Chapter 030 Chapter 30
"Big sister, what were you doing just now? Why haven't you come back for so long?" Yao Niang was talking to someone else when she happened to see Yan Ningxin coming over.
In fact, she just asked casually, and Yan Ningxin laughed it off to hide her guilty conscience.
This actually made Yaoniang see some clues. When she was in Jinling, she found that her elder sister didn't care much about the separation of men and women. Hearing Yingniang complained that Wu Shangshu's youngest son and her elder sister could play together, she wondered if her elder sister had gone out to meet this person.
But no matter whether she saw it or not, everyone was a girl from the Yan family in public, and Yao Niang did not expose her.
After playing two rounds of Feihualing, Miss Gong invited them to listen to an opera. Yao Niang also went with her sisters. Ying Niang and Miss Gong Si sat not far away, chattering and making the place very lively.
Zhen said to Madam Gong with a slightly apologetic tone: "My little daughter is very noisy and ignorant."
Madam Gong waved her hands and said, "Ying Niang is the youngest, so it's only right that everyone should give in to her."
Yao Niang, who was standing by, heard this but felt that it was not the case. Although Xie doted on her, she was quite strict with her outside. The fourth girl always relied on her young age and was always tolerated no matter what mistakes she made. I don't know if this is good or bad?
But she only thought about it for a moment and continued to watch the show. Yingniang did it on purpose. She found that Yaoniang was very happy to be isolated today. Usually, her father only went to the third room at home. She always thought that her mother didn't care. But one time, she saw her mother crying, and she immediately understood that her mother actually cared a lot.
After the show, a lady present invited the girls from the Yan family to go to the polo club, either to play polo or chuiwan.
Zhen agreed with a smile, because Yan Yingqi had told her that Yan Ningxin and her sisters had reached the right age and should be taken out more often to help them find a husband.
On the way back, Yingniang and Yaoniang complained: "We have never learned to ride a horse, how can we play polo?"
"If you don't know how to play, just watch. Besides, can't we still go play chuiwan?" Yao Niang was not worried.
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Yingniang couldn't help but asked, "Third sister, why didn't you make any friends today?"
It is so difficult to make close friends. Yao Niang did not make any close friends. She only joked with those ladies to fit in with the group. But she would not show weakness to Ying Niang. She had never lost a verbal battle: "Fourth sister, you always say that you have made friends. You always said so when you were in Jinling. But when we left, the handkerchiefs that I was in love with gave me some snacks and perfume. The friends you mentioned did not give me anything. So please stop saying these ridiculous words."
When she said this, Ying Niang's face turned red with anger. Ying Niang had been showing off this and that every day these days. When she saw that Yao Niang remained silent, she became a little more arrogant and was immediately rebuked.
Yao Niang continued, "This is just my first time going out since I came to Beijing. What are you always comparing yourself with me for? Why don't you compare yourself with others? I think the eldest sister and the second sister are better than you. They have more friends than you, but they are not like you."
Yingniang always said that she couldn't beat Yaoniang, and she was very angry and didn't want to talk to her anymore.
The two sisters got off the carriage and parted on bad terms.
The next day, the Prince of Qi came to visit, and he brought with him a stream of gifts, all of which were sent to Yan Ningxin. Yan Yingqi was not at home, as he was currently the Minister of Personnel and an important official in the court. It was inconvenient for him to interact with the prince of a vassal king, so he asked his eldest son Yan Jingzhao to come forward to entertain him.
This was often the time that Zhen hated the most, because her husband really treated Yan Jingzhao as his eldest son.
Yan Jingzhao was preparing for the provincial examination. He was not the kind of person who would study hard to get by, so he did not look dull at all. Instead, he behaved in a graceful manner. When the Prince of Qi saw Yan Jingzhao like this, he could not help but admire him.
The two chatted for a while, and Yan Jingzhao couldn't help asking, "I wonder what the prince is talking about when he came to the capital this time? If you have any instructions, just tell me."
The Prince of Qi smiled and said, "It was the Emperor who promised that the Qi Palace would be passed down from generation to generation, so my father specially sent me to the capital to express his gratitude."
"That's great. I've prepared some wine and water at home. I hope you won't mind." Yan Jingzhao said.
Unexpectedly, Prince Qi said, "I have something else to do today, so I won't bother you anymore. To be honest, Ning Xin and I grew up together, and I came here this time to meet her, so that the old concubine would not let me down."
