Su Xiaoqi didn't stay angry for long before Shen Yun stepped out from behind the desk.
He performed a deep kowtow: "Reporting to Your Majesty, thank you for the princess's favor. This humble minister already has a wife and currently has no intention of taking concubines."
Uh…
Everyone was stunned.
Shen Yun had refused.
Not only had he refused, but he had also stomped on Princess Yijiang's feelings and ground them underfoot.
Yijiang froze.
What, had she misheard?
She had confessed her feelings to Shen Yun in front of everyone, saying she wanted to marry him, and he actually refused.
The wall of confidence in her heart instantly crumbled, shattering into pieces of broken bricks, each piece smashing into his chest, hurting her so much she could barely breathe.
She was Princess Yijiang of Nanyue.
In Nanyue, because her mother was from Daliang, her status in the Nanyue imperial palace was very high; whatever she said went.
They would give her the moon if she asked for the stars.
When she was young, she often heard her mother talk about the prosperity and strength of Daliang.
Her lifelong dream was to marry into Daliang.
Therefore, she hadn't even glanced at the young men of Nanyue.
Daliang had not disappointed her.
As soon as she arrived, she had taken a liking to Shen Yun, the Minister of Rites responsible for receiving foreign envoys like them.
He was handsome, spoke gently and kindly, and was refined and elegant, making him the perfect candidate for her to marry.
In Nanyue, she was accustomed to being doted on.
She believed it was his honor that she, of all people, had taken a liking to Shen Yun, a mere third-rank official.
Moreover, she hadn't even minded that he was already married.
She felt she had already made enough sacrifices for him.
How could he refuse her?
Yijiang couldn't understand and felt extremely vexed. She wanted to act like she did in Nanyue and just walk away, but she knew she couldn't.
Tears streamed down her face.
She hadn't wanted to cry. When she was very young, a priest from Europa had told her that crying was useless.
It couldn't solve problems.
But crying at the right time could be beneficial.
Because tears were sometimes an invisible weapon.
Attacking with tears could yield unexpected benefits!
At this moment, Consort Li was the first to be defeated by Yijiang's tears.
She beckoned Yijiang over, pulled her into her arms, and comforted her kindly. Once Yijiang stopped crying, she glared at Shen Yun and said sternly:
"Does Lord Shen intend to defy the imperial decree?"
Shen Yun bowed his head: "This humble minister is ignorant and does not know which decree has not been obeyed. I beg Consort to enlighten me."
"You… Well, you eloquent Lord Shen. The Emperor just agreed to betroth Yijiang.
Yijiang fancies you, which means the Emperor intends to fulfill her wish…"
Consort Li's voice trailed off as she spoke.
This was because she noticed Emperor Yongxing's expression was not pleased.
Her years of accompanying him told her that the Emperor was not happy with her speaking like this.
She forcefully swallowed the rest of her words, turned her head, and pouted, refusing to look at Shen Yun.
"This humble minister has overstepped, but this humble minister truly did not hear the Emperor issue a decree of betrothal," Shen Yun explained again.
His attitude showed Emperor Yongxing his resolve.
Thinking about it, it was understandable.
With Su Xiaoqi, such an excellent and beloved wife, who could do business and earn money, possessed superb medical skills to save lives, and could even speak languages from Europa, which they had never even heard of, how could Shen Yun possibly wrong her?
Emperor Yongxing was not the aloof emperor who disregarded the suffering of the common people as he once was.
Precisely because he had suffered hardships outside for over ten years, he could better understand the love and hate of ordinary people.
This was no different from the saying "While wine and meat rot behind vermilion gates, the poor freeze to death on the road, yet they ask why the dead don't eat meat."
"Your Majesty, Yijiang's marriage has a long way to go. Today is a joyous occasion, so let's not dwell on this," the Grand Princess said, having watched the scene for a while.
She hadn't been able to intervene earlier.
Seeing that things were getting out of hand, she immediately stepped forward to resolve the situation for everyone.
The Grand Princess's words resonated deeply with Emperor Yongxing.
He clapped his hands and announced the feast was to begin.
During the palace banquet, the dishes served were exquisite and beautiful, but they were all cold.
The large crystal pork knuckle, served on a beautiful glazed plate, looked tempting.
However, when poked with chopsticks, it wouldn't budge.
