Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Consider marrying him after divorce? ...
"I want to marry you."
The sound of the lantern falling to the ground startled the birds in the treetops, and sparks flew up with a puff, burning a hole in the sheepskin lamp.
Zhao Qingyi staggered back a step, still in shock.
Her cheeks flushed, and she didn't know whether it was out of shame or anger. She glared at him, "Could it be that the prince got drunk at the princess's mansion last night and came to the Zhao family specifically to tease me?"
"This king has no intention of teasing you."
Chu Yuanhe said seriously, "When we met in the northwest, I admired your intelligence and courage even more. I wanted to marry you right away, but the war in the northwest delayed us for a while, and Li Che got there first."
Zhao Qingyi was the mistress of the large mansion. She had always been steady and dignified, but she was frightened by his words like a frightened rabbit, and became extremely anxious and uneasy.
Chu Yuanhe was also worried whether it was too hasty to be so straightforward, but when he thought about everything in the dream, he had no time. At least he wanted Zhao Qingyi to see that he still had this choice.
"Now that I've returned to the capital, after careful consideration, I've decided to give it a try. While this may be abrupt, I have a sincere heart that I can't help but express. Would you consider it?"
Chu Yuanhe stopped joking and spoke sincerely.
He thought this was the most gentlemanly thing he could do.
According to his personality, he actually prefers to rob.
Little did he know that these words once again stirred up a storm in Zhao Qingyi's heart.
How could someone be so blatant as to poach her? And even ask her if she agreed to be poached?
How should she answer this?
"Don't say these words again, my Lord. I will pretend I have never heard them."
Zhao Qingyi's panic caught Chu Yuanhe's eyes. He chuckled softly, "Back then, you had the guts to scold His Majesty, but now you're afraid to listen to what I, the prince, have to say."
Even though Zhao Qingyi had lived two lives, she could not withstand the other party's frank expression of his true feelings. She pushed the man in front of her away, picked up the lantern that fell to the ground and was about to leave.
Chu Yuanhe's voice was still behind him, "Those words are always valid, think about it!"
What are you considering? Divorce and marry him?
She must be crazy to have such an idea.
Zhao Qingyi quickened her pace, her flowing skirt fluttering rapidly, revealing a sense of fleeing in panic.
Chu Yuanhe's smiling peach blossom eyes gradually turned deep. When her figure completely disappeared from his sight, he slowly exhaled and found that his curled up palms were wet with sweat.
—
Zhao Qingyi walked faster and faster as if being chased by a dog, and in the end he almost ran back to Lanyue Pavilion.
Qiao Yue came back after delivering the storybook. Seeing that she looked unhappy and had beads of sweat on her forehead, she took a handkerchief and went forward to wipe them. "Grandma, did the prince bully you?"
Zhao Qingyi took a few deep breaths, slowly calmed down, and shook his head, "Nothing, go to bed early, and don't provoke him these few days."
Seeing that she didn't want to talk, Qiao Yue didn't ask any more questions and bowed and walked out.
It was already late at night. Usually, Zhao Qingyi would have gone to bed by this time, but tonight she tossed and turned on the couch, unable to fall asleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with Chu Yuanhe's face, which was half serious and half joking.
It's crazy.
It was not until dawn that Zhao Qingyi finally sat up from the couch, supporting her swollen and painful temples. She asked her maid to help her dress up, as she had to go and pay her respects to her father and mother soon.
As soon as she left the Lanyue Pavilion, she glanced at the wall of the Stargazing Tower next door, and after thinking for a while, she decided to take a detour.
The housekeeper came forward and said, "Grandma is finally up. The eldest son came looking for you early this morning, but he was afraid of disturbing your sweet dreams, so he went to the Stargazing Tower to wait for you."
The "eldest young master" mentioned by the housekeeper refers to Zhao Qingyi's younger brother Zhao Lanyan.
Hearing that it was his brother looking for him, Zhao Qingyi still turned around and just as he stepped through the gate of the Observatory, he heard the sound of martial arts practice coming from inside. He looked over and saw that it was indeed Zhao Lanyan, but there was also Chu Yuanhe standing next to him.