Yan Jingzhao naturally understood the intention of the conversation and asked Yan Ningxin to come over. After Yan Ningxin arrived, he left space for the two cousins to talk.
"Cousin." Yan Ningxin was very excited when she saw Prince Wei Chi of Qi.
The normally calm face of the Prince of Qi also looked joyful: "Ning Xiner, it's great to see you."
Yan Ningxin smiled and said, "I just heard Yan Jingzhao say that the Prince of Qi's Palace has a hereditary title. Is that true?"
The prince of Qi nodded, but then said: "It is because of this that I narrowly escaped death. If I hadn't met Commander Liu on the way, those people would have chased me and killed me."
"Commander Liu?" Although Yan Ningxin had participated in many flower banquets and birthday banquets, she was not familiar with the complicated relationships in the capital.
The Prince of Qi said, "The commander of the Jinyi Guard is Liu Ji."
Yan Ningxin was relieved: "That's good, that's good." But then she said: "No, Liu Ji is the emperor's childhood friend. He usually protects the emperor in the capital. Can he protect you?"
The Prince of Qi smiled and said, "The Emperor is eager for us vassal kings to collapse. This time he is rewarding my father for his contribution during the Ning Wang Rebellion."
He took advantage of the situation to bully others, but this was not a long-term solution.
Yan Ningxin sighed and couldn't help but said, "Otherwise I'll tell my dad that he's the Minister of Personnel."
"If Lord Yan wanted to help me, he would not have let only Young Master Yan receive me today. It is obviously to avoid suspicion. In this case, I have no choice but to ask for help from another lord. Do you know the Shen family of Zuodu Yushi?" asked the Prince of Qi.
Yan Ningxin shook her head: "Even if I have seen him, I may have forgotten it. Why did my cousin ask him for help?"
The Prince of Qi said, "Originally, it was my father who should have come to the capital to express his gratitude, but it was this Lord Shen who asked me to go to the capital, and I thought I should also establish a relationship with him for this reason. Cousin, you may not know Mr. Shen, but you must know the Wuxing Shen family, right?"
Yan Ningxin said: "How could I not know this? I heard from my third sister that it was a wealthy family in Jiangnan."
"That's right. The Shen family may not have as high an official position as your Yan family now, but there are many children in the family. In the previous Southern Dynasty, it was the peak of the Wuxing Shen family, especially in the Chen Dynasty. The Shen family produced two empresses and five princes-in-law, and was glorious for a time. The Jie family, the maiden family of your second wife, is considered a famous family in Wuzhong, but it is still incomparable with the wealthy families in Wuzhong. If I can ask the Shen family for protection, I will be safe." said the Prince of Qi.
Apparently Yan Ningxin wasn't stupid. "Cousin, what can you do to attract the Shen family?"
The Prince of Qi smiled and said, "As for the future position of the Princess, our Qi Palace is now a palace that will last for generations, and Miss Shen and I just happened to meet. From now on, all the Qi Princes have the blood of the Shen family. Even the current one has a bad health, and his offspring are not many, and many of them die young. We are close relatives of the royal family, and we have the opportunity to go further. Isn't it worth a try?"
The following words were almost whispered.
Yan Ningxin thought of her cousin and her life together, so she didn't ask any more questions, but just said, "What can I do to help my cousin?"
The Prince of Qi said, "No need for anything. I've asked someone to organize the polo match in a few days. Miss Shen and I will go there. Just have fun."
Seeing that her cousin had arranged everything, Yan Ningxin felt relieved.
Prince Qi looked at Yan Ningxin deeply, and in his heart he felt great pain as he looked at his cousin.
But he still said in a joking tone: "When you meet Miss Shen at the polo match, you don't have to be too intimate, and don't reveal anything in advance. Just treat her as a stranger."
The goal can only be achieved by letting Miss Shen take the initiative herself.
…
Because the Prince of Qi left after he finished speaking, Yan Jingzhao used the banquet table with Guan and his wife. Guan stood and placed a few chopsticks of food, and Yan Jingzhao asked her to sit down and eat.
"I heard that you lent the painting to Yao Niang a few days ago?" Yan Jingzhao hoped that his wife could change.
Guan smiled and said, "It's not worth anything."
