Chapter 23 My Lord, it is daytime now.
After reviewing the last memorial, Emperor Jinghui leaned back on his dragon throne, let out a long sigh, and stretched his limbs.
Eunuch Zheng said, "It's just noon. Would Your Majesty like the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the meal?"
Emperor Jinghui thought for a moment and said, "It's been a while since I've been to the Empress's palace. Let's have a meal there today."
"Yes," Eunuch Zheng said with a smile. "This old servant will send someone to inform the Imperial Kitchen. His Majesty's visit will also allow him to have a chat with His Highness the Crown Prince, who usually dine in the Empress's palace."
Sure enough, as soon as Emperor Jinghui arrived at the Empress's palace, he saw the Crown Prince sitting with the Empress.
The two had already received word that the emperor was coming, so they were not surprised to see Emperor Jinghui. They simply smiled, stood up, and bowed.
Emperor Jinghui waved his hand and took his seat.
The palace servants served the dishes methodically and then withdrew to the door. The Empress asked with a smile, "What brings Your Majesty to dine with me today?"
Emperor Jinghui said, “When I went to court today, I saw that the position of Marquis of Wu’an was vacant, and I was a little unaccustomed to it. But when I thought that he had finally gotten married, I felt relieved. If I had said this to anyone else, no one would have dared to respond, so I came to chat with you and Ji’er for a few minutes.”
The Empress said, "It is indeed quite unreasonable that Marquis Wu'an is twenty-eight years old and still unmarried. It is only because His Majesty is benevolent that he is so. Otherwise, if it were one of those incompetent rulers, they would have thought that he was acting strangely and harboring ulterior motives because he was not married for so long.
"He doesn't necessarily harbor ulterior motives, but some things are best avoided if possible," Emperor Jinghui said. "Ji'er, you attended the ceremony yesterday. How did you feel about Marquis Wu'an's mood?"
The prince replied, "It's about the same as usual; I can't tell if he's happy or unhappy."
"That means he's not very happy." Emperor Jinghui shook his head. "But he didn't want to get married in the first place, which is normal. I just don't know if things will change after the marriage. I heard that Lady Lou is extremely beautiful and has a gentle personality. Perhaps in a few days, Marquis Wu'an will know what a wonderful marriage I have bestowed upon him."
The Crown Prince said, “From what I can see, Marquis Wu’an doesn’t seem to dislike Lady Lou. Yesterday, when Lady Lou entered the house, she tripped on the threshold. Marquis Wu’an was quick-witted and helped her up, thus preventing her from being embarrassed.”
As he spoke, he couldn't help but think of the veil fluttering in the wind.
Just from that small glimpse of her chin, you can tell that there is indeed a beauty inside.
"Oh? It seems that Marquis Wu'an isn't entirely oblivious to romance." Emperor Jinghui's expression relaxed for a moment, but then he seemed to remember something and became serious again. "Now that he has settled down in the capital, I should also give him a position as an official in the capital so that I can take back the military power in the Northwest. However, some people are clinging to their own petty interests and refuse to give up, and there are indeed no vacant positions available for Marquis Wu'an, which really annoys me."
The Crown Prince said, “Father, do not worry. Now that Marquis Wu’an has formed a marriage alliance with the Lou family, if Marquis Wu’an does not hold a real position in the capital for a long time, the Lou family will be the first to become restless. The Lou family will handle the connections, and Father can simply reap the benefits.”
Empress: "It's a pity that Marquis Wu'an rejected His Majesty's original marriage proposal. His Majesty couldn't force him, and the Lou family got the better deal. The Lou family was already powerful, and now that they've formed a marriage alliance with Marquis Wu'an, even if they didn't have any ambitions to begin with, they'll probably be fed up with them."
“That’s alright. The Lou family has been in the capital for so many years, it’s impossible for them to be completely innocent. It just depends on whether Father Emperor wants to intervene,” the Crown Prince said. “Of course, if Marquis Wu’an has no ulterior motives and the Lou family behaves themselves, then they are naturally worthy of being the backbone of our Great Yue. Father Emperor could certainly give them an important position. The children born to their two families are bound to be good. Given time, they might become a fierce general or a wise official.”
"My son understands me best!" Emperor Jinghui laughed a few times, patted the Crown Prince's shoulder, then remembered something and his smile faded. "You still have the mind to care about Marquis Wu'an! Let me ask you, you will be coming of age soon, and your aunt has held two flower-viewing banquets. It's one thing that you didn't find a young lady you liked, but your mother and aunt did find someone they liked, so why didn't you accept them?"
