Chapter 31 The Young Lady of the Wu Family
The Duke of Qi was awakened by the eldest princess's antics.
He sighed and asked, "What's wrong with you today? Why are you tossing and turning?"
Upon hearing her husband's question, the princess sat up abruptly.
The Duke of Qi was startled and sat up as well.
What's wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare?
The eldest princess looked at the Duke of Qi and sighed, "Ling'er asked today where Wenlan and Wenmo went?"
The Duke of Qi yawned groggily, squinting his eyes as he said:
"Hmm, and then what?"
"And then what?"
The eldest princess nudged the Duke of Qi with displeasure.
“You don’t care about your son at all.”
Duke Qi was suddenly tugged at, and half of his sleepiness was instantly swept away.
"Hmm? What did you say happened to Ling'er? She just asked about the two maids, didn't she?"
"Was that just a casual question? Didn't you hear the Crown Prince say that Ling'er is going to marry a little maid?"
I reckon he's got his eye on either Wenlan or Wenmo.
The Duke of Qi perked up upon hearing this.
"Oh, that's good. Aren't you always worried that your son won't get married?"
The eldest princess glared at the Duke of Qi: "What's so good about it? It's not good at all."
How could our Ling'er marry a maid?
The Duke of Qi continued, "His Majesty decreed that Ling'er can marry whomever she wants? Didn't you agree to that?"
"Oh dear, back then he was so determined to become a monk, wasn't that just a delaying tactic?"
The eldest princess had a head full of sparks.
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Qi was instantly wide awake.
"So you're trying to fool Ling'er? Using His Majesty's decree to fool her?"
The eldest princess said angrily, "The imperial edict is a small matter. I will speak to His Majesty. You don't need to worry about it."
Let's talk about Ling'er first. If he's so determined to marry a maid, how will we face each other in public?
Duke Qi suddenly asked, "Where are those two maids now?"
Seeing the Duke of Qi's worried expression, the eldest princess punched him lightly.
"Staying at the manor on the outskirts of Beijing, are you afraid I'll kill them?"
Even if I wanted to get rid of the person, what would I do if Ling'er made a fuss and kept coming after me for the person?
Don't worry, I'm providing you with the best food and drink."
When the Duke of Qi heard that the person was alright, he was relieved.
He tilted his head and lay down again.
Seeing her husband lie down again, the eldest princess nudged him and said:
"So tell me, what are we going to do about this?"
The Duke of Qi closed his eyes and said, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; don't be a beast of burden for them."
"So we'll just leave it at that and let him marry a maid?" the princess asked.
"As long as Ling'er is happy, let him be," said Duke Qi.
After listening for a long time, the eldest princess heard this result and kicked the Duke of Qi hard in anger.
The Duke of Qi didn't utter a sound.
Seeing this, the eldest princess angrily lay down as well, and then tossed and turned on the bed.
Xiao Ling naturally knew that his mother had sent the two maids to the estate without taking their lives, which was why he asked about it.
...
The next day, Grandpa Xie prepared to go to Nanshan Academy, and Xie Yunyu went with him.
The two of them went there mainly to visit Wu Yumin, the granddaughter of Vice President Wu.
The weather in the capital has started to warm up in the past few days, and many young women have put on their spring clothes.
Xie Yunyu was dressed in a light green spring dress today, which perfectly matched the vibrant spirit of spring.
In March and April, Nanshan Academy is bursting with greenery.
The grass is lush and green, the willows sway gently, the sunlight is warm and gentle, and the spring water murmurs – a scene full of vitality.
The carriage went up the mountain and reached the halfway point.
There is a large area here, which is the dormitory for the teachers, each with a small courtyard with two sections.
The teachers at the academy are passionate about life, tending to the flowers and plants in the courtyard with great care.
The carriage stopped in front of a courtyard with forsythia flowers blooming at the entrance.
A young woman wearing a yellow, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) is watering flowers with a bucket.
Seeing the carriage parked in front of the door, they went forward and opened the door, where they saw Old Master Xie getting off the carriage.
He then smiled and said, "Greetings, Grand Tutor Xie."
"Oh, no need for formalities. You're Old Wu's granddaughter?"
"My daughter, Yumin."
