Fang Qing had only experienced her own marriage and was unfamiliar with these matters. Fearing she might make a fool of herself, she specially invited Madam Chen to help.
Madam Chen is Chen Pinming's second sister-in-law. They only had a brief friendship a few years ago. At that time, Zhao Shi'an held a high position in the court. After Zhao Shi'an returned to the capital, the emperor made no move. It was clear that Zhao Shi'an no longer had a position in the court. Fang Qing originally thought that she would not be able to invite him this time. Unexpectedly, as soon as she sent the invitation, Madam Chen came to visit in person the next day.
Madam Chen was meticulous in every aspect, and with her help, everything went smoothly.
In mid-June, Fang Zhu's mansion was renovated and the wedding was about to take place. The current empress attended their wedding, which was quite a show for them.
Now that there is no war, Fang Zhu is newly married and can stay in the capital for a while.
Fang Qing no longer knew how the newlyweds were doing. Even when Princess Min'er came to visit her, she rarely mentioned her and Fang Zhu.
In mid-July, Fang Zhu was to travel to the Northwest, but Princess Min'er did not go with him.
Fang Qing and Min'er went to see Fang Zhu off. When they returned in the carriage, Fang Qing asked a question.
Why didn't you go to Yongzhou with him?
Princess Min'er rested her chin on her hand, looking rather indifferent.
“He said Yongzhou is not as good as the capital and that I should stay in the capital. Well then, I won’t go. Anyway, I prefer life in the capital. There are no men or in-laws to control me. I’m the most powerful person in the household. I can be as free as I want.”
Although she said that, Fang Qing always felt that there was an imperceptible sadness in her eyes.
"He probably really doesn't want you to go there and suffer with him."
"I grew up there, why should I suffer?"
Fang Qing didn't continue the topic, but instead invited her to have dinner at the best restaurant in Beijing.
The restaurant was very busy, and when Fang Qing arrived, there were no private rooms available. So Fang Qing took Princess Min'er to a secluded corner on the second floor.
Princess Min'er was unfamiliar with the local cuisine, so Fang Qing took the initiative to order four dishes and a soup.
Fang Qing had noticed before that Princess Min'er liked sweet and sour flavors, and three of the dishes were among Princess Min'er's favorites.
"Is this called sweet and sour pork ribs? I like it. No wonder it's the biggest restaurant in the capital. The food is comparable to that in the palace."
Fang Qing had never eaten food in the palace before; it was Zhao Shi'an who recommended this restaurant to her.
"If you like it, we'll come here often in the future."
"Fang Qing, you're too good to me. If you were a man, I would marry you. It's such a pity."
"If I were a man, we probably wouldn't have had the chance to sit here and eat together."
Princess Min'er pursed her lips. Everything about the capital was good, but she disliked the practice of men and women avoiding each other.
Although the place where they were sitting was secluded, it wasn't exactly quiet either. With so many guests sitting on the second floor, the conversations were quite noisy, and Fang Qing could clearly hear everyone talking.
"I heard something very interesting a few days ago."
"What is it? Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me."
"Do you remember Zhao Shi'an, the top scholar who was once very famous in the capital?"
"Zhao Shi'an, who doesn't know him? When Princess Wu'an forced the emperor to abdicate, it was he who saved the late emperor and the current emperor. At a young age, he directly entered the cabinet. Back then, who in the capital didn't give him face? So many noble ladies in the capital were lining up to wait for him to choose, but he chose a woman from a commoner family. Moreover, the emperor himself attended the wedding. The prestige was even greater than that of the princes and grandsons of the emperor."
"What good was being so glorious back then? A few years ago, I was still demoted and exiled from the capital."
"They're back!"
"I've heard about it, but I don't know where they're working now."
"Tch, he doesn't hold any official position; he's always been at home."
"See? What good was their glory back then? How are they any different from us now?"
The tone of their voices inevitably carried a hint of sarcasm.
Princess Min'er looked at Fang Qing with concern, but Fang Qing's expression remained unchanged.
She didn't take what they said seriously at all.
She had heard these words when she left the capital, and now that she's back, she's naturally used to them.
"That's not what I want to tell you today. I want to tell you something very interesting."
"What?"
"It's not that Zhao Shi'an dotes on his wife, and that he hasn't had any more women by his side all these years. But what's the use of his wife being so favored if none of the girls in the area have given him a child? Some people even laugh at his wife, calling her a barren hen. Can you guess why?"
"What happened?"
The storyteller slammed his hand on the table, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Actually, it was Zhao Shi'an who was incompetent."
"What?"
"It's absolutely true. Someone saw Zhao Shi'an go to see a doctor and even offered a lot of money for that kind of medicine."
"That's truly a fascinating story."
"It's a pity for Zhao Shi'an's wife; she's left alone in her empty room."
"I have seen that woman. Although she came from a poor background, she was indeed very beautiful. What a pity."
"What a pity!"
Fang Qing listened in a daze as they made a rather gloating expression of regret.
Her first thought was that these people were spreading rumors and slandering Zhao Shi'an.
But then she suddenly remembered when she had discussed having children with Zhao Shi'an, and how he had told her to relax...
With the Wind and Rain Tower still standing, how could such a thing that damages Zhao Shi'an's reputation become a topic of conversation over drinks if Zhao Shi'an didn't benefit from it?
He actually used this method to quell the negative comments about her from the outside world.
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