Chapter 29 Chapter 29 "Then consider me arrogant." […
==Chapter 29==
As soon as Feng Wenyu and Xie Zhujing came into contact, the Feng family's attitude was almost revealed.
The Second Prince was no fool, and of course he could see it. Although he hated her secretly, he would not show it openly. As for marrying Feng Wenyu as his concubine, he naturally gave up on it.
He wanted to win over the Feng family, not make enemies with them.
The second prince only remembered that the Feng family had been ungrateful to him, and that he would settle the score with them when he ascended the throne.
On this day, in the Imperial Study, Emperor Wenyuan invited Feng Ge Lao to play chess.
The hall was remarkably quiet. Numerous black and white pieces were placed on the chessboard. After a long moment, Emperor Wenyuan slowly asked, "I heard your granddaughter has been very close to Yuzhi lately?"
Xie Zhujing was a close minister to the emperor, so it was normal for Emperor Wenyuan to remember him.
Lord Feng picked up a white piece. He was not surprised that this news would reach the ears of Emperor Wenyuan. The Second Prince seemed to only want to marry Feng Wenyu, but in fact he was just trying to win over Feng's party.
The first minister, the second minister, and the second prince all want one.
What was he planning to do? Was he planning to make this court his own?!
The emperor is just old, but he hasn't abdicated yet!
It has been about three months since the news came out, and Emperor Wenyuan seems to be unaware of this matter. He just wants to see how Lord Feng will respond.
Elder Feng lowered his eyes. Upon hearing this, he raised his head slightly, revealing a hint of the helplessness of a grandfather.
"She is the youngest child in the family and has always been pampered. But now she has become so spoiled that she is willful and even wants to decide her own marriage."
Elder Feng didn't want to have anything to do with the Second Prince, but he couldn't say it directly. Did he dislike the Second Prince in front of Emperor Wenyuan? Even if Emperor Wenyuan was wary of the Second Prince, he wouldn't necessarily like to hear this.
Therefore, when Lord Feng said that Feng Wenyu was willful and insisted on making her own decisions, he could not be said to be wrong as a grandfather who loved his granddaughter.
He also said that Feng Wenyu was always favored.
Emperor Wenyuan was thinking of the second prince. Wasn’t he good enough to the second prince?
Everyone knows that among all the princes, the Second Prince is the most favored, but what is the Second Prince doing? He is winning over court officials and forming a clique for personal gain!
Can't he even wait these few years!
Emperor Wenyuan's eyes darkened as he slowly turned the white jade beads in his hand. "Someone in the court has impeached Minister Gao for shielding his son from causing chaos in Jiangnan. What do you think, my dear minister?"
Logically speaking, Feng Ge Lao should have stepped on Gao's party. Only when Gao Ge Lao stepped down could he become the prime minister.
But Lord Feng just sighed with empathy:
"Children are growing up and gradually have their own ideas. It is no longer within my power to discipline them. Not to mention that Minister Gao is concerned with state affairs, so it is inevitable that he will neglect his children's education."
The reason why Emperor Wenyuan asked him this question was simply because he was thinking about the friendship he had with Lord Gao.
The case of Gao Qianming has been brought to the trial of the three courts, and Emperor Wenyuan has not stopped it for a long time. What's wrong with him saying a few good words on behalf of Lord Gao? After all, Lord Gao is nearly eighty years old and will have to retire sooner or later.
By stepping down this time, he can use his relationship with the emperor to save Gao Qianming.
As soon as Gao Ge Lao retires, he will become the Prime Minister. Leaving Gao Qianming behind will be a good thing for the Feng Party, as the Feng Party needs political enemies.
His Majesty does not need a harmonious court, otherwise, he will probably start to worry about whether he can keep his position stable.
Besides...
For Lord Feng, the stumbling block now is no longer the Gao Party, but the Second Prince.
He couldn't gamble on whether the Second Prince was a tolerant and generous person. This time, the Feng family rejected the Second Prince, which offended the Second Prince. If the Second Prince ascended to that position in the future, there was no guarantee that he would not harbor resentment towards the Feng family.
The point of what Lord Feng said just now is that the child is grown up and it is no longer within his power to discipline him.
He seemed to be talking about Feng Wenyu and Gao Qianming, but he was actually talking about the second prince.
