Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Marriage
After Wu Tianyue finished greeting his mother, he planned to sit down and chat with her.
Just as he sat down to drink a sip of tea, he heard Princess Zhongshun say, "Recently, the Empress Dowager and the other concubines in the palace have been talking about your marriage. Do you have any plans for it?"
"What?" Wu Tianyue was so shocked that he spat out the tea he had just drunk.
"Why are you still so reckless?" Princess Zhongshun saw him like this and said with a smile as she had someone clean him up. "You're old enough to get engaged. Today, the wife of Zhen Yingjia from Jiangnan brought her third daughter to pay her respects, and they seem to be interested in a marriage..."
Before she could finish, Wu Tianyue frowned and interrupted: "I've never met anyone from his family."
"I didn't ask you to marry his daughter." He was so impatient that Princess Zhongshun was a little confused. "Why are you so excited? Is there a girl you like?"
His mother had never considered him as a potential husband for Daiyu. If she knew about his relationship with Daiyu, she would probably be angry. Besides, he hadn't asked Daiyu's opinion yet, so he had to ask her first to prepare her mentally. Thinking this, Wu Tianyue lowered his eyes to avoid Princess Zhongshun's inquiring gaze and shook his head, saying, "My son has been so busy these days, how could he have time to think about such things?"
His voice was steady, without a single ripple. Princess Zhongshun didn't notice anything unusual, and since today wasn't all about getting him engaged, she said nothing. She simply ordered Xia Jin to bring a scroll of paintings and introduced them, "There are several noble ladies of the right age in the capital, both talented, beautiful, and virtuous. Do you think there's any that you like? If so, I'll find a reason to invite them to my house for a gathering."
"I'm so busy right now, how can I have time to meet these people?" Wu Tianyue refused to take the album, "Besides, I've accomplished nothing right now. Wouldn't getting engaged be a burden to the girl?"
"You are the prince of the palace. The inheritance of the palace depends on you. Marrying a wife is also about choosing the future mistress of the palace. Isn't that a big deal?" Princess Zhongshun said in a serious tone. "Don't say that what you have done these days is the big thing you want to do in the future. Swords have no eyes. These few months of fun will pass. After the New Year, you must honestly dismiss those people. Either take the imperial examination or directly enter the court to work."
Wu Tianyue lowered his head and said nothing. I knew that you suddenly brought up the matter of marriage because you wanted to take the opportunity to say these things.
Princess Zhongshun observed her son's reaction and slowed down her tone, "Even without the consideration of His Majesty and your father, being a military officer is not an easy job. Swords have no eyes, and which military officer in the court is not injured?"
Seeing that he was stubbornly silent, she sighed, "Think about this carefully. Although the border is still somewhat unstable, it's generally a peaceful and prosperous time. How can you be a military officer and have a future? Are you planning to abandon your wife and children and go to the border alone in the future?"
After hearing this, Wu Tianyue was stunned for a moment. He seemed to have not yet asked Daiyu whether she was willing to live in the frontier.
Princess Zhongshun saw him stunned and didn't want to force him to answer. She took a sip of tea and said something else: "Marriage can take its time, but you are old enough. I was worried that it would interfere with your studies, but a few days ago, the teacher said that you have learned enough literature. In the future, you don't need to attend classes every day. You can study on your own. It's no problem to have more people in the room. Is there anyone you like?"
Wu Tianyue came back to his senses and was confused after hearing this: "I already have enough maids in my room, why would I add more? Besides, they are all in my room, where else can I add more people?"
Princess Zhongshun hadn't expected him to be unaware of this. Wasn't it said that boys would learn things when they reached a certain age? Was it because she was too strict, depriving her son of these opportunities? But she didn't know how to explain it to him, so she fell silent.
Suddenly, she remembered that he had been very strong since he was young, and she was afraid that he might accidentally hurt someone, so she never let the maids guard his room at night. So she said cryptically, "Then choose a few people to guard your room first."
"I'm not a child, why should I ask someone to keep watch all night?" Wu Tianyue was even more puzzled. "Mother knows that I've practiced martial arts for many years and have sharp ears and eyes. How can I sleep with so many people in the room?"
Princess Zhongshun was choked by his words. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Lan Ye is a few years older than you. She's twenty this year. You grew up together and are familiar with each other. So why can't she do that?"
Wu Tianyue shook his head and asked doubtfully, "What does Lan Ye's age have to do with whether she's familiar with me?"
Princess Zhongshun was completely speechless. She thought her son was still not understanding and didn't know how to explain it to him. She could only let him go first: "Go back and rest first. We can talk about this later."
Wu Tianyue scratched his head, stood up and said, "Son, I'll take my leave."
After saying this, he turned around and was about to leave when he heard Princess Zhongshun say, "If there's a girl you find more pleasing than the others, remember to send someone to tell me."
Wu Tianyue was extremely confused: "Huh?"
Looking at her son's eyes, Princess Zhongshun felt guilty for fooling a child. She held her forehead and said, "I was just saying it casually."
Wu Tianyue had no choice but to turn around and leave. After leaving the main courtyard, he thought of the album. If he hadn't considered getting married for himself, he would never have done this. After thinking for a while, he ordered, "Prepare the horses, go back over there to rest today."
The people who followed him hurriedly prepared the horses, and soon Wu Tianyue rushed back to Yihongyuan.
Lan Ye saw him coming back and asked with a smile, "Why are you back so late, Master?"
