Chapter 31: When it comes to praying to the gods, the experience is still the best.
He watched Xie Xuanlan fall into love and lust.
As I watched him indulge in self-abuse, all I could think about was Ah Ying's frown and smile.
It is not appropriate to say "see". At that time, he was Xie Xuanlan himself, feeling everything he felt, and had a vivid dream. Until this moment, when he opened his eyes, he saw the golden bell on the top of the tent of Prince Jin's Mansion that was used to summon souls.
The wind blew the golden bells, making them jingle, and it was the sound of the bells that called him back from Xie Xuanlan.
In his mind, memories of his past life slowly emerged. Behind the screen, Prince Jin heard Princess Xuande whispering to Doctor Zhang.
The eldest princess' voice was filled with pride. "I've long said that the Imperial Medical Bureau is useless at diagnosing fertility. Who said my son is infertile? Chief Doctor Zhang, you really should go and see for yourself."
Doctor Zhang tried to keep his voice steady, "Your Highness, Princess, please give Your Highness the Prince of Jin some privacy."
King Jin frowned when he heard this. What were they talking about?
Then the eldest princess said, "When my son wakes up, I will immediately marry him a wife and take in eighteen beautiful concubines. By this time next year, I will have a basket of grandchildren, and our Prince Jin's Mansion will finally be bustling."
Prince Jin finally understood and began to cough violently: "Mother!"
The eldest princess's ferocious plan was immediately interrupted. Doctor Zhang came in with the medicine as if he was escaping. He looked at Prince Jin with a complicated look, with sympathy mixed with a hint of admiration.
King Jin asked him in a low voice, "What's going on?"
Doctor Zhang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Your Highness was sweating in your sleep. When I was changing your clothes, I noticed that you were...reacting quite strongly."
The senior princess gestured and said, "It is said that it is so long and thick. Her Royal Highness thinks you are easy to bear children."
Prince Jin: “…”
Perhaps when one is speechless, the only recourse is silence. The Prince of Jin's face was pale, his expression gloomy, not out of shame or anger, but more like a kind of self-mockery and resentment.
"Your Highness, this is a good thing. The royal bloodline is rare, so you should take good care of it—"
He threw the medicine bowl that Doctor Zhang handed him, his frail body trembling from the stern shout: "Get out!"
Why is it that Xie Xuanlan is dreaming about his past life now, and can unscrupulously pack up the betrothal gifts to marry Aying, while he has to be a puppet of the Prince of Jin's Mansion, with no control over his body and mind?
All he has now are just some memories of him and Aying in his previous life, and their companionship in this life. Such simple things are being taken away from him. Are they trying to force him to death?
My heart is cold, but my blood is boiling.
Suddenly, he straightened his clothes, got off the bed, and hobbled out, pushing the door open. He saw Princess Xuande talking to Zi Su and wanting to take off the jade bracelet on her wrist to reward her.
Zi Su was so frightened that he almost knelt down to confess his crime.
"Mother." Prince Jin's voice sounded coldly behind him: "If you like Zi Su, take her back."
Princess Xuande smiled and said, "What's the point of me liking her? It's rare that you like her."
The King of Jin said, "I don't like her. Mother, don't worry about these things. In the future, please don't come to Guanxi Garden so that I can have some peace and quiet."
"But……"
"Doctor Zhang doesn't need to come. He can't cure my illness."
After saying that, he slammed the door shut without mercy.
Outside the door, Princess Xuande sighed deeply, "He's still so young, doesn't he have someone he likes? As long as she's not a concubine in the palace, I can make the decision for him to marry her. It's better than being alone like this, alas."
Zi Su lowered her head and said nothing. She was thinking of someone in her heart, but she didn't dare to mention it.
＊
The news that Xie Xuanlan was clamoring for the betrothal gifts and wanted to get married reached Mrs. Xie's ears the next day.
Madam Xie was very surprised: "Didn't you say you didn't like Fourth Lady Jiang? Why are you regretting it now that the engagement is called off?"
Xie Xuanlan denied it: "Mom, you remembered it wrongly, I never said that."
