Chapter 44 What you asked for, I have already considered...
Li's mother has recently made great progress in learning to read.
People are really strange sometimes. When they first start learning something new, they can't seem to absorb it no matter what they do, and sometimes they can't even understand what they hear. But from that moment on, it's like they have an epiphany, and suddenly they can understand it, comprehend it, and even apply what they've learned to other situations.
Looking at the several rows of large characters she had copied on the paper, Li's mother asked Cui Cui with a pleased expression, "How is it? The horizontal and vertical lines are straight, not bad, right?"
Cui Cui smiled and said, "That's very good, the old lady is very clever."
Li's mother: "It's all thanks to Susu's good teaching."
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "That depends on whether Mother is willing to learn."
Li's mother sighed, "Learning to read isn't that hard! Once you memorize some common and simple words, you can usually guess the meaning of the unfamiliar ones by considering the context. If I had known it wasn't as difficult as I thought, I should have listened to Shi Tou and started learning to read earlier. Maybe with my memory back then, I could have remembered even more words than I do now!"
Lou Xueying: "It's not too late now."
The more Li's mother thought about it, the more impressed she felt with herself, and decided to reward herself: "Susu, how about we go shopping this afternoon!"
Lou Xueying was pleasantly surprised to hear that she had asked to go shopping: "Great! Where would you like to go, Mother?"
Li's mother: "Let's go on a boat ride! I've never been on a boat before!"
Lou Xueying: "There are many kinds of boats. Would you like to take a small boat or a big boat, Mother? You can charter a boat, no matter the size."
Li's mother: "There are many of us, how about we charter a small boat?"
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "Okay, I'll definitely take care of it for Mother."
After lunch and a nap, Lou Xueying took Li's mother out.
This time, they arrived at the riverside street, where a row of shops lined the banks, their wine flags fluttering and the aroma of food wafting through the air. Upstairs, there were elegant seats by the window, offering a panoramic view of the winding Jade Belt River; downstairs, vendors carried their wares on shoulder poles, hawking their wares as they walked the streets, amidst throngs of tourists, shoulder to shoulder.
Not far away, a tall white stone covered bridge spans the river. Pedestrians hurry across the bridge or stop to admire the scenery. Several small boats glide slowly beneath the bridge. Some are bamboo rafts, with a dark-skinned boatman standing on each raft, several baskets of fresh fish beside him. If a merchant or individual traveler wants to buy, the boatman will row the raft to the shore, complete the transaction, and continue on his way. Others are passenger boats for a dozen or so people, where passengers sit inside, eating fruits and snacks while curiously gazing at the shore.
Lou Xueying said, "Mother, we'll go ride on one of those boats later."
Li's mother clicked her tongue and said, "They really know how to enjoy life."
“This isn’t even the most luxurious thing,” Lou Xueying said with a smile. “There are even more extravagant things that Mother hasn’t seen.”
She led Li's mother onto the white stone covered bridge in front of them. Standing on the bridge, they looked into the distance and could see a wider expanse of water.
Besides some small boats moving slowly on the vast water, there were also two or three ornately decorated pleasure boats. Even from a distance, when they were not clearly visible, one could hear the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments drifting across the water.
Lou Xueying said, "There aren't many now. The most will be around dusk and before curfew. At that time, some pleasure boats will hire singing girls to accompany them. If two pleasure boats hire singing girls at the same time, they will have to compete with each other. The better the singing girl sings, the more face the pleasure boat will have, and the more reward money the singing girl will receive. The boats next to it can also enjoy listening to the music. It will be even more lively then."
Li's mother said, "Oh dear, don't you find it windy and cold at night? Are there any martial arts actors who are good at somersaults and have a good time performing on the boat? That old woman would like to enjoy the night breeze."
Lou Xueying chuckled and said, "If Mother is willing to pay, there will naturally be plenty of people eager to perform for her."
Li's mother quickly waved her hand again: "I was just joking. I can't let the old man in the underworld hear me and say that I'm enjoying this kind of blessing."
