Yuwen Hao jerked his hand back forcefully and pushed Yuan Qingling away. "What are you doing?"
Yuan Qingling stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean what am I doing?"
"Your face!" Yuan Qingling accused. She didn't expect he would be so improper.
He snorted. "You were the one who leaned in. I was just trying to turn my head away to avoid offending you."
"So it's my fault now?"
"How could it be my fault? Did I grab you and make you lean in?"
He sat up straight and said coldly, "What's the big deal? It's not like I haven't seen it before. Besides, you've already seen everything of mine, and I wasn't upset about it."
Yuan Qingling didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I was treating your wounds."
"Who asked you to meddle?"
"If I had known, I wouldn't have helped you. Then you could become incapable in the future, never able to have children." Yuan Qingling felt her temper flaring more and more. The main reason was that he was going too far.
"You're my royal consort. If I can't have children, neither can you."
"I'm going to stop serving you in the future," Yuan Qingling narrowed her eyes. "We had an agreement."
"Before thinking about that, you should carefully consider your promise to the Emperor, that you would give him a grandchild within a year." His words were frosty.
Yuan Qingling casually said, "A year has too many variables. Thinking about it now would be pointless."
Yuwen Hao didn't respond, but he felt an inexplicable resentment.
Both because of her casual attitude, and the word "variables."
The two didn't speak again for the rest of the trip, and they sat apart from each other, mutually disgusted.
When they returned to the manor, Yuan Qingling went straight to the Feng Yi Pavilion.
In the yard, Yuan Qingping was eating red bean soup made by her nanny. Seeing her sister return, she knitted her brows and asked, "Why are you only coming back now?"
"Some things held me up." Yuan Qingling sat down and leaned over to take a look. The red bean soup seemed quite good. "Nanny, bring me a bowl too."
"What things held you up?" Yuan Qingping asked.
"Trivial matters." Seeing that she was still staring, seemingly concerned, Yuan Qingling was slightly taken aback. This younger sister didn't seem to dislike her.
"Can't you be a little smarter?" Yuan Qingping said in frustration.
"Really, it's nothing."
Yuan Qingping didn't believe her at all. But this wasn't something she could pry about either.
She said indifferently, "Second Lady instructed me to subtly ask about the true nature of your relationship with the Prince."
"Oh." Yuan Qingling responded absentmindedly.
After a few spoonfuls, Yuan Qingping pushed her bowl aside, seemingly angry. "Why are you so indifferent? They're probing about you for a reason. How can you be so muddle-headed?"
Seeing her suddenly upset face, Yuan Qingling smiled. "What reason?"
"How would I know? It must be to help Father's official career. If you can't assist Father, the consequences will definitely be severe. I can tell your relationship with the Prince isn't genuinely good either."
Yuan Qingling pondered, "You have keen insight."
Yuan Qingping said impatiently, "What keen insight? These years, everyone knows what Father has been working towards tirelessly. I'm not stupid."
"That's his business. Don't get involved."
Yuan Qingping gave a cold laugh. "I don't want to get involved. But what choice do I have when he's already arranged my marriage to further his future prospects?"
"Your marriage is already arranged? I didn't know," Yuan Qingling said in surprise. She had just come of age, how could they arrange it so hastily?
"My birth date and eight characters have already been sent out."
"To whom?"
Yuan Qingping said coldly, "Chu Dayou."
"Who is Chu Dayou?"
The nanny said lightly, "The nephew of the Chief Minister Chu. He's already over thirty years old and his previous three wives have passed away."
"You're only fifteen. Marrying a man in his thirties to be a concubine, how can this be allowed?" Yuan Qingling was furious upon hearing this. Jing Hou must be insane to ruin his own daughter this way.
"Father said I should consider myself lucky to be marrying up. Despite being only in his thirties, he's already been bestowed the title Marquis of Huiding, his status is prestigious."
"So what?"