Chapter 54: No joke

Tian Dalang was looking for the second daughter of the Qi family.

Qi Erniang's father was a fourth-rank official, one level higher than Tian Qingde. Because the Meng family only sent invitations to families with officials of the third rank and above, Qi Erniang's father did not come today, so she just came to the western suburbs with her sisters to play and visit each other.

When Gu Youan led Axuan over, the cousins ​​of the Qi family were secretly talking about Tian Dalang. Qi Erniang shyly covered her face, but her eyes were looking towards the stream.

"Hello, ladies."

"Hello sisters, I'm Axuan."

Gu Youan greeted them, and Axuan followed suit. The little girl grinned, "Are you sisters playing here?"

"Excuse me, young lady, who are you?"

Gu Youan smiled and said, "My last name is Gu. I'm here with my family today, but my brother and the neighbors were fishing over there, and I thought they were boring. I just happened to see you guys here, so I came over to take a look."

A Xuan nodded quickly and said, yes, yes, she came to play.

Gu Youan pointed in the direction of the stream and said her last name was Gu. The girls from the Qi family immediately knew who she was. A woman with a bun on her hair said with a smile, "I know you. Are you the young lady from the Gu family who lives in Minren Lane?"

"Exactly."

Gu Youan smiled at the young lady with blushing cheeks. The woman said with a smile, "Then we are destined to meet. My maiden name is Qi. My father, like your father, Lord Gu, was also an agricultural official, but his position was not as high as your father's."

The woman gave the young lady a push and said, "This is my second sister. My parents' home is not far from yours. If you have some free time, Miss Gu, you can come over to my house and ask my second sister to play with you. My second sister can ride a horse and is also quite good at needlework."

Gu Youan asked with a smile, "This is Madam Qi Er, right?"

Qi Erniang smiled and took a step forward, bowing and saying, "Miss Gu."

Qi Erniang's eldest sister winked at her and said, "Second sister, General, didn't you say you wanted to go fishing? We don't have any fishing gear, so why don't we borrow some from Miss Gu's family?"

The cousins ​​of the Qi family all followed suit and said, "Sister, let's go fishing too."

"That's right, it's boring to stay in the woods."

"Shall we go together?"

Madam Qi looked at Gu Youan, who smiled and nodded: "Then let's go together. After we catch some fish, we can grill them and eat them."

Gu Youan deliberately said, "Oh, my brother and the eldest brother of the Tian family have been busy all morning and haven't caught anything. You can go and try, maybe you will get something."

Qi Erniang's face flushed again, but her eyes were full of anticipation. Gu Youan couldn't help but smile: "Let's go over there."

"Hey, Miss Gu, please lead the way."

It's such a short distance, what's the point of leading the way? Gu Youan winked at Axuan, and Axuan ran back with a smile to tell him the news.

When Gu Youan brought the Qi sisters to the stream, Gu Wenqing left on the pretext of taking Axuan to visit her parents, leaving only Tian Dalang and Tian Erlang waiting by the stream.

Madam Qi was a married woman after all, so she looked at the two Tian brothers with more directness. After a quick look, her eyes fell on the refined Tian Dalang and she said with a smile, "This is Master Tian."

Tian Dalang said hurriedly: "I was just lucky enough to get a sinecure, I don't deserve your kindness."

Madam Qi Er looked at him secretly, and was noticed by Tian Dalang. Tian Dalang smiled and said, "Want to go fishing? We brought four sets of fishing gear. Everyone can take a turn."

Tian Jilang was watching the fun from the side. This was his future sister-in-law.

"Erlang, go find a chair." Tian Dalang said.

Madam Qi said hurriedly, "Hey, it's hard to ask the Second Young Master to find a chair in this wilderness. There's no need to go to such trouble. Let's just sit on the ground."

"The ground is damp, which is not good for women's health." Tian Dalang insisted.

Madam Qi Er gently replied, "It's hot today, it's okay to sit for a while."

Tian Erlang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss... Second Miss, although chairs are hard to find, stools are not. Please wait a moment."

Tian Erlang knew that there must be a low stool in the Gu family carriage. Before Tian Erlang could speak, Gu Youan said, "There are two low stools in the carriage I took."

"There are stools in the carriage your brother came in. Bring them all over. It will be enough."

