Chapter 35 In June, you and the sage do not discuss your true intentions?
"Where is Wang Lingshu?"
Zheng Zizai covered his mouth with his hand and whispered to Fu Sui, "When Master Wang was killed, the Wang family was going to hold a funeral, and Madam Wang could not have a banquet during the mourning period."
Fu Sui sneered: "Is it really worth making such a fuss over someone's great-grandfather?"
Zheng Zizai pretended not to hear the sarcasm in Fu Sui's words and said softly, "The Wang family values filial piety and brotherly love. Although they are not blood relatives, they are still within the five degrees of mourning and should wear the mourning garment."
Knowing that Fu Sui and Wang Lingshu did not get along, she said no more and instead began to describe the scenery in the garden.
"Is someone over there?"
Fu Sui and Zheng Zizai lagged behind, while the people in front had already reached a pond. The pond was not large, with a thin stream branching off and meandering to the other side. Through the shadows of the willow branches, they could see figures moving about on the other side.
“It’s my brother and the young men from various households,” Xiao Wu Niang explained.
"Is the elder brother you're talking about Ninth Prince?" someone asked.
Xiao Wu Niang nodded in agreement.
Everyone was curious about this Ninth Prince who was being raised in the Taoist temple, and they urged the Qian sisters to invite him to meet them.
How could Xiao Wu Niang make decisions for her brother? She could only beg for forgiveness and cover up the matter.
Fu Sui stood by the pond, looking across the water and the shadows of the trees. There were quite a few people there, and they had obviously noticed them as well; some of them got up and headed towards the lake. Liang Hui, not wanting to be spied on by the man on the other side, urged the Qian sisters to leave together.
The Qian sisters actually left with their entourage, showing no intention whatsoever of introducing Ninth Master to the ladies.
Fu Sui followed slowly behind the group, pondering to himself: Could it be that Qiao Er's information was wrong, and the Qian family had no intention of having Jiu Langjun "sacrifice himself" at all?
The Qian sisters chose a very spacious spot in the garden, surrounded by flowering trees, making it both spacious and elegant.
After the necessary equipment for pitching is set up, each team needs to select one person to participate in the game.
The Qian sisters had to go set up the room where the hooks were hidden and couldn't stay to participate in the game. Zhang Chengyun had volunteered to be the judge, but forgot she was going to compete and awkwardly withdrew her hand. In the end, everyone elected Liang Hui as the judge, and Yu Wenjun kept score.
While the discussion was in full swing, Fu Sui and Duan Yuwan stood together, each with a cold expression. One looked indifferently at the laughing and joking noble ladies, while the other frowned and stared at Zheng Zizai.
Just now, an unfamiliar maidservant came over and whispered something to Zheng Zizai, seemingly asking him something. It was clearly the Qian family's garden, and the Qian sisters were using maidservants, yet they seemed completely unaware. The maidservant didn't go far after leaving, waiting in a corner.
"Why doesn't the princess go over there? Why is she with me instead?" Duan Yuwan felt that Fu Sui's father had died early and her birth mother had been banished from the capital and had a bad reputation. She felt that she was in the same boat as Fu Sui. She was about to express her sorrow that no one cared about her, but she found that Fu Sui's brows were furrowed and her eyes were focused. She was not listening to her at all.
"What is the princess doing standing here? The game of pitch-pot is about to begin." Xiao Shuer pulled Fu Sui.
Fu Sui gave a vague reply, but his eyes remained fixed on Zheng Zizai.
However, Zheng Zizai did not linger. She said she needed to help the Qian sisters and left with them. After the three had gone some distance, the maidservant went up to talk to Yanshan.
Fu Sui didn't have time to play the pitch-pot game; he came over to ask Yanshan first.
"Madam Zheng said that she and the two ladies from the Qian family were going to participate in the guessing game. In order to be fair, they could not prepare the items for the guessing game, so she asked me to help prepare the guessing game equipment."
Fu Sui had been watching this maid closely ever since she arrived. When had Zheng Zizai ever spoken? From beginning to end, only this maid had said a few words to Zheng Zizai. Fu Sui always felt that Zheng Zizai knew more about the pomegranate blossom banquet than the Qian sisters. If that was the case, this might be an opportunity.
"You don't need to go, I'll go."
The maidservant waiting to lead the way seemed surprised and anxious when she heard that Fu Sui was going to go in place of the Princess of Yanshan: "Isn't the princess supposed to be playing pitch-pot? It might cause a delay if she goes back and forth."
Fu Sui scrutinized the maid: "I'm not afraid of delaying you, so what are you afraid of? Or is it that only Yanshan can go, but I can't go?"