After hearing this, Emperor Wenyuan shook his beads and said in an inexplicable tone: "My dear minister, you are right. Every family has its own problems."
He could give power to the Second Prince, but if he took the initiative to seek it, he would be crossing the line!
The chess game ended with Emperor Wenyuan winning. He suddenly smiled and the topic returned to Feng Wenyu:
"You don't have to be too harsh on your granddaughter. It's a good thing for a girl to have her own ideas. But does she and Yuzhi need my decree to marry?"
It is such an honor that His Majesty has granted us this marriage.
But Lord Feng just waved his hand and sighed, "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. I am old now, so I'd better leave it to her father to take care of it."
Emperor Wenyuan was amused by this and pointed at him and scolded him:
"You are lazy."
But when he caught a glimpse of Lord Feng's no longer upright figure, Emperor Wenyuan didn't say anything and the matter of granting the marriage was dropped.
After Lord Feng left the imperial study, the palace was quiet for a long time. Eunuch Xu watched Emperor Wenyuan rest with his eyes closed, holding his breath and not daring to speak.
After a long time, Emperor Wenyuan's slow voice finally rang out in the dead silence of the palace:
"Tell me, there are still a few people in this court who are as clear-headed as Zhong Ru."
Zhongru is the courtesy name of the cabinet minister.
Eunuch Xu swallowed his saliva and dared not speak, and Emperor Wenyuan did not need him to answer. He seemed to be asking Eunuch Xu, but also seemed to be talking to himself:
"I am old, no wonder some people have already started planning to choose a new master."
Eunuch Xu was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud, sweat pouring down his forehead. "Your Majesty, why do you say that? You are a benevolent emperor bestowed by heaven. You must live forever."
Long live?
Emperor Wenyuan smiled.
The next moment, he threw a memorial impeaching Gao Qianming. The sound of the memorial hitting the ground seemed to echo in the ears of the palace people:
"Investigate! I want to see how much my good son is involved!"
******
The main courtyard of the Duke's Mansion.
The eldest princess slammed the table in frustration: "Is he still making trouble?"
The nanny patted her back to calm her down and spoke for the prince calmly:
"The prince has been fond of Miss Feng for so many years, and the princess asked him to let go of Miss Feng for a while. It is inevitable that the prince will find it difficult to calm down for a while."
The eldest princess was silent for a moment. Yan Yunhe was her only son. If possible, didn't she want Yan Yunhe to get what he wanted?
But Feng Wenyu can't do that.
Yan Yunhe was the only heir of the Duke's Mansion. He would have to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Mansion in the future. The Mansion held military power and was a thorn in the eyes of some people. Marrying into the Feng family? Even if the emperor loved Yan Yunhe very much, he would never agree to this.
There is no way the Feng family would agree to this marriage.
The Feng family is almost at the pinnacle of power, so how could they possibly want to get involved in military power? Do they think their own death isn't fast enough?!
The eldest princess took a deep breath and sneered:
"I spoiled him so much that he insisted on crashing into the road ahead even though he knew it was a dead end!"
Seeing that the situation in the courtyard was still going on, the eldest princess was furious. She couldn't help but roll her eyes: "I don't know what he's making such a fuss about. He acts like I'm trying to break up two lovers. I'm afraid he's forgotten that he's just unrequited love!"
Thinking of this incident, the eldest princess felt embarrassed for Yan Yunhe.
He chased after someone for more than ten years, but in the end, the person had no interest in him at all.
Mammy could hardly hold back her laughter.
The servant came running over, saying bitterly, "Madam, please go and take a look! The prince has thrown out all the food and said that he's on a diet because you don't allow him to go out!"
The eldest princess' chest was heaving with anger. She turned to the nanny and asked:
"Look, I really gave birth to a debt collector!"
But no matter how angry she was, the princess still took people to Yan Yunhe's yard. As soon as she reached the door, she saw the food scattered all over the floor. Her face suddenly darkened:
"Yan Yunhe!"
There was some movement from inside. It was Yan Yunhe who opened the door. He had been locked up for five days. His clothes were disheveled and he was deliberately on a diet. He looked quite disheveled and his lips were pale.
When the princess saw this scene, she didn't know whether to be annoyed or distressed. She couldn't help but curse:
"Is that what I taught you?"
