Qin Yuanxi sighed softly, carrying a teacup as he strolled over to Prime Minister Wang with an air of wanting to have a heart-to-heart chat. The old prime minister was a bit frightened, taking the tea offered by the emperor with a trembling hand. He had originally planned to play it cool, to be indifferent and deflect this matter that the emperor personally handed him.
Jokes aside, having a pet concubine was not something you’d brag about. And now the emperor wanted to arrange a marriage?
“I, this old minister, really don’t understand these things. Your Majesty might want to discuss this with the Ministry of Rites,” he suggested.
“Oh, why bother with them,” Qin Yuanxi wasn’t naive. He said leisurely, “The way I see it, Prime Minister should also understand. This wedding thing is a bit tricky. I came to you to brainstorm some ideas. Can the Ministry of Rites give me any suggestions? Not only won’t they suggest anything, but they might also just file a report and drown me in paperwork.”
This marriage wasn’t an ordinary affair. Apart from the fact that there had never been a tradition of emperors marrying male consorts, there was also the issue of the chosen partner for Qin Yuanxi. In any case, just bringing up this marriage would undoubtedly face opposition from many quarters. So, he thought it wise to establish a good relationship with the old prime minister beforehand.
Prime Minister Wang had been in the imperial court for many years, attaining the position of prime minister. He definitely understood the art of politics well. Seeking his counsel was undoubtedly the right move.
“This, Your Majesty, this matter of marriage you’re talking about, it’s really, not easy to handle,” Prime Minister Wang was genuinely troubled. “There has never been a precedent for men marrying men since ancient times, not to mention, Your Majesty wants to establish a male consort. How can this be justified to our ancestors? How can it be fair to the common people? Your Majesty, please reconsider!”
“Why are you so narrow-minded, old prime minister?” Qin Yuanxi was slightly displeased. “I thought you were a reasonable minister, that’s why I shared my troubles with you. Where has your broad-mindedness gone? I just want to arrange a marriage, how does that fail to justify to our ancestors or let down the common people? Does arranging a wedding make me an incompetent emperor or even worse, a tyrant?”
“Your Majesty, forgive me, my words were inappropriate.”
“Humph, it’s not just inappropriate, it’s a big mistake!”
Qin Yuanxi had expected some resistance from Prime Minister Wang. After calming his emotions, he continued, “Prime Minister mentioned the lack of precedent. Does that mean things without precedent can’t be done? I don’t see any issues. Throughout history, marriages have primarily been between men and women. I understand your perspective, but there are always exceptions. Look at me, I have a crown prince, the dynasty will continue. Who I marry is my own business, regardless of gender.”
“Saying it bluntly, it really doesn’t concern anyone else, so why can’t it be done?”
“This, uh…” The old prime minister stammered, unable to articulate a complete sentence.
If he tried to oppose, he had no valid reason. The crown prince’s one-month celebration had already taken place, and the fundamental issue of succession was resolved. His opposition had no standing. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t know how to respond to the emperor’s questions. He stammered, unsure of how to reply.
“I called you to discuss solutions, not to stop me,” Qin Yuanxi sighed, personally refilling Prime Minister Wang’s tea. “I’ve heard that the prime minister and his lady have a great relationship, married for many years and still as loving as ever. The whole city is filled with tales of the prime minister and his lady. Surely, the prime minister can understand my current feelings.”
“If you deeply love someone, you’d naturally want to marry them and grow old together. Prime Minister, how could you bear to tear us apart?”
This emotional appeal struck a chord. The old prime minister, at his age, was almost brought to tears. Seeing the impact, Qin Yuanxi immediately played the sympathy card, “The prime minister is aware of our situation. It’s been a challenging journey for both of us to come this far. He’s also unwell, and if it weren’t for some troubles in his heart, enduring immense suffering, why, ah, let’s not dwell on it. Some painful memories are best left unspoken.”
“At this moment, the only one I can rely on is Prime Minister.” Qin Yuanxi grasped the old prime minister’s hand, his eyes tinged with red. “The prime minister is a veteran of three dynasties, holds weight in the court. As long as the prime minister is willing to support me, what do I have to fear?”
The old prime minister probably hadn’t experienced such a situation in his entire life. Looking at the emperor’s slightly teary eyes, he felt a pang in his heart, unable to find the right words.
What could he say? Ultimately, it was just two people in love. What fault did they have?
“If Your Majesty wishes to marry Prince Regent, it’s not impossible, but it might take some effort,” Prime Minister Wang finally spoke. “Is Your Majesty willing?”
“Willing, willing!” Qin Yuanxi’s eyes brightened. “Of course, willing, willing to give my all! I just don’t know what the prime minister means by ‘some effort’?”
“To make everyone accept something difficult is not easy. However, if there’s another even more challenging matter presented, they might settle for the first one. Perhaps Your Majesty can achieve your desire that way.”
As the old prime minister explained, Qin Yuanxi immediately understood. It was a familiar tactic—introduce a more challenging condition, making the relatively easier one the preferred choice. Indeed, a clever strategy.
“However, I wonder what this more challenging matter should be?”
For a moment, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t understand what could be more challenging than marrying a man as an emperor, especially considering that such matters were not fully legal even in the modern society he came from. In many underdeveloped regions, it was often a taboo subject. Placing it here would only make it more difficult, right?
