novelkee Chapter 198 Extremely Disappointed
Chapter 198 Extremely Disappointed
“A mere Zhongfeng Dafu certainly doesn’t have that much ability. He must have someone behind him, and that person must be quite capable. That narrows down the possibilities immediately,” Zheng Yuxiang said casually, his eyes narrowed.
"Furthermore, the war with Beirong is unlikely to end anytime soon. The Great Xia is currently facing both internal and external troubles. Moreover, General Pei is getting old and can only hold on for a few more years. I wonder if the younger generation of the Pei family can produce a decent successor."
"Alas, the younger generation of the Pei family, although they have some talent, probably still have a long way to go before they can become figures like General Pei," Zheng Yuxiang sighed.
"Although we are now political enemies with the Pei family, it is undeniable that General Pei has fought for the Great Xia for many years and has made outstanding military achievements. He has protected the Great Xia's borders for many years. Because of General Pei, there have been few wars on the borders for many years."
Zheng Yuxiang stood up and walked steadily to the window. He put his hands behind his back and looked into the distance with deep eyes, as if he could see the future through the endless void.
After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke, his tone tinged with regret and lament: "Now, the Pei family seems to have no successor!"
Zheng Yuxiang sighed softly and continued, "Look at the Pei family now. The old general is old and frail and can no longer shoulder heavy responsibilities; and his two sons have both died on the battlefield, leaving only a few grandsons. None of these grandsons are capable of handling things. How can such a family be passed down?"
Zheng Luoqi nodded thoughtfully after hearing this, but then remembered something and quickly said, "Father, although the Pei family is about to decline, isn't there still the Prince of Huainan? In my opinion, the Prince of Huainan's heir is much better than General Pei's eldest grandson. I think the Prince of Huainan's heir is the better choice."
Hearing his daughter's words, Zheng Yuxiang couldn't help but burst into laughter. His laughter was filled with satisfaction and appreciation. "Hahaha, I think so too," he said, patting his daughter's shoulder, his eyes revealing his affection for her.
"Father, we don't have any evidence to prove that Liu Hongwei is related to the Beirong people. Should we lure him out?" Zheng Luoqi asked.
"Go and do it! Just be careful not to alert them!" Zheng Yuxiang said calmly.
"Yes, Father!" Zheng Luoqi said and immediately got up to do his work.
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Inside the palace
That day, Lin Wanwan rarely wanted to go to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers. Suddenly, a palace maid rushed over and whispered a few words in Lin Wanwan's ear. Lin Wanwan's expression immediately changed.
"Alright, you may all leave! I want to go shopping by myself." Lin Wanwan waved her hand, signaling the servants to leave.
After all the servants had left, Lin Wanwan spoke with a solemn expression: "Come out, please!"
A petite, ordinary-looking woman slowly emerged from the darkness; she was none other than a palace maid serving Consort Jiang.
When Lin Wanwan saw her, she frowned, then walked over and asked, "Is there something you need, Consort Jiang?"
"Your Highness, what my master said the other day, I wonder how you have considered it?" The palace maid bowed respectfully and asked.
Lin Wanwan pondered for a while after hearing this, but did not speak. It was not hard to see from her expression that Lin Wanwan was struggling internally.
“Your Highness, if you have thought it through, you can come to my mistress at any time. However, I'm afraid Your Highness's sister won't be able to wait that long,” the palace maid suddenly said.
"How dare you threaten me?" Lin Wanwan said angrily.
"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. It's just that Miss Lin's marriage to Lord Ye was recently arranged, but Lord Ye was assassinated by the Northern Rong people. As a result, Miss Lin has been subjected to a lot of rumors. The Minister of the Imperial Clan is already looking for another marriage for Miss Lin. Your Majesty is not aware of this, is she?" the palace maid continued calmly.
Hearing this, Lin Wanwan was startled; she truly didn't know these things.
"Whose person are you? How do you know so much?" Lin Wanwan asked suspiciously. This palace maid seemed to know a lot of information that she didn't know, which made her very suspicious.
"Your Majesty only needs to know that Miss Lin is very likely to be married into the Cui family." The palace maid did not give a direct answer.
"The Cui family?" A family flashed through Lin Wanwan's mind: General Xuanwei—Cui Xin. He was away from home most of the year, but he had countless concubines in his household. Although he held an official position and his rank was not low, he was notorious for his lust and for killing off his wives. He was a neutral party.
Lin Wanwan knew that her father wanted to win this person over, but Lin Wanwan herself had already become a tool for her father's power struggle. She did not want her younger sister to suffer the same fate as her. Moreover, this person had a bad reputation, and she did not want her younger sister to waste her life in that backyard.
She hesitated. Her younger sister had grown up with her since childhood, and they were very close, always supporting each other. The lack of understanding from her brother and father, as well as her mother's weakness, made Lin Wanwan feel extremely disappointed in her family.
Now, Lin Wanwan is deeply entrenched in the imperial harem, living a monotonous and tedious life, devoid of freedom and joy, filled only with endless struggles and scheming. She feels as if her life is trapped in a closed box, from which she cannot escape.
Now, her sister is facing the same fate, and she can't bear to see her sister repeat the same mistake.
Lin Wanwan couldn't help but wonder if a woman's life was destined to be confined to the backyard. Couldn't they pursue what they truly wanted? Why must they be bound by men and become their appendages?
Lin Wanwan felt deeply disappointed in her family. From childhood, her family had always said, "Wanwan is so outstanding, she will definitely marry into a good family and enjoy a life of wealth and luxury." Every time she heard these words, she felt helpless and resentful.
But Lin Wanwan dared not express it, because she knew that if she argued back, she would only invite more scolding and ridicule. So, she could only bury her dissatisfaction deep in her heart and put on a smiling face on the surface to meet her family's expectations.
Her younger sister was the one who understood her best. She would always come to comfort her when she was sad. Knowing that she was having a very difficult time in the palace, her sister would always try to find some strange and wonderful things outside the palace to cheer her up.
Thinking of this, Lin Wanwan sighed and said to the palace maid, "Three days. I will think it over in these three days and give your mistress an answer."
"Then this servant will take her leave. I will certainly convey Your Highness's message to my mistress as truthfully as possible!" The palace maid bowed and left.
Lin Wanwan watched the palace maid's departing figure, her eyes filled with helplessness and sadness.