After the old lady of the Ma family left, Ma Xingzhou said: "Get up and talk."
Ma Wan responded "Yes", stood up and stood aside, waiting for her grandfather to speak.
"Grandpa knows that you have always been obedient and sensible. Your father passed away early. Over the years, you and your mother have taken care of your younger brothers and sisters, shared household chores, and managed the middle class. You are always more careful and self-reliant than ordinary women in the boudoir. Grandpa sees this.
In the eyes..."
Because of this, my wife always prefers her eldest granddaughter, and he is no exception.
When Ma Wan was about to speak, she saw her grandfather, who was over sixty years old, looked at her and said in a more solemn tone: "But you don't know anything about the affairs of the court. The matter of being the crown prince and concubine of Prince Rong is deeply involved, and it is very different from ordinary marriages."
It's different. Grandpa needs to explain the stakes to you in advance. You can wait until you hear it before making a decision."
Seeing her grandfather's expression, Ma Wan felt a little nervous for no reason, so she nodded and listened.
"When you marry the heir of a clan, the rules are inevitably onerous, but my grandfather believes you can handle this. And what my grandfather said about 'big difference' means something else -"
Ma Xingzhou had no intention of deceiving his granddaughter and said bluntly: "If you marry to Yizhou, you must always pay attention to the actions of Prince Rong and his son. If there is the slightest change, you must send a message back to the capital in time."
Ma Wan was stunned for a while before she was able to ask: "Grandpa, what do you mean..."
Ma Xingzhou nodded sternly to her: "Besides the Crown Prince's concubine, you also have another identity, and that is the eyes of a saint."
Ma Wan's face turned pale for a moment. She thought that the saint must have some considerations when choosing the Ma family, but she didn't think so deeply.
"The Ma family is blessed by the emperor and has been trusted and valued by the saint. This prime minister's residence can take root here because of the emperor's grace." Ma Xingzhou explained to his granddaughter in detail: "I will marry my eldest granddaughter to Prince Rong.
Your Majesty, you have given me dignity and also given you a reminder."
"Even though Yizhou is far away in the west, saints never have to worry about the possibility of rebellion in our Ma family. Therefore, in the eyes of saints, you, Wan'er, are the best choice."
When the old man said this, his eyes softened slightly: "However, this trip carries a lot of burdens. Grandpa does not want to force you, and the saint does not want to weaken the relationship between king and subject, so there is no intention to impose it. This matter is settled right now.
There is room for discussion.”
"My grandfather is telling you this because he wants you to think carefully before making a decision."
Ma Wan came to her senses slowly, with a hint of luck in her heart: "...Rong Prince's Mansion, do you really have any different intentions?"
"Although there is no evidence, since King Rong is now the only half-brother of the late emperor, the saint has to be on guard. And precisely because there is no evidence, we need such a pair of eyes to go to Yizhou with us." Ma Xingzhou said slowly: "If Rong Rong
If the king's ambition is not here, or if he is willing to restrain himself, it will be the best for the saint and the overall situation of the world."
"My granddaughter also hopes that Prince Rong's palace has no different intentions..." Ma Wan's mind was wavering for a while.
Ma Xingzhou looked at his granddaughter and asked thoughtfully: "Does Wan'er have other thoughts? If so, you might as well talk to her grandfather about it."
Ma Wan struggled in her heart for a moment, but finally shook her head and said: "Wan'er just thinks that my grandfather always considers Wan'er... As the eldest daughter in the family, how can Wan'er allow her grandfather to set up the prime minister's house because of his disloyalty?
Righteousness? Let the saint be dissatisfied with my grandfather because of this?"
Can she say that she is happy with the Crown Prince?
She originally planned to explain her feelings to her grandfather, but since this trip was for the saint, her intentions were troubles and changes for the saint.
If she tells her, she will no longer be trusted, and she will no longer be the best candidate.
She will never betray the prime minister, but she really doesn't want to miss the opportunity to marry her sweetheart... It's hard to find a true friend in this life, and she will never meet another person like this again in her life.
And she believes that there is a solution to both problems.
Because a person's eyes and his music don't lie, his temperament is indifferent and easy-going, and he is not someone who indulges in power struggles...
As long as there is peace between Prince Rong's Mansion and the Saint, everything will be fine!
The young man's warm and pure smile flashed before her eyes again, and Ma Wan no longer had any hesitation in her heart.
"Wan'er is willing to go to Yizhou for the prime minister's office. This trip will definitely live up to the trust of my grandfather and the saint. I also ask my grandfather to fulfill Wan'er's wish!"
Ma Xingzhou looked at his granddaughter who knelt down again. After a long while, he sighed softly, with both distress and relief in his eyes.
…
After listening to many explanations from her grandfather, it was already dark when Ma Wan left.
The moonlight was silent on the way back, but Ma Wan's mood could not calm down for a long time. There was joy, longing, and a hint of vague uneasiness.
"Girl...have you really thought about it?" The maid hesitated again and again, and finally couldn't help but speak.
Although she didn't know exactly what the girl and the old man said, the girl's thoughts were already obvious in the carriage returning from the music hall.
