Chapter 112 "How dare you speak to your uncle..."
"Rongcheng, what are you up to now?"
Emperor Qingxi rubbed his eyes, looking incredulously at the strange group standing below.
His granddaughter, the wife of Pei Huaizhou, the second son of the Pei family, and the third-ranked scholar and Qi Bianxiu, whom he personally selected.
How did these people end up getting mixed up together?
"Ahem, Madam Shen, please tell me first, why did you come to the palace today without any reason?"
After much deliberation, Emperor Qingxi decided to listen to Shen Lingyue's opinion first.
He still had a fairly good impression of her—she was able to make the Imperial Concubine smile on her first visit to the palace to express her gratitude; she was a generous and cheerful young girl who always had a smile on her face and was truly endearing.
Shen Lingyue stepped forward, bracing for the death stare of the Princess of Rongcheng, and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to the palace... to offer you my congratulations!"
"Oh? What's the cause of this joy?" Emperor Qingxi was even more confused.
"Your Majesty, look at Jiang Tanhua, he is handsome and talented, with an exceptional temperament, and he is gentle and polite. He and Princess Lekang are simply a match made in heaven."
She showered Jiang Yunlin with praise, then forced a smile at Emperor Qingxi, "What do you think of this marriage?"
Emperor Qingxi was taken aback.
"Shen, how dare you!"
Princess Rongcheng said coldly, "Everyone in the capital knows that Scholar Jiang is cursed to be unlucky in marriage, yet you're asking him to marry my aunt. What are your intentions?"
Shen Lingyue retorted sarcastically, "Whether Scholar Jiang is truly cursed to bring misfortune to his wives is still undecided, but that's still better than you, Princess, forcibly taking away a commoner's...or an official's son, isn't it?"
Princess Rongcheng was furious that she dared to actually accuse her before the Emperor. She raised her hand to strike her, shouting, "Mind your own business! I think you're the one who's not a virtuous woman. Who knows if you and... you and Qi Xiuyuan are having an affair?!"
Otherwise, why would he ask Shen Lingyue for help?
The more the Princess of Rongcheng thought about it, the more she realized it made sense, as if she had discovered some great secret. Her gaze swept back and forth between the two of them. "Very well, Qi Xiuyuan, you have rejected me time and time again. So you already have someone you love. You two are having an affair. You are utterly shameless!"
“Princess, please be careful with your words.” Qi Xiuyuan frowned and retorted, “My relationship with Madam Shen is completely innocent. If you hadn’t forcibly detained Brother Jiang, why would I have run out to ask for help and happened to run into the Marquis’s carriage?”
Princess Rongcheng glared at Shen Lingyue again: "He asked you for help and you agreed? You dare to offend me for him, and you even said that the two of you are having an affair?"
"Princess, you stole someone first and you still think you're right?" Shen Lingyue was almost amused by her bizarre thought process. "Was I trying to help Editor Qi? I was clearly trying to prevent you from ruining the wonderful marriage between Scholar Jiang and Princess Lekang—"
Bang! Bang!
Emperor Qingxi, unable to contain himself any longer, tapped his teacup twice. "Do you think this is some old locust tree at the village entrance, or a vegetable market at the street corner?"
With such a powerful emperor sitting here, doesn't anyone consider his feelings? Huh?
Shen Lingyue reacted the fastest, immediately kneeling down and saying honestly, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I was a little too loud in my haste, but it was the county princess who started it all. If you want to blame someone, blame her."
Emperor Qingxi was so angry he laughed. Was she admitting her mistake or shifting the blame?
He then looked at the Princess of Rongcheng, his gaze carrying a hint of authority, "What exactly happened? What did you do to Scholar Jiang?"
Princess Rongcheng also knelt down, but her back was straight, and she said with a straight face, "My granddaughter has taken a liking to Jiang Tanhua and wants to have a child with him, but he is unwilling."
"puff--"
Emperor Qingxi had just picked up his teacup and taken a sip when he spat it all out, nearly choking himself badly. It took him a while to recover from the coughing.
He pointed at the Princess of Rongcheng and stammered for a long time, not knowing what to say.
Princess Rongcheng said fearlessly, "Jiang Ping is useless now, you can't just leave me to live as a widow, can you? What's wrong with wanting my own child? Besides, isn't Jiang Tanhua good enough? If I have a child with him, he'll be your great-grandson, and it won't benefit an outsider."
