4 Sad
◎Who says you have to like your childhood sweetheart?◎
After the commotion in the garden, the two families parted ways unhappily and never met again.
The Yan family, because of their son's stubbornness, didn't know how to offer an explanation even if they came to apologize. The Wei family, on the other hand, was still holding a grudge and was unlikely to make any move.
Although the two families were in a stalemate, no one mentioned breaking off the engagement again.
There is no wall without ventilation in the world. Somehow, this farce in the garden spread quietly and became a topic of laughter among the ladies of noble families after dinner.
Those young ladies who are waiting to be married love to gossip when they have nothing to do.
Before, Wei Tingshuang, the younger sister of Chao Fenglang, had taken a fancy to Dalang of the Yan family and secretly tried to meet him, but was blocked by Wei Yilan in a restaurant and made a fool of herself.
Now that the marriage between Wei and Yan Dalang is about to fall through, the protagonist of the "Wei Wei" joke has changed and there is a sequel.
Wei Ziyan received invitations from various governments, all of which invited her to attend banquets. Some of them were supposedly flower viewing tea parties, but in reality, they were just there to make fun of her in person.
She had no close friendship with those rich girls and only went out to meet them when she was in a good mood. Why should she come to them for free to entertain them?
Therefore, Wei Ziyan claimed to be sick at home and declined all invitations.
The story goes that the younger sister of the imperial attendant had been publicly insulted and had been holding a grudge against him. She had hoped to vent her anger at a tea party instigated by her other sisters, but her hopes were dashed.
When she was feeling depressed, a reminder from the maid made Wei Tingshuang come to her senses.
Revenge can be taken later. Now is the best time, and the most important thing is to capture Young Master Yan.
Wei Tingshuang thought this made a lot of sense, and quickly begged her brother to help her plan everything carefully.
Her brother, who was born to the same mother as her, was named Wei Tingzhou. He was a sixth-rank court attendant appointed by His Majesty to take care of miscellaneous affairs for the Crown Prince and had frequent dealings with Yan Qizheng.
Wei Tingzhou was mature beyond his years, and in the eyes of outsiders, he was a taciturn person who disliked socializing. He was over twenty and still hadn't discussed marriage yet, so how could he bring himself to engage in such a matchmaking scheme?
What's more, the engagement between Captain Yan and Miss Wei has not been cancelled yet.
"It's almost certain," Wei Tingshuang assured her brother. "I've found out everything. Young Master Yan hasn't even come to see Wei Ziyan since she claimed to be ill."
"She is sick?" Wei Tingzhou was surprised when he heard that.
Some people outside said that she was faking illness, but Wei Tingshuang hoped that she was really sick, so that it could fully prove that Young Master Yan really had no feelings for her anymore.
"Anyway, I heard she hasn't been out for more than ten days. Given her impatience, she's probably really sick."
Wei Tingzhou's expression darkened slightly, and a picture of a pretty face, full of life, emerged in his mind. She was smiling sweetly, her gaze full of life, as if nothing could cause her brows to turn to worry.
But later, he saw her outside the restaurant with tears in her eyes and a sad face, as if she was so hurt and desperate that she had no desire to live...
"Brother, please help me..."
Tingshuang shook his hand and begged. Wei Tingzhou withdrew his thoughts and agreed to go and test the waters after a long time.
As the Crown Prince's personal guard, Yan Qizheng accompanied the Crown Prince most of the time, and when he wasn't at the Crown Prince's residence, he was in the Eastern Palace. It was easy for Wei Tingzhou to find someone.
However, the two were not close friends. Wei Tingzhou thought about it and found the right opportunity to intercept Yan Qizhen who was coming out of the East Palace at the jade stairs outside the palace.
"Captain Yan—" Wei Tingzhou stepped forward, feigning a chance encounter. "I have something to ask you, Captain Yan. Could you excuse me for a moment?"
"No problem, please speak."
Wei Tingzhou unfolded the document he had prepared long ago, a list of miscellaneous affairs recently drafted for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and humbly asked for the details.
Yan Qizheng corrected some of the parts he was familiar with, and Wei Tingzhou thanked him, pretending it was a casual greeting.
"Has Captain Yan been too busy with official duties lately?"
"I'm not busy." Yan Qizheng thought he was afraid of wasting his time. "If Chao Fenglang has anything else to say, you can talk to me."
"Nothing, just..." Wei Tingzhou raised the corners of his mouth and laughed dryly to cover it up.
"I heard that Wei Taizhong's daughter has been ill for half a month, but Captain Yan couldn't find time to visit her. I thought Captain Yan was busy with official duties."