Chu Yuanhe changed into a frosty-colored, narrow-sleeved suit with a flying crane pattern today. His sleeves were tied tightly together, and he held a long sword in his hand, leading Zhao Lanyan in demonstrating each sword move.
Although he deliberately slowed down his movements, his swordsmanship was still sharp and swift. There seemed to be the sound of wind and thunder when he danced, causing bursts of buzzing. The momentum was majestic and vast, causing the pomegranate trees in the yard to rustle.
Chu Yuanhe originally had a handsome face that made people hard to dislike. Now that he was serious about martial arts and swordsmanship, he was less reckless and looked quite pleasing to the eye.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs.
Zhao Qingyi was mesmerized for a moment.
I didn't have any other thoughts, I just thought this scene was beautiful.
In comparison, my younger brother is much inferior.
Even though Zhao Lanyan was talented, he still found it difficult to keep up with Chu Yuanhe's movements. It took him several rounds of practice before he could barely grasp it.
Just as he was about to do it himself, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhao Qingyi out of the corner of his eye, and his originally serious expression suddenly relaxed.
"elder sister!"
Zhao Lanyan put his sword on his back and ran over in two steps.
Upon hearing the sound, Chu Yuanhe also stopped his sword move, and when Zhao Qingyi looked over, he raised his eyebrows at her.
"..." She must have been possessed by a ghost just now, which is why she thought he was beautiful.
Zhao Qingyi pretended not to see it and glared at Zhao Lanyan, "You were complaining of a headache yesterday, and today you're here brandishing swords?"
Zhao Lanyan chuckled, "I came to look for my sister early in the morning, and I saw His Royal Highness the Prince practicing sword in the morning. I was really curious, so I came to ask for advice. Sister, what do you think of my martial arts performance just now?" As he spoke, he gestured twice.
Zhao Qingyi didn't understand this, so she could only touch his head to encourage him.
Chu Yuanhe walked over and said with a smile, "Your brother is quite talented. I happen to be free and bothering you at your house, so I might as well teach him a few moves."
Zhao Lanyan quickly nodded in agreement, "Sister, sister, the prince is very powerful! How about letting him stay in our house for a while longer?"
"How can that be possible?"
Zhao Qingyi subconsciously refused, but then felt that this was too blunt, so she said tactfully, "The prince is not your tutor. He has things to do. How can he play around with you every day?"
Chu Yuanhe must leave after the Prince's Mansion is repaired.
Zhao Lan lowered his head in disappointment.
Chu Yuanhe put his arm around his shoulders and said with a grin in front of Zhao Qingyi's stunned eyes, "Not at all. The Nine Borders are stable, and I am the most idle person in all of Shangjing. Besides, our families are close. I promise you that whenever I am free, I will come and teach you swordsmanship."
Zhao Lanyan's eyes lit up immediately. "Really?"
Chu Yuanhe had an expression that said, "How could I possibly lie?" and said firmly, "A gentleman's word is as good as gold."
As soon as he agreed, Zhao Lanyan jumped up excitedly and hugged him, "You are the best prince in the world!"
Zhao Qingyi: "..."
She endured the slight twitching of her mouth and pulled Zhao Lanyan down.
Zhao Lanyan then realized his impoliteness and hurriedly apologized to Chu Yuanhe, but his face was filled with uncontrollable ecstasy. His heart had long been inclined towards Chu Yuanhe. He pulled people into the courtyard and begged Chu Yuanhe to continue teaching him swordsmanship.
Zhao Qingyi didn't want to disturb her brother's interest, so she turned her attention to the house.
At this time, Li Che should have gotten up and gone with her to pay respects to Mrs. Meng, but there was no sign of Li Che yet.
"Where is my husband?"
"Early this morning, someone from the palace came with an imperial decree, summoning Master Zhao and our master to the palace. Starting today, Master Zhao will join the cabinet to discuss government affairs. As for our master..."
The housekeeper scratched her head, trying to recall the eunuch's instructions. "They said he was to compile... what history book from the previous dynasty?"