Since Fu Sui had already said this much, any further rebuttal from the maid would only arouse suspicion. Caught in a dilemma, she could only dawdle and leave with Fu Sui.
Seeing the maid leading the way, who was stumbling along every step, Fu Sui became even more certain of his guess.
The Qian family was, after all, a distinguished clan, and they would never stoop to the level of having their son become Princess Wanchun's bed warmer. Besides, the Fu family wasn't only home to princesses; marrying a member of the imperial clan would also make one a member of the Fu family.
The reason why those official families were unwilling to bet on the daughters of the imperial clan was simply because the daughters' fathers and brothers were naturally opposed to the emperor. If these princes and dukes harbored disloyalty or were suspected by the emperor, they might implicate themselves.
However, there were two women from the clan who did not face such risks: Fu Sui and Yan Shan.
The Qian family's goal from the beginning was either Fu Sui or Yan Shan. No, judging from the extremely troubled look on this maid's face, Ninth Prince's only goal was Yan Shan. Therefore, the Qian family never even considered letting Ninth Prince meet those daughters of the imperial clan.
As for why Yanshan, who had a relatively distant relationship with the sage, was chosen instead of Fusui, who was more favored by the sage, it was probably because Yanshan's virtues, speech, appearance, and achievements better met the standards of a virtuous lady.
If that were the case, it would be convenient for Fu Sui. Fu Sui followed the maid to a fork in the road, where the maid hesitated for a moment before resolutely choosing to turn left.
Just as Fu Sui was about to follow, he heard faint music coming from ahead.
She tentatively took two steps forward, and the maidservant indeed came to stop her. Seeing this, Fu Sui walked forward without turning her head, following the sound. Dai Ling tacitly grabbed the maidservant who was leading the way, forbidding her to follow.
As the music drew closer, Fu Sui walked around a clump of green bamboo, behind which lay a resting place where a man was sitting and playing the zither.
The man heard someone approaching and looked up at Fu Sui.
Beneath his long, misty eyebrows, like distant mountains, were a pair of eyes sculpted from jade. His dark blue hair contrasted with his fair skin, and his thin lips were pale. His appearance should have been one of utmost purity and aloofness, but a small mole at the corner of his eye added a touch of allure, making him resemble a wounded crane, proud yet melancholic.
"A jinx," Fu Sui thought to himself. "No wonder the Qian family pushed him forward; he certainly has the looks to win over a master."
The man lowered his eyes and said in a lonely and distant tone, "What are you doing here, my lady? Did you wander in by mistake?"
Fu Sui brushed aside the obstructing bamboo leaves and walked straight forward: "My lord, the sound of your zither is so melodious, it breaks one's heart." She stopped in front of him, looking down at him, "I wonder if my lord has waited for the one he longs for?"
The man looked up at Fu Sui for a moment, then slowly rose and bowed: "Qian Tingzhi greets Your Highness, Princess."
Looking at his eyes and brows again, the loneliness from before was nowhere to be seen.
This was their first meeting. Fu Sui was a little surprised that he had guessed her identity so quickly. She tentatively asked, "Why did you stop playing, Ninth Master? Did I disturb your enjoyment?"
Qian Tingzhi put on a perfectly timed smile: "Such decadent music might offend the princess's ears."
That's well said. If Fu Sui tried to beat around the bush with him, she'd probably be exhausted. She gently plucked the strings, producing a few broken, resonant notes.
Qian Tingzhi ignored Fu Sui's casual playing with his zither, stood tall and upright in the wind, and from his appearance alone, he truly looked like a gentleman.
"Why is Ninth Prince waiting here for Princess Yanshan?" Fu Sui had left Xiao Shuer behind to come here. She wanted to save some time so she could rush back to the game of pitch-pot and avoid upsetting Xiao Shuer to the point of despair.
To Fu Sui's surprise, Qian Tingzhi did not deny it, but said directly: "The county princess is gentle, wise and virtuous. I have been scheming, but I admire her for her youth."
"Mu Shaoai?" This reason was so hypocritical and absurd that Fu Sui stared at Qian Tingzhi. "Does Ninth Master think he can get Yanshan to entrust his life to him just by saying Mu Shaoai?"
Qian Tingzhi showed no fear and calmly responded to Fu Sui's scrutiny: "If I obtain the county princess, I will certainly treat her with courtesy and respect."
Qian Tingzhi's words might come true, but Fu Sui never gambled on "maybe": "Ninth Master has ulterior motives and no true intentions, so how can we treat him with courtesy?"
