Chapter 119 Dorji's Proposal Kejing is the apple of Xuanye's eye...
Princess Kejing was different from other princesses. Because she was favored by Xuanye, many times, even when Xuanye was discussing military and national affairs with his ministers, if Kejing happened to come to pay her respects, or was bored and came to Xuanye to see what her father was doing, Xuanye would let Kejing listen to how he handled government affairs.
This time, he was just a prince from Mobei, but Xuanye actually drove her out of Qingxi Book House. When Kejing left the house, her face was full of displeasure and she was also angry in her heart. She didn't know what was so superior about this prince from Mobei.
At that time, Xiu Yu was sipping tea in the pavilion on the stone arch bridge. Seeing Ke Jing, dressed in men's clothing and with a sullen expression, sitting down beside him, he couldn't help but ask with a smile, "What's wrong? Who provoked our Fourth Princess?"
"It's not a big deal." Ke Jing took a sip of tea. "Some Mobei prince came to my father's place. Maybe he wanted to discuss political matters with him, so he kicked me out."
"So they were kicked out." Xiu Yu saw Ke Jing gulp down the cup in one gulp, and poured her some more himself. "The Mongolian Plateau is connected to Dzungar, after all. Perhaps there really is something important to discuss."
Ke Jing disagreed. "Mother, I heard this a while ago when I was hanging out at my father's place. The Mongolians in the northern desert have always been neutral, neither leaning towards us nor towards Galdan. Just because some prince came this time, their neutrality has changed? I don't believe it."
Xiu Yu looked seriously into Ke Jing's beautiful eyes and said, "You've certainly heard a lot of gossip from your father."
"It's not just a rumor, it's all true." Ke Jing said seriously, "Even if this Mobei prince came to see me this time to show some weakness, it's because he saw me drive away Galdan and succumb to the military force of the Qing Dynasty. I don't think it's very reliable."
"Then what do you think is reliable?" Xiu Yu smiled and said, "Submission to force is the most reliable. I'm afraid nothing else will work."
Young Ke Jing had no idea of Xuanye's protectiveness towards his son. She simply said, "Anyway, my father didn't let me hear it, which means there's a secret between him and me. I'm not happy."
"You've been enjoying your privileges for too long, and now you're upset if you're not allowed to continue enjoying them?" Xiu Yu naturally had to quickly rebuke Ke Jing's thoughts: "Ke Jing, life is always full of ups and downs. Ups and downs are the norm. Even your father wasn't always good to me. So, you have to learn to be indifferent. Don't be proud when you're successful, and don't be discouraged when you're frustrated."
"Mother, I know." Her lips were pressed together in a straight line. "Don't worry, I only dare to criticize Father in front of you. In front of others, Father is my god."
Xiu Yu was amused by Ke Jing.
***
At night, in the warm room of Qingxi Library, Xiu Yu combed her hair while saying to Xuanye, "When you summoned that Mobei prince today, you kicked Ke Jing out. Ke Jing looked very unhappy."
"Really?" Xuanye asked Xiuyu while reading a book: "Why is she unhappy?"
"I think you don't like her, so I won't favor her anymore." Xiu Yu's words were lighthearted. "She still has a childish temper. You've spoiled her."
Hearing Xiu Yu's words, Xuanye put down the book in his hand, stood up, walked over to Xiu Yu, sat on the low stool beside her, and said, "Am I not doting on Ke Jing enough? Look at the other princesses. Is there any one like Ke Jing who can listen in when I discuss government affairs with the ministers? I'm afraid her ability now is almost as good as half of the ministers of the previous dynasty."
"I know you treat Kejing very well." Xiu Yu gently held Xuanye's hand.
Xuanye naturally didn't hide his innermost thoughts in front of Xiuyu: "That Dorji, ever since he saw Kejing, his eyes have always been on Kejing. I am a little scared of him."
"Are you afraid that the Prince of Mobei has taken a fancy to your Fourth Princess?" Xiu Yuyanran said, "No, our Fourth Princess shouldn't be too fond of the prosperity of the capital and the small bridges and flowing waters of Jiangnan. How could she be willing to go to the bitter cold of Mobei?"
"To prevent future trouble, I must nip the source in the bud." Xuanye said firmly, "We don't need Mobei's support at all right now. Mobei can remain neutral if they want. If they don't obey, I will defeat Dzungar Khan and then Mobei. I have the military strength to do so."
Xiu Yu smiled and shook his head. Of course, he knew that what Xuanye said was true. Whether it was financial or military resources, there would be no problem in defeating Junggar and then attacking Mobei.
"Dorji's visit to the capital this time is indeed intended to show weakness." Xuanye recalled what Dorji had said that day, and felt somewhat relieved. "This boy is quite respectful in his words and deeds, and he truly has the style and demeanor of a prince from the grasslands. If Kejing weren't our daughter, marrying her to Mobei might not be a bad match."
"If it wasn't Ke Jing, would you be willing to give it up if it was someone else?"
"With so many children, it's natural that some will like them and some won't." Xuanye said as a matter of course: "I think Emperor Taizong of Tang treats the children born to him by Empress Zhangsun as family members, and does not consider the children born to others as family members either."
Xiu Yu was naturally very happy to hear these words: "I am very grateful for your words."
"When you can put aside these rules and courtesy, I will be completely happy and comfortable." Xuanye stroked Xiu Yu's long hair, his eyes gentle: "You are not my imperial concubine, but my relative, my lover."