Tian Erlang ran to find a stool, while Gu Youan chatted with Madam Qi.

Over there, after just a few words, Madam Qi Er and Tian Dalang started talking about what kind of fish were in the stream.

The two looked like a good match, as if both the man and the woman were interested in each other.

Madam Qi took Gu Youan's hand and said with a smile, "I heard that your family is close to the Tian family, and the two families are like one family. Madam Bai must like you very much."

"Aunt Bai has a good temper and is very fond of polite young ladies. You will know after meeting Aunt Bai a few more times."

Madam Qi naturally knew that the lady of the Tian family was easy to get along with, otherwise her parents would not have chosen the eldest son of the Tian family for her second sister.

"Ms. Gu is right. People's feelings are formed through interaction. Miss Gu, are you coming to visit today? Do you have any other plans?"

When Madam Qi was talking to Gu Youan, she signaled to her with her eyes that in the wide open space in the east, a group of young men were playing around two horses.

Gu Youan glanced towards the east and said with a smile, "I don't have any plans. My mother told me to behave myself and just walk around and take a look, so as not to disturb the good things of the Tian family's eldest brother and my brother."

Gu Youan is such a smart man. When Madam Qi mentioned that Aunt Bai liked her just now, she didn't take it to heart. Madam Qi kept hinting at it, and Gu Youan understood that Madam Qi was worried that her neighbor girl had some stories to tell with Tian Dalang, so she quickly expressed her attitude.

When Tian Dalang heard this, he turned around and said with a smile, "You helped me a lot today. I'll thank you later."

Madam Qi, who had been very relaxed just now, became shy again after hearing this.

Madam Qi smiled and continued, "It's time to thank Madam Gu."

The atmosphere outside the Great Wall is more open than inside the Great Wall, and the men and women who meet each other are bolder than the noble ladies in Luoyang City, and they can say such suggestive words openly.

Gu Youan stayed with Madam Qi for a while longer. Seeing that the sisters of the Qi family were having fun fishing, Tian Erlang asked someone to bring stools over. Fearing that there were not enough stools and it would be embarrassing for everyone, Gu Youan found an excuse and left.

After Gu Youan left, Qi Erniang seemed to be relieved. Madam Qi also understood her sister's thoughts. Tian Dalang, the girl next door, was too outstanding in both appearance and ability. Compared with her, she did not look like her own sister.

I don’t know what kind of husband the young lady from the Gu family will find.

Gu Youan left and was about to go to her mother, but she hadn't gone far when she was stopped by someone at the edge of the woods.

Xu Zhi bowed with a smile and said, "After our master left, the banquet over there had already started. I'm afraid that if Manager Gu goes there now, he won't be able to make it in time for lunch."

"What lunch? Isn't it just some snacks, tea, fruit plates, or something like that?"

"Hahaha, Manager Gu is right. The Meng family has always arranged banquets in the suburbs in this way. However, those who can come are not here just to eat chicken, duck, fish and meat, right?"

Gu Youan nodded, not wanting to exchange pleasantries with him, and turned to leave.

"Hey, Manager Gu, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I'll take you to a nice place with delicious food and drinks, and I'm sure you'll be satisfied."

"Make me satisfied? You are a servant of Prince Qi's Mansion, shouldn't you make your master satisfied?" Gu Youan frowned slightly.

Xu Zhi didn't dare to laugh anymore and said quickly, "It's my fault for not knowing the rules and talking nonsense. I deserve a beating. Please forgive me, Miss Gu."

Gu Youan looked at him expressionlessly: "What's the matter?"

Xu Zhi lowered his head and said, "My master wants to invite you over to talk."

"lead the way."

"yes."

Xu Zhi hurriedly led the way and passed through a forest. On the other side of the forest, by the stream, there was a square table and two chairs under a locust tree. Two maids were serving the dishes.

Gu Youan's eyes turned slightly, and she saw Prince Qi sitting on a recliner enjoying the view, so she slowly walked over.

"Tian Dalang wasn't very good at studying, otherwise he wouldn't have been just a juren at the age of seventeen or eighteen. Besides, his appearance is just average."

"Um?"

Gu Youan didn't understand and was puzzled. What did he say Tian Dalang was doing?

