Chapter 218 · Extra 3
No official dared to utter a word about what happened in the court that day. The Fourth and Fifth Realms were worlds apart, and no matter how dissatisfied they were with Bai Xiuming's way of doing things in the past, they could only suppress their thoughts now.
Now they only hope that King Ming can stay on the throne peacefully, at least until the day they retire.
In the following days, the memorials submitted by the court officials to the emperor's desk were all requesting merits for Prince Ming. The implication was that they hoped Prince Ming could remain on the throne peacefully, and if he were to leave, they should at least wait until they had all retired.
As for the officials who later had to confront Bai Xiuming? What did that have to do with them?
The emperor had no dissatisfaction with Bai Xiuming's succession to the throne of the Ming King. Throughout history, the Ming Kings had never interfered in politics, but only stayed in the Great Xia to protect the emperor's safety.
Under the tutelage of the Ming King, Bai Xiuming's style of doing things was somewhat radical, but he was wholeheartedly devoted to him and always handled matters properly and thoroughly. He was not worried that the Ming King would not be used to the change of personnel, but looking at the eloquent memorial in his hand, which made the reader feel the same joy and sorrow as the writer, he still felt that he had to leave some way out for the court officials.
Look at what that kid has done to the court officials. The Minister of Justice was a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, but he hasn't written anything since becoming an official. His usual memorials are simple and clear. Today, he's probably pulled out all his hidden literary talent. It's quite remarkable.
After putting down the memorial, the emperor sent someone to summon Prince Ming to the palace.
The two chatted in the imperial study for most of the day before the emperor finally saw Prince Ming off with satisfaction.
As soon as Prince Ming returned to the palace, he heard from the steward that Bai Xiuming had been waiting in the study for more than an hour.
He went to the study with a sullen face. Finding the door closed, he kicked it open. Bai Xiuming, who was sitting inside reading, only glanced at him and said lazily, "Father is back."
"You unfilial son, did you do this on purpose?"
"What do you mean, intentionally?" Bai Xiuming asked innocently.
"What's the deal with those court officials' memorials?" King Ming didn't concern himself with state affairs, so naturally he wouldn't bother to find out what those court officials liked to talk about with the emperor on a daily basis.
His son was capable of handling things on his own, and he had originally planned to pass the throne to someone else after his son got married. Who knew that the emperor would have a heart-to-heart talk with him today, insisting that he couldn't bear to part with him. In the end, he was worn down and had no choice but to agree to relinquish the title of Prince Ming after the crown prince ascended the throne.
However, judging from the emperor's health, it may be decades before the crown prince ascends the throne.
On the way back, Ming Wang suddenly realized that Bai Xiuming had not only dug a pit for his relatives in the court that day, but he was also digging a pit for himself.
This kid probably knew he was going to run away, so he deliberately said he wanted the throne, and then, when he was off guard, he secretly incited the court officials to persuade the emperor, and then had the emperor persuade him.
Bai Xiuming closed the book in his hand, a smile on his face: "How can I control the thoughts of you gentlemen? They must truly be reluctant to part with their father. The capable should do more, so please bear with it a little longer."
"When did you come up with this plan?" Mingwang asked.
Bai Xiuming didn't hide anything: "The day Qin Heng ran away, I was thinking that you would probably run away after I got married. It just so happened that I heard that the clansmen were dissatisfied with my marriage, so I decided to resolve the matter at the same time."
King Ming was so angry that he glared and his beard bristled: "I found a famous scholar to teach you a whole host of strategies, and you used them all to deal with your own father!"
"Father, you are mistaken. It is I who cannot bear to part with you."
The Ming King snorted coldly. Who would believe that? He himself had been fooled by the previous Ming King in the same way. By the time he realized what had happened, the other party had vanished without a trace, leaving him only to sit miserably in charge of the Great Xia.
Seeing the undisguised smugness on the young man's face, he pulled up a chair and sat down, then suddenly changed the subject: "The Emperor said that the Imperial Observatory has selected three auspicious days."