Hearing this suddenly, Yan Qizheng raised his thick eyebrows and asked, "Is she sick again?"
"It seems Captain Yan is still unaware of this. I, Wei, am speaking too much."
"Won't……"
"Forgive me for overstepping my bounds. A true man should make a decisive decision, but he will suffer the consequences. If Captain Yan has no intention of marrying you, he should have made a decision sooner rather than later to restore order."
Only then did Yan Qizheng look deeply at Wei Tingzhou.
This person also used such roundabout tactics when giving advice to the prince.
"Chao Fenglang is thoughtful."
"No, thank you again." Wei Tingzhou nodded and went up the stairs with the documents.
Yan Qizhen turned his head to look at the back, feeling that something was not right.
Why would someone so quiet and taciturn say such a thing to him for no apparent reason? It sounded like she was asking him to visit a patient, but also like she was reminding him to break off the engagement as soon as possible...
"Hey!"
While he was still pondering, there was a sudden movement behind him, and a slap hit his shoulder hard, startling Yan Qizhen!
"What are you daydreaming about? You didn't even notice the enemy approaching from behind."
The man who came was Wu Guanyi, whose courtesy name was Shouzhong. He was the second son of the Minister of Justice and a sixth-rank Yunqiwei.
He and Yan Qizheng were of the same age and shared similar interests. They had learned horseback riding together when they were young, but they had lost contact after he left Beijing. They had only become acquainted again two years ago after returning to Beijing because of his interest in collecting BMWs.
Yan Qi was looking at his smiling friend, and for a moment he was at a loss as to where to begin.
"Let's go to your place and have some tea." After saying that, he pulled Wu Guanyi out of the palace.
The two of them sat down in the small yamen of Master Wu Er. Upon receiving the order, the doorman quickly brewed a pot of Houkui tea and brought it over.
The tea was still hot, and Yan Qizhen had just finished speaking when he passed by.
"Wei Tingzhou is looking for you because of his sister, right?" Wu Guanyi analyzed the situation for his friend.
"He wants you to make a decisive decision and break off the engagement with the Wei Mansion. Wouldn't that give his sister a chance? Otherwise, he has nothing to do with the Wei family, so why would he meddle in their affairs?"
Yan Qi was holding the teacup and thinking carefully, it seemed to be the case.
Wu Guanyi winked at him and said, "It seems that Miss Wei still has deep feelings for you. Do you want to consider it?"
guard……
After a moment of hesitation, Yan Qi finally realized that he was talking about another "Wei".
He had no intention of meeting Wei Tingshuang, and the appointment with her at the restaurant was actually a misunderstanding.
Miss Wei asked him out under the pretense of being his brother and expressed her admiration for him. Before he could even politely decline, Wei Ziyan, who had somehow appeared outside the door, barged in. Without any explanation, she insisted that he was having an affair with another woman, acting so recklessly and unreasonably that he was so enraged that he wanted to break off the engagement immediately.
Speaking of this, Yan Qizhen thought of Wei Ziyan again.
Every time there was a quarrel, his fiancée would become miserable and sick, and no one could hold her responsible.
This time I was sick for another half a month. If you count the days, didn’t it start from that day when we parted in the garden on bad terms?
My mother said that she had just recovered from a cold before she came. Could it be that she was too sad because of his words "It's impossible for me to be your concubine" and fell ill again?
In the past, his mother would have heard the news from Madam Wei and urged him to visit her immediately. At the very least, she could have sent a gift as a token of her concern. But now that the relationship between the two families was cold, was there any need to show concern?
Yan Qi was hesitating.
Her previous illness was caused by her own fault, so it was fine if I ignored it. But if this time it was caused by me, wouldn't I seem petty if I ignored it?
But what if I go to visit her and she continues to pester me?
"Wei Tingzhou is right." Wu Guanyi analyzed the pros and cons for him.
"If you really want to break off the engagement, you should cut the Gordian knot. Don't bother visiting her about her illness, so as not to give people hope and then disappoint them. Being soft-hearted now will only lead to cruelty in the future. Just wait until Miss Wei recovers, then break off the engagement quickly and make both of you happy."
Being soft-hearted now will lead to being cruel in the future.
Yan Qizhen felt that what he said was correct, but Wu Guanyi then changed the subject.
"However, Miss Wei is completely devoted to you. She's even tried to commit suicide for you three times, and now she's fallen ill because of you. If you really cancel this engagement, won't you...die of depression...?"
"...Not really." Yan Qizheng's face turned a little ugly. "She's not really crazy about me, she just thinks I'm hers and won't let anyone else take me away."
