Chapter 56: Becoming a Monk
After returning home, Jiang Cheng asked Zhang about what happened at the banquet.
Zhang knew that the reward could not be concealed, so she decided to tell it herself first to appear magnanimous. She first congratulated Jiang Cheng and said that the Queen liked Jiang Lan very much. Among the young ladies present, only Cui Jingshu and Jiang Lan received the Queen's generous reward. Cui Jingshu received the Queen's hairpin, and Jiang Lan received the Queen's bracelet.
Jiang Cheng was originally worried that Jiang Lan would be disrespectful in front of the Queen, but now that he knew that Jiang Lan was so favored by the Queen, he felt proud and happy.
Seeing Jiang Cheng's smug look, Zhang became even more determined to make sure Jiang Lan would never be able to turn over.
Jiang Cheng asked someone to invite Jiang Lan over and asked her in detail. Jiang Lan told him everything the queen asked and her answers word for word.
When Jiang Cheng learned that the queen had specifically asked her how old she was and what books she read, she felt flattered, yet also overwhelmed with joy and surprise.
If the Queen really intends to make Jiang Lan her princess, it would be a great favor.
But on second thought, the greater the grace, the more jealousy one attracts.
Jiang Cheng began to worry again and gave Jiang Lan some advice, telling her that although it was a good thing to be favored by the Queen, she should not get too proud of herself and give others a chance to criticize her.
Jiang Lan nodded and took note of it, saying that she would give the jade bracelet given by the Queen Mother to her mother for safekeeping, and would not wear it out in public to show off and cause gossip.
Zhang rolled her eyes in her heart. She couldn't stand Jiang Lan pretending to be well-behaved and sensible.
Jiang Cheng felt very relieved and let Jiang Lan keep the bracelet. After all, it was a gift from the Queen Mother. Then he let her go back and rest.
When Jiang Lan was leaving, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Rui and Shunfu looking around furtively outside the yard. She asked Qing'er to go and call him over. Jiang Rui came over with a flattering look on his face and asked her about what happened at the banquet.
"I met the Empress, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and His Royal Highness Prince Rui," she observed Jiang Rui's reaction. Seeing that he seemed a little guilty, he must have known that the new friend he had made was from Prince Rui's mansion. She continued calmly, "And His Royal Highness Prince Fu and His Royal Highness Prince An."
Jiang Rui asked flatteringly, "Did the second sister get selected?"
Jiang Lan changed the subject and asked, "Has Fourth Brother made any new friends recently?"
Jiang Rui was stunned for a moment, then gave a dry laugh and asked suspiciously, "Why did Second Sister suddenly ask this?"
Jiang Lan said, "You've been coming home late these past few days. You must have made some new friends and gone out for drinks, right?"
Jiang Rui argued cunningly, "The teacher has been lecturing a lot lately, so the school ends late."
Jiang Lan asked about his homework again, and Jiang Rui answered vaguely.
After Jiang Lan left, Jiang Rui asked Shunfu to find out something from Tanxiang.
Upon learning that the Queen had bestowed the bracelet upon Jiang Lan, Jiang Rui thought that the Queen was going to choose his second sister as the princess. He immediately came up with a good idea and asked Shunfu to go to the Marquis' Mansion to tell Qi Wuhan the news.
He didn't know that Qi Wuhan, Marquis of Jin'an, was also at the banquet.
As a result, Shunfu backed out before even reaching the Marquis' Mansion, and when he came back he lied and said that he had delivered the message.
"Did the Marquis say anything? Is he very angry?" Jiang Rui asked gloatingly.
Shunfu lowered his head and continued to lie, "The Marquis didn't say anything... and he wasn't angry..."
Jiang Rui was quite disappointed. He had expected that Qi Wuhan would be very angry after hearing the news and would go to settle accounts with Prince Fu and Prince An. Then there would be something interesting to watch.
"It seems that the Marquis doesn't care much about my second sister." Jiang Rui muttered to himself. After thinking about it for a while, he felt bored and asked Shunfu to find some fun for him.
In the evening, Jiang Cheng discussed with Zhang whether the queen really intended to choose Jiang Lan as the princess.
Zhang said that the second daughter of the Cui family was the queen's niece, so it was not surprising that she was chosen as the princess. But to be fair, there was also the third daughter of Gu, the legitimate daughter of the marquis's mansion, who was more suitable than Jiang Lan. If Jiang Lan was really chosen as the princess, it would probably cause more suspicion and jealousy. If people dug up Jiang Lan's past deeds and made a big fuss about it, it would push the entire Shangshu Mansion to the forefront again.
After hearing what Zhang said, Jiang Cheng became even more worried, thinking that Jiang Lan's favor with the Queen had become a hot potato.
The next day, when Jiang Cheng went to attend the morning court, he met Qi Wuhan, who was also there for the morning court, at the palace gate for the first time.
Qi Wuhan casually mentioned yesterday's banquet and praised Jiang Lan's unique talent, which the Queen liked very much.
Jiang Cheng tactfully asked him about the Queen's plan to choose a queen for Prince Fu and Prince An, wondering if it was true or not.
"Is this true? How come I don't know about it?" Qi Wuhan looked confused, as if he really knew nothing.
Now Jiang Cheng was at a loss, and couldn't tell whether it was true or not.
"Don't worry, Lord Jiang. The Second Miss is well-educated, well-mannered, and kind-hearted. She will definitely find her ideal husband." Qi Wuhan comforted him, his face radiant as he said the last sentence, as if to say, "The ideal husband is far away and near at hand."
Jiang Cheng didn't hear the subtext of this sentence. He just thought he was just saying it for show and thanked him politely.
After the morning court session, the emperor left Prince Fu and Qi Wuhan alone and summoned Prince Fu first.
I don't know what they talked about, but I heard the heartbroken voice of Prince Fu from the imperial study, howling "Father~"
Then the emperor's furious voice came from inside, "Someone come!"
Qi Wuhan went over immediately and saw this scene.
Prince Fu held onto the emperor's thigh and cried heartbrokenly, "Father, I am still young and don't want to get married. Please take back your decision~"
The emperor's face turned pale and he wanted to kick him out!
"Men should get married when they are old enough and women should get married when they are old enough. Your Highness has reached adulthood and is not young anymore." Qi Wuhan persuaded as he walked over and pulled Prince Fu away.
Seeing the amiable smile on his face, Prince Fu stopped howling as if he had been suppressed by a natural enemy. Instead, he muttered softly, "It's easy to talk without any pain in the back, and I don't see you in a hurry to get married?"
"What did Your Highness say?" Qi Wuhan asked amiably.
Prince Fu felt a chill on his back, and he stopped muttering. He suddenly straightened up, looking like a brave man ready to die. "If your father forces me to marry Miss Cui, I will become a monk."
As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor kicked him. Prince Fu stood up again and straightened his body, looking like a stubborn person who would not give up until he achieved his goal. The emperor was so angry that he wanted to kick him again, but was persuaded by Qi Wuhan.
"Your Majesty, calm down. If Your Highness doesn't want to get married this year, it won't be too late to wait until next year."
Prince Fu wanted to argue for himself and completely reject the marriage, but Qi Wuhan gave him a glare. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. He muttered and cursed Qi Wuhan in his heart that one day he would also be granted a marriage, so that he could have the same experience as he was having now.
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