Xie Liu Niangzi was at Madam Xie's place and laughed at what she said, "The Jiang family is full of weird people. I think Third Brother has been drugged."
Xie Xuanlan didn't like what he said and retorted, "Is it more bizarre than you insisting on becoming the queen?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Xie twisted his ear and slapped him twice: "Marriage is a woman's lifelong blessing. How can you make fun of it so casually?"
"Mother is right." Xie Xuanlan followed suit and bowed deeply to Xie Liuniang. "Sister, you want to be the queen for the sake of the Xie family's great cause. I shouldn't have made fun of you. I was wrong."
Xie Liuniang said angrily, "You're still laughing!"
Xie Xuanlan cried out in injustice: "I want to marry a wife, and you're not allowed to be happy?"
Xie Liuniang didn't believe it and walked around Madam Xie to kick him. Xie Xuanlan was not willing to bear her anger and didn't even let her touch the corner of his clothes. The two of them quarreled around the room for a long time.
Mrs. Xie just felt a headache.
She thought for a while and then said, "I have met Fourth Lady Jiang. She is an outstanding person and is more than qualified to be a match for Third Brother. However, the Jiang family is still in mourning, and is the girl willing?"
Xie Xuanlan said, "Let's take the betrothal gifts over first and settle the marriage so that we don't have to wait too long and get married as soon as she's done with the mourning period next year."
He didn't answer the most important question. Madam Xie asked, "Hasn't Fourth Lady Jiang agreed to your request yet?"
Xie Xuanlan stiffened his neck and said, "How is that possible?"
Seeing his guilty look, Madam Xie said with a mixture of laughter and tears, "You're too much of a prankster! If I bring the betrothal gifts to their house and get kicked out, wouldn't that be a source of amusement for Yun Jing?"
Xie Xuanlan assured her, "Mrs. Jiang Si is the most respectful of teachers and elders. She will never let me down."
Madam Xie: "So you are a villain bullying a gentleman, and you want me to block the door with the betrothal gifts to force her to agree?"
Seeing his plan exposed, Xie Xuanlan simply threw up his robe and knelt before Madam Xie: "Mother, if you don't take action now, I'm afraid I'll be unable to sleep at night, and I'll become sick with lovesickness and die before you!"
Mrs. Xie was so angry that she slapped him again: "Stop talking nonsense!"
She certainly couldn't just bring the betrothal gifts and bully people into her house, but she also couldn't bear to leave Xie San alone. After thinking it over, she decided to test Jiang Si Niang's attitude first.
When Cong Ying stopped by Congshan Academy to pick up Ah He from school, she saw Ah He holding a chestnut cake and happily passed it to her. Cong Ying took a bite and found something different, so she asked her, "Where did you get it from?"
Ah He said, "Mrs. Xie gave it to me."
Cong Ying asked, "Was it given to you alone, or did every girl in Dingshe get one?"
Ah He: “Everyone has it.”
Just as Cong Ying was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she saw Ah He take out a few things from his book bag: "But these are only for me."
A piece of precious Hui ink, the same one that Cong Ying had broken in the carriage.
A book titled "Annotations and Corrections to the Old Huainanzi" written by Xie Xiangqin is as tempting as the ancient books obtained by Wenqutang.
There was also a jade bracelet with excellent water content. Although Cong Ying didn't often wear these things, she knew the value of them and knew that this bracelet was probably more valuable than Ji Caibing's most precious one.
The first two were sent by Xie Xuanlan, and the last one was probably the work of Mrs. Xie - Mrs. Xie was alarmed, and Cong Ying certainly knew what this meant.
Seeing her serious expression, Ah He also became nervous: "Sister, did I do something wrong?"
Cong Ying touched her head and said, "It's not wrong. Have you met Madam Xie?"
Ah He nodded shyly.
"Like her?"
Nodded again.
Cong Ying smiled and said, "Then help me send her something tomorrow."
She wrote a proper letter, enclosed it in the wooden box of the bracelet, and asked Ah He to return it on her behalf. She also made another tray of peach blossom cakes to express her apology for not being able to accept this valuable gift.
