Chapter 5: Choosing a Prince Consort

Even though she was on her own turf and surrounded by many palace servants, Huiyi was still momentarily frightened when she first saw Lin Er.

Although she was the ruler and he was the subject, Lin Er was unlike other young men in Chang'an; the aura he exuded would sometimes frighten Huiyi.

If she were stripped of her status as a princess of the imperial family, she would probably be bullied to death by Lin Er.

"Frogs are not easy to catch, Princess, please don't make fun of me."

Lin Lanting emerged from the darkness, raised his leg and kicked the stone into the pond with a tinkling sound.

"How dare you not bow to the princess!"

Huiyi would sometimes forget this, and if it weren't for the need to establish her authority and put on airs as a princess of the imperial family, she wouldn't care much about formalities.

But Biqing was different. She saw him come out in a nonchalant manner, and although this person was not someone to be trifled with, she still stood up and said authoritatively.

Lin Lanting was taken aback. As a military general who had spent many years following his uncle on raids in the battlefields and mountains, he was so carefree that he often forgot things.

For example, right now.

His father held a high-ranking position, and he himself had earned some military merits over the years. There weren't many people in Chang'an who needed him to be subservient, but this unruly princess happened to be one of them.

Unlike saints and empresses, she lacked the imposing presence that made Lin Lanting always treat this precious young lady as a spoiled and unruly little girl.

But that was just his illusion.

"It was my fault for being impolite. The princess is kind-hearted and will certainly not make things difficult for me."

Remembering that he had come with important things to say, Lin Lanting completed the formalities meticulously, but his lazy demeanor always made Huiyi feel that he lacked some respect.

"Alright, stop pretending. What brings you here?"

Just as Huiyi disliked Lin Er, Lin Er also disliked her.

Take marriage as an example, the two are probably the most mismatched couple in the world.

In the quiet of the night, the occasional gurgling sound of water from the pond brings a sense of peace and tranquility.

But Lin Lanting was there, and he was saying some strange things that left everyone confused.

"I have something to say, and I hope the princess will take it to heart."

"Princess, you are young and beautiful, in the prime of your life. Please be very careful in choosing your consort. You must choose a handsome young man."

With so many people around, Lin Lanting guessed that she couldn't say it aloud, so she could only hint at it indirectly and carefully.

In all his years, Lin Lanting had never been so long-winded and hesitant, and his words were quite unpleasant.

But it seems to have some effect.

The spoiled princess looked suspicious, her eyes even showing a hint of confusion.

"Isn't that obvious? Do you think I'd rather have an old man than a young man?"

"You wasted my time just to hear this nonsense? Were you so full of food at the banquet that you had nothing better to do?"

"Get out of here!"

Huiyi was very impolite and felt like she was being played, so she got angry and chased her away.

Lin Lanting probably didn't expect such a reaction, and her face turned pale and then red with surprise.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get angry.

He could only swallow his anger because she was a young girl, and her identity was that of a princess of the imperial family.

Well then, since he had no such intentions, he would avoid dealing with this spoiled princess in the future.

If you can't afford to offend him, can't you at least avoid him?

Lin Lanting walked away quickly, as if a ghost was chasing him.

It wasn't until Lin Lanting's figure disappeared into the night that Huiyi belatedly realized what was going on.

"Why is Lin Er telling me all this? Do I look like the kind of person who would marry an old man?"

"No, he wouldn't say such strange things for no reason. I must have done something to make him misunderstand. But I didn't do anything in Linde Hall today. I only talked to my parents and got close to them..."

"...General Guo."

As Huiyi muttered these words aloud, she suddenly understood something.

"Does he suspect that I'm interested in his uncle?"

"What is he thinking? General Guo is so old, how could he be worthy of this princess? Besides, he already has a wife and children. I must be crazy to even think of that!"

Huiyi was so angry that she lost all interest in sitting. She suddenly stood up, stomped her feet, and cursed.

At this moment, Huiyi was extremely annoyed that she was too slow to react and gave Lin Er a thorough dressing-down.

What a filthy person!

But after calming down, Huiyi understood why Lin Er had such concerns.

Fourteen years ago, Princess Huguo, the eldest daughter of Empress Zhu, took advantage of the Empress's power to forcibly seize a minister who already had a wife, ordered the death of his wife, and sent his son to become a monk.

Of course, that minister and his wife were deeply in love, and after his wife died, he followed her, resulting in the destruction of his family.

Huiyi believed that she was as favored as her aunt, Princess Huguo, but she disdained to do such things.

What do they take her for!

Feeling indignant and not wanting to see Lin Er at Linde Hall, Huiyi sent a palace maid to deliver a message to her parents and then returned to Xunfeng Hall with Biqing and the others.

Before going to bed, I heard that my father had appointed General Guo as General of the Cavalry and concurrently Minister of War.

Lin Er was also lucky, because his father gave him a military honorary title since he held the real position of General of the Golden Guard in Chang'an.

General Piao Yao, your father truly sees himself as Emperor Wu of Han, and regards Lin Er as Huo Qubing, whom he favors.

...

During a banquet, the emperor and his ministers became very drunk. Emperor Yongxi then granted them a day off to rest and recover before returning to court.

Huiyi knew that the one who couldn't hold his liquor the most was actually her grandfather; he just wanted to rest.

Just then, my elder sister returned with her niece, and my third brother didn't run away either. The whole family was together in the palace.

When Huiyi arrived at the Zichen Palace, her elder sister was helping her niece Minghui solve the Nine Linked Rings puzzle.

My sister is gentle, quiet and doesn't talk much. Her favorite toy when she was young was a chain.

Unlike Huiyi, who was dull in this regard, her elder sister was clever and very good at it.

