Mostly Heartless Spring (Part 5)
As the only male heir of the Jiang family, Jiang Qin naturally had the obligation to continue the bloodline. It's true, Jiang Qin was the same age as Zhu Liji, and now that he was thirty, he didn't even have a single concubine by his side.
Jiang's father naturally did not want to see this situation. He openly and secretly conveyed messages to Zhu Liji, hoping to help Jiang Qin find a match.
With nothing else to do, Zhu Liji mentioned a few suitable candidates: "The Zhuang family's daughter is gentle and unassuming, the Li family's daughter is powerful and influential, and the Jiang family's daughter is devoted to you. In my opinion, they are all good choices."
"When a man gets married and establishes a career, all he wants is an easy life, such as managing the household and having children. There's no need to demand that the woman have any special talents; being gentle, virtuous, and obedient is enough."
“After all, marriage has always been a matter of love and profit.” Zhu Liji stamped his foot. “You are not getting any younger. Is there anyone you like among these people? I can ask the emperor for you.”
Even though the words are offensive, they are entirely from the heart.
Zhiwei secretly observed Jiang Qin's reaction.
If she were to choose, it would definitely be a daughter of the Chiang family.
The power dynamics surrounding marriage confused her; only sincerity truly resonated with her. If she were to be even more specific, she believed that if mutual affection couldn't be achieved, finding someone who liked her would surely bring her more happiness than someone she loved.
Jiang Qin ignored Zhu Liji's words, laughed it off, and steered the conversation back to political discourse. Zhu Liji stubbornly refused, so Jiang Qin steered the conversation back to political discourse.
Zhiwei and Zhu Mingyu watched as the two of them played a game of shuttlecock, each trying to outdo the other, creating an atmosphere of endless humor that no one else could understand. They couldn't find an opportunity to interject.
She was so bored that her eyelids drooped, and Jiang Qin seemed to finally lose patience, so they started talking about Zhu Liji's backyard.
"At the court assembly a few days ago, many ministers offered their advice, hoping that His Highness the Crown Prince would have many children," Jiang Qin said calmly.
Jiang Qin: "Is the Crown Princess aware of this matter?"
Zhiwei suddenly felt no longer sleepy.
Zhu Liji straightened his relaxed smile and said, "The time is not yet ripe."
"Do you think I don't know what those people are plotting? What 'spreading branches and leaves'? They just want to preserve their own bloodline so they can control the court in the future."
Zhu Liji's eyes darkened: "What talk of a gentle haven? Women only bring whispers in my ear. I have no interest in such vulgarity."
"What about Sheng'er? What if he doesn't have the potential to be a wise ruler in the future?" Zhiwei listened to the two talking and inexplicably thought of Zhu Sheng's wrinkled face as he was troubled by his studies. It would be extremely cruel to ask him to take on the responsibility of being the ruler in the future.
Zhiwei blurted out a question without thinking, a sharp and unexpected remark that startled everyone.
"No potential to be a wise ruler?" Zhu Liji repeated Zhiwei's words, then suddenly sneered, "So what if there is no potential? Birds must flap their wings ten thousand times to fly high, and even a slow horse can travel ten times the distance if it perseveres."
“If he has the heart to become a king, he will have to hone himself.” Zhu Liji’s tone was icy, as if the person he was talking about was not his own flesh and blood, but just a lifeless object.
Zhiwei couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Zhu Liji walked ahead and continued to mutter to himself, "But if he doesn't even have the ability to hone himself, then that's another path altogether."
"A nation needs wise and virtuous rulers; this is an eternal truth."
"As long as someone is capable, I don't care whose womb he came from, even if he is the crown prince."
Zhu Liji glanced at Zhiwei and warned her about her slip of the tongue.
Zhiwei dared not speak again, turned her head away sullenly, and hid behind Zhu Mingyu.
...
“Miss Zhiwei, Jingfang Garden is still ahead.” After walking for quite a distance, Jiang Qin broke the silence.
He was also carrying gifts he had brought back from the tribute mission, which he presumably intended to deliver to Jingfang Garden.
Jiang Qin was very polite, and Zhiwei didn't want to offend her any further. After exchanging glances with Zhu Mingyu, she quickly nodded and said, "Jingfang Garden is to the right of the corner ahead. If you don't mind, sir, please come inside for a cup of tea."
"In that case..." Before the word "trouble" could even leave his lips, Zhu Liji glared at him, "There are still matters of state to be discussed."
“The Imperial Study is on the left at the corner,” Zhu Liji said.
Left and right, two opposite directions, Jiang Qin has only two legs, and the choice is just around the corner.
After a moment's pause, Jiang Qin leaned down slightly.
"Thank you for your kindness, young lady," he said apologetically.
The four parted ways.
Jiang Tan followed Zhu Liji and turned left, while Zhiwei and the other two turned right.
——
A few days later, at Jingfang Garden.
A sliver of morning light peeked through the window and fell on the small mahogany table. A bright yellow scroll with auspicious five-colored cloud patterns lay open on the table, its words covered by a red seal on a marriage certificate.
Zhiwei slammed a thick ledger on the table with a "bang," making the colorful threads in the sewing basket next to her jump.
"Have those people in the Imperial Kitchen gone mad lately?" Zhiwei complained to Zhu Mingyu, who was sitting on a soft couch by the window, with her hands on her hips. "They keep saying they want to strive for perfection and hone their skills."
"To make a plum blossom cake, you have to grind the best lotus seeds and sift them three times. The amount of residue from sifting is more than the amount of flour used! It's the same with chicken soup. You skim off the foam so much that you almost skim off all the oil. It's just watery soup. What's the point of drinking it?"
