Chapter 68: Drying Books He was not completely unaware of it.

Princess Xuande went to the palace early in the morning to meet Emperor Fengqi.

She and Emperor Fengqi were not born of the same mother, but they had a good relationship. Thirty years ago, the princes of various families were fighting fiercely for the throne. Emperor Fengqi was neglected and looked down upon because he had no power. However, his sister treated everyone equally, and stayed around him all day long, calling him Sixth Brother. She did not want anything from him, and occasionally when she received rewards, she was willing to secretly share some to help him.

Because of this past affection, Emperor Fengqi treated her very leniently. After ascending the throne, he promoted her to the title of Princess Chang and gave the surname Xiao to her unborn child. Later, he promoted her to the first prince of the new dynasty.

Relying on the emperor's favor, the princess acted with ease, taking whatever she wanted. Yesterday, she learned that the Prince of Jin was attracted to Jiang Congying, and early this morning, she went to the palace to ask Emperor Fengqi for permission to marry her.

Emperor Fengqi asked the eunuch Xue Huanjin beside him, "Who is this Fourth Lady Jiang? My nephew has been away from worldly affairs for so many years, yet he's already attracted to her?"

Xue Huanjin said in a thin voice, "This is the granddaughter of the late Censor Jiang. Earlier this spring, during the imperial examination fraud case, she petitioned the palace on behalf of her cousin Jiang Congjing. Your Majesty met her then."

After he reminded him, Emperor Feng Qi remembered: "So it's her. She's quite pretty, but unfortunately her last name is Jiang."

Xue Huanjin knew that Emperor Fengqi disliked Old Censor Jiang, so he echoed his sentiments and said, "Your Majesty is right. Besides, Jiang Si Niang is already engaged to Mrs. Xie. How can she be betrothed to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin?"

"Xie Xiang's daughter-in-law, Xie Xuanlan's fiancée..."

Emperor Fengqi pressed his forehead and said to the eldest princess, "Xuan De, you really know how to choose a good family."

Princess Xuande said, "Only in terms of character and family background, I would look down on her. But she has done a great service in nursing my son back from the brink of death. For my son's life, she must marry into the Prince of Jin's mansion. If the Xie family wants to marry, let them find another wife. How can I argue with you, my king?"

She has a bad temper and does not care about anything, but Emperor Fengqi cannot be as willful as her.

He waved his hand and said, "The Western Tartar envoys are arriving in the capital today, and I will receive them in the Taiwu Hall. The Prince of Jin's marriage is an important matter that cannot be taken lightly. I must consider it carefully. You may return first."

The princess had no choice but to bow and take her leave. Xue Huan politely saw her out of the Chuigong Hall and watched her leave the palace on a sedan chair.

Xue Huanjin waited for a while by the imperial road outside Chuigong Hall. A young eunuch in a large-sleeved draped blue shirt quickly approached and said respectfully, "Godfather, what do you want from your son?"

Xue Huanjin ordered him, "Go to Dayi Palace and tell your Majesty that the Prince of Jin wishes to marry Xie San's fiancée. Princess Xuande has come today to request permission, but His Majesty has not yet responded."

The young eunuch took the order and left.

After giving this order, Xue Huanjin did not rush back. Instead, he strolled to the side room of the Chuigong Palace. Seeing that there was no one around, he pretended to walk to a guard on duty without looking at him and whispered, "Go tell your master that Prince Jin wants to take Xie San as his fiancée."

Yunjing City was large, but it was too small for news to spread. The eldest princess entered the palace to ask for permission that morning, and by noon, the news had spread among those who were interested.

The first person to learn of this was the Prince of Jin. His spies were well-informed, and before the Princess had even left the palace, the guards outside the Chuigong Palace took the opportunity of a shift to pass the news to him.

At that time, the Prince of Jin was playing Go with Congying under the shade of flowers. The stakes were to drink the medicine freshly brewed by Doctor Zhang. The Prince of Jin held the chess pieces in his right hand and in his left, clutched the note that read, "The Princess, please grant Jiang Si Niang the marriage to be the Princess of Jin." His expression suddenly became very subtle, and his hesitant gaze fell on Congying's face.

Cong Ying was still concentrating on the chessboard: "Your Highness, if you don't make a move now, you will be considered to have admitted defeat."

The King of Jin said, "It's a rare and leisurely time. Wouldn't it be nice to accompany me and stay a little longer?"

Cong Ying is unyielding and selfless: "Chess can be played slowly, but the medicine must not be left to cool. Your Highness, please use the medicine first."

The Prince of Jin accepted the note, picked up the medicine bowl, and drank it all in one gulp. He leaned back in his chair, frowning and closing his eyes, forcing himself to endure the bitter taste of the Huanglian juice. A piece of osmanthus candy, wrapped in oil paper, was handed to him. He didn't stand up to take it, but simply raised his chin slightly and took it from her palm. Seeing her eyes flicker and lower her eyes, she tapped her fingers lightly on the edge of the chair in a good mood.

He said, "What Doctor Zhang meant is that this medicine must be taken every day, and this osmanthus candy must also be available every day."

