The thirteenth day of the first lunar month
"How come you have the leisure to paint on an umbrella, sister?"
As Xu sketched the delicate branches, he put down his brush and placed it on the small table, then called to her, "Come and take a look."
"White snow and red plum blossoms, sister, what refined taste you have." Sima An leaned closer, his eyes filled with admiration.
With just a few strokes, the plum blossom branches vividly appeared on the paper, embodying both elegance and strength. She then dipped her brush in a light touch of pink, the tip lightly dabbing at the snow-covered branches. The pink and red clashed, neither gaudy nor vulgar. Finally, she added a touch of gold to the stamens, and a painting of white snow and red plum blossoms was complete. From afar, it truly possessed a cool and vibrant beauty.
"Chen's umbrella?" Sima An wanted to pick it up and look at it, but Sui Zhixu stopped him.
"Hmm, Chen's umbrella. Don't touch it, the paint isn't dry yet, be careful with your clothes. I think this snow might last for several days, so I painted it in advance. Bring an umbrella on the Lantern Festival just in case."
“No wonder they told me that Ruolan asked someone to buy a bunch of things; it turns out they were for my sister.” Sima An moved closer to her, picked up the ink and sniffed it. “It smells so good. It must be ink from Mohexuan. Their ink is hard to buy; you have to order it a whole year in advance.”
"I ordered it last year, and they just happened to have it ready so I had someone bring it back. If you like, I have another one; I'll have someone send it to you."
Sima Xian bestowed upon her the title of Princess, and she left Sima An's palace to live in another palace.
"Hehe, thanks, sister. Ouch—my teeth hurt so much."
Toothache?
Sima An chuckled foolishly, "I've eaten too many walnut pastries. Teacher hasn't cooked walnut pastries in so many years, but I didn't expect them to still be so delicious. If it weren't for my sister, I wouldn't have been able to eat them. The last time I had walnut pastries was when my sister went back to her parents' home for a visit."
"How come I didn't get any?" Sui Zhixu looked her up and down. "I remember that day you were avoiding me. Turns out you were secretly eating all the walnut cookies she made by yourself."
“I, I didn’t. I was young then and didn’t know what you meant by getting married. You said I would see you soon after the wedding, and I waited for you in your room for many days before you came back. When I heard that you were back, I just wanted you to look for me. I hid in the teacher’s room and waited for a long time but you couldn’t find me. I was so bored that I ate walnut cakes while waiting for you.”
"She fell asleep while waiting." Sui Zhixu reached out and touched her forehead, her eyes filled with tenderness.
"I never expected to find you under the table. You were fast asleep, even talking in your sleep, saying..."
As Xu deliberately dragged out the words, not telling her, Sima An's eyes widened. "Sister, why didn't you tell me before that I was talking in my sleep? What did I say?"
"He...didn't say anything."
Sui Zhixu covered her mouth and chuckled, which made Sima An's cheeks puff out in anger.
"You, you, you tricked me again! I'm ignoring you."
Sima An turned around, and then Xu reached out to poke her. She ignored him, so he poked her again, and she ignored him again.
"Look," Sui Zhixu murmured, leaning on her shoulder, pointing to the people outside, "Look who's that?"
"Chu Yong!"
Sima An got up and was about to run out when Sui Zhixu stopped her. "Wait a minute, why are you so excited to see him? Have you fallen for him?"
"No, I didn't. I did it all for the teacher."
Sima An let go of Sui Zhixu and ran straight outside. Sui Zhixu clicked his tongue and looked down at the umbrella.
"Ruolan, go and watch over the princess."
"yes."
As Sui Zhixu sat in her seat, she watched Sima An flit by like a butterfly. Today, she was wearing a light blue dress, unlike usual.
She held up the umbrella in her hand; every part of it, from the handle to the ribs, was a mechanism. She had someone make an umbrella for her at Chen's shop according to her specifications, and she installed the internal mechanisms herself, including ten thousand silver needles.
Because she was pregnant, Gu Qingyi ordered all sharp objects to be put away, except for the silver needles used for needlework.
As Xu's fingertips brushed across the umbrella handle, the patterns on it became clearly visible. The red umbrella was flamboyant and eye-catching, sure to stand out in a crowd.