The two stood at the bridgehead, chatting and laughing, while Cai Ling, Cuicui, and the others following behind them leaned against the bridge railing, chattering away.
After they had enjoyed the view for a while, Lou Xueying said, "There's a dock ahead with several passenger boats moored there. Did you see them, Mother?"
Li's mother nodded: "I saw it."
Lou Xueying: "We'll go there to board the boat right away. There will be fruits and drinks on board, all included in the fare. Mother, please feel free to eat. Oh, and if you get seasick, I've prepared some pills. Just put one under your tongue beforehand, and you won't feel seasick."
Mother Li smiled and said, "Susu is so thoughtful! What are we waiting for? Let's go quickly."
Lou Xueying then turned around and beckoned to Cailing: "Bring the medicine."
Just then, a vendor carrying a shoulder pole passed by her. Lou Xueying didn't notice and was bumped by the heavy basket on the pole. She stumbled, lost her balance, and fell straight down.
The bridge was an arched bridge, and Lou Xueying couldn't stop herself for a moment. She stumbled and fell uncontrollably down the curved bridge surface.
"Madam!" The servant from the Marquis's mansion who was accompanying them reacted a beat too late and didn't catch up in time. He watched helplessly as Lou Xueying bumped into the shoulder of a tourist who was coming onto the bridge from the other side.
She swayed, her veiled hat was knocked off, and she spun half a circle before the other person grabbed her arm and brought her to a stop.
Lou Xueying subconsciously looked up and saw a face very close to hers.
With delicate and handsome features, gentle and warm eyes, and a tall and elegant figure like a bamboo shoot, he exuded a dignified and refreshing air.
A long wind swept across the river, stirring up shimmering fragments of light. The veil that had fallen onto the bridge rustled and moved, the snow-white gauze curtains fluttering and rising in the wind.
The other person stared blankly at Lou Xueying for a few moments, then suddenly released her, took half a step back, and smiled gently: "Is Miss alright?"
As if struck by lightning, Lou Xueying's face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Swoosh..." Yao Biyue, standing beside the man, was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
"Are you alright? Are you alright?" Li's mother hurried over and gently helped Lou Xueying up, asking in a low voice, "Did you bump into anything?"
Lou Xueying snapped out of her daze, her heart filled with turmoil. She completely forgot her normal reaction and instinctively grabbed Li's mother and ran away.
"Hey? Who was that girl just now? She called you, why didn't you answer her?" Li's mother asked in surprise as she turned around.
The girl seemed to be looking at them with surprise as well, and she and the man remained standing still.
Lou Xueying's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat: "Don't worry about her. Mother, let's take the boat."
Cai Ling: "Oh dear, the veil!"
Lou Xueying: "Never mind that, let's go!"
She gritted her teeth, her calves trembling with every step, and quickly led Li's mother off the bridge toward the dock.
Li's mother asked, "Was that your friend? Isn't it a bit inappropriate for him to just leave like that?"
Lou Xueying's forehead was covered in sweat, and her voice trembled as she said, "Mother, can't you see? She's looking at potential partners. How can I disturb her?"
Madam Li suddenly realized: "Oh, I was wondering why. That young master is so handsome. Which family does he come from?"
Lou Xueying: "I...I don't know."
Cai Ling suddenly realized who was looking at Yao Biyue, and her eyes widened in shock as she looked at Lou Xueying.
Lou Xueying glanced at her, signaling her not to say anything out of line.
Cai Ling didn't even dare to turn her head, and muttered, "This servant will go charter a boat."
He then ran off quickly.
On the white stone covered bridge, the prince still stood with his hands behind his back, gazing for a long time at the figure in the distance that had become a small dot, and asked Yao Biyue, "Do you know that woman from just now?"
Yao Biyue honestly replied, "I know him."
Crown Prince: "Which family's daughter is she?"
Yao Biyue: "She is the wife of Marquis Wu'an, and the daughter of Supervisor Lou."
The Crown Prince was taken aback and turned his gaze to Yao Biyue: "The wife of the Marquis of Wu'an?"
