Chapter 52 Why is he taking this personally? ...
Baili Xunzhou's words stunned Feng Mian for a moment, and he stammered for a long time without being able to answer.
Hearing the soft, muffled noises, Baili Xunzhou assumed she was just embarrassed to tell him, and felt a pang of resentment welling up inside him.
He suppressed the strange feeling and said in a perfectly normal tone, "Well, tell me, what kind of man do you like? I can help you find one in advance."
“Since you’re going to use this reason to ask His Majesty for a divorce, it would be better to have someone you genuinely like. We can’t let you suffer.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Mian thought, "That makes sense. Why should I wrong myself?"
She began to think about it.
Back in Shengjing, she had secretly gathered information on talented young men throughout the city and made a selection. At that time, her criteria for screening included…
"Hmm... My ideal husband should be gentle and refined..."
Upon hearing this, Baili Xunzhou's lips curled down even further.
The word "gentle and refined" has never been associated with him. As for "jade-like," his mother once commented that he was as stubborn as a stone. Jade and stone seem to have a slight connection.
Then Feng Mian said, "They don't need to be very talented, but they must be good-looking."
Bai Lixunzhou's lips were pursed straight.
Although he didn't want to boast, since he was a child, all the uncles, aunts, and other relatives who had met him praised him as a handsome young man, which he could suppose fit the description.
"You don't need to be rich, but the interpersonal relationships in your family should be simple. The worst thing you can have is a wicked mother-in-law."
She might not even be able to spend all her own money, so she doesn't insist on finding a rich husband.
However, the latter point is extremely important. After all, when a woman marries, she enters her husband's family and becomes part of his new family. If the family members are difficult to get along with, no matter how good the husband is, there will always be some trouble.
Although she was a princess, she could easily take her husband back to the princess's mansion and live separately if she was unhappy, but troublesome things should be avoided as much as possible.
Baili Xunzhou's lips curved slightly.
His family was very small, and his mother and she got along very well, which perfectly matched the description.
Feng Mian added, "You must also have a kind heart, do good deeds, and have no bad habits. Most importantly, you cannot restrict me in every way."
The last point was added by Feng Mian. In the past, when she was in Shengjing, her uncle often restrained her. But since she came to the Northern Frontier, it seems that all the shackles on her body have been cut off, and she is much freer in her actions.
Once people have experienced freedom, how can they go back to the days when they were always bound by rules and regulations?
This was one of the advantages that Feng Mian felt the Northern Frontier was better than Shengjing. He didn't have to be confined to the inner quarters all day after getting married, with his every move being judged by outsiders. Even someone as noble as his aunt would have a few scandalous rumors reach Shengjing while she was traveling, and several old-fashioned censors would find excuses to impeach her.
These words made Baili Xunzhou's lips curl upwards by three points.
He knew that he wasn't known as a great philanthropist, but protecting the people and defending the country certainly counted as doing good deeds.
He never went to brothels or casinos, and apart from occasionally having a drink with his father, he was practically a teetotaler. In fact, he had no bad habits.
As for detaining her? He doesn't even restrain himself, so why would he detain her?
"That's about it for now." Feng Mian was at a loss for words. She didn't have a specific person in mind, and most of the selection criteria she had used before were just what other young ladies had learned. She couldn't make up any more stories, so she simply looked up at Baili Xunzhou and asked, "Do you have any suitable candidates in mind?"
Bai Lixun was startled.
Yes, this is to find someone she's interested in, so why is he taking it personally?
"Let me think about it," he said, and began to compare the options in his mind.
Warm and smooth like jade.
Yao Zhiyuan, a scholar, could barely be considered one, but... he thought with disdain that he was only considered pretty, not as good-looking as him.
Besides, Yao Zhiyuan only thinks about how to eat and drink well all day long. How could he possibly have any room for love in his mind? He is definitely not worthy of the princess.