Cong Ying said, "I can teach the sugar-making recipe to the people around His Highness."

"You didn't do that yourself."

"Then I'll send it to Prince Jin's Mansion regularly after it's done."

"Even if it's passed through someone else's hands, it won't work either."

Hearing this, Cong Ying sighed softly.

She had heard Zi Su say that the Prince of Jin was a very easy-going man. Although he loved fine food and expensive clothes, he always followed her instructions and never complained.

However, perhaps because of the pain in the past few days, he had a hard time getting her to take medicine or drink water. He had to wait for her to come and eat breakfast together. The table was full of delicacies, but he often put down his chopsticks after only a few bites. He would stare at her and taste each one, just as she stared at him while he drank medicine. Then he would ask her to tell the difference between good, medium and low quality, and he would remember everything in his mind.

A similar feeling welled up in Ying's heart, as if she had also drunk medicine and eaten candy. Although the candy was slightly sweet, it couldn't suppress the bitterness that rose with her heartbeat.

She said, "Your Highness should learn to take your medicine properly. Saburo will be back tomorrow."

The King of Jin looked at her and said, "Now that he's back, you won't come to see me, right?"

Cong Ying said, "Your Highness's condition has improved, so this matter should be stopped."

Prince Jin's left hand fell into his sleeve, gently twisting the note requesting marriage, his fingertips feeling slightly hot, as if his secret desire had been exposed to the wind, and a flickering spark was emerging from the dead ashes.

He stared at Cong Ying for a long time and said, "I understand."

The next day, Congying did not come again, but only asked someone to send a box of osmanthus candy.

The King of Jin sat beside the table full of sumptuous breakfast, unwrapped the sugar coating and tasted one, then sat alone until the food was cold, then he said lightly: "Remove everything."

"I'm going to see my mother."

＊

Princess Chun'an was discussing with her staff about holding an elegant gathering.

The gathering was held on both sides of the Tiannu Canal in Yunjing City. On the east bank, people would imitate ancient discussions, while on the west bank, people would recite poems and compose fu. Participants were mainly female officials around the princess and talented students from the Taiyi Women's School. The purpose of holding this gathering was to spread the reputation of the Taiyi Women's School and pave the way for the students to seek official positions.

This was the idea that Luoxishanren gave to Princess Chun'an. The princess was refreshed by it and immediately summoned her staff to discuss the details.

Gan Jiu said, "To prevent the Imperial College students from causing trouble and challenging the academy, we should send the imperial army to cordon off the grounds and strictly check the identities of those entering and leaving."

Princess Chun'an looked down at Yiyun and asked, "What do you think, Yunqing?"

Yiyun recalled Congying's explanation and said slowly, "The purpose of an elegant gathering is to gather the wise and capable. Only through expansive discussions and debates can it be engaging. Preventing the Imperial College students from observing would only make them look timid. We should openly invite them to attend, and let them compete with each other in rhetoric and writing. If we can defeat the century-old Imperial College, our women's school will truly be famous."

Gan Jiu frowned and said, "That's easy for you to say. The students of the Imperial College are all outstanding talents selected from all over the country. Their essays are all world-class. How can they win so easily? If they lose, wouldn't they be doing the Imperial College a disservice?"

Yiyun said, "Although they have been studying for a long time, we have the power to set the topic. If we work hard, we can still win."

Princess Chun'an pondered, "You mean to let the girls of Taiyi cram for the exam and focus on literary discussions and war?"

Yiyun nodded: "Exactly."

Even so, there is no guarantee of complete victory.

But Princess Chun'an understood Yiyun - to be more precise, she understood what the man from Luoxi Mountain meant.

If the Taiyi Women's School aspired to achieve fame and success rather than simply entertain itself, it would sooner or later clash with the students of the Imperial Academy, and even with the scholars from aristocratic families and those educated through the imperial examination system. The scholars would not yield to the girls' lack of learning; instead, they would only escalate their ridicule, accusing them of being shallow-minded, unfit for academic pursuits, and even less qualified for political participation.

Rather than losing miserably later, it is better to test the enemy's strength from the beginning, feel ashamed after losing, and be braver after knowing the shame. If you win, it will be a decisive victory thousands of miles away.

All the staff looked at Princess Chun'an, waiting for her final decision.

Princess Chun'an pondered for a long time before saying, "I have been running a girls' school since I was twelve years old. It has been eighteen years now, and I have put so much effort into it. Yet others only regard it as a pastime for the boudoir. I have had enough of this kind of contempt."

"Prepare invitations and ask the Imperial College to send students to participate in the debate at the elegant gathering."

Then he ordered his staff to seize the time to promote the girls with good knowledge and eloquence in Taiyi Middle School, and focus on cultivating their talents in literary discussion and warfare, and to see results in just one month.

After the staff members received their orders and left, the female official brought the godson sent by Xue Huanjin to report the news.

Princess Chun'an was still thinking about the gathering. At first, she didn't pay attention and suspected she had misheard. "What did you say?"