The maid whispered worriedly: "My servant is worried that Prince Rong is not sincere, but is deliberately deceiving the girl..."
Ma Wan frowned quickly: "Then tell me, what did he lie to me about?"
Today he didn't say anything to her outside of music theory. He even admitted that he had not completely let go of the Chang family's wife at the moment. Everything she did was done on her own initiative and was not coaxed by others.
The maid's expression was complicated: "I can't tell, I just have an intuition..."
Ma Wan: "There is no proof, and who taught you to slander others so casually?"
The maid panicked and admitted her mistake: "My lady, please calm down. I realize my mistake."
"Moreover, please don't mention to anyone, including my grandparents, that I met Prince Rong in the music hall." Ma Wan ordered, "To avoid unnecessary rumors."
The maid no longer dared to say anything, and she only said "yes" when she heard the words.
The master and servant were silent all the way. Ma Wan was immersed in her own thoughts. The moment she stepped into her residence, she subconsciously glanced at the maid again.
Deliberately deceiving? Not sincere?
She thought about the maid's words again and thought about it again, but she still found it funny.
What words was he trying to deceive her? As for sincerity, when had he ever boasted that he was "sincere" to her?
He didn't say or do anything. This was just her decision to follow her own will.
…
For any clever calculation, the person being calculated will often not be aware of it, and will attribute the results of others' silent inducement to one's own willingness, and become self-indulgent in this "willingness".
That night, Prince Rong stood quietly in front of the window wearing his clothes.
He knew very well that he would not let him leave alone tomorrow.
But Ming Hou probably never imagined that the suitable candidate she selected after much thought was actually selected by him himself.
In the eyes of the Empress of the Ming Dynasty, there is no possibility of the Ma family defecting. The right minister, Ma Xingzhou, is indeed a good minister who is upright and loyal to the emperor...
But his son died young, and he felt more compassion and love for his eldest granddaughter, so he was unable to make up his mind.
In this case, he would help the other party. If Ma Wan could speak in person, the grandfather would naturally have the best of both worlds.
If everyone can get the best of both worlds, wouldn’t everyone be happy?
Li Lu looked up at the moon with a smile. After a moment, his smile dissipated a little, and he seemed to see the boat on the lake under the moonlight at night, and the girl holding the bow on the boat.
Goodbye, when and where?
But he thought we would see each other again after all.
He waited for that day.
And what came earlier than that day was naturally the decree granting marriage.
Soon, the news spread that Li Lu, the son of Prince Rong, and Ma Wan, the granddaughter of Ma Xiang's family, were to be married.
"I will remember what Prime Minister Ma did today to care about me and the court."
"It is my duty to share your Majesty's worries."
The Holy Emperor looked at the loyal minister and promised: "I know Ma Xiang's ambition, and I will never let down those poor students, nor will I keep them waiting for a long time."
Ma Xingzhou bowed deeply.
The emperor's words meant that the affairs of the Changsun family were over.
Not long after, Emperor Shengce dismissed Changsun Yuan and his two sons, dismissed him from office, lost his family property, and beheaded Changsun Yuan and his two sons on the proven charge of colluding with Xu Zhengye in rebellion.
The rest of the tribe were also sentenced to death by hanging, dismissal from office, demotion, and exile, depending on the severity of their crimes.
In view of the past achievements of the Changsun clan, those under the age of sixteen will not be held accountable, but they must all move to Qianzhou with their relatives. From now on, their descendants will not be allowed to leave Qianzhou without an edict.
It's not that the Holy Emperor has never thought about eradicating the roots, but the actions of cutting off people's bloodline have always damaged Yin De's reputation. What's more, the Changsun family tree has deep roots and still has the power behind it and the support of other noble forces. If she tries to eradicate them all in one fell swoop, she will have to do it.
Suffered backlash.
Sometimes showing a little mercy and leaving room for vitality is to prevent the other party from trying its best to counterattack in a desperate situation.
Now that this big tree has fallen, the remaining branches and vines can be left to be pruned at a later date.
At this moment, the young eldest son, Sun Ji, was holding his grandfather's memorial tablet in his arms and was already sitting in the carriage leaving Beijing for Qianzhou with several clan members.
The young boy who used to be proud, noble, and arrogant was now wearing plain clothes. The tears in his eyes had long dried up, and his expression was gloomy and numb.
The carriage was rough and bumpy, and there was nothing else in the carriage except a few baggage. Since he was born, everything he had used was fine, and he had never been exposed to such rough things.
But this is already a manifestation of the emperor's "lenient and kind treatment".
Changsun Ji remained silent for a long time.
He originally thought that his sister-in-law's death was the most painful thing he could imagine in life, but he never thought that it was just the beginning.
His grandfather died, his grandmother hanged herself, his father died, his mother died with his father, and his uncles who watched him grow up also died...
"Ah Ji, from now on, you will be the new head of the Changsun family. You must remember your grandfather's instructions before he passed away." The voice of the clan member was sad and hoarse, but full of unwilling sustenance.
Changsun Ji was in a trance.
