Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three Men's Self-Esteem
Early the next morning, Shangguan Wan Ning asked the housekeeper to prepare a sedan chair, and brought only Lu Tong to the Yamen of the Ministry of War.
As soon as she got off the sedan, the government servants came to greet her.
"I would like to pay my respects to Miss Shangguan."
"Without courtesy." Shangguan Wan Ning nodded slightly and said softly, "Brother, please let me know, Mr. Shangshu, that I have something to ask for."
"It's unfortunate that Miss Shangguan is here. Mr. Mu was left by the emperor to discuss matters after the morning court. He doesn't know when he will come back. However, he sent someone to pass the message. If Miss Shangguan comes, he can take you to see him directly.
Someone I want to meet.”
Shangguan Wan Ning's heart felt warm. Mu Jingrui usually looked cold, but he was very concerned about her affairs.
"Then it will be hard work."
"Miss Shangguan, please."
The yamen servant led Shangguan Wan Ning through the inner hall of the yamen of the Ministry of War and came to the cell while avoiding the eyes of everyone.
"It's a little thought, please accept it, brother."
Shangguan Wan Ning asked Lu Tong to reward the yamen guard, then took the food box from Lu Tong's hand and went to the innermost cell under the guidance of the jailer.
"Uncle?"
Shangguan Wan Ning felt inexplicably sad when she saw Zheng Binghong standing under the vent with his hands behind his back, a ray of sunlight shining in and falling on him.
Zheng Binghong turned around and saw Shangguan Wan Ning. A doting smile appeared on his lips, but he said reproachful words.
"How can you, a girl, come to a place like this? Your father doesn't care about you either?"
Shangguan Wan Ning took out the food from the food box and said with a smile: "I miss you. Look, I brought you your favorite drunken crab and beggar's chicken. Try them."
Zheng Binghong touched Shangguan Wan Ning's head. "At last, my love for you is not in vain."
Shangguan Wan Ning watched Zheng Binghong eat heavily. Being locked up in a cell didn't seem to affect his appetite much, but...
"Uncle, what are your plans?" Shangguan Wan Ning asked cautiously.
Zheng Binghong smiled bitterly and said: "Whatever. I haven't done it anyway. The emperor can investigate as much as he likes."
"Uncle, Ning'er absolutely believes that you are innocent. But..." Shangguan Wan Ning looked around and lowered her voice, "Why bother to accuse you? The emperor is ostensibly investigating you this time.
In the past, he actually wanted to suppress the Yiyong Hou Mansion."
Zheng Binghong paused for a moment, sighed silently and continued eating.
In fact, this is what worries him the most.
"The Emperor will definitely not take away the Yiyong Hou Mansion at once, but he is afraid of boiling frogs in warm water. Uncle, you definitely don't want the many years of achievements of the Yiyong Hou Mansion to be ruined in one day."
Zheng Binghong put down his bowl and chopsticks, looking very worried.
"Uncle, I have a good idea. It will not only show the emperor that you have no ambition to monopolize the military power, but also allow you to continue to use your talents in the army. Kill two birds with one stone."
"Um?"
Zheng Binghong looked up at Shangguan Wan Ning. There was such an eccentric light in this girl's eyes that he couldn't help but laugh.
"Your grandpa and I haven't been able to come up with a good solution for this matter. Do you have any ideas?"
"Uncle, you have underestimated me." Shangguan Wanning stepped forward and leaned closer to Zheng Binghong's ear, and said with a smile, "As long as uncle proposes marriage to the eldest princess, that's all."
Zheng Binghong was stunned for a moment, his face actually felt a little hot.
His face darkened and he said softly: "Don't talk nonsense. How can that be done?"
"Why not? It would be like killing three birds with one stone if you and the eldest princess can finally get married."
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the imperial court has had an unwritten rule.
Unless the princess marries far away, if an official of the current court marries the princess, it will be regarded as marrying into the royal family by default. All princes-in-law can participate in state affairs, but they cannot continue to hold power.
If Zheng Binghong can marry the eldest princess, he will continue to be his general, but he will only be given the power when fighting.
In this way, the emperor will be much less wary of him.
Moreover, the Zheng family and the imperial family became in-laws, so the emperor could worry less about the Zheng family revolting.
"In short, if I say no, it won't work." Zheng Binghong's attitude was firm.
"Uncle, you have always liked the eldest princess. She married and married far away and you couldn't be together. Now that she is back, if you don't seize the opportunity, if one day the Queen Mother betroths her to someone else, then you...
"
"Stop talking." Zheng Binghong interrupted Shangguan Wanning, "Go back. Don't mention this matter again in the future."
Shangguan Wan Ning originally thought Zheng Binghong would accept it happily.
She could see that they both still had feelings for each other, but they just needed an opportunity to pierce the window paper.
Shangguan Wanning saw that Zheng Binghong was really angry, so she didn't dare to say anything and left the cell angrily, worried.
She walked to the corner and saw Mu Jingrui with his arms folded on his chest, leaning against a pillar in the corridor, staring at the blue sky in a daze.
Shangguan Wan Ning walked over and sighed deeply.
Mu Jingrui looked back at her and stretched out his hand to trim her long hair. "Have you met your uncle?"
"Yeah." Shangguan Wan Ning said her thoughts again, complaining a little, "I really don't understand why uncle doesn't agree."
"If it were me, I wouldn't agree."
Shangguan Wan Ning was startled, could it be her problem?
"Why?"
"You don't understand a man's heart at all."
Mu Jingrui smiled slightly and wrapped Shangguan Wan Ning's hand in his palm.
"Your uncle has been thinking about the eldest princess for so long. He is obsessed with it. As a man, facing the woman he loves so much, how could he allow his most embarrassing side to be shown in front of her? If he wants to marry her, of course he should do it at the most glorious time.
.If you ask him to propose marriage to the eldest princess when he is down and out, do you think...with his personality, he will agree?"
Shangguan Wan Ning was stunned.
She completely ignored this.
"But the eldest princess has never forgotten her love for her uncle. I think she won't mind."
"Women don't mind, but men do."
"Why are you men so stubborn?" Shangguan Wan Ning withdrew her hand and beat Mu Jingrui's chest several times, "You want to save face and suffer the consequences."
Mu Jingrui held her wrist and walked forward holding her hand.
"Your uncle will definitely not agree. You should think of other ways."
"Then you have to promise me that you will help me take care of him before I can think of a way."
"Even if I want to deal with him, I don't dare. Aren't I afraid that people from the Yiyong Hou Mansion will come to settle accounts with me?"
Shangguan Wan Ning nodded with satisfaction.
Mu Jingrui's words just now reminded her.
A man's self-esteem is too strong, so he has no choice but to attack women. She absolutely believed that the eldest princess still loved her uncle deeply in her heart.
"Miss, shall we go back now?" Lu Tong asked, lifting the sedan curtain for Shangguan Wan Ning.