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◎Whoever the little princess likes, she'll take him first!◎

"Get up, and stop kneeling so easily."

Qingyang put down the little wooden man and looked at Zhang Su, who was much shorter than her. She chose him to be her husband's daughter-in-law, not to be her imperial guard!

Zhang Su remained kneeling, facing the hem of the little princess's skirt. "If Your Highness has made up his mind, I will go to the palace tomorrow to ask the Emperor for permission to marry me."

Qingyang was amused: "You usually keep a low profile, why are you so anxious today?"

Zhang Su: "Marriage is such a big deal, I dare not lie to the emperor."

Qingyang let him stand up and said, "The Emperor is already pleased with you and is only waiting for my approval. However, you've just returned from Yunzhou. Proposing marriage so hastily is neither in keeping with your character nor in line with the Duke's code of conduct. I'll report this to the Emperor and let him choose the right time to grant the marriage."

Zhang Su said yes and stood silently aside. When he saw the little princess knocking on the chair, he sat down again and continued to fan the little princess.

He stretched his arms out, and Qingyang looked tired. He grabbed the fan and fanned himself, shaking the little wooden figure and asking, "Didn't you say you'd go back and get it this afternoon? So you can lie, too."

Zhang Su knew that the little princess had already seen through his thoughts, so he did not answer.

He changed the gift to a bird because he was afraid that the little princess had forgotten her promise to wait for him and he did not want to offend the little princess with his feelings.

He brought the gift today because he considered that the little princess might still remember it and was afraid that she would be angry because he had changed the gift without permission.

Qingyang: "This one looks like it, but it's too small. It's a lot shorter than a fourteen-year-old. It's not like I'm getting shorter as I grow older."

Zhang Su: "...There is another one that is seven inches and two inches tall. I will get it and give it to His Highness the Third Prince."

Qingyang: "...How long does it take to carve one?" He must be very busy in Yunzhou, how could he carve two small wooden figures and an extremely complex bird?

Zhang Su looked at his hands resting on his knees and said, "I have become quite skilled at carving these days. If I spend half an hour every day carving, I can carve a complete one in a month."

Qingyang pointed at the back of his hand with the corner of his folding fan: "Turn around."

Zhang Su's body stiffened slightly, and before the little princess urged him, he turned his left palm upwards.

Qingyang leaned towards him and looked down, only to see that the man had long fingers with thin calluses on his knuckles and palms. Qingyang stretched out his hand to compare its size with his, but just when he stretched out half of it, Zhang Su dodged like a snake and hid his hand behind his back.

With familiar agility, Qingyang stepped on his instep again.

Zhang Su: "...Is your Highness going to continue playing chess with you?"

Qingyang: "No, I'm going back to the palace to rest."

Zhang Su looked at the third prince who was still sleeping.

Qingyang smiled and said, "Let Third Brother continue to sleep."

She stood up and placed the folding fan belonging to her third brother next to the chessboard. Then she walked out of the pavilion. Hearing footsteps behind her, Qingyang turned around.

Zhang Su lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness, I will see you off."

Qingyang: "After seeing me off, did you go straight back home, or did you come back to say goodbye to Third Brother?"

Zhang Su has always been polite, so of course he has to come back.

Qingyang: "It's the middle of the day, you don't have to be polite to me."

Zhang Su glanced at the scorching sun outside and said, "I will hold an umbrella for Your Highness."

Qingyang smiled and said, "There is Jieyu. You don't have to do this kind of rough work. You are really thoughtful. Why don't you stay and fan mosquitoes for the third brother?"

Zhang Su: “…”

Despite being silent, Zhang Su continued to follow the little princess.

It was just a tease, so Qingyang didn't chase him away. After leaving the waterside pavilion, Qingyang instructed Fu'an who was guarding here: "I'm tired. After the Third Young Master sends me off, I will go back to the mansion directly. When the Third Brother wakes up, please tell him."

Fuan agreed with a smile.

Qingyang looked at him one more time before leaving.

