Chapter 125: Childhood Sweethearts
While still talking to Mingzhao, Shi Jianli turned her head and suddenly saw a face that had not changed much from a few years ago. Her eyes moved slightly: "Long time no see."
Mingzhao glanced sideways and looked at the scholar opposite him.
Pei Ye looked at her for a moment and said, "Sister Shi, you've changed a lot. How have you been these past few years?"
"Time passes, and people change too." Shi Jianli smiled slightly. "I'm doing well. My aunt, cousin, and uncle treat me very well. How about Uncle Pei and Auntie?"
"They're all very nice too. I came to Beijing with my uncle and spent a year acclimatizing myself in preparation for the imperial examination." Pei Ye paused, struggling internally before finally asking, "Six years ago in the winter, I wrote you a letter. You... don't want to reply?"
He knew that she wrote to his parents, but he didn't dare write to her, fearing that asking would cause the relationship between her and his family to become strained and awkward, and he would never hear from her again.
"What letter?" Shi Jianli was puzzled. She never received any letter from him afterwards.
"When I learned that my uncle had died in the line of duty, I wrote a letter to Duzhou. Didn't you receive it?" Pei Ye was surprised. "The messenger said that he gave the letter to your housekeeper."
He thought she had no interest in him and didn't want to reply, so he pretended that nothing had happened.
"The housekeeper met with misfortune and passed away." Shi Jianli lowered her eyes slightly and shook her head. "The last letter I received from you was in the summer. I haven't received any letters from you since then. If you have anything to say, you can tell me now."
Pei Ye took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and finally looked at Ming Zhaohuan, "Is this your cousin?"
She still had her hair in a bun like a girl.
Seeing the nervousness and anticipation in his eyes, Shi Jianli was surprised, "No, he is my cousin's brother and my fiancé, the commander-in-chief of the imperial court and the prince of Anguo."
"I'm getting married in March. Where are you living now? I'll send you an invitation then."
"I've long heard of Prince Ming's great name." Pei Ye took a step back, forced a smile, and said with some reluctance, "Congratulations. I will definitely attend your wedding banquet with Prince Ming. I currently live at No. 12, Fu'an Lane."
He wrote the letter at that time, wanting to ask her if she was willing to get engaged to him so that he could take care of her in the future. If she was not willing, her parents meant to adopt her as their adopted daughter. Unexpectedly, he did not receive a reply from her after sending the letter.
Pei Ye later returned to Duzhou to look for her, but no one knew where she had gone. After spending some time asking around, he found out that she had gone to the capital.
He thought, as long as she knew she was fine, it didn't matter if she didn't agree, and it didn't matter if she didn't want to reply to his letter.
Now that she's engaged, it's better not to tell her and cause her trouble. Also, she's eighteen this year and should have gotten married long ago. It's too late now.
Shi Jianli smiled and nodded: "It's late, we will go back first. Goodbye, Brother Pei Ye."
After walking for a while, Mingzhao took Shijianli's hand and asked, "Did Yaoyao have a good relationship with his family in the past?"
Shi Jianli turned her head to look at him, then shook his hand back. "He and I are childhood sweethearts, right? His father used to be my father's prefectural chancellor. My father was the prefect of Duzhou for eight years, and Uncle Pei was my father's prefectural chancellor for seven years."
Having been neighbors for seven years, their relationship can indeed be called childhood sweethearts.
"Uncle Pei is quite capable, so my father wrote a memorial requesting that he be transferred to another state as a prefect."
"When I was eleven, my family moved to Hezhou. I occasionally corresponded with him through letters. But after my father passed away and I turned twelve, the correspondence with him stopped."
"After I arrived in Beijing, I sent a letter to the Pei family to let them know I was safe. Later, I occasionally exchanged letters with Uncle Pei and Aunt Pei. I never mentioned him in the letters, only saying that everything was fine at home."
"Today is the first time I've seen him in seven years."
Judging from Pei Ye's expression, there might be something in the letter that was difficult to say, which was also the reason why they had not exchanged letters for six or seven years.
Pei Ye's expression was obvious, and Shi Jianli seemed to understand a little.
Pei Ye has feelings for her, a love between a man and a woman.
Thinking of this, Shi Jianli secretly glanced at Ming Zhaohuan. He should have noticed it too.
Mingzhao also caught her stealing glance, held her hand tightly, and asked, "Have you ever considered him, Yaoyao?"
His fiancée was very outstanding and very popular, especially among scholars. From his cousins, cousins, and cousins to the childhood sweetheart he met today, they all admired her, and Mingzhao felt quite pressured.
Shi Jianli looked at him for a moment and nodded honestly.
Her aunt knew that she was still in contact with the Pei family, so she asked her about the Pei family and had considered Pei Ye when she was choosing a son-in-law for her.
Pei Ye was actually within the range of potential husbands chosen by her aunt.
But later she felt that Hezhou was too far away and she would inevitably not be able to take care of her. Although they kept in touch with each other, people's hearts are fickle and she hadn't seen her for several years, so she gave up the idea.
Mingzhao suddenly became a little nervous, "Did Yaoyao ever like him?"
They have known each other since childhood and are childhood sweethearts, so their relationship must be very deep.
"I've only ever liked you." Shi Jianli tilted her head slightly to look at him. "Does the unrivaled and heroic Prince Ming have so little confidence in himself?"
Mingzhao finally had a smile on his face.
Be nicer to her, and better, so that she will no longer have room for anyone else in her eyes.
…
On February 1st, Shi Jianli moved to Princess Wu Zhao's residence and invited everyone from the Duke Anguo's residence, Princess Kangning and others to a warm-home banquet.
Mingzhao changed from returning to his own courtyard to change clothes and go to Tangli Courtyard to find his fiancée after finishing his shift every day to returning to his own courtyard to change clothes and go to the Princess's Mansion to find his fiancée after finishing his shift.
February 12th was the day when Princess Kangning was to marry the son of Marquis Jining. Early in the morning, Shi Jianli and Mingyuelin went to the palace together to escort Princess Kangning to her marriage.
When she was led into Princess Kangning's palace by the palace maid, she saw the Queen and Princess Kunyi accompanying Princess Kangning, and the old princess was dressing Princess Kangning.
Sitting further away were the Crown Princess and the daughters and daughters-in-law of Princess Kunyi, as well as three other princesses, Princess Zhenyi, and Princess Kangning's two study companions.
Many royal relatives were also present.
"Wu Zhao/This subject greets the Empress, the Old Princess, the Grand Princess Kunyi, and the Crown Princess."
"Meet Princess Kangning, Princess Lingtai, Princess Danyang, and Princess Fule."
Then he paid his respects to several princes' wives.
"No need to be so polite." Princess Kangning smiled at them, "Bilu, serve them some refreshments."
Shi Jianli and Mingyue were sitting on the side, answering questions from relatives from time to time. They would wait until Princess Kangning had finished dressing up before adding some finishing touches to her makeup.
Ming Yuelin held up her face and looked at Princess Kangning, saying, "Princess, you look so beautiful today. You are simply radiant and stunningly gorgeous, as if you were bathed in pearls and moonlight, so stunning that you could make fish sink to the depths and geese fall to the ground, and so stunning that the moon and flowers would be ashamed of themselves."
"You're the best at praising people," Princess Kangning beamed. "When you get married, I'll definitely praise you to my heart's content."
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