Grandfather's confession...
Yes, on the night before the execution, his grandfather told him something.
Grandfather did not hide anything from him anymore, and made everything clear to him. Grandfather did know that Xu Zhengye was going to raise an army, and he did receive secret letters from Xue Ren and Luo Guanlin...
Although my grandfather did not agree with them, he was hiding the truth because he had the intention of using Xu Zhengye to force him to reveal his identity and then return his power.
Grandfather said that he knew that Xu Zhengye and others might have arrogant ambitions, and he had no intention of collaborating with them, but just wanted to use their strength.
Grandfather said that the difference between the Changsun family and the five major clans headed by the Cui family is that the Changsun family has prospered and declined with the Li family, and is loyal to the Li family. No matter how they fight for power, this ambition has never changed.
Therefore, his grandfather gave him the seal of the head of the Changsun family and ordered him to take on this responsibility, protect the Changsun family, and look for good opportunities to choose the Li family's Ming master to help him revive the Li family.
When he closed his eyes at this moment, he seemed to still be able to see his grandfather's unwilling but determined eyes.
Choose the Ming Dynasty of the Li family and revive the Li family...
Can he really fulfill his grandfather's legacy by himself?
The young man lowered his eyes and looked at the tablet wrapped in black cloth in his arms, and his eyes gradually turned red again.
He seemed to see his grandfather's old and embarrassed appearance in prison again, and his grandfather once whispered to himself like that——
"Back then, in order to secure my sister's throne and the power of the eldest grandson, I chose to support the third prince with mediocre qualifications and suppressed him in every possible way...Did I really do something wrong?"
"Earlier, if my sister and I had chosen the poor, sick and weak one who lived near the elephant garden and had been raised by my sister, the situation today would have been completely different...
"
"So, I made the wrong choice from the beginning... The Changsun clan's defeat today may have been foreshadowed."
"Aji, my grandfather missed the choice back then, so you must keep your eyes open and choose carefully..."
…
In Anyifang, inside Cui's ancestral hall, an old and thin figure stood silently.
"Father."
Cui Wei came in from outside, saluted, and said in a low voice: "The Changsun clan has successfully left the capital. Everything has been arranged. They will be escorted to Qianzhou safely."
Cui Ju nodded.
Those who show mercy openly may not be lenient secretly. Although the Changsun family is doomed to fall, if they can retain a trace of their blood, they can still have a spark.
"Father..." Cui He hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "Ming Hou is acting more and more recklessly now. If this continues, I'm afraid..."
"You can finally see this matter clearly." Cui Zhidao said: "I have already said that only one of the noble clan and the Ming Dynasty can survive."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "But how dare she..." There was suppressed bizarre anger in Cui He's tone: "First it was the Pei family, and then the Changsun family, she was like this
Do not be afraid..."
"You want to kill people, why don't you allow others to fight back?" Cui Ju turned around and interrupted his son: "She can't retreat from this matter, and I, the Cui family, can't retreat either. The outcome is life or death. We have to do our best and obey fate.
Let people gather the clan members and go to the governor's hall to discuss matters."
Cui Wei agreed.
Cui Zhi left the ancestral hall, followed by an old servant who was close to him.
"Have any messages come back from Bingzhou recently?" Cui Ju asked as he walked.
"Come home, Lord, no letter has been sent back in recent days."
Cui Ju frowned, with a hint of worry.
Bingzhou?
Cui Ai couldn't help but ask: "Father, who is in Bingzhou?"
Bingzhou is the territory under the jurisdiction of Nizi.
Cui Ju: "Ling'an had previously left Beijing for Bingzhou with a secret order. He left in a hurry. Ten days ago, he sent a letter back to his hometown to explain the situation."
Cui Hui was startled.
So, at that time, the traitor in his eyes led his troops and left without saying goodbye. Was it because he had received a secret order and left the capital in advance?
Cui Ai frowned, suddenly feeling that he was unjustly ill because of his anger.
He couldn't help but ask: "Since there is a letter, why didn't the father tell his son?"
Cui Ju glanced at him: "If you care about his affairs, he will send this letter to you."
"..." Cui Er's expression changed, and after a moment he asked again: "Why did you suddenly go to Bingzhou? Didn't you mean to go to the north to train troops and rebuild border defenses?"
Cui Ju's face looked a little solemn: "There may be changes in Bingzhou."
And I'm afraid it's not the one who changed the history.
Ling An didn't know where he was at this time, whether he was safe or not...
Cui Ju was worried, so he sent people secretly to Bingzhou to investigate the news.
…
On this day, the carriage of Chang Suining and his party arrived in Xuanzhou.
On the way, she noticed something fishy, and had people rush to Bingzhou to deliver a letter to Cui Jing, but she didn't know if it had been delivered to him at this time?
While Chang Suining was thinking, the carriage had passed the gate of Xuanzhou City. A Dian couldn't help but lift the curtain and looked out curiously.
Chang Sui'an, who was in the carriage behind, showed no interest at all. As he got closer and closer to Xuanzhou in the past few days, he became more and more nervous visibly.
