readsfreenovel Chapter 403 The Prince's Mystery: The Cannon Fodder Bride Forced into a Substitute Marquis'
Chapter 403 The Prince's Mystery: The Cannon Fodder Bride Forced into a Substitute Marquis'
Grand Secretary Qin opened his eyes and looked sharply at Qin Guannan, who then couldn't continue speaking.
"Never mind what he's thinking. Since he chose to tell you, he must have his reasons."
Regardless of his identity, he is right at this stage. Given the current unclear situation, it is better to remain still than to take any action.
Doing your job well and fulfilling your duties is the best thing you can do.
"Yes, Grandfather!"
Qin Guannan withdrew, leaving only Grand Secretary Qin in the study.
A smile suddenly appeared on Grand Secretary Qin's wrinkled face as he murmured to himself.
"Heaven has been kind to the Qin family..."
Before Tang Ruijing appeared, Grand Secretary Qin was always worried about the future of the Qin family.
The Third Prince, Tang Ruiqian, was gentle and bookish; such a personality was simply not suited for that position.
Tang Ruiqian was also very self-aware and never dreamed of ascending the throne.
However, neither the eldest prince Tang Ruibin nor the second prince Tang Ruijie is suitable for that position. If either of these two were to ascend the throne, the Qin family, as the maternal relatives of the third prince Tang Ruiqian, would not fare well.
Grand Secretary Qin had considered that for the future of the Qin family, he would risk his life to put Tang Ruiqian on the throne, regardless of whether Tang Ruiqian wanted it or not.
But an unexpected event occurred: Emperor Xinghe had a fourth prince, Tang Ruijing, who had an ambiguous relationship with the Qin family.
This period of time was enough for Grand Secretary Qin to thoroughly investigate Tang Ruijing's experiences over the first eighteen years of his life.
Originally, Grand Secretary Qin was still hesitant about whether Tang Ruijing was suitable, since he had no academic background.
But after what happened today, Grand Secretary Qin suddenly stopped worrying. Some things are determined by fate. Even without systematic learning, one's strategies and cunning are beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Perhaps some people are just born to be in that position.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
A few days later, Emperor Xinghe, looking sickly, went to court and dropped a bombshell, issuing an edict appointing the eldest prince, Tang Ruibin, as regent, with Prince Jing, Tang Jingfan, assisting him.
Tang Ruibin was overjoyed and thanked Emperor Xinghe before accepting the imperial decree.
The court officials were quite surprised. Some ministers wanted to raise objections, but Emperor Xinghe lost interest and simply announced the adjournment of the court.
Emperor Xinghe has passed away, leaving behind a great deal of discussion among the court officials, while the eldest prince, Tang Ruibin, is full of pride and satisfaction.
He certainly had the qualifications. Since ancient times, apart from the emperor, only the crown prince could oversee the country. Although Tang Ruibin did not have the actual power of a crown prince, he already possessed the authority of one.
The Second Prince, Tang Ruijie, had always been a supporter of Tang Ruibin. When Emperor Xinghe fell ill, he did make some small moves, but ultimately he didn't have the guts.
The Third Prince, Tang Ruiqian, was still somewhat confused. He was worried that Emperor Xinghe's health condition might be worsening, otherwise why would he abandon state affairs?
Tang Ruijing stood in the main hall, observing the various expressions of his elder brothers and court officials, and shook his head inwardly before quietly leaving the court.
With Emperor Xinghe gone, and Tang Ruijing unwilling to flatter or fawn over the eldest prince Tang Ruibin, he naturally had no choice but to return first.
Whom the heavens would destroy, they first make mad. Now, Emperor Xinghe is the heavens. If the eldest prince, Tang Ruibin, withstands the test, he will survive. If he is bewitched by Prince Jing, Tang Jingfan, he will be courting death.
Upon exiting the main hall, Tang Ruijing saw that Grand Secretary Qin had already come out ahead of time. He originally intended to leave directly, but Grand Secretary Qin looked in his direction.
Tang Ruijing paused, but still walked towards the direction of Grand Secretary Qin.
"Grand Secretary Qin,"
Tang Ruijing did not act presumptuously, but instead bowed respectfully to Grand Secretary Qin, after all, he was his maternal grandfather.
After Tang Ruijing finished bowing, Grand Secretary Qin reached out and helped him up.
Qin Gelao had only seen Tang Ruijing from afar a few times before, and had never met Tang Ruijing so closely before.
He scrutinized Tang Ruijing closely and felt that Tang Ruijing looked exactly like a member of the Qin family. Tang Ruijing resembled Qin Guannan by seven parts, while the remaining three parts resembled Emperor Xinghe.
Moreover, Tang Ruijing was more reserved than Qin Guannan. At first glance, he seemed low-key, gentle, and unassuming, but upon closer inspection, one could discern his composure and strategic planning.
I didn't think so before, but after making some guesses and comparing Tang Ruijing and Tang Ruiqian, it's obvious that Tang Ruijing is more like a member of the Qin family.
Grand Secretary Qin spoke with kindness and gentleness: "Your Highness is destined to be with my Qin family. When you have time, please come and visit us. My whole family will welcome you warmly."
This child had a hard life. He was switched at birth and then stolen from the palace, raised as a son of a concubine in the Xuanping Marquis's mansion.
He was not favored by the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, and the Marquis of Xuanping could not take good care of him. He was also weak and sickly, and he struggled to survive in the Marquis's mansion.
These are all grudges from the previous generation, why should a child like him have to bear all of this?
He should have grown up like Tang Ruiqian, a prodigy. But thinking about everything he had suffered, Grand Secretary Qin felt an intense hatred.
If it weren't for Tang Ruijing's own intelligence in discovering his unusual background, he would have almost been buried in obscurity in the Xuanping Marquis's mansion.
Fortunately, Tang Ruijing was capable enough to find a way out of the predicament, which allowed them to learn the truth.
It's not far off. Grand Secretary Qin felt a sense of urgency. The day when the truth is revealed to the world is not far away.
Tang Ruijing noticed Qin Ge Lao's unusual behavior. He looked at Qin Ge Lao, but only saw kindness and tenderness in his eyes.
He felt a warmth in his heart; this was the second elder to show him kindness, the first being Emperor Xinghe.
Tang Ruijing was not an ungrateful person. He had met very few kind-hearted people in his life. Apart from Su Jinyue, who would accompany him for life, Ping An, the pageboy he had taken in, and his friends Feng Enchi, the rest were Emperor Xinghe and Grand Secretary Qin.
Thinking about it this way, Tang Ruijing felt that she hadn't lived a bad life, at least there were still so many people who cared about her.
He naturally reciprocates the kindness of those who are good to him.
"With Elder Qin's words, Ruijing agreed without hesitation. I have no elders to guide me since I was a child, and my wife is also a little uncomfortable with the sudden change in her status."
Seeing Elder Qin is like seeing my own elder. There are indeed some matters in the manor that I am unable to handle, so I will trouble Elder Qin in those circumstances..."
Although Tang Ruijing's identity was an open secret between him and the Qin family, they hadn't officially acknowledged it, so they couldn't speak openly about it in the light.
"Hahaha..." Grand Secretary Qin was very happy. He patted Tang Ruijing on the shoulder and said in a hearty manner, "These are all minor matters. Just come and I will definitely teach you everything you need to know."
You're still young, it's normal that you don't understand some social etiquette. My wife will teach you more when the time comes, and you'll naturally learn..."
Tang Ruijing naturally agreed without hesitation, looking at Grand Secretary Qin with admiration in his eyes and a smile on his lips.