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's spirits dampened, and he sighed, saying, "Father, why must I be in such a hurry? Compared to Marquis Wu'an, I am still young!"
"He is him, and you are you. He has an excuse to fight abroad, but if you delay in getting married, your ministers will only think that you are unsettled and unable to shoulder great responsibilities!" Emperor Jinghui said in a deep voice. "Tell me the truth, is there a girl you like, but she is not of high enough status to be on your mother's or your aunt's list?"
The Grand Princess hosted two flower-viewing banquets. The first one was marred by bad weather and heavy rain, leaving the young ladies somewhat disheveled. It was understandable that the Crown Prince, observing from the shadows, didn't find anything appealing. However, last month, the Grand Princess hosted another flower-viewing banquet. This time, the weather was fine and the young ladies were all vying for attention with their beauty. The Crown Prince again reluctantly sat in the shadows for a while, but still didn't find anything he liked.
The Empress said from the side, "I have already asked Ji'er, but he has no one in his heart, he just doesn't find anyone he likes."
"Where do you get so many suitors? There are only so many eligible young ladies in the capital. Since none of them are to your liking, then find one that your mother likes. What difference does it make who you marry?" Emperor Jinghui said with a serious expression.
The crown prince was clearly somewhat dissatisfied, but dared not directly defy the emperor, so he remained silent.
The Empress advised, "Ji'er, it's understandable that you want to marry someone you like, and I didn't force anyone on you right away. But since you don't have anyone you like and you still have to get married eventually, why not try getting to know one of them? What if she doesn't look good to you, but you find that you get along well? If you really can't get along, you can always find someone else."
"Your subject... still feels that this is too hasty and short-sighted," the Crown Prince said in a low voice.
Emperor Jinghui snorted coldly: "You were made crown prince at birth. Why didn't you think I was too eager for quick success back then? Why didn't you let me wait for a prince to catch my eye? Now you seem to think I'm too eager for quick success." He looked at the empress, "Which young lady have you taken a fancy to? Tell me."
The Empress said gently, “Your Majesty, I think Yao Biyue, the youngest daughter of the Vice Minister of Agriculture, is quite suitable. Her grandfather was once the Minister of Works, and her family has excellent traditions. She herself is well-read and quite talented. According to the Grand Princess, this Yao girl is beautiful, lively, and amiable, and has a generous and open-minded personality. Before, when it rained at the banquet, many young ladies looked uncomfortable and were at a loss because they were soaked. Only she, although her skirt was stained with mud, remained calm and composed, chatting and laughing with others, completely unaffected by external things. In my opinion, someone as picky as Ji’er should find a Crown Princess who is broad-minded and not petty.”
"A daughter of the Yao family?" Emperor Jinghui thought for a moment and nodded. "Very well, let's give it a try. If they don't get along, then we'll find another one." He then glanced at the Crown Prince. "Looking at each other is fine, but if they're not suitable, that's fine too. But don't do anything reckless to ruin the marriage. If word gets out, it won't do you any good for your reputation."
The Crown Prince said sullenly, "Your subject dares not."
With the important matters concluded, there was nothing else to discuss. The three of them quietly finished their lunch, and Emperor Jinghui returned to his palace to prepare for his afternoon rest.
After Eunuch Zheng finished setting up the curtains and was about to leave, he suddenly heard Emperor Jinghui call out softly from inside the tent, "Zheng Rui."
Eunuch Zheng quickly replied, "This old servant is here."
"You say that Li Pan doesn't want me to arrange a marriage, and neither does Ji'er. Is it because they are both dissatisfied with me?"
"Your Majesty is overthinking it," Eunuch Zheng bowed and said. "This old servant dares to speculate that they are not dissatisfied with Your Majesty, but perhaps simply want to find a wife they like. Although arranged marriages are the norm, forced marriages are never happy. Wasn't Your Majesty worried about provoking the Marquis of Wu'an's rebellion, which is why you ultimately didn't arrange the marriage? As for the later bestowal of a marriage, it was only because the Marquis of Wu'an first approached Miss Lou that Your Majesty went along with it. His Highness the Crown Prince is just proud and ordinary women don't meet his standards. He's not really dissatisfied with Your Majesty. Otherwise, think about it, he doesn't like listening to what the Empress says either."
Emperor Jinghui chuckled. After laughing, he seemed somewhat melancholy.
