Chapter 294 A Happy Couple (Second Update)
Senior officials of Yuan Shikai's rank no longer need any meaningless social interactions, and they can skip meaningful ones as well.
After finishing his duties, Chief Minister Yuan read for a while and then went directly back to his residence.
Madam Yuan came from a scholarly family in Jiangnan. She personally supervised the construction of the mansion, which resembled a small Jiangnan garden.
Yuan Shikai, the chief minister, never took a concubine in his life, nor did any of his sons. Only after his second daughter-in-law died in childbirth did his second son remarry.
In the garden, a young Taoist nun in blue was casually reading a book.
It wasn't a Buddhist scripture, but rather a storybook I found in my little study.
Beside her, a girl in purple was using a net made of spider silk and bamboo strips to catch butterflies.
Upon seeing Chief Minister Yuan approach, the girl in purple's eyes lit up. She handed the bamboo net in her hand to her maid, then, lifting her skirt, ran over without a care for her image: "Grandpa, Grandpa! You're back!"
Seeing his granddaughter running wildly, Chief Minister Yuan felt a headache coming on: "Stop running, be careful not to fall."
"I won't fall!" The girl in purple stopped in front of him, gave a proper bow, and then affectionately took his arm. "Grandpa, Grandpa, why are you so late today?"
Chief Minister Yuan said, "I've been reading for a while."
"Oh." The girl in purple seemed uninterested in the book and didn't ask any further questions.
Chief Minister Yuan's gaze fell on the young Taoist nun in blue sitting on the stone bench.
The young nun seemed to notice his scrutiny, and slowly put down her book, giving a very formal Taoist salute: "Layman Yuan."
Yuan Shikai: "..."
Chief Minister Yuan sighed slowly: "You haven't returned to secular life yet?"
The young Taoist nun said, "I will not return to secular life."
Chief Minister Yuan looked at the storybook in her hand: "If you don't return to secular life, how can you read these books about romance and nature?"
"..." The young nun was silent for a moment, then said without changing her expression, "In Mr. Yuan's eyes, this is romance and beauty; in my eyes, it is a world of its own."
Yuan Shikai again: "..."
"Alright, alright, stop saying such strange things!" The girl in purple had a headache. One was her older sister, and the other was her grandfather. She could understand either of them when they spoke separately, but when the two of them talked, she couldn't understand a single word!
Yuan, the chief minister: "If you're so capable, then don't eat meat tonight."
"Amitabha Buddha." The young Taoist nun performed a Taoist salute with a devout expression, "Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Amitabha Buddha remains in the heart."
Yuan, the chief minister, once again said: "..."
Chief Minister Yuan was ultimately defeated and left with a dark expression.
Who would have thought that even Grand Tutor Zhuang couldn't subdue Chief Minister Yuan, he would be defeated by a little granddaughter?
To put it bluntly, it's all about spoiling.
This granddaughter was born with little fortune and almost died. Madam Yuan consulted a Taoist priest who told her that she needed to be raised in a Taoist temple to receive the protection of the Heavenly Venerable in order to grow up safely.
Grand Secretary Yuan didn't believe in this at first, but Madam Yuan insisted on sending the child to a Taoist temple. The child did indeed improve, but after being brought back, he fell ill again a few days later.
After this happened several times, the child eventually settled down at the Taoist temple.
We only brought him back recently when he turned sixteen.
"Father." Yuan's eldest son saw him outside the courtyard and bowed. "You're late today. Is there something going on in the cabinet?"
"It's not official business." Chief Minister Yuan waved his hand and stepped into the courtyard.
He sat down on the official's hat chair in the main room, and a maid served him tea.
He took a sip of tea before slowly saying to his eldest son, "Baolin is not young anymore, shouldn't she be getting engaged?"
Yuan Pei smiled and said, "It's time to discuss marriage. Father... do you have a suitable candidate?"
Chief Minister Yuan paused for a moment: "It wasn't there before."
So that means it exists now?
Yuan Pei looked at his father expectantly.
Chief Minister Yuan said, "That boy from the Zhuang family is quite good."
"The Zhuang family? The Zhuang family of Grand Tutor Zhuang? Their eligible sons..." Yuan Pei ran through the list in his mind, then his heart skipped a beat, "The newly appointed second-place scholar, Prince An?"
"Hmm." Chief Minister Yuan nodded.
Yuan Pei pondered: "That child is indeed quite good..."
He was known for his virtue and was also intelligent and ambitious. He was sent to the State of Chen as a hostage at the age of eight. He did not cry or make a fuss, which shows his character. The fact that he was able to return alive is enough to prove his ability.