"How do you know?"
Yan Qizhen didn't want to elaborate and drank the hot tea in his hand in silence.
Wu Guanyi tilted his head and glanced over: "Honestly, you and Miss Wei were childhood sweethearts, do you really not like her at all?"
"Who says you have to like your childhood sweetheart?"
Wu Guanyi hissed.
"Two people who have been playing together since they were little, their feelings must be so pure! If I had a childhood sweetheart, a fiancée, I would have married her long ago!"
"Oh."
"What are you laughing at? Miss Wei's status isn't particularly high, but she's also blessed by His Majesty. Besides being a bit headstrong and willful as you said, and looking pretty, what's there to be dissatisfied with? Or do you have someone else you love?"
"You're a ghost!"
Wu Guanyi laughed when his friend teased him.
"Don't think you're too arrogant just because you're handsome, talented in both literature and martial arts, and have the reputation of 'Prince Qilin'."
It was getting more and more outrageous. Yan Qizhen glanced at him, put down the cup and stood up.
"Leave."
"Hey, what kind of person do you want to marry, Mr. Qilin?"
Yan Qizheng took big strides, leaving his friend's teasing behind.
What is this "Young Master Qilin"? But the Crown Prince had only casually praised him, and he wasn't going to flatter himself.
He hadn't thought about what kind of woman he wanted to marry, but it definitely wouldn't be the current one, who was always making trouble...
“A-choo——”
“A-choo——”
“A-choo——”
Wei Ziyan, who was fiddling with the small flower garden in the mansion, sneezed three times in a row, and Qiu Luo quickly handed her a handkerchief.
"Miss, go back to your room and put on more clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold again."
"No, it's just an itchy nose."
Wei Ziyan took the handkerchief and wiped her nose, then handed it back to Qiu Luo and looked at her flower garden again.
Now is the season of spring flowers, and it is time for the flowers and plants in her yard to be renewed.
"No one sent an invitation today, right?" Wei Ziyan asked Qiu Luo.
"No."
It has been three days in a row.
very good.
It's finally quiet.
With a long sigh of relief, Wei Ziyan curled her lips and said, "Then prepare the carriage. I'm going to the flower market."
The flower market in the capital is located in the city, facing the river on one side, spanning two whole streets.
A wide variety of flowering and non-flowering flowers are available, ranging from affordable common flowers to expensive and rare treasures. In short, everyone can choose what they like.
At this time every year, Wei Ziyan would come personally to pick a lot and plant them in her own yard.
The weather was nice today, and Wei Ziyan was in high spirits as she hadn't been out for half a month. However, Qiu Luo beside her was not happy at all.
That day, Young Master Yan made some harsh remarks in the garden, and his attitude was so resolute that the news spread outside with details.
Logically, the saddest and most upset person should be her young lady. However, from Qiu Luo's observation, apart from not leaving the house, the young lady had no appetite and seemed not to care about the matter.
As soon as the invitation craze was over, the young lady started thinking about tidying up her flower garden. Today I took her out to the flower market to buy flowers.
"Miss," Qiu Luo finally couldn't hold it in any longer and couldn't help but speak out. "Young Master Yan won't even let you be his concubine. Aren't you worried at all?"
"If you don't want to do it, then don't do it. I don't want to do it anyway, so what am I worried about?" Miss Wei's tone was very indifferent.
Of course a lady cannot be a concubine!
Qiu Luo changed her words: "My meaning is, Miss, aren't you worried that Master Yan won't marry you?"
"Oh! Could you please stop nagging Young Master Yan in my ear?" Wei Ziyan stretched out her delicate hand and pointed at the colorful flower shops around her.
"There are so many beautiful flowers to enjoy, why do you always bring up something that will spoil the fun?"
“…”
After the young lady said this, Qiu Luo had to shut up and not mention the person who spoiled the fun no matter how anxious he was.
Wei Ziyan's ears were quiet, and her mood became brighter while shopping at the flower market, and she spent more generously.
"I want these two pots, those three pots... well, the four pots next to each other in the upper left corner, and the ones in the middle... five pots, I guess. And these big ones, both tall and short, I want them, to make ten pots..."
The shop owner made a mark quickly with a big smile on her face.
Wei Ziyan placed orders in several shops in succession, with different styles, and she bought quite a lot in total.
Finally, she arrived at her favorite orchid shop and was about to choose a few top-quality orchids to take home when a sharp female voice suddenly sounded behind her, rushing straight into her ears.
"Oh, I thought you were going to hide at home forever, Miss Wei!"
【Author’s words】
Thanks for your support, remember to collect [kiss]
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