“Selecting a consort,” the old prime minister slowly uttered.
Qin Yuanxi’s expression changed. “Prime Minister, are you joking with me? How can I not see the difficulty in choosing a consort? It seems to me that you don’t want to help but rather create more trouble!”
“Oh, Your Majesty, you’ve misunderstood,” the old prime minister hurriedly explained. “In normal times, if Your Majesty were to choose a consort, it would undoubtedly be a glorious event for the royal family. Both civil and military officials would compete to send their eligible daughters into the palace. But now, the situation is different.”
“How is it different? I don’t see it.”
Qin Yuanxi’s expression remained grim. He made it clear that unless the old prime minister explained thoroughly, he wouldn’t be getting a favorable response.
“Everything is different from the past. Aside from the fact that Your Majesty already has a crown prince, eliminating the need for considerations about an heir, there’s also the matter of the relationship between Your Majesty and Prince Lu, although not openly acknowledged, is known within the court. Even the matter of Your Majesty giving birth in the palace is not a secret to them!” the old prime minister explained, looking slightly uneasy at the last part.
After doing it all, having it spoken out loud still hit Qin Yuanxi’s pride.
Qin Yuanxi pretended to be calm, took a sip from his teacup, and said, “So what?”
“As long as Your Majesty releases a bit of information, hinting that the selection of a consort is merely to fill the harem, those individuals won’t have the interests they’re fantasizing about. Furthermore, every woman entering the palace as a consort must sever all ties with her family. From then on, she belongs to the palace, living and dying within its walls. Who would willingly send their beloved daughters into such a place?”
Qin Yuanxi figured it out. Setting down his teacup, he continued along with the old prime minister’s line of thought, “And perhaps spreading a rumor that those women left in the palace are just tools in my eyes, destined for a bleak future at best. Taking it a step further, stories of some being mistreated to a tragic death, giving them the impression that entering the palace is similar to entering hell—where survival is impossible, and death is inevitable.”
“Scare these people a bit, then pressure them to quickly send their girls into the palace. If they refuse, promise to find an empress for me. When the time comes to reveal the empress candidate, as long as it’s not someone from their families, they will naturally comply with my wishes and agree.” Qin Yuanxi seemed to have a sudden realization. “Prime Minister, your strategy is quite ruthless.”
The old prime minister chuckled, “As long as Your Majesty achieves your desire, a few rumors won’t matter.”
“It indeed won’t matter much,” Qin Yuanxi nodded. “Except, perhaps, for a slight dent in my reputation.”
“Your Majesty, forgive me. I didn’t consider it thoroughly,” the old prime minister, hearing this, almost broke into a sweat on his forehead. “I’ll think of another approach.”
“No need. It’s fine as it is,” Qin Yuanxi smiled. “As long as my reputation is good in other aspects, a slight tarnish in this area is acceptable. Otherwise, every family with daughters would be eager to send them to my palace. That would be troublesome. This way, it’s good, cutting off their ideas, and I can enjoy peaceful days.”
After discussing court matters with Prime Minister Wang for a while, when Qin Yuanxi returned to his sleeping quarters, he saw Xiao Bao tugging at Zhao Tuo’s clothes, babbling away in baby language. The little one seemed lively, having messed up Zhao Tuo’s clothes in the process. Zhao Tuo tried to untangle the tiny hands holding onto his clothes, but he didn’t dare use too much force, achieving little success.
“Xiao Bao, are you happy today?” Qin Yuanxi went over to play with the child, intentionally not making eye contact with Zhao Tuo.
Assuming he wanted to pick up the child, Zhao Tuo prepared himself, but Qin Yuanxi didn’t make a move.
Xiao Bao remained in Zhao Tuo’s arms as Qin Yuanxi played with him. The two were very close, yet there was no exchange of glances.
It was evident—they were having a quarrel.
In fact, this disagreement had been going on for several days. When they were in the villa before, Qin Yuanxi had tried various methods to communicate with Zhao Tuo, but to no avail. Even when it became impossible to continue staying in the villa and they had to return to the main palace, Qin Yuanxi still couldn’t resolve things with Zhao Tuo.
This guy was being stubborn, not uttering a single normal word. Qin Yuanxi became increasingly frustrated. Upon returning to the palace, he straightforwardly confined Zhao Tuo. Originally, he planned to send him back to the Prince’s Residence and keep him under house arrest. Qin Yuanxi thought it didn’t matter where he was confined, so he locked him in the Moonlight Pavilion.
After two days of confinement, Zhao Tuo showed no reaction, treating the place like a new form of detention. Qin Yuanxi couldn’t stand it, so he handed Xiao Bao over to Zhao Tuo, making him the babysitter.
At the same time, a one-sided cold war began with Zhao Tuo. He simply refused to communicate, and Qin Yuanxi decided not to talk to him directly, taking on an attitude of ‘I’m cooler than you.’ If it wasn’t necessary, he absolutely wouldn’t say a word to Zhao Tuo.
However, today, this inexplicable cold war might come to an end.
As Zhao Tuo’s gaze met Qin Yuanxi’s for the third time, and for the third time Qin Yuanxi coldly looked away, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
“I heard it, outside the study.”
“Heard what? That I discussed marriage with Prime Minister Wang.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