"That seems to make sense..." Emperor Qingxi was almost led astray by her words and fell into deep thought.
Princess Rongcheng glanced at Shen Lingyue with a smug look.
She dared to do this because she had something to rely on.
Princess Rongcheng was the only grandchild of Emperor Qingxi to share the same birth date as him.
There is a folk saying that "those born on the same day are destined to be connected," especially when grandparents and grandchildren share the same birthday, it is considered a special fate and auspicious omen.
Therefore, she was the most favored among the royal grandchildren from childhood to adulthood, even no less so than the heirs and legitimate sons of other princes' families.
She had always firmly believed this, until Prince Heng forced her to marry Jiang Ping, and Emperor Qingxi actually acquiesced to the marriage, just to appease the scholars that Jiang Ping represented.
From that day on, Princess Rongcheng realized that all the favor she received was illusory; she would never be as important as that chair in her father's and grandfather's hearts.
But that doesn't mean she's resigned to her fate. She dared to cripple Jiang Ping on their wedding day because she wanted to take another gamble.
As it turns out, even if she fell out of favor, she still seemed to be a little better than Jiang Ping.
At least her surname is Xiao.
"...Your Majesty, it is I who am unwilling!"
Jiang Yunlin, noticing Shen Lingyue's gaze, quickly stepped forward to defend himself, "I already have someone in my heart. Princess, you should look for someone else."
Emperor Qingxi snapped out of his daze, vaguely recalling, "Didn't Lady Shen just say that you and my Lekang...?"
Jiang Yunlin hesitated for a moment and did not answer immediately.
She couldn't risk involving the innocent Princess Lekang for her own safety...
However, Shen Lingyue secretly nudged her from behind and took the initiative to speak: "Yes, Your Majesty, Scholar Jiang has always been in love with Princess Lekang, but he is reserved by nature and has never dared to express his feelings to the princess."
"Is he afraid? He's probably afraid of bringing bad luck to my aunt."
Princess Rongcheng's motto is "If I can't have it, no one else can either." "Grandfather, it's one thing for Scholar Jiang to reject me, but he dared to use Aunt Lekang as a pawn. This is clearly disrespectful to the princess and the royal family!"
Emperor Qingxi covered his forehead, feeling his temples throbbing.
Jiang Yunlin was the third-ranked scholar he personally selected. With such a handsome and talented man, he had naturally considered finding a son-in-law for him long ago.
However, later it was rumored that he was destined to bring misfortune to his wives, and he refused several court officials' offers of marriage. Emperor Qingxi then decided to give up on the matter.
While the theory of fate may not be true, he couldn't very well push his daughter to marry a man who was considered unlucky in marriage, could he?
—Oh, if even his ministers dare not risk the safety of their own daughters, then what kind of emperor is he?
But now the third-ranking scholar says he has taken a fancy to his Lekang.
Emperor Qingxi couldn't tell whether he should be happy or unhappy; his feelings were very complicated.
Fortunately, a greeting came from outside the door, breaking the deadlock inside the hall.
"Princess Tong'an and Princess Lekang request an audience."
Emperor Qingxi's spirits lifted. "Quickly, let them in."
Soon, the two princesses entered the hall, saying, "Your children pay their respects to Your Majesty."
Princess Lekang happened to be kneeling next to Jiang Yunlin, and turned her head to take a deep look at him.
Jiang Yunlin forced out an awkward and apologetic smile.
I should have stayed home today; if I hadn't gone out, I wouldn't have been targeted by the Princess of Rongcheng...
Emperor Qingxi told the two to rise, and then asked, "Why did you two come to the palace together?"
"Yingying is at my residence today, helping with the preparations for the Min'en Temple. I heard that her sweetheart has been harassed, so she specifically asked me to come and plead with you."
Princess Tong'an smiled and said, "Father, please grant this couple's wish."
"What?" Emperor Qingxi was confused and looked at Princess Lekang: "You, you also like Jiang Tanhua?"
Jiang Yunlin was even more incredulous, staring at the gentle face of the girl beside him, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
...How could she not know that Princess Lekang liked her?
"Yes, Father."
Princess Lekang's cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were very shy. "I have long been in love with Scholar Jiang at first sight, but there are rumors that he is a jinx to wives, and no family is willing to risk marrying their daughter to him. So I dared not tell you, for fear that you would be angry..."