He quickly manipulated the abacus in his hands, revealing a striking number.
Zhiwei held the abacus against Zhu Mingyu's chest: "In just half a month, we spent more money than we could spend in a month before."
The other day we were so focused on educating the people in the imperial kitchen to improve quality that the costs skyrocketed. Even though we know the royal family is footing the bill, in the end, any waste that can be cut is meaningless.
Zhiwei pushed aside half of Zhu Mingyu's buttocks and fell backward.
“It’s not just raw materials; even the purchase of daily necessities like rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea is far greater than before. At this rate, even mountains of gold and silver can’t withstand this kind of turmoil.” Zhiwei sat down with a thud, raising one leg. “I really need to have a serious talk with them.”
“We need to have a proper discussion about this.” Zhu Mingyu nodded, but his gaze was lowered. His large hand was holding a tiny embroidery needle, trying to manipulate the square of bright red silk in his hand, revealing a contrasting clumsiness.
On the red silk, a phoenix outlined in gold thread has begun to take shape, but its posture... well, it is a bit too majestic, and its tail feathers are a bit too short. At first glance, it looks a bit like a spirited rooster.
Zhiwei didn't get the reaction she wanted, and the "chicken" was also unbearable to look at. Feeling neglected, she slapped Zhu Mingyu's hand away.
"Listen to me!" Mianmian punched him.
Zhu Mingyu opened his mouth wide and leaned back exaggeratedly: "I didn't hear you say anything."
Zhiwei: "Do you understand that I need you to give me some feedback?"
Zhu Mingyu said aggrievedly, "I'm embroidering the veil and talking to you at the same time, so it's inevitable that I'll occasionally lose focus."
"Look, I'm busy right now." Zhu Mingyu pushed the red veil in front of Zhiwei, and the unshaped pheasant was really hard to look at.
Zhiwei turned her head to avoid him.
"Please spare me," she said.
With their wedding day approaching, Zhu Mingyu held in his hand the red veil needed for the wedding.
After the imperial decree for the marriage was issued, preparations quickly began. The customs of marriage in the Great Zhao Dynasty were complicated. While other things could be done by others, the custom of the bride personally embroidering a veil on her wedding day was something she had to do herself.
Zhiwei is alright at cooking, and not bad at other handicrafts either. But she absolutely cannot do these delicate tasks.
My hands trembled at the slightest touch, and I couldn't hold the needle steady at all.
Zhu Mingyu felt sorry for her and planned to sew it himself. Zhiwei also didn't want him to be ridiculed for doing handicrafts, so she would always ask him to come to Jingfang Garden in the palace so that he could do it in a place where no one else was around.
Zhiwei leaned closer to the veil, stretched out her fingertip, and gently poked the "phoenix's" head: "General Zhu, isn't your phoenix's tail a little short?"
"They look like fighting cocks," commented Yan Shanggong.
Zhu Mingyu's face turned red instantly, even his ears turned crimson.
He awkwardly withdrew his hand and muttered under his breath, "You're making fun of me again. Why don't you do it?"
Zhu Mingyu tried to sew a veil over Zhiwei's head, but Zhiwei quickly waved her hand, saying, "I'm busy too!"
She sat down on Zhu Mingyu's lap, grabbed his shirt collar with both hands, and shook him gently. Her voice trailed off, carrying a coquettish tone that she herself didn't realize: "There are so many things to do when getting married, choosing wedding clothes, taking care of everything... I'm not a superhuman. Besides, these kinds of delicate tasks are best left to you!"
"Our Mingyu is the best! He's skilled in both literature and martial arts, and he can even embroider!" Zhiwei's phoenix eyes sparkled. "Please, please, just help me embroider off my veil, okay?"
"I'm not falling for that." Zhu Mingyu felt a burning sensation in his heart from her gaze, but then remembered his principles and turned his head away.
In the courtyard, Shao Zhao was squatting in the corner, teasing a furry little wildcat with a blade of grass. The grass tip swayed gently, and the kitten pounced and jumped, emitting a soft "meow".
Inside the room, Zhiwei glanced at Zhu Mingyu, who was sulking, and her eyes lit up.
She picked up a juicy purple grape from the fruit plate. Leaning forward, she waved the grape in front of Zhu Mingyu's eyes, then gently pressed it against his tightly pursed lips.
"You're wrong, you're wrong, open your mouth." Her voice had a hint of coaxing.
Zhu Mingyu didn't even lift his eyelids, gave a muffled hum, and snatched the grape away in one bite.
"Sweetie." Zhiwei stroked Zhu Mingyu's head. Actually, she didn't want to always pour cold water on Zhu Mingyu, but Zhu Mingyu's temper was so good that there was no limit. She would always tease him unconsciously, and if she didn't care, she would go too far and then have to coax him.
Zhu Mingyu swallowed the grapes, his voice still muffled. Zhiwei felt guilty, and seeing his aggrieved look, her heart immediately softened.
She leaned close to his ear, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of mystery, "Don't be angry. I'll take you to a nice place that will make you feel better immediately, okay?"
Zhu Mingyu's ears twitched, he raised his eyelids, looking puzzled yet expectant, and coughed in a mock manner.
"...Where to?" he asked in a broken voice.
“I told you it’s a good place.” Zhiwei gently pinched Zhu Mingyu’s nose, choosing to remain mysterious. “Come find me at the Imperial Kitchen tonight. I have a surprise for you—but wait until the city patrol is over before you go. Don’t let anyone notice anything amiss.”
Zhu Mingyu nodded repeatedly.
But having expectations comes at a price. For example, Zhu Mingyu was absent-minded for the rest of the day.
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