This was the first time Caijin had ever seen her princess so sullen, and she thought to herself that the man in that room must be no good.
Who would arrange a private meeting with a girl? If the affair is exposed, the girl will be the one who suffers!
Furthermore, although Princess Yongle was a bit willful, she was still innocent at heart; otherwise, how could she have been so easily deceived by a scumbag!
"Your Highness, would you like to eat this dish?"
"Eat." After saying that, he added, "Go and settle the bill for Yongle's private room as well."
In the next private room, Yongle listlessly drank a glass of wine; none of the dishes on the table were to her liking. She looked at the handsome man sitting opposite her. He was a student at the Imperial Academy, and his father was only a fifth-rank official. By all accounts, he was marrying above his station.
But for some reason, I felt like I was under a spell, being led by the nose by him.
You say he's handsome? There are plenty of male prostitutes who are more handsome than him. A few days ago, someone gave Yuwen Xian a male prostitute; his face couldn't be described as just handsome, it was absolutely stunning.
You might say he's talented, but he's already in his teens and hasn't passed the imperial examination yet. Which scion of a prominent family in the capital didn't already have the title of Jinshi before the age of eighteen? Of course, connections and networks certainly played a part in that.
But this also indirectly shows that the man in front of us is talentless, immoral, and has no background!
"Yongle, please give me some more time. I will definitely handle things at home and give you an explanation!" The man's voice was firm, which improved Yongle's depressed mood considerably.
Yongle looked at him, and his eyes revealed a determination to do anything for her. She couldn't help but be moved and said, "I believe you. If you encounter any difficulties, just tell me. This is a matter between the two of us."
"Um!"
The man spoke with her for a while longer before saying he had to leave. After he left, Yongle looked at the table full of dishes she didn't like and felt depressed and upset.
During this time, her mother had been arranging blind dates for her. However, the men she met were either concubines from one family or illegitimate sons from another. Putting aside their character, she found their appearance rather unappealing.
She knew her place; the legitimate sons of those families who wanted to climb the social ladder would never marry her, but she wasn't so destitute that any man would do, was she?
Few men were suitable for her; even the matchmakers implied that she was too old to find a husband.
Perhaps it's because I've seen so many ugly men that Cui Yan's decent appearance is pleasing to the eye.
She met Cui Yan at Yuwen Xian's horse farm. At the time, she only thought that this man was good-looking and had a sweet tongue. After a few chance encounters at the horse farm, they became familiar with each other.
It was obvious that he was interested in her. Given her status, there were plenty of men in the capital who were interested in her! The reason she took a liking to him was because her mother was too strict with her. Her rebellious heart was like an egg forgotten in a corner, silently rotting and unknowingly stinking up the whole room.
She knew Cui Yan wasn't a good choice, but compared to those men whose status matched hers but who were ugly, this man she had chosen seemed much better.
After finishing the last drop of wine in the pot, she called the waiter to settle the bill.
"The lady next door just paid your bill!" the waiter said with a grin. "That lady asked me to tell you to go back and read the story of 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow.'"
Yongle stood there, stunned, not knowing who was paying his bill.
Song Yaozhu returned to the manor with the packed food. Xie Liwei saw that she was a bit angry and almost didn't dare to approach her. Instead, he asked Caijin, "Why did you buy so much bamboo?"
Caijin directed the servants to move the bamboo into the courtyard, saying, "The princess said she wants to weave bamboo cages."
Xie Liwei remained silent for a while, thinking to himself, "Could it be that she wants to get revenge on Zhao Ying'e from last time? That's fine too."
"The Ministry of Personnel has already begun preparations for next year's capital examination. What position do you think Zhao Xianzong would be suitable for?"
During the meal, Xie Liwei asked her.
Song Yaozhu looked at him and snorted: "Your Highness has no official position in the court, but you seem to know everything about the affairs of the court and the countryside with ease."
Xie Liwei was unharmed, and she mocked her, saying, "You can't just grow old in vain."
It's often said that "half of the scholars who passed the imperial examinations in the country came from Chenliu, and half of those from Chenliu came from Nanshan," and this isn't an exaggeration. Those scholars who entered officialdom would, for the sake of their families, avoid the Xie family, and the Xie family, for the sake of its lineage, would also refrain from involvement in court affairs. But that was all on the surface; how could the emperor possibly control what happened behind the scenes?
A teacher who imparts knowledge is like a second father. How could a person with feelings and righteousness be heartless and ungrateful to their former teachers?
"When brothers quarrel and weaken the foundation of the state, the unrest in the inner quarters also causes unease throughout the family. Naturally, we should promote Lord Zhao and support Consort Zhao."
Prince Yong is petty and incompetent; you can easily defeat him without much effort.
The real challenge is dealing with those who support him from behind.
"Speaking of which, I wonder what Prince Jing has prepared for his good younger brother. Let me see his tricks soon."
"Tell me why you're angry today."
While biting her chopsticks, Song Yaozhu recounted what she had seen that day: "Listening to that man talk made me feel uncomfortable. He kept saying he was doing it for Yongle's good, but I never saw him do anything that was good for Yongle."
Instead of choosing a secluded place to meet, they opted for a crowded restaurant. It seemed like a deliberate act, intended to make others aware of their relationship with Yongle and then create a big fuss.
Xie Liwei looked at Song Yaozhu and sighed, "Yongle is not a child anymore, and she is not your child either. You care so much but have you never thought about me?"
"Why would I miss you?" Song Yaozhu asked, puzzled.
"Of course I'd feel jealous."
......
Immediately, Song Yaozhu burst into laughter, "Xie Liwei, you're finished! You're even jealous of women!"
Xie Liwei wasn't ashamed at all; instead, he proudly raised his chin and said, "I'm even jealous of children."
Wasn't Yongle just a big kid?
"Do you think I should get involved?"
Song Yaozhu was conflicted. Although she had a good relationship with Yongle, she was the daughter of Prince Xuan. Prince Xuan was the emperor's younger brother; they were blood brothers, and Prince Xuan was the emperor's man.
She should hate the entire royal family, but her heart is weary. Hating one person is exhausting, and she can't bring herself to hate so many.
"When you asked the question, didn't you already have the answer in your heart?"
If one dislikes Yongle, one will not associate with her.
“You’re right, but I can’t directly manage this matter.”
The emperor's men have been monitoring them. If they get too close to Yongle, the emperor might become wary of Prince Xuan. Although Prince Xuan is already being watched very much.
Since the incident at the imperial examination, Prince Xuan has been widely praised by students and the court for his handling of the cheating case, which has aroused the emperor's dissatisfaction. Prince Xuan is now even more cautious, which is why Princess Xuan wants to marry her daughter down in status.
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