She didn't quite understand what this assignment meant, but Zhao Qingyi understood that this was the court's intention to re-employ Li Che. Although compiling history was a tedious and tedious task, Li Che would cherish it very much and would not be back for about ten days or half a month.
Thinking of this, Zhao Qingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was good. Without Li Che's disturbance, she could stay quietly in the Zhao Mansion for some time.
Seeing that his younger brother and Chu Yuanhe were having a lot of fun, Zhao Qingyi planned to go alone to pay his respects to Mrs. Meng and ask about Li Jiao's studies.
When she got there, she saw Li Jiao copying calligraphy in the Meng family courtyard, and he didn't even notice that she had entered the room.
Mrs. Meng was sipping tea nearby. Seeing her approach, she waved and smiled, "Jiao'er is truly a hardworking child, and is willing to put in the hard work behind the scenes. Mr. Kong came to see his calligraphy this morning and praised his good handwriting. Let him hone his skills in the clan school for two years, and when he's older, he can go to study with Mr. Kong."
Li Jiao then noticed Zhao Qingyi and stood up to salute, "Jiao'er greets mother."
Zhao Qingyi was quite surprised. She hadn't expected Meng to move so quickly. "Mr. Kong has already been here?"
"you do not know?"
Meng was also puzzled. Although she preferred Mr. Kong, a contemporary great scholar, to be Li Jiao's teacher, she was a merchant's daughter after all. This matter required Zhao Huaiyi to come forward in person. However, Zhao Huaiyi went to the palace early in the morning, and she had not had time to explain the matter of inviting Mr. Kong.
"Mr. Kong came early in the morning. I thought you went to invite someone."
Zhao Qingyi frowned and thought. Since it was not her invitation, nor her father's, how could Mr. Kong come?
Then Li Jiao said crisply, "Mother, grandmother, it was invited by His Royal Highness the Prince."
Zhao Qingyi was stunned. Why was it him again?
Li Jiao carefully observed her expression and told her what Chu Yuanhe had told her before.
"The prince said that Mr. Kong was a great scholar of the time and that he had some friendship with him in the past. However, the prince was not interested in pursuing a career in the imperial examinations, so he simply agreed to his son's wish and let his son study with Mr. Kong first as compensation for his temporary stay at the Zhao family."
"Why should we trouble the prince to come forward?"
Mrs. Meng was surprised and pulled Jiao'er over. "You, too, kid, next time you have to tell us about something this big, so that we don't end up owing someone a favor without realizing it, okay?"
Mrs. Meng has always been gentle. Even though Li Jiao is not her biological grandson, because Zhao Qingyi recognized him, Mrs. Meng treated him sincerely and her tone was angry but not harsh.
Li Jiao respected Zhao Qingyi, his stepmother, from the bottom of his heart, and naturally loved the elders of the Zhao family. Upon hearing this, he quickly bowed and apologized, "It's Jiao'er's fault. Jiao'er will remember your grandmother's teachings."
"Alright, alright, this matter is over." Seeing how well-behaved and sensible he was, Meng patted his head. "Grandmother has had a room cleaned up in your uncle's yard. From now on, you can live with your uncle. This way, you won't have to go to the clan school or run back and forth between the two families. You won't have to leave early and come back late every day. How about that?"
Mrs. Meng really cared about the child and allowed him to have one day off every five days and let him go home to reunite with his mother. After making all the arrangements, she asked the maid to take Li Jiao back first.
As for Zhao Lanyan, he was five years older than Li Jiao, and he was a lively and cheerful person who loved to be in a lively atmosphere. He didn't mind having one more person living with him.
Seeing that Meng had arranged everything in an orderly manner, Zhao Qingyi felt a warm feeling in her heart. She was grateful that God had allowed her to live again, and she chatted with Meng for many personal conversations.
Life in the Zhao family was very comfortable, giving her the illusion that she was still an unmarried girl, able to once again enjoy the company of her parents and her younger brother and family.
The only thing she was worried about was meeting Chu Yuanhe alone. After all, the shocking words he said that night really shocked her, a well-behaved woman from a noble family.