Although the betrothal has not yet been formally arranged, the Imperial Observatory has already cleverly calculated the wedding date in advance, and it was just reported to the Empress yesterday.
"Which days?" Bai Xiuming finally became interested.
The King glanced at him and said slowly, "Of the three auspicious days, the Empress thinks the date nine months from now is the most suitable, and I think so too."
Bai Xiuming threw down the book in his hand and got up to leave.
"Come back? What are you doing here?"
“He ran away from home and took Ah Chan to the wilderness to seek refuge with his father-in-law.”
The wedding date was set for next year, and Bai Xiuming is now brimming with rebelliousness.
King Ming was so angry that he blurted out, "Your father-in-law is buried in the ground."
"It's alright, it won't stop us from going to keep him company."
King Ming pressed the veins on his forehead back down: "I didn't say I'd set the date nine months from now."
Bai Xiuming finally stopped and condescended to give Ming Wang a look.
King Ming once again felt that raising a son would only drive him crazy and bring him no benefit whatsoever.
"I was afraid you'd be anxious, so the date is set for two months from now. We'll be going to exchange betrothal gifts in a few days. If you still want to get married, you'd better behave yourself."
Bai Xiuming was finally satisfied: "Thank you, Father."
"roll!"
After taking a few steps, Bai Xiuming turned around again. "Father, besides jewelry, you can also prepare some spiritual fruits when you present the betrothal gifts. She likes to eat them."
"Should I give you the storage ring?" King Ming asked in a sinister tone.
Bai Xiuming coughed lightly: "Son is leaving now."
Having achieved his goal, he didn't linger for a moment and headed straight for Chongming Ward after leaving the Prince's Mansion.
What Achan didn't know was that while Bai Xiuming was removing the obstacles on their path to marriage, he hadn't forgotten to scheme against his father, truly a "filial son."
The weather has been hot lately, and Hui Niang has been busy organizing her dowry, adding things here and there. After lunch today, Hui Niang went out again, and A Chan didn't go with her but stayed home to write the dowry list.
She hadn't even finished writing half of it when, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas outside the window, she began to feel drowsy.
The pen, now devoid of ink, fell from her hand, rolling down the smooth table to the floor with a thud, but the person who had fallen asleep with her head on her arm was completely unaware.
A leisurely summer afternoon is perfect for sleeping. When she woke up, it was still light outside, but she moved from her desk to her bed.
A cool breeze blew from behind her from time to time. Ah Chan yawned and lazily turned around. She saw the man she hadn't seen for quite some time sitting on the headboard, fanning her. He was wearing a long, wide-sleeved robe in a light blue color, and the sleeves swayed gently with his fanning motion.
The banana leaf fan was bought by Hui Niang at the general store. It was rather ugly, but it was cheap and useful, so A Chan brought it with her.
Now that it's in Bai Xiuming's hands, its value seems to have increased, and it can probably be sold for more than ten coins.
"What are you looking at?" Bai Xiuming asked with a smile when he saw A Chan staring intently at him.
Achan snapped out of her daze and reached out to touch his sleeve. He was dressed very neatly today and looked like a good person.
Bai Xiuming did not dodge and continued to fan her.
Achan touched it; the fabric was slightly cool to the touch, thin and soft. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, the fan fell onto the bed, and Bai Xiuming grabbed her hand.
Ah Chan's hand was wrapped in his palm. His hand was not as scorching as usual, but rather slightly cool, like the finest jade.
The feel was really nice. Achan pulled her hand away from his and reached down his wrist into his sleeve.
Her hand rested on a muscular forearm, which was also cool to the touch. Satisfied, she withdrew her hand, moved closer to Bai Xiuming, and snuggled into his arms.
He pulled her into his arms from behind, burying his face in A Chan's neck, his nostrils filled with her faint fragrance. He hadn't seen her for quite some time and missed her terribly.
"Why did you come here today?" Achan raised her hand and touched his face, her fingers brushing against his chin, which felt slightly prickly.
Bai Xiuming deliberately rubbed against her delicate, fair neck: "I missed you."
"Oh...it seems you didn't think of me the other day."