Her gaze fell once again on Sima An and Chu Yong outside the hall.
Of all the people in the world, she had never met many. Having spent most of her time in the Xuanping Prince's Mansion, Chu Yong was actually the first man she had a significant amount of contact with.
Is it a tragic or a blessed relationship?
Sui Zhixu waved for people to put away the paintbrushes and paints on the table, instructed them not to touch the umbrellas, and stepped out of the main hall.
“My mother isn’t here today…” He nodded to himself, then turned and left.
"You're here to see the teacher?"
"Otherwise, why would I come to you? What's there to see?"
Sima An froze instantly, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes, before shouting, "Who cares if you're here to see me? If it weren't for me, would you have been able to stay here all night?"
"What do you mean I'm refusing to leave? It's clearly my mother who's keeping me here!"
"The teacher only told you to take it back, not to keep it. Don't be so presumptuous. Besides, if it weren't for me and my sister, could you have taken the teacher's walnut pastries? Tian Tian, Mother, do you know what the teacher likes to eat and drink, what color clothes she likes? Stop putting on this act of being a filial son. If you were really that filial, the teacher would have already adopted you as her son. With someone as useless as you, the teacher is ashamed to have a son like you! Ruolan, send someone to throw him out. Let's go!"
Sima An was spoiled and pampered. She thought Chu Yong was a well-behaved boy who inherited seven-tenths of Gu Qingyi's looks and was a pretty child, but she didn't expect him to have such a bad temper.
The reputation of him as a playboy was actually true.
unlucky!
Sui Zhixu happened to come out and witnessed this scene. She showed a slight surprise; she had lost interest so quickly. An'an was stubborn; if it was good, it was good, and if it wasn't, it wasn't. She had just been wondering if the two of them were destined for each other, but the next second An'an didn't like it anymore.
"What's wrong?" Sui Zhixu took a few small steps and walked to her side.
"Sister, I hate him, please get rid of him!"
What did I do to you?
"How dare you speak to this princess like that! Take her away, Ruolan!"
"Sister, let's go." Sima An grabbed Sui Zhixu's hand and strode forward. Sui Zhixu glanced back at Chu Yong, her mind completely blank.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Once they were in a secluded spot, Sima An grabbed Sui Zhixu and began to wail, "Waaah, it's all over! Why? Why have I never met someone who's completely obedient to me? I thought he was a fool, someone who would listen to me, but I never expected him to be such a scoundrel! I see Fan... Brother-in-law, why is Brother-in-law so obedient to you?"
“Zirong? He’s not that obedient either.”
"Impossible. He listens to everything you say, even more obedient than the eunuchs around Father Emperor. Oh, I'm sorry, I absolutely did not mean to belittle him."
"If he were truly honest and obedient, he wouldn't have been able to hold onto the title of the richest man in the world. His business would have been divided up long ago. He has a lot of bad intentions, but he's good at pretending to be well-behaved. You only see him as obedient because he's not docile."
But every time she cried beautifully, her heart softened.
“Okay, that makes sense. He’s still pretty good to you, sister, so I can still acknowledge him. He’s better than Xi Yushao. Sister, just wait a few more days. I’ll definitely plead with Father for a few days. He absolutely won’t let you marry that bastard. That guy looks bad. He’s got a dirty heart. Fan Lingzhang is better. At least he’s wholeheartedly good to you, sister.”
"If all else fails, sister, you should run away, run out of Chang'an, and go back to him. I'll take responsibility for all the consequences."
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Sui Zhixu's nose tingled slightly. "Okay, I'll listen to you. You've grown up, and you're quite the teacher now."
"Are you touched by me?"
"Mmm." Sui Zhixu's tone rose at the end, causing Sima An to snuggle in Sui Zhixu's arms, his ears turning red.
"You're so mean, sister! No wonder your husband is so devoted to you. If I were your husband, I would be your husband and no one could take you away from me!"
“You have plenty of suitors in the world. Take your time to choose. They’re from the Western Regions, the Nanzhao Kingdom, or even the Yue Kingdom. They’re all charming, gentle, and upright gentlemen… you don’t need to be in such a hurry. Chu Yong, if your teacher doesn’t make a decision soon, he won’t be your child. She was forced into this ambiguous marriage and gave birth to this child without a clear understanding of the situation.”
