Chapter 24 If they really get married, Xie Zhuo will definitely bully them...

Xue Mingyao's mind was buzzing, and she blurted out, "What did you say?"

“I said—General Xie wants to marry you!” Xue Xingtai shouted.

Xue Mingyao's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, her expression blank. Xue Xingtai, fearing she wouldn't believe him, said, "It's true! His Majesty summoned me today, saying that General Xie, under the guise of seeking a reward for archery, proposed marriage to you. He's deeply in love with you!"

"To get General Xie to propose marriage, our Yaoniang is truly amazing. Don't tell me you don't believe it; I think it's a dream. Who has ever seen a third-rank general marry a widow! Especially such a young general. With his qualifications, he could marry anyone, yet he chose you!"

"If word got out, so many people would envy us. If I had known he was head over heels for you, I wouldn't have worried so much..."

Xue Xingtai happily downed a few more glasses of wine.

Xue Mingyao slowly processed the news. She did have a vague feeling that Xie Zhuo would still bother her, but she never expected it to be in such a way, both open and shocking.

Making jokes about one's own marriage is insane.

While shocked, I also felt a sense of pride.

No matter how much he belittled her with his words, wasn't he still captivated by her and, abandoning reason, wanting to be with her forever? She hadn't even done anything, yet he was already unable to control his feelings for her.

However, marrying him is absolutely out of the question.

She's doing just fine as a widow; there's no need for her to find a man to control her, especially someone like Xie Zhuo, whose temperament is so wicked she can't handle him.

Xue Mingyao pointed to the golden nanmu wood tabletop and asked, "What did His Majesty say?"

"His Majesty said that we should follow the custom of asking Chen Hanlin to paint during the Yan Archery Competition, and asked me to come back and ask you what you think."

Xue Xingtai was so engrossed in his joy that he didn't notice her overly calm tone.

"Do you think it would be more appropriate to reply in a few days? Replying too quickly would seem unreserved. Although we benefit from this marriage, we can't rush things and lose face. But if we're too slow, we might displease General Xie, making us seem pretentious, and we also fear unforeseen circumstances..."

“Three days. After three days, Brother Lao will report back to His Majesty that I disagree,” Xue Mingyao said.

Xue Xingtai spat out a mouthful of wine. "You don't agree?"

"Why don't you agree?" He looked at her as if she were a fool. "Don't you really like General Xie and you're getting along very well with him?"

Explaining it would be too complicated, so Xue Mingyao said it casually, "It was just a passing interest; I don't like it anymore."

Xue Xingtai couldn't understand. "Don't act recklessly. This is a marriage that's hard to find even with a lantern. What are you dissatisfied with?"

"I don't want to marry a general anymore!" Xue Mingyao said with a strong voice. "If I marry a general and he dies a few days later, what if I marry a general again and he dies too? Will I be a widow for the second time?"

"Pah, pah, pah, what are you saying! How could it be such a coincidence? Besides, General Xie is a natural-born general, much more capable than General Cen before him. He won't die a violent death, don't worry."

"I won't marry him if I can't put my mind at ease," Xue Mingyao said resolutely.

Xue Xingtai was cornered by her. After thinking for a moment, he said in a gruff voice, "Do you still remember the fortune teller's prediction of your marriage destiny?"

Xue Mingyao was taken aback.

When she was fifteen, her father invited a famous fortune teller to predict her marriage. The master gave her future husband two prophetic words: "Born into poverty but rising to prominence" and "A man who wields a weapon."

"When General Cen passed away, I thought the master's prediction was inaccurate. Now I realize that the one who was supposed to be the one in the divination was not General Cen, but General Xie!"

"No, it should be said that General Cen was also involved in this divination. If you hadn't married him back then, but married someone else, you wouldn't be a widow now that your husband hasn't died, and you wouldn't be able to marry General Xie."

After Xue Xingtai finished speaking, he apologized to Cen Zongjing several times in the void, saying that he would burn some paper money for him later to thank him for his great kindness.

“He probably doesn’t want to accept your paper money.” Xue Mingyao rubbed her hair in frustration. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake because of the same divination inscription.”

“Yao Niang, it’s not just about the divination.” Xue Xingtai said earnestly, “You are happy now, but in ten years you won’t be able to be happy anymore. You will have to remarry sooner or later. In the end, being a princess is just a title. A woman’s confidence still comes from her father, brothers and husband’s family. You know what our Xue family will be like after your father passes away. At this time, you especially need a husband with a prominent position.”

"General Xie's request for a marriage decree from His Majesty is enough to show his sincerity. He doesn't mind that you've been married before, he doesn't mind that you have a bad reputation, and he doesn't mind that our Xue family is declining. You will definitely regret it if you refuse such a passionate and decisive person now."

Xue Xingtai tried everything to persuade her, but Xue Mingyao wouldn't budge, insisting she didn't want to marry the general. When pressed, she finally revealed her true feelings, "Xie Zhuo is rough and uncouth. If I marry him, he'll torture me to death."

Xue Xingtai didn't believe it. "Don't try to smear people again. General Xie is a scholar-general, how could he be rude? Besides, I've discovered that with your personality, civil officials can't control you, so marrying a military officer would be perfect for you."

Xue Mingyao stopped arguing with him and slammed her hand on the table. "If you like him so much, then go ahead and marry him. I'm not marrying him, not even if you beat me to death!"

Xue Xingtai was so angry with her that he couldn't speak, his chest heaving like a bellows.

Xue Mingyao glanced at him and said in a lower voice, "Brother, remember to refuse His Majesty."

"I'm not going!" Xue Xingtai interrupted her. "I don't have the face to say no. Yaoniang, think it over again. How about I invite General Xie over tomorrow? I heard he's recovered and taken off his mask. You can meet him and hear him tell you his heartfelt feelings in person."

There's absolutely no need for that.

Xue Mingyao was no longer interested in what he looked like. He was a madman; even if he did resemble Xie Qinglang by a third, she wouldn't be happy. She wished she could stay far away from him and never see him again in this lifetime.

She rolled her eyes and feigned helplessness, "Alright, brother. I'll think about it some more. You shouldn't invite anyone over yet; let me decide first."

With things taking a turn for the better, Xue Xingtai breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, I'll do as you say!"

As he left, he still held the wine in his arms. Looking at Xue Mingyao's fair and delicate face, he smiled and said, "My sister is really beautiful. I always said that no man with eyes could resist being attracted to you."

"Of course." Xue Mingyao smiled brightly.

The next day, as dawn broke and the sky above the Xue residence was still tinged with a bluish-green hue, Xue Mingyao quietly rose, dressed, and boarded a carriage to go to the palace. To avoid arousing suspicion from her brother, she deliberately told the maids in the courtyard that she was going to Princess Yi'an's residence.

Emperor Deyuan held court every two days, and today was not a day for court. Xue Mingyao did not have to wait long before she was able to see the emperor.

Emperor Deyuan, over fifty years old, had always been a handsome and spirited man with a striking appearance. But today, upon seeing him, she noticed that he looked much more haggard, with graying temples, likely due to the worry he had experienced during the spring hunt.

"Yaoyao?" Emperor Deyuan raised an eyebrow. "Is she here because of the marriage?"

Xue Mingyao nodded obediently, first massaging his shoulders for a while, before gently revealing that she did not want to marry Xie Zhuo.

"This is truly astonishing." A smile appeared at the corner of Emperor Deyuan's eyes. "I have been surprised by you two times these past two days. Xie Qing's proposal to marry you was unexpected, and what is even more unexpected is that you are unwilling. I still remember that you told me that you wanted to marry General Xie."

Xue Mingyao laughed awkwardly, "Your Majesty, as you know, I just made that up to shut you up."

"Is that so? I take it seriously."

"Your Majesty loves to make fun of me." Xue Mingyao blinked. "You didn't tell General Xie my arrogant words, did you?"

"Unfortunately, I already said so. What, are you going to blame me?"

Xue Mingyao's heart clenched; that scoundrel had gotten away with it again.

"How could Yaoyao dare?" she said softly, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "I hope General Xie won't misunderstand. Yaoyao truly has no intention of marrying him. I... I don't want to marry a military officer."

When her father forced her to marry Cen Zongjing, she cried to Emperor Deyuan.

"Hmm." Emperor Deyuan responded casually, picked up a memorial, and listened to her while reading it.

Xue Mingyao poured out all the words she had prepared all night. First, she said that she had lost a general husband and was afraid of bringing bad luck to Xie Zhuo. Then she said that she and Xie Zhuo were incompatible and could not be a good match. Finally, she concluded by saying that General Xie had made great achievements and that she was not a good match for him because of her frail body. Her words were eloquent, reasonable and well-founded.

Emperor Deyuan's gaze remained fixed on the memorial; he didn't look up at her for a long time after she finished speaking.

Xue Mingyao dared not urge him, and lowered her eyes to wait quietly for the emperor to speak.

After a long pause, Emperor Deyuan put down the memorial and said calmly, "Yaoyao, to tell you the truth, I am not happy about Xie Qing marrying you. He is too reckless."

Xue Mingyao could roughly understand his underlying meaning.

Marriage is a major event, especially for kings and generals who are expected to set an example for the world; they should choose a suitable person to marry. Xie Zhuo, holding a high position, refused to marry a noblewoman of similar age and appearance and insisted on marrying a widow, which violated a taboo.

On a larger scale, his actions imply that female chastity is not very important, and if this is spread, it will undoubtedly damage Confucian ethics and moral principles.

On a smaller scale, no emperor would like a minister who is willful and unruly, even though Xie Zhuo's actions did not violate the rules of propriety.

Xue Mingyao concealed her displeasure well and smiled as she agreed, "Yes, he and I are not a good match."

"That's true—" Emperor Deyuan smiled helplessly, "I have already promised Xie Qing a reward, and I do not wish to refuse him. Even without this reward, based on his merit in pacifying the southern border for me, I am willing to grant him this request."

Xue Mingyao's smile froze. Xie Zhuo had gained such deep favor from the emperor that the emperor was willing to sell her to him!

"Besides, Xie Zhuo is extremely talented, and his temperament and appearance are outstanding. If you have him as your husband, your father in the afterlife will be very pleased." Emperor Deyuan patted her shoulder.

Xue Mingyao's lips moved as if she was about to continue her discussion, when a palace attendant came and announced that a subject was requesting an audience.

"Alright, Yaoyao, you may go back now. Think it over carefully before you come to see me again."

Xue Mingyao had no choice but to straighten her clothes and get up. Before leaving, she asked, "What should I do if I still don't want to marry after thinking it over carefully?"

"Then go and talk to General Xie, and tell him to give up the idea of ​​marrying you and instead give him a reward. I'm very busy lately, so don't make things difficult for me in this matter." Emperor Deyuan's gentle voice contained a hint of impatience.

Stepping out of the hall, Xue Mingyao's mood was much heavier than when she arrived.

Emperor Deyuan was kind and benevolent, and disliked forced marriages. His courtiers requested marriages for the sake of personal glory, not out of any intention to use the emperor's favor to force marriages. But Xie Zhuo dared to do so, and unfortunately, he was also aligned with the emperor, giving him an advantage!

If she had refused to marry him even at the cost of her more than twenty years of service to the emperor, Emperor Deyuan probably wouldn't have forced her into the bridal sedan chair. But that would have been the worst-case scenario, and she didn't want things to come to that.

Lost in thought, Xue Mingyao's steps became erratic and disorderly, and she unknowingly ended up next to the Imperial Garden.

"Aunt Yongning!"

A faint sound came from behind, but Xue Mingyao was lost in thought and didn't hear it. Green Branch gently shook her arm and whispered a reminder to her.

Xue Mingyao then came to her senses and saw the chubby little prince, about five or six zhang away from her, looking at her with displeasure through a clump of bushes. Then, he raised his chubby little hand, the back of which was facing her, and slowly beckoned.

Xue Mingyao: "......"

When she was his age, she didn't even know how to put on airs.

As Xue Mingyao lifted her skirt, stepped over the bushes, and walked to his side, the little prince's dark eyes darted around. "Aunt Yongning, I heard you're going to marry General Xie!"

Xue Mingyao was startled. "How did you know?"

“I heard what my grandparents said yesterday.”

The young imperial grandson was sent to the palace to be raised by his grandmother, the Empress, from the age of three when he began his formal education.

Now that the news had reached the Empress's palace, almost the entire harem knew about it. Xue Mingyao's feelings were complicated. The wider the news spread, the greater the pressure on her became, and the harder it was for her to refuse.

"Hehe, Aunt Yongning, you're in big trouble!" The little prince grabbed her hand and ran around the Imperial Garden while gloating.

"Explain yourself, where did I suffer?" Xue Mingyao glared at him.

"General Xie hates you! If you fall into his hands, wouldn't that be terrible?" the little prince said in a cheerful voice.

Xue Mingyao pouted, "Nonsense, he likes me."

"I never make things up!" the little prince exclaimed. "General Xie told me personally that when we were on Beiming Mountain, he told me to drink my soup slowly because I would hiccup if I drank it too fast. I said that I don't hiccup so easily, unlike Aunt Yongning, who hiccups endlessly. I said that once you hiccuped for half an hour without stopping, and he kept laughing, hahahahahaha!"

The young prince started laughing, clutching his stomach, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Xue Mingyao's face flushed slightly. She had been strong and healthy since childhood, but she had one minor problem: she would easily hiccup when eating quickly, and she couldn't stop until she had to hiccup hundreds of times before she could calm down.

A beautiful woman's hiccups are a real eyesore, and she was deeply troubled by them.

"Stop laughing!" she patted his head and said dryly, "And then?"

"Oh, and then, I laughed along with him. After I finished laughing, he asked me to tell him more about Aunt Yongning. I said, 'Do you like my Aunt Yongning?' He said no, and that he hated me!"

The young prince spread his hands.

"See, I wasn't lying to you. He hates you so much, once he marries you, he'll definitely bully you like crazy! Hehe, I'll have to make him spank your hands for me a few more times."

Xue Mingyao had to admit that the young prince possessed true insight. Everyone else would say that her marriage to Xie Zhuo was a stroke of good fortune, but only he saw through the truth: Xie Zhuo would really bully her to death!

The thought of him saying he was good at taming women sent a chill down Xue Mingyao's spine. Xie Zhuo must have had many women in the army camp, really, really disgusting!

In an instant, Xue Mingyao understood why Xie Zhuo didn't mind that she was a widow. If he had been with countless women, it was possible that he didn't care about a woman's chastity.

"Aunt Yongning, are you scared?" The little prince looked at her gloomy face with his big, clear eyes.

"No way. He hates me, and I hate him too. How do you know I'm not the one bullying him?" Xue Mingyao said indignantly. "Besides, I'm your Aunt Yongning. Why are you siding with him instead of me?"

"Because when we were on Beiming Mountain, you always went hunting and wouldn't play with me. Only General Xie would keep me company," the young prince said resentfully.

Xue Mingyao felt guilty. "It was my first time going, I was very excited."

The young prince ignored her and continued to pull her hand, striding frantically. Xue Mingyao stumbled along with him, asking suspiciously, "Where are you taking me? And how can you be playing in the Imperial Garden at this hour?"

She was accompanied only by a young eunuch who looked like a child, walking side by side with Lüzhi behind her, only reaching Lüzhi's shoulder in height.

The young prince said, "I got tired of listening to the lessons, so I ran out to play for a while. I don't know the tutor who came today, and I'm afraid he'll punish me. Could you go and tell him that you're the one who coaxed me out to play?"

“I won’t do it. These servants are all hot-tempered and won’t give me any face.”

The Confucian officials in the court were all pedantic and rigid, and most of them had reservations about her. Years ago, some even submitted memorials accusing her of being arrogant and unchaste. Xue Mingyao felt it was very likely that she and the young prince would be criticized together.

"No, you know this attendant well; you asked him to paint..."

Before the young prince could finish speaking, Xue Mingyao saw a tall, white-clad figure standing in front of an open window in a pavilion not far away. His dark hair cascaded down, and his silhouette was faintly outlined by the light of the sky.

Chen Liangqing's elegant posture while reading by the window was like a painting, and Xue Mingyao couldn't help but stop and admire him for a few moments.

The young prince couldn't wait to run into the house, turning back to call out to her, "Come in quickly, Aunt Yongning!"

Xue Mingyao then looked away, and a fleeting image of Xie Qinglang in white robes flashed through her mind.

Not only does he look like he's hunched over his desk, but his profile also bears a resemblance.

She followed the young prince inside, patted his hand, and said, "Chen Shidu is very kind; he won't punish you, so don't worry."

Xue Mingyao wanted to laugh. The little grandson was Emperor Deyuan's only grandson. He was the eldest son of the emperor and was greatly loved by his grandparents. They raised him with great care. At such a young age, they not only took him to Beiming Mountain to experience the spring hunt, but also invited a Hanlin scholar to give lectures and influence him every five days as soon as he started his studies.

No wonder the little prince sneaked out to play; what could he possibly understand?

After exchanging greetings with Chen Liangqing, she pretended to plead for the young prince. Chen Liangqing did not mention any punishment, but gave him a few pages of ink paper and told him to read them.

The young prince, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, beamed with joy and thanked the teacher, then left his Aunt Yongning behind and went to study diligently in the inner room.

Xue Mingyao said, "He's so happy; it seems the previous teachers were quite strict."

Chen Liangqing smiled and said, "His Majesty has instructed that the young prince is precocious but also mischievous, so he should be disciplined strictly, rather than being lenient with a combination of both."

"But Chen Hanlin still seems quite tolerant?"

“No,” Chen Liangqing said gently. “His sneaking out is in line with a child’s nature. It’s my fault for not supervising him properly. I shouldn’t punish him, but I should punish myself.”

Xue Mingyao was taken aback; this person was actually this strict with herself.

“I’m really curious, when you were a child, did you ever slack off or cheat?” she asked.

Chen Liangqing was about the same age as her. She had heard of his reputation for being diligent in his studies and self-disciplined since she was a child, so she had no interest in him. When they met on some occasions, she didn't even bother to lift her eyelids.

I only noticed this peerless gentleman when I returned to Beijing last year.

"Of course," Chen Liangqing said with a hint of helplessness, "I'm human too."

Xue Mingyao smiled too.

"Today is neither the first nor the fifteenth of the month, neither a year nor a festival. Why has the princess come to the palace?" Chen Liangqing's tone was gentle, making it impossible to tell whether it was a polite question or a genuine inquiry.

Without hesitation, Xue Mingyao said, "I'm here for the marriage. General Xie asked His Majesty for my hand in marriage yesterday."

Chen Liangqing's eyes widened slightly, and he remained silent for a long while.

This was the first time Xue Mingyao had ever seen such a look on his face, and she found it extremely amusing. No matter how much she disliked Xie Zhuo, she had to admit that he satisfied a bit of her vanity.

His proposal was practically the highest compliment to her beauty.

"Chen Hanlin?" she called softly.

"Oh, I was just thinking that my younger sister must be heartbroken." Chen Liangqing slowly regained his smile. "General Xie is a man of exceptional talent. I congratulate the princess on finding a life partner."

Xue Mingyao was a little disappointed and smiled faintly, "Hanlin's words will not come true. He is indeed a dragon among men, but I will not marry him. I came to the palace today to ask His Majesty to refuse my marriage proposal."

"No matter how outstanding a person is, I will not marry someone I don't like." She looked at Chen Liangqing, her eyes as gentle and charming as a pool of intoxicating spring water.

Chen Liangqing lowered her eyelashes and said quietly, "It's good that the princess has her own ideas."

Xue Mingyao sighed inwardly. They had met many times, and the young prince called them "acquaintances," yet Chen Liangqing still spoke to her with such distance. Getting him to develop feelings for her was probably harder than climbing to heaven.

"I must go now to give a lecture to His Highness, so I cannot entertain the Princess." Chen Liangqing seemed to be indicating that he wanted her to leave.

“I shouldn’t stay in the palace too long. I’ll ask Hanlin one more question and then leave.” Xue Mingyao made up her mind, her lips curving into a smile as she looked at him expectantly. “I was busy a few days ago and didn’t have time to invite Hanlin to paint for me. I wonder if Hanlin will have time to visit the Xue residence on the tenth of the month to fulfill my wish?”

After a moment's thought, Chen Liangqing said, "Alright."

Xue Mingyao made no attempt to hide her joy and said softly, "I will write an invitation and send it to your residence. See you then."

After leaving the palace and getting into her own carriage, Xue Mingyao instructed that they not return to the mansion yet.

Green Branch agreed, "It's not appropriate to return so quickly after telling my husband we're going to see Princess Yi'an. Why don't we really go?"

"No," Xue Mingyao said decisively, "I'll go to the Xie residence."

Go find Xie Zhuo and refuse the marriage proposal!

There's no time to lose, and things could get complicated if we delay. If her brother realizes what's happening, he might just confine her to the house and prevent her from leaving.

Bathed in the spring sunshine of Zhongjing, the carriage rumbled to the Xie residence, but Xie Zhuoren was not there.

The servant of the Xie family said that the general had gone to work.

Xue Mingyao then remembered that her elder brother seemed to have mentioned yesterday that Xie Zhuo had canceled his sick leave and taken up the post of General of the Imperial Guard. Naturally, he would no longer be idly staying at home in the morning.

"When will your general return?" Green Branch asked.

The servant said, "They returned around 1:00 PM yesterday."

Judging from the sun, there is still about an hour left.

Xue Mingyao then arrogantly raised her chin and said, "Lead the way, I'll wait for your general."

A-Lian was stunned for a moment, then realized that Princess Yongning was going to the reception hall of the Xie residence.

It turns out the rumors about Princess Yongning were true; she came uninvited and entered the house. How could a young lady from another household dare to do such a thing?

Ah Lian muttered a few words to himself, knowing that the general and the princess had interacted several times and their relationship seemed to be quite close. He silently led the person through the middle gate, settled them in the main hall of the front courtyard, and served them a cup of tea.

Xue Mingyao didn't touch the tea, her arms, draped with a shawl, languidly resting on the railing of the couch, her eyes closed in repose. A soft light bathed her elaborately made-up face, her phoenix hairpin gleaming with gold; her exquisite beauty exuded an air of nobility.

A-Lian was overwhelmed by the princess's beauty and became increasingly uneasy. Liu-Quan, being more clever, found an excuse to call the princess's maid out of the room and inquire about the princess's purpose.

Green Branch felt a little annoyed that they hadn't been hospitable enough. They had only served tea and hadn't even offered any pastries. It would be fine for ordinary guests, but the princess was the future mistress of their general's household, so how could they be so neglectful? Therefore, her tone was not very good. "Isn't it all because of your general's proposal to marry the princess?"

"Huh?" Liu Quan was taken aback.

A moment later, Green Branch entered the room and went to Xue Mingyao's side. She whispered a few words in her ear, and Xue Mingyao suddenly opened her eyes.

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Author's Note: Tomorrow's (October 23rd) update will be at 11 PM.