Chapter 109 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

In the entire court of Da Qi, there were only three individuals who could apply pressure on Princess Meng Qingqian, the Princess of the Moon, Xiayue. The first, needless to say, was the Prime Minister Han Wenxin, who controlled half of the country's territory. The second was the young Emperor who represented the orthodox rule of Da Qi. The third was none other than the biological mother of Meng Qingqian, the Empress Dowager Li Shi. Although the Empress Dowager was no longer involved in court affairs, she held no military power, and her financial resources were not abundant. At most, she could only utilize a portion of the resources belonging to her family, the Li family from Jiangnan. However, she had a unique advantage in dealing with Meng Qingqian, and that was her status as Meng Qingqian's birth mother. The traditions of Da Qi required no further explanation; the influence of parents on their children was immense. No matter how mighty Meng Qingqian's power was, when it came to marriage matters, she still needed her mother's approval. In other words, although the Empress Dowager could not dictate whom Meng Qingqian should like, she could prevent her from marrying. Therefore, if Yang Zhe wanted to scheme, aside from pleasing Meng Qingqian, he also had to win the favor of the Empress Dowager. However, previously, the Yang family of Hexi had also heard of the Empress Dowager's reputation and deemed her to be inconsequential. They had never expected that the Empress Dowager, who had been wishy-washy in court affairs, could be so dominating in her children's private matters. Upon hearing that the Empress Dowager intended to betroth Xiayue to the He family, Yang Xingguang was immediately flustered. Yang Xingguang knew that the Yang family sooner or later would be handed over to Yang Zhe, as he was an extraordinary talent of Da Qi, excelling in both civil and martial arts. And this nephew of the Yang family, though outstanding in every aspect, was inexplicably infatuated with Xiayue. This young lady, Xiayue, not only had insight and competence but also wielded influence. Not to mention the capital city, even throughout Da Qi, few were unconvinced of her abilities. If she could truly be united with Yang Zhe, this couple could ensure the prosperity of the Yang family of Hexi for a hundred years. As a result, Yang Xingguang, along with the Yang family, almost abandoned their previous neutral position and wholeheartedly sided with the Meng family. They sought nothing else, just the person. With these two individuals' capabilities, any resources could be doubled. Now that this person was almost lost, even Yang Xingguang, who had always been astute, felt somewhat unsettled. This wasn't just a matter of private affairs. The Yang family had invested countless resources in recent years. If they couldn't truly marry Meng Qingqian, not to mention losing all these resources, at least half of them would be lost. Yang Xingguang didn't bother to wipe the tea stains off his official robe, immediately got up and knelt down, earnestly advising, "Empress Dowager, please reconsider! The Princess has many state affairs to handle and cannot whimsically marry, leaving us without a leader!" Huang Qinghe, seeing Minister Yang taking the lead, promptly added, "Empress Dowager, please reconsider!" Nan Zhu's marriage wouldn't affect He Yuanhao's position, but it was different for Xiayue. If Xiayue married, it might even prompt a change in He Yuanhao's allegiance. The balance between the Han and Meng families would tilt in favor of the Meng family if He Yuanhao were to change sides, greatly disadvantaging Danyan. Lu Liang chose to follow suit, "Empress Dowager, please reconsider!" In comparison to them, Li Gongqin, with the status of an in-law, though the Empress Dowager's nephew, understood his aunt's temperament. He promptly dispatched clever palace maids to invite the primary party to the Longhe Palace. Then Li Gongqin also advised, "Empress Dowager, it would be best to inquire about the Princess's thoughts on her marriage." He Yuanhao attended court daily and fully understood Meng Qingqian's capabilities. If the Empress Dowager intended to marry Meng Qingqian to the He family, that would be the best outcome. With Meng Qingqian's methods, he had no fear that she couldn't control He Yunxiao. He Yuanhao proposed, "Empress Dowager, you are correct. It was my oversight not to have prepared the complete dowry. Upon thinking it over, adding more items to the dowry list would be time-consuming and troublesome. I believe it would be better for the He family to prepare another set of dowry items, doubling the dowry, to seek the hand of Princess Xiayue!" The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up. She deemed that one set of dowry was indeed not enough, but two sets would be more than sufficient. "Very