Chapter 93 "The Four Corners, the Marquis of Xuanwu's Residence is..."
"Sijiao, what's the situation with the Xuanwu Marquis's residence?" After racking her brains but still not figuring out why she felt familiar with this place, Xiao Yan simply asked Sijiao.
Since they are a noble family in the capital, Sijiao must know about them.
"Looking back, the Marquis of Xuanwu's family was also one of the founding heroes. However, now that the world is at peace, there is no need for so many people to go to the battlefield. Most of the families of military merit are also resting and recuperating in the capital."
Hearing Sijiao's words, Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh. This was the art of conversation! He was clearly a member of a powerful family who dared not go to the battlefield and was just loafing around in the capital, yet he managed to make it sound like the country was at peace and people were ready to retire and live a life of leisure.
"Master, I overheard the servants in the manor talking about something. They said that if we had entered the city any later on the day we arrived in the capital, we might have run into the wedding procession of the Marquis of Xuanwu. I heard that the Marquis is marrying that lady for her family's money." Cat suddenly remembered a piece of gossip she had heard a few days ago.
However, there's no need to mention the incident where those people talked about the new wife of the Marquis of Xuanwu being a merchant, and their words contained a derogatory tone towards their own princess. They were all caught and given a lecture by her.
"Is the new lady from a merchant family?" Even though Mao'er didn't mention it, Xiao Yan quickly pointed out the part that she had omitted.
"You don't need to worry about these things when you speak to me in the future. Don't I know my own background? You've been serving me since I was in my maiden home. Do we still need to avoid these things between us?" After saying this, she turned to Sijiao and said, "Sijiao, since His Highness has transferred you to my side, I hope that we, mistress and servant, can work together for a long time. In a few years, the two of them will marry into good families. You may be serving me for the rest of your life. Why don't we be more honest with each other?"
After Xiao Yan finished speaking, the three of them reacted differently.
"What are you saying, young lady? We're going to serve you for the rest of our lives too." Cat blushed at her words, stomped her feet and whimpered, even bringing back her old way of addressing her.
“Yes, we’re going to stay by the Princess’s side for the rest of our lives. Serving the Princess is better than serving any random stinky man.” Compared to Mao’er’s shy demeanor, Zhu Yue’s words carried a more serious tone.
"Yes, Your Majesty..." Sijiao knelt down and kowtowed, about to show his loyalty, but was stopped by Xiao Yanhui raising his hand.
Xiao Yan glanced at Si Jiao, whose eyes held a hint of helplessness, smiled, and then returned to the previous topic: "Besides the Marquis of Xuanwu's residence and the Xie family, has His Majesty considered any other candidates?"
Xiao Yan sighed softly in her heart. Si Jiao's first reaction was to kneel down because he felt that his words were actually meant to warn him, that he only said nice things and wasn't honest enough.
It was his own haste that led him to believe that Sijiao was different from Mao'er and Zhuyue. He had just been transferred to his side, and if the master-servant relationship were removed, they were still strangers. Talking about honesty and trust was indeed too much to ask of someone so unfamiliar with him.
With several more people suddenly around her, she felt a little uncomfortable and anxious for everyone to get along quickly, but as expected, some things can't be rushed.
Xiao Yan realized that the change in environment after arriving in the capital had indeed affected her mood. Although she appeared calm on the surface these past few days, she was still somewhat anxious and restless inside, and her actions were more forceful and impatient than when she was in Jiangzuo.
She repeated to herself three times to stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. After all, she had several troublesome things waiting for her. If she lost her composure now, how would she deal with them?
After giving herself a pep talk, Xiao Yan returned her attention to the present moment.
"I suppose Your Highness had already heard before coming to the capital that His Majesty intended to choose a virtuous lady as the Princess Consort for our Prince?"
After Xiao Yan nodded in response, Si Jiao cautiously continued, "Although no one has been decided yet, there have been rumors in the palace that His Majesty intends to select someone from the Xie family, the Kong family, the Xuanwu Marquis family, and the Anyang Marquis family. But since the beginning of this month, the most widespread news is that His Majesty favors the Xie family's daughter."
She had heard of both Minister Xie and Grand Tutor Kong; one a powerful minister, the other a scholar of integrity and a leading figure in the literary world, and both families were backed by powerful clans. Judging from the Xuanwu Marquis's residence, the Anyang Marquis's residence must also be a family of nobles. The difference between these four families was quite significant!
"How is the Marquis of Anyang's residence? Are there any of his sons still serving in the army?" Xiao Yan asked again.
"The heir of the Marquis of Anyang is now a captain in the Northern Army of the Imperial Guards. Last autumn, during the hunt, the heir shot a deer and presented it to His Majesty, who was very pleased."
"So it seems that these families of Marquis Xuanwu are the weakest?" Xiao Yan pointed to the house next door.
