The banquet ended near midnight.
The guests felt they hadn't had enough, especially after the performance of "Für Elise," which added a dreamlike quality to the banquet.
Tragic protagonists always evoke more sympathy from onlookers. Every guest knows Alice's future identity, but no one says it aloud. They exchange knowing glances, adding an ambiguous atmosphere to the story.
Meanwhile, the male protagonist of the story is sitting in the pavilion in the back garden of the Marquis's mansion, with a woman in white sitting opposite him serving tea and delicious snacks in front of her.
After the banquet, Zhang Fan was warmly invited by the Marquis de la Marquis, which he naturally could not refuse. Moreover, he found it very pleasant to be with the Marquis de la Marquis. Sitting opposite her, he did not feel the same restraint as when he was with other nobles.
The water was spring water, the teaware was porcelain, and the tea leaves were only the tender buds that sprouted in February. Zhang Fan watched as the Marquis's wife, dressed in white, prepared the water, warmed the pot, placed the tea leaves, served the tea... The tea leaves unfurled and danced in the air, a sight that was pleasing to the eye.
The lady clearly had studied tea ceremony, and she performed the tea-making process as if it were an art.
The only drawback was that the other party didn't like Zhang Fan calling her "Madame".
If not "Madam," then should I call her "Sister"? In any case, Zhang Fan couldn't bring himself to say it, and even if he could, he wouldn't dare to do so in the Marquis's mansion.
Calling her "Auntie" wouldn't be appropriate either, as it would make it seem like I'm trying to get close to Alice.
Finally, Zhang Fan came up with a compromise: he simply addressed her as "Madam Qiu," omitting the title of Marquis. The other party neither agreed nor disagreed, and simply continued to call her that.
Madam Qiu, whose full name is Qiu Wanyan, is the eldest daughter of the Qiu family, a scholarly family in Ryan. Her father, Qiu Qingquan, was a renowned writer, calligrapher, and artist in Ryan, known for his calligraphy being worth a thousand pieces of gold. This is not an exaggeration; Qiu Qingquan's handwritten calligraphy and paintings are indeed worth a thousand pieces of gold, and are extremely rare and sought after.
The two daughters of the Qiu family were renowned for their knowledge, manners, beauty, and intelligence, and suitors flocked to their door every day. The eldest daughter, Qiu Wanyan, had already married into a marquis's family, while the younger daughter, Qiu Wanlan, made a vow on the day of her sister's wedding: she would not marry anyone whose talent and status were inferior to that of her sister's chosen one.
This disheartened many suitors who came to propose marriage, causing them to back away. After all, how many people in the world could match the talent and status of the Marquis Charles?
Only then did the Qiu family finally find peace and quiet, but this also meant that Qiu Wanlan, the second daughter of the Qiu family, was still "unmarried" at the age of thirty.
"Thank you for attending Alice's birthday party." Mrs. Qiu handed Zhang Fan a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Your presence has made what would have been an incredibly dull party wonderful."
“I am Alice’s mother, and I so wish she could have wonderful memories on this special day.” Mrs. Qiu gently fiddled with the tea set in front of her, her expression somewhat somber. “From now on, she can’t be as willful on her birthday as she is now.”
“I’ve heard a rumor…” Zhang Fan took a sip of tea, the tea was warm, sweet and refreshing, “Perhaps it’s just a rumor? Alice will have her wedding when she turns 20?”
Madam Qiu lowered her head and remained silent, continuing to fiddle with the tea set in front of her. After placing the teapot on the small stove, she looked up at a corner of the pavilion.
There was a birdcage hanging there, and a canary was chirping inside.
"Did you see that?" Madam Qiu shifted her gaze back, smiled and shook her head. "The bird may look glamorous and have no worries about food and clothing, but you don't know how much it envies the disheveled little sparrows outside."
“But if you have good intentions and release the bird, it won’t survive,” Mrs. Qiu sighed. “It has been trapped in the greenhouse for too long and has lost its ability to forage for food.”
Zhang Fan didn't respond; he felt that Madam Qiu's words had a hidden meaning.
"The canary you mentioned, Madam, is it Princess Alice?" Zhang Fan asked.
“No.” Madam Qiu smiled and pointed to the tip of her nose. “I am the canary in the gilded cage.”
Zhang Fan was stunned. This was not something the other party could say casually.
“Madam, if you say that, Marquis Charles will not be happy.”
“Hehe.” Madam Qiu chuckled. “I entered the Marquis’s mansion at the age of 14, and it has been 20 years since then. I have spent most of my youth in this cage, and he has never cared whether I am happy or not.”
"Uh..." Zhang Fan's forehead was sweating. What did Madam Qiu want today? She shouldn't have said these things to an outsider like him.
“Didn’t you just ask if Alice would get married at 20? That’s not a rumor,” Mrs. Qiu said. “20 is the legal marriage age for Ryan, which means that Alice’s next birthday will be her wedding day.”
"So soon?" Zhang Fan asked curiously, "Who is the groom...?"
“Prince Reinhardt, the nephew of the current Grand Duke Reinhardt.”