At this moment, Achan completely forgot what she had said before, that men and women should not meet before their engagement. When she wanted to break up with Bai Xiuming, he did not appear in time, so of course it was all his fault!
"Yes." The warm, damp touch on her neck made A-Chan raise her head slightly. Bai Xiuming's voice was muffled. "I think about how to marry you as soon as possible every day."
Achan's lips curled up slightly, but the next moment she scolded in dissatisfaction, "You're not allowed to do anything reckless. Huiniang will be back soon."
"I know what I'm doing." Bai Xiuming deftly untied the loosely tied ribbon in front of her, and the thin outer garment slipped off her shoulders, revealing her fair skin.
"What points do you have..." Before she could finish speaking, Achan was flipped over, and her slightly parted lips were captured by him. His tongue forcefully probed between her lips and teeth, and his kiss was extremely heavy, with a deep desire, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Ah Chan leaned back uncontrollably. He supported her back with one hand and held her thigh with the other, putting her back on the bed, and then pressed down on her again.
They only let her go when she was almost out of breath.
Ah Chan lay on the white sheets, panting heavily, her eyes glazed over, her lips swollen and red. The lip rouge she had applied earlier had long been eaten by Bai Xiuming, but a touch of vibrant color had been left on her lips.
She subconsciously reached out her index finger to wipe away the jarring color, and just as she was about to pull her finger back, she felt her fingertip being lightly licked.
"Still want more?" Bai Xiuming stroked her long hair, his voice slightly hoarse, beneath which lay a strong, suppressed desire.
Achan quickly shook her head. She felt that this person's self-control was already in a precarious state, so it was better not to argue with him.
Bai Xiuming chuckled, seeing that she wanted to settle things peacefully, and then hugged her and fooled around for a while before stopping.
He was indeed true to his word and did nothing out of line, but Ah Chan felt that it would have been better to do something out of line.
He sat up as if nothing had happened, but the fire burning within him was raging, and Ah Chan was so angry that she kicked him several times.
Bai Xiuming held her delicate white feet, slowly took out her stockings and put them on for her, saying sarcastically, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"No!" Ah Chan gritted her teeth.
"Really?"
"Hmph!" Ah Chan snorted heavily, turning her face away, not wanting to talk to him at all.
Bai Xiuming lay on his side beside her, propping his head up with one hand, unconcerned by her coldness, and said to himself, "The Imperial Observatory has already chosen the wedding date. Does Achan want to know?"
Achan's eyelashes trembled, giving her an expression that said, "I don't really want to know."
Bai Xiuming continued, "Some guests live quite far away, so it's best to send the wedding invitations to them in advance."
Achan has already begun to ponder how long it would take to send a wedding invitation from the Great Xia to the Dragon Clan.
Travel between the five realms is quick, but she couldn't ask the Ming King to deliver the wedding invitations for her.
She glanced quickly at Bai Xiuming. He probably wouldn't have time to see her off. She really needed to prepare in advance. So when exactly was she getting married?
“But if Achan doesn’t want to know, then forget it.” Bai Xiuming turned over and sat on the edge of the bed, starting to straighten his clothes, seemingly intending to leave.
"Is there anything else?" Bai Xiuming turned around, adopting a businesslike demeanor.
Achan sat up from the bed: "I just suddenly realized you're right. Knowing the wedding date in advance allows us to prepare accordingly."
Bai Xiuming looked troubled: "I misspoke just now. Setting the wedding date before the betrothal ceremony is not in accordance with the rules. Let's recalculate it another day."
"Bai Xiuming!" Ah Chan held back for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back her anger and pounced on his back. When he turned his head, she bit his chin and left a small tooth mark.
Bai Xiuming obligingly let her take a bite, a faint smile in his eyes: "The wedding date is set for two months from now. If we finish writing the wedding invitations now, we can send them to the Dragon Clan in time."
"Then hurry up!" Ah Chan urged.
Bai Xiuming had no choice but to carry her on his back and take her to the desk to settle her down.
He handed me a pen and ground ink, being extremely attentive, which finally earned me a satisfied look.
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