"The Imperial edict has arrived!"
Everyone in the household including Mo Qinshan, Mo Lingxi, Qin Yan knelt down.
"By decree of the Late Emperor:
"Mo Qinshan has long served the throne with unwavering loyalty and meritorious service, safeguarding the stability of the realm and upholding the laws of the court without fault. His integrity and dedication are hereby acknowledged and rewarded in the name of imperial grace.
"His adopted daughter, Mo Lingxi, is of refined character, proper upbringing, and commendable virtue. Though raised outside direct noble lineage, she has demonstrated dignity, intelligence, and comportment suitable for noble standing. Now that she has come of age, it is fitting that her future be determined under imperial favor.
"In recognition of Censor Mo's loyal service and in consideration of Miss Mo Lingxi's honorable conduct, it is hereby decreed:
"She is hereby permitted to select a spouse from among the imperial bloodline."
This grace is granted as an expression of imperial favor, and no household shall interfere with this decision. The final selection shall be respected as imperial will.
"Let this decree be known throughout the court.
"So ordered", the eunuch read the decree. A flicker of surprise passed through Lingxi's eyes. This was not what she expected.
"Miss Mo, please receive the edict"
Lingxi received the edict and bowed, "I thank His Majesty for his grace".
"Congratulations", the eunuch said, "I'll wait for you to decide"
Lingxi stood up in surprise as she looked at the edict in her hand.
*****
"This is unexpected", Qin Yan was the first to speak in the room. A game of go lay between them. "Someone is definitely pulling strings from behind the scenes. What do they want?" Lingxi looked at the edict on the table. "What do you think they want?" "We can't figure out that right now but one thing is for certain - They are not helping me. They are disrupting the Empress ". There was a short pause. "So have you thought of who to choose?" Lingxi gestured for him to sit down which he did. "For those with access to the court, I can only think of four people", she said placing a black piece on the board.
"The first prince, second prince, third prince and the grand prince", Qin Yan mentioned placing a white piece on the board.
"That's right. I have to carefully analyze each prince before choosing. The first one, He Zhen" she placed another piece on the board.
"He is the Empress's legitimate son vying for the throne. He has Minister Li, the minister of revenue, on his side who is also our first target", Qin Yan responded placing his piece on the chess board.
"If I get married to He Zhen just because of Li Changsheng, I'll be digging my own grave", she made another move.
"The first prince is ambitious and uses Li Changsheng. If he loses his support , he'll rely on you", Qin Yan continued playing.
"The empress intends to use me as a pawn in her game for power. She will try to control me and my goals will be hindered. Moreover, I see nothing impressive about He Zhen"
"In that case, the first prince is not suitable"
He Zhen was eliminated.
"The second prince, on the other hand, is the son of Noble Consort Su", Lingxi stated placing her next piece on the board.
"Recently, he has won the favor of most ministers in court by quelling the unrest in Wei City where the Prime Minister's family was massacred", Qin Yan responded.
"Therefore, marrying him means lead's on the Prime Minister's case. Knowing him, if he finds out about Li Changsheng's involvement in this case, he'll do all he can to bring him down and get rid of the first prince's biggest supporter"
"But just like the first prince, he is also deep trouble. Marrying him means involving yourself in the feud between both parties"
"That's jumping into a fire pit and I cannot waste my time on unnecessary battles and endless wars with little or no benefit"
And with that, the second prince left the list.
"The third prince is a much safer option ", Qin Yan said, "but it's too safe", he added.
"Exactly. Although He Xuan is more of a scholar and has little entanglement with the royal family, he is not a good option. If I were to marry him, it would probably mean a secluded quiet life which is not suitable for my goal. That leaves us to the grand prince"
"He is said to be sickly but controls a large independent army. His majesty is wary of him as well. He is also the direct son of the late emperor"
"He has access to the imperial court but if I were to marry him, it would alarm the emperor"
"But his power gives you the freedom to act and offers protection"
"Rumors are flying that he would not live long. Would he live long enough for me to achieve my goal?" She placed a piece on the chess board
"Aren't rumors mere gossip?" Qin Yan placed his piece, "He is different from others. That makes him a good option "
"But the ones that are different are usually the hardest to see through", she placed her last piece.
"It's a tie"
The sound from the water clock indicated that it had reached the hour of You. It was time for the eunuch to leave. Mo Qinshan walked in at that moment. His eyes fell on the chess board and the position of its pieces. Three parts were surrounded and one was barely free. He guessed which it was.
"Have you decided?" he asked. He had his suspicion but was waiting for her confirmation. Lingxi stood up and faced her father, "yes, I choose He Yu". There was a moment of stillness in the air and you could hear the sound of a pin drop. "Do you understand the consequences of picking Grand Prince He Yu?" Mo Qinshan asked calmly.
"Yes"
"Although He Yu might seem rather unimportant, His Majesty and the court are particularly wary of him. He is not simple"
"I understand"
"Personally, I think the third prince, He Xuan, is a good option. Although he has no political standing in court, he can ensure you live a happy and comfortable life without worries", Mo Qinshan advised.
"I understand your concerns, Father, but I hope you can respect my decision", Lingxi said.
Mo Qinshan sighed and turned to the chessboard. Qin Yan still had one piece left. He picked it up and placed it on an empty space. The surrounding black pieces almost blocking the white piece representing He Yu were eliminated, "this was never a tie".
A maid walked in to remind them, "Master Mo, Miss Mo, the eunuch is waiting".
Lingxi and the others reached the main hall.
The eunuch stood up, "Miss Mo, have you decided?" Lingxi turned to look at her father for support.
He gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. She turned back to the eunuch, "I choose Grand Prince He Yu"
The eunuch asked with careful caution, "Miss Mo… did this servant hear correctly?"