Chapter 31 Ripples (Part 9) Having grown up together, their bond runs deep…

An inner court official, about the same age as Wei Yuanzhan, came out of the hall. Upon seeing him, he bowed slightly and led him into the warm pavilion.

Empress Wei, being of advanced age, rose early and ate early. Checking the water clock, she estimated that Wei Yuanzhan hadn't yet had breakfast. Since he was family, she wouldn't let him go hungry, so she ordered the kitchen staff to prepare a meal for Wei Yuanzhan.

March had arrived, and the weather had warmed up considerably. Several potted orchids were placed in the four corners of the pavilion, and soft sunlight filtered through the gauze windows, illuminating Empress Wei's well-maintained face and adding a touch of gentle charm.

"Let's have breakfast first." The Empress glanced at Wei Yuanzhan, clearly displeased with his solemn manners, but didn't say it outright. She simply said slowly, "I remember when you were little you liked to have braised goose with bamboo shoots, just like your grandfather, you'd have at least one and a half each time... It's hard to believe you're already fifteen. In a few months, you'll be sixteen, right?"

Wei Yuanzhan thanked the Empress and took his seat: "Your Majesty, I will be sixteen in three months."

Empress Wei nodded. Although fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes, her eyes remained bright, holding a kind of majesty that had been tempered by the years.

"You're not a child anymore, why do you still act so recklessly?"

Upon hearing this, the palace maids in the pavilion bowed their heads, fearing that the young master Wei might say something inappropriate and displease the empress, but they were reluctant to lash out and direct their anger at them instead.

Sure enough, the Crown Prince of Wei stood up straight with a respectful demeanor, his eyes open and honest, and the words he uttered were enough to terrify anyone.

"I am guilty, but I have no choice. That young master of the He family is too arrogant, and I cannot stand by and watch. If Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress wish to punish me, I will obey without question."

With a "thump".

The Empress slammed down her cup, and the gold bracelet on her wrist hit the corner of the table with a dull thud.

"You brat, do you think the Emperor hasn't punished you? If it weren't for the Crown Prince speaking up for you, would you still be sitting here in my palace, all unharmed, having your meal?"

Yesterday morning at court, He Jinshan made Yining Marquis lose face completely.

The Emperor had known Wei Yuanzhan's grandfather since childhood, and his ascension to the throne was partly due to the Wei family. However, later, General Anyuan's reputation grew too great, raising suspicions that he might usurp the Emperor's power. As a result, the Emperor became wary and his attitude towards the Wei family plummeted. It wasn't until General Anyuan passed away that the Emperor resumed his usual aloofness.

If it weren't for the Crown Prince defending the Wei family yesterday, how could Marquis Yining have only been fined half a year's salary and let the matter drop so easily?

Seeing the Empress's anger, Wei Yuanzhan remained silent for a moment, then rose and knelt down in the center, not daring to act rashly again: "Your subject knows his mistake."

The morning sunlight, like golden scales, slanted across the young man's brocade robe, reminding Empress Wei of his grandfather. It was as if she were still a young woman in her chambers, her arrogant brother having secretly joined the army, only to kneel before his father upon his triumphant return, saying, "Your son knows his mistake."

In her memory, her brother was just like Wei Yuanzhan now; he had a serious demeanor, but his eyes often held a hint of arrogance.

Empress Wei's expression softened, and her tone became gentler: "You must admit your mistakes and correct them."

After she finished speaking, she continued, "Tomorrow, you will personally go to the He residence and apologize properly to Young Master He to resolve this grudge. Do you understand?"

Wei Yuanzhan frowned secretly, the words stuck in his throat for a long time before he finally swallowed them and reluctantly uttered a "yes".

"Get up."

Shortly after, a palace maid brought up milk, and Empress Wei ordered it to be sent to Wei Yuanzhan.

Seeing how polite he was in every way, and how he still spoke in the same way as before, I realized that he dared to be so "outrageous" because we were close. So I smiled and looked at him for a moment.

"You child, you are indeed my brother's bloodline, with the same bad temper." Empress Wei paused for a moment, then shook her head with a smile, "It's a pity for Jingfan."

After he finished his breakfast, the eunuch who had led him there escorted him to the outside of the palace. Before they had gone far, the two met the Crown Prince under the eaves.

He was already twenty years old, but he was two inches shorter than Wei Yuanzhan. He raised his chin slightly and watched Wei Yuanzhan bow to him: "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince glanced towards the warm pavilion: "Did the Empress Dowager scold you?"

Wei Yuanzhan said, "Your Highness is joking. Her Majesty the Empress merely invited me to have breakfast. Her grace is boundless, and I am truly blessed."

The Crown Prince slightly curled his lips: "Alright, you never tell me the truth."

As they slowly moved forward, the group of palace servants slowed their pace, making way for Prince Wei and His Highness.

The Crown Prince then said, "Do you know that He Jinshan said you beat his eldest son to the point of near death and asked Your Majesty to decide to punish you with a cane?"

Wei Jingfan rarely mentioned matters of the court when he returned to his residence, so Wei Yuanzhan was naturally unaware of them.

Upon hearing this, he sneered inwardly. This petty grudge was worth taking to the Emperor? So what if he hit He Tingzhou? He's not satisfied, why doesn't he know to get revenge himself? What a waste.

Despite his selfish motives, he maintained a composed demeanor and bowed to the Crown Prince, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Highness for your kindness."

"Don't talk to me in official jargon."

On the long road, the Crown Prince dismissed his attendants, leaving only the two of them.

After considering how to begin, he said in a calm voice, "I will not give Ruyi to Miss Wei during the next imperial concubine selection. Please tell her to rest assured that if she enters the palace, I will not mistreat her. If she has a choice... it's better if she doesn't come."

The selection of a consort for the Crown Prince has been delayed for a long time, but this year the Emperor has decreed that the selection should be brought forward. The Empress's wish is for him to marry a woman from the Wei family, but he already has someone he loves and is unwilling to offend His Majesty.

Wei Yuanzhan had never imagined that his sister would enter the palace, and was slightly surprised when he heard him mention it. He remained silent for a while, his eyelashes lowered.

The Crown Prince, unaware of his thoughts, did not urge him. After waiting for half a day, he finally spoke: "Your subject has remembered, thank you, Your Highness."

Even after entering Qiyun Garden, Zhi Rou was still feeling irritable.

The words of He Tingzhou and the others echoed in my ears as if they wouldn't go away.

Her father had never taken her to the palace banquets before. She had never seen the noble people in the palace, and she didn't know what they were like, or whether they would make things difficult for Wei Yuanzhan... The unknown and the alluring things always made her a little apprehensive.

When she channeled this state of mind into her swordplay, it became chaotic and disorganized. Before she knew it, her right wrist twisted, causing her to lose all strength in pain. She lost her grip on the sword, which fell to the ground.

Xue Nan looked at her from under the tree and sighed, "It's too messy. Come back tomorrow."

Zhi Rou frowned as she picked up the sword, sheathed it, and pressed her injured hand. She really disliked this feeling; it made it impossible for her to concentrate and wasted time.

He decided to stop practicing and walked over to Xue Nan, asking, "Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

If you have no interest in martial arts, you might as well find some small jobs to do and sell your physical strength, so that you don't waste a single day.

Xue Nan could tell what was causing her distraction.

Yuan Zhan didn't come. Rou'er always seemed to be at odds with Yuan Zhan, but it was all just on the surface. After all, they grew up together and had a deep bond. How could she really wish him bad luck?

If something goes wrong, these two will be extremely anxious.

He wanted to help her relax, so he looked into the courtyard and said thoughtfully, "Go buy me a potted plant, anything will do. If you see one you like, buy it and bring it back with you. Also, bring me your favorite crispy fish."

Upon receiving the instructions, Zhi Rou immediately agreed, washed her face, and then called Pei Cheng to go out together.

The flower sellers on the street sold flowers by the branch. Zhi Rou had Pei Cheng drive the car straight to the flower shop in the east of the city.

Upon entering the store, the sight of the blooming flowers seemed to cleanse her soul, and a natural smile gradually appeared on the girl's face.

"What kind of flowers would you like to buy, young lady?" The shopkeeper stepped out from behind his desk, his gaze sweeping over her. His eyes were slightly curved, revealing a polite and honest appearance.

Zhi Rou smiled back, her gaze sweeping from left to right before asking, "Which one is better for keeping at home to relieve boredom?"

"Look, the white toad flower. Although it is difficult to grow, it is pure white and fragrant when it blooms. You can smell the fragrance from afar, which is very pleasant."

Zhi Rou glanced over and saw that it was just a tiny flower bud, but there was an exquisite painting hanging next to it.

She thought for a moment and then asked, "Will the fragrance of this flower attract snakes and insects? I'm giving it to an elder and don't want to cause them any trouble."

"I've never heard of a white toad attracting snakes; you're overthinking it, young lady. Is it a gift for an elder in your family?"

Zhi Rou agreed. Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper then told her about two other types of flowers that were easy to care for.

Zhi Rou chose the latter, then glanced at a group of women who came in to buy the same things. She couldn't help but ask, "What are they buying?"

The shopkeeper glanced over and said, "Oh, those girls. They came to the shop to learn how to wear hairpins. Today is the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) match, so they all came to see Young Master Song and wanted to adorn him with hairpins, just like the top scholar wearing red and flowers."

Zhi Rou was slightly taken aback, then raised an eyebrow: "When did this kind of etiquette come about? Is Young Master Song willing?"

"What etiquette? When the young ladies got excited, they first threw flowers at the young master of the Li family, who gladly accepted them, and then they gradually became bolder."

The shopkeeper said, and then brought out paper and pen. He looked up at Zhi Rou and said, "May I ask where your residence is, young lady? Please write it down and I will have someone deliver it to your home."

"good."

After Zhi Rou finished paying the bill, she originally planned to go to the river to buy crispy fish. But for some reason, she suddenly became interested in seeing how her older brother, who was so aloof, would accept a flower from a strange woman.

Before she could even board the carriage, she suddenly asked, "Brother Pei, do you like watching Cuju (ancient Chinese football)?"

When Zhirou arrived at the football field, several rounds had already been played. The two sides were evenly matched, and it seemed that her older brother had met his match, probably the young master Li that the florist had mentioned.

Zhi Rou thought to herself. Looking around the field, her gaze was immediately drawn to Song Qiyu and she couldn't look away.

He wore an ivory-colored, round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe, the hem of which was slightly tucked into his right hip. His hair was neatly tied up. He ran and kicked the ball on the field with a graceful and agile movements, exuding a heroic spirit.

As the ball flew past Fengliuyan, cheers rose and fell all around, but he only glanced at the door for a moment, showing no outward emotion, yet his figure was as dazzling as a ball of light.

Zhi Rou had never seen such a dashing and spirited older brother.

Just now, as he turned around, Song Qiyu caught a glimpse of a beautiful figure in his peripheral vision. He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, and saw Zhi Rou in the crowd.

He paused for only a moment, without any further reaction, then turned around and ran back to the position, making a gesture to his companion in front of his chest.

The water clock was still flowing slowly, and a woman was whispering nearby, holding prepared flowers in her hands, her eyes fixed on Song Qiyu.

It was his gaze that inexplicably reminded her of that day before.

Two or three years have passed, and she is still somewhat afraid of her older brother. It's as if his gun is pointed at her again, and she can't tell friend from foe.

Zhi Rou didn't want him to teach her martial arts, and that was precisely the reason.

Suddenly he didn't want to watch the commotion anymore, but leaving now would be awkward, since he had already spotted her.

She watched the whole thing with a furrowed brow, and as it ended, Song Qiyu walked over with a relaxed gait. The warm spring sunshine shone down on him, and he smiled slightly as he casually asked her a question.

"Fourth sister, did you come here looking for me?"