novelaction Chapter 343 An Early Wedding?
Chapter 343 An Early Wedding?
Mu Qingfeng and Mu Qinghua, from Mu Changping's family, began to frequently visit each other's study.
Mu Changping's study was divided into front and back courtyards. The children studied in the front courtyard, while Mu Changping would only handle some unimportant official documents in the front courtyard when all the children came over.
Most important official documents and letters are kept in the backyard.
Mu Xin Nuan also came over often, and the atmosphere in the study became more and more intimate.
A few days later, Mu Chang'an felt something was amiss. Because of his current status, his colleagues often came to visit him, and if the timing wasn't right, it would inevitably get a bit noisy.
After thinking it over, Madam Li discussed it with Mu Chang'an, and the two of them renovated Wangyue Pavilion, the place where Mu Xin Nuan used to learn the zither. All four sons of the two families, plus Liu Zhuangzhuang and Mu Qingye, came to Wangyue Pavilion to study. Mu Chang'an would take time to come and check on them every day. If he was not available, Mu Xin Nuan would come and supervise their studies.
Grandpa Mu was overjoyed, but he was truly speechless.
After spending these days with his elder brother, Mu Changping realized that many of his previous actions and thoughts were completely wrong!
Especially when Mu Chang'an told him that the prosperity of the Mu family could never be supported by just one or two family members, Mu Changping suddenly felt extremely ashamed!
When he saw Mu Xin Nuan bringing snacks and meals every day and personally taking care of his younger brothers, he felt a mix of emotions!
What have I been doing all these years? I'm not even as insightful as a young girl! I've wasted all these years of my life!
Mu Xin Nuan hadn't expected that her father could so easily change her second uncle's mind. For a moment, she admired her father even more!
Mu Xin Nuan knew that her father and second uncle had had several deep conversations, and most likely, her second uncle had taken their advice to heart. She wasn't naive enough to think that her father could reform her second uncle simply by helping him discipline a few children.
In fact, Mu Xin Nuan had a rough idea of what her father was planning.
Father doesn't expect the second branch of the family to be very successful, but at the very least, they shouldn't drag the entire Mu family down or lead the Mu family into a nightmare!
Which family doesn't have one or two outstanding individuals? Which family doesn't have some arrogant and hedonistic people who only know how to eat, drink, and have fun? But such scoundrels must never appear in the direct line.
After these days of reflection, Mu Xin Nuan finally understood that the Emperor intended to support the Mu family. Firstly, because her father indeed had the talent, and secondly, because the Mu family was not considered a prominent family in the capital. At least for the next thirty to fifty years, the Mu family would not be able to gain much influence and would not endanger the imperial power.
The father saw this, which is why he was quite strict in disciplining his descendants. At the same time, he only selectively began to cultivate them, rather than trying to cultivate all the male descendants.
Mu Xin Nuan understood that after the Emperor's several imperial edicts, the entire Mu family had made Mu Chang'an's branch the center of their power.
The Marquis of Zhongyong's residence is the power center of the Mu family and will become the pillar of the Mu clan.
Since the Double Ninth Festival, Duanmu Chuze had not visited the Mu residence for several days, not even at night. This reassured Mu Xinnuan, but at the same time, she felt a slight sense of disappointment.
Having lived two lives, Mu Xin Nuan naturally understood what it meant to have this feeling.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew that she had fallen in love with Duanmu Chuze!
What Mu Xin Nuan didn't know was the uproar that the Emperor's decree of marriage had caused in the Eastern Palace!
In fact, apart from the Crown Prince and Duanmu Chen himself, everyone in the Eastern Palace who knew about it could no longer speak out.
Ever since Duanmu Chen learned that it was his fourth uncle who had proposed to Mu Xin Nuan, he had been depressed. On the day he learned of the arranged marriage, he even smashed up his study.
Of course, afterward, the Crown Prince came over and reprimanded all the servants, and then gave Duanmu Chen a severe scolding.
Duanmu Chen stated that he would no longer have designs on Mu Xin Nuan, which put the Crown Prince at ease. In fact, Duanmu Chen did indeed behave himself after that, and even rarely went out of the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince was finally relieved to see that his son had finally let go of the matter of Mu Xin Nuan. He did not want to push his fourth brother, who had always supported him, to his second brother's side because of a woman.
Clearly, Duanmu Chen also realized that in the current situation, the one whose side his fourth uncle, Duanmu Chuze, was on had a greater chance of winning.
However, what the Crown Prince did not expect was that in the following months, although Duanmu Chen focused on his studies, all he saw, thought, and longed for was Mu Xin Nuan!
Especially when one of the palace servants by his side inadvertently mentioned that Mu Xin Nuan was only fourteen years old and had not yet reached marriageable age, who could say for sure what would happen next?
With just one sentence, Duanmu Chen realized that he was not without opportunities, but that some things simply required waiting for the right moment.
After Duanmu Chen had endured for several months, his opportunity finally arrived.
The princes conferred by the emperor throughout the Great Yong Dynasty were all required to live in their respective fiefdoms and were not allowed to return to the capital without an imperial edict. Because the emperor had previously fought and bled on the battlefield, he always wanted several of his sons to stay by his side, so that he could live out his remaining years in comfort.
Another point is that the Empress Dowager was still alive and well, and she didn't want to grow old without ever seeing her grandson again. Therefore, the Emperor had not yet issued an edict ordering the already enfeoffed Prince Ming and Prince Kang to go to their fiefdoms.
Duanmu Chuze was young at the time, and after the Empress Dowager passed away, he volunteered to go to the border. This departure lasted for three years.
Having finally returned, the Empress naturally did not want to be separated from her youngest son again after only a few days of reunion.
The Emperor had always doted on his fourth son and respected the Empress, so he never mentioned the matter.
The recent political situation has become increasingly outrageous! In particular, Prince Ming has begun to openly oppose the Crown Prince in court, which is causing the Emperor a great headache!
They're all his sons; he wouldn't want to see any of them get hurt or injured!
But he, who was also born a prince, understood that the path to imperial power had always been the same, and that even if he didn't want it, it would still happen!
The current political situation is tense, and even ordinary people in the capital have sensed something amiss. The Emperor has no choice but to make a decision!
At the morning court session that day, several dukes brought up the old issue again, hoping that the emperor would issue an edict as soon as possible, ordering the princes to go to their respective fiefdoms.