Prince Qi turned around to look at her and said, "You said you wanted to find a handsome and obedient young scholar, but I don't think you can find one in Songjiang City."

Gu Youan understood what he meant and laughed. He followed his words and said, "Why can't you find it?"

"Young men with some ability all want to do something great. If a man is really unmotivated and incompetent, I guess you won't look down on him either."

Prince Qi said patiently, "So, you should give up on looking for a good-looking and obedient young scholar."

Gu Youan couldn't help it anymore, she tilted her head back and laughed, and after she had laughed enough, she realized that Prince Qi had already walked in front of her.

Prince Qi bowed his head slightly and looked down at her: "What you said that day was not true. I want to hear what you really care about."

Gu Youan: "Prince Qi, the Meng family, the Yuan family, and the young ladies from various families in Songjiang City who came here for you today, each of them is more obedient than me. The identity of Prince Qi's Consort alone is enough to satisfy them."

"What do you want?" King Qi asked again.

The word "power" was on the tip of her tongue, but Gu Youan swallowed it back. She smiled and asked, "You are deeply tied to the Meng family. Even an outsider like me can see it. If you abandon the daughter of the Meng and Yuan families and marry someone else, will the Meng family treat you the same as before?"

Prince Qi stood up straight and smiled: "The reason I came here today is not for the sake of the Meng and Yuan families, but for you."

The Yuan family is nothing, they are just the Meng family. If it weren't for his grandfather and mother, he would have found a way to replace Meng Chuan with his own people long ago.

Meng Chuan himself has mediocre abilities, and there is no capable person among the younger generation to choose from. However, the Meng family is reluctant to give up the title of General of the Northeast, so they try to win him over, hoping to pass the position of general to Meng Chuan's son through the relationship with Prince Qi's Mansion.

Prince Qi looked down on Meng Chuan's son, and Meng Chuan knew that he looked down on him, so the Meng family wanted to form an alliance with him by marriage. This time, Meng Chuan came to Songjiang City in person and proposed other conditions in exchange, but he rejected them all.

"Gu Youan, in my heart, my princess is far more important than the entire Meng family."

If you were my princess, you would be more important than all of them, and I value you the most.

Gu Youan understood what Prince Qi didn't say. His heart trembled as he stared at his face, not missing any movement in his expression.

"You value the princess so much. Your princess married you and stood by you. Maybe in the future she would have to risk everything to become an enemy of the court. What else can she get besides the title of princess?"

Prince Qi suddenly took two steps back, and Gu Youan felt increasingly depressed.

Prince Qi looked up at the sky, bursting into laughter, and suddenly muttered to himself, "Blame me, blame me."

The corners of Gu Youan's mouth turned down, and his heart turned cold.

Gu Youan felt a little regretful. It was a pity that he could have had a delicious meal in this place with beautiful mountains, water and scenery before leaving, but now he was afraid that he would not be able to have it.

"I know your personality, but I didn't explain it to you. It's my fault."

Gu Youan: "..." What? His fault?

"Gu Youan, if I get married, Prince Qi's Mansion will be mine and naturally also Princess Qi's."

"Does she share your power?"

"Of course, the power of Prince Qi's Mansion naturally belongs to Princess Qi half, but how much she can control it depends on her ability."

Gu Youan's heart hardened, and his words became more and more naked: "You have your own army in your hands, so Princess Qi can have one too?"

"According to the rules, the princess does not have the right to maintain a personal guard, but if you want to, you can. That's your ability."

If you want it, come and get it!

Prince Qi's words were clear, but Gu Youan didn't dare to speak anymore. She was silent for a moment before asking, "If you are willing to pay so much, then your requirements for the princess are naturally not low."

"I hope my princess can stand shoulder to shoulder with me."

He didn't want to find a dodder to cling to him. He would only feel that they were unworthy and would only disgust him.

Gu Youan smiled. He really made the right choice by choosing her. In the Zhou Dynasty, she must be the woman who understood power and responsibility the most.

"Prince Qi, I hope you will keep your word!"

"This king is not joking!"

Gu Youan looked at him, and he looked at him too, and both of them saw the determination in each other's eyes.

It was unknown whether they would become close lovers in the future, but Gu Youan had a hunch that if he stood with someone like Prince Qi who had a clear mind and clear goals, he would most likely win.