"If we can respect each other for a lifetime, why bother with our true feelings?" Qian Tingzhi spoke these insincere words to a young woman in her boudoir without any hesitation. His eyes were like a snake's forked tongue, as if a laughing snake was wrapped in a Taoist robe of "purity and inaction".
Intelligent and ambitious, when did the emperor begin to set his sights on him?
Fu Sui carefully observed Qian Tingzhi's expression and asked, "Regardless of your true feelings, why doesn't Ninth Prince marry Princess Wanchun?"
Upon hearing the word "marry a princess," a subtle hint of disgust flickered across Qian Tingzhi's otherwise ethereal and stunning face. Fu Sui barely managed to suppress a laugh; as expected, even if this Ninth Prince was prepared to "serve others with his beauty," he still refused to become another Duan Hong. But what gave him the right to assume that the Fu family's daughter could be chosen at his whim?
Fu Sui composed himself and retorted to Qian Tingzhi, "Does the Ninth Prince and his bride judge by their actions rather than their intentions? Does the Qian family also disregard the true intentions of the Sage?"
Qian Tingzhi's long eyelashes trembled slightly. He looked calm and composed, but his voice was much more solemn: "As a subject, one should be loyal to one's lord and be willing to sacrifice one's life for him."
Which official doesn't claim to be loyal? But when it comes down to it, all they see is self-interest. Of all the civil and military officials in the court, how many can actually write the character "loyalty" fluently? At least Fu Sui copied several chapters of "Loyalty and Filial Piety" over and over again. For some, the last time they wrote the character "loyalty" was probably on their examination papers for the imperial examinations.
Fu Sui sneered, "Marrying a gentle and lovable princess will erase all past grievances? Is this how the Qian family treats people? Is this how Ninth Prince is loyal to the emperor?"
Qian Tingzhi's pupils contracted slightly. He had originally thought that this proud young woman was only speaking out for the Princess of Yanshan County, but since she dared to ask such a question, her relationship with the Sage was probably not so simple.
He had heard of Princess Yong'an's remarkable deeds, and it was precisely because of her domineering nature that the Qian family chose Princess Yanshan.
Qian Tingzhi was extremely indifferent to love and romance; as long as it didn't damage his reputation, he didn't care who his bride was. However, his cousin, who was as beautiful as a living Guanyin, had strongly recommended Princess Yong'an to him, so she probably sensed something was amiss.
Qian Tingzhi re-examined Fu Sui's actions. Were her grudges with the Wang family personal or orchestrated by the Emperor? Qian Tingzhi had a vague premonition that everything today would change his life.
"The Qian family in Boling has the manners of a powerful clan, while the Qian family under the emperor's nose has the determination to go through fire and water for the monarch."
With a single sentence, he separated himself from the Qian family of Boling, completely washing away the past discord between the aristocratic family and the emperor.
Fu Sui had gained a new understanding of the shamelessness of these powerful families. The Emperor had finally managed to prevent these families from having absolute power in the court, and he was determined to return the power of discourse to those who cared about the honor of their families.
“Isn’t Ninth Prince’s surname the Qian family of Boling?”
Qian Tingzhi was now absolutely certain that Princess Yong'an was a messenger.
Qian Tingzhi's relatives, whom he had barely met, lived far away in Boling. Even if the emperor were to purge them, it wouldn't seriously harm them. However, his parents and brothers were in the capital. To disregard the emperor's will and ruin his career for the sake of those relatives would be a losing proposition for Qian Tingzhi.
He answered almost without hesitation: “My surname is also superior to that of the Qian family of Boling.”
The emperor certainly knows how to choose people. "I've heard that a reclusive master once said that Ninth Prince's destiny is noble," Fu Sui wrote a few words on the zither with his finger, "whether it's noble or not depends on how Ninth Prince chooses."
Qian Tingzhi was shocked by these words. He never expected that the sage would have such thoughts. If this matter could be carried out, it would be a decisive move to eliminate the enemy's weaknesses.
Fu Sui was only responsible for relaying messages; how the Qian family handled things was their own business. Remembering that her reason for coming here was to prepare items for the game of "Sex and the Beast," she asked one more question: "Where do you keep all the items for 'Sex and the Beast' in your house?"
Qian Tingzhi was still pondering those words when he paused and replied, "I'll have someone send the things over; the princess need not worry about it."
Fu Sui was happy to be a hands-off manager, but considering Qian Tingzhi's good looks, he added a reminder: "The sage judges not only by words and deeds but also by sincerity. Ninth Prince, you must show your loyalty with genuine sincerity."
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