52 Choosing a Husband
◎ "Xi'er, do you have someone you like?"◎
"Chess can calm the mind." Lu Jing looked at Gu Ningxi, who had just emerged from the crowd of cosmetics. It was time for him to calm his mind.
"Okay." His Royal Highness Prince Zhao wanted to play chess, and Gu Ningxi, who originally wanted to enjoy the scenery, naturally joined him.
She played with black first and quickly became fully focused on the game.
The breeze carries a few wisps of plum fragrance, and the black and white pieces on the chessboard are clearly distinguished.
Gu Ningxi was making arrangements for the game. Lu Jing looked at the focused face of the person in front of him for a while, then glanced towards the plum garden.
Yuan Le has not yet arranged a marriage, so the girls who are interested in him feel that they still have a chance.
Lu Jing made a move and recalled Yuan Le's conversation with the Luo family girl that day, suddenly realizing he had missed a detail. Yuan Le said he had never married for his own reasons.
So what is the reason?
Considering Yuan Le's age, even if he is not in a hurry to get married, don't the people in Xuanping Marquis's Mansion care about him, the eldest son, at all?
It was so unusual. After much reflection, Lu Jing could only come up with one explanation. Perhaps it was another wife of the Marquis of Xuanping who was interfering, not wanting Yuan Le to marry a noblewoman and compete for the throne.
Although it was exactly what he wanted that Yuan Le did not get married, Lu Jing was also annoyed that Yuan Le was suppressed and treated so poorly in the Xuanping Marquis Mansion.
In terms of talent, career, and character, what right did the Sanlang of the Gu family have to compete with Yuan Le?
Back to Yuan Le himself, the reason he didn't discuss marriage was probably not just because he was busy with court affairs, but perhaps also because he had never met someone he liked.
But judging by the situation in the Plum Garden today, with seven or eight girls surrounding Yuan Le, there's no guarantee that he won't suddenly fall in love with someone.
Lu Jing pondered, but now was not the time for him to make it clear to Yuan Le.
Not to mention that Yuan Le was not prepared, he himself had not yet been able to convince himself.
But between the two of them, from childhood friends to the present, is there really a suitable opportunity?
While Lu Jing was still lost in thought, he saw Yuan Le opposite him make a move, then raised his eyes and looked at him innocently.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Jing looked at the chessboard. Before he knew it, another twenty or thirty moves had been made and the winner had been decided.
Gu Ningxi said silently, "Your Highness should calm down."
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was absent-minded throughout the entire game of chess.
Gu Ningxi suggested, "How about I accompany Your Highness to the garden to enjoy the scenery?"
"No need." Lu Jing cleared the chessboard, "Let's play again."
"Okay." Gu Ningxi smiled and spoke in a long tone. She was willing to follow His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's instructions.
The previous game of chess was over, and the two of them even settled the stakes for the next one. As usual, the winner could claim one item from the loser.
At the start, both of them were clearly more serious. However, as they exchanged words, Prince Zhao looked at the man playing chess with him alone. If he didn't have this status, would Yuan Le still accommodate him? Would he still be in the garden, chatting and laughing with others?
"It's Your Highness's turn." Gu Ningxi reminded.
Lu Jing placed a white piece and continued to think about the previous question.
If Yuan Le was a girl, he could ask his father to arrange a marriage for them right away.
He asked himself, he wanted Yuan Le to be with him alone, for a long time.
Gu Ningxi's chess skills are the best among his peers and he has always been hard to find an opponent.
Today was no exception. Lu Jing saw that Yuan Le's chess skills had improved a lot.
Having lost the game of chess, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was quite graceful: "What do you want?"
Gu Ningxi couldn't think of anything she liked for a moment. It was no longer like when she was a child, when she could just ask for an inkstone or a candied pastry and be happy for a long time.
She could tell that Prince Zhao had no interest in playing chess. She guessed that His Majesty had asked Prince Zhao to go to the Plum Garden, and since he couldn't leave, he had to play chess to pass the time.
Seeing Gu Ningxi's hesitation, Lu Jing casually took off a Hetian jade pendant with cloud patterns inlaid with beads from his waist.
"How about this?" He placed the jade pendant on the chessboard in front of Gu Ningxi, with a clear sound.
"this……"
Of course Gu Ningxi refused to accept it. It was just a harmless little chess game. How could he really take the valuables of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao?
"Then change to this one?" Lu Jing took off another jade pendant.
Gu Ningxi took a closer look and gasped. A black jade pendant in the shape of a dragon, inlaid with three precious pearls. This was a gift from His Majesty.
"There are only two options. Take your pick."
Two jade pendants were placed side by side for you to choose from. Gu Ningxi didn't need to hesitate and silently reached out to take the former.
The jade was smooth, translucent, and warm to the touch. Gu Ningxi was worried it might get lost if hidden in her sleeve, so she decided to tie it around her waist first.