“That’s right.” Yao Biyue felt something was off, but she didn’t dare to think about why she felt something was off. She could only bite the bullet and say, “The person with her just now was the mother of Marquis Wu’an, the old lady of the Marquis’s mansion.”
The crown prince's gaze sharpened slightly.
The wife of the Marquis of Wu'an... Yes, I hadn't noticed before, but now that I think about it, it does seem to be a woman's hairstyle.
The crown prince pursed his lips and asked again, "Since we know each other, why did you leave without saying a word?"
Yao Biyue thought to herself, judging from Susu's flustered appearance just now, she must have guessed who you are. She's already suspecting that you're going to be replaced as heir, so how could she dare to stay here for long?
However, he said nonchalantly, "She is my friend. She knows that I have been in contact with His Highness recently. She probably guesses who His Highness is, which is why she dares not to point it out."
The Crown Prince realized that it was inappropriate for him to pull the Lady of Wu'an Marquis's arm in front of the old lady of the Marquis's mansion, so he said no more.
Yao Biyue tentatively asked, "Your Highness, shall we continue?"
The crown prince nodded.
Yao Biyue and the Crown Prince continued walking towards the bridge. When they reached the highest point, the Crown Prince rested his arms on the bridge railing, watching the boats passing by on the water, and remained silent.
Yao Biyue thought he was thinking about something like this being his empire, so she said, "This place is the most prosperous place for water trade in the capital. This prosperity is inseparable from the hard work of His Majesty, His Highness, and the officials of various departments."
To everyone's surprise, the Crown Prince said, "Miss Yao, I have already considered what you have said."
Yao Biyue looked around. All around her were guards of the Eastern Palace disguised as servants and ordinary tourists. She kept a slight distance from them, but not too far away.
The crown prince spoke softly, just enough for the two of them to hear.
Yao Biyue then said softly, "Your Highness, please speak."
The Empress ordered her to take the Crown Prince on a clandestine tour of the countryside. Her family was overjoyed when they heard the news. Her mother even pulled out a fine zither from somewhere and solemnly handed it to her, saying that His Majesty liked the zither and that she should give it to the Crown Prince to help him through his recent troubles.
She asked her mother, "Where did the piano come from in the house?"
But her mother said, "Why do you care so much? Anyway, I had to pull some strings to get it. Such a good instrument is rare, so you must seize the opportunity."
Yao Biyue had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.
However, she didn't want the Crown Prince to actually choose her as his wife because of this zither. So, she took a risk, adhering to the principle of exchanging sincerity for sincerity. After presenting the zither, she told the Crown Prince that she did not want to marry into the Eastern Palace. She also said that the zither was her bribe to the Crown Prince, and hoped that he would find another suitable partner for the sake of this excellent zither.
The crown prince wasn't angry, just a little surprised. After listening, he didn't give an immediate reply, only saying that he needed to think about it.
When Yao Biyue saw that he had put away the zither but hadn't given her a definite answer, her heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that he initially didn't fancy her, but suddenly discovered that she was so sincere and genuine, unlike other women who fawned over the powerful, and thus suddenly became interested in her?
That's how it's written in storybooks, just read it and don't take it as reality!
She prayed silently the whole way, thinking she would only get an answer after the day was over, but unexpectedly, the prince made up his mind halfway through the shopping trip.
The Crown Prince said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. I understand that Miss Yao does not wish to marry me. I will explain this to the Empress Dowager afterward. Please rest assured, Miss Yao, I will find another reason and will not let your reputation be damaged."
Yao Biyue was deeply moved upon hearing this. She hadn't expected the Crown Prince to be as gentle and kind as the rumors suggested! He had resolved everything for her, so she had no more worries!
"Thank you, Your Highness." In return, Yao Biyue couldn't help but remind him again, "By the way, the zither I presented to Your Highness today was crafted by a master craftsman. Your Highness loves the zither, and I hope it can always comfort Your Highness's heart and bring you joy every day."
The Crown Prince was skilled in playing the zither, but the Emperor was the most renowned for his love of the instrument. The Crown Prince, presumably considering who would be more suited to the instrument, nodded and said, "Miss Yao is very thoughtful."
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