Emperor Qingxi breathed a sigh of relief, his tone tinged with reproach, "If you had someone in your heart, you should have told me sooner. The Consort and I are still eagerly choosing a husband for you. What if we choose someone you don't like? Wouldn't you end up as a miserable couple?"
Princess Rongcheng was so angry that her face turned white, and she dug her nails into her palms.
Why is my grandfather always so kind and gentle to my aunt, as if he's afraid she'll marry the wrong person?
And what about her? What are she and Jiang Ping?
Emperor Qingxi looked at Princess Lekang, then at Jiang Yunlin, and became more and more satisfied.
Le Kang is gentle and quiet, and she doesn't even know how to raise her voice. What if she marries a prince consort she doesn't like and is depressed all day long?
This third-ranked scholar is wonderful! He's capable, handsome, fair-skinned, and refined. Standing next to Le Kang, they're a perfect match, a match made in heaven.
He suddenly chuckled and pointed at the two of them, saying, "The way you two are doing is exactly what the Imperial Concubine keeps talking about, 'mutual support'!"
The Imperial Concubine has recently become obsessed with folk tales, and she often says strange things that he can't understand, but they all make perfect sense.
After hearing so many stories, even Emperor Qingxi's mind was filled with all sorts of messy love stories.
Emperor Qingxi waved his hand and made a decisive decision: "Go to the Ministry of Rites and find someone to draft an imperial edict. I want to bestow a marriage upon Le Kang and the third-ranked scholar."
Princess Rongcheng panicked upon hearing this, "Grandfather, he's a jinx to wives!"
"Stop fooling around." Emperor Qingxi said sternly, "The two of them are in love, and you're just stirring things up. What are you after?"
Princess Rongcheng couldn't help but glare at Princess Lekang.
How dare she marry the man she loves, who also happens to love her?
She was simply unwilling to accept it!
"Wait, let's not go to the Ministry of Rites yet. Let's go and invite the Imperial Concubine here."
Emperor Qingxi changed his mind again.
Consort Gao arrived quickly, holding a copy of the latest "Jade Hall Hairpin." Upon seeing Emperor Qingxi, she seemed displeased and began to act childishly.
"I was enjoying my reading when you called me here."
Turning around, I was startled to find a bunch of people standing in the hall: "What's going on here?"
Emperor Qingxi was unperturbed by the public criticism and simply said, "You should have Le Kang and Jiang Tanhua's horoscopes matched. I refuse to believe that even if he's a jinx to his wives, he could bring misfortune to my daughter."
Consort Gao widened her eyes slightly and hurriedly asked for Jiang Yunlin's birth date and time. She then ordered a eunuch to bring paper and pen and drew various lines of different lengths on the paper, which only she could understand.
After a moment, she raised her head and said with certainty, "Jiang Tanhua must have been deceived. This is not a wife-killing fate at all. It is clearly a life of wealth and honor with the Three Wonders coming together and power and fortune in his hands."
Emperor Qingxi then hurriedly asked, "What about the compatibility of his birth chart with Le Kang's?"
Jiang Yunlin's heart was in his throat.
The birth date she gave to Consort Gao was obviously fake; to be precise, it belonged to her twin brother, the real "Jiang Yunlin".
If my brother were still alive, he should be the one standing proudly in the court today...
Consort Gao smiled, her eyes crinkling, and clapped her hands lightly. "A perfect match, like phoenixes singing in harmony, complementing each other perfectly, a match made in heaven."
"...It's done!"
Emperor Qingxi no longer hesitated, "Immediately order the Ministry of Rites to draft an edict, the sooner the better."
Regardless of whether the third-ranked scholar was tricked or deceived by other Taoist priests, as long as the Imperial Concubine says he is not unlucky in marriage, then he is not!
If he doesn't hold onto such a good son-in-law, who knows who might benefit from him?
Princess Lekang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Jiang Yunlin down to kneel and express her gratitude.
"Your son thanks Your Majesty for granting your wish."
"Your Majesty, I thank you."
Jiang Yunlin spoke with a bitter tone, not daring to look directly into Princess Lekang's eyes.
How did things get to this point?
How come she never knew that Princess Lekang liked her?
Emperor Qingxi felt he had played a good matchmaker again, and said to Princess Lekang with a smile, "Alright, take your future husband to pay your respects to Consort Xian, and while you're at it, lift her confinement. She won't have to worry about your marriage anymore."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave."