"Well, the Prince of Qi's Palace is about to become a hereditary palace. I see that the Prince of Qi is very caring towards my elder sister. I wonder if he has that intention?" As a man, Yan Jingzhao could see that although the Prince of Qi tried his best to hide his feelings when he looked at Yan Ningxin, he was definitely looking at his beloved woman with the eyes.
"Really? I thought you would say Yao Niang." Guan said.
Hearing Guan mention Yao Niang, Yan Jingzhao frowned, "Shandong is far away from home, and if a vassal king does not obey the imperial edict, he will never be able to return to the capital. What good is that? If my sister gets married, she will not be able to go beyond Jiangnan."
Guan thought that there was really a distinction between relatives and strangers in this family. If it was Yan Ningxin, Yan Jingzhao would not have considered these things, but when it came to his own sister, he considered it so thoroughly.
At dinner time, Xie accompanied Yan Yingqi to eat. Xie was wearing a milky white casual shirt with only a pearl headband on her head. She looked like a pearl, glowing under the lamp.
Yan Yingqi's eyes widened a little, and Xie turned away: "Hurry up and eat."
"Lan You, are you feeling better today?" Yan Yingqi had been enduring his pain since Xie's childhood. He didn't go to the study and stayed with Xie every day.
I calculated that the time was almost up, so I had some ideas.
Xie was speechless: "Aren't you very busy?"
"You can't have sex when you're busy. I'm just a little tired from being busy, not exhausted." Yan Yingqi said unhappily.
Xie took a bite of the food and was thankful that the servants had been sent away. She then said, "It's time for you to find someone younger to bother with. I'm old enough—"
"Jie Lanyou, you are getting bolder and bolder. Are you saying that I'm old in disguise?" Yan Yingqi pointed at her.
Xie smiled and looked at her husband quietly: "Sometimes I feel like you are sitting opposite me, and sometimes I feel like you are about to disappear."
Perhaps only the couple understood what this meant. Yan Yingqi had been treating her like a newlywed for so many years, always infatuated with her, but this husband did not belong to her.
Yan Yingqi couldn't help but hold her hand: "No matter what, as long as I am here, I will always protect you. I will never disappear."
Seeing that he was too sincere, Xie changed the subject and said, "Yao Niang is going to attend the polo club soon, and I remembered the time when you taught me to ride a horse. Why are you so impatient? Not only did you fail to teach me, but you also gave me a headache every time I heard about riding a horse."
"Haha." Yan Yingqi also found it funny when he thought about the past events.
The couple talked about their daughter's birthday on June 28th, and Xie sighed: "In the blink of an eye, Yao Niang is already twelve years old. In a few years, no, I dare not even think about it."
Yan Yingqi comforted her and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely find the best husband for our daughter, so that she can live a prosperous and noble life and never know what suffering is in the world."
"I hope so too." Xie didn't think suffering was a good thing. She thought her daughter should live a sweet life.
However, Xie also took the opportunity to ask: "Back then, the princess's sister-in-law said that if she was pregnant with a girl, the palace wanted to strengthen the relationship. Are they also preparing for the same now? I heard from Jing Zhao that the prince of Qi gave a lot of things to the eldest girl. It doesn't look like they were prepared by the palace, but he prepared them himself."
Yan Yingqi had not told anyone else, not even Zhen, but when Xie asked him about it, he told the truth: "Dealing with this kind of royal family may not be a good thing. Our family is already a prominent family of officials and nobles, and we can't have everything. Besides, I don't know if the position of the Prince of Qi can be stable, so why should I take risks for him?"
Indeed, if Yan Ningxin married the prince of Qi, she might become the princess in the future, and the child she gave birth to might also be the prince...
But it has nothing to do with Yan Yingqi.
Yan Ningxin will be coming of age next year, and the prince of Qi will not take the throne in the next two years, but he has just been appointed as the Minister of Personnel. Regardless of whether he is a prince or not, he is a high-ranking official in the ministry.
Besides, the people in Prince Qi's mansion were not very kind to the eldest daughter.
**
On the day of the polo match, Yao Niang put on a brand new narrow-sleeved riding suit. Once she put it on, she looked inexplicably heroic. Ying Niang had a quarrel with Yao Niang a few days ago, and the two of them had not spoken to each other for several days, so Ying Niang went to ride in a carriage with Qian Niang, and Yao Niang and Yan Ningxin took a carriage.
"You have been angry for a long time." Yan Ningxin said as she got on the carriage.