Xu Wei sighed slightly. No one would have thought that Gu Qingyi and the former Crown Prince, the eldest son of the founding emperor and empress of the Qi Dynasty, were related in their true cause of death.
"Let's wait and see, and let the teacher make the decision."
Gu Qingyi is thoughtful and has always been autocratic and decisive. Few people can change her mind or plans.
Sima An: "I absolutely, absolutely do not want to see him."
Princess Sima An had never suffered any injustice before; this was the first time in her life that she would never forget.
The scene of Xu embracing Sima An was reported to Sima Xian in its entirety.
"The two princesses were talking the whole time, and I didn't dare get too close. They were mostly talking about their love affairs."
Sima Xian waved for him to leave.
Kaiyang: "Your Majesty..."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Your Majesty is truly wise and insightful. Master Xi's family background is indeed better than that of Young Master Fan."
Sima Xian knew perfectly well whose power it was that day; apart from the system, even if the ancestor of Yueshan were to appear in the world, it would be impossible for him to do so.
The system vanished without a trace after he ascended the throne, remaining silent no matter how he called upon it.
"What year was A-Ling born?"
"The eldest princess was born in the fifth year of Jianwu. She came to live with you in the ninth year of Jianwu. In the tenth year of Jianwu, she was taken to Miao territory by Lady Jiang to recuperate. She returned home in the seventeenth year of Jianwu."
Yes, the year the system spoke was the seventeenth year of Jianwu. At that time, A-Ling had only been home for a little over three months and was just able to communicate with people in the Central Plains language.
It claims to come from the distant future and is called the "Male Protagonist System," which can help him ascend to the throne by acquiring luck.
[Acquisition Method 1: Consume the opponent's health]
2. Long-term absorption among relatives
The limitation is that when one's own luck is low, the amount collected and the luck value are also low.
Visual appeal, a good reputation among the people, and smooth sailing in all endeavors. (Essential for a leading man.)
Luck levels are categorized into four levels: red, orange, yellow, and green, with green being the highest.
The first time he encountered such unfamiliar information, it was an unforgettable experience for him.
If you look at it another way, you can understand it. At first, he didn't care. How could a gentleman threaten the lives of others to provide for himself? In addition, everything he secretly planned went smoothly, so he didn't care.
But as time went on, it suddenly claimed that Ah Ling possessed a special destiny, and that all his success came from her destiny. And all of this was secretly taken away by the system in order to maintain its own energy.
He became the beneficiary.
Things seemed to go off track from that moment on, spiraling out of control.
He couldn't remember when it happened.
Kaiyang: "Does the Princess need someone to keep an eye on her?"
"Withdraw...no, keep following."
"There is something I need to report to His Majesty."
Sima Xian: "Speak."
"Our men previously spotted Young Master Fan outside the city, but there have been no leads recently. This old servant also sent people to investigate Madam Fan's whereabouts, but the Fan family has vanished without a trace, so it must have been arranged by Young Master Fan beforehand. Does Your Majesty think that Young Master Fan is making some kind of backup plan? After all, he and Madam Fan are deeply in love, and he wasn't exactly known for his calm demeanor when it came to Madam Fan, but he's become too calm now."
"This old servant fears that Young Master Fan is up to something. Although he is a merchant, he still has a reputation and businesses all over the world. It can be said that the Fan family's banner flies wherever the sun shines. What do you think, Your Majesty..."
“That makes sense. That child only listens to A-Ling.” Sima Xian twitched the corner of his mouth.
The choice of this marriage was indeed something he had told A-Ling before. There were some things he didn't say: he looked down on the collateral branches of the Ye family, he thought the minor official in Chang'an was ill-mannered and not good-looking enough for A-Ling, and after much deliberation, he chose Fan Zirong, who was handsome and had outstanding talent and manners, but unfortunately he was a merchant.
Merchants also have their advantages; A-Ling won't be wronged, and the Prime Minister is extremely satisfied.
“He can be a great help to you; it was worth raising this child.”
...
Do you think she has amnesia?
Kaiyang dared not speak, and stammered for a long time.
All I heard him say was, "I really hope she loses her memory and never remembers."