It's strange to say, Zhao Qingyi originally thought that the other party would pursue her relentlessly and never give up, but during this time at the Zhao family, the other party was surprisingly calm and never said anything inappropriate to her.
I just don’t know what means Chu Yuanhe used to make Zhao Lanyan and Li Jiao, two children with completely different personalities, like him. Every time the two children come to see him, they will bring Chu Yuanhe with them.
Even though he couldn't see anyone, he could still hear the two children chattering incessantly at the dinner table, talking about the prince. This went on for half a month, and Zhao Qingyi's ears were almost callused from listening to them.
At the dinner table, only Zhao Huaiyi could still smile. After all, Li Jiao had won the favor of Mr. Kong, which was beneficial to the Zhao family. Zhao Lanyan had always been unrestrained, but he was willing to follow Chu Yuanhe to learn martial arts, which was also a good thing.
After listening for a few days, Meng was happy at first, but gradually became more silent.
A woman's intuition is never wrong. She always felt that the prince was too enthusiastic towards their family.
After Zhao Qingyi and the two children left the table, Meng said, "Master, tomorrow you can send someone to ask next door if the palace has been repaired."
Zhao Huaiyi paused while digging into his bowl of rice. "Calculating the time, it should be... almost time?"
Meng heaved a sigh of relief. "If the repairs are complete, we'll still have to ask the prince to return home early. It's not that we don't welcome him, but there are still a few girls in our house. If someone accidentally runs into him one day, it wouldn't be good if the news got out."
Zhao Huaiyi thought Meng was being overly suspicious. "I think this prince is a straightforward person. Besides, our eldest daughter, Banban, is already married. Moreover, we Banban are always polite and will not overstep the boundaries."
Zhao Huaiyi is very confident about the daughter he raised.
Meng squinted at her husband and said, "Banpan is married, but there are two girls in the second house. One is a widow, and the other is still married. The prince is open and honest, but there is no guarantee that someone in the second house will be interested in him."
She still didn't feel comfortable saying it directly. She felt that the prince was either targeting her husband or them. However, she couldn't say it before she had solid evidence, lest she be accused of criticizing the prince. So she had to use the second daughter as an excuse.
It was fine with his own people, but when it came to the second house, Zhao Huaiyi had to be cautious. After pondering for a while, he nodded, "Madam, what you said makes sense."
He had heard in his early years that his niece was arrogant. When Luo brought Li Che to discuss the old engagement, the eldest wife was already arranging a marriage for Zhao Qingyi. So the old lady intended to marry the second wife's daughter to the Li family, but the second wife avoided it and made excuses repeatedly. In order to prevent the Zhao family from breaking their promise, they finally had no choice but to let Zhao Qingyi marry Li Che.
In the same year, Li Che won the third place in the imperial examination. The second wife felt a little regretful, but she felt much more balanced after not seeing Li Che promoted for three years. However, as Zhao Qingyi had married the third place in the imperial examination before, the second wife was unwilling to compromise. Her niece even declared that she wanted to marry a man better than Li Che. So until today, at the age of eighteen, she still has not arranged a marriage, just waiting to pick a husband who is outstanding in every way.
Now there lives a young and handsome Prince Pingxi in the mansion. In terms of background and appearance, he is no less than Li Che, the third place winner in the imperial examination. For the second house, he is a piece of fat meat that is right in their mouth.
In the end, no matter whether the prince offended the girl in the mansion or the second branch had the intention of clinging to the royal family, once trouble arose and the two mansions became enemies, he, as the head of the family, would have to come out and clean up the mess.
To prevent problems from happening, it is better to let the prince return to the palace as soon as possible.
"When the court was dismissed today, my son-in-law told me that tomorrow morning, after he finished his work, he would personally take Panpan back to the Li family. After Panpan returned, I would tell the prince again."
Zhao Huaiyi made up his mind, and as soon as he said Cao Cao, Cao Cao appeared. Just after lunch that day, his second wife Feng arrived.