well! I am very satisfied. Let's consider this matter..." As the Empress Dowager was about to agree, Li Gongqin was sweating profusely, knowing that his cousin would not agree to this marriage, and that his aunt had spoken in haste, and her words could not be taken as final. However, his aunt's position was extraordinary, so it was inappropriate to disregard her words. Given the relative weakness of his aunt in front of his cousin, if Xiayue appeared, the matter could be fully resolved. Li Gongqin repeatedly looked towards the entrance to the hall but didn't see Meng Qingqian's figure for a long time. Yang Xingguang was even more anxious than Li Gongqin. For other families, Meng Qingqian's marriage was just a spectator sport, at most an expenditure, but for the Yang family, it was a matter crucial to the family's future for a hundred years! Not to mention a hundred years; with Yang Zhe's temperament, if Meng Qingqian married, he might act irrationally, causing trouble for the whole family. In this case, the future of the Yang family of Hexi was uncertain. That old scoundrel He Yuanhao made a surprise attack right away! Doubling the dowry on the spot, was that something anyone could do?! Yang Xingguang solemnly said, "Empress Dowager, please reconsider! Princess Xiayue's marriage requires careful consideration! Once the Princess marries, what about us civil and military officials, and the major clans? Who will lead us in the future? Who will look after our great Da Qi then? As for those who admire Princess Xiayue, who will they follow and rely on?" The Empress Dowager, who hadn't considered so much at that moment, understood the situation a little better after hearing Yang Xingguang's words. Marriage arrangements for Xiayue seemed indeed impulsive at this time. The Empress Dowager said, "Duke Wuqing, keep the dowry list for now. After three years, let Xiayue transfer her authority, and when His Majesty ascends the throne, you can then..." He Yuanhao took on the air of a general and said, "Empress Dowager, please allow me to speak." The Empress Dowager said, "Go ahead." He Yuanhao loudly declared, "It is said that a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and I deeply agree. But now, His Majesty is here, I am here, officials are here, and the Da Qi army is here. All the men of Da Qi are still alive. Why do we need to rely heavily on a weak woman? Our court allocates no less than millions annually in salary. If everything needs to be decided by the Princess, then what's the use of these officials?" Huang Qinghe retorted, "Lord He, you have the Prime Minister backing you; you mustn't concern yourself with our pain!" He Yuanhao waved his sleeve arrogantly and said, "Very well! I'll take off this official robe tomorrow, transfer the manor to the Princess to live in, and I myself will wear armor to guard the border!" Lu Liang, upon hearing that He Yuanhao would be guarding the border, thought, "That won't do. If you guard the border, how will my Yan army head south?" Between two evils, he took the lesser one. Compared to Meng's strength and Han's weakness, Lu Liang was even more afraid that He Yuanhao would guard the border. He immediately changed sides and said, "Empress Dowager! I suddenly think it's wonderful for Princess Xiayue to marry the Duke's manor!" Yang Xingguang, seeing Lu Liang's defection, also disregarded his own dignity at this moment. He said on the spot, "Empress Dowager! Marriage has always stressed the importance of equal standing. Princess Xiayue has a distinguished background, and if she is to marry, she should marry a ruling lord. Secondarily, it should be a hereditary ducal mansion, or a wealthy and influential family. The He manor is just a newly established ducal mansion; how can it match the Princess's status?" Yang Xingguang's statement shocked everyone present. He Yuanhao, an official of high ranking, was at least a second-rank official. In the entire Jinling, few had the right to say that the He family wasn't eligible. While the Yang family of Hexi belonged to such an esteemed family, with both civil and military influence, operating in both the light and dark, their deep-rooted influence had not waned for a century. In terms of family background, they could certainly suppress the newly established ducal mansion. It was widely known that an esteemed family could suppress a ducal mansion, but publicly affronting a duke required tremendous courage. In the Empress Dowager's chamber, there was a sudden silence. At that moment, a metallic sound resounded, shocking everyone. "Dang!" Before anyone could see what had landed on the floor, Duke Wuqing He Yuanhao was the first to pick it up. Dusting off this item and presenting it to the group, He Yuanhao laughed, "Ah, I accidentally dropped the military token. I'm sorry, everyone, please continue speaking. I'll look at whether this lump of iron is damaged."