Chapter 152: Who wouldn't love a beauty!

Ah! This time, I originally intended to take advantage of Prince Rui's birthday to host a banquet for him in the palace, essentially hoping that he would take the opportunity to pick someone he fancied so I could bestow a marriage upon him. Yet, he repeatedly brushed it off, claiming that the period of mourning had not yet ended.

Upon hearing this, his younger brother, Emperor Li Zhen, could only smile with a helpless shake of his head. He had also entertained the idea of arranging a marriage and had even brought it up with Li Rui, only to be fobbed off with the exact same excuse.

If Li Zhen were to issue an imperial decree forcing the marriage upon him, it might technically work, but doing so would break Li Rui's heart. Besides, Li Rui had sworn by heaven and earth that he would wait until the mourning period expired, refusing to remarry before then. Seeing such steadfast loyalty, the Emperor simply did not have the heart to force the issue.

Your Majesty, are you aware that the Prince of Rui has turned down advances from countless officials and wealthy merchants? Some even brought their own daughters right to his doorstep, yet all returned empty-handed.

At this, Fu Yan recalled how many affluent merchants and wealthy elites had previously sought to curry favor with him, hoping to forge matrimonial ties by offering their daughters' hands in marriage. Hadn't he rejected them all?

Granted, Fu Yan had played a small part in spreading some of those rumors, though she would never dare confess the truth! Naturally, there had been a certain degree of exaggeration mixed in.

Oh? I was truly unaware of these matters!

Li Zhen had indeed never heard of this. Had word reached him, he might well have screened the candidates and handpicked a bride for his brother.

However, one certainly cannot accuse the Prince of Rui of having overly lofty standards. The late Princess Consort, bestowed upon him by the Emperor Emeritus, came from a scholarly family, was well-versed in music, calligraphy, and painting, and possessed beauty that could rival Diaochan herself.

Fu Yan proved adept at chiming in, embellishing her words with flattering praise. In truth, she had only heard these tales in the past, where the late Princess Consort was described as a peerless beauty of exceptional talent, practically praised to the heavens—though whether any of it was true remained open to verification.

Hahaha! Whose accounts is My Beloved listening to? While it is certainly an exaggeration to say the late Princess Consort was peerless in every art and appearance, she was nevertheless quite remarkable.

The Emperor let out a hearty laugh, amused by Fu Yan's remarks. How could he not know whether the late Princess Consort was truly that extraordinary?

Though he did not directly contradict her, he nonetheless told Fu Yan a measure of truth: the late Princess Consort was far from as dazzling as the rumors or Fu Yan made her out to be; she could only be considered charmingly graceful and intelligent.

Could all of these be fabricated tales then? Yet rumor has it that because the late Princess Consort was so exceptional, and the bond between the Prince and her was so profound, he feels no other woman can ever compare, which is why he has had no desire to remarry for all this time.

Fu Yan could not help but harbor doubts about the stories she had heard in the past. She had once probed and inquired everywhere, naively thinking she might learn from the late Princess Consort's supposed allure to win Li Rui's favor!

Perhaps so! Yet, having remained single for so many years, both the Empress Dowager and I are growing anxious for him.

Li Zhen could not quite fathom it either. Even if he cherished the memory of the late Princess Consort, could he not at least take a concubine first?

Why doesn't Your Majesty personally visit the Prince's estate to celebrate his birthday, and use the occasion to bestow a stunning and favored concubine upon him? After all, what man can resist a beauty?

With a clever turn of her eyes, Fu Yan voiced her thoughts directly. She was more than willing to share the Emperor's burdens, and thus eagerly offered her suggestion.

It is said that even heroes struggle to pass the trial of beauty. Besides, this was neither a formal marriage arrangement nor a royal decree of union, but merely the bestowal of a favored beauty upon Li Rui. Perhaps it would awaken his dormant romantic inclinations once more!

What Lady Fu suggests happens to align with the Empress Dowager's wishes. However, the Empress Dowager hopes to directly bestow a marriage during the birthday banquet, uniting him in wedlock with the daughter of an aristocratic or noble house.

The Emperor pondered the matter inwardly. Although their ideas were similar at core, he still hoped Li Rui would directly marry a daughter from a noble family, as that would bring the Empress Dowager true peace of mind.