Zhuo Huanqing often gave Yao Yi a conflicted feeling. Born into the Kunjing Zhuo clan, he was a member of a prominent family, yet he lacked the arrogance of an aristocrat. Unlike other young men, he didn't indulge in literary pursuits, music, and wine. Instead, he enjoyed martial arts and was single-mindedly pursuing military success on the battlefield.
However, the era when men could pursue their ambitions and achieve great things has long since ended. Nowadays, women all cultivate spiritual skills, and battlefield confrontations are no longer mere clashes of swords and spears, but rather entanglements of spiritual skills. Ordinary martial arts have been reduced from mere combat techniques to mere performance techniques, practiced only by a few idle noble women as a hobby. A martial artist like Zhuo Huanqing is undoubtedly an outlier.
He had been able to play around peacefully until today thanks to the Zhuo family's vast wealth. He was a young child, not a candidate for heir, and his temperament was not docile, making it unlikely that he would benefit the family through marriage. Consequently, he was not carefully nurtured, and supervision was lax. Because he pleased the head of the family, he was given extra indulgence and tacitly approved of his martial arts training, which led to his current state.
If we only consider his love of martial arts, Zhuo Huanqing, while different from today's aristocratic sons, is similar to men from a thousand years ago when men were in power, so this isn't really a contradiction. However, in some ways, he also displays a virtuousness that is different from those men of the past.
For example, Zhuo Huanqing was very good at life skills such as brewing wine, making sugar, and cooking. The only thing he was not good at was probably making tea, because he felt that it was a pretentious skill and not practical.
The Yao and Zhuo families lived next door to each other. Yao Yi and Zhuo Huanqing's courtyards were even separated by a single wall. As a child, Zhuo Huanqing often climbed over the wall to enter. Initially, he envied the vast collection of books in Yao Yi's study, picking out military manuals. Later, he returned the favor by regularly feeding Yao Yi exquisite food. For a time, her face was as round as a tangerine, earning praise for her blessed appearance. Later, when she began serving as a tutor to the Imperial Concubine, she began to carefully control her figure, lest her appearance be unseemly and bring disgrace upon the palace.
Some things are like dirt when readily available, but become precious when scarce. Just like the pine nut candy in Zhuo Huanqing's hand, she hadn't eaten it in two months.
Yao Yi swallowed hard, but couldn't resist unwrapping the candy. "Just one."
"You're making me act stingy. There are dozens of them in my pocket. You can eat as many as you want as long as you don't mind the toothache." Zhuo Huanqing said with a smile.
Yao Yi shook her head, gathered up her purse, and tied it around her waist. "When His Majesty summons me to a conversation, I can't just hold onto some sugar in my mouth."
"Your Majesty is already ruling the country, so why does he still need you to teach him every day? I think it's time for you to let go and stop working yourself into illness at such a young age."
"I cannot fail the late emperor's trust."
"The late emperor entrusted more than just you. If I'm not mistaken, Li Zhaiyue was also entrusted, right? Look, he's even entrusted himself to the palace. If the late emperor knew about this, wouldn't he be in such a terrible state?"
"Oh my little ancestor!" Yao Yi reached out and covered Zhuo Huanqing's mouth. "This is in the palace, you should at least restrain yourself."
Zhuo Huanqing said vaguely: "You are obviously more daring than me at home."
"This is a different time. You'd better be sent back immediately."
A few days later, over thirty good women finally mastered the palace etiquette and regulations and prepared to face the emperor. The Empress Dowager, who had been in seclusion since the late emperor's passing, accompanied Yao Changchun, the highest-ranking concubine in the late emperor's harem, to examine the emperor's appearance.
The good girls entered the palace in groups of four to meet the emperor. To attract the emperor's attention, they showed off their talents.
The first person Jiang Cenyun noticed was a man with a towering bun. The hairpins on his head depicted pavilions, towers, mountains, and rivers. Curious, she asked, "Isn't it heavy to wear all that gold, jade, and jewels?"
"I will place the vast expanse of Great Zhou on my head. Even if it weighs a thousand pounds, I will accept it with open arms." The man bowed slowly, his hair adorned with pearls and jade rustling. "Your Majesty is the ruler of the land, and I cherish your kindness even more."
The Queen Mother looked unhappy.
"Pity?" Jiang Cenyun snorted. "I am the Supreme Lord, do I need your pity? Back off, and don't appear before me again."
The other three were silent as a mouse, unable to utter any sweet words. Jiang Cenyun was disgusted by their timid appearance and put down his signs.
The second group of decent women entered the hall with a touch of trepidation, introducing themselves politely. Jiang Cenyun's gaze lingered on the attire of the person in the center. Over a deep green robe, he wore a plain gauze tunic, woven with gold thread. As he walked, the threads flowed slowly, like ripples on a lake illuminated by sunlight.
I wonder what kind of grace Li Xiwei would have if she wore this kind of blouse, Jiang Cenyun thought.
"Your Majesty, is there anyone among these people that you like?" the Queen Mother asked her.
Jiang Cenyun came back to his senses and shook his head slightly. "No. Let them go."
The third group included a man of exquisite appearance and dignified demeanor. With every step he took, a lotus flower pattern appeared on the ground. Jiang Cenyun leaned forward to look. Yao Changchun exclaimed in amazement, "A lotus flower blooms with every step he takes."
"Your Majesty, I am Chu Yinglian, and I am honored to see you." The man bowed.
"Oh... you are the descendant of the Pingyang Chu family." Jiang Cenyun said with a smile, "You are just like your name, delicate and graceful, which makes people feel pity for you."
Chu Yinglian's cheeks blushed with shame.
"Unfortunately, I don't like this. No matter whether you are a man or a woman, you shouldn't regard weakness as beauty. That only satisfies the other party's perverted taste. Go back and eat more. Learn from your old man so that you can curse in the streets with full energy when you are eighty years old."
"...Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty."
The third group also failed miserably. Jiang Cenyun grew increasingly impatient as he watched the following groups. The men were good-looking, but they were all the same, all the same gorgeous things. Seeing them too often was actually harmful to the eyes.
"What kind of man does Your Majesty like?" the Queen Mother asked. "There are only four left. Are you still going to give up your bid?"
"Father, this is my daughter's first time choosing a bride. Of course I have to choose someone I like. Otherwise, I'd feel wronged for having them accompany me for so many years, and they'd feel wronged too. Isn't that tragic?"
Yao Changchun said, "Yes, liking her is the most important thing. These men are vulgar and not worth your attention. Even if it doesn't work out this year, there's always next year. You're still young, so you can take your time choosing."
"They're not necessarily vulgar." Jiang Cenyun said, looking at the four people who were slowly entering the hall. "Here, the extraordinary ones are coming."
The last four people are four good family girls living in Huixuexuan. The two in the middle are one strong and the other graceful, like two suns in the sky.
"Your Majesty, I, Zhuo Huanqing, pay my respects to your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, I, Li Xiwei, pay my respects to you."
"My dear minister, please stand up." Jiang Cenyun felt very uncomfortable when she saw Li Xiwei kowtow to her. She walked down the stage and helped him up personally.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