Princess Lekang and Jiang Yunlin walked out of the main hall one after the other, heading towards the inner palace.
“Princess,” Jiang Yunlin said with difficulty, “Actually, I…”
"Shhh."
Princess Lekang winked at her, and seeing that no one was around, she secretly took Jiang Yunlin's hand, appearing to be very intimate.
“I know your identity, but I also happen to need a prince consort. We each get what we need.”
She gave Jiang Yunlin a faint smile, "The person I like... we can never be together. Since we're both going to get married anyway, wouldn't it be better if I married you?"
Before Shen Lingyue entered the palace with Princess Rongcheng, she quickly left a message for Yan Yi.
Yan Yi immediately returned to the princess's residence and said only one sentence to Princess Lekang.
"The third-ranking scholar was a female prince consort."
Princess Lekang immediately understood her meaning and decisively went to the palace to accept the marriage.
This is the best possible outcome for both of them.
Jiang Yunlin breathed a long sigh of relief, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at her. "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life."
Princess Lekang took his arm and said, "My lord, cheer up, we're a match made in heaven."
Jiang Yunlin chuckled, her androgynous beauty as radiant as spring dawn, breathtakingly beautiful.
The two walked hand in hand, deeply in love, and the news quickly spread among the palace servants they encountered along the way.
...
Emperor Qingxi was in a good mood and didn't pursue the absurd incident of these people causing trouble in front of the emperor. He waved his hand and told them to leave the palace immediately.
He also warned the Princess of Rongcheng, "I won't stop you from finding another one, but at the very least, the other person has to be willing, right?"
A county princess forcibly abducting a man... If word got out, wouldn't that make her a laughingstock?
Princess Rongcheng reluctantly agreed, and glared at Shen Lingyue several times as she left the palace, saying, "You'd better pray that you don't fall into my hands, or I'll make you pay!"
Shen Lingyue was not afraid at all. "Princess, you should take care of yourself first. Don't steal men like that next time. Are you really that insecure about your own charm?"
Princess Rongcheng: ...Is this a compliment or an insult?
She was still pondering this question even after boarding the carriage at the Prince's residence.
"I truly have no way to repay Madam Shen's great kindness today."
Qi Xiuyuan bowed deeply to her, his expression solemn. "The county princess is arrogant and domineering. She probably holds a grudge against you now. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into this."
Shen Lingyue waved her hand, "I already said, I'm not doing this to help you, I'm doing it for Jiang Tanhua."
Although she didn't know why Jiang Yunlin would take such a big risk by disguising herself as a man to take the imperial examination and become an official, Shen Lingyue couldn't just stand by and watch her be ruined by the stupidity of the Princess of Rongcheng, who had worked so hard to get to where she was today.
Qi Xiuyuan's smile was tinged with bitterness. "Yes, Brother Jiang, this time... you could say it's a blessing in disguise."
Shen Lingyue tilted her head and looked him up and down: "You also want to be a prince consort? Xiao Qi, a man should be magnanimous. Jealousy makes people ugly."
"Of course not." Qi Xiuyuan quickly denied, his voice lowering a few decibels, "I just... I just didn't expect him to get married so soon..."
The thought that Jiang Yunlin would have Princess Lekang by his side in the future meant that the two of them would no longer be able to go shopping for books together, go out for a stroll in the countryside, chat about everything under the sun, or sleep side by side...
Qi Xiuyuan felt a void in his heart, as if he had lost something very important.
But his intuition told him that this idea was dangerous, and he dared not think about it any further.
—They're going to get married sooner or later, and they'll have their own little family sooner or later, so what's the problem with that?
Qi Xiuyuan quickly composed himself, and the smile on his face became more genuine.
"Brother Jiang is very good, and the princess... is also very good. They look like a perfect match and will surely be very happy."
Shen Lingyue boarded her own carriage and, lifting the curtain, could see Qi Xiuyuan's brisk steps slowing down, and even his shoulders slumping slightly. Anyone who didn't know better would think he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
"Tsk tsk, Xiao Qi, prepare to face the pain and struggle in your heart." Shen Lingyue sighed and sat back down.
...
The Ministry of Rites didn't understand why Emperor Qingxi was in such a hurry this time, so they sent the imperial edict of marriage to Jiang Yunlin's home that very night, and the news spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.
What? Consort Gao herself said that the claim that Scholar Jiang was cursed to bring misfortune to his wife was false?
