Chapter 884: The beloved cousin escaped from control (10)
Not long after, a gentle and handsome young man in his early twenties followed his servants to the pavilion beside the lotus pond.
"I am Liu Weian, a commoner, paying my respects to Princess Duanyang." The young man bowed to Du Shichu as a greeting. Duanyang was her title.
"You're welcome. Please stand up." Du Shichu said, and then asked the maid to bring him some tea. He added, "Which cousin of mine are you? I'm sorry to say that, but my mother passed away early, and I've never been back to Lincheng, so I don't know who's in my maternal grandfather's family."
After hearing this, Liu Weian replied with some guilt: "It's not the princess' fault. The princess is young and the prince is busy with official business. It's understandable that you haven't returned to Lincheng. But we, as your mother's family, have not visited you in these years. It's our fault... By the way, I am the second child in the family, the second son of your uncle, named Weian."
Du Shichu took a sip of tea and did not politely refute his words. Instead, he asked, "Cousin Wei'an, do you have anything else to do when you come to the capital?"
When Liu Weian heard her words, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He knew that the princess probably didn't have any feelings for her maternal family. But this was normal. After all, they had never even met and had almost no contact over the years. Now that he came again, it was generous of the princess not to disown him.
"Princess, when my uncle passed away, my family originally planned to send someone to attend his funeral, but unfortunately my grandmother was seriously ill at that time, so we were unable to go. Later, when we learned that you would return to live in the capital, my family sent me to visit you... I hope you don't blame your grandmother and father..." Liu Weian said with a somewhat hot face.
In fact, these reasons were not very sufficient. Did the grandmother need all the descendants to stay by her bedside because she was seriously ill? Even if she really needed it, it would be okay to send a few stewards to check on her, right? At that time, the King of Qi had passed away, and the entire palace only had the original owner, a little master who was only twelve years old. It was a time when people from the maternal grandparents' family were needed to help. Unfortunately, the Liu family did not even send a steward. If the emperor had not sent people to help, many things in the King of Qi's palace would have been embezzled by Zhou Yizhu.
So what Liu Weian said was really not convincing, but Du Shichu was no longer a real twelve-year-old child in her heart. If she really was, then Liu Weian's words could fool her, but she was not, so Liu Weian's words seemed empty.
"No, after all, grandma is sick, and the children and grandchildren should serve her at her bedside and show their filial piety. This is human nature." Du Shichu said indifferently.
"By the way, did my cousin come to Beijing just to visit me this time?" Du Shichu asked again.
"Ahem, not entirely. Of course, visiting you is also one of the important purposes of my trip to the capital this time. Besides, I also plan to take part in the imperial examination next year." Liu Weian didn't know why, but he felt a little guilty as he spoke.
Du Shichu understood that it turned out that he came to visit her just by chance, but that was just fine. She didn't like to have too much contact with others. It was much better that Liu Weian came to the capital for the Spring Examination than to come to visit her specifically.
"Ah, but don't people in my maternal grandfather's family choose to serve as officials?" Du Shichu asked in surprise. The Liu family is a scholarly family. Their ancestors produced many talented and famous people, but they are indifferent to fame and fortune. They study not to become officials. They prefer to be knowledgeable and talented scholars and teach and educate people.
Liu Weian laughed dryly and said, "Everyone has their own aspirations, right? I have read some books with my elders at home, and I want to pass the imperial examination and realize my ambition to serve the country and the people."
Du Shichu understood. It seemed that the Liu family finally had someone who was not "indifferent to fame and fortune". She smiled faintly and said, "Then I would like to congratulate my cousin in advance on his success in the imperial examination next year."
Everyone likes to hear auspicious words, and Liu Weian is no exception. He sincerely bowed to Du Shichu and said, "Then I appreciate your words."
Du Shichu politely asked about the health of his grandmother and other people, and they exchanged some irrelevant words. Liu Weian drank a bellyful of tea, and Du Shichu did not ask him to stay in the Princess's Mansion, so he knew that he could not stay here.
Therefore, he tactfully said goodbye to Du Shichu: "I didn't expect to have delayed the princess for so long. It's getting late, and I have to go back to the inn to rest..."
Du Shichu immediately smiled more sincerely: "It's all my fault. I forgot that my cousin had just arrived in the capital and must be very tired. I asked you to accompany me and talk for so long. I really shouldn't have. Then I won't keep you. Cousin, you should go back and rest early."
Liu Weian said goodbye and left. After leaving the Princess's Mansion, he turned back to look at the magnificent and splendid Princess's Mansion and smiled bitterly. It seemed that the Princess really had no feelings for his family and was unwilling to let him stay for even one night. Her expression just now seemed to show that she was not happy to see him off.
But it’s not her fault. They have never been together, so where does the affection come from?
Thinking of this, Liu Weian was glad that he had found an inn to wash up before visiting, otherwise he would be in the embarrassing situation of having nowhere to go.
Du Shichu sent Liu Weian away and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He hugged the little lion in his arms and rubbed it, then rubbed its head gently with his cheek, making it purr.
No matter what Liu Weian's real purpose of coming to her house this time was, she didn't care. She was not an important person anyway. If he wanted to use her like Zhou Yizhuo, he was wrong.
In fact, Du Shichu was not wrong. Liu Weian did have the idea of repairing the relationship with her. After all, she was a princess valued by the emperor. As long as he could get close to her, he would be in the emperor's eye. As a student who wanted to enter the officialdom through the imperial examination, Liu Weian must know how important it would be to his career to be remembered by the emperor.
But more haste makes waste, and Liu Weian knew that he couldn't be too anxious.
Du Shichu had no idea that she had become such a hot commodity that everyone wanted to have a taste of it.
In fact, Liu Weian also appeared in the original owner's previous life, but the original owner had already moved into the Zhou family at that time. When Liu Weian went to Beijing, he had to go to the Zhou family to find the original owner.
However, how could the Zhou family allow another "cousin" to distract the original owner? After all, the profit pie is so small, who would be willing to give a piece to others for nothing?
Therefore, when Liu Weian went to Zhou's house, the Liu family did not tell the original owner at all, and sent people to humiliate Liu Weian severely, saying that he would not come to the temple for no reason, and did not even go to pay condolences when his own uncle passed away. This time he went to the original owner, he must want to make a profit. The Zhou family judged Liu Weian by themselves, and they were not wrong about him.
However, Liu Weian still had a bit of the arrogance of a scholar at that time. When he heard the Zhou family say that the original owner resented her maternal family for never helping her, he could not bear the humiliation and never wanted to meet the original owner again.
(End of this chapter)
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