When she woke, the Head Eunuch of the Imperial Palace arrived to read an imperial decree. Emperor Yuan, mindful of Prince Xiao’s longing for heirs, ordered that Prince Xiao’s son, Xiao Jue, and the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter, Wen Jiu, be married on an auspicious day, the ninth of the third lunar month. The Ministry of Rites would oversee all arrangements.
Wen Jiu found the humor in it, immediately grasping the situation. She was helpless, however—such was the weight of imperial power. This was a setup, using them as shields; the tides of public opinion would likely shift in their favor, with commoners claiming the Emperor had slighted his own princes and princesses by bestowing such glory upon a prince’s heir. A truly calculated move.
*Old man, you wouldn't mind if I toppled this garbage dynasty, would you?*
Chapter 170