Yao Niang didn't comment. Sometimes she didn't want to hear that nonsense anymore: "You are the elder sister and you should give in to your younger sister?" She was only one year older than Ying Niang. Why should she give in to her? Aren't we all human beings?
Seeing that Yao Niang didn't say anything, Yan Ningxin shrugged her shoulders and said nothing either. But thinking of the Wu Xing Shen family that her cousin had mentioned, she had no choice but to ask Yao Niang. After all, Yao Niang was very well-informed.
"Third sister, I heard that day that Miss Shen was also coming? Is this Shen the Wu Xing Shen you mentioned?" Yan Ningxin was still afraid that Yao Niang would notice something.
Yao Niang nodded after hearing this: "Yes, he is from the Wuxing Shen family. In fact, with the imperial examination system, the so-called noble families are no longer as important as before. If there is no Jinshi in three generations, they are just ordinary country gentlemen."
"Are there many officials from the Shen family in Beijing now?" Yan Ningxin pretended to be curious.
Yao Niang thought for a moment and said, "I heard people mention that the current Zuodu Yushi Lord Shen is from the Wuxing Shen family, and we have a hometown relationship! But in terms of official position, my father is still higher. Among the six ministries, only the Ministry of Personnel is called the Heavenly Official."
Yan Ningxin thought that this third sister really behaved like a daughter of the Yan family, proud and self-righteous.
Even the second sister Qianniang suffers from this problem. Even if they appear to be friendly, they always put on airs when interacting with others. They claim to be the daughter of the Minister of Personnel and seem to be born to be the center of attention.
The two of them talked in silence all the way and soon arrived at the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. This time the polo match was held in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. The field was very spacious, and you could almost feel the breath of the wind as soon as you got off the carriage and walked in.
The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo came out quickly and talked to Zhen for a long time. Zhen then asked the sisters to come forward and pay their respects. After the greetings, the sisters followed Zhen to the stands.
The servants of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion served a lot of snacks, tea and fruits. Yao Niang took a look at the snacks on the table. They seemed to be the Beijing-style date paste and walnut cakes. She took a bite and found it was so sweet that it was choking, so she put it down silently.
"Third sister, the tea tastes good." Qianniang reminded.
Yao Niang smiled and said yes, thinking that her second sister always behaved well with everyone, unlike Ying Niang. Therefore, she took a sip of tea and saw a straightforward young man coming over. He had a pretty face and bowed to Zhen first, then looked at Yan Ningxin: "Madam Yan, our team is just short of one person, so we would like to ask Miss Yan to join us."
Zhen didn't know Yan Ningxin could play polo yet, so she just looked at Yan Ningxin and asked, "Have you learned it before?"
Yan Ningxin smiled and nodded: "I often played polo when I was in Prince Qi's mansion."
But Zhen was still worried. Although she was doing this to Yan Ningxin out of respect, if something really happened to Yan Ningxin, she would be blamed. But the young man said that people were waiting and that the prince of Qi was also there, so Zhen let him go.
It turns out that the boy who called Yan Ningxin was called Wu Xian, the youngest son of the Minister of Personnel, and was said to be friends with the older sister.
Yingniang, who had been silent until now, suddenly started talking to Yaoniang: "Third sister, doesn't dad always say that men and women should be careful about their relationships? Why is it that my eldest sister always plays with boys?"
"You ask me, but I don't know either." Yao Niang didn't want to say such offensive words, but she was not stupid.
It was Qianniang who glanced at Zhen and stepped out to mediate as a good sister: "Third sister, fourth sister, there are people watching outside. It's not a good idea for the two of you to keep making such a fuss."
Qianniang was giving both of them a slap on the wrist. She would not have dared to say that before, especially to Yingniang. Although Zhen was very kind, Yingniang was very proud of herself as the eldest daughter of the eldest son's family and was treated like a princess. Qianniang said that now because she was afraid that if the two sisters started to make trouble, Zhen would not take it out on them but on herself.
If Yao Niang had a good relationship with Qian Niang when she was still in Jinling, she might have been able to compromise, but that is no longer possible now.
It was even less likely that Yingniang would make a mistake, as she and her sisters were all watching the polo match on the field.
A flash of red on the field broke the deadlock at the moment, and Yingniang cried out: "Big sister, that's big sister."
The first to appear on the red team were Yan Ningxin and Wu Xian, as well as a few unfamiliar men and women. The leader of the blue team was a beautiful woman, and there was also a woman next to her who looked heroic.