Grandpa Xie looked him up and down and nodded: "Hmm, not bad, a good kid."
Is your grandfather home?
"I'm here."
He turned and called into the house, “Grandfather, Grand Tutor Xie is here.”
A thin old man with a wisp of white goatee and wearing a gray-white long robe walked out of the house.
Upon seeing Old Master Xie at the door, I smiled and said, "Oh, you're a rare guest indeed."
Grandpa Xie, carrying two jars of peach blossom wine, smiled and said:
"I was afraid of disturbing your peace, so I brought two jars of wine as an apology."
"Whether I accept your gift or not depends on how good your wine is," Vice President Wu said with a smile.
The two went inside as they talked.
Wu Yumin had long heard from her grandfather that Xie Taifu's family had a granddaughter who was two months older than her and very intelligent.
I met you today, and it was quite a pleasant experience.
"Please, sister."
Xie Yunyu smiled and nodded, then followed her inside.
Grandpa Xie introduced to Vice President Wu, "This is my granddaughter, Yunyu. She came along for a visit today."
Vice President Wu pointed at the woman in the yellow dress and said, "This is my granddaughter, Yumin."
"Come on, you two, get to know each other," Vice Dean Wu said with a smile.
After the two exchanged greetings, Vice Dean Wu said with a smile, "Min'er, why don't you take Sister Xie out for a stroll around the academy?"
“Yes,” Wu Yumin replied respectfully.
Then he smiled at Xie Yunyu and said, "Sister Xie, this way please."
The two of them then came out together and headed towards the door.
Wu Yumin was a charming and lovely girl. To show hospitality, she chatted with Xie Yunyu as they walked.
"Sister Xie, what do you usually do at home? Do you read?"
“Of course we should study. Girls in families like ours all need to go to school,” Xie Yunyu replied with a smile.
"Me too, reading and writing are essential. These even surpass needlework, flower arranging, and incense burning."
Seeing that she looked a little melancholy, Xie Yunyu comforted her, saying, "However, I've recently taken a liking to reading storybooks."
Upon hearing this, Wu Yumin glanced at Xie Yunyu and exclaimed with delight:
"I like watching it too, but my family doesn't allow it, so I always watch it secretly."
After saying that, the two seemed to have found common ground and began to discuss it.
"By the way, Sister Xie, I heard that Tianxing Tower is currently telling a story about the Legend of the Condor Heroes, and everyone says it's very well told."
It's better than the Three Kingdoms story I mentioned before.
My older brother said that the Three Kingdoms is suitable for men, but the Legend of the Condor Heroes is suitable for both men and women.
It's a pity I didn't have the chance to hear it.
Xie Yunyu sensed the disappointment in her voice and asked, "Then why aren't you going?"
“I can answer their questions, but my grandfather won’t let me go.”
After Wu Yumin finished speaking, she saw the flowers in front of her, went forward and picked one, and handed it to Xie Yunyu.
"This looks nice, and it repels insects too. You can take it."
Xie Yunyu accepted it and thanked her.
Then he added, "Why can't I let you go?"
He said that only men go there and wouldn't let me go.
Xie Yunyu smiled and said, "I'll take you there in a couple of days, but you'll have to answer some questions at the entrance."
Wu Yumin, on the other hand, was very confident in herself.
"The questions my brother told me about were very simple; I could answer them all."
"Alright, let's arrange to meet in two days. The court will be on holiday, and Tianxing Tower will be even more lively then. I'll take you there."
By the way, Tianxinglou has a new Hero's Feast menu, it's delicious, I'll invite you to try it sometime.
Wu Yumin was delighted to hear this: "Then it's a deal."
"Okay, it's a deal."
After chatting with Wu Yumin for a while, Xie Yunyu found her to be lively, cute, unconventional, and with a very likable personality.
"By the way, what dishes are served at the Heroes' Feast?"
"Actually, it was created by my second brother based on characters and materials from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Legend of the Condor Heroes."
It includes dishes like Zhang Fei Beef, Xi Shi Tofu, Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon, and "Who Can Hear the Plum Blossoms Falling on the Jade Flute?" And so on.
"Oh, Sister Xie, does this Tianxing Tower belong to your family?"
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