It can handle anything from the Nine-Linked Rings to the Luban Lock.

My niece inherited this talent from her older sister; at only four years old, she was already having a blast playing with it.

"Sister, look what good things I brought for Minghui!"

De'an came up with a smile, carrying a brocade box. Li Huaiyu saw her younger sister, with whom she had been inseparable since childhood, and her face was already full of smiles. She gently asked her daughter to open it.

"Hui'er, quickly open it and see what good things your aunt gave you."

My niece looks more like her father, especially her eyes, which are almost identical to Xie Dalang's. However, her brother-in-law is aloof and stern, unlike the soft and pure child.

To be honest, Huiyi didn't really like her brother-in-law, Xie Dalang.

Not only because his mother didn't think he was a good husband for his elder sister, but also because Huiyi felt that her elder sister wouldn't be happy marrying into the Xie family.

The Xie family was a distinguished family of officials, living a life of luxury and following many rules; they were a prominent clan for several dynasties.

They were indeed of imperial lineage, but they were buried in the countryside from a young age. While other noble ladies learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea ceremony, and flower arrangement, the sisters faced heavy farm work every day.

She was younger and could be raised in Chang'an for a few more years, but her older sister was already seventeen at that time.

Although her family would not look down on her, to outsiders, especially to a powerful clan like the Xie family, her elder sister, apart from her suddenly acquired princess status, hardly met the Xie family's standards for a wife.

Especially since Xie Dalang was the eldest son of the family and was to inherit the Xie clan's lineage, he was even more cautious in choosing a wife.

But the elder sister took a liking to Xie Dalang at first sight and was determined to marry him, so her parents agreed.

The eldest daughter has suffered for so many years and has never asked for anything. It's just a marriage; if she wants to marry, let her marry.

As parents, they will do their best to protect each other.

And so, the elder sister married into the family despite Xie's dissatisfaction. Huiyi was young, and her parents didn't say much to her, so she sent people to inquire about it herself.

As expected, her life in the Xie family was not happy.

The elder sister is gentle and mild-mannered. In the Xie family, she not only has to face the subtle dissatisfaction revealed by her mother-in-law and son-in-law, but also has to work hard to learn everything that a noble lady in Chang'an needs.

When asked, her elder sister always said she was fine, but Huiyi could see the sadness in her eyes.

But what's done is done, and she and Xie Dalang had a child; it seems that her intention was to continue living together.

While Huiyi was lost in thought, she heard her niece giggle softly, pick up the gold Kongming lock from the box, and hold it with great affection.

However, the elder sister, seeing that the Kongming lock was made of gold, softly remarked on its luxury.

"This is too expensive. Children don't need such things."

The Xie family is known for its refined tastes; they use high-quality celadon porcelain for their daily cups, bowls, and plates, and even more precious items are made of jade, while gold is rarely used.

I remember one year, Xie Yun saw the gold wine cup in her room. Although he didn't say much, he just said it was a vulgar thing and told Li Huaiyu to use it less in the future.

A gentleman wears jade. All noble families regard jade as elegant and noble, and naturally look down on vulgar things like gold.

"What's the big deal? As long as Minghui likes it, that's all that matters. This is a Kongming lock that I specially ordered. Sister, are you going to let me down?"

Huiyi pouted, looking like she was about to cry when she was little. Li Huaiyu stopped worrying and said with a smile, "Xi Nu is being too kind. Sister, just accept it."

She couldn't let her sister's feelings go to waste; if Xie Yun didn't like it, so be it.

How many people dislike themselves?

Thinking of this, Li Huaiyu chuckled to himself, then turned around and changed his clothes, putting on a smiling face for his family.

Empress Huiyi, holding her niece, didn't see it, but Empress Du, with her keen observation, noticed and sighed with worry in her eyes.

Just as she had predicted back then.

After Kongming Lock was sent out, Grandpa and his eldest and third brothers returned, having made grasshoppers.

This was a game my father and brothers used to play in Lingzhou. They would see who could weave the most exquisite grasshopper, and the winner would not have to work for half a day.

Although there was no more manual labor to do, the three of them still had a lot of fun.

The student surpasses the teacher; the eldest brother's grasshopper weaving was the best, which made the third brother chatter with envy for quite a while.

The nickname "Sparrow Slave" came from the fact that her third brother's mouth resembled that of a sparrow.

Unlike his eldest brother's calm and reserved nature, his third brother was talkative and cheerful, and his daily motto was "live for the moment."

The siblings gathered together to play with their only baby, Minghui, while Emperor Yongxi sat down next to Empress Du and chatted about everyday things.

From the eldest son to the second daughter, then to the third son, and finally his gaze fell on the youngest daughter, Huiyi, Emperor Yongxi rambled on, saying, "Our Crown Prince's marriage was settled last month, and Minghui from Yuenu's family has reached the age to study. The marriage of Quenu and Xinu should also be put on the agenda. In a few days, we will hold a spring banquet in the palace and invite all the eligible young men and women from Chang'an to come and let Quenu and Xinu have a good look at each other."

Empress Du shared this sentiment, nodding in agreement. After a few moments of contemplation, she made her decision, saying decisively, "Then next month. The peonies will be in bloom then, which will be a perfect reason."

"Yes, the Peony Banquet is excellent."

Emperor Yongxi nodded, and the couple talked about some trivial matters of the court, with the laughter of their children filling their ears.

A note from the author:

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Update [heart emoji]

I recently came across a novel idea: a younger man/older woman romance. It's a story about a beautiful, gentle, widowed older woman versus a reserved, brooding young crown prince. Those who like this kind of thing can check it out! [kissing emoji]