The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant-Chapter 625: Song Zhiyuan: Are You Poisonous?
Song Zhiyuan accompanied Emperor Chu on a walk to Cining Palace, followed by a group of eunuchs, palace maids, and guards.
"Emperor, if you think there is something I have not done well, please speak directly. Don’t put me on the spot like you did just now."
Emperor Chu, with his hands behind his back, was admiring the snowy scenery of the palace. Hearing this, he turned to look at the person one step behind him: "What do you mean by that?"
Song Zhiyuan said helplessly, "You invited me to accompany you for a meal at Cining Palace. As Prime Minister, even if just for appearances, shouldn’t you have invited Prime Minister Fan as well?"
Emperor Chu paused and said, "That was to accompany my mother for a meal; you were invited because your esteemed Madam is also there. The Fan Family doesn’t have anyone there, does inviting Prime Minister Fan mean he can eat freely?"
If it were to bestow a royal meal, he could certainly invite a few ministers, but going to the Empress Dowager’s palace is not something anyone can be called up for.
Empress Dowager Wang is not someone who easily shares a meal with ministers.
"Then you could have come up with an excuse. Obviously showing favoritism is not very harmonious among colleagues."
Emperor Chu laughed lightly and said, "Both thunder and dew are heavenly grace. As an old minister of two reigns, wouldn’t Prime Minister Fan understand? Yunzhi, you worry too much."
Song Zhiyuan thought to himself, it’s not that I worry too much; it’s actually that I’m drifting further down the path of a solitary minister.
"It’s said both thunder and dew are heavenly grace, but there’s also a saying that closeness and distance should be distinguished. No matter the emperor, they always favor ministers they’ve known since humble times." Emperor Chu said lightly, "Moreover, Prime Minister Fan, well, he’s old, has many thoughts, and I’m not to blame for having opinions about him."
Song Zhiyuan remained silent, recalling the recent activities of the Fan Party: "The Fan Family’s esteemed Madam hasn’t been well lately, and he is taking more actions probably because of that."
Emperor Chu’s expression softened.
"How old is the esteemed Madam of the Fan Family this year?"
Song Zhiyuan counted on his fingers and said, "The Fan Family’s esteemed Madam is seventeen years older than my mother and is seventy-five this year."
The esteemed Madam of the Fan Family has lived to a grand age. Since falling ill in autumn, she’s been not well. The Fan Family is making every effort to keep her alive with all kinds of supplements, and the Imperial Physician checks her pulse daily.
There’s no choice; once the esteemed Madam of the Fan Family passes away, Prime Minister Fan will surely have to observe mourning, and this old Prime Minister has yet to admit to his age.
After he observes mourning, he’ll probably only be left with a nice-sounding position without real power, such as Grandmaster.
So, it’s wise to arrange things sooner while he’s still in power.
Emperor Chu said, "Sometimes doing too much is a futile effort, and Prime Minister Fan never understands this point."
Song Zhiyuan wholeheartedly agreed.
"Regarding Prince Min, he asked me to grant a marriage. What do you think?"
Song Zhiyuan said, "Do you already have someone in mind?"
Emperor Chu looked up at the glazed tiles of the palace, partially covered by snow but still showing some yellow and white. At that moment, sunlight broke through the clouds, casting on the yellow-white, dazzling.
He raised his hand to shield his brow and said, "He is, after all, my youngest brother, pairing him with an ordinary official’s daughter might be a bit unjust to him."
Song Zhiyuan’s brows arched slightly.
"Isn’t there a Princess Chongyang, who was fostered at the Prince Xin Mansion? She seems to be around twenty?"
Song Zhiyuan: Have you gone mad?
Princess Chongyang is the last bloodline of the previous dynasty’s Xia family Crown Prince Yong. Though born out of wedlock, she is still of noble birth. If not for the former emperor, she would have surely been a princess. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
With such an awkward status, she has been kept in limbo, and Prince Xin doesn’t mention it, seemingly intending to keep her for life. But granting a marriage to Prince Min, is that to force him to rebel, or to humiliate him, or perhaps show benevolence to warn him?
