Chapter 142 What do you think?
Lu Tanwei frowned, then said in sudden realization, "No wonder the Crown Prince stood up for you and taught those girls a lesson on the day of the engagement banquet. It turns out this is the reason."
Wang glanced at the corner of her husband's mouth that couldn't help curling up, and sighed inwardly. The Lu and Pei families had broken off their engagement, and everyone praised it as a move for the greater good of their country and family. It was only a hardship for her niece, who would be turning eighteen after the White Dew Festival, and yet the news of the broken engagement had spread throughout the city.
"I have never thought of marrying into the Eastern Palace, so I didn't tell my uncle and aunt about this." Song Lingyi added.
But Lu Tanwei disagreed, her face flushed with smiles: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is a man of great stature and ability. Since returning to the capital last year, the Ministry of Rites has submitted several applications for the selection of concubines, but they were all rejected by His Highness the Crown Prince. I thought His Highness the Crown Prince was indifferent to the affairs of the world, but tonight, it is clear that he is-"
Before he could finish his words, Wang glared at him and made him shudder.
"Lingyi, what do you think?"
Her husband was right. His Royal Highness was a favored son of heaven, now in control of all power, with the throne within his grasp. But Ah Qianming had said he wanted to marry Lingyi, and as a mother, she had to make some plans for him. Besides, the palace had many rules, and Lingyi, with her personality, might not be able to adapt.
Two pairs of eyes stared at her, making Song Lingyi nervous for no reason. She said truthfully, "I don't want to think about marriage yet."
The Duke and Duchess obviously did not expect this answer from their niece, and there was some disappointment in their eyes, but since marriage was a major matter, they had to follow their niece's ideas and they could not interfere too much.
…
Meanwhile, the elegant rooms of Jinzun Tower were a scene of decadence. Nine candlesticks shone brightly, illuminating the room with dazzling pearl curtains. Behind the screen, a musician played music.
Azhu came in a hurry and saw her young master leaning on the couch as soon as she opened the door, his cheeks flushed and his eyes hazy with drunkenness. Chu Yizhou, who was sitting opposite her, was extremely drunk and was staggering.
"Young Master!" Ah Zhu hurried to the side of the couch and said anxiously, "You should return home quickly. The master is very angry tonight. He said he would lock up Mingzhu Garden and not allow you to return!"
As he was speaking, Ah Zhu noticed the red and swollen slap marks on Lu Qian's face and was immediately shocked: "Who?!"
"Who did this?!"
"You even dared to hit the young master in the face. You don't want to live anymore!"
Chu Yizhou was awakened by the sudden noise, and slowly sat up, dragging his words out, "That's right, tell me a name, and I'll find someone to kill him!"
Lu Qian's face was gloomy. The slap mark did not make him look even more embarrassed. He stretched out his leg and kicked Chu Yizhou, "What are you doing? I fell down by myself!"
“…”Falling?
Chu Yizhou's head was dizzy and he was unable to think, but Azhu didn't drink. He curled his lips and started to murmur in his heart: The young master is really too concerned about his reputation. Who would slap someone in the face?
"Young Master, please hurry back to the mansion with me."
Lu Qian raised his head and drank the wine in his cup. He squinted his eyes at the bright and beautiful zither player and said two words lightly: "No return."
"But you threw my cousin on the street. The Duke is really angry this time. Fortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince passed by and sent my cousin here. What if something happened..." Azhu kept chattering.
Hearing this, the pair of light-colored pupils moved, and some images automatically popped into his mind.
Anger suddenly surged up, and Lu Qian curled his lips: "Just passing by? He really knows how to make excuses." It was obvious that he had planned this for a long time.
There was no tone in his words, and he even curled his lips, but his eyes were full of amusement.
Ah Zhu thought he was talking about his cousin and advised, "Young Master, don't think too much. The Second Master will be returning to Lizhou tomorrow. You should go back to the mansion and see him off."
"I said I won't reply. If you keep arguing, get out."
Lu Qian uttered a harsh remark, threw the empty wine glass onto the table, and then lay down on his back, resting his head on his arms. From an angle invisible to others, his light-colored, auspicious phoenix eyes were slightly red, and his expression no longer had the previous unbridled and madness.
Azhu had no choice but to retreat in disappointment.
There was no other sound in the room except the sound of the piano.
Chu Yizhou noticed that Lu Qian was in a bad mood and asked, "Ah Qian, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with the fireworks show we arranged today?"
They were busy preparing for the past few days and were not allowed to tell anyone else. I thought the young master had finally come to his senses, but he came back today with a slap mark on his face and refused to tell anyone who asked. It was really strange.
After a long silence, the young man lying on the couch suddenly asked sullenly, "What if the girl you like doesn't like you?"
“……?”
This is a lot of information!
Chu Yizhou opened his eyes wide with a complicated expression, wanting to laugh but not daring to.
Although the young master has a bad temper, he has a good family background and good looks. Who would refuse him?
After pondering for a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "They say that marriages are decided by parents and by matchmakers. There aren't many couples in this world who love each other. If you like him, just ask the Duke's wife to come and propose marriage."
The person on the couch didn't respond.
Chu Yizhou was drunk and said, "As long as the man and woman are unmarried, there is always a way. If it really doesn't work... the rice has been cooked."
There was a muffled sound, and Chu Yizhou couldn't bear the alcohol and fell to the other side of the couch.
The zither player tactfully left the elegant room.
A light rain was falling outside the window, the lingering aroma of wine still filled the room, and a cold wind leaked in through the cracks.
Lu Qian lay on his side with his eyelids drooping, his thick and long eyelashes trembling from time to time, and an indescribable complex expression on his face.
The scene of the prince taking Song Lingyi away in the street kept appearing in his mind. The sudden heartache made Lu Qian's heart tighten.
…
The next day, at daybreak, everyone in the Duke's Mansion began to get busy.
More than a dozen baggage carts were parked at the gate, and servants were carrying boxes up in an orderly manner. Lu Ling couldn't bear to leave her two cousins, so she ran to Zhilan Garden early in the morning and hugged Song Lingyi, who had just woken up, and acted coquettishly.
"Since you have nothing to do, why don't you come with me to Lizhou? Lizhou is really fun."
Song Lingyi sat in front of the basin stand, washing her face. She glanced at her pouting cousin, her face full of hope, and after a few pauses, she said, "Maybe after a while."
Seeing that there was something going on, Lu Ling immediately raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Cousin, please set a date so that I can have someone prepare it."
Song Lingyi wiped her hands with a half-wet cotton handkerchief, drooping her eyelids, as if thinking about something.
"After the spring, I plan to go back to Huaizhou City to pay my respects to my parents. When I pass by Lizhou, I'll go see you and my second uncle and aunt."
Paying respects to her parents was one thing, but she didn't know how to face Xiao Mingyi and Lu Qian's relationship. Furthermore, she had beaten Lu Qian last night, and living under the same roof from now on, seeing each other all the time, was truly awkward.
Hearing her cousin say that she was going back to her hometown to pay respects, Lu Ling felt a little disappointed. "Then wait until she returns to Beijing from Huaizhou City, and then stay in Lizhou for a while."
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