“It really is time for things to be different. Young people these days all have their own ideas…” he said slowly. “When I was young, I didn’t have their audacity. My father bestowed this marriage upon me, and I dared not utter a single word of objection, for fear of angering him. Time flies by, and so many years have passed. Looking back now, there’s nothing wrong with it, nothing good either. It’s just been so ordinary and uneventful.”
Eunuch Zheng said, "If Your Majesty is feeling depressed, why not have a musician play some music this afternoon to help you relax?"
"Forget it," Emperor Jinghui said. "I saw what they arranged last time, and it was the same. There was nothing wrong with it, but nothing good either. It was too neat and orderly, like they were just trying to get something done for me. It was meaningless."
Eunuch Zheng remained silent.
After a while, Emperor Jinghui asked again, "Is there still no news from the Five-Tone Qin Workshop?"
Eunuch Zheng said, "The shop owner said that he hasn't seen that 'Shu Jun' since."
Emperor Jinghui: "She has never disappeared for this long before. Could something have happened to her?"
Eunuch Zheng: "We'll have to investigate to find out."
Emperor Jinghui remained silent for a moment, then said, "Zheng Rui, you should know that the reason I haven't investigated her identity is because I don't want to cross this line. Once I do, this line will easily be crossed again and again."
Eunuch Zheng bowed even deeper: "This old servant only wants to make Your Majesty happier. If someone can relieve Your Majesty's worries, what does it matter whether that person is from inside or outside the palace?"
Emperor Jinghui let out a deep breath.
Eunuch Zheng never straightened his back.
After a long silence, Emperor Jinghui finally said, "Alright, go and investigate."
Eunuch Zheng replied, "Yes."
He rose slightly and quickly left the bedchamber.
-
Lou Xueying was led by Li Pan on a tour of the Marquis's mansion, where she learned about all the layouts.
This morning, Lou Xueying was busy with housework with Steward Lü and strolling around the Marquis's mansion. She rarely had such a busy time. After a round of this, it was lunchtime again.
She and Li Pan went to Li's mother's courtyard for lunch and saw that Cuicui had brought out the leftover steamed bun from the morning again, so she couldn't help but laugh.
Li Pan thought she was laughing at him for eating so much, but he didn't care. He just said, "What are you laughing at? I'm eating the food from the Marquis's mansion, not the Lou family's. How can I have the energy to do things if I don't eat my fill? Although you are now in charge of the household, you can't skimp on the Marquis's mansion's food allowance."
"How could I skimp on the meal money and let the Marquis go hungry? I wouldn't get any benefit from that." Lou Xueying smiled and put a piece of fish on his plate. "Please eat with peace of mind, Marquis. I've removed all the bones."
Li's mother exclaimed, "Goodness, you're spoiling him like this! I, as his mother, have never even removed fish bones for him!"
Before, they couldn't afford fish; now, she doesn't even need to pick them. That Stone is so lucky! Others would dream of marrying a woman like him, yet she's determined to marry him no matter what!
Li Pan stared at the fish in the bowl in shock, and after a long while, he managed to stammer out, "...No need, I can pick it myself."
Lou Xueying: "Your Excellency is eating so much, I'm afraid you might choke if you're not paying attention."
“It’s alright, you eat by yourself, don’t worry about me.” Li Pan cleared his throat. “How could I be so careless as to get a thorn stuck in my throat so easily? Those barbarian scoundrels must be laughing in their sleep.”
Lou Xueying said gently, "Alright, then please be careful, Your Highness."
She then looked at Li's mother, who was flattered and covered her bowl, saying, "I can pick them myself, you don't need to do it!"
Lou Xueying then stopped and didn't force them.
Actually, she was just trying to show off her domestic skills; she didn't really enjoy deboning fish for others. After all, at her own home, the fish was always deboned before being served, so she didn't have to do it herself.
But Li's mother and Li Pan are both good people, and she is willing to be a dutiful and responsible daughter-in-law in front of them.
After finishing their meal, Lou Xueying and Li Pan returned to their own courtyard.
Hearing footsteps, Cai Ling peeked out from the side room, intending to ask if there was anything she needed to do, but seeing them holding hands, she gave a cryptic smile and withdrew her head back inside.
Li Pan saw this, paused for a moment, and turned to Lou Xueying, saying, "Have your maid tell the water room to bring two buckets of water, lukewarm is fine."
Lou Xueying asked in confusion, "What's it for?"
Li Pan: "I ran two laps this morning and sweated a bit, so I just wiped myself off."
Lou Xueying was a little surprised.
So clean? I never would have guessed! Was he like this in the military too?