The dishes had grown cold, and the meat and skin had solidified.
When forced to cut into them, even a bite tasted cold and flavorless.
Su Xiaoqi's brow furrowed into a single line.
She wished she hadn't come to this banquet.
Shen Yun saw her struggling with the crystal pork knuckle for a long time before finally managing to get a piece. After tasting it, she made a face of disgust, knowing it was not good.
He reached into his sleeve and took out a packet of pastries, quietly handing it to her.
"Chestnut cake, eat a little to fill your stomach."
Su Xiaoqi took it and opened it. It was a large packet, and she immediately became happy.
She first gave two pieces to Madam Zhao and then distributed them to Shen Mingzhu.
She didn't forget Du Yiyi, who was sitting next to her.
She ate two pieces herself. Being extremely hungry, she couldn't eat more after two.
Shen Yun, watching from the side, said, "Bear with it a little longer. There are more prepared in the carriage later."
Su Xiaoqi let out a soft hum, picked up the last piece, turned sideways, and, avoiding the gaze of those in front, fed it into Shen Yun's mouth.
The light and soft flavor of the chestnut cake melted in his mouth.
Shen Yun narrowed his eyes, quietly squeezed Su Xiaoqi's palm, and said sweetly, "Wife, you treat me so well."
Su Xiaoqi felt a little ashamed. Uh, could she say that she couldn't finish it?
She had just realized that everyone else had received some, but Shen Yun, the provider of the pastries, hadn't eaten any?
Of course, it was best to keep these thoughts to herself and not say them aloud.
However, she felt guilty, lowered her head, and blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Shen Yun tilted his head to look at her; a piece of pastry crumb was stuck to his mouth.
Taking the opportunity to lean down and wipe the crumb from her mouth with a handkerchief, he placed a kiss on her cheek.
Su Xiaoqi's eyes widened in surprise, and she glared fiercely at Shen Yun.
This rascal was too bold, not afraid that Emperor Yongxing would see and accuse him of impropriety before the throne.
Shen Yun just smiled. From their position, the Emperor couldn't see.
And what if the people below saw it? They wouldn't dare to say anything anyway.
The couple's tender affections, when seen by Princess Yijiang, who had been watching them intently, immediately made her furious.
She suspected they were deliberately showing off their affection in front of her to torment a single person.
Her fingers gripped the desk tightly, almost leaving an imprint on the nanmu desk.
The banquet thus concluded, seemingly perilous but ultimately without incident.
Everyone hurried back to their residences under the cover of night.
In the imperial palace, Consort Li attended to the Emperor. With a soft voice, she first recounted many of the hardships they had endured together during their exile.
She spoke of how she had fallen ill and was near death, and how her family had no money.
But the Emperor, for her sake, disregarded his own noble status and pleaded with the old doctor to prescribe medicine for her.
She even mentioned how, when they only had one steamed bun, the Emperor would share it with her and Ning'er…
She succeeded in moving Emperor Yongxing deeply.
In that atmosphere, the two of them consummated their love.
After they had both released their passions and felt refreshed in body and mind, Consort Li once again praised Emperor Yongxing's wisdom, might, and continuous prosperity with admiration, uttering many auspicious words.
She managed to coax Emperor Yongxing, whose mood had been like a roller coaster that day, into beaming with joy.
Only then did she truly get to the point.
"When the incident occurred, this subject remembers that Princess Xiangshan specifically sent people to deliver provisions to us.
Even when we were in Xijiang for so long, Princess Xiangshan would still send people to check on Your Majesty and this subject.
People say it's easy to add flowers to the embroidery, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow.
This subject still feels deeply grateful for Princess Xiangshan's kindness.
She married far away to Nanyue, but her heart remained with the Daliang imperial family, which is commendable.
Now, Princess Yijiang is also a very good child.
She has finally found someone she likes, Your Majesty…"
Emperor Yongxing's expression was as calm as still water, but inwardly he thought: She took a liking to Shen Xuzhi as soon as she arrived. Calling it "finally finding someone she likes" is an exaggeration.
If she stayed a few more days, he worried she might take a liking to all the presentable young men in his court.
"So, what is Consort's meaning?" Emperor Yongxing's heart wavered slightly.
Shen Yun was a capable minister to him.
But Consort Li was right; Princess Xiangshan had indeed shown him kindness in the past, and he should not let her down.