"I haven't been here for a long time. I don't know how long I'll be busy next time. I came back to see you." Wu Tianyue said with a smile, "Is my sister resting?"
"Not yet." Lan Ye shook her head. "During the day, the Zhen family from Jiangnan sent someone to pay their respects. The girls in the garden all went forward. They might stay there for dinner."
After that, she called a little girl and said, "Go and see Miss Lin. If she comes back, come and tell me."
The little girl obeyed the order and left.
Seeing that she had made all the arrangements, Wu Tianyue went back to his room to change his clothes, then returned to sit on the green gauze couch to drink tea.
Lan Ye was looking through the account books in the yard, with several little maids standing beside her. The room was quiet and peaceful for a while.
Wu Tianyue took a few sips of tea, thinking about what Princess Zhongshun had said today, and asked Lan Ye, "Do I have to add someone to my house when I get old enough?"
"What?" Lan Ye raised her head, not reacting for a moment.
"Mother said today that she wanted to add someone to my room, and asked me if I could add you."
Lan Ye was frightened by this: "How did you answer?"
"Of course not." Wu Tianyue said, "Sister knows that I can't sleep with more people in my room."
Lan Ye heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, but she also knew that he didn't understand what he meant. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Adding someone to the room isn't just for night watch. It's to find you a concubine, just like the concubines in the palace..."
Before he could finish, Wu Tianyue jumped up and said, "Then I still have to have children with them?"
Lan Ye was startled by him and nodded, "Of course... But besides that, choosing someone with a gentle personality and knowledge of poetry and prose would also be a good story for her to be a beautiful lady in the future."
"That's not a good story." Wu Tianyue retorted, "I don't want anyone in the house."
After that, he called out, "Go to the palace and tell the princess not to find any weird people for me."
The little maid in the room listened and laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back. Only Lan Ye was a little worried. She was twenty years old this year, and the princess had never asked her about going out. She probably wanted to make her a concubine, but she really had no such intention towards the prince, and she didn't want to go out and get married.
She was just worrying when the little girl she had just sent came back and said, "The people ahead have dispersed."
After hearing this, Wu Tianyue didn't notice that Lan Ye looked unwell. He stood up, put on a cloak, and went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.
Daiyu had just separated from her sisters and had gone inside to change her clothes when she heard Wu Tianyue coming. She happily went out to greet him, "Didn't you say you were busy these days and had no time to go back to the garden?"
"It's cold outside, why did you run out like this?" Wu Tianyue subconsciously reached out to push her shoulder into the door, but when he caught a glimpse of the maid on the corridor, he withdrew his hand.
Daiyu was also startled by the cold wind, shivered a little, and hurried into the house.
Zijuan brought the tea, found an excuse to send the little maid away, and sat down in a corner.
Daiyu saw that everyone had left. Wu Tianyue did not come up to her to pester her like before. Instead, he sat on the chair, thinking about something. She frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
Wu Tianyue didn't know how to tell her, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Sister, have you thought about where you want to live in the future?"
Daiyu blushed and said, "Of course it's still here."
"I mean..." Wu Tianyue said, "If I want to go to the frontier in the future, would you like to go with me?"
"Why do you want to go to the frontier?" Daiyu asked, then suddenly remembered that he had said he wanted to become a military commander. She smiled and said, "A military commander doesn't have to go that far."
"What if we really have to go that far?"
Daiyu was stunned, thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go with you."
Wu Tianyue heard this and grinned, "Okay."
Seeing him staring at her, Daiyu felt a little uncomfortable and turned her head away and asked, "Is this the only reason you came here today to ask this question?"
Wu Tianyue thought of what his mother had said, hesitated for a moment, and said, "There's one more thing. My mother mentioned my marriage today."
Daiyu turned pale instantly, and after a moment's pause, she whispered, "Have you told the Empress about us?"
"Not yet." Wu Tianyue stepped forward and held her hand, "I want to ask you something first."
Daiyu knew very well that Princess Zhongshun would find out about this sooner or later, but she was greedy for the time she could spend with Wu Tianyue and always felt that there was still time, so she kept putting it off. Now that she couldn't avoid it, she could only move forward, so she smiled and said, "I thought it was nothing. How could such a small matter be worth your doing this?"
"Then..." Wu Tianyue observed her expression, "Should I ask my mother to propose marriage?"
"..." Daiyu hadn't expected him to be so reckless. She was speechless for a moment. Seeing him about to speak again, she interrupted, "The Queen just asked you today, and you came here. After you went back, you asked her to propose marriage. What does she think?"
Wu Tianyue heard this and said, "Then I'll talk to her in a few days."
Daiyu shook her head: "No need for you, I will go and talk to the Empress in a few days."
Wu Tianyue frowned: "This is a matter between the two of us, how can I let you go alone?"
"The Queen treats me like her own daughter. You and I..." Daiyu said, "I have wronged her, so naturally I must go."
Wu Tianyue was afraid that Princess Zhongshun would lose her temper with Daiyu, so he hurriedly said, "Then let's go together."
"No need," Daiyu said with a smile. "Don't worry, the Madam won't do anything to me. Besides, we can only talk to her alone to clarify things. If you rashly interfere, it will only complicate things."
Since Daiyu insisted so much, Wu Tianyue had no choice but to give up.
The next day, Daiyu asked someone to deliver a letter to the palace. She would never look for Princess Zhongshun at such a busy time, so Princess Zhongshun thought it was an important matter, and hurriedly put aside the work at hand and ordered someone to go to the Jia Mansion to pick her up.
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