Chapter 20
"Cen Rong of the Cen family greets His Highness!"
The woman beside him bowed to him, and Xiao Yan waved his hand indifferently, walking slowly forward and getting closer.
The girl who was covering her face had her ears turned red, but she was not afraid of hurting herself and just kept her head down without saying a word.
Seeing her like this, Cen Rong leaned over and nudged her with his elbow, then whispered.
"Hurry and meet His Highness!"
When she heard this, she woke up from her dream and quickly put down her hands and bowed to Xiao Yan.
"Yao Chunying of the Yao family pays homage to His Highness!"
It turned out to be the girl from the Yao family.
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes. The Yao family was a royal family, and they could be considered cousins. He had never noticed this little girl before. How could such a girl escape his sight?
"It turned out to be Chunying. I was wondering whose little girl was so bold!"
When he brought it up again, Yao Chunying hurried to explain.
"Your Highness! I didn't mean to say that about you. I... I just..."
Seeing that her face turned pale with fear, Xiao Yan turned the fan lightly.
"I've already said it, why are you taking it back?"
“…”
After holding it in for a long time, Yao Chunying finally uttered a word.
"Chun Ying doesn't dare to take it back, nor does she want to! Please punish me, Your Highness!"
This is quite interesting! If he is a timid person, he would not like it.
As he was thinking, he glanced over and the servants around him immediately understood what he meant and asked the girl from the Cen family to leave.
After everyone left, there were only two people left in the pavilion.
Xiao Yan took another step closer and asked in a low voice.
"Why not?"
The girl with her head down gritted her teeth, took a deep breath and tried her best to say out the words in her heart.
"Your Highness's grace is rare in the world! Anyone who sees His Highness will think so. Chunying doesn't think she has done anything wrong. If there is anything wrong... the only mistake Chunying made is saying this, causing His Highness trouble!"
It was quite interesting. Xiao Yan lowered his eyes and reached out to help her up.
“If you know you’re wrong, don’t make the same mistake again.”
As he spoke, he moved closer to her and sighed quietly in her ear.
"Next time I'll take it seriously."
The person who was teased blushed again, but she did not avoid it like before. She lowered her head shyly and replied.
"Chun Ying knows."
Bold and smart, that's the temperament he likes.
Xiao Yan threw the pendant in his hand behind his back, and his face became more and more cheerful.
Originally, the position of the main wife had been vacant. He also knew what his father meant. He wanted him to marry a legitimate Han relative to inherit the bloodline. Naturally, he had no objection. If it weren't for the empress who had been blocking him for no reason, he would have been confirmed as the main wife long ago.
Now is the time to marry a wife. It will not only fulfill my father's wish, but the Yao family is also my father's clan. This closer relationship will definitely give me more face in front of His Majesty.
Xiao Yan walked around her and sat in the main seat, winking at her. The little girl understood and walked over to sit beside him.
"Why haven't I seen you before when I entered the palace?"
Yao Chunying thought about it and felt a little embarrassed.
"Chun Ying went at the wrong time and always passed by His Highness. His Highness was busy with his affairs and naturally did not notice the people who flashed by."
Just one sentence made Xiao Yan understand that it was the Empress who did it. Every time she entered the palace, the Empress would stop her at a calculated time. He had only seen her a few times, and even if he did, it was just a quick glance. How could he remember her?
He gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction. The Queen was definitely not targeting her this time. When he thought about it carefully, he realized that there were very few young ladies from aristocratic families that he had seen in the palace over the years. Most of them were relatives from his uncle's side.
When he thought about it this way, he could see that something was wrong. The two of them obviously wanted to arrange a foreigner as his principal wife, but they knew very well that such behavior was absolutely impossible!
How could the Emperor allow the Crown Prince's first wife to be of a foreign race? A second wife of a foreign race would already be enough to taint the royal bloodline. If he really listened to them and married a foreigner, the Crown Prince position would probably not be his, Xiao Yan.
Seeing that he kept silent, Yao Chunying knew that her goal had been achieved.
She was the best choice from the beginning to the end. The Queen was still reluctant to choose a wife for the Crown Prince. She must have wanted to force Shu Hu's people in. But even if she did, would His Majesty agree?
Hiding her expression unnoticeably, she picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xiao Yan.
"Your Highness, have some tea."
He took it and watched the water in the teacup ripple again and again.
"I remember you just came of age last year, right? Why is your family so anxious to choose a husband for you?"
She paused. "Chun Ying's family only has sisters who are older than me. My only brother is only five years old this year. My grandfather is very worried because he is old. If I don't get married, the whole family will be even more worried."
That makes sense. The Yao family, being royal relatives, shouldn't have held high office or lavish salaries. Their glory was a century ago. But why were they so eager to marry off their daughter this time? Weren't they thinking of inserting their daughter into the royal family?
Yao Chunying obviously did it on purpose, but the Yao family might not. Thinking of this, his mind became confused.
Seeing his gloomy expression, Yao Chunying knew that he understood what she meant.
My grandfather has always valued orthodoxy. He was already uncomfortable with the fact that His Majesty had appointed a person of a foreign race as the queen. His original intention was to use her marriage to force His Majesty to worry, and then let his second daughter marry the prince.
He understood what he was thinking, but he had never asked Yao Chunying what she thought. She was not an ordinary girl, so naturally she would not follow his wishes so easily. It was even more impossible for her to visit his sister in the future.
So she pretended to be indifferent and sighed.
"My family has been urging me to do this, but I don't dare to agree. This is because I still have someone in my heart. If I agree to it in a hurry, it will hurt both me and them."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh. Since she was so straightforward, he might as well be straightforward and say it clearly.
