Chapter 52 What Others Have, You Have Too
On the deerskin, a wild goose with a red rope tied to its wing flapped its wings and honked twice.
With its neck held high and wings spread, its ink-colored feathers were fluffy and glossy, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.
This was the first time Yu Nian had seen geese up close; they were truly noble and elegant animals.
Yu Nian felt that the way it stood on the deerskin, with its neck held high and proud, resembled Chunyu Han no matter how it tilted its head.
"This is a betrothal gift from the Regent to Miss Yu. Anyone who dares to damage it is disrespecting the Regent!"
As soon as Canghai finished speaking, the Eastern Depot's Golden Guards, dressed in bullfighting uniforms, drew all their goose-feather sabers three inches from their sheaths.
The sound of the blade rubbing against the scabbard was uniform and imposing.
This sight startled Fulu so much that he lost his footing and nearly bumped into the Crown Prince.
In the polygamous Dazhao Kingdom, wild geese were a rare betrothal gift because they symbolized unwavering love. If a wild goose's mate died, it would not mate again. Giving wild geese as a betrothal gift meant that the man promised the woman to be with her for life.
Yu Chengxiang's resentment towards Chunyu Han's absence dissipated considerably upon seeing the wild goose.
He couldn't help but recall that when he married Yu Nian's mother, he also sent wild geese as a betrothal gift, and he had fulfilled his promise to Yu Nian's mother.
In Kyoto at this time of year, geese are rarely seen. Chunyu Han's capture of these two geese, with their excellent plumage and physique, shows his thoughtfulness.
So be it, he's a eunuch. If he truly cares for Yu Nian, then Yu Huaifeng can at least give Yu Nian's mother an explanation.
As the crown prince, his status dictates that he must marry women he does not love in order to solidify his position.
Even in front of the woman he loves, he cannot make a promise of lifelong monogamy. Seeing the wild geese, Yu Zhirou's eyes also showed a hint of envy.
Those around watched the spectacle with amusement, thinking that the Regent was truly a man of both iron will and tender heart, choosing only one from among many—something not everyone could do.
Yu Nian, however, saw through the scheme. Chunyu Han was indeed a man of deep thoughts. If he hadn't come today, it was probably because he had already anticipated that the Crown Prince would use the opportunity of presenting the betrothal gifts to cause trouble.
A pair of geese not only made the deerskin that the prince had carefully prepared look dull, but also earned him a good reputation. It was a brilliant scheme to kill two birds with one stone.
The prince gritted his teeth, really wanting to swing his sword and kill that damned wild goose on the spot.
The trap he had just set left him speechless, and when Chunyu Han turned the tables on him, he too was unable to speak.
Chunyu Han, this eunuch, is just as detestable in both his past and present lives. However, no matter how arrogant Chunyu Han is, he will not escape the fate of being killed by his own hand in the end. Let him be smug for a while today, and he will be made to pay a hundredfold in the future.
"Let's depart and return to the Eastern Palace."
The betrothal gifts were delivered, and the Crown Prince, with a long face, mounted his horse and stormed off from the Prime Minister's residence.
What he didn't know was that no sooner had he left than Canghai reached out and the wild goose flew back.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to leave a mark; he left a clump of white and brown excrement on the corner of the betrothal gift box.
Yu Nian chuckled to himself, thankfully the Crown Prince was gone, otherwise he would have been furious.
After the Crown Prince left, Yu Nian no longer needed to be bound by the rules. She lifted her skirt and walked over to the two geese, asking curiously.
"Canghai, why does it listen to you so much? Do you understand bird language?"
“I don’t understand bird language, but I have bird food.”
Canghai took out a bag of mud snails and handed it to Yu Nian. Seeing that Yu Nian was happy, he didn't forget to say a good word for his parents.
“Miss Yu, this was personally caught by the master in the suburbs.”
Yu Nian dismissed it, thinking Cang Hai was still putting on an act. What a joke! Chunyu Han going to the wild to catch wild geese for her? Unless her ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke.
Yu Nian lowered her head and whispered something in Cang Hai's ear.
"You should have said that in front of everyone just now, so that you could have made your parents proud."
Canghai chuckled upon hearing this, but it was too late to explain anything further. Yu Nian had already happily led the two geese back to the Prime Minister's residence.
Yu Nian asked Chun Tao to settle the wild geese in the yard, then stretched and planned to go back to her room for a nap.
As soon as Yu Nian opened the door, she was stunned by the scene before her.
Snap!
Yu Nian quickly closed the door, silently thinking, "No, no, I must have opened it wrong."
After a few breaths, Yu Nian took a deep breath and opened the door again, only to find the scene exactly the same as before, without any change.
The Regent, who was usually busy with official duties, was now leisurely drinking tea in Yu Nian's boudoir!
"What are you standing there for? Come in."
Chunyu Han raised his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes, glanced at Yu Nian who looked dumbfounded at the door, and said something unexpectedly.
Yu Nian rolled her eyes and checked again and again to make sure this was really her boudoir before stepping inside.
Why does Chunyu Han's tone make it sound like this is his residence?
"Sir, what brings you here?"
Yu Nianzhen couldn't understand this man's thinking. He had time to drink tea here, but no time to go to the front door to propose marriage. Was he trying to provoke his father-in-law in a roundabout way?
"Are your eyes not working well?"
Chunyu Han's expression was cold and indifferent. When he spoke to his subordinates, everything was clear at a glance. But with Yu Nian, if you omitted even a single word, she could interpret it in a completely different way.
After Chunyu Han said this, Yu Nian noticed that behind Chunyu Han, on the ground, were two loads of betrothal gifts tied with large red silk flowers.
Chunyu Han had an incredibly strong presence. The moment he appeared, he drew all eyes to himself, leaving Yu Nian no time to look anywhere else.
"The betrothal gifts have already been exchanged. The pair of wild geese that the master gave me were so heartfelt and touching."
Chunyu Han could tell that Yu Nian was mocking him. He knew that even if he moved everyone in the capital, he couldn't move this little liar Yu Nian.
"These two loads are together with the previous forty-six loads."
What others have, you also have.
Chunyu Han's well-defined fingers held the white porcelain lid of the teacup, occasionally skimming the foam off the surface of the tea.
Those elegant and graceful movements were so beautiful that it was impossible to look away; each movement felt like a gentle tickle on one's heart.
With these two additional loads, Yu Nian's original forty-six loads of betrothal gifts would now be the same quantity as Yu Zhirou's. Aside from a prince's wedding, Yu Nian's betrothal gifts were the most extravagant in the Great Zhao Kingdom.
"You're so kind to me, sir."
Yu Nian was speaking from the heart. Although Chunyu Han usually had a strange temper, what he just said was quite heartwarming.
"I heard from Canghai that the pair of geese were caught by the adults themselves."
Yu Nian moved a small round stool to the side and sat down next to Chunyu Han with a grin.
"You've put so much effort into my betrothal gifts, yet you still say you don't like me?"
Upon hearing this, Chunyu Han's expression became slightly unnatural. Who told Canghai to tell her this? She was being nosy.
"It's just a charade, don't overthink it."
After Chunyu Han finished speaking, he put down the tea lid and got up to leave. Just before he reached the door, Chunyu Han suddenly turned back with a serious expression.
"Remember, from today onwards, do not go out unless absolutely necessary."
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