The Emperor listened and found the idea reliable. This plan was good.
Thus, the shops on the half-street that the two families were fighting over were naturally bestowed upon Fan Zehao.
Those who were originally arguing fiercely were struck by lightning upon hearing this news.
They were stunned!
They had fought for half the day over the territory, only for it to become someone else's gain. Now, neither family would mention who had seen it first.
The Emperor's matters were concluded, and he was satisfied. He told Fan Zehao to go home, but he refused to leave.
He knelt on the ground and told the Emperor about the trouble his younger brother had caused a few days ago: "This subject is incompetent in disciplining his brother and has offended the Marquis of Ningyuan. I beg the Emperor to punish me!"
Huangfu Jintao understood. The servants of the Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion had bullied others, and his younger brother had taught them a lesson for their wrongdoing, which was understandable.
It was unreasonable to punish him; after all, he had done a good deed. This also made him realize that some people needed to be taught a lesson, otherwise, they would forget who the master was.
"Your brother rendered meritorious service by saving people, and committed a transgression by striking someone in public. These cancel each other out. I will not punish him. This matter ends here. If the people from the Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion trouble your brother, you can tell me directly, and I will support you!"
Fan Zehao happily showed a smile, revealing his white teeth: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. This subject swears to be loyal to Your Majesty with his life, with no ulterior motives, and is willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty!"
He used all the phrases he had learned from Murong Sheng, regardless of whether they were appropriate. The meaning was simple: he was only loyal to the Emperor.
This made the Emperor laugh heartily, so loud that Prince Xiaoyao, who was waiting outside for an audience, could hear it.
The tent flap was lifted, and Fan Zehao walked out, bumping directly into Huangfu Xu.
They both recognized each other. Fan Zehao merely gave Prince Xiaoyao a look and left, without even a greeting.
The head eunuch Wang Zhanlin saw everything. He said with a smile, "Prince Xiaoyao, please don't take offense. This person is just like this. Even when he meets the Crown Prince, he is indifferent."
"However, this old servant guesses that he definitely didn't recognize His Highness," Wang Zhanlin added, speaking up for Fan Zehao at the end.
Huangfu Xu waved his hand and shrugged, "It's alright, I won't take it to heart."
Qixia Palace.
Huangfu Pingtang, upon hearing rumors that her father was going to marry her off to a rough man, and one who was already married, immediately rushed to her mother to complain.
"Mother, you must stand up for Pingtang. This daughter does not want to marry that brute. This daughter will find her own consort, Mother~~~."
The Imperial Noble Consort's head was spinning from her daughter's pleas. She quickly said, "Alright, alright, I know about this matter. However, the General of the cavalry refused your father's arranged marriage, so this matter is void!"
The princess, who had been crying profusely while covering her face, suddenly heard this news. She immediately raised her head and looked at Yao Jingyun in astonishment. Then, her eyes were no longer teary.
"What? Refused?" Huangfu Pingtang was extremely shocked.
She was a sixteen-year-old maiden, beautiful, fair-skinned, with long legs, and the number one beauty in the capital.
The number of people who wanted to marry her could stretch from the palace to the city gates. To think that she was actually rejected by a village bumpkin.
"I want to see who has the guts to embarrass this princess!"
Before she could say two more words, she rushed off again in a hurry, ignoring Yao Jingyun's calls.
A luxurious carriage stopped outside the General's mansion.
Huangfu Pingtang, dressed in fine attire, alighted from the carriage, supported by her maid. She looked at the gilded characters on the red lacquered gate and sneered.
How amusing. Even if it was a rejection, it should have been her rejecting the marriage.
The arrogant Huangfu Pingtang said to her confidante, Xiao Jiu, "Go up and knock on the door. Tell that idiot to come out and welcome this Princess!"
Xiao Jiu knocked on the gate. The gatekeeper opened it. A moment later, the gatekeeper relayed the message to the steward.
Li Chuang ran as if he were on wind and fire wheels, heading to the main courtyard: "My Lord, Princess Pingtang is outside the mansion and wants you to come out and welcome her!"
"For an unmarried princess to ask me to welcome her, what kind of a situation is that? I'm not going."
Upon hearing it was Princess Pingtang, the one the Emperor wanted to betroth to him, Fan Zehao was very apprehensive and immediately rejected the princess's request.
This was his home. Didn't he have the final say in his own home?
Those waiting outside the gate could hardly believe she had been rejected again. Her anger grew even more.
She rushed in, holding up her skirt, leaving the palace maids and eunuchs far behind.
"Fan Zehao, you son of a bitch! This princess is of noble birth, cherished by my father. You have repeatedly rejected this princess. You are tired of living... Huh? Why is it you?"
Huangfu Pingtang, who was shouting fiercely, suddenly stopped when she saw Fan Xudong walking out of the courtyard. She looked at him in surprise and asked.
Fan Xudong saw the person he had been thinking about day and night. A smile immediately spread across his face. He stepped forward, grabbed her shoulders, and said with a smile, "That's great, I've met you again! Where do you live? I'll come to propose!"
Huangfu Pingtang was proposed to in public and shyly lowered her face, her cheeks flushing like peach blossoms in March. She tilted her head and said, "Um..."
At this moment, Xiao Jiu ran over, ruining the mood, panting and shouting, "Pr... Princess, wait for me! Let me help you find the General to vent your anger!"
Fan Xudong looked at Xiao Jiu, then at the elegantly dressed Huangfu Pingtang. If his ears were not playing tricks on him, he seemed to have heard that person call the person in front of him "Princess"?
He slowly let go of Pingtang's shoulder, and Fan Xudong said with some hurt, "You are a princess?"
"Listen to me, I... I didn't mean to hide it from you. It was just inconvenient to say at the time. Even if I had said it, you wouldn't have believed me!"
Pingtang secretly glared at Xiao Jiu, who was truly useless. Didn't she see that her anger had subsided? And here she was, instantly turning her back into a shrew.
Teach the General a lesson together?
Wasn't she tired of her neck being too stiff and unafraid of the executioner's blade?
Fan Xudong took a step back, stared at her, and murmured, "How did you know I wouldn't believe you?"
"Princess, the General is currently in the garden playing with my sister-in-law and children. He has a bad temper and is devoted to my sister-in-law. Even if you want to marry him, my elder brother will not marry you!"
After saying this, Fan Xudong directly walked out of the mansion and went to East Street to find Murong Sheng and Xie Kun for a drink. He had suffered a great blow today.
The person he had been longing for was actually the Emperor's precious daughter. Heh...
His lonely back made Pingtang feel a pang of sadness and reluctance.
"Xiao Jiu, tell me, does he really like me?"
"Princess is beautiful and cute, and her status is noble. Any man would like her. However, this servant thinks he is quite sensible. Knowing he is not worthy of the Princess, he left on his own. He still has some self-awareness."
Noble?
Even being noble, she was rejected twice by the General of the cavalry!
Pingtang immediately lost her desire to find the General. Instead, her mind was filled with the hurt look on Fan Xudong's face just now.
She left the General's mansion, got back into the carriage, and returned to the palace. She stayed in her palace and refused to see anyone.
She had come with great fanfare and left quietly. Fan Zehao and his wife exchanged glances, completely baffled by the intentions of this favored princess!