RPAGF Chapter 289 Shen Yanchu's Plans
Chapter 289 Shen Yanchu's Plans
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuxi's smile froze instantly, and a complex expression flashed in his eyes.
He leaned back in his chair, sizing up Shen Yanchu, pondering to himself. He naturally knew about Shi Wanxia at this time.
She is said to be exceptionally talented, as Choi Ji-ho mentioned when he rejected her marriage proposal.
Now that Shen Yanchu has suddenly asked for a marriage decree, what is the real meaning behind it? Is he truly in love with this woman, or does he have ulterior motives?
Shen Yuxi became wary, but his face remained expressionless. He simply smiled slightly and said, "Zhizhou, this matter of an arranged marriage is no small matter. Have you really thought it through?"
"As for this young lady, I have only heard of her briefly. Tell me, why are you so obsessed with her?"
When Shen Yan first saw that His Majesty did not immediately agree, he was a little anxious, but he still tried to remain calm and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, I am truly in love with Miss Shi. I have been unable to forget her since we met at the poetry gathering."
“Miss Shi is exceptionally talented, gentle, and virtuous, truly a perfect match. As a member of the royal family, I also wish to share Your Majesty’s burdens. If I could marry Miss Shi as a concubine, it would be a great honor for the royal family. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request.”
As Shen Yuxi listened to Shen Yanchu's words, he weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He was well aware of Shen Yanchu's influence in the court.
If they agree to this arranged marriage, they can do Shen Yanchu a favor, consolidate their relationship with the royal family, bring Shi Wanxia under the control of the royal family, and perhaps even observe Cui Zhihao's reaction.
But if he rashly agreed, what if there was some conspiracy hidden behind it? Shen Yuxi was caught in a dilemma.
Just then, Yu Heng hurriedly walked in and whispered a few words in Shen Yuxi's ear.
Shen Yuxi's expression changed slightly, then he waved his hand, signaling Yu Heng to step back.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yanchu couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering what other changes had occurred.
After a moment of silence, Shen Yuxi finally spoke: "Yanchu, I need to reconsider this matter of bestowing a marriage upon you."
"The affairs of the court have been very busy lately, so we will discuss this matter later. You may go back now."
Shen Yanchu was disappointed, but he dared not disobey His Majesty's decree. He could only bow again and leave.
As Shen Yanchu walked out of the imperial study, he was filled with resentment.
He knew that His Majesty had become suspicious, and this matter would probably not be so easy to accomplish.
But he did not give up. In his eyes, Shi Wanxia was someone he was determined to have, and no matter how many obstacles there were, he would marry her into the royal palace.
Upon returning to the Prince of Xiang's residence, Shen Yanchu immediately summoned his trusted advisors to discuss countermeasures.
The advisors offered various suggestions, some advising him to continue to demonstrate his loyalty to His Majesty in order to dispel His Majesty's doubts.
Some suggested he secretly investigate Shi Wanxia's background to see if he could find a breakthrough. Shen Yanchu listened to each suggestion and gradually formed a new plan in his mind.
Meanwhile, Shen Yuxi in the palace was not idle either. He sent people to secretly investigate the relationship between Shi Wanxia and Shen Yanchu, as well as the true purpose of Shen Yanchu's sudden request for a marriage decree.
He knew all too well that beneath the seemingly calm surface of the court, undercurrents were surging, and every decision could have unforeseen consequences.
At this time, Shi Wanxia was unaware that she had become a pawn in the royal power struggle.
She remained in her small courtyard, leisurely reading and painting, completely unaware of the impending storm.
In this chaotic situation, she suddenly felt that perhaps only Choi Ji-ho could understand her feelings at this moment.
Choi Ji-ho was quite surprised to see Shi Wan-xia's sudden visit.
But seeing her anxious expression, I immediately understood what was going on.
Shi Wanxia told Cui Zhihao the whole story in detail, her eyes filled with helplessness.
Upon hearing this, Cui Zhihao was also filled with rage. He hadn't expected Shen Yanchu to be so domineering, willing to use the power of the royal family to obtain Shi Wanxia.
"Miss Shi, don't worry, I won't let them succeed."
Cui Zhihao looked at Shi Wanxia with a firm gaze and said, "However, this matter is thorny and we need to plan it carefully. His Majesty is currently wary of all the forces at large, and we need to find a way to use this to make His Majesty give up the idea of bestowing a marriage upon him."
Shi Wanxia nodded, her heart filled with gratitude towards Cui Zhihao.
The two began discussing countermeasures, and before they knew it, it was already late. Shi Wanxia had no choice but to say goodbye to Cui Zhihao and return to her residence.
However, Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao's meeting was still discovered by Shen Yanchu's informants.
Upon learning this news, Shen Yanchu was furious.
He felt his dignity had been greatly challenged; Shi Wanxia had actually gone to see Cui Zhihao behind his back, which he could not tolerate.
He decided to speed up his plans and, no matter what, marry Shi Wanxia into the royal palace as soon as possible.
Shen Yanchu entered the palace again, this time bringing a carefully prepared gift.
In the Cangling Kingdom, the power struggle between the royal family and aristocratic families has never ceased.
Shen Yuxi sat on the dragon throne, seemingly in control of the world, but in reality, he was always vigilant against the rise of various forces.
In particular, powerful clans such as the Cui family of Qinghe, the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the Li family of Longxi have deep roots in the court and possess enormous power and wealth, which is a hidden worry for Shen Yuxi.
On this day, Shen Yuxi was handling government affairs in the Imperial Study as usual.
Yu Heng carefully carried in a letter, his face showing undisguised doubt and nervousness.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Xiang has sent a secret letter, saying that the matter is of great importance."
Shen Yuxi looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He took the letter. There were no markings on the envelope, but the sealing wax on the seal bore the unique mark of the Xiang Prince's Mansion.
Shen Yuxi opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and after just one glance, his previously calm expression froze, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The letter contained a detailed map showing the distribution of the private armies secretly trained by the Cui family of Qinghe, the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the Li family of Longxi, as well as a map of the largest gold mine of the Cui family of Qinghe.
If this information is accurate, it would undoubtedly be crucial intelligence that would allow him to completely control the fate of the aristocratic families.
But he was filled with doubt: where did Shen Yanchu get these secrets from?
Shen Yuxi's thoughts drifted back to the past. He knew that Shi Wanxia had once saved Shen Yanchu's life, and Shen Yanchu had always remembered this kindness.
To appease Shen Yanchu and to win over the court, he once arranged a marriage between Shen Yanchu and the daughter of the Grand Tutor.
In his view, this marriage was a great blessing for Shen Yanchu, as it would not only consolidate his position in the court but also allow him to form a close alliance with the Grand Tutor's family.
However, Shen Yanchu repeatedly requested to take Shi Wanxia as a concubine, which puzzled Shen Yuxi greatly.
Although Shi Wanxia was a woman of outstanding talent, in Shen Yuxi's eyes she was just an ordinary commoner, and could hardly be compared with the daughters of noble families.
What is the deeper meaning behind Shen Yanchu's persistence?