However, apart from Yao Zhiyuan, it seems that no one else in the northern border region can be found who is as gentle and refined as jade.
Bai Lixun's thoughts unconsciously drifted to the scholar who came from Shengjing.
The first one to step forward was Lu Mingzhu.
The decision was quickly rejected; he had heard that this person was unlucky and would definitely not pass Emperor Jiayu's test.
The person who made Baili Xunzhou feel somewhat threatened, and who was suppressed until the very end, was Gu Chunwen.
He is indeed gentle and refined, and his appearance is quite good. I just don't know what his family situation is, and what advantages he has compared to me.
Baili Xunzhou felt increasingly depressed as he thought about it. He realized that the weather had been getting hotter and hotter lately, and he should have opened the windows to sleep at night, but he couldn't feel any fresh air.
He spoke sullenly, "Your request..."
Feng Mian retorted, "Are my demands too high?"
Baili Xunzhou said, "My requirements are naturally not high. Whatever kind of man you want, that's perfectly acceptable."
"It's just that there aren't many men in the world who meet these standards."
"This is their problem, not yours. In my opinion, you should take your time and observe further; this matter cannot be rushed."
"I... am not in that hurry."
He was eager to end the topic and instead urged Feng Mian to go to sleep, saying, "You didn't sleep well last night, and you slept all day today. If you don't get a good night's sleep tonight, your sleep schedule will become irregular in the future."
“But I can’t sleep.” Feng Mian sighed, then suddenly turned over and tucked one hand under her head. “Tell me a story.”
Baili Xunzhou said helplessly, "I've never heard a bedtime story before, what could I possibly tell you?"
"When I was little, my older brother, the Crown Prince, would tell me strange tales to lull me to sleep. Later, my uncle scolded me for it, so he started telling me the Analects of Confucius. I would fall asleep after he said a few sentences..."
The Analects is excellent for helping people sleep, but she doesn't want to listen to it anymore; it's just too boring.
Her eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "You can tell me your stories about marching and fighting in the army."
Baili Xunzhou chuckled: "Telling bedtime stories like this is too gory."
"Tell me about the thirty-six tribes of the Northern Frontier. The border trade is about to open, so it's essential to know your enemy and yourself. What's written in books certainly doesn't match what you, young general, know."
Upon receiving such a light compliment, Baili Xunzhou could no longer suppress his smile and began to recount his knowledge and insights into the Thirty-Six Tribes of the Northern Frontier.
Feng Mian listened with great interest, initially responding with "uh-huh," "and then," and "wow, how could this be?" But after a while, he gradually fell silent.
Baili Xunzhou turned his head slightly and saw that she had closed her eyes and was breathing steadily; she was already asleep. He stopped talking and sat up slightly, reaching over to gently remove Feng Mian's hand from under her head, so that her hand wouldn't go numb when she woke up.
After lying down, he couldn't fall asleep because of what he had said before sealing his sleep.
"What do you think she means by that?" Baili Xunzhou asked Yao Zhiyuan sullenly the next day.
Yao Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow: "What does the young master mean?"
"She clearly said she liked me a long time ago..."
On the way he escorted her back to Yunzhong County, in the desolate wilderness, under a vast starry sky, her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents, her pupils sparkling with a bright light. She spoke with a hint of shyness, and after finishing her words, she left, leaving him with the auspicious cloud-patterned silver hand warmer.
He was terrified at the time and tried to put the matter out of his mind for several days. But recently, for some reason, it has resurfaced in his mind and he keeps thinking about it.
Baili Xunzhou looked dejected. His usually straight back slumped, and he slumped over the desk like a young scholar who hadn't even looked at a book when he discovered he had a quiz today. "Did I misunderstand? But how she treated me before... Could she have done that if she didn't like me? Was she just trying to coax me back then?"
Yao Zhiyuan felt a sense of déjà vu about the scene. Just a few days ago, outside the princess's carriage, the heir was also soaked to the bone by the rain.
