Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 200

The news that the Western Chi Kingdom had agreed to the marriage alliance reached the palace that afternoon.

They said it just happened to arrive, so they presented it immediately.

Zhao Xingjin reviewed it and was fairly satisfied.

The king of Xichi, Gao Xun, gave a generous dowry, showing no sign of neglect. In his letter, he stated that the wedding procession and the dowry had already departed from Xichi, and that the wedding would be a grand and successful affair.

After reading the letter, Zhao Xingjin had already formed a certain judgment about the King of Xichi, who was about the same age as him: he was a timid person.

To put it bluntly, he's probably an easy target.

This was exactly what Zhao Xingjin wanted to do.

But after Gao Sui and Zhao Zhiyu's wedding, with the help of Da Jing, how long will it take to finally pluck this easy target?

The letter was set aside, and Zhao Xingjin was in a very good mood.

"Pass down the order to have the Ministry of Rites select an auspicious day for Princess Heyi's marriage."

"Yes."

Yang Zhian responded.

Then Zhao Xingjin instructed, "I will have lunch at Fukang Palace later. It has been a long time since I have spent time with the Empress Dowager. By the way, invite the Empress to come along as well."

"Then this servant will make the arrangements immediately." Yang Zhian nodded.

It was definitely more than just having a meal with the Empress Dowager; there must have been a reason for his visit.

Jingming Palace.

Xie Jiu didn't react much when she heard that Zhao Xingjin had gone to the Empress Dowager's place and even invited the Empress along.

"It's probably because of Princess Heyi's marriage. Since she's been granted the title of princess, she definitely won't be marrying out of the Qing'an Marquis's residence; she'll be leaving through the palace."

"Once she marries into that family, they'll be separated by thousands of miles. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again in this life. I don't know what Princess Heyi was thinking, that she actually asked Your Highness for this marriage." Chunrong said, puzzled.

In fact, Xie Jiu was also somewhat puzzled, but since Zhao Zhiyu wanted to choose this path after being given a second chance at life, she must have her own reasons. Since the other party didn't say, she didn't want to ask.

After all, asking this question might reopen old wounds.

"It's her own choice, so we don't need to worry too much," Xie Jiu said in a low voice. "By the way, is there any progress on the thing I asked you to do before the New Year?"

This refers to finding the families of the ministers whom Xie Mingshen had pushed out as pawns.

When it came to this serious matter, Chunrong and Qingfang both became quite serious.

Qingfang spoke first, "They said there should be news after the Lantern Festival, but it seems it's coming soon now."

"It started snowing on New Year's Eve, and there have been three or four more snowfalls in the first month of the lunar calendar. The weather is cold and the roads are slippery, so it's really not a good time to deliver a message." Chunrong glanced out the window.

Xie Jiu nodded.

"It doesn't matter. We'll keep these in hand for later use. There's no rush. What's important now is to gather evidence of Xie Mingshen's bribery."

Zhao Xingjin has already begun to have the Ministry of Rites select an auspicious day, which means that the matter of customs duties should also be settled. Once Xi Chi's wedding procession arrives, the delegation will leave with the procession. Xie Mingshen, who wants to make a deal with them, must hurry up and complete it.

"Tell my brother to keep a close eye on things."

It looks like the time is almost time to catch a big fish.

"Then, please give this to your sister-in-law for me." Xie Jiu's gaze fell on the dressing table, where there was an exquisite brocade box. "This set of jadeite headdresses has a very pure color. I think your sister-in-law will like it."

Chunrong responded, picked up the brocade box, and withdrew.

At that time, Zhao Xingjin, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Chen were sitting in the hall of Fukang Palace. It was clear that Consort Chen had been quite clever during her time in Fukang Palace, and had won the Empress Dowager's favor. When Zhao Xingjin and the Empress arrived, the two were chatting and laughing, and the Empress Dowager seemed to be in a very good mood.

"Your Majesty and Empress, I pay my respects." Consort Chen rose and bowed upon seeing the Emperor and Empress.

Zhao Xingjin waved his hand, "You're pregnant, there's no need for formalities."