Yan Yunhe twitched his lips in disapproval: "Mom always taught me that when encountering difficulties, don't give up easily."
"I'm just thinking of a solution. You and dad gave birth to me, and I can't make things difficult for you, so I have to make things difficult for myself." He still smiled nonchalantly, but his pale face made the princess fall silent.
Yan Yunhe is the only heir of the Duke's Mansion and was born noble. When has he ever been so decadent and miserable?
Is it really worth it for Feng Wenyu?
"What the hell are you doing? I don't have any feelings for you at all!"
"You tortured yourself for her, and now she's trying to get in touch with another man. Do you have to humiliate yourself?!"
The eldest princess didn't understand why someone who always knew what was important was so stubborn about Feng Wenyu.
Yan Yunhe's face darkened for a moment: "If my mother hadn't locked me up, that person wouldn't have been able to get close to her."
He would not allow that person to get close to Feng Wenyu either.
The princess couldn't bear to see him like this. A trace of sadness flashed across her eyes. She closed her eyes and said, "Xie Zhujing was arranged by the Feng family for her. You know that girl better than mother does. Do you think she will refuse?"
"You want to stop it, but can you?"
The eldest princess revealed the bloody truth:
"You might hear the news of her engagement with the Xie family soon."
Yan Yunhe was leaning against the door in his inner garments. The inner garments were white, just like his face and lips, which were also pale at this moment. He lowered his head and did not speak for a long time.
When the princess thought he had finally given up, he raised his head again and said without a trace of emotion:
"First it was Gu Yushi, then it was Xie Zhujing, but it was never me."
He had long been accustomed to her not being able to see him.
and--
"I even waited for Gu Yushi to break off the engagement, so why would I still be worried about Xie Zhujing?"
He suddenly raised his lips and smiled, but his eyes were dim and his voice was stubborn.
The princess understood his implication and could not help but raise her voice: "Yan Yunhe!"
He is the prince of the Duke's Mansion and the only nephew of the current emperor. How can he call himself so humble!
Yan Yunhe raised his eyes and looked directly at the princess. When their eyes met, the princess was stunned. Her He'er had always been carefree and she hadn't seen him look so serious in a long time. He said, "Mother, please grant me your wish."
He was smiling, his eyebrows were sharp and his voice was clear, but the princess couldn't help but feel a sore nose:
"From childhood to adulthood, Mom and Dad have given me everything they could, but the only thing I ask of you is Feng Wenyu."
"Everyone knows I like her."
"But everyone tried to stop me. Even my mother didn't support me."
The eldest princess suddenly felt heartbroken.
Yan Yunhe smiled lightly. Everyone was trying to stop him, but he didn't give up. He wanted to try again.
What if?
What if he gets what he wants?
He said, "Please mother, I have already missed it once."
He really didn't want to miss it a second time.
The eldest princess closed her eyes, suppressing the sob in her voice, and said, "The obstacles between you and her have always been more than just your father and me. Mother knows that you like her."
"But if you think love can overcome all difficulties, then you are too arrogant and too proud."
Yan Yunhe lowered his eyes and looked at the purse in his hand. The purse was a little old and faded, but he still took great care of it.
In the quiet courtyard, a breeze brought his voice:
"Then consider me arrogant."
The young man Mu Ai should have moved forward courageously, but he was born arrogant, so let him be even more arrogant in this matter.
The eldest princess looked at him speechlessly.
******
Feng Wenyu has been very busy recently.
When she first returned to the capital, many people sent her invitations. Some came to laugh at her, some to inquire about her news, and of course, there were also people who came to comfort her sincerely.
She attended banquets at one family's house today and at another's house's tomorrow. She was so tired that she didn't even have time to read her storybook when she came back in the evening.
Of course, she didn't know about the fact that she was almost given a marriage and the Duke's Mansion.
Feng Wenyu lay on the soft couch, looking a little listless. She said gloomily, "Why didn't I find these banquets so annoying before?"
He either secretly asked her why she and Gu Yushi wanted to break off the engagement, or he openly and secretly inquired about whether she and Xie Zhujing were really going to get engaged.
There were two questions, and Feng Wenyu didn't want to answer either one.
Fortunately, these people knew their limits. Seeing that she didn't want to answer, they didn't dare to ask any further questions.