Although the elder sister was not very good at reading, writing, or even composing poetry, she played polo very quickly and accurately, and Yao Niang was frightened. Not to mention her, even Qian Niang covered her mouth with a handkerchief: "The dust has blown here."
Zhen said thoughtfully, "You should also take a good look. Most of the young ladies in Beijing can play polo. Your father said that you should learn to ride horses in the future."
"Mom, do we have to learn it too?" Yingniang was a little scared.
Zhen nodded: "We can't just sit there like this every time."
Yao Niang asked, "But Auntie, we don't have such a big place at home. How can we learn?"
Zhen smiled and said, "This is something that adults should worry about. You girls just need to study hard. You all have brothers, so just let your brothers teach you."
Men and women should not touch each other, so it is best to let the elder brother teach. Coincidentally, these three sisters all have brothers.
From time to time, someone called Zhen to talk over there, and Yao Niang came back to look at the situation on the field. She found that although the red team was very strong, the blue team was not weak either. Even the girl who looked slender at the head scored two goals.
It’s just that Yan Ningxin played too aggressively, and the red team won the first game.
Yao Niang couldn't help but applaud: "Big sister is so amazing."
"It's a pity that Shen Mo will definitely let her brother take over."
Unexpectedly, a voice came over at this time. Yao Niang looked and saw that it was a round-faced girl. She quickly stood up and greeted her. The girl smiled and said, "Miss Yan San, we met once in Jinling. At that time, you played the konghou very beautifully."
It turned out to be an old acquaintance. This girl was the daughter of the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, named Ruan Li. Her maternal family was in Jinling, and last year she went to the Yan family in Jinling with her maternal grandfather to attend a wedding banquet.
Yao Niang chatted with her for a few words, and sure enough, when the Blue Team appeared again, there was a young man. Yao Niang could even sense that the women around her were getting agitated.
Ruan Li smiled and said, "Look, that's Shen Mo's biological brother, Shen Linfeng."
Upon closer inspection, the man was indeed handsome, with a smile as bright as the moon. Even when sitting alone on the horse, he was like a snow leopard with the power of catching prey.
Sure enough, this round turned around and the blue team won.
Yingniang, who always loved to make fun of others, now had a red face and stared motionlessly at the direction of Shen Linfeng on the field. Yingniang thought to herself that Shen Linfeng seemed to be a troublemaker.
The red and blue teams each won once, and the winner was decided in the final round.
Even Shen Mo thought he had won for sure, and looked at Yan Ningxin with provocation. Although Yan Ningxin knew that Shen Mo was most likely her cousin's sister-in-law, this sister-in-law's powerful moves aroused her competitive spirit. However, when Shen Linfeng came on the court, her team began to be afraid.
"Everyone, regroup..." Yan Ningxin said to Wu Xian.
Wu Xian was a little timid: "Ning Xin, let's just forget it."
"How can I just give up?" She was not as good at studying as her three younger sisters, but she was a first-rate polo player. She couldn't afford to lose to others in this aspect.
At this moment, the prince of Qi came over and said with a smile, "Cousin, I'm here."
Yan Ningxin finally breathed a relief of relief. She knew her cousin's abilities, which were absolutely outstanding sigh. Looking at Shen Mo opposite her, she also understood the intention of the Prince of Qi.
A girl like Shen Mo who thinks highly of herself must be defeated and made to admire her.
The fighting on the polo field was fierce, and Yao Niang saw it clearly. The Prince of Qi seemed to stand up for his elder sister and snatched several balls from Shen Mo. Shen Mo was very angry, but fortunately Shen Linfeng also protected his sister all the time, and in the end the third game was still a draw.
Ruan Li explained: "This Prince Qi is really not a simple person. Few people can fight Shen Linfeng to a draw."
"Will you continue?" asked Yao Niang.
Ruan Li shook her head and said only one sentence: "The prince of Qi is a member of the royal family."
Yao Niang thought that Shen Linfeng seemed to be a man without principles, and he would not dare to really win if he met the Prince of Qi.
On the polo field, Shen Linfeng saluted gracefully: "I'm sorry, Prince."
The Prince of Qi said warmly: "It's just like the saying goes, no fighting, no acquaintance!" After saying that, he glanced at Shen Mo again, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shen Mo's flushed cheeks.
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