Chapter 8 is just around the corner.

"What, not a single one?"

Emperor Yongxi lost his appetite for wine, and his expression became melancholy.

The brother and sister sat at the lower end, watching the chicks peck at the rice.

"Why……"

Empress Du sighed, worried about her children's marriages.

Li Ling hadn't wanted to go for the matchmaking in the first place, and now that the result was exactly what he wanted, he seized the opportunity and said, "Son, don't be in a hurry, Grandpa and Mother, don't be in a hurry either. Fate can't be rushed, so why not..."

As if he had thought of a good idea, his eyes rolled around a few times and he said with a grin, "Son, go and inspect the prefectures and counties for your father. It will be a way to share your father's burdens. Who knows, I might even find a nice girl to bring back from outside!"

Emperor Yongxi and Empress Du knew perfectly well what the boy was thinking; he simply wanted to go out and have some fun, what excuse did he need?

However, this also reminded Emperor Yongxi that it would be a good thing if a prince could go to inspect the prefectures and counties.

Emperor Yongxi exchanged a glance with his wife, both seeing the other's approval in her eyes. He cleared his throat and pretended to ponder for a few moments before speaking.

“That’s a useful suggestion. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, and corrupt officials who exploit the people can’t be completely eliminated. It would be good to go and inspect. Let’s put the wedding on hold for now.”

Seeing that her parents agreed, Li Ling immediately smiled broadly, bowing and thanking them repeatedly, like a blooming flower.

Seeing that her third brother had gotten a taste of success, Huiyi seized the opportunity and said, "I'll go too! Let me go on the patrol with my third brother. I can catch corrupt officials too!"

Huiyi also wanted to go out and play, and going out with her third brother would be the most fun, since her third brother was the one who understood her best in the whole family.

But when it came to himself, those words didn't work. He barely made his first move before his grandfather laughed and scolded him a few times.

"Where are you going? Stop messing around. The journey is arduous and might even be dangerous. Just stay in Chang'an!"

Her mother also pulled her close and said seriously, "Going on patrol isn't that fun, you'd better not join in the fun."

Those treacherous eunuchs are no good; if pushed to the limit, they might do something terrible. Not only should they not let Xi Nu go and join in the fun, but they should also prepare enough manpower for Que Nu to prevent any unforeseen events.

Having lost all hope, Huiyi told her parents about what happened at the peony banquet that day.

There was nothing to hide from her family, so Huiyi mumbled out her initial thoughts and actions.

"I originally thought Xie Sanlang was quite qualified and barely qualified to be the emperor's son-in-law, but who knew he was just an ordinary person."

Mother was a little better; she only said that Xie Sanlang was ungrateful. Father was furious and paced back and forth several times, scolding Xie Sanlang.

After scolding her, Emperor Yongxi tried to coax his daughter, saying with a smile, "Xi Nu, don't be sad. If you like her, I have a way to arrange a marriage for you."

Huiyi immediately shook her head and refused, saying, "No need, Grandpa. Since he looks down on me, then I look down on him too."

Not only that, Huiyi had spent five years in Chang'an and knew that these aristocratic families were not pushovers. She still remembered Yu Niang telling her about the gossip of the previous dynasty.

It is said that during his grandfather's reign, he wanted to marry the princess to a member of the Cui family of Qinghe, but the Cui family refused.

My father has always been known for his benevolence and virtue, and he aspires to be a wise and virtuous ruler. It would be unwise for him to lose face over something like this.

Besides, Xie Sanlang isn't worth his grandfather doing all this for.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongxi gave up, but still asked persistently, "Besides Xie Sanlang, are there really no other young men?"

Huiyi ate a mouthful of cherries and mumbled, "There are quite a few men who want to be the emperor's son-in-law, but they all seem to be vain and insincere. I still hope that my future son-in-law will marry me because he loves me."

