The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 14 Junior Sister (2/2)
He Xiao was not what he was now when he was young. His father was only a minister in the Ministry of War at that time, and he disciplined him strictly, he had never drunk a drop of alcohol.
Since when did he become like this?
Every year during the Double Seven Festival*, He Xiao would express his intentions to An Yanxi, but every time he was rejected by the first eldest daughter of the An family, even his father scolded him for wishful thinking.
(Double Seven Festival* – a traditional Chinese folk festival also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day)
Finally, on the Double Seven Festival night a few years ago, he couldn’t bear it, and he questioned An Yanxi, “The risk in the army is extremely high. If Taizi dies in an unforeseen event, do you still want to wait for him? Is it worth it that you have waited for him for so many years?”
“If he’s gone, I will not live alone.” An Yanxi looked calm, and seemed to take her words for granted. Although she did not have a marriage contract with Taizi and they hadn’t even said a few words to each other, Taizi was her obsession.
An Yanxi’s elder brother, An Wenjing, was Taizi’s study companion. Since she was a child, she had seen Taizi many times because of her elder brother’s relationship. She admired him and adored him. Sooner or later, Taizi would marry a legitimate imperial concubine, a side imperial concubine, and a highest-ranking imperial concubine. She also had a high enough family background to enter the Eastern Palace. She only needed to make herself more outstanding, and just needed to wait.
He Xiao also had his obsession. His obsession stemmed from a fall into the water when he was a child. At that time, he did not know how to swim. His father often pressed his head into the water to let him learn. He became more and more afraid of water, which made him the laughingstock among the young masters and young ladies of the noble families in the capital.
It was also a rainy season, and it was also on a boat. Not knowing who had pushed him off the boat while he was not paying attention, he paddled weakly in the icy water, and he still remembered hearing the young masters and young ladies of the noble families on the boat laughing intermittently from the side of the boat. Xie Changyuan went into the water to rescue him, and when he was rescued onto the boat, the young masters and young ladies of the noble families were still laughing at him for being useless.
It was An Yanxi who took off her cloak and draped it over him regardless of the boundaries between men and women. She turned around to face those young masters and young ladies who made fun of him, even though her voice was not high, she had a strong voice, “No one is perfect, everyone has their strengths, but also has their weaknesses. Not everyone always sails with the wind, so when you encounter difficulties, at that time, do you also want others to stand by and watch? Do you also hope that others will sneer at you like this?”
An Yanxi was born into a scholarly family, and normally she would speak with a great measure in front of the young masters and young ladies of the noble families.
When she rescued He Xiao from his predicament that time, He Xiao already engraved her in his heart, year after year. But in the other person’s heart, there was also another person engraved in it, another person that He Xiao might never be able to match in this life.
After An Yanxi’s repeated refusal, He Xiao left the Ministry of War and went to the Ministry of Finance to take up a casual position as a foreign officer. He indulged in drinking all day long, regardless of the world.
——
“The eldest young lady of An family may not necessarily enter Taizi Mansion. Taizi doesn’t seem to have that interest. Maybe you still have a chance.” Xie Changyuan couldn’t bear to look down on He Xiao’s self-abandonment. It was not worth it to make himself so sloppy for a woman.
Seeing that He Xiao was just drinking and didn’t say anything, Xie Changyuan said again, “But if you continue to waste time in the Ministry of Finance, it’s hard to say where the flower will fall on. Even if Taizi doesn’t have that interest, the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion in Youzhou would have liked your white moonlight* back then.”
(white moonlight* – sweetheart, the unforgettable first love)
He Xiao did not respond to his friend’s statement, but he teased half-jokingly, “Miss A Yan was given as a concubine for marriage. Do you still have any thoughts on Qin Yan?”
“Drink your wine!” Xie Changyuan raised his head to drink, covering the complexities in his eyes.
There was rain and mist on the lake outside the boat, which was pulled by the wind continuously.
The two people in the boat also had thousands of knots in their hearts, and the more they sorted it out, the more chaotic it became.
——
In the Taizi Mansion, the incense burner in the study was burning with agarwood, and Taizi Feng Zhan was reviewing the memorial.
Song Zhi came in, “Your Highness.”
“What’s the matter?” Feng Zhan squeezed his eyebrows slightly, and his voice was slightly hoarse.
“At the birthday banquet of Princess of Changle that day, the fiancée of Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion said that she was a disciple of Master Yishan, and I went to Shizi Xie to verify it. Shizi Xie said that he really met Miss A Yan in Meishan, and that girl also took him to Master Yishan’s Wanxue House. Shizi Xie said that there is an old plum tree in the courtyard.”
“Precisely that.” Feng Zhan’s voice was a little tired.
The Taizi Mansion was in the suburbs of the capital, and he needed to enter the palace for large or small court meetings. Even if the Left and Right Prime Ministers had already reviewed the memorial, there were still mountains of memorials, and it wasn’t the way to go on like this.
“Your Highness, I remember that when you were in the Shuobei Army, Master Yishan wrote a letter to you. At that time, Your Highness was busy with official duties, and Master’s letter was read to His Highness by this subordinate.” Song Zhi said.
“Huh?” Feng Zhan looked at Song Zhi.
“Master Yishan said in the letter that he has a new female disciple, which was…” Song Zhi hesitated to say it.
“Say.” Feng Zhan was so busy that he didn’t have time to rest at that time, and he didn’t care what the Old Man from Yishan said in the letter, only vaguely remembering that it was an important thing.
“Master Yishan said that he accepted a junior sister for Your Highness. She was the crown princess he was looking for Your Highness… But the Master did not reveal her name, which was very mysterious, only said that His Highness would be satisfied…” Song Zhi saw Taizi’s complexion was getting darker and darker, but these things had to be said again, so as not to delay His Highness’s affair.
Feng Zhan was very helpless against this master, who messed up a happy couple.
But if she was the Old Man’s disciple, as a senior brother, he should also take care of her.
“Let the secret guard protect the woman’s safety. If she encountered any problems, helped her according to the situation.” Feng Zhan’s tone was a little tired.
Song Zhi was surprised, His Highness agreed immediately? Were they going to have a taizifei*?
(Taizifei* – Crown Princess, legitimate wife of the Crown Prince)
“Send someone to stare at the people who come in and out of Princess of Zhaoren Mansion every day and report any changes without delay.” Feng Zhan said in his heart, Qin Yan, this woman had too many mysteries, so it was better to keep her under his nose.
Thanks for the chapter!