"Chun Ying rejected him because she has me in her heart?"
The little girl beside him couldn't help but blush when he exposed her like this. Her peach-like plump cheeks were so charming with a blush that he was dazed for a moment.
But the little girl's shyness didn't last long. Instead, she looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yes, that's true."
It was indeed different! Xiao Yan stood up and looked down at her, her eyes full of admiration for him.
Xiao Yan hooked her slender chin and forced her to raise her head, then carefully inspected her face.
She is extremely beautiful, her heart is completely devoted to him, and her family is just the right one to support him. This is truly the wife that God has prepared for him.
Since it was prepared for him by God, why not accept it?
Xiao Yan smiled slightly and stroked her face.
"Since you've rejected others for me, I have no choice but to take responsibility and bring my cousin to your side."
Yao Chunying was stunned, as if she didn't react to his words. Xiao Yan pulled her up and let his hands slide from her shoulders to smooth out her clothes.
"Just wait patiently."
Yao Chunying was almost dizzy from the surprise that came out of nowhere. She didn't expect that her plan would actually succeed. She was half pretending and half genuinely speaking incoherently with tears in her eyes.
“…Thank you, Your Highness!”
"Silly girl, what are you thanking me for? Don't show your emotions on your face like that in the future."
She quickly wiped away the tears from her face and forced a bright smile.
Looking at the joyful face, his mood also improved a lot. Xiao Yan's gloomy mood caused by the two people in the front yard was relieved by her presence. The two walked and talked for a while before they separated from the garden.
Naturally, all news in the Princess's Mansion would pass through the Princess. After she heard the servant's report, she smiled and waved her hand.
"The Yao family is indeed like this. Some time ago, the eldest lady of the Yao family mentioned it to me briefly, hoping that I could act as a matchmaker for the princes, but I refused. Now is a turbulent time, and the Yao family is too ambitious. Apart from the crown prince, who else would dare to marry into the Yao family?"
She paused to think for a moment and then laughed.
"The prince is getting anxious! But if it weren't for his mother and uncle, he wouldn't be so old and still not have a wife. Even if he wanted to, those two wouldn't grant his wish so easily."
Nanny Gui brought a bowl of rice porridge over and handed it to the eldest princess while sitting beside the bed.
"Who knows? Perhaps those two will agree to his request this time. After all, the higher position is more important."
The eldest princess laughed and said, "If you think so, you really don't understand the Queen and the Marquis of Qingyuan! The only way they got to where they are today is by relying on the gambler mentality of a man who doesn't care about his life."
"They're willing to gamble their lives, and many people are frightened by their reckless appearance, thinking they have something to lose. But in reality, they're just the kind of foreigners who have been living hand to mouth, and they're nothing like us, Dasheng, who have a century-old foundation."
Nanny Gui asked, "So they're going to make the same bet this time? Are they determined not to let the Crown Prince marry a daughter of the Yao family?"
Having fought with these two for half her life, the eldest princess knows them even better than she knows herself.
"Even if the Queen can't hold on, her brother will definitely not agree. Of these three, the only one who has the final say is Qingyuan Hou Gong Heyuan. How can I not know what he's thinking?"
Thinking of this, the eldest princess came up with a good idea.
They all obeyed the Marquis of Qingyuan in the court, but the only variable was the half-blood prince. If they wanted to stir up trouble, they had better focus on him.
So she sent a message to the Yao family, ordering Yao Chunying to stay for another half a month.
Nanny Gui received the order to inform Yao Chunying. Naturally, she wished she could stay longer, and it would be better for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to see her as much as possible.
She had planned for the next few days, but the maidservant beside her had to urge her. After all, it was not her who should have gone out, but her mother, Lady Yao.
"Miss, we received a letter from home asking you to return as soon as possible. I'm afraid it wouldn't be a good idea for us to stay any longer."
Yao Chunying glanced at this brainless guy and cursed.
"Are you following me or your family? Don't you know who to follow?"
"Grandfather has always favored my second sister, and I've become a stepping stone for her to step on! Why can't I be the Crown Princess?"
Tao'er was trembling with fear after being scolded, fearing that her eldest lady would throw something here and hit her. After all, this was in the Princess's Mansion, and if something happened, she would have to take the blame.
"Don't be angry, Miss. Tao'er is the one who's being nosy. It's just that it's not nice not to reply to the letter from home asking about it. What do you think would be a good idea to write?"
Everything was going smoothly, but her family came and ruined her good mood. Yao Chunying didn't want to recall the past but couldn't help but think of what her grandfather had said before.
"Our two daughters are naturally good. But if it comes to being a Crown Princess, Chunshan is more suitable. Although Chunying is also a candidate for the Crown Princess trained by our family, she is too impatient and too utilitarian. If she enters the harem with such a personality, it will sooner or later cause trouble."
"Anyway, it doesn't look like His Majesty is in any rush. Why not let Chunying get married first and consolidate the Yao family for a year or two? Chunshan can wait and see. If there are no changes, let Chunshan marry the crown prince. By then, one will be the wife of a powerful official and the other the crown princess. Our Yao family will then truly rest easy!"
Yao Chunying, who was lying behind the door and heard all this, was almost furious.
Why is she not worthy of being the Crown Princess? How is she inferior to Yao Chunshan, who doesn't care about anything?
In fact, it was just that my grandfather was partial to me, and he found such a high-sounding excuse.
But Yao Chunying was no pushover, and even the elders in her family couldn't stop her. So when she heard the Princess's residence was looking for someone to take care of the sick, she told her mother everything and went to the Princess's residence to take her place.
This is her only chance. As long as she can meet the prince, she will naturally win his heart.
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