"Yes, don't tire yourself out. Sit down quickly. You seem to have lost some weight," the Empress said with concern. "Could it be morning sickness?"

Before Consort Chen could reply, the Empress Dowager said, "Everything else is fine, but the morning sickness is quite severe. The kitchen is making all sorts of different dishes, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty, but none of them suit her taste. However, the imperial physician said that she is in good health, so it's not a big deal. She will gradually get better after three months."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed to know a great deal about Consort Chen's health, the Empress smiled, but her eyes darkened.

She certainly didn't want Consort Chen to win the Empress Dowager's favor and receive her favor in the future just because she stayed in Fukang Palace for a few days.

We need to get Chen Meiren to move out as soon as possible.

The Empress thought to herself silently.

However, the others present did not notice her little thoughts. Zhao Xingjin had something to discuss at Fukang Palace, so he directly asked Consort Chen to leave.

"Your Majesty, I have already instructed the Ministry of Rites to select an auspicious day for Princess Heyi's marriage. Now that she has been granted the title of princess, it is not appropriate for her to wait outside the palace for her marriage. I am thinking of bringing her into the palace so that Your Majesty and the Empress can instruct her for a few days before she leaves the palace."

Upon hearing this, the Empress spoke first, "That is only right. However, with Consort Chen resting here during her pregnancy, it is probably not appropriate for another person to move into Fukang Palace. In my Weiyang Palace, the two children, Zhaoqing and Lingyi, are quite noisy. A woman of marriageable age needs peace and quiet. Why not prepare a place for Princess Heyi to live alone?"

"Then let's go to Plum Blossom Pavilion next to Fukang Palace. It's close to me, so I can give her more advice," the Empress Dowager decided directly.

The Empress had no objection to this, as she had never intended to put any effort into it.

However, the Empress Dowager then gave her some trouble.

"Since the Ministry of Rites has been brought up today, I think the matter with Xichi Kingdom will probably be over in a month or two at most. The selection of concubines should be arranged in advance. This is the first grand selection since the Emperor ascended the throne. The various prefectures will select first, and the best ones will be sent to the capital. This will take time. Empress, you need to start taking care of this."

Upon hearing the words "selection of concubines," the Empress's face darkened, but she couldn't show it, which made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Yes, my daughter-in-law will discuss it with the Ministry of Rites after she returns, but this still requires the Emperor's decree."

As the Empress spoke, she glanced at Zhao Xingjin.

The talent show isn't something she can control.

"I will make the arrangements," Zhao Xingjin said calmly. "However, the selection of concubines will be handled by the Empress, with Consort Zhuang and Consort Jin assisting her. I have already discussed with the Cabinet the matter of holding an imperial examination this year, and this matter has been put on the agenda. There are many things to do, and I really don't have any free time."

Upon hearing this, the Empress was somewhat disappointed. Of course, she hoped that Zhao Xingjin would refuse the selection, but it seemed impossible. However, handing over the power to organize the selection to her made the Empress feel a little better.

However, she didn't want Xie Jiu to get involved, so she put on a considerate act and spoke softly.

"Your Majesty, Consort Jin is already working hard managing the six palaces. Now that Princess Wenxi has moved in with her, she will have to put in even more effort. Perhaps..."

"It's alright. It's too hard for you to handle everything by yourself. Someone has to share the burden."

Zhao Xingjin interrupted the Empress before she could finish speaking.

Now that the Empress is acting more and more unfairly, Zhao Xingjin just hopes that someone will keep an eye on her so that she doesn't show her selfishness too much.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Zhao Xingjin, saw through his thoughts, and then said calmly.

"Very well, Your Majesty. This shows that His Majesty cares for you."

"Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you for your concern." The Empress forced a smile.

That was the end of the matter. After having lunch at Fukang Palace, they all returned to their respective palaces.

Zhao Xingjin originally intended to go to Jingming Palace, but halfway there he felt very uncomfortable, so he turned back to Chengming Hall.

Yang Zhian observed this and thought to himself that the Emperor was getting a little annoyed by the Xie family's affairs.