Chapter 485 Not even a message

After the New Year, Sheng Sheng followed General Rong and Madam Rong back to the capital.

Upon returning to the capital, Sheng Sheng learned that Lu Yixue had achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the third-ranked scholar in last year's imperial examinations.

Although he wasn't the top scholar, being the third-ranked scholar was still very good.

Lu Yixue comes from a military family, and his achievements are a real source of pride for the children of military families. Everyone is hoping that Lu Yixue will enter the officialdom in the future and rise to prominence, breaking the saying that "military families have no scholars".

To everyone's surprise, instead of receiving news of Lu Yixue becoming an official, they received news that Lu Yixue had asked the Emperor for the hand of the eldest princess in marriage.

Everyone sighed with regret that Lu Yixue would give up such a promising future to become a prince consort who was essentially a vassal. They couldn't understand his actions at all.

You studied hard for many years and finally passed the imperial examination to become a third-ranked scholar. Now you want to become a prince consort. Do you think you've lived up to all the hard work you put in?

Some people say that Lu Yixue just doesn't want to work hard anymore. After all, being an official is so hard, and the road to promotion is long and arduous. How can it be as easy as becoming a prince consort directly?

At first, opinions about the matter varied, but Lu Yixue himself didn't care at all about these voices of envy or ridicule. He was even quite pleased with himself, telling everyone he met, "How did you know I was going to be the prince consort?" which left Xie Yunjia both amused and exasperated.

Lu Yixue genuinely didn't care. He had said long ago that he only wanted to give himself an explanation for his years of hard work in the imperial examinations.

If he wanted to get things done, he could do it anywhere. He was the eldest son of the Lu family, and after becoming the imperial son-in-law, it wouldn't be difficult for him to do anything he wanted.

But Xie Yunjia didn't think so. She secretly went to Xie Yuxiao and begged him to make an exception for Lu Yixue, so that the prince consort could also become an official.

Xie Yuxiao was very pleased that his daughter had found the person she loved. Lu Yixue was the son of his good brother, and his character and talent were beyond reproach, which made him even more satisfied.

Overjoyed, Xie Yuxiao decided not to make an exception and directly abolished the rule that the son-in-law of a prince consort could not hold an official position.

Lu Yixue is now working at the Hanlin Academy and is very likely to become the next Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy in the future.

Because Lu Yixue was new to officialdom, their marriage was not in a hurry. After some discussion, their marriage was set for the beginning of summer the following year.

First Xie Yunchuan, then Xie Yunjia, each time with a strange sense of emotion.

However, Sheng Sheng is very happy that Xie Yunjia has also found someone she truly loves.

It's a pity that Xie Yunli couldn't make it back this time, because Lu Chaosong, as Lu Yixue's father, had to come back to attend their wedding. However, according to the plan, Zhennanguan was in the midst of military training at that time and couldn't be left alone.

Therefore, Xie Yunli had to guard Zhennan Pass.

Fortunately, there was some good news: Xie Yunwen's leg was gradually improving. Although he was still far from being able to walk, at least his leg was no longer a black patch without sensation, but was slowly regaining its pain sensation, which was really good news.

Sheng Sheng spent almost half a month resting and adjusting herself, and then returned to her old ways of finding this to do today and that to do tomorrow.

Sheng Sheng is almost nine years old now. The soft, chubby little dumpling has begun to show her beauty and has grown into a graceful young lady, making people happy to see her.

Xie Yuxiao and Consort Rong doted on this daughter even more, and seemed to want to give her everything they could.

However, no matter what, Sheng Sheng could not escape the fact that she had to go to Wenhua Hall to study.

Fortunately, Sheng Sheng still enjoys reading, and Xie Yunwen and Xie Yunqi are still in the Wenhua Hall. With company, the days of reading are not boring.

A whole year passed in a flurry of activity until the beginning of summer the following year, on Xie Yunjia's wedding day, when Shengsheng finally had a day off from studying.

The wedding procession for a princess to marry her husband was naturally not as grand as that for a crown prince to marry his wife, but Xie Yu still gave his eldest daughter, Xie Yunjia, the grandest wedding possible.

On the Spring Equinox, a gentle breeze blows, willow branches sprout new buds, and red silk is laid out from the palace gate all the way to the princess's residence, dazzling people with a festive atmosphere.

Xie Yunjia was dressed in a red wedding gown, the pearls hanging from her phoenix crown swaying gently with her steps, her eyes full of undisguised joy.

Xie Yu personally ascended the city tower to escort the bride, with civil and military officials lined up behind him. The dowry chests bestowed by the emperor were displayed in a long string, with gold, silver, jade, silk and satin dazzling the eyes of passersby.

Wearing a light purple palace dress, Sheng Sheng followed in the wedding procession. Just like at Xie Yunchuan's wedding, she personally joined the procession of scattering wedding candies. Watching her elder sister being helped into the gilded wedding sedan chair, she couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and call out into the chair, "Royal sister, you mustn't forget me now that you have a brother-in-law!"

Xie Yunjia chuckled and ruffled her hair, saying, "You're my sister's most beloved younger sister. How could I forget you?"

With a gentle smile, Sheng Sheng watched as the newly appointed imperial son-in-law, Lu Yixue, dressed in red, took the person away.

This time, Sheng Sheng didn't rush to catch up and watch the ceremony. Instead, she returned to the palace alone and went to the South Lake to find a stone bench to sit down.

The shimmering lake surface sparkled again and again, and the willow trees along the lake did not stop swaying their bodies.

Sheng Sheng propped his head up, looked at the lake, and sighed with a touch of melancholy.

Despite it being a joyous day, Sheng Sheng felt a little disappointed.

Her tenth birthday is just around the corner. As the most pampered little princess, Sheng Sheng can have any birthday gift she wants, but she still feels a little disappointed.

She stretched out her hand to block the somewhat glaring sunlight.

Her fair hands took on a warm hue under the sunlight. Sheng Sheng carefully examined her slender fingers, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

She seems to be growing up; she's almost ten years old.

Where is Pei Ji?

Sheng Sheng turned her head and looked in the direction of Jingyue Pavilion.

There had been no one there for a very long time. If she hadn't had someone clean Jingyuexuan every month, the dust there would probably have accumulated to a thickness of an inch.

Sheng Sheng thought for a moment and figured Pei Ji was probably fifteen or sixteen years old.

Alas, ever since I accompanied my brother Pei Ji to his thirteenth birthday celebration, Pei Ji returned to the State of Song and has never come back.

Sheng Sheng hadn't seen him for almost three years.

I promised to write her a letter, but in reality, I didn't write a single one.

That's bad enough, but they didn't even send a message!

If Pei Ji were here, Sheng Sheng would definitely drag him around to experience all the joy and celebration in such a lively scene.

Although Pei Ji didn't like to join in the fun.

Thinking of this, Sheng Sheng stood up angrily and kicked a small pebble at her feet, sending it flying into the lake.

"You wicked Pei Ji brother! You promised to write back whenever you had time, but not a single letter, not even a single word!" Sheng Sheng muttered angrily, hands on her hips. "At least let people know something, right? I don't even know if you're alive or dead..."

Although she knew that Pei Ji was definitely still alive and well, otherwise the Song Kingdom would have been in chaos, and her brother would have told her.

But she still worries.

Even just sending a message would be helpful.

He lowered his head, his voice muffled.

The wind by the lake had suddenly picked up, sweeping in gusts towards the willow trees, and then a low laugh followed.

"Why is someone quietly cursing me here? Did I upset Sheng Sheng, huh?"