Chapter 246 Ignorance
Emperor Xiao Jing had no doubt that Empress Xu would secretly sabotage the situation and prevent Minister Qian's granddaughter from appearing there.
No matter how much Empress Xu had her own ulterior motives, she still had this much magnanimity.
However, if my own little Qi says she didn't see it, then it can only mean... she really didn't see it!
Or maybe there were just too many people at the time and Xiaoqi didn't notice.
Or maybe Xiaoqi was just too busy eating to notice this person...
Of course, regardless of the reason, Emperor Xiao Jing knew that Minister Qian's granddaughter was out of the running...
"Alright, I've only heard that there is such a person. If you haven't seen him, then so be it," Emperor Xiao Jing quickly added.
These words had a completely different meaning to the Seventh Prince.
Could it be that...
"Father, apart from my cousin, all the young ladies who went today are only sixteen or seventeen years old," the Seventh Prince reminded him.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Emperor Xiao Jing asked, somewhat puzzled.
Does that mean Xiao Qi doesn't like older children? Wait, doesn't she have younger ones too?
“You… already have Consort Die, and she’s not old, so please don’t bring any more people into the palace…” the Seventh Prince said, forcing himself to speak.
Emperor Xiao Jing...
Have I spoiled this kid too much? He's probably the only one in the entire palace who dares to say something like that!
"I have no interest in that. Can you please stop reading those stories? And you should visit your aunt's house less often in the future."
"Go visit your maternal grandfather's house more often," Emperor Xiao Jing said irritably.
The seventh prince immediately shut his mouth and dared not speak.
Emperor Xiao Jing calmed himself down, glanced at the Seventh Prince again, and then spoke.
"You're having barbecue in the courtyard, aren't any of Prime Minister Xu's family members with you?"
"Yes! Madam Xu's granddaughter, the Empress Dowager's niece, Xu Roujia, is here, always accompanying her," the Seventh Prince said with a grin.
Emperor Xiao Jing was overjoyed to hear what the seventh prince said.
See, not only did he clearly explain the relationships, but he even proactively revealed the other person's name.
It seems there's hope...
"Oh? Roujia? I haven't seen her in a long time."
You probably haven't seen her either; she hasn't been to the palace since she was five years old.
"How is she? What do you think of her?" Emperor Xiao Jing asked with a smile.
Without a second thought, the Seventh Prince said, "She talks a lot."
Emperor Xiao Jing...
What do you mean by "talkative"? I've never heard of Hsu Rou-Chia being talkative!
I've always heard Empress Xu say that this niece is the most like her, so how could she be so talkative?
Is it because he only talks a lot when he sees Xiao Qi?
However, Emperor Xiao Jing quickly realized what was going on. It seemed that the Xu family was determined to get the position of the prince's consort!
Thinking of this, Emperor Xiao Jing suddenly felt that perhaps Empress Xu was right.
The Xu family is already so wealthy; it's not appropriate to add to their already splendid wealth...
But the Xu family also had their own ulterior motives!
"Oh? Why are you talking so much?" Emperor Xiao Jing continued to ask.
"No matter what we said, she could always chime in. Eventually, we stopped talking and just listened to her."
However, she was indeed very knowledgeable. Not only was she proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she was also well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics.
"She even knows about things in the North, which I admire quite a bit," the Seventh Prince said honestly.
"That's not called being talkative, that's called being well-read and knowledgeable."
"Do you think everyone is like you, keeping storybooks by your pillow every day, as if you're afraid others won't know you love reading them?" Emperor Xiao Jing said.
The seventh prince chuckled but remained silent.
Emperor Xiao Jing sighed inwardly.
What do you mean by talking a lot? This must have been prepared in advance. Knowing that Xiao Qi is interested in the North, she probably crammed some information about the North!
Sigh, this Xu Roujia has some ulterior motives!
However, Emperor Xiao Jing thought that this was a princess consort who would be going to the northern lands with Xiao Qi in the future, so he felt relieved.
Can a prince's wife survive without being shrewd? How can she survive without being shrewd?
So... it seems like there's nothing wrong with what Hsu Rou-chia did.
"Besides Xu Roujia, is there no one else here?" Emperor Xiao Jing continued to ask.
"Of course, there are my cousins, including my cousin Yao, my cousin Yu, and my cousins."
Oh, and the Prime Minister's great-grandsons too.
However, they were all very small, like little radish heads.
"Oh, right, there's one more person, General Huangfu's youngest daughter, Huangfu Ruoxi, is also here." The Seventh Prince counted heads for Emperor Xiao Jing.
"The youngest daughter of the Marquis of Changsheng? The one who likes to practice swordsmanship?" Emperor Xiao Jing asked deliberately.
The Seventh Prince looked delighted.
"Father, you also know Huangfu Ruoxi? She and my cousin Yu both like to practice martial arts."
Also, she said she had been riding a horse for a long time and could even shoot arrows while riding, though she wasn't very accurate.
And most importantly, she may have eaten it.
She loves meat and ate this whole plate of meat by herself.
Ordinary families really can't afford to raise them.
However, like her cousin Yu, she enjoys playing with knives and guns, so it's normal that she eats a lot.
"Watching her eat makes me unconsciously eat a little more myself," the Seventh Prince muttered.
Emperor Xiao Jing...
"You...talked to her a lot?"
"It was alright, not much. We just talked about horseback riding and asked her about the northern regions."
She said that in the north, the soldiers also enjoyed eating roasted meat.
But unlike what we ate yesterday, they just set up a fire, put up a simple rack, and started grilling.
Father, do the soldiers in the north really eat roasted meat like this?
"I really want to go and see the North!" the Seventh Prince continued to sigh.
After listening to the Seventh Prince say so much, Emperor Xiao Jing was at a loss for words.
It's obvious that his Xiao Qi seems to pay more attention to this girl...
“Father, we even discussed it together. When we’re a little older, it will be springtime and not so cold anymore.”
We're all going to the North together!
Father, you must let your son go then!
"Is it okay?" the Seventh Prince continued to whine.
Emperor Xiao Jing was still pondering which option to choose when the Seventh Prince shook his sleeve, bringing him back to his senses.
"Ah? Alright, I'll send people to escort you all the way there."
Oh, right, you haven't told your mother about these things yet!
Go to your mother's place. By the way, I'd like something light for dinner tonight.
After Emperor Xiao Jing agreed, the Seventh Prince did not forget to confirm it.
"Father, your word is law, you can't go back on your word!"
"I won't go back on my word, I will definitely let you go."
You'd better go to your mother's side right away!
Watching the Seventh Prince leave happily, Emperor Xiao Jing began to worry.
Which one should I choose?
It's not that he can't make decisions unilaterally, but he just doesn't want to see Xiao Qi and the prince's wife become a resentful couple in the future...
Furthermore, the Xu family already has an Empress and a Crown Princess; it's really not suitable for them to have another Prince's consort...
I'm a little worried...
Fortunately, Xiaoqi is still young, and she didn't seem to take it seriously at all today.
Let's wait and see. Maybe in two more years, when they're a bit older and more sensible...
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