Such a man is rare in this world, but he is indeed worthy of their Baolin.
Yuan Pei asked, puzzled, "Didn't Father refuse to form marriage alliances with these powerful and influential families?"
Yuan Longping's principle was to avoid getting involved in court infighting.
He is loyal only to the Zhao Kingdom.
Chief Minister Yuan didn't give a complicated answer, but after careful consideration, he said, "That child is more outstanding than I imagined."
The young nun was unaware that her grandfather had his eye on her marriage. She was dragged out of the Yuan residence by her younger sister.
The girl in purple tugged at her sleeve: "Sister, hurry up! There's a lantern festival today! It'll be packed! If you're late, you won't be able to get in!"
The young Taoist nun rolled her eyes in exasperation.
She just wanted to read storybooks.
Did the princess discover that the prince consort was keeping a mistress outside?
Did the princess ever recognize the child who was switched at birth?
Furthermore, the princess's widowed best friend slept with the prince consort countless times. When will the princess finally see through this vixen's true colors?
The stories these days are getting more and more outrageous, written in such a way that they are so agonizing!
The lantern festival is on Chang'an Avenue. There aren't many people there now, but it might be soon.
"Alright, alright, right here!" The girl in purple stopped the carriage, grabbed the little Taoist nun's hand, and jumped down.
She was in such a hurry that she didn't notice a carriage coming out of the alley to the side.
The young nun noticed, but the distance was too close for the girl in purple to slowly dodge, so she pulled the girl in purple back.
In his haste, he used too much force and accidentally dragged the girl in purple from one end to the other.
Then the girl in purple bumped into someone.
And with a loss of balance, he and his opponent fell to the ground together.
"ah--"
Her elbow landed squarely on the other person's most vulnerable area, the waist and abdomen, which was incredibly painful.
Caught off guard, the other person's face contorted in pain.
The girl in purple didn't feel much pain because she was on top of him. However, when she came to her senses, she realized that the other person was actually a man. She had fallen down next to a man in broad daylight.
Her face paled, and she raised her hand to slap the man across the face: "You lecherous scoundrel!"
The other person was completely bewildered, staring at her incredulously: "Are you kidding me? You're the one who bumped into me! You hurt my stomach! I haven't even settled the score with you yet!"
The girl in purple quickly got off him, wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and looked at him warily and angrily: "What...what do you mean, ' ...' if you dare to tell anyone about what happened today! I'll kill you!"
"I also want to kill you!"
The boy leaped to his feet, his eyes filled with murderous intent!
The young Taoist nun stood in front of the girl in purple, looking at him coldly.
At that very moment, a deep voice slowly rang out from behind the boy: "What are you doing? Come back!"
The boy glared at the girl in purple before reluctantly returning to the man's side.
The man cupped his hands in apology to the young Taoist nun and the girl in purple, saying, "I apologize, my younger brother has offended you."
The boy suddenly pointed at the girl in purple: "It wasn't me! It was her!"
The girl in purple pointed back defiantly: "It's you!"
The young Taoist nun looked at the handsome man and asked, "Who are you?"
"Gu Changqing." Gu Changqing thought for a moment and did not hide anything.
His identity was still quite useful in the capital; at least the Gu family members weren't lecherous types.
"Oh," the young Taoist nun said, "I've never heard of it."
She had just come down from the mountain and had indeed never heard of it.
She turned to the girl in purple and said, "Yuan Tong, come here."
"Ha, your name is Cylinder?" Gu Chengfeng laughed loudly, "Are you a Leaf brand? You actually call yourself Cylinder, hahaha! Why don't you call yourself Two Strips!"
Gu Changqing said sternly, "Chengfeng, shut up!"
Now it was Yuan Tong's turn to laugh. She put her hands on her hips and looked at Gu Chengfeng with a hint of sarcasm, saying, "So you're just a big hornet! No wonder you're so annoying!"
Yuan Tong: "Cylinder!"
Gu Chengfeng: "A giant wasp!"
"Cylinder!"
"A giant wasp!"
The two of them fought until their faces turned red.
"If you cause any more trouble, I'll tell Grandpa!"
"If you cause any more trouble, I'll tell Grandpa!"
The first sentence was spoken by Gu Changqing, and the second sentence was spoken by the young Taoist nun.
The two spoke almost in unison.
These words were so intimidating that Yuan Tong and Gu Chengfeng both shut their mouths.
But while its mouth was closed, its eyes remained open.
The two of them rolled their eyes at each other simultaneously!
(End of this chapter)
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