Chapter 25: Ah Xiang Should Have Been My Crown Prince’s Consort
When Wei Xi heard that the carriage from the princess's mansion had arrived, she hurried to greet it.
Seeing that Gu Jingyu was the only one who got off the carriage, Wei Xi stepped forward and asked, "Sister Jingyu, why are you the only one in the carriage of the princess's mansion? Where is Yun?"
Gu Jingyu bowed to Wei Xi and the wife of Duke Weiguo in front of her and said, "Aunt, cousin, my mother is too busy with work at the end of the year to attend the banquet. My sister-in-law has caught a cold and is seriously ill. She has been recuperating these days. Jingru has stayed behind to play with Nuonuo, so I am the only one who has time to come."
Wei Xi frowned slightly, "Why did you get sick at this time? Is your illness very serious?"
Gu Jingyu said: "Thank you cousin for your concern for my sister-in-law. She should be fine after a few days of rest."
Wei Xi clenched his hands. He had spent so much effort in organizing the plum blossom viewing banquet, just for Yun Xiangye to lose face in front of these dignitaries' wives.
But she actually fell ill. Doesn't that mean this party was held in vain?
Wei Xi was somewhat unwilling.
The ladies and daughters of Chang'an City in the Plum Garden wanted to see Yun Xiangye's appearance today. They wanted to know what kind of beauty could make Prince Ning marry her instead of marrying the five noble women in Chang'an City.
When they learned that Yun Xiangye was seriously ill and could not come to the Duke of Weiguo's mansion to appreciate the plum blossoms, people in groups of three or four started talking about it.
"I wonder if this prince's wife is really ill, or if she is just a small town merchant girl who is timid and dares not come to the plum blossom viewing banquet of a wealthy family?"
"The Crown Prince's Consort also needs a title from His Majesty, so how can that woman be considered the Crown Prince's Consort? After all, she didn't follow the three letters and six ceremonies. Maybe the Princess doesn't even recognize her as her daughter-in-law and doesn't allow her to come to the Duke's Mansion for the banquet, fearing that it would bring shame to the Princess's Mansion."
--
Inside the East Palace.
After Gu Yan finished talking about business with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he asked Zhao Jing who was standing beside him, "Cousin Jing, do you have any walnuts that are commonly eaten in Jiangnan?"
Zhao Jing asked Gu Yan, "There are still two kilograms. Why are you asking about this?"
Gu Yan said, "My wife is ill and has no appetite. She just wants to eat the pecans that are unique to Jiangnan. She has searched all the dried fruit shops in Chang'an, but couldn't find any."
Zhao Jing chuckled, "I see. People in Jiangnan eat a lot of pecans. They are rare in Chang'an. I'll bring them to you in the afternoon."
Gu Yan said: "Thank you, cousin Jing. I won't bother you to make a trip. I will go with you to the Prince of Chu's mansion to get it."
Zhao Jing smiled and said, "I still have some business matters to attend to. I will send you to the Princess's residence in the afternoon."
Zhao Yun, who was reviewing official documents, looked up and said to Zhao Jing, "Bring some walnuts to the East Palace tomorrow."
Zhao Jing quickly responded, "Yes."
--
In Qingfeng Garden.
Yun Xiangye, who was taking medicine, sneezed twice in a row because of the gust of wind brought in by Gu Yan. She rubbed her nose with a handkerchief and coughed twice.
Gu Yan heard Yun Xiangye sneezing and coughing, so he took out a wool blanket from the Western Regions and covered Yun Xiangye with it, saying, "You better be careful and don't catch a cold again."
"Who gave me a cold?"
After taking the medicine for two days, Yun Xiangye regained some strength and was able to argue with Gu Yan.
Gu Yan took the medicine bowl from Yun Xiangye, wrapped her up in a blanket, leaving only her head exposed, took the medicine spoon and fed her the medicine, saying, "It's not like you haven't fooled around in the hot springs in Jiangnan before, but who knew you would catch a cold this time."
Yun Xiangye blushed, glared at Gu Yan, and coughed, "Where are the pecans? Why aren't there any yet?"
Gu Yan said, "It is not popular to eat pecans in Chang'an City. I have searched many dried fruit shops but have not seen any. I just asked my cousin Jing in the East Palace. What a coincidence! He has pecans and said he would deliver them in the afternoon."
Yun Xiangye choked on the medicine she had just taken and kept coughing, "Cough, cough, cough, did you say that cousin Jing will come over this afternoon?"
Gu Yan said: "Cousin Jing is coming over, why are you so panicked? He is my cousin, he is gentle and kind to others, you don't have to be afraid of him."
Yun Xiangye coughed for a while. She had met Princess Nan'an three days ago. Presumably, Princess Nan'an had already told Chu Jing about her identity.
Chu Jing was still willing to come over, so he must be no longer angry with her.