The Hetian white jade perfectly matched her clothes and contrasted with the blue sky.
Seeing how much he cherished it, a smile appeared in Lu Jing's eyes.
…
In Fengyi Palace, Emperor Mingde brought the teacup.
Having just dealt with the affairs of the previous dynasty, he returned to the Queen's Palace and sat for a while.
Thinking of the flower-viewing banquet in the afternoon, the emperor asked worriedly, "Where is Prince Zhao?"
Li Ji smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, after His Royal Highness Prince Zhao paid his respects to the Empress, he has been enjoying the scenery in the garden."
Emperor Mingde nodded in satisfaction. It seemed the boy truly had ambitions to start a family. Over the past two months, he had observed Qi'an's dealings with others, and it seemed he had come to a point of understanding. He must have gradually let go of his inappropriate lover.
Emperor Mingde planned to ask the diviner to predict tomorrow whether Prince Zhao's true love had arrived.
The emperor gently put away his teacup and asked, "While Prince Zhao was in the garden, did he pay any attention to any girl? Who did he talk to?"
Although the answer was simple, Li Ji spoke carefully: "Your Majesty, His Highness is quite in the mood for a game of chess today. He is currently playing chess with Lord Gu in the pavilion."
Emperor Mingde was speechless. The flowers in the plum garden were competing for beauty. It was difficult for Qi'an to appreciate the flowers. What was he talking about?
He was already familiar with the name of the young master of the Gu family, but Empress Yao asked an extra question: "Master Gu?"
Li Ji hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this is Master Gu Ningxi, the Crown Prince's Assistant. He is the eldest son of Marquis Xuanping and the son of Madam Meng."
It is said that Madam Meng had received favor from the Empress. When she married into the Marquis Xuanping's Mansion, the Empress secretly gave her a dowry.
When Li Ji mentioned this, Empress Yao was impressed.
Meng was also the legal wife of Marquis Xuanping, so her child was naturally considered legitimate. She only had one son, so...
Empress Yao paused for a moment and said with a smile, "I've been sitting in the palace for a long time. I want to go to the garden to enjoy the scenery. Your Majesty, would you like to come with me?"
This was exactly what Emperor Mingde wanted. He had to go and see Qi'an, the troublesome child.
What Li Ji said was true. When the emperor and empress arrived at the plum garden, Lu Jing and Gu Ningxi had only played half of their second game of chess.
"Father, Emperor, Mother, Empress."
Lu Jing stood up to pay his respects, and Gu Ningxi followed behind His Royal Highness Prince Zhao and also paid his respects to His Majesty and the Queen.
The attendants brought in huanghuali wood chairs and covered them with brand new brocade cushions. Emperor Mingde and Empress Yao sat facing south and first went to look at the chess game on the stone table.
He was a chess enthusiast, and he personally taught the Crown Prince and King Zhao how to play chess.
When he saw that the black piece was at a disadvantage in the chess game and was held by Qi'an, Emperor Mingde coughed lightly.
He said no more, only said: "Go on."
He will give Qi'an more guidance when he gets back.
Gu Ningxi secretly thought that it was an unlucky year to play chess in front of His Majesty.
She quietly raised her eyes to look at His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, who only gave her a reassuring look.
Gu Ningxi thought about it and decided that even if the sky fell, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao would hold it up, so it would be okay.
Picking up the chess game again, this time Gu Ningxi played with extra caution.
Little did she know that outside the chessboard, all the silent little movements between her and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao were seen by the Queen Mother.
Queen Yao withdrew her gaze unnoticeably and thought, this child is really born with a very good appearance.
…
The flower viewing banquet was originally scheduled to end at 3:00 p.m., so Lu Jing stayed in the plum garden until 3:00 p.m.
Only after sending Yuan Le out of the palace did Lu Jing return to his Ruihe Palace.
He knew that Yuan Le was an excellent person in all aspects, including chess and painting, but he couldn't allow himself to attract romantic interests, right?
Sun Jing could somewhat understand the confusion of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Lord Gu was a handsome young man, as handsome as Pan An, and he was also knowledgeable and gentle and polite to others. It was hard for him not to be the dream man of the noble ladies from aristocratic families.
Sun Jing guessed why His Highness was displeased: "Because His Highness has just returned to the capital, the ladies are still unfamiliar with His Highness's character, so they dare not get close to him."
In Sun Jing's opinion, his Highness was a man of noble birth, a man of unparalleled talent, and a master of both civil and military skills. In fact, if his Highness showed even a fraction of the patience he showed to Lady Gu, it would be enough to flatter them.
Lu Jing: “…”
He didn't want to say much.
…
The moonlight was bright and clear, and Gu Ningxi was painting in front of the window.
The candlelight was bright, the charcoal fire was warm, and Gu Ningxi moistened his ink pen.