Xie Xuan naturally took the peach blossom pastry away. Mrs. Xie finished reading the letter and sighed.
Xie Xuanlan was worried: "She still doesn't want to?"
Madam Xie said, "She's not completely uninterested in you, she's just still hesitant. Do you know what's holding her back that's keeping her from marrying into our family?"
This time even Xie Xuanlan was silent, thinking that it was not his illusion, Jiang Congying was really running away.
But why...is he not sincere enough, or does she have other concerns?
The shadow in his heart slipped away, but Xie Xuanlan didn't show it on his face. Instead, he optimistically urged his mother: "The ancients said that all things that are in accordance with etiquette must be asked and declined three times. Why don't we try giving something else?"
Mrs. Xie rolled her eyes at him and said nothing. But the next day, she prepared another gift and blocked Cong Ying in front of Wenqu Hall.
Cong Ying originally came to return the ancient books, but when he saw Mrs. Xie, his usually calm face showed a look of panic, and he almost knocked over the wooden box containing the ancient books.
Madam Xie gave her a helping hand and said, "It is true that my actions today were impolite. Please do not blame me, Fourth Lady."
Cong Ying said quickly, "It is my fault for not being able to visit Madam."
Madam Xie took advantage of this conversation to hand Cong Ying an invitation with her signature on it. "That's perfect. I'm going to hold a spring banquet at Huanlang Mountain in seven days. Could you please come, Fourth Lady?"
Congying didn't answer for a moment, but Madam Xie wasn't in a hurry. She took another wooden box from the maid and said, "The bracelet you gave me last time was too expensive. I was inconsiderate. What Fourth Lady said in her letter has taught me a lesson. But this time, you have to accept it, not some expensive gift—"
Seeing that Congying was almost on guard, Madam Xie chuckled and reassured her, "It's the menstrual belt that was newly developed in the Women's Medical Hall."
Cong Ying was stunned for a moment, menstrual belt?
Mrs. Xie thought she was being shy and whispered, "Ordinary wood ash can easily cause inflammation in women. These menstrual pads have compressed cotton inside and a flexible silk wrapping outside. After using them once, you can replace the cotton inside, wash them, steam them, and dry them, and they can be used again. The girls in the Xie family all like them, so I thought I'd give them to you to try."
Cong Ying didn't know what to say for a moment.
This was the first time anyone, including her mother, had asked about her menstrual period.
When she had her first period, she was in so much pain that she couldn't get up. Seeing a pool of blood between her legs, she thought she was going to die. She hugged her younger sister and cried for a long time. Later, an old maid in the house heard her crying and came to find her. She wrapped her in old cloth and some wood ash.
The second time, she started burning wood ash herself and learned how to make a menstrual belt. After a whole year, her mother Zhao discovered that she had grown into a big girl.
As Cong Ying held the heavy wooden box, she heard Madam Xie patiently admonish her, "Don't worry. This matter has nothing to do with Sanlang. I've always felt you have a good eye for it, so I'm willing to give it to you. Besides, your daughter, Ah He, is already old enough. If you take her home and study it thoroughly, you'll be able to take care of her in the future, right?"
Cong Ying nodded, took a step back and bowed to Madam Xie to express her gratitude. This time she was truly grateful. Because her eyes were slightly sore, she lowered her eyelashes to cover it up.
When Mrs. Xie saw her expression, she knew that she had suffered a lot of grievances, and she couldn't help but feel pity for her, but she couldn't say much. In the end, she could only sigh and raised her hand to touch her temples.
All of this was seen by Prince Jin who was waiting on the second floor of Wenqu Hall.
The tea at hand has gone cold, but when poured into my heart, it seems that only the bitterness remains.
His mother, and his wife.
They had a very good relationship in their previous life. If it weren't for her father, Ah Ying would have loved to serve her mother, and he had been jealous of her for this.
If even her mother came to persuade her, Prince Jin thought, Ah Ying would probably soften her heart soon.
"I've learned how to summon the gods," he muttered to himself, as if mocking himself. "That's smart of me this time."
It's a pity that he makes people angry when he is stupid, but when he becomes smart, he doesn't make people happy either.
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