He's someone who can't even recognize himself when he looks in the mirror every morning to groom himself.
Her memories should be as carefree as Anniang's, filled only with the goodness of her father.
He shouldn't have been rude to an immortal, but he simply couldn't help himself.
"Ah! Ah! I'm sorry, someone must be thinking of me, hahaha. Master Yue is truly amazing. I feel refreshed as soon as I arrived at your place. It must be my wife thinking of me now."
Sui Chu Ke gave him a cold glance, his eyes practically rolling to the sky.
"Tell me, where exactly is my destined partner?" He threw the money bag onto Master Yuexian's table.
Fan Lingzhang touched it and indeed it was on his waist.
"..."
Alright, alright, he's practically a walking treasury. A wise man doesn't hold grudges against a petty person; he won't stoop to his level.
"This..." Yuechi stared blankly, baring her teeth as she accepted it, "I'm so sorry."
Fan Lingzhang: "..."
"Quickly, calculate where my destined marriage is!" Sui Chuke braced his hands on the table, staring intently at him.
"Young master, don't worry, we guarantee you'll be satisfied. How old are you?"
"thirty."
Yuechi: "Thirty years old, not bad, not bad. When was your birthday?"
July 18th.
"Oh! Your luck with peach blossoms is just around the corner!"
Sui Chuke: "Really? When and where?"
"It will appear in just a few years."
"?"
Fan Lingzhang couldn't help but laugh, but Sui Chuke glared at him, and he just couldn't hold it in.
"Is this what you mean by 'recently'? You people from Yueshan are all really..." Sui Chuke's fingers trembled with anger, "...a lineage of the same kind!"
According to the ranking, Yuechi is Yueling's senior brother and is also the main person in charge of Yueling's formation this time.
He chuckled twice, "Young man, although your destiny has come late, it may still be a good match. Why be in such a hurry?"
"real?"
"My fortune-telling skills are the most accurate in Yue Kingdom. You won't regret it." Yuechi said calmly, stroking his beard as if he had one even though he didn't have one.
"...I'll trust you this once."
"How could I possibly deceive such distinguished guests who have come from afar? Both of you are great benefactors of the Yue Kingdom. If I don't treat you properly, I'll be invited to the palace by the two emperors."
Fan Lingzhang: "Immortal Master Yuechi, you flatter me. What we did was nothing more than a small favor. If the Qi and Ning kingdoms can establish lasting friendship and the people can live in peace and tranquility because of this, then it will be well worth it. This matter will definitely be recorded in the genealogy of my Fan family."
"Good, what a wonderful promise of eternal friendship! The Yue Kingdom will forever remember the kindness of the Qi Kingdom."
Emperor Ning entered Yangyue Palace and, upon hearing these words, beamed with joy. The Empress Dowager, standing beside him, also smiled broadly, and seeing the others bow, quickly told them to rise.
"We are deeply grateful to the people of Yue for your kindness in coming from afar to help us with our floods. This act has saved countless lives of our people. We will certainly repay your kindness and send people to assist Qi."
The southwestern part of the Yue Kingdom suffered from floods for many years. In the early years, it had conflicts with Jiannan. After years of war, the national treasury was empty. In addition, due to insufficient technology, the people in the southwest suffered greatly.
Fan Lingzhang paid for the map and accompanied the Chu traveler, which was exactly what the Yue Kingdom wanted.
Fan Lingzhang's contribution was no small sum; building a dike is a major project, otherwise the Yue Kingdom would not have hesitated to make a decision on its construction.
As Chu Ke took on the responsibility of being a diplomatic envoy, he said, "Thank you for your assistance, Your Majesty. I believe that the diplomatic relations between Qi and Ning will be as luxuriant as pine and cypress, enduring frost and never withering. From now on, we will jointly resist foreign aggression and enjoy a peaceful and prosperous world!"
"Having heard that His Majesty's birthday is approaching, I, a humble subject, am willing to offer a generous gift to celebrate His Majesty's birthday and to promote friendship between our two countries."
"I hereby order the Grand General to return to Qi with the two envoys!"
Yuechi was the first to applaud. Junior sister was truly amazing, so insightful that she had actually guessed this scene.
They were relieved after the matter of the extraterrestrial object was resolved by the Lantern Festival.
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