The young eunuch repeated, "My godfather sent me to inform Your Highness that today Princess Xuande is asking Your Majesty to grant a marriage between Prince Jin and Jiang Si Niang."

Princess Chun'an nodded: "I understand."

Her face showed no emotion. Only when the young eunuch left and Gan Jiu was left alone did she laugh out loud with interest.

"It's truly bizarre that my cousin, who looks like a banished immortal, could actually do something like steal my wife. Whether this comes true or not, the feud between Prince Jin and the Xie family is about to begin."

Gan Jiu said, "If the Prince of Jin can fight the Xie family, no matter who wins, it will be a win-win situation for Your Highness. But...are they really fighting, or are they just putting on a show for the world, while they're actually offering their wives to show their loyalty and secretly colluding?"

Princess Chun'an thought of Guikuizhang.

Xie San and the Prince of Jin desperately ran up the mountain to save Jiang Si Niang, even swearing to betray their master and ancestors. Their devotion didn't seem like an act. These two might have colluded, but they certainly wouldn't have sacrificed their wives.

Princess Chun'an said, "I want to see for myself what these three are up to. Gan Jiu, please send each of them an invitation privately to attend the Tiannvqu Elegant Gathering next month."

Gan Jiu responded yes.

Yiyun was anxious to tell Congying about the results of the gathering, and hurriedly left Dayi Palace with her staff, so she didn't hear the rest of the story. After leaving the Princess's Mansion, she followed the address Congying had given her and found her new home, "Ji Su Yuan," behind Congshan Academy.

The main door was ajar, with new couplets carved on both sides: "Rain brings water to fill the inkstone, bamboo provides wind to sweep the bed."

The meaning is far-reaching and the appearance is beautiful, but it is not the handwriting of Ying.

Cong Ying was sitting on the lawn in front of the library, drying books in the sun. The bright sunlight made her face look radiant. When she saw Yi Yun, she cheerfully stepped forward to greet her, "Senior Sister, please come in quickly. The tea will take a while."

Yiyun asked about the couplet on the door: "Who wrote this? It's really beautiful. I want to ask for a copy to be engraved on my sword."

Cong Ying laughed when she heard this: "What do you mean by 'master'? That was written by Third Young Master Xie, who insisted on carving it on my door, saying that it was full of murderous aura and could ward off evil spirits."

As for who he was really trying to get rid of, Xie Xuanlan said it meaningfully, and Cong Ying understood it tacitly, but the two did not make it clear.

Yiyun was surprised and said, "How can the Third Young Master, a mere warrior, write such beautiful calligraphy?"

Xie Xuanlan, who was carrying a camphorwood box out of the library, overheard these words. He didn't like what he heard, and with his long eyes lazily lowered, he taunted Yiyun, "You are just a knight-errant, yet you dare to go to the princess's mansion and cheat people? I just wrote a few words, so is it surprising?"

He said it unintentionally, but Yiyun and Congying both glanced at each other with guilt, suspecting that he had discovered something.

Cong Ying winked at Yi Yun, asking her to wait in the hall. Then she walked over to Xie Xuanlan, wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, and dismissed him. "You just came back yesterday, so you should get some rest. Let Zi Su and I handle the boring work of drying the books."

Xie Xuanlan grasped her wrist and said with a half-smile, "Are you chasing me away?"

"No……"

"Aying, why do you have secrets from everyone?"

His tone was gentle and seemed like a joke, but Ying could hear a flash of dissatisfaction in it.

Her heart beat rapidly, thinking about what she had done in Prince Jin's Mansion. He was not completely unaware of it, and he had been holding this anger for who knows how many days. She could not help but lower her eyes in guilt and shame, not knowing how to respond to calm his resentment.

Xie Xuanlan stared at her for a few moments, then slowed down his tone, "I don't mean to blame you. Go find her. I won't eavesdrop."

He still carried the camphorwood box, walked to the lawn where the sun was shining, half squatted down, carefully took out the ancient books from the box, and patiently spread them out one by one.

Red clothes reflect green grass.

The sunlight poured down on his back, clearly outlining his butterfly bones beneath the brocade clothes and his waist tightly bound by the leather belt.

Cong Ying stared at his back, and saw that the blue veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible when he moved the boxes.

A thought suddenly came to my mind: He seems to have lost a lot of weight these days.

So he also felt bad, and felt a lot of pity, and called out softly, "Sanlang."

Xie Xuanlan paused while bending over to dry the books and tilted his head slightly.

Cong Ying said, "Things like drying books are more fun when done together as a couple. Can you wait for me and join us?"

Xie Xuanlan still didn't turn around to look at her, but he lowered his head and sighed, and his sharp jawline became much softer.

He realized that with just this one, not-so-clever word of advice from her, the depression that had been accumulating for many days was gone like clouds and wind, and nothing could be done. So, with a half-bitter smile and half-helplessness in his heart, he stopped torturing this box of dead things, stood up, and turned around to look at her with his hands behind his back.

A gentle breeze blew past the two of them, and Xie Xuanlan finally said "Okay".