Chapter 18 How can siblings of such lowly status be worthy of serving a young lady?

The courtyard is picturesque in autumn, with red trees interspersed with sparse yellow leaves.

The guest who had come to visit was led by Fu Yao to sit down at the tea table in the courtyard. The first thing he said was, "You are Yue Yining?"

The newcomer wore a round-necked, narrow-sleeved long robe, with shimmering brocade threads adorned with clusters of purple and gold flowers. Both his expression and posture exuded a free and unrestrained spirit. His sharply defined features always seemed to radiate a carefree and unconventional smile.

What an arrogant and beautiful young nobleman!

If Wei Yihua had tried to conceal her royal status through her clothing and demeanor when she came to visit, then this person in front of her had no intention of pretending at all.

Having made up her mind, Yue Yining smiled and replied, "Of course. Since you've come to me for divination, didn't you inquire beforehand?"

Wei Jing raised an eyebrow: "I just didn't expect that Venerable Qiu's disciple was so young."

Yue Yining put down the teapot, stretched out her arm, and placed the teacup in front of Wei Jing.

Yue Yining lowered her eyes: "I am no longer young. Young master, why don't you tell me why you came here to find me? You said you came to ask for divination, what is it that you are asking for?"

Wei Jing: "Before that, I want to confirm Master Yue's abilities in divination."

"Logically speaking, in Dongxi, a Celestial Master with exceptional abilities could not live in anonymity, but I have indeed rarely heard of the name of Celestial Master Yue."

Yue Yining was not angered by the doubt in his words, but lazily said, "I can't explain that. I can only tell you one thing, young master: every divination I have performed since I learned divination at the age of ten has come true."

"I see that your status is also extraordinary, and you should understand the weight of my words."

Upon hearing this, Wei Jing immediately stopped smiling.

He lowered his thick eyebrows and looked at Yue Yining with an ambiguous expression: "If what you say is true, then wouldn't that mean that as long as you want to calculate, you can predict everything in the world?"

Yue Yining: "Of course."

Wei Jing stared intently at her: "Then can you predict the fate of the nation? For example, who will be the next crown prince, and who will inherit the throne and ascend to the throne in the future?"

Yue Yining held a teacup in her hand: "It can be calculated, but it will come at a great cost."

"Therefore, I do not easily perform divination for others. It is one thing for the diviner to know something, but it is another to share it with others. There is a saying that heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. If everyone in the world knew heavenly secrets, those secrets might change and would no longer be heavenly secrets."

Wei Jing: "Even if only the diviner knows, wouldn't she still take actions to avoid harm and seek benefit?"

"For example, if you foresee that staying in a certain place will endanger your life, you will naturally not go there again, or you will choose to leave as soon as possible. The actions of the diviner may be small, but they may have a significant impact on the situation. If the diviner foresees a heavenly secret but escapes it, wouldn't that heavenly secret be changed as a result?"

Wei Jing became increasingly dismissive as he spoke: "What you're saying is completely unbelievable."

Upon hearing this, Yue Yining's first reaction was to laugh: "What you say is absolutely right, young master."

"But does my lord know what fate is?"

Yue Yining asked this question, seemingly not intending to hear his answer. She said, "The Heavenly Ancestor believes that everyone is born with a Book of Fate, which records a person's entire life, including fame, fortune, love, and meaning. What one can obtain and experience in one's life is already predetermined, and this is destiny."

“My master once told me that fate cannot be defied and always has the upper hand. You think you have made an impeccable choice, but in fact you have just changed the way you have walked the path that fate has planned for you; you think you know the answer, but fate will make you willingly return to the question.”

"Man may defy fate, but he cannot go against his own nature."

Wei Jing frowned, as if he hadn't understood. Yue Yining didn't mind. She lowered her eyes and smiled, putting down her teacup: "Young master, the way you ask me sounds like you want to ask me about state affairs."

Wei Jing leaned back in his chair and suddenly laughed: "I'm sorry to disappoint the Celestial Master, it's not like that at all."

“I have long made my own judgments on national affairs, and I am very confident in my judgments. I do not need to consult divination to solidify my thoughts.”

Yue Yining looked at him thoughtfully, then changed the subject: "Speaking of which, a few days ago when I went to town to buy things, I overheard two old men arguing about whether the Third Prince or the Fourth Prince was more suitable to be emperor."

Wei Jing's expression clearly changed, and Yue Yining continued to bait the issue: "The two argued in the street for a long time, each sticking to their own version of events and refusing to give in. Their verbal battle was quite a spectacle. As for the outcome—"

Wei Jing asked anxiously, "What was the result?!"

Yue Yining seemed to be deep in thought: "Hmm... let me think. It seems that the Fourth Prince would be more suitable."

Upon hearing this, Wei Jing squinted his eyes comfortably, like a cat whose fur had been stroked, and his tense back relaxed. "Just as I expected."

Yue Yining deliberately asked, "What is your prediction, young master?"

Wei Jing said with great enthusiasm, "If the former crown prince were still alive, I would never dare to say such a thing, but now that he is gone."

“Aside from the former crown prince, there are very few princes in Dongxi who are over fifteen years old. Among them, only the fourth prince is capable of shouldering the great responsibility. There is no other choice. Now, after hearing what you say, I am even more certain that even the people believe that I am the most suitable person to be emperor. What do I have to worry about or fear?”

Yue Yining kept pouring tea because she liked to cover up her embarrassment by drinking water.

Brother, do you realize you've already let it slip?

