The debate at the imperial meeting was so intense that everyone, the emperor and his ministers, forgot that Xiang Xiaoqiang was still in Xuzhou at the moment. Or rather, he "should" still be in Xuzhou.
Wei Zijin immediately reminded Zhu Yourong that Mr. Xiang is not in Nanjing now.
Zhu Yourong also came to his senses, and handed the matter over to Wei Zijin. For Shi Shigege, Ji Ke invited her into the palace. For Xiang Xiaoqiang, he sent a telegram. Wei Zijin accepted the order and went to handle it.
At this moment, Xiang Xiaoqiang and Shi Shigege are playing chess in the living room. In a game of Go that lasts for an hour or two, the two have already played two games and are playing the third game. Xiang Xiaoqiang grabbed a handful of black chess pieces and shook them "Chuhuahuahua"
" made a sound. He lost miserably in both games. But the fourteenth player on the opposite side sat quietly, his face as calm as water, staring at the chessboard calmly, like a national player.
Although the fourteen-square Go game was learned in Japan, his chess skills are not much better than Xiang Xiaoqiang's. The real Go master in the family is Xiu Xiu. When Xiang Xiaoqiang went to Europe, the three girls often played chess and cards together, and Xiu Xiu
Xiu always kills the other two girls. This is partly due to his chess skills and partly due to his personality.
Because Go requires a character who can sink his teeth and calculate many moves silently. And Wei Zijin’s chess skills are even better than Xiu Xiu. In the days when Xiu Xiu was fawning over Wei Zijin
, when I started playing chess with her, I secretly gave in to her, but later I found that she was even better than me, and she was simply a professional high-level chess player.
At present, Xiang Xiaoqiang was defeated miserably in both games, mostly because he was impatient and his mind was not on the chess game at all. Both of them knew that a meeting was taking place in the palace at the moment to decide on their "lifelong events". If they had waited for news like this before
When the time comes, Xiang Xiaoqiang will never be patient
Xiang Xiaoqiang was playing chess with Shi Shi Ge Ge. They had been holding Shi Shi Ge Ge for a long time, and the two of them were flirting and discussing. But now Shi Shi Ge Ge has set a rule. Until the two of them enter the bridal chamber, Xiang Xiaoqiang can no longer be rude.
.I had no choice but to pretend to be elegant, and then I lost my temper in Go.
At this moment, Xiang Xiaoqiang felt for the first time that his love and marriage were in the hands of others. This was simply an arranged marriage! And the Fourteenth Princess showed the proper demeanor of a general, not impatient or impatient.
…
At this time, an unexpected guest suddenly visited.
Wei Zijin came in person.
Wei Zijin was ushered into the living room by Xiao Wu, and he greeted Princess Liaoyang and Lord Xiang in a polite manner, and then talked about the situation in the palace.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Shi Shigege looked at each other.
"Sir Xiang, you are definitely not allowed to enter the palace," Wei Zijin said quietly, "You are still in Xuzhou. When I came, I had already ordered someone to send a secret telegram to the Xuzhou headquarters. I was in the telegram
The letterhead is addressed to Adjutant Shang Xiu. This telegram should reach Mrs. Shang. So.
Mr. Xiang, you don’t need to worry about others knowing that you are not at the Xuzhou headquarters for the time being. But Mrs. Shang will send a secret message to Nanjing to ask for instructions from you, and she doesn’t know where you are, Mr. Xiang. Your Highness, if you want to have a radio station in your house, it is best to
It’s better to take the initiative to contact Mrs. Shang now.”
Fourteen Gege nodded, clapped her hands twice to call Xiao Wu, and ordered her to prepare the radio.
"As for Your Highness the Princess," Wei Zijin continued, "you have to enter the palace with your servants now. Your Majesty and the adults are still waiting."
"Hmm."
Wei Zijin paused and looked at the Fourteenth Gege hesitantly:
"Your Highness, have you... thought about what to say?"
Shi Shigege turned her head and looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang, her eyes eager and nervous. She glanced at Wei Zijin again, looking a little shy again.
Wei Zijin lowered his head and lowered his gaze, his face expressionless.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was also in a daze, very nervous, and walked back and forth in place. Suddenly, he listened, looked at Shi Shigege and said:
"Afang, what should we do? What should you say when you get there?"
Fourteen Gege was still sitting on the floor. At this moment, the look in her eyes when she looked at him was filled with tenderness. Fourteen Gege said softly:
"Xiaoqiang...what do you want me to say?"
"I?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang stood still and scratched his scalp quickly, appearing restless. Wei Zijin beside him didn't say anything, but quietly glanced at the clock on the wall and urged him tactfully: time is running out.