Empress Du wiped the cherry juice that had spilled from her daughter's lips and smiled approvingly, "That's how it should be, my daughter Yinghui."

How much sincerity can one have when they're after power and influence?

Emperor Yongxi sighed. To make up for his daughter's wasted effort, he waved his hand and said, "The Western Regions have presented many tributes, including Persia's 'Se Se Jade,' which will be sent to your palace later. Go and make some jewelry that you like."

"Okay, thank you, Grandpa!"

Serene jade is a lapis lazuli gemstone with a translucent color like river water. Because it was only offered as tribute from Persia, it was the rarest and most precious jade in Chang'an. Women considered it an honor to wear serene jade and competed to wear it.

Huiyi was naturally pleased and happily accepted the gift, putting all her previous worries behind her.

After his children passed away, Emperor Yongxi only had his youngest daughter's marriage on his mind.

Yue Nu is already married, and the Crown Prince is engaged. Que Nu is unreliable, so we can ignore her for now. That leaves only this youngest daughter.

With this matter on his mind, Emperor Yongxi looked south towards Chang'an.

Specifically, it refers to visiting the Xuandu Temple in Chongyefang.

I still remember when I was young, I asked Master Yunhe of Xuandu Temple for a divination. He said that I would suffer a calamity when I was about to turn thirty, and my whole family would suffer for more than ten years.

Emperor Yongxi did not believe it at the time. As the crown prince, he was in the prime of his life and could not have imagined that he would suffer such a misfortune.

It was quickly forgotten at the time.

Now there's no way to deny it.

"I heard that Master Yunhe of Xuandu Temple has returned."

The eunuch Chao En, who was standing nearby, immediately replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

“Very good, let the Crown Prince go to Xuandu Temple.”

I would like to ask him about the marriage prospects of his rhinoceros slave. A true master's words are divine and can surely point him in the right direction.

The next day, Crown Prince Li Zhao, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, went to receive his father's decree.

Since the emperor cannot leave the palace, the crown prince must go in person to ask the divination question.

Before lunch, Li Zhao brought back the prophecy from the real person.

It's far away, yet right before my eyes.

Emperor Yongxi couldn't figure it out immediately and thought he would ponder it for a few more days. If he still couldn't understand, he would have to take some time to visit Xuandu Temple.

In mid-March, a fierce polo match was held in Chang'an.

They are a royal polo team and a recently popular amateur polo team.

Clearly, this is a battle for honor, and both sides will fight with all their might.

The polo match was held at Qujiang Pool, and not only officials and nobles could watch, but ordinary people from Chang'an were also allowed to watch.

Whether they were good at polo or not, everyone gathered at Qujiang Pool that day to watch the spectacle.

Huiyi is also an avid polo player, so she certainly wouldn't miss this match.

I arrived at Qujiang Pool early with my grandfather. The road was lined with fragrant grass and blooming flowers.

Following my grandfather, we sat down under the colorful canopy with the best view. All around us were people who had come to watch the polo match, densely packed and bustling with excitement.

The two polo teams, one in red and one in black, were ready to start to the beat of the drums. The one in red was the royal polo team, and the one in black was the civilian polo team.

Before the game even started, betting on the outcome had already begun.

The leader of the black team was tall and handsome, with a calm demeanor and a unique charm. He immediately attracted the attention of many girls, who began to bet on the black team to win.

Although Huiyi also felt that the leader of the Xuan team was extraordinary, the Chi team was raised by her family's traditions, and she couldn't very well boost the morale of others while diminishing her own prestige. Without hesitation, she bet on the Chi team, placing a bet of five hundred strings of cash.

Just before the performance began, Huiyi heard her father send a eunuch to summon Lin Er to accompany him.

Hearing that someone she didn't like was coming, Huiyi grumbled to her grandfather, feeling unhappy.

"It's Lin Er again! I wish I could have him in front of me every day!"