Wei Jing's eyes sparkled, and he smiled, "After I ascend the throne, I will take good care of my father and mother, and let them enjoy their old age in peace. If my father passes away, I will also treat the other concubines in the palace well and will not make them be buried alive with me—I guess my father would not want them to die with him either."

"I will be a benevolent emperor who loves his people and governs the world into a peaceful and prosperous place."

Yue Yining put down her teacup and looked at him: "What if you can't do it?"

Wei Jing asked curiously, "Why can't I do it? From childhood to adulthood, there's nothing in this world that I can't do, only things I don't want to do."

"Now that I have made up my mind, I am sure I can become a good emperor."

Yue Yining understood. This was still a child who hadn't experienced the harsh realities of life; talking to him about the limitations of human strength and the unpredictability of fate was simply like casting pearls before swine.

"If that's the case, then what do you want from me?"

Wei Jing pursed his lips, his tone softening: "I believe most things will go smoothly. I only worry about one person, and that person is my sister."

Yue Yining paused in her teacup-picking motion. Wei Jing said, "Although the social status of women has gradually improved since the current emperor took office, and it is no longer difficult for ordinary women to engage in business, study, or pursue official careers, marriage is still very important to women, enough to change the lives of most of them."

"If she marries the wrong person, she will often experience unspeakable suffering. Even if her family can support her, it will be difficult to take care of everything."

“My sister has been a very opinionated person since she was a child. She is of noble birth, upright and intelligent, and beautiful and talented. My mother has arranged marriages for her with many good men, but none of them were considered good enough for her.”

His tone sounded distressed, but he was clearly smiling: "She's stubborn, and because of her own outstanding qualities, she's always arrogant. Whenever the topic of marriage comes up, she says she doesn't want to get married, and she especially doesn't want to marry a man who is inferior to her."

"But if you ask her what kind of man she wants, her requirements are extremely demanding. He must be young and beautiful, highly talented, and virtuous! With all these requirements combined, it's impossible to find a man like that anywhere!"

Yue Yining recalled Wei Yihua's appearance and talent.

Well, if it were Her Highness the Eldest Princess, such a request wouldn't be considered excessive.

Yue Yining continued, "So, the person you want to calculate is your sister?"

Wei Jing: "I'm not worried about anything else, I'm only worried about her future. So I'd like to ask you, Master, to calculate my sister's marriage, where her future husband is, and when he will appear, so that I can have a better understanding."

So it turns out the calculation was for the eldest princess.

Yue Yining was genuinely surprised at first; she had thought Wei Jing would calculate his own fate. But she agreed: "Then, please write your sister's birth date and time on this piece of paper, young master."

Clouds pause beyond the three mountains, a water clock drips brightly before the steps. The sunset fades into the horizon, golden light gleaming far and wide.

After Yue Yining finished sketching on the Xuan paper, he looked at the hexagrams on the Bagua plate next to him, pondered for a while, and then said: "Your sister's destiny is extremely noble. It will not be an easy task for her to find a man who is worthy of her."

"Looking at this divination, it also indicates a late marriage. As for a suitable partner... well, I've seen many, more than one."

Wei Jing was struck dumb: "You said... what did you say? What do you mean by more than one??"

Yue Yining tossed her pen aside, folded her plate, and stretched out a huge yawn. After stretching, she looked up at him and said, "More than one means that it's possible they will divorce in the future, or it's possible that she will have more than one husband."

"If your sister is of high status, then taking one or two male concubines is quite common. Why do you look like you've been struck by lightning? Is this so hard to accept?"

Wei Jing seemed to be struggling to process this, but still looked somewhat absent-minded: "You don't know, my sister is very chaste and has never been close to men. I've never seen her take any young man into her household. You're suddenly telling me she'll have many men... no, many good men in the future. It's normal for me to be shocked! Do you know that the illegitimate son of the Liang family stripped naked to seduce her..."

Yue Yining raised her hand to stop him: "There's no need to inform me of such a thing."

Before Wei Jing could say anything more, a figure in white gracefully arrived.

Upon seeing Ayu approaching with water, Wei Jing suddenly revealed a knowing expression.

Immediately, alarm bells rang in Yue Yining's mind.

Wei Jing raised an eyebrow and smiled, waving the hand holding the teacup toward A Yu, and said, "So that's why Master Yue is so calm, we're kindred spirits."

“If you, Celestial Master, are willing to serve the Fourth Prince, you can have as many male concubines as you want.”

This is the second one.

Yue Yining thought her adaptability was really amazing; she actually managed to resist spitting out her tea.

Ayu stopped applying water. Yue Yining, disregarding everything else, rubbed his forehead and explained, "Your Highness...you've really misunderstood. Ayu is my servant, not my male concubine."

Wei Jing: "Oh, I understand that this is something that can't be discussed openly. I just wanted to tell you that if you follow the Fourth Prince, you'll have many benefits."

Yue Yining's face showed despair: "..."

Upon hearing this, Ayu's smile remained unchanged: "Young master is joking. I am of humble origin, how could I possibly catch the eye of Miss? If Miss needed male concubines, she wouldn't choose someone like me."

Yue Yining was stunned. She turned her head, but only saw Ayu's fair and gentle profile.

She had considered many possible reactions from him, but she never expected him to demean himself to this extent.

Wei Jing raised an eyebrow slightly: "Your male concubine is quite clever. But if you prefer someone with a good mind, you can find one, it's just a matter of spending more money. Our prince is a lover of talent."

Yue Yining: "......."