However, Li Pan was fond of cleanliness, so she was naturally pleased and said, "For such a small matter, the Marquis can just instruct Cai Ling directly. Why do you need me to relay it?"
Li Pan said, "I can't just order around your dowry maids. Once there are servants in this courtyard, each with their own duties, I won't need to use them anymore."
Lou Xueying thought to herself that he was quite sensible, so she went and knocked on Cailing's window.
Cai Ling left after receiving the instructions, while Li Pan and Lou Xueying went inside.
The servants from the water room quickly brought water. Li Pan went into the washroom to wash up quickly. When he came out, he saw that Lou Xueying had already removed her hairpins, changed into her nightgown, and was about to lie down on the bed. He hesitated and asked, "Are you going to sleep again?"
Lou Xueying paused for a moment: "Does Your Excellency have anything else to say?"
She had just finished eating and was feeling sleepy. Besides, the midday sun was so strong, and there was nothing to do outside. She might as well lie down and rest for a while. She still had to call out all the servants in the Marquis's mansion in the afternoon and give them a thorough dressing-down. She was quite tired.
Besides, didn't he already change into his pajamas?
“…It’s nothing, go to sleep, I’ll sleep for a while too.” Li Pan walked over, lowered the window screen, pulled back the blanket, and lay down next to her.
The light in the room suddenly dimmed. Lou Xueying and Li Pan lay side by side. She instinctively felt something was wrong, so she turned around and lay down with her back to Li Pan.
But Li Pan's heavy breathing kept echoing behind her, making her restless and unable to fall asleep.
“…rustling.” He suddenly whispered.
Lou Xueying tensed her back and gave a soft "hmm".
"Can I call you that too?"
“Of course you can,” Lou Xueying said softly. “Your Excellency can call me whatever you like.”
"Can we go to sleep later?" he asked. "Let's do something else first."
Lou Xueying didn't seem inclined to respond: "..."
Li Pan, however, stood up on his own, gently turned her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "What do you think?"
His hot breath hit her face, making her shiver involuntarily.
What do you mean, "however"? She knew he hadn't had enough fun last night! No wonder he suddenly wanted to wash up in the middle of the day; so that's what he was planning!
Lou Xueying blushed deeply, buried herself in the quilt to avoid his gaze, and said in a muffled voice, "My lord, it's daytime now."
Li Pan, however, shamelessly said, "It's alright. No one's guarding the door right now. Everyone's in their own rooms, so who can hear us? Besides, I've already prepared the water. I only used one bucket just now, and there's another bucket of warm water. It's clean and untouched. I'll wipe it up for you when I'm done, and no one will notice."
Men are just like that. Last night she acted all proper and even had to take the initiative, but today she's prepared all the things for daytime debauchery. What kind of behavior is this!
Lou Xueying said angrily, "I have to meet someone this afternoon!"
Li Pan coaxed, "You are the Lady of the Marquis, they all have to listen to you. If you don't want to see her, can anyone force you to? It's the same if you see her tomorrow."
"No, no," Lou Xueying refused. "I've only just married into this family. If I just stay inside and don't go out, people will definitely guess what's going on and will laugh at me behind my back."
Li Pan: "Really not going to work?"
"It really won't work," Lou Xueying said.
Although she said that, she lacked confidence. If Li Pan really wanted to do it, she wouldn't have kicked him out of bed. After all, she had been so determined to marry him, and it was strange that she refused to sleep with him the very next day.
"Alright." Li Pan sighed regretfully and lay back down. "If it doesn't work out, then forget it."
Upon hearing this, Lou Xueying turned around in surprise to look at him. Seeing that he had really lay down and didn't seem to be being sarcastic, she couldn't help but bite her lip.
"I...I don't mean I don't want to be with the Marquis...it's just...the timing isn't right..." she explained weakly.
"Hmm, I know you're shy. I was being presumptuous." Li Pan reached out and casually ruffled the back of her head, saying, "If you don't want to do it, then don't. Go to sleep, I won't touch you."
Is he really that easy to talk to?
Last time she fell into the water, he saw through her disguise at a glance. Lou Xueying was afraid that he would secretly doubt her feelings for him this time and have some inexplicable thoughts. After hesitating for a moment, she still leaned in, gently held his five fingers, kissed his lips, and said carefully, "Wait until tonight... tonight will be fine, my lord, please don't be angry."
Li Pan couldn't help but smile.
Why was he angry? He was being coaxed like this by a delicate young lady who was so infatuated with him. It was as if even a stone could bloom.
"I'm not angry." He took the opportunity to ruffle her round head again. "Go to sleep."
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