Feng was born into a family of sixth-rank officials, of the same social status as the second master, Zhao Huailiang. She was the daughter-in-law chosen by the old lady herself. She was originally a gentle, dignified and virtuous woman. Unfortunately, because of Aunt Fang, Feng became estranged from her husband and her temper became aggressive and difficult to deal with. She has been living with only her daughter for all these years.
Now she came, naturally for her daughter.
Zhao Huaiyi knew what was going on, so he left on the pretext of having important matters to attend to, leaving Meng to deal with the matter.
Feng went straight to the point, "Sister-in-law, I won't beat around the bush with you. I want Wen Yi to meet the prince. Can you think of a way for them to meet..."
Zhao Wenyi is the second daughter of the Zhao family.
As soon as she opened her mouth, Meng smiled and interrupted her, "Sister-in-law, the prince is a guest. It is not up to us to decide whether he stays or leaves, who he wants to see or not."
She is also required to find a way to plot against the Prince. Isn't this pushing her to offend people?
Feng hadn't expected Meng to refuse so bluntly. "Sister-in-law, I just want them to meet. Whether it succeeds or not, I won't force it. I won't implicate you."
"Sister-in-law," Meng finished her lunch and slowly wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, her tone as gentle as ever. "Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words. If you are interested, why not go to the palace and tell the old prince in person?"
"Sister-in-law, aren't you making things difficult for me? He's not like my eldest brother, who has a low position and little influence. I'm afraid he can't even enter the palace."
Feng's face looked unhappy. The "he" she was referring to was the second master, Zhao Huailiang.
In the past few years, the eldest wife has been away and the two sides have not officially separated. The household expenses have always been controlled by Feng, and she is also the one who arranges the daily social engagements and gifts. Most officials in the capital are polite to her for the sake of the eldest wife's face, but if the time really comes to discuss marriage, she knows very well whether the second wife can catch the eye of the Pingxi Palace on her own.
If it was as simple as Mrs. Meng said, why would she come to Mrs. Meng for help?
"Sister-in-law, Wen Yi is your niece, and she is about the same age as Qing Yi. Qing Yi has been married for three years, but Wen Yi is still unmarried. If you delay this any longer, she will become an old maid and become a laughing stock."
It would have been fine if she hadn't mentioned it. As soon as she did, Meng recalled the time when Li Che came to propose marriage. At that time, it was the second wife who was supposed to marry Li Che. "With the Zhao family's status, it wouldn't be difficult for Wen Yi to get married. As for who has ruined her marriage all these years, isn't it clear to me, sister-in-law?"
Greed is the key. If the second wife had not competed with them in everything, her daughter's marriage would not have been delayed.
"Forget it, since you, the eldest wife, are so unwilling to see us prosper, then I won't humiliate myself in front of you!"
Feng had a violent temper and would leave in anger if she disagreed with something.
Along the way, Feng was muttering in dissatisfaction, "I think the eldest family is so stingy. They married their own daughter off, and now they don't want my daughter to marry well! It's just to let me, Wen Yi, meet the prince. It's not something that can be exposed. But they are still making excuses. They don't think that if Wen Yi becomes the princess of the county, the whole Zhao family will rise to prominence!"
The nanny next to her was trying to comfort her. The master and servant were talking as they walked. Just as they turned the corridor, they suddenly heard crying coming from Fang Yi Niang's Fangfei Courtyard.
Feng shuddered suddenly and stopped.
The nanny listened carefully, "Why does this voice... sound like the Third Young Lady?"
As the principal wife, Feng had always been at odds with Concubine Fang. When she saw something was happening, she wanted to get closer to eavesdrop. Just as she took a few steps closer, a maid came out from Fangfei Courtyard. Feng quickly put on airs, pretended to be passing by, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
At this moment in Fangfei Courtyard, Zhao Manyi was kneeling on the ground crying uncontrollably. At her feet was an overturned wooden box, with the silver and jewelry inside scattered all over the floor.
Li Che will come to pick up Zhao Qingyi and take her back home tomorrow, which will also be her chance to meet Li Che. She took advantage of Aunt Fang's absence to secretly take out her dowry, but was caught by Aunt Fang and had to explain the whole story.
Aunt Fang was furious and threw the dowry box to the ground.