During the day in the plum garden, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao said that the scenery in the garden was very beautiful, but it was a pity that it could not be painted into a scroll for detailed appreciation.
Upon hearing this, Gu Ningxi agreed to paint a picture for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. His Royal Highness also requested that the painting only be of an empty space, with no visitors. Furthermore, when she taught painting at Huiwen Hall, she couldn't teach each female student the same painting; it had to be unique.
Gu Ningxi agreed to all of them and planned to give it to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao before the New Year during his few days of free time.
Mrs. Meng brought a bowl of sweet soup with her maid. She saw a precious jade pendant in the clothes her daughter had changed out of at night.
"Where did you get this?" Mrs. Meng picked out the jade pendant.
She took a closer look at it under the candlelight and realized that this jade pendant was definitely not an ordinary item.
While painting, Gu Ningxi replied, "I was playing chess with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao during the day, and he insisted on giving me the money when he lost."
Although the jade pendant is very valuable, I think there should be many such treasures in Prince Zhao's palace. It is just an ordinary thing for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
After all, he could even give the painting master's "Landscape with River Boats" as a birthday gift.
Hearing it was a chess chip, Madam Meng felt a little more at ease. Actually, at Xi'er's age, the jade pendant couldn't be accepted casually. If it were more formal, it could be used as a token of engagement.
New Year's Day is just a few days away, and Xier will be another year older.
Gu Ningxi didn't need to look up to know that her mother was definitely thinking about her marriage. She had several long conversations with her mother, and finally got her to accept the fact that she would not marry for the next two or three years.
After finally having a peaceful day, Madam Meng changed her mind and asked, "Does Xi'er have someone she loves?"
Gu Ningxi continued painting: "Mother, I am pretending to be a man, who can be in love with me?"
The girl has caused quite a bit of trouble, and I wonder if Qin Ying has come out of it yet.
Mrs. Meng fell silent, knowing the difficulties her daughter faced as an official in the court.
After a while, she suddenly asked, "What about you? Do you have someone you like?"
Gu Ningxi paused for a moment.
Mrs. Meng sat down next to Gu Ningxi. Others, unaware of Xi'er's identity, wouldn't have given her any extra thoughts. But Xi'er herself knew full well. As a young woman, she often interacted with people her own age, and wondered if there were any she'd find particularly special.
"I……"
Gu Ningxi didn't answer, but Madam Meng suddenly started talking.
"You must be very careful when choosing a husband. You don't need to look for a rich family background, but he must have good character. And you can't just look at him as a person; you also have to consider his family situation."
Mrs. Meng perked up. "Among the people around you, I think someone like your cousin is a good one. Mingxuan is filial and able to support his family at such a young age. He's also very kind to you and cares deeply about everything that happens to you."
The more Madam Meng thought about it, the happier she became. Mingxuan was already a fifth-rank general, his future was limitless. Moreover, it was her mother's family, and her mother and sister-in-law had always doted on Xi'er. Her sister-in-law, in particular, was so gentle and easygoing that anyone who chose her as a daughter-in-law wouldn't have to worry about being criticized. With no conflicts between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and no resentment between the sisters-in-law, Xi'er's life would be truly comfortable if she married into their family.
Seeing that her mother was about to lose control of her words, Gu Ningxi interrupted her at the perfect time, "Mother, what is bad?"
Mrs. Meng thought about it. Not to mention people like Sanlang, there are also those playboys in Kyoto who have no official titles. She must look down on them, and Xier would look down on them too.
When she looked down at the jade pendant beside her, Madam Meng added, "I don't think someone like Prince Zhao is a good match."
"Why?" Gu Ningxi stopped writing.
Mrs. Meng has her own reasons. Once the door is closed, there is no need to be shy about what you say.
She said, "His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is of such a distinguished family that any girl who marries him would be inferior to him. Just look at how His Majesty recently selected a princess for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. The Emperor is extremely picky about his daughter-in-law."
Madam Meng's words became increasingly smooth. "Besides, Prince Zhao's family is run by a stepmother, so it's only natural for her to favor her biological son. Prince Zhao has many brothers and sisters, and just getting them around during the New Year holidays is a real headache."
Although she still didn't know Prince Zhao's temperament, Madam Meng felt something was wrong based on the above points alone. If her daughter were restored to her status as a legitimate daughter of the Marquisate, she could also become a princess. But even if the royal family had unlimited wealth and splendor, she didn't want her daughter to suffer this.
Her daughter wished she could live a smooth, carefree, and peaceful life. She could marry into a simpler family, where the Marquisate would be able to support her. It would be best if she married closer, so Xi'er could return home often.
Gu Ningxi was silent for a long time: "Mother, why are you still so picky?"
【Author’s words】
Xiao Lu, who was scorned by his mother-in-law: ...
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