"Yes, Master is wise and insightful, your words hit the nail on the head." The four corners of the face showed respect and admiration.
"......" As expected of someone from the palace, he seizes every opportunity to praise people.
"Since His Majesty has also included the Marquis of Xuanwu's family in the shortlist, what are their advantages?"
"It is said that the eldest daughter of the Marquis's family is beautiful, obedient, and a good wife. When she was young, a high monk once predicted her fate, saying that this young lady was blessed." As he said this, Sijiao tried to keep his tone calm, and secretly glanced at the princess's expression out of the corner of his eye, afraid that she would become angry.
Actually, he was just putting it in a more ordinary way. The young lady in the story was said to be as beautiful as the moon, and the high monk had predicted that she would be destined for great wealth and honor.
But Sijiao didn't think he was providing incorrect information, because there were plenty of women in the capital with extraordinary looks, whose beauty rivaled that of pearls, jade, delicate flowers, and the bright moon, but in reality, they were just so-so.
Which of the ladies in the palace doesn't have one or two similar reputations? Yet none of them seem to be able to consistently overshadow others based on their looks alone. So why should he needlessly boost her prestige and make himself disliked by the princess?
"Bang! Thump! Ah!" Just as they were talking about the young lady of the Xuanwu Marquis's family, a sound like an impact and a short scream from next door came from next door.
Sijiao climbed onto the wall again, pressing his ears against it with practiced speed.
"The marriage isn't even happening yet! And the two sisters are already arguing like this. Shouldn't you be thanking me for leaving the maids downstairs? Otherwise, if word got out, it wouldn't just be embarrassing, but you two might even have to kneel in the ancestral hall tonight."
Having finished her favorite dishes, Zhao Rou, who was now drinking a bowl of sweet soup, looked at her two younger sisters, one with a bruised hand and the other with a bruised foot, glaring at each other while enduring the pain. A faint, sarcastic smile played on her lips.
"It's all because of your instigation." Zhao Lan stopped looking at Zhao Qing's repulsive and beautiful face and turned to glare at Zhao Rou again.
“Sister Lan, how many times has this happened?” Zhao Rou suddenly asked.
"What?" Zhao Lan didn't immediately understand what she was asking.
"I mean, how many times have I instigated you two to use both words and actions? Can you even remember?" After swallowing a mouthful of slippery black sesame balls, Zhao Rou asked this question with great confidence, as if she herself wasn't the one instigating them.
"You...you...you..." Even the slightly more composed Zhao Qing pointed at her, his hand trembling with anger.
"With your tempers and brains, you still want to meddle in everything."
As far as I know, Miao Guo completely changed her tune after meeting Prince Cheng at the city gate. Although Kong Anling didn't outwardly show any interest, she was quite interested in the position of Princess Consort. Do you think you can win against them? Even Wu Zhenzhen, the famously straightforward Marquis of Anyang, is probably more cunning than you all. To still compete for it? Are you so stupid as to be fighting to your deaths?
"They have the exact same brains as their grandfather!" Miss Zhao concluded, looking at the two of them.
"You, you dare to say that Grandfather is stupid! Have you gone mad today?" Zhao Lan, who was already glaring, widened her eyes even more, as if she didn't recognize the older sister in front of her at all.
Then, as if she had finally caught Zhao Rou's fatal flaw, she said, "I... I'm going back to tell Grandfather. You've been pretending for so many years, but you finally can't keep up the act anymore. If Grandfather sees you like this, let's see if he still thinks you're his only granddaughter."
"After all I've said to you, all you can think of is going to complain to your grandfather?" Zhao Rou's expression finally changed. She looked at Zhao Lan with an incredulous expression, as if she couldn't understand how Zhao Lan's brain was working.
......
"This Miss Zhao seems quite interesting." Xiao Yanhui, who couldn't wait for Sijiao to repeat the story to her, was also eavesdropping on the wall, with Mao'er and Zhuyue standing next to her.
So at this moment, the four of them, master and servants, were clinging to the wall in an almost strange and unseemly posture, like geckos. Xiao Yan said that the room next door was interesting, but the four of them in this private room also looked quite interesting and comical.
"Wasn't it said that this young lady was gentle and obedient? This... she really is that gentle and obedient!" Sijiao exclaimed in amazement.
"Didn't you hear what Miss Zhao said when we first came in? A respectful person wouldn't have lips painted with arsenic," Xiao Yan retorted, criticizing his cognitive bias.
"..." Sijiao suddenly paused for a moment, then quickly covered it up.
The tone the princess used when she spoke to him just now... Previously, the princess only occasionally used such a tone when speaking to Mao'er and Zhu Yue. With these newcomers, she was always very polite. So, does this mean he's taken a step closer to becoming a trusted confidant?
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