"Isn't that wonderful?" Zhang Fan said with a smile. "A prince and a princess, a match made in heaven!"
"Do you really think so?" Madam Qiu raised her head, her face cold and stern, she was not joking.
"Uh..." Zhang Fan lowered his head embarrassedly, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and covered up his embarrassment.
The current Grand Duke of Ryan has no sons, and his only two princesses have long since married and moved to other countries.
According to the line of succession, the heir to the throne would have been Archduke Ryan's younger brother, Ryan Harris. Unfortunately, Harris died young, leaving behind his only son, Ryan Reinhardt, who is 39 years old.
Logically, Reinhardt should become the crown prince, but Archduke Ryan also has a cousin, Ryan Freeman, who also claims a right to the throne.
In the court, Prince Reinhardt and Marquis Freeman were at loggerheads, and with Grand Duke Ryan getting old and sick, the struggle for the crown prince position intensified.
Marquis Freeman had cultivated deep roots in Lane's political circles for many years, and when the Grand Duke of Lane was ill and recuperating, it was Freeman who often handled the government affairs on his behalf.
Although Reinhardt considered himself the rightful heir to the throne, he was still relatively inexperienced and lacked power, making it very difficult for him to contend with Freeman in the political arena.
At this juncture, the Senate, a unique entity in Reinhardt's political arena, becomes extremely important. Currently, the Senate clearly sides with Prince Reinhardt, a crucial factor in his ability to remain standing despite the immense pressure from his uncle, Freeman.
In other words, Alice's marriage was ultimately just a political alliance. Reinhard was old enough to be Alice's father.
Zhang Fan was aware of all this, but he didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the imperial family.
“I don’t want Alice to repeat my mistake.” Mrs. Qiu looked intently at the bird. “She is my only daughter, and I don’t want her to spend the rest of her life locked in a cage.”
"Then what do you intend to do, Madam?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but admire the woman's protectiveness towards her children, but how easy was it to break free from the shackles of royalty? The greater the glory bestowed by imperial power, the greater the constraints it imposed.
"I don't know, I can't think of a way." Mrs. Qiu shook her head somewhat dejectedly, but immediately perked up again. "But you can!"
"Me?" Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, feeling confused. What does this have to do with me?
“For example, I mean, for example, how about you elope with Alice?” Mrs. Qiu’s eyes lit up as she said this.
puff--
Zhang Fan spat out a mouthful of tea.
"Of course, I'm just making a suggestion." Madam Qiu quickly handed Zhang Fan a handkerchief to wipe his mouth. "You're very smart. As for how to do it, it's up to you to decide."
No, how did Alice and I end up eloping?
I haven't met her more than a few times, okay?
You're such an unreliable mother. How dare you entrust your daughter's life to a stranger?
Moreover, even if we take a step back and assume the worst, she and I could very well become mortal enemies in the future, so it's best to minimize contact for now.
"Madam is quite the joker," Zhang Fan laughed, trying to change the subject.
"Do you think Alice is not good enough for you?" Mrs. Qiu persisted.
"How could I dare..."
“Alice does have a bad temper, it’s all because I spoiled her,” Mrs. Qiu interrupted Zhang Fan directly. “But she’s a good person at heart. Once she becomes a mother, her temper will definitely change.”
Goodness, now I think I'll have kids.
"Me..."
“Alice may not be considered a beauty that could top a nation,” Zhang Fan was about to speak when Madam Qiu interrupted him again, “but her looks should easily rank in the top ten among Ryan’s peers, right? Marrying a girl like that wouldn’t be a loss of face.”
“I…” Zhang Fan was covered in sweat.
“You don’t need to answer me now, after all, there’s still a year to go,” Mrs. Qiu continued. “Come here more often in the future and spend more time with Alice. You’ll find that she’s quite lovely.”
What does this have to do with anything?
Zhang Fan was in a real bind.
“Madam, have you ever thought about this?” Zhang Fan reminded her. “Putting aside everything else, just the thought of Princess Alice is enough to shatter all your illusions.”
"You mean Alice doesn't like you?" Madam Qiu's words hit the nail on the head, getting straight to the heart of the matter.
“Isn’t that right?” Zhang Fan thought it was only natural.
“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘No one knows a daughter better than her mother’?” Mrs. Qiu smiled. “These days, the person whose name I hear most often from Alice is yours.”
"Uh...that's because she hates me to death, okay?" Zhang Fan said speechlessly. "Madam, have you noticed that when Princess Alice mentions my name, doesn't she look like she's gritting her teeth and wants to devour me alive?"
“Hehe, hahaha—” Madam Qiu couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s right. Every time Alice mentions you, she’s like an angry little tiger.”
"Isn't that settled then?" Zhang Fan shrugged. "Madam, you'd better not play matchmaker."
"But have you ever thought about this?" Madam Qiu said meaningfully, "There is no love without a reason, nor is there hatred without a reason. When someone hates another person, it at least shows that she cares about that person."
"Perhaps Alice really hates you now, but you are also the only boy I know who Alice will talk about for days on end in the past 19 years."
"Only one."
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