Emperor Yongxi knew there was some friction between the two young men, but he took it as a childish joke and said with a smile, "Your grandfather admires such spirited young men. Whenever I see the Lin family lad, I'm reminded of my own youth..."

Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Yongxi suddenly paused, as if he had just thought of something and fell into deep thought.

Lin Lanting moved swiftly and soon followed the eunuch to Emperor Yongxi. His voice was bright and energetic as he raised his voice and bowed, saying, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Third Prince."

"Princess Chang Le".

As if some joyous occasion had occurred, Lin Lanting's face beamed with a warm smile and radiated energy.

This is exactly the kind of son Grandpa likes best.

Huiyi didn't really have a type she liked or disliked; she just felt that this person was high-profile and flamboyant, as if he was afraid others wouldn't know that her grandfather favored him.

His dazed thoughts were interrupted, and Emperor Yongxi came back to his senses, his gaze falling heavily on the young man before him, as if he had suddenly realized something.

Emperor Yongxi remained silent for a moment. Seeing this, Lin Lanting called out "Your Majesty" again. Only then did Emperor Yongxi turn his gaze away, responding with a radiant smile that seemed even brighter than before.

"Erlang is here, come over here to me."

Originally, her grandfather only had her by his side, but now there was Lin Er. Huiyi felt as if something had been taken away from her, and she glared at Lin Er fiercely when he came over.

That scoundrel!

Emperor Yongxi also witnessed this scene, but his state of mind was completely different at this moment.

Previously, Emperor Yongxi had only thought it was a friction between young people, but now, with a different perspective, he began to perceive something else.

The playful banter between young children.

With this thought in mind, he comforted her, patted his youngest daughter's head, and patted Lin Lanting's shoulder, smiling like a Maitreya Buddha.

Both of them sensed something was off about Emperor Yongxi's gaze, but couldn't quite put their finger on why. Just then, the polo match started, drawing everyone's attention away from it.

The Royal Polo players remained steady and skillful, displaying excellent offense and defense.

Before Huiyi could even nod, she discovered that Team Xuan was also quite capable. Not only was their offensive swift, but their defense was also exceptionally solid, like an impregnable fortress.

The game had only been going on for a short while when the Xuan team scored two goals, while the Royal team had yet to score.

While Huiyi was getting anxious, that scoundrel Lin Er was still making sarcastic remarks from the side.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Xuan team has a very high chance of winning this time."

"Oh? Why are you so certain, young man?"

Lin Lanting clasped his hands in a salute and said with a smile, "To be honest, Your Majesty, the captain of the Xuan team, Shang Ziyu, is my private polo friend. We often play polo together, and his skills are not much inferior to mine."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongxi was astonished and said, "Is that really so? This boy's polo skills are just as amazing as Erlang's?"

Having been in Chang'an for five years, Huiyi naturally knew that Lin Er was extremely skilled at polo and was jokingly called the "Polo Champion," unmatched on the field.

But Huiyi had only heard of it and had never seen Lin Er hit the ball, so she didn't know how powerful he was.

Hearing her grandfather praise her like this, she pouted angrily.

He's really getting a chance to show off.

But one thing is true: the captain of Team Xuan's team had superb skills and gained the first three points without saying a word.

According to the rules, the first person to obtain three points wins.

The polo match ended quickly, leaving everyone wanting more.

The same was true for Emperor Yongxi.

He was passionate about polo from a young age, but unfortunately, he was not physically strong enough and his skills were not outstanding, a regret that lasted until middle age.

Although the two matches were short, the difference in quality was immediately apparent, and there would be no point in having another one.

He glanced at his young children on either side of him out of the corner of his eye, and a good idea came to him.

"If you're not satisfied, then let's have another round!"

"However, we can try something new. Don't you young people all know a few tricks? Why don't you all come up on the field and let me see your skills!"

The moment the sage spoke, everyone present became agitated.

A note from the author:

----------------------

Update [heart emoji]