After the morning court session, the Minister of Works privately requested an audience with the Emperor.
Some people saw him looking dejected after he came out of the Imperial Study.
Before noon, rumors began to circulate that the Minister of Works, to thank his nephew for risking his life to save his daughter, had specially betrothed his daughter, You Xian'er, to Liu Baokun as his principal wife.
Everyone praised the Minister of Works' action.
The Minister's family members are kind, loyal, and grateful.
After learning the news, Cui Yudie ate half a bowl more for lunch.
Jiang Shuyue had lunch at the Su residence that day.
On this day, Sui Sui seemed to have anticipated that his mother would go to the Su residence. He did not stay at the academy at noon. Instead, he went to find Su Nan during the break and told him to come home for lunch.
Princess Chang Le didn't know how she learned that Sui Sui was going back to the Su residence at noon.
When Sui Sui and Su Nan walked out of the academy gate, they saw Chang Le and Jing Er already waiting there.
"Auntie, are you going back to the palace? Mother is back, and I'm going to have lunch with her." Sui Sui first explained why he had come from the academy.
It wasn't that he was being long-winded; the truth was that every time his aunt caught him, she would try to take him back to the palace. If he didn't explain things clearly, his aunt would start arguing with his second uncle again.
As the north wind blew, the butterfly beads on Chang Le's hair fluttered as if they were about to take flight.
The orange cloak, with its snow-white fox fur collar, accentuated her delicate, exquisitely beautiful face, making her even more charming and adorable.
Su Nan and Sui Sui were both wearing black mink cloaks. Chang Le had heard Sui Sui mention that the cloaks were made from furs that Nangong Zeyue had bought from a merchant.
Su Jin and Su Nan each have one item.
Her phoenix eyes curved slightly, and she pursed her lips, muttering to herself, "So old-fashioned, not pretty at all."
"See you later, Auntie. It'll be too late if you don't go home soon."
He was closest to his aunt, and what she said just now was that she thought his cloak was too old-fashioned.
In order to prevent his second uncle from coming to his senses, he had to separate the two of them as soon as possible.
However, things didn't go as planned. Su Nan's hearing was good, and his eyesight was even better. He saw clearly the look of disdain in Chang Le's eyes.
“If Your Highness thinks we’re dressed too old-fashioned, you don’t have to look at us. Out of sight, out of mind,” Su Nan retorted calmly.
Chang Le pulled Sui Sui's hand into hers and asked, "Tell me yourself, doesn't all that black make you look old?"
"Auntie, I'm not grown up yet." Sui Sui looked at Chang Le with pitiful eyes, her watery eyes sparkling as if they were about to burst open.
"I'm sorry, Auntie didn't mean you look older than you are. I think you look better in apricot yellow. I'll have someone make you another cloak another day."
"No need. Grandmother sent a lot of cotton-padded clothes and cloaks. Mother said that I won't get this dirty."
Jing'er, being experienced, quickly nodded in agreement, "Miss Jiang is right, children's light-colored clothes get dirty in no time."
The people of southern Jiangsu were quite magnanimous today and did not continue to retaliate.
He reached out and took Sui Sui's other hand, saying, "It's getting late, let's go home quickly."
He then politely said to Chang Le, "Please go ahead, Princess."
Chang Le glared at Su Nan, "Who said I was going back to the palace? This princess hasn't seen Sister Jiang in a long time either, I'll go with her."
Sui Sui looked up and around. Seeing that his aunt and second uncle were getting along well today, he smiled and took their hands and walked forward.
"Let's go back together, and then go to school together in the afternoon."
They had only taken a few steps when they saw Gao Mu driving a carriage over.
"Your Highness, Young Master Su, Young Master Sui, please get in the carriage. Miss guessed that you would be going home for lunch today."
Gao Mu'an got off the horse stool, and the group quickly boarded the carriage.
Chang Le and Jing'er sat on one side, while Su Nan and Sui Sui sat on the other. Seeing that neither his aunt nor his second uncle spoke, Sui Sui remained silent as well.
Jing'er was surprised when the carriage stopped after traveling only a short distance. "We've arrived at the Jiang residence so quickly?"
Chang Le glanced at Su Nan and said, "This is the Su residence."
"Princess, please alight from the carriage." Su Nan lifted the curtain and gestured politely for her to proceed.
"This servant will go down and help you."
For some reason, Jing'er always felt that Su Nan was teasing the princess with every word he said.
At the dinner table, Jiang Shuyue brought up the marriage between Su Hui and Prince Kang.
“If we don’t go back to Yannan, Ahui will definitely be disappointed.”
"The journey is long and it's inconvenient to do a full dowry, so this gift can only be given later."
Su Jin also expressed some regret, saying, "I guess the wedding date should be approaching. My father didn't mention it in his letter. He just doesn't want us to travel such a long distance."
"Sister Jiang, don't feel regretful. Mother said that the betrothal gifts are very generous and will never let Sister Hui'er suffer any grievances."
Su Nan looked up at Chang Le; the princess looked truly beautiful today.
Chang Le glared at Su Nan. "What, you don't believe what I said?"
"How could I not believe you? I just felt that Your Highness was a little different today."
Chang Le hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her lips haphazardly.
This guy must have kept quiet because he saw rice grains stuck to his face.
Jiang Shuyue couldn't help but laugh when she saw the two of them looking like that.
"Chang Le, just trust Su Nan this once. Once Prince Kang and A Hui get married, you'll be relatives."
“Yes, we’re all family.” Sui Sui smiled and looked at her aunt, then at her second uncle, Su Nan.
“Even if we are relatives, we must still observe the proper etiquette between ruler and subject.” Su Jin said this to Su Nan.
"Brother, I understand."
If he hadn't upheld the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, Princess Chang Le would have been brought to tears by his sharp rebukes several times over.
Su Nan quickly finished her bowl of rice and went back to her room.
Seeing that Sui Sui had finished eating, Chang Le put down her chopsticks and took him to play.
Su Jin and Jiang Shuyue went to the warm pavilion for tea.
"Sister, it seems the Emperor has no interest in selecting concubines." After thinking it over, Su Jin told him everything he knew.
Jiang Shuyue disagreed.
"As the ruler of a country, there are some things he cannot control. Miss You is a bit arrogant, and the emperor may just dislike her."
Jiang Shuyue did not understand the meaning of Xiao Jingzhao's statement, "I don't know how to participate in talent shows."
Su Jin also understood that the Emperor could not commit to a lifelong relationship with only one person.
Jiang Shuyue drank tea for a while and chatted about other things before leaving.
...
The atmosphere at the Su family residence in the north of the city was somewhat gloomy today.
Jiang Jiaojiao sat on the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, her gaze fixed blankly on the charcoal brazier.
Feeling lost and helpless, with her father and aunt leaving the capital, no one in her family cared whether she was doing well or not.
The only maid was nowhere to be seen all day, and the husband often stayed overnight in the sunflower house, showing a tendency to favor his concubine over his wife.
She had unspeakable suffering in her heart, and loneliness and depression filled her mind.
Feeling drowsy, she lay down.
Just then, familiar footsteps approached from afar.
"Husband, is that you?"
A light shone in Jiang Jiaojiao's eyes, and she used her strength to sit up.
"Didn't you take a nap, my wife?"
Su Peng lifted the curtain and strode in.
"Did my husband bring back the silver?"
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