After the milk ball arrived, the father who had no heirs had a string of good luck.

"Shut your mouth!" Situ Che roared, his face dark. "You dare say anything? Aren't you afraid Father will take your head?"

"Oh, I'm sorry..." She was so provoked that she blurted out her true feelings: "But Father, is there really no way to turn this around?"

Situ Che said irritably, "What do you think?"

"Waaaaah..." Tang Rui couldn't hold back and cried.

This time, I was shocked.

Qin Zhiyan came over immediately and picked her up, saying, "Rui Rui, don't cry. It's not a big deal. Arranging a marriage between children is very normal!"

She never expected that the emperor would betroth Tang Rui to Gu Nanyu.

Gu Nanyu is not from Gu Ruoxue's second wife's family, but the eldest son of the Gu family's first wife's family!

This…

"Sister, let me talk to Rui Rui!" Gu Ruoxue also came over and gave Qin Zhiyan a look that said, "Leave it to her."

Qin Zhiyan sighed, nodded, and put Tang Rui down.

"I'll go to the palace and ask Father!" Situ Che also felt that it was inappropriate to make a decision so early and that he should go and ask in person.

Consort Zhu and the others looked at Tang Rui, whose eyes were brimming with tears, with concern before leaving.

Soon, only Gu Ruoxue and Tang Rui remained.

Gu Ruoxue led Tang Rui toward her Cuiwei Pavilion, with Rong Mama and her maids following at a distance.

Tang Rui held her hand and looked at her expectantly: "Mother Gu, I really don't want to get married so early."

"But Rui Rui, a woman always has to get married! Nan Yu is really great, you won't regret it."

Because of her, Gu Nanyu is considered Tang Rui's elder, but Gu Nanyu and Tang Rui are not related by blood, so they can still get married.

Her parents got married early, so she was a few years older than Gu Nanyu.

As Gu Nanyu's cousin, she was well aware of her cousin's abilities and was genuinely happy for Tang Rui.

But Tang Rui... seemed very unwilling...

Gu Ruoxue knelt down and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, saying earnestly, "Ruirui, your stepmother knows you are intelligent, so you should be able to guess the deeper meaning behind the Emperor's bestowal of marriage between you and Nanyu, right?"

deeper meaning…

Tang Rui thought about it for a moment and quickly realized what it meant, thinking to herself, "Holy crap!"

The emperor felt that Gu Ruoxue, as the second daughter of the Gu family, was not important enough for the Prime Minister's mansion to choose Prince Li.

So that's why she and Gu Nanyu got together, right?

Gu Nanyu is the eldest son of the Gu family's main branch, and also the only heir of the main branch.

Once he becomes her husband, even if Prime Minister Gu is unwilling, he will have no choice but to side with Prince Li.

Tang Rui, having figured it out: "..."

This is truly speechless!

Whether in ancient or modern times, people in wealthy circles are as scheming as a hornet's nest.

Can she still be a proper salted fish?

A hint of admiration flashed in Gu Ruoxue's eyes. She knew that Tang Rui was no ordinary child.

She is incredibly smart; it seems she has figured it out.

Gu Ruoxue whispered again, "The Gu family is the most loyal royalist party. The Emperor is forcing the Gu family to stand with the Prince, which means that the Emperor favors the Prince. If the Prince can... then you will be a princess, a true golden branch and jade leaf."

At this point, Gu Ruoxue paused, her expression somewhat dejected: "Ruirui, do you know? A prince consort cannot participate in politics. Nanyu has been as intelligent as you since childhood, and my family had very high expectations for him. But now… his career is over. He, and my family… will suffer even more than you…"

Tang Rui opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Tsk…

What kind of things is the emperor doing?

If she sees Gu Nanyu again, will she get beaten up?

Tang Rui held Gu Ruoxue's hand, her eyes gradually hardening: "Mother Gu, don't worry, I'm only five years old, I'm still a long way from growing up. I will find a way to dissolve this engagement."

If all else fails, just drag it out until the emperor is dead.

When my adoptive father ascends to the throne, I'll make him cancel the engagement.

Gu Ruoxue gently removed the fallen leaves from her hair, her eyes softening. "I don't mean to blame you. You are of noble birth, and putting aside your social standing, I actually think you and Nanyu are a very good match. I'm only saying this so that you won't go against Nanyu or this marriage. Okay?"

"..." How could it not conflict?

She's not some weirdo who likes little kids!

That's what I thought, but I couldn't say it like that, since Gu Ruoxue had already put it that way: "Okay, I understand!"

"Rui Rui is such a good girl. Let's go, your stepmother will take you home..."

...

Having witnessed Tang Rui's attitude, Chen Defu assumed that Gu Nanyu and Tang Rui shared similar views and would strongly oppose the marriage.

嗏

The result was contrary to his expectations.

The rest of the Gu family, including the old Prime Minister Gu, were indeed very opposed to it.

Gu Nanyu showed no resistance whatsoever, calmly accepting the imperial edict and thanking the emperor for his great favor.

Chen Defu was momentarily confused by Gu Nanyu. He chuckled and tentatively said, "Young Master Gu, the Emperor dotes on Princess Zhaohua and has bestowed a marriage upon you and Princess Zhaohua, which shows that the Emperor values ​​you as well!"

Holding the imperial edict, Gu Nanyu said calmly, "Nanyu understands. Princess Zhaohua is lovely and exceptionally intelligent. I like her very much. I would also appreciate it if Eunuch Chen could convey my gratitude to His Majesty."

"Alright, alright, then I'll take my leave now. Congratulations!" Chen Defu said, making sure the man showed no reluctance before leaving with peace of mind.

No sooner had he left than the Prime Minister's residence erupted in chaos.

The late Prime Minister Gu, Gu Nanyu's parents, and the second and third branches of the Gu family all gathered together.

"Father, what does His Majesty mean by this? No matter how good Princess Zhaohua is, she is only five years old. My son is already eleven. How many years will it take for Princess Zhaohua to come of age? Isn't this... delaying my son's life?" Gu Nanyu's mother, Madam Liu, was the first to be unable to sit still.

Gu Nanyu's father, Gu Hengzhang, served as a secretary in the Grand Secretariat, a high-ranking official position.

Since his wife had spoken, he quickly followed up, "Yes, Father, why don't you go to the palace and sound out the Emperor's intentions? My wife and I only have this one son, and you're hoping he'll bring honor to our family, aren't you?"

When he took up his position, he wasn't just thinking about delaying his son's future.

The Emperor is clearly forcing the Prime Minister's residence to side with Prince Li!

It wasn't that he didn't think Prince Li was qualified for that position, it's just that Prince Li was crippled!

Throughout history, there has never been a precedent of a disabled person ascending the throne.

Is the Emperor going to challenge ancestral rules and the imperial clan all by himself?

The emperor was wise his whole life, so why did he become so confused in his old age?

The second branch, that is, Gu Ruoxue's parents, remained silent, keeping to themselves as if it were none of their business.

The young couple from the third wife's family were still young and were gloating over the situation.

Prime Minister Gu took in everyone's emotions and finally looked at Gu Nanyu: "Nanyu, what do you think? If you are unwilling, I will go to the palace to see His Majesty and ask him to cancel this marriage."

"No need!" Gu Nanyu remained expressionless, making it impossible to discern any emotion from his face. "Zhaohua is quite good. If she were my future wife, it wouldn't be a bad thing."