Fu'an understood that he would never tell the Third Prince about the little princess and the Third Young Master's secret conversation, because it would not have any impact if the Third Prince did not know about it. However, if the little princess knew that he was not careful enough and was gossiping behind her back, she would probably punish him.

.

Because the little princess didn't allow him to go back, after watching the little princess's carriage set off, Zhang Su also mounted his horse and left.

He said goodbye to his parents before leaving. Now that he is back, Zhang Su also said goodbye to his parents out of habit so that they don't worry.

Xu was chatting with her husband on the couch in the second room. Her husband was sitting and she was resting her head on his legs.

Zhang Jie saw his wife yawn and said, "Go to sleep. I'll tell you if there's anything when Su Ge'er comes back."

Xu was worried: "With the two of you two talking, you won't be able to get anything out of me."

Zhang Jie: “…”

Zhang Su came over at this time. Hearing the message from the maid outside the door, Zhang Jie immediately helped his wife sit up straight and got off the couch. While Xu was simply fixing her hair, Zhang Jie was already sitting on a throne on the north side.

Xu was both angry and amused. The old couple were just sitting on the couch and chatting. Why were they afraid that the children would see them?

Zhang Su came in and saw his father sitting on the north side with a book in his hand, and his mother sitting on the couch with needle and thread in her hand. He bowed to them respectively and finally stood facing his father.

Zhang Jie put down the book, looked at his son and asked, "Have you been drinking with His Highness the Third Prince?"

Zhang Su: “No.”

Zhang Jie: "Then why did you come back just now?"

Zhang Su: "Your Highnesses are both very concerned about the battle against the Pyus and have discussed it for a long time."

Zhang Jie nodded and continued reading.

Xu called her son over and said with a smile, "I remember that the princess used to go for a stroll outside the palace when she left. Today, she is not in the mood for a stroll. Perhaps she understands that you just returned to the capital and it is useless for you to follow her."

Zhang Su: "It was a hot afternoon, so the princess went straight back to the palace after the banquet."

Xu: "Yeah, it's quite hot. So, you and the two princes haven't seen each other for so long. Have you grown estranged?"

Zhang Su: "Your Highness treats me just as he did before. The princess has grown up, so it's only natural that she's a little more distant."

Xu resisted the urge to look at her husband and nodded, saying, "Yes, you must abide by the rules and not offend the princess unintentionally because of childhood affection."

Zhang Jie: "Okay, let's go back and rest."

Zhang Su took his leave.

As soon as her son left, Xu looked at her husband with suspicion: "It sounds like the princess has no other thoughts about Su Ge'er. Did you misunderstand the emperor's intentions last year?"

Zhang Jie was not someone who liked to guess the emperor's mind, but the emperor toasted him alone right after he granted the third prince a marriage, and his smile was so obvious that Zhang Jie did not think he would misunderstand.

"Wait a little longer. The princess has reached the age of marriage, and the marriage will only be granted within the next two years. If she really points to someone else, you can arrange it for Su Ge'er."

.

After Qingyang returned to the palace, she went to Qianyuan Hall first. Only after she learned that her father was awake did she go in.

Emperor Xingwu was flipping through folded papers on the couch. When he saw his daughter meet his eyes, she turned her face away slightly, and the corners of her lips rose. It seemed as if she was a little shy like a young girl meeting her lover, but it was more like the pure joy of choosing a perfect son-in-law for herself, and the annoyance that could not be hidden from her father. Emperor Xingwu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Is it done?" Emperor Xingwu asked with a smile, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart.

Qingyang: "Of course." As two fifteen-year-old little wooden figures, Zhang Su liked her more than she had guessed.

Emperor Xingwu: "Father also expected that he would definitely agree, unless Zhang Su is really a blockhead."

Qingyang glared at his father, then sat down beside him and said, "He wanted to go to the palace tomorrow to ask for his father's permission to marry him. I told him to wait for the emperor to make the decision."

Emperor Xingwu said: "Well, he will go to the Western Garden to escape the summer heat at the end of the month. Father is planning to hold a hunting competition. If he can win the first prize, Father will take the opportunity to grant you a marriage."

Qingyang frowned: "Hunting sometimes depends on luck. What if he's unlucky..."

Emperor Xingwu said unconcernedly, "Then let's see who the winner is. Perhaps he's a more handsome, skilled warrior, and more virtuous man than Zhang Su. Wouldn't that be more suitable for you?"

Qingyang: "...Father, do not allow me to joke about my marriage."

Emperor Xingwu sighed and patted his daughter's head. "Father is worried that you're still young and don't understand what love is. Seeing that your elder sister, elder brother, second brother, and third brother have all married, I've made it a priority to find a consort for myself. It just so happens that Zhang Su, who meets all your requirements, is nearby. So, we'll settle it while you're both old enough."

One is a daughter who has been obsessed with reading and court affairs since childhood, and the other is a well-behaved, taciturn and polite son. As an elder, Emperor Xingwu naturally thinks that the two children are a match made in heaven, but there is more emphasis on a kind of chemistry between men and women. Just like he has seen many beauties sent to him by others, but only Concubine Li made him stunned as soon as she appeared.

Emperor Xingwu believed that Zhang Su had feelings for his daughter, as she was so beautiful. But the key was whether his daughter really understood.

The little princess was well-read, and she had never seen any book that talked about love and romance, so she humbly asked, "Father, can you tell me about it?"

Emperor Xingwu: "...My father is a man, and his ideas are different from you women. You should ask your mother about this matter."

Qingyang: "... Mother gets nervous when she sees Father, and doesn't even dare to say a bad word about him in private. Could that be her love for him?"

Emperor Xingwu snorted, "There were times when your mother blushed when she saw your father, but you weren't born then, so you didn't have the chance to see her."

Qingyang thought about it and realized that she would only be happy to see Zhang Su, but...

She smiled and said, "Zhang Su blushes in front of me. It's enough that he has feelings for me. It just so happens that I like him too."

Qingyang didn't bother to think too much about love affairs. Anyway, she liked Zhang Su and Zhang Su was willing. All she had to do next was wait for the marriage to be granted and get married.

"Father, please continue reading the memorials. I'm leaving now!"

In the blink of an eye, the little princess ran out of Qianyuan Hall.

Emperor Xingwu listened to his daughter's footsteps as she left, and when he put Zhang Su and Concubine Li in the same position, he felt that his daughter's words made sense.

The little princess will take the man she likes first, and if she likes another man in the future, we can talk about it later!

.

On May 13, Qingyang, wearing a scarlet dragon robe, met his elder brother on the palace road of the East Palace, and then went to the outside of Qianyuan Hall together to wait for the court session.

The brother and sister arrived early because they lived close together. Zhang Jie arrived especially early due to his respectful nature, and as a Duke, he ranked particularly high among military officers. As for Zhang Su, who held the rank of Third Rank, he had just returned from an expedition and had been granted a two-week leave by Emperor Xingwu, exempting him from attending court for the time being.

Days get brighter quickly in the summer. In the dim light, Qingyang approaches while observing his future son-in-law, the Duke's father.

Zhang Jie bowed to the two princes without looking up.

The little princess found it difficult to tell whether the Duke was too calm and secretive, or whether Zhang Su was too polite and did not tell his parents.

The little princess didn't notice it. Emperor Xingwu, sitting on the dragon throne, glanced at Zhang Jie several times intentionally or unintentionally but still didn't notice it. He had no choice but to call Zhang Jie to the imperial study after the court was dismissed.

"Zhang Su and Lin'er are childhood sweethearts. They are now of the right age. I plan to arrange a marriage for them soon. Are you willing?"

Zhang Jie said respectfully, "It is a blessing for me and my family to be appreciated by the Emperor. I'm afraid the Princess has no interest in me, and I'm sorry."

Emperor Xingwu smiled meaningfully and said, "Whether Lin'er feels wronged or not, ask your Zhang Su."

Zhang Jie: “…”

【Author’s words】

Here I come, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~

P.S.: I said before that the third brother would be crowned king in September, but I changed it to mid-May because I mentioned earlier that the third brother would start his own household in late April, so let's put his birthday in April or May [three-color cat head]