Xiu Yu's eyes gradually became moist. She lowered her eyelids slightly and said, "It's getting late. Let's rest."
"Okay, it's getting late, it's time to rest." Xuanye picked up Xiu Yu horizontally. His skillful movements were obviously the result of many times of training.
Xiu Yu naturally placed her hand on Xuanye's shoulder: "Aren't you tired after meeting the Mobei Prince today?"
"Of course, it's tiring to be in charge of government affairs, but as soon as I lie down on the bed, I feel full of energy."
Xiu Yu said angrily, "You are really, not serious."
"I am not serious." Xuanye had already carried Xiuyu to the bed: "If I were a gentleman in bed, how did we get those children?"
"How did you get it?" Xiu Yu's arms gently hugged Xuan Ye's neck: "I picked it up, I adopted it. Isn't that what they always said when they were little?"
"That's not what I told them." Xuanye had moved closer to Xiuyu, so close that he could hear her breathing. "To be honest, my lady, when the children were young, I, as their father, had already done a good job of educating them."
"You..." Xiu Yu pursed her cherry lips.
Xuanye had already kissed Xiuyu's forehead. Gradually, their noses touched. Xuanye said, "What needs to be said should be more subtle. They are all smart children. There is no need for me to break the window paper."
***
When the sun rose from the east, Kejing got up on time and went to the archery range that Xuanye had specially opened for her in Changchun Garden.
Although Kejing was a princess, she was taught archery, horse riding and shooting by Xuanye himself. Her skills were no worse than those of her brothers and sisters, and she never missed a shot at the archery range.
As a prince of Mobei, Dorji was naturally arranged to live in Changchun Garden. He also had the habit of getting up early to practice riding and shooting. Since there were no servants guarding the archery range, he came with his own bow and arrows.
"The fourth princess also has the habit of getting up early to practice archery?" Dorji walked to Kejing and put an arrow on the bow.
Ke Jing glanced at Dorji, shot the arrow in his hand, and then put the longbow aside. He said, "I got up earlier than the prince and have finished practicing. You can practice slowly, prince."
"Princess, would you like to compete with me? Let's see who is better at archery, me, the prince of Mobei, or you, the princess of the Qing Dynasty?" Dorji said as he bent his bow like a full moon and shot an arrow that hit the bull's eye.
Kejing's competitive spirit was still aroused by Dorji: "Shall we have a ten-arrow contest?"
"Okay." Dorji extended his hand and invited: "Princess, come first."
“
The contest was naturally evenly matched. All ten of Kejing's arrows hit the bull's eye, and so did all ten of Dorji's arrows. Dorji smiled and said, "Princess Daqing, your reputation truly lives up to its reputation!"
Ke Jing was a little proud: "My father taught me how to ride and shoot. If I don't live up to the reputation, I will bring shame to my father. You are not bad either, very steady and accurate."
"Although you consider our northern Mongolia a bitterly cold land, it boasts vast territory and a sparse population, making it ideal for horse racing and archery practice. Princess, are you interested in visiting?"
Ke Jing shook her head like a rattle. "As for me, I like the small bridges and flowing water in the south of the Yangtze River, not the bitter cold of Mobei. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about." Dorji said cheerfully, "Girls like you, it would be strange if you really liked staying in such a cold and bitter place. However, since I've known the princess before, I should tell her the truth. Dorji came to the capital to seek the hand of a princess. I never thought I'd run into the Fourth Princess on the streets of the capital. It's fate."
Ke Jing sneered: "As for fate, there are good and bad kinds. There is a kind of fate called ill-fated fate. Prince, you should have heard of it, right?" Of course, without waiting for Dorji to continue, Ke Jing left the archery range.
"Bad fate..." Dorji pondered the two words Kejing said without commenting.
At the time, it was still the parents' order and the matchmaker's words, so Dorji felt that Kejing's reluctance to go to Mobei for marriage was not a big deal. As long as he could convince the emperor, the fourth princess would still be his consort. No matter how he thought about it, he felt that the Qing emperor had gained a lot by using the fourth princess' marriage in exchange for the loyalty of Mobei Mongolia. However, he underestimated Kejing's position in Xuanye's heart.
"You want to marry my fourth princess?" Xuanye thought he had just heard a big joke. "Dorji, before you come to ask for my hand in marriage, don't you want to find out who the fourth princess is?"
Dorji was full of confidence: "I know that the Fourth Princess is the apple of the Emperor's eye, the daughter of you and Concubine Yi."
"Kejing is the only precious daughter of Concubine Yi and I." Xuanye used the words "only" and "treasure" and said, "Forget about following you to Mobei. Even if she marries out of the capital, I won't agree."
"Your Majesty, won't you give it some thought? Princess, if you marry me, you will be the Princess of Mobei. If there is another war between Your Majesty and Galdan in the future, I can assure you that the Mongolian army of Mobei will stand with the Qing army."
"It sounds like if my fourth princess doesn't become your consort, your Mobei army will side with Galdan?"
Dorji replied, "We are willing to stand with the Qing Dynasty, just like the Mongols south of the desert. However, without marriage, Your Majesty, wouldn't this relationship be considered unreliable? I heard that Emperor Taizong, in order to gain support from the Mongols, married many Mongolian concubines into his harem."
"You have learned the truth well. But you miscalculated one thing. Kejing is not an ordinary princess. Don't think about her. You can choose a suitable one from my other princesses. I am happy to become a family with Mobei." Xuanye kept smiling.
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