After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Lord Feng was about to take another step up, and she wouldn't have had enough time to curry favor with her. Who would dare to offend her at this time?
Seeing that she was listless, Jinshu thought for a moment, then took something out of the wooden box and handed it to her:
"Would you like to read the storybook, young lady?"
This storybook was brought back from Jiangnan.
Hearing this, Feng Wenyu stood up and took the storybook. But after flipping through two pages, he curled his lips and said, "Another poor scholar and a rich girl. Nothing new at all."
Jinshu coughed lightly, wanting to remind the girl that she should not say such words in the future.
After all, according to the background of Lord Xie and Miss Xie, to some extent, they can be considered a poor scholar and a rich girl.
When Feng Wenyu was reminded, her face immediately turned red with embarrassment. She almost forgot about it. Fortunately, no outsiders heard it, otherwise if it fell into Xie Zhujing's ears, wouldn't it mean that she disliked him?
But she still didn't want to read this kind of book.
Shuyao said with a bit of regret: "At the beginning, the young lady returned all the things to Master Gu. Otherwise, the book inside could have been used by the young lady to kill time."
The room suddenly became quiet. Jinshu glared at Shuyao implicitly, saying that she was really bringing up something that was irrelevant to the topic.
Jinshu said in a gloomy voice, "There are so many people in this world who can write storybooks, why would someone with the surname Gu be so rare?"
When Lord Gu was good friends with the young lady, he knew that she liked to read storybooks, so he personally compiled a storybook for her to pass the time.
He didn't know how he found the time for such an important matter as the imperial examination, but the girl always had a notebook in her hand. Sometimes, someone would deliver it to her before the words were dry.
Jinshu also knew that although the girl said that she could not disturb Lord Gu from taking the imperial examination, she was always looking forward to it in her heart whenever Lord Gu sent her a notebook.
No one could tell whether he was looking forward to the storybook or the opportunity to meet Lord Gu.
Feng Wenyu lowered her eyes. She had opened the storybook again without knowing when, as if she hadn't heard what the two were saying at all.
Seeing this, Jinshu concealed the worry in his eyes.
The girl kept silent about this to Lord Gu, and Jinshu didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Jinshu even regretted suggesting that the girl read storybooks to pass the time.
Just at this moment, a maid knocked on the door and brought in a brocade box, saying that it was sent by Lord Xie.
Jinshu was delighted. She was just dozing off when someone brought her a pillow. She turned to look at the girl and said, "Miss, it's Master Xie who sent something. Would you like to take a look?"
Feng Wenyu was confused. She took the brocade box in confusion. After opening it, she found a Luban lock inside. She looked at the person who came in puzzled.
The man said, "Master Xie said it was a little toy he saw on the street. He thought it was interesting and gave it to the young lady to help him pass the time."
Feng Wenyu almost thought he had heard it wrong.
Using Luban lock to kill time?
She seemed to be back in the family school when her teacher asked her to unlock the Luban lock. Feng Wenyu's face suddenly turned bitter. She politely declined:
"I'm usually very busy."
The maid looked at her blankly.
Feng Wenyu quickly came back to her senses. She was stupid. The person who came was just a maid who delivered the message, not Xie Zhujing himself.
Feng Wenyu had no choice but to accept the Luban lock. She glanced at Jinshu, who had his head lowered and his shoulders shrugged a few times. She punched Jinshu in anger:
"If you keep laughing, you'll be the one to unlock this Luban lock!"
Jinshu waved her hands hurriedly: "This is Master Xie's gift to the young lady. I dare not overstep my bounds."
For a moment, the master and his two servants were so worried about the Luban lock in front of them that they no longer had the heart to think about the storybook.
After being busy with the banquets for the first period, Feng Wenyu actually had some free time. During this time, she also received some things from Xie Zhujing. They were all things that he happened to see and found interesting. Maybe Feng Wenyu didn't like all of them, but no one would dislike the feeling of being remembered at all times.
Although the two of them have not yet officially engaged, Xie Zhujing obviously treats her as his fiancée.
Feng Wenyu was a man who always returned a favor, and he couldn't help but think about what gift he should give to Xie Zhujing in return.
Jinshu and Shuyao gave her some advice:
"Girl, you're good at needlework. Why don't you make a purse for Master Xie?"
Feng Wenyu frowned, and hesitantly asked, "Isn't this too intimate?"
