are our family. Don't forget that our ancestors were once prominent. Now our Sun family is also a prestigious family in Beijing. Your eldest aunt is the empress dowager, and I am the noble concubine. We will not allow you to humiliate the reputation of our Sun family." The noble concubine scolded.
This person is Sun Can, the nephew of Concubine Gui and the younger brother of Princess Rouyao.
"Yes, I got it!" Sun Can was obviously a little unhappy, but he didn't dare to refute.
The noble concubine asked him to sit down and said, "Remember, tomorrow you will go to the palace to see your eldest aunt and tell her that you have admired the princess for a long time and have long wanted to marry her, but you dare not ask for it due to your age and status. Now that she has been in trouble, you can't bear to see her become a lonely soul, so you want to marry her so that she can have a mansion to live in even if she becomes a ghost."
Sun Can raised his head abruptly, "Why should I marry a princess? She's almost dead, I don't want to marry a dead person."
"Shut up!" The noble concubine shouted angrily, "What do you know? She is dying, but if you marry her, all her wealth will be yours. Do you know how many fiefs and wealth she has?"
(End of this chapter)