"You unfilial daughter, you idiot!"
Aunt Fang was furious and hit Zhao Manyi on the back with a soft pillow. "He asked you to take the money and you really dared to take it? If I hadn't caught you red-handed, wouldn't you have used your entire dowry to subsidize the Li family? Are you confused?"
Aunt Fang cursed and beat him at the same time. The soft pillow would not hurt her when it hit her body, nor would it leave bruises or scars, but it allowed Aunt Fang to vent her anger.
She was tired of beating him and threw the soft pillow away fiercely. "From now on, you will stay in the yard honestly and you are not allowed to see that man again. As for Jun'er, he is his own son. You don't need to worry about him!"
Zhao Manyi accepted being beaten and scolded, but when she heard that she was not allowed to see Li Che and Jun Ge'er again, she panicked completely. She hugged Fang Yi Niang's legs and cried and begged, "Mother, please help him. Zhao Qingyi won't help, and we won't help either. His career is ruined. If he is ruined, what will happen to my daughter and Jun Ge'er..."
"It's ruined!"
Aunt Fang slapped Zhao Manyi in the face, knocking her down. "I used to think he was quite capable, so I allowed you to have a secret meeting with him so that you could have a good life in the future!"
"But look at you now. He can't give you wealth and glory. Why don't you quickly end this evil relationship? You're actually using your dowry to support a man? How could I have such a stupid daughter like you!"
In fact, in terms of background, Zhao Manyi's starting point is much higher than Aunt Fang's. Even if she is a concubine's daughter, she is still the daughter of the Zhao family and the daughter of a legitimate official.
However, Aunt Fang was just a prostitute in the music house. In order to escape from her low status and marry into a wealthy family, she got pregnant before marriage and entered the Zhao family with her belly. Since then, she has been favored by the Zhao family for more than ten years.
So when she knew that Zhao Manyi and Li Che were having an affair, her first thought was to make plans for her daughter as soon as possible. She kept the matter a secret and tried every means to separate Zhao Manyi from her late husband. She also sent her far away to Lingnan and let her give birth to the child first, hoping that she could gain status as a mother by having a child.
By doing this, Aunt Fang was betting on an opportunity, a chance for Li Che, the third place winner in the imperial examination, to rise to prominence.
But what about now?
Although she didn't know whether she could become successful, Zhao Manyi wanted to use the dowry she had saved with great difficulty to subsidize her man!
The more Aunt Fang thought about it, the angrier she became, and she cursed with spit flying everywhere.
Zhao Manyi propped herself up on the ground with her hands and cried even harder. This was the first time she had been beaten in her life. She felt wronged but also unwilling to accept it. "Mother... I just want to help him. Only when he gets better will I have hope for the rest of my life..."
"I don't expect anything!"
Aunt Fang's anger, which had just subsided, suddenly flared up again. "Why aren't you awake yet? I've taught you countless times that you should just cry about things like this and get some comfort. You should never use your own money to pay a man. Do you think he'll remember your kindness just because you've poured your heart out to him?"
"You are so naive! You are dreaming!"
Aunt Fang has been in the entertainment industry for many years and knows the bad nature of men best. The more she devotes her heart and soul and considers men in everything, the less she is cherished.
Zhao Manyi trembled and burst into tears after being scolded by her.
Seeing her pitiful appearance, Aunt Fang calmed down her anger, then bent down and helped her up, saying earnestly, "Remember, if Li Che is hopeless, you can just raise another Jun brother. If you keep this a secret, you can still get married again."
"After all, a woman's chastity is just that, it's far less important than real money, understand?"
Zhao Manyi was supported by her on a chair, still sobbing.
Aunt Fang sat aside, taking a deep gulp of cold tea. Her anger slowly subsided. She instructed Xiaoman, the maidservant in Zhao Manyi's room, "Tomorrow, the eldest brother-in-law will come to take the eldest daughter back. Go and warn him. If he asks for her, Man'er will never be his concubine. As for money, don't even think about it!"
After saying that, he threw the teacup hard at Xiaoman's feet.
Xiaoman shuddered and knelt down, "I will remember this!"
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