Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 549 - 540: Remembering Love

Chapter 549: Chapter 540: Remembering Love

There was no early court meeting today. The Emperor was discussing matters with several senior officials in the Qianyang Hall, when Chu Guangche and his son requested an audience.

Since the Emperor had become the crown prince, Chu Guangche had never taken the initiative to seek an audience. Now, that he came with his son, it must be a significant matter.

The Emperor always felt that he, along with his late father, owed Chu Guangche. Chu Guangche had sacrificed his career and family for the Emperor, his mother, and his brother, enduring a decade of hardship. Still, he was abandoned once he had served his purpose and forced into retirement in his prime.

Since childhood, the Emperor had two desires: to ascend to the throne and to repay Chu Guangche’s kindness. However, the late Emperor admonished him that servants must obey their ruler, even in matters of life and death, and that Chu Guangche’s sacrifices were merely the fulfillment of his duties.

The late Emperor cautioned the Emperor that Chu Guangche was too powerful, wielding too many covert allies, and received too many favors from the Emperor. He feared that Chu might become arrogant due to his many accomplishments and need to remember his place, therefore he must be suppressed.

The late Emperor feared that his son would disobey after his death. He even instructed Prince An and several ministers on his deathbed that if Chu Guangche dared break his promise of "not holding office again," they must assist the Emperor in his execution...

The Emperor strongly disagreed with the late Emperor’s actions. Not only was he grateful and loyal to Chu Guangche, he also believed in Chu’s character due to the principle of "doubt not to use". However, because of his father’s last wishes, the Emperor did not dare to utilize Chu Guangche to his full potential, and even pressured Chu Guangche’s son, Chu Guangkai, to give up all his official positions.

Fortunately, the Chus did not harbor any disloyalty and conceded. Their strategic moves not only rejuvenated their family but also spared the Emperor from difficult decisions.

Although the Emperor did not favor Chu Guangche, he provided him with the "Golden Book and Iron Ticket" to protect him and his descendants. Of course, the Emperor would favor and reward his descendants...

Chu Guangche and Chu Lingxuan came to the hall, bowed and saluted the Emperor.

The Emperor smiled, "I haven’t seen you in a while, Minister Chu. Stand up."

Chu Guangche and his son did not stand up. Chu Guangche bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, my granddaughter Hanyan was forced into dementia as a young girl. Although her dementia has been cured, her harrowing past can never be eradicated. For the sake of the royal family and Prince He’s reputation, Hanyan is not worthy of this prestigious marriage."

Chu Lingxuan bowed again and said, "I beg your Majesty to retract their marital agreement and allow them to choose their own spouses in the future."

The Emperor was stunned. Although Miss Chu was not exceptionally intelligent, she was gentle, virtuous, and incredibly charming. Both he and the Dowager Empress liked her, Shiyi being especially fond of her. The late Emperor arranged their marriage to compensate Chu Guangche’s daughter for the favor that he could not show him.

Moreover, Shiyi and Ms. Chu grew up together, and their relationship was profoundly rooted. The Chu family was also very fond of Shiyi.

What were the father-son duo trying to accomplish by coming here today?

After thinking for a moment, he somewhat understood. He occasionally heard the Empress joking that Shiyi was everyone’s favorite prospective son-in-law, and if his marriage hadn’t been prearranged, the Chus wouldn’t have been able to secure such a high-ranking son-in-law. He didn’t give it much thought at that time, but now he realized that the Empress had said it deliberately. The Chus wanted to retract the marriage proposal probably because someone slandered Ms. Chu’s past illness, even speaking ill of her and making it incredibly unpleasant...

The Emperor glared at Chu Guangche, who was kneeling below, dressed in civilian clothes, his hair already half-gray in his forties. The man had saved his mother from the death row and supported him throughout his life. Now, he had acceded to the throne as he wished, and his mother had become the Empress Dowager. But Chu had lost everything, even his granddaughter’s marriage proposal might be stolen by others...

The Emperor was furious, his clenched fist slammed into the Dragon Chair. He looked at the dozens of ministers in the hall, calmed himself, and asked, "Why do you say this? Explain clearly. If anyone dares to slander Miss Chu, I will stand up for her."

The Emperor’s words deeply moved Chu Guangche. He choked up, "Your Majesty, someone told my granddaughter that many households have been saying that my granddaughter is not intelligent because she had dementia, and her family was on the rebel’s side, making her unworthy of Prince He. They also said that once Prince He grows up, he wouldn’t like my dumb granddaughter, and would seek a smarter lady... It’s not about us arguing with the little girl, but these words obviously came from adults or from others. Your Majesty, these words are like steel needles, piercing my heart. The pain... My granddaughter has suffered so much in the past, was almost killed, and is now being gossiped about and humiliated... Wuu wuu wuu, I have failed her, failed to protect her as her grandfather."

Chu Lingxuan also choked up, "As a father, I am useless for not being able to protect my child..."

Chu Guangche wiped his tears with his sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, we are grateful for this arrangement, but we humbly decline your kind offer."

After speaking, the father and son bowed again.

The Emperor was astute. He knew that the He Royal Mansion had hosted a banquet yesterday and invited Rong Jing, with Yang Wenyi also attending. Moreover, Lady Yang had repeatedly mentioned how clever Shiyi and Yang Wenfang were. No wonder Chu Guangche had brought this matter to the palace. It was his own woman and her family coveting Shiyi, with his younger sister stirring up trouble and humiliating others in front of them.

The Chus had saved face for him, not exposing that the Yangs had done this.

Lady Yang, having had only a few years of good times, had already forgotten the kindness of the Chus, and even led the way in coveting someone else’s grandson-in-law.

The Emperor was both angry and embarrassed. He said, "Both of you, I understand. Ms. Chu’s illness was cured long ago. She is pleasant, gentle, dutiful, intelligent, and likable, not only in the eyes of late Emperor but also in the eyes of Dowager Empress and myself. For those who spread rumors, I will have Dowager Empress and the Empress issue an Imperial Decree to remind her how to behave. If anyone dares to insult or attack the future Princess He again, it will be a disrespect to the late Emperor and myself, and to the Dowager Empress as well, and they shall be severely punished. This marriage was agreed upon by the late Emperor and myself, and Ms. Chu was also praised by the Empress Dowager." He calmed down and continued, "Moreover, Ms. Chu’s previous illness and Minister Chu’s past humiliation were all my responsibility. You two, please rise. Don’t talk about Ms. Chu being stupid or unworthy. Ms. Chu is a good girl, and her marriage with Shiyi is a match made in heaven. We should settle this matter."

Chu Guangche and Chu Lingxuan were moved by the Emperor’s sincere words. They bowed and cried, "We are grateful for your Majesty’s grace."

Among the ministers in the hall, several had ladies in their households setting their sights on Prince He, and they hadn’t spared negative words about Chu Hanyan being unworthy of him. After hearing the Emperor’s words, they all wiped their foreheads in a cold sweat, silently vowing to make their womenfolk hold their tongues when they returned home.