Xiang Xiaoqiang also saw Wei Zijin's movements. He took a deep breath and said loudly:
"I've thought about it, Afang, when you get to the palace, just say 'yes' in front of everyone!... As for me, I will also ask her to send 'yes' in the telegram I reply to Xiuxiu.
of!"
Fourteen Gege's face slowly turned red, his chest rose and fell slightly, and he nodded.
She stood up and said to Wei Zijin:
"let's go."
Wei Zijin turned around and said to Xiaoqiang:
"My lord, after the matters in the palace are settled, I will call here to tell you. You'd better fly back to Xuzhou after getting the news. Because once the marriage is settled, your majesty may keep the princess in the palace.
At the same time, there will be a large number of telegrams and phone calls to Xuzhou soon, and you will have to be there by then."
Xiang Xiaoqiang's face turned pale with excitement, and he nodded blankly.
Shi Shigege turned around and looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang, knowing that this might be the last time she saw Xiang Xiaoqiang before he returned to Xuzhou.
She suddenly felt her eyes sore and said softly:
"Xiaoqiang..."
Opening his arms to Xiaoqiang, Shi Zige took a step forward and kissed him tightly. Wei Zijin stepped aside and lowered his gaze.
The original rule of "Don't touch yourself again before getting married" was broken by Shi Shigege herself.
…
In the palace, Zhu Yourong and a group of military and political ministers were sitting together, drinking tea and smoking. No one spoke, and they all had their own agenda. The big wall clock on the far wall kept clicking. Other than that, there was nothing else.
There were only occasional soft coughs and the gentle knocking of bowls.
Although most of these ministers and generals were old smokers and kept puffing away at the smoke, because this was a palace, no matter how much smoke could float in the upper part, Zhu Yourong would not feel choked. She
I specially chose this hall for the meeting because I had foresight.
After an unknown amount of time, Wei Zijin walked into the hall again. All eyes immediately focused on her.
Wei Zijin walked behind Zhu Yourong, leaned down and whispered.
Then Zhu Yourong nodded, and Wei Zijin said loudly to the door:
"Your Majesty has a decree for Princess Liaoyang to pay an audience."
The guards outside the palace raised their voices and shouted loudly:
"Your Majesty has decreed that Princess Liaoyang pays an audience——!"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the door of the hall. After a while, Shi Shigege, dressed in a formal dress of Hanfu and a long skirt, stepped across the threshold and walked in.
Immediately, all the civil and military ministers in the hall, including Shen Rongxuan and Zhang Zhaoxian, stood up, faced the Fourteenth Grid, and said in unison:
"I will see you, Your Highness the Princess."
The fourteenth princess walked into the center of the hall with her head held high, faced Zhu Yourong, bowed down and said:
"See you in Liaoyang, Your Majesty."
Zhu Yourong looked at her and smiled:
"Plain body."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Give me a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The four maids carried a heavy red sandalwood armchair and carefully placed it on the side of Zhu Yourong. Fourteen Gege bowed to Zhu Yourong again, walked to the armchair, and sat down in an upright manner.
At this time, the other civil servants and generals in the palace sat back on the sofa.
Zhu Yourong looked at Shi Shigege, their eyes touched each other, and then they both dodge sensitively.
The hall was quiet for a long time, and all the civil and military ministers were already thinking about the two of them. Only then did Zhu Yourong muster up the courage and said softly:
"Liaoyang... I invited you here today for... one thing."
Fourteen Gege also lowered his head and said softly:
"oh."
Zhu Yourong took another breath and said:
"Now, we are about to face the Battle of Beijing. However, there is an opportunity to peacefully regain Beijing by relying on an internal coup in the Qing court. If successful, many fewer people will be sacrificed, and the people and ancient buildings in Beijing can be saved from disaster. . But now these coup organizers are worried that the Ming Dynasty will retaliate against the bannermen in the future. They... they don’t trust our national reconciliation policy."
"oh."
Zhu Yourong stared into Shi Shigege's eyes and continued to stammer:
"Now, in order to show the determination of national reconciliation to the banner people in the north, it is possible... it is possible to carry out a gift marriage, which requires a banner noble and a Han noble to form a lasting marriage..."
"oh."
"Liaoyang," Zhu Yourong mustered up the courage to say the most important thing, "Now someone has suggested that you should consider marrying Earl Jiang Xinzhou and Commander of the People's Guard Xiang Xiaoqiang."
"oh……"
"What do you think?"
…
The air in the hall was as solemn as death, and everyone was staring closely at Shi Fengge's expression.
Fourteen Gege lowered her head, her face turned red and white, and her chest heaved slightly.
Tang Yunsheng suddenly said:
"Your Highness, this is just a suggestion. You and Commander Xiang are both citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and are protected by the laws of the Ming Dynasty. You have the right to accept or reject your marriage."
Fourteen Gege suddenly raised her head, took a deep breath, and then whispered three words: