Chapter 275 Demanding Official Appointment Face to Face

Dou Wenyi rolled her eyes inwardly, then said with a grin, "Your Highness, aren't you just asking a question you already know the answer to!"

Pei Siyan's angular face darkened, his thin lips pressed tightly together, as if containing a hint of restrained anger.

Almost instantly he regained his composure and solemnly said, "Yi'er, I really did wrong you before, but I hope that in the future, the days you spend with me will be pleasant, comfortable, and happy."

He shouldn't have reminded her; what if she really brought up the past? Wouldn't that have just made him suffer?

His voice was warm and low, like a gentle stream, giving people a sense of calm and conviction.

However, beneath his composed and handsome face, Dou Wenyi could easily discern the unease hidden beneath his anger.

Being born into the royal family, he was naturally suspicious, and it was truly remarkable that he managed to carve out a bloody path through the treacherous world of Yunju.

Their relationship was fraught with misfortune from the start, but now, with all these entanglements, how can they possibly untangle themselves?

Just be more understanding of him; it won't hurt to say a few words to him.

Dou Wenyi's eyes flickered, and she took his hand. "Sanlang, I'll be watching. If you dare to treat me badly, I'll feed you peanuts!"

Pei Siyan's gloomy expression vanished, and he laughed. "It'll give you a rash. Won't you feel bad about that?"

"I don't feel bad!" Dou Wenyi stubbornly insisted.

Pei Siyan saw the mischievous glint in her bright eyes and the alluring sheen of her rosy lips. He pulled her into his arms and, as if possessed, kissed her fiercely.

In fact, the moment her soft hand touched the back of his hand, the intense restlessness in his heart was instantly calmed down.

After realizing his feelings for her, he acted recklessly out of jealousy, even threatening her with someone else's life to force her to agree to his advances...

At that moment, he suddenly realized how despicable and terribly wrong he had been, but he did not regret it.

After all, if he had followed the rules and never fought for anything, she would have married Shen Yanzhou long ago!

Do you want him to regret it for the rest of his life?

Fortunately, heaven was on his side; otherwise, how could it have given him such a wonderful woman?

Dou Wenyi's pupils widened suddenly, and a blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. He was too bold!

She raised her hand and slapped him on the chest. Pei Siyan raised an eyebrow and reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist and lowering his voice, "Stop fooling around, someone's coming."

Who exactly is causing trouble?

Dou Wenyi glanced around but didn't see anyone. She felt that he was lying to her.

She hit him again, and the two of them played around for a while. Pei Siyan held her hand tightly and walked towards the front yard.

Hidden behind the artificial hill, Dou Yingxue's heart pounded as she gazed longingly at their departing figures.

It turns out that the Crown Prince's brother-in-law was not the fierce and unapproachable figure he was rumored to be, but rather gentle and considerate...

**

After walking through the long corridor, Dou Wenyi finally let go of her hand when they were about to reach the front yard. The Dou family had been waiting for a long time. When they saw the two of them coming side by side, everyone was invigorated and stood up to greet them.

At this moment, various exquisite appetizers and dried fruits were already laid out on the dining table in the side hall, and the spacious doors and windows were all open, wafting out a refreshing aroma.

As the Crown Prince took his seat in the main position, Dou Wenyi sat to his left, and then the Dou family members took their seats one after another.

Madam Gu immediately ordered warm wine to be served, and specially prepared light and delicious plum wine for Dou Wenyi. Then the servants brought dishes to the table in a continuous stream, and everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.

Because of the presence of the Crown Prince, a person of high status, everyone in the Dou family was very reserved and restrained. They only symbolically picked up a couple of bites with their chopsticks before trying to make conversation.

The men clinked glasses and drank, and Pei Siyan, unusually in high spirits, occasionally joined in with a drink, creating a rather pleasant atmosphere.

After eating for a while, Madam Gu ordered the opera to begin in the Misty Rain Pavilion in the front hall. As the melodious music started, the actors began to sing.

A shallow, clear water, filled with water lilies, separates the halls and pavilions. Red and yellow koi swim among the lotuses, and the water murmurs softly. Amidst the enchanting flowers and green trees, setting up a stage here for a theatrical performance would be quite an elegant experience.

As Dou Wenyi listened to the music, she picked up a piece of sweet and sour mandarin fish and tasted it; it was quite delicious.

It's clear that Madam Gu and her family put a lot of thought and effort into this banquet.

She then picked up another piece and placed it in Pei Siyan's bowl. Pei Siyan remained expressionless, but his large hand, hidden beneath his sleeve, deliberately rested on her leg...

Dou Wenyi frowned and glared at him, but Pei Siyan subtly looked away, acting as if nothing had happened, without taking his hand away.

At this moment, Dou Zhongyuan, the second son of the Crown Prince, glanced at the smug Dou Bochang, and suddenly knelt down in the hall, shouting, "Your Highness, I am Dou Zhongyuan, the Crown Princess's second uncle. I have served as a stable hand for many years, working diligently and without a single complaint. However, now that His Majesty is in seclusion, the stable is overgrown with moss."

"My ambitions remain unfulfilled!"

He spread his hands, his voice slightly hoarse, "These hands of mine... can still help Your Highness train warhorses and expand territory!"

The position of Xianlishi was an official post in the Taipusi (Imperial Stables) responsible for raising the palace horses. Emperor Muzong once held this prestigious position when he was an avid hunter. However, in the past ten years or so, it has long since become an insignificant and nominal post.

Dou Wenyi's smile froze. Dou Mingxiu still had some self-respect, knowing to come to her privately.

The second master of the family is shameless and has an extremely unseemly way of doing things. He even tries to get an official position by asking the Crown Prince for favors. It's truly disgraceful!

The entire eldest branch of the Dou family was embarrassed and glared at him angrily, especially Dou Bochang, who stared at him with eyes that looked like he wanted to devour him.

Before she could retort, Old Madam Dou spat out a curse: "You worthless thing, after drinking some wine, instead of obediently lying there like a corpse, you know how to spout nonsense. Why don't you get out of here right now?"

Dou Zhongyuan ignored him and let out a burp. "Mother, you can't be too biased towards my eldest brother. They're all of the Dou family bloodline anyway. I used to think the third young lady was going to be the Crown Princess, but I never expected the fourth young lady to be so lucky."

"My elder brother is guaranteed to make a profit and has the Emperor's favor. He can become a minister. Am I destined to be a groom for the rest of my life?"

"Whether it's raising horses or not, what's the difference between warhorses and palace horses? Am I just born a good-for-nothing?"

His voice was choked with sobs, and he actually managed to squeeze out a few murky tears.

These words were full of sarcasm, practically implying that Dou Bochang's position as Minister was solely due to his good daughter.

Dou Bochang's blood boiled, and he glared at him fiercely, his tone mocking, "Don't embarrass yourself any further. Anyone in officialdom like you, who becomes arrogant after a couple of drinks, would have been dead eight hundred times over."

"Is raising warhorses something you're qualified to do? How dare you spout such nonsense in front of His Highness?"

The horses native to the dynasty are inferior to those of the Northern Di; they have short legs and cannot run fast. Therefore, the dynasty has always had to purchase warhorses from the Northern Di at high prices, which is extremely costly, but the number of horses that can be delivered to the battlefield is pitifully small.

Large numbers of warhorses suffered from acclimatization issues, or perhaps due to human error, resulting in massive losses. The extent of corruption involved is unimaginable; Dou Zhongyuan was clearly after personal gain.

Dou Wenyi shook her head at Pei Siyan.

Pei Siyan understood and remained calm. "Today is a family banquet, so we won't discuss state affairs. If you really want to serve the country, Second Uncle might as well submit a memorial to the throne. It just so happens that the court also has plans to regulate horse breeding."