What?! Jiang Tanhua and Princess Lekang had a mutual crush, and now they've finally become a couple?!
That night, the hearts of countless young women in the capital were broken once again.
The next day happened to be a grand court assembly. Jiang Yunlin was of low rank and used to be able to stand at the very end of the procession, but today he was personally led by a eunuch to the front of the line of imperial relatives.
"Prince Consort Jiang, from now on, you will stand here when attending court. Don't forget."
Jiang Yunlin forced himself to thank them and then greeted the group of future relatives around him.
Then, as soon as he turned around, he received a venomous glare from behind him.
It was Jiang Ping who had recovered from his injuries and returned to the imperial court.
He walked over to Jiang Yunlin and said sarcastically, "The third-ranked scholar used to say he was a jinx to wives, but it turns out he was just waiting for a better price to go. Congratulations."
Jiang Yunlin glanced at him indifferently, put her hands behind her back, and said, "Jiang Ping, how dare you speak to your uncle like that?"
Jiang Ping: ...
I was careless; how could I forget about that?
He gritted his teeth and defended himself: "We're the same age, and I'm actually a few years older than you. Isn't this inappropriate?"
"Ritual must not be abandoned."
Jiang Yunlin had tolerated him for a long time. Before, when Jiang Ping was in the Hanlin Academy, he always acted arrogantly, showing off his status as the top scholar at the drop of a hat, and always finding excuses to nitpick at her.
She smiled slightly at Jiang Ping and deliberately raised her voice so that the other members of the imperial clan could hear her.
"In the royal family, seniority matters, not age. Even if you are eighty years old, you still have to call me uncle."
There are plenty of nephews and uncles in the imperial clan; who would dare to act arrogantly in front of their elders?
Despite his reluctance, Jiang Ping, surrounded by so many people, could only reluctantly say, "...Uncle-in-law is right."
"Why."
Jiang Yunlin readily agreed, then raised his hand as if he were an elder, and said earnestly, "I know you're not feeling well. If you can't stand, don't force yourself. Let your father-in-law over there find you a seat. Okay?"
I'm not feeling well...
Unable to stand...
Father-in-law...
Jiang Ping's eyes were practically spitting fire.
You, surnamed Jiang, have gone too far!
...
"How come Jiang Tanhua suddenly stopped being a jinx to his wives?"
At the dinner table, Pei Yuzhen looked regretful, "Which damned liar dared to fool him and made me miss out on such a good son-in-law?"
When Jiang Yunlin was promoting "Yu Tang Chai" before, he was clearly chatting and laughing with Lan Yi. Why didn't he seize this opportunity?
"Mother, could you please say less?"
Dong Lanyi put on a serious face and said, "Jiang Tanhua and I have a gentlemanly friendship, and our relationship is completely innocent. Besides, he and Princess Lekang are in love with each other. What does it have to do with me?"
"Alright, alright, Mom misspoke. Don't be angry, getting angry will affect your thinking..."
Pei Yuzhen immediately backed down and quickly put a piece of fish on her daughter's plate, coaxing, "Eat more fish, fish is good for your brain."
"The Jade Hairpin" is selling like hotcakes, and its popularity is spreading from the capital to other regions. I heard that it will be released in the Jiangnan area soon.
Nowadays, Pei Yuzhen receives a considerable amount of pocket money from her daughter every month, and she practically dotes on her.
Azhi puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction: "Mother only cares about my eldest sister now. I finally come back once in a while, and she ignores me."
"Hey, how come your temper has gotten worse just from going to school?"
Pei Yuzhen glared at her, but was defeated by the condemning gazes of everyone at the table. She quickly put more food on her youngest daughter's plate, saying, "You should eat more fish too, so you can get good grades when you go back to school and let me show off to others."
Ah Zhi chuckled to herself and winked at Dong Lanyi.
—Mother's temper has improved a lot; the two of them have finally made it through.
After dinner, Azhi came to find Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi, and said somewhat shyly, "Sister-in-law, I'd like to invite my classmates over to our house tomorrow. Could you ask the kitchen to prepare a feast for us?"
Shen Lingyue pinched her little cheek: "Our Azhi has made good friends at the girls' school so quickly? Great! You should invite them over to play as soon as possible. Your cousin-in-law and I will make sure everything is arranged perfectly!"
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Author's note: I was wrong, I repent. There are only two kinds of all-nighters: zero times or countless times. [crying emoji]
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