It's a headache. I'm helping the young master solve his personal troubles, but I don't know if it will give him a few more cars in salary.
"I only have one thing to say: the point is not whether Your Highness likes you or not."
"It is Your Highness's intention. If Your Highness is determined to have a divorce, why should you care about what the Princess thinks?"
He couldn't help but say a few more words.
Baili Xunzhou was stunned and remained silent for a long time. He felt as if his heart was a tangled mess, impossible to untangle.
It's true that those involved are often confused while bystanders see things clearly. Yao Zhiyuan ultimately understood that his young master was a naive young man who had never experienced love and romance. After fighting for so long, when it came to such complicated matters as love and affection, his unenlightened mind couldn't quite grasp the situation. So he said, "Young master, why don't you calm down for a couple of days and clear your mind before you speak?"
When he finds himself constantly thinking about the princess and wondering what she's doing, and then sees the princess walking with someone as outstanding as the top scholar, he should finally understand, right?
At this moment, the princess's carriage finally slowly drove out onto the long street of Yunzhong County.
Feng Mian felt he no longer needed to ride in a plain sedan chair; after all, traveling by carriage meant he wouldn't have to walk much.
On the way, she met Gu Chunwen, who was waiting at the post station, and together they went to the government office to borrow a large map of the northern frontier.
Gu Chunwen was supposed to ride a horse, but he looked troubled and said it wasn't convenient, and had already sent a servant to prepare a carriage.
Feng Mian guessed that Gu Chunwen had been riding for a long time and had some unspeakable injuries, so he simply let him ride in his carriage with him, which would also give them a chance to chat. Gu Chunwen readily agreed and got into the carriage without any discomfort, as if he had known Feng Mian for a long time, and they started chatting naturally.
“Yesterday, Brother Lu took me around for a long time. Although the Northern Frontier is not as prosperous as Shengjing, it has its own unique charm. Especially the shops owned by the Princess, I saw that every single person passing by had a smile on their face. After exchanging a few words, they would start praising the Princess.”
He looked at Feng Mian with smiling eyes, as gentle as a spring breeze. His words of praise were devoid of any flattery or exaggeration; every word was sincere, making Feng Mian feel a little embarrassed.
Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly heard a voice calling out from outside, sometimes near, sometimes far: "Your Highness, Princess Consort... Your Highness, Princess Consort...!"
It took her half a second to realize that they were calling her. She quickly stopped the carriage and lifted the curtain to see who was chasing it.
A somewhat familiar-looking boy caught up, panting, and handed in a cluster of lovely flowers through the window, flashing a bright white smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for catching those kidnappers. I know you lack nothing in terms of gold, silver, or worldly possessions, so I picked a northern flower to give you, wishing you peace and happiness all year round!"
He finished speaking and ran off. Feng Mian was a little puzzled. "Why did he thank me?"
Firefly chimed in with her gossipy nature, "Your Highness doesn't know. His name is A-Hao, and he and Cai Xiaotian... well, let me put it this way, when I went to deliver your message, I saw him with Cai Xiaotian, and he kept comforting her!"
Feng Mian understood; he was thanking her for helping his sweetheart.
but……
"Cai Xiaotian is about to return to his hometown, and the two of them..."
“Cai Xiaotian only has an elderly grandmother left in his family. Ahao has already discussed with his family that he plans to go back with Cai Xiaotian and try to persuade his grandmother to come to the northern frontier together. If Cai’s grandmother does not agree, he will stay and take care of her in her old age.”
"I never would have guessed he was so responsible."
Feng Mian didn't recognize what kind of flower he had given her, but its fragrance was refreshing. After thinking for a moment, she took off a hairpin, put the flower in her hair, and showed it to Liu Ying and Liu Wu. "Does it look good?"
Gu Chunwen, who remained silent to the side, thought to herself: Beautiful.
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Author's Note: Baili Xunzhou: You're not allowed to look! [Angry]
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