She actually wanted to say something ambiguous, but was too embarrassed to say it.
But Jinshu and the others heard it. Jinshu coughed lightly and revealed a fact: "The young lady already had the intention to contact Mr. Xie. The purse was just a token of her appreciation."
In other words, the relationship between the two is now just about the girl nodding her head, and then Mr. Xie will send the official matchmaker to propose marriage.
Feng Wenyu was silenced by these words. She let out a breath and stopped dwelling on this question. Instead, she asked again:
“Isn’t this a bit thin?”
Shuyao also thought about it and began to offer suggestions: "The old lady's birthday is coming soon. Every year before the old lady's birthday, the young lady will go to Qingning Temple to pray for the old lady. Why not take this opportunity to ask for a peace amulet for Master Xie?"
Then put it in your purse and give it to Mr. Xie. In this way, your thoughtfulness and effort are shown, and no one can find fault with it.
Feng Wenyu tacitly agreed to this plan.
She has always been good at needlework, and embroidering a purse is a piece of cake for her. She is always creative and remembered that Xie Zhujing liked the color blue, but making a blue purse would be a bit of a color clash, so she chose dark blue as the main color of the purse and embroidered green bamboo and cloud patterns on it.
She always had a habit of embroidering a small "Fu" character on the corner of the purse that contained the amulet, and this time was no exception.
Shuyao couldn't help but look at the purse that the girl was carrying. There was also a word "Fu" on the purse. She couldn't help but laugh:
"Now, they're a real couple."
Feng Wenyu was just used to it, but now that Shuyao had said that, she realized it. She blushed a little and glared at Shuyao angrily: "You are the only one who talks too much."
After preparing the purse, Feng Wenyu prepared to go to Qingning Temple.
She would go to Qingning Temple several times a year, and the people in the mansion had long been accustomed to it. It was not because she liked to worship Buddha, but on the one hand, she wanted to pray for the old lady. On the other hand, the peach blossoms in full bloom on the back mountain of Qingning Temple were beautiful beyond words, and Feng Wenyu liked that scenery very much.
The temple is surrounded by peach blossoms, and sometimes people pass by the foot of the mountain, with wisps of white smoke rising, making it look like both a fairyland and the human world.
Feng Wenyu never got tired of watching that scene.
Zhou Yueyu gave her detailed instructions and assigned her guards and grooms. Then she set off with the incense money and Jinshu.
Qingning Temple is in the suburbs, a bit far away, and she went there in the afternoon. Usually, she would return home the next day. Jinshu had packed her spare clothes as usual, and the small box was full.
As the weather turned cold, it was almost evening when Feng Wenyu arrived. There were few pilgrims in Qingning Temple, and it was quite quiet.
Jinshu went forward to talk to the young monk in the temple, then came over and said:
"Girl, the wing room is ready. Let's go there and settle down first."
It’s getting late, so whether it’s praying for blessings or asking for amulets, we have to plan for tomorrow.
Jinshu and Shuyao were tidying up the side rooms. Feng Wenyu was bored. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind and she said to them:
"I'm going to the peach forest in the back mountain. Come find me when you're done packing."
Jinshu wanted to go with her, but the sheets and bedding in the room all needed to be changed, and the bed and tabletops needed to be cleaned again. Jinshu was worried that Shuyao wouldn't be able to finish all the work by herself before sunset, so she had to say, "Young lady, please wait a little longer. I will come to find you soon."
Feng Wenyu responded, indicating that he understood, and walked straight towards the back mountain.
Qingning Temple is the largest temple in the capital, so there is no need to worry about its safety. This is why Jinshu let her go to the back mountain alone without worry.
Feng Wenyu was holding up the hem of her skirt, and when she was almost at the peach forest, she unexpectedly saw a person standing in the forest. It was not the season when peach blossoms were in full bloom, so how could there be someone coming to the peach forest like her?
The man heard the noise and turned around with a frown.
The two looked at each other, and when they saw each other clearly, they were both stunned.
Gu Yushi was stunned.
Feng Wenyu was a little dazed, the scene before him seemed to overlap with the scene in his dream.
——Gu Yushi, how did you find me?
——You mentioned the peach blossoms here yesterday. I guess you should have come here.
It turns out that the place where he found her in the rain in his dream was actually this peach forest.
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