PDLP Chapter 1084 She accepted it with a smile
Chapter 1084 She accepted it with a smile
After all, she even drove her own scumbag father to his death, so it's no big deal to just say a few words behind his back.
Liang Chongyue took a sip of tea and then put the teacup down.
He continued listening to Xiang Zheng talk about the Xiang family.
The character "筝" in Xiang Zheng sounds beautiful, but it also signifies constraint.
Her family wanted her to be ambitious, yet they were unwilling to let her go far away; there was always a rope tied to her.
The other end of the rope was firmly tied to the Xiang family.
It wasn't even in the hands of the Xiang family patriarch; it was merely attached to the plaque of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.
It is both glory and a cage.
"The noble ladies who came to our house today are all calculating that His Majesty has canceled all New Year activities, but he won't really keep the Empress Dowager in the palace. Sooner or later, he will bring the Empress Dowager to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."
When Xiang Zheng said this, she shook her head and smiled bitterly.
Outsiders considered it an unparalleled honor for the Duke of Dingguo's mansion to have produced an Empress Dowager.
In reality, each family has its own set of problems.
“You should be the one to run this household, my eldest uncle.”
Xiang Zheng never expected to receive such high praise from His Majesty.
"Yes, it's a pity. I've long lost the ambition I had back then. But Sheng'er is very much like the old me. If Your Majesty doesn't mind that Ake is back, that child can hold up the Xiang family for a few more years while waiting for my Sheng'er to grow up."
Xiang Zheng wanted to do it but couldn't, and was instead trapped by her family for life.
She absolutely did not want her daughter to follow the same path.
"Your Majesty, when Sheng'er passes the imperial examination, if his results are good enough, please do not hesitate to praise him."
Liang Chongyue was amused by Xiang Zheng.
"So all that nonsense about Sheng'er liking to keep accounts like you was just a rumor you spread?"
Liang Chongyue said that she never remembered how much Xiang Zheng loved to keep accounts.
Despite being someone who loved reading military books and strategies, he relinquished his own path to success for the sake of his family.
"Times have changed. If there is a man in the family who can support us, I am naturally happy to be at ease and do not want Sheng'er to struggle in the world of fame and fortune."
It's not that the men in the family are incompetent.
At least this batch isn't good enough; perhaps it will be better when her remaining uncles' children grow up.
The Xiang family had new hope.
But that's all for the future.
For at least the next ten years, Sheng'er will be able to freely distinguish himself in the Xiang family.
The Xiang family is currently lacking a descendant of outstanding character and ability to shoulder the glory of the entire family.
Seeing Xiang Zheng's determined look, Liang Chongyue raised an eyebrow and agreed.
"Don't let your child follow the same path you've walked. Others saw hope in Sheng'er, but after things got better, they abandoned him."
Liang Chongyue was talking about Xiang Zheng's story. Over the years, Xiang Zheng has been like a mascot, providing stability and balance between her and the Xiang family.
She opened a women's college and a trade market, giving Xiang Zheng many opportunities to climb higher.
In the end, everything was suppressed by the word "向".
The Xiang family was once like a majestic, continuous mountain range in the Great Xia Dynasty, capable of withstanding countless attacks from foreign enemies.
Protect the people of Great Xia from fire and water.
The Xiang family is now a mountain weighing on Xiang Zheng, preventing her like a kite from flying high or far.
"Do you need me to find a good teacher for Sheng'er?"
He waved to Xiang Zheng.
“Chai Shuo is here. Sheng’er is still young, so he can teach him. When Sheng’er grows up, I will personally bring him to ask His Majesty for mercy and guidance.”
Liang Chongyue could only laugh helplessly at her shameless behavior.
"I should actually thank my eldest uncle for suppressing you back then. Otherwise, given your behavior, half of the memorials on my desk every day would be accusing you."
Xiang Zheng didn't care, not to mention that she wasn't even an official in the court anymore.
Even if she were an official in the imperial court, could she really be a corrupt official?
Are the officials in the imperial court as wealthy as she is?
Xiang Zheng suddenly thought of something.
He didn't say anything, just smiled and poured tea for Liang Chongyue.
"What's with that cunning smile on your face?"
Xiang Zheng thought to herself how fortunate it was that her father had suppressed the emperor when he first ascended the throne.
Otherwise, if she were to enter the imperial court as an official, and the national treasury were empty, she would have to add a lot of silver to it.
"I wasn't laughing at anything, I was just thinking about how good His Majesty has been to me over the years, and that made me happy."
Liang Chongyue simply didn't believe it.
She and Xiang Zheng have known each other for decades, and she knows Xiang Zheng very well.
If someone can laugh like that, they must be up to no good.
"Fine, if you refuse to tell me, I can't force you to."
Seeing that His Majesty was no longer curious, Xiang Zheng couldn't help but speak out.
Liang Chongyue knew she was up to no good.
"Fortunately, you didn't become an official in the court back then, otherwise I'm afraid I would have been deceived and even revealed the secrets of the Xiang family."
Xiang Zheng really didn't believe it.
"That's absolutely impossible. I only act like that in front of His Majesty. I would never pay any attention to anyone else."
Liang Chongyue and Xiang Zheng chatted for a long time in the carriage, but the carriage was not as fast as riding a horse.
Even after the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere in Beijing has not yet dissipated.
The streets were full of pedestrians, and carriages couldn't move too fast to get through.
Liang Chongyue found Xiang Zheng's words somewhat believable, as Xiang Zheng had been with him since childhood.
Over the years, he has been completely open with her, even sharing private family matters directly with Liang Chongyue.
"By the way, Your Majesty probably doesn't know this."
Liang Chongyue raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiang Zheng.
Before Minglang came of age, the noble families in the capital had already been collecting men of outstanding character and talent from their own families and collateral branches, forbidding them from marrying, and even canceling many engagements.
It was all so that when the time came to select the right candidates, they would have a chance to rise above their circumstances and achieve great success.
His Majesty values relationships, but he only values the feelings of the Empress Dowager.
Now, the Queen's family members are either dead or dead, and those who survived are not in the capital.
In contrast, thanks to the Empress Dowager, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion has remained prosperous and powerful in recent years, even though its children are not particularly talented.
Xiang Zheng knew the inside story, but outsiders did not.
At least on the surface, they appear to be living a glamorous life, which is already much better than many declining aristocratic families.
"However, when I received the news that His Majesty was coming, I had already made an excuse to get rid of most of the irrelevant people in the mansion."
Liang Chongyue had already informed her mother in advance that she would not interfere too much in Minglang's marriage.
Even if these people tried to bewitch the Empress Dowager, it would be useless.
At worst, we can bring him into the palace, and Liang Chongyue can accept him.
Either way, she'd enter the palace as a concubine; it wouldn't matter whose concubine she became.
Liang Chongyue is still in power; Minglang will have to wait until she returns from her travels before he can ascend the throne.
"The Empress Dowager is well-informed and will not allow anyone to deceive her."
With His Majesty's words, Xiang Zheng felt relieved.