Besides, so many years have passed and she already has a two-year-old daughter. Chu Jing must have already married and had children, so he wouldn't mind her breaking her oath.
Yun Xiangye came forward to drink the medicine that Gu Yan fed her, "Cousin Jing, will you come with your cousin's wife? If there are female relatives, do I have to entertain them?"
Gu Yan laughed, "Cousin Jing has not yet married."
Yun Xiangye raised her eyes and said, "Isn't he more than a year older than you? Why haven't you married yet?"
Gu Yan lowered his eyes to look at Yun Xiangye: "How do you know that cousin Jing is more than a year older than me?"
Yun Xiangye didn't know how to explain to Gu Yan the past between her and Chu Jing.
When I met Chu Jing, I indeed had no plans to get married.
After all, both her parents had passed away, her sister was still young four years ago, and her family had an embroidery workshop that needed her to run. Yun Xiangye really didn't have the extra energy to consider marrying Chu Jing...
Yun Xiangye thought that it would be difficult to explain this to Gu Yan in a short time. Besides, Chu Jing should have known his identity from Princess Nan'an. He didn't tell Gu Yan either, probably because he didn't want to talk about the past. Yun Xiangye simply didn't explain the relationship.
Yun Xiangye chuckled and said, "I met Princess Nan'an some time ago, and she told me that cousin Jing is one year older than you. How come he hasn't married yet at this age? Is he also like the crown prince, with his fiancée in mourning delaying his marriage?"
Gu Yan said: "Not really, it's just that the girl that cousin Jing likes doesn't want to marry him. That girl is really blind. She doesn't want to marry such a good husband. It's been more than four years, and cousin Jing still can't forget her and wants to marry her."
Yun Xiangye heard about this for four years and clenched the corner of her clothes tightly under the blanket.
Gu Yan said: "My cousin Jing protects this ungrateful woman so well and won't let me say that my future cousin's wife is blind."
As soon as Gu Yan finished speaking, Yun Xiangye sneezed twice in a row, staring at Gu Yan and said, "You are indeed quite blind."
After all, why did she marry him?
Seeing Yun Xiangye sneezing continuously, Gu Yan climbed onto the small couch and held her in his arms, "Are you still cold?"
Yun Xiangye shook her head, "It's not cold..."
Gu Yan asked: "Then why did you sneeze again?"
Yun Xiangye answered absentmindedly, "Maybe some bastard is scolding me."
--
Inside Chujing Pavilion.
Zhao Jing was in the second-floor wing, looking at his kneeling subordinates below, and said angrily, "What did you say? Where did Ah Xiang go?"
The middle-aged man kneeling in front of Zhao Jing trembled and said, "Miss Yun, Miss Yun left Fangqiao Town with her husband. She said she was going back to Chang'an with her husband..."
Zhao Jing clenched his fists and punched the small table beside him. His face was full of anger: "Husband? How could Ah Xiang have a husband?"
Shopkeeper Tang, who was kneeling on the ground, said, "Ms. Yun... Miss Yun, she has been married for three years."
"Three years?" Zhao Jing frowned, "How is that possible? How could she have been married for three years?"
Shopkeeper Tang said, "In the past few years, I have followed your instructions and asked my subordinates to go to the Five Colors Embroidery Workshop every three months to order a dress embroidered by Miss Yun herself. My subordinates only knew how to order the dress, but they didn't know how to report that Miss Yun had gotten married...
This time when I went to get the pomegranate red skirt, Miss Yun said that she would not take any more jobs in the future because she was going to follow her husband back to her in-laws’ home in Chang’an…”
Zhao Jing's face turned ashen. He clenched the teacup tightly in his hand and actually crushed the porcelain cup to pieces. The porcelain pieces cut his hand and drew blood, but he didn't feel any pain.
Zhao Jing said coldly: "Go and find out who her husband is. After finding out, force her husband to divorce her and bring her to the Prince of Chu's Palace!"
Shopkeeper Tang raised his eyes to look at Zhao Jing and said, "Sir, isn't this robbing a commoner girl by force? I'm afraid the prince and princess will..."
Zhao Jing said angrily: "Ah Xiang should have been my Crown Prince's Consort."
Zhao Jing originally wanted to wait until Yun Xiangye's sister reached marriageable age, and then go find Yun Xiangye to see if she would no longer be so determined not to get married. However, he did not expect that Yun Xiangye swore not to get married four years ago, and got married the following year.
Zhao Jing originally thought that his subordinates would understand why he had the Five Colors Embroidery Workshop make clothes and send them to Chang'an every three months. However, he didn't expect that his subordinates were so confused that they didn't even report such a big matter.
Zhao Jing returned to the palace in a rage, and then he remembered that Gu Yan had asked him for hickory nuts.
After Zhao Jing took the walnuts, he said to the servant beside him, "Prepare the carriage and go to the Princess's Mansion."
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