The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

There was no floor heating in Shaoxiu Hall, and the air was slightly chilly.

The Duke felt sorry for his granddaughter and quickly ordered two braziers to be brought in. The charcoal in the braziers burned red, emitting warm heat, which gradually raised the temperature in the room.

There was a stand on top of the brazier, and a pot was placed on it steadily. Soon, the hot soup in the pot was bubbling and rolling up and down, making a "gurgling" sound.

The rising steam carries the alluring aroma of milk tea, which gradually permeates the entire room.

The Duke stretched out his hands, which were as big as a palm-leaf fan. His palms were covered with calluses and there were several old scars on his wrinkled skin, which showed his age.

He poured the milk tea into a transparent glass cup cautiously and unskillfully, placed a handkerchief at the bottom of the cup, and handed it to his granddaughter with a smile.

He lowered his voice but still spoke loudly and vigorously: "This is sold in your fifth aunt's shop. The little girls in the family like to drink it. Yongle, come and try it."

Zhao Xuan put the thing in her hand in her arms, holding the cup with both hands. The constant heat transferred from the palms of her hands to her body, and her heart was warm.

He lowered his head, blew on the rim of the cup, and took a sip.

This was not the first time she drank milk tea from her grandfather's mouth, but she still showed a surprised and satisfied expression, and said coquettishly: "It tastes good, grandpa is the best."

The Duke sat beside her, his imposing face was no longer intimidating, and there was an unusual tenderness in his eyes.

There are many shadows of a younger girl on the granddaughter's face. Looking at her is like looking at an unmarried daughter, but there are huge differences between her and her mother.

The Imperial Concubine Shu in the palace was a well-educated and sensible girl. The eldest princess was more dashing than her, but as she grew older, her modesty gradually overshadowed her.

Seeing the box in her arms, the Duke asked her, "What are you holding in your arms? Your baby is in such a state."

When Zhao Xuan heard this, she gently put the cup of milk tea on the ground, held the box in both hands and handed it to her grandfather, saying with a smile: "This is a gift from Madam Zheng."

She liked it very much after watching it, and could even understand the pride her aunt felt when she talked about her grandmother.

The Duke lowered his eyes and looked at the ordinary box, with no special expression on his face. He stretched out his big hand and opened the box with a "click". His eyes were instantly attracted by the objects inside.

Zhao Xuan propped up her knees, bent over, hugged her legs with her arms, and tilted her head to look at the silver spear standing quietly in the corner.

My mother said that this gun had accompanied my grandfather for decades.

In the dim light in the room, the tip of the gun was shining coldly, and the gun body seemed to be condensed with endless murderous aura.

Although silent, it is like a silent warrior, exuding terrifying majesty.

Zhao Xuan liked it very much when she saw it for the first time. She returned to the palace and excitedly told her father about it. She also wanted to learn martial arts and become a wise and brave female general like her grandfather in the future.

The emperor hugged her and said with a smile that she was a noble princess. Everything she wanted would be offered to her by others, and she could just be a happy princess.

At this time, the door of Shaoxiu Hall was slowly pushed open, and the biting cold wind blew in through the gap in the door.

The flames in the brazier jumped and made crackling sounds.

When Jiang Nansheng walked in, he saw an old man and a young boy sitting around a brazier.

One of them was holding a cup and looking down at the bubbling pot, while the other was fiddling with something in his hand obsessively.

Looking at the sleeve arrow in his father's hand, he had seen it at Jin Chu's place on the day of Huitong Hall.

Zhao Xuan stood up, bowed, and said with a smile, "I haven't had time to congratulate my uncle and aunt yet. In a few months, I will be promoted to a cousin."

After learning that her aunt was pregnant and knowing that her grandmother was taking the women in the house to congratulate her, she did not go with them.

The Duke then withdrew his gaze from the copper pipe and looked at his youngest son, motioning him to sit next to the brazier with him.

The weapons of the Zheng family are more sophisticated than those provided by the imperial court, far surpassing those in terms of both material and craftsmanship.

The Duke then told the two of them about his concerns: "I'm afraid the Emperor won't agree to Yongle and Zheng Kaicheng's marriage so easily..."

Zhao Xuan asked in confusion: "Grandfather, why do you say that?"

She frowned slightly, thinking of her mother's instructions in Yikun Palace, and then said:

"My mother said that she would find an opportunity to mention this to my father at the palace banquet on New Year's Eve. Looking at the entire previous dynasty, which man could be as good as the third master of the Zheng family? My father also praises him very much on weekdays."

Jiang Nansheng poured himself a cup of milk tea, took a sip and put it aside. It tasted too sweet for him.

He spoke slowly, "It is because of his excellence that His Majesty has to find a good opportunity even if he wants to grant the marriage."

Zhao Xuan's expression inexplicably became somewhat sad, and she whispered to herself, "Father clearly promised me..."

Her father had said that she could choose her future husband. Zheng Kaicheng could give up everything he had, so why couldn't she get what she wanted?

Just because she is not a prince, does her marriage have to give way to interests?

Then what about the pampering she has received over the years?

Jiang Nansheng refilled Zhao Xuan's cup with milk tea and whispered a story from the past.

Twenty years ago, the current emperor ignored the fact that Imperial Noble Consort Chen's younger sister was already engaged and forced her into the palace and named her Huipin.

When Huipin was at the peak of her favor, she bumped into Concubine Jing who was pregnant, causing her to almost give birth prematurely.

Under pressure from the previous dynasty and the harem, the emperor banished Concubine Hui to the cold palace.

But half a year later, Concubine Hui in the cold palace gave birth to a prince, and this prince disappeared silently in the cold palace.

Even the Empress of Kunning Palace, as well as the Imperial Concubines Shu and Jing who assisted in managing the six palaces, were unaware of this matter.

You can get a glimpse of who is controlling all this behind the scenes.

The Duke asked, "Has the child been found? He is the same age as the Second Prince, and will be twenty years old after the age of 18."

He has reached the age of twenty and is a mature man in terms of mentality and behavior.

Zhao Xuan was stunned when she heard this. Her father had another child among the common people?

From what my uncle just said, the prince was hidden by our father!

Jiang Nansheng nodded and continued, "Huipin once saved a palace maid named Yuanxia. Yuanxia, ​​out of old friendship, went to the cold palace to see Huipin."

"The last thing we found out was that Yuan Xia took the little prince out of the palace and sent him to the Huguo Temple..."

I was able to find it out so quickly, thanks to Jin Chu's unintentional remark that day.

The Duke frowned slightly after hearing this. It is said that those born in imperial families are the most ruthless, but Emperor Jianyuan is so affectionate that it is unbelievable.

Zhao Xuan blinked, thinking of the story Kai Cheng had told her about the cat-substitute prince, and whispered, "Father kept my eldest brother's death a secret. Did he want to use him to replace my eldest brother?"

It's self-evident who he is.

The Duke shook his head with certainty, "The former imperial court and the imperial harem all knew what the eldest prince looked like, so how could His Majesty be so careless?"

Jiang Nansheng, who was full of confusion when he came out of the Qianqing Palace, now connected everything that had happened and the information he had investigated together, and he suddenly realized.

His Majesty has set up a confusing situation. All of them are chess pieces on the chessboard, and every move is under the manipulation and control of His Majesty.

The purpose was to pave the way for the prince whom he had never met.

After hearing what Jiang Nansheng said, the Duke's eyes fell on the silver spear in the corner, which he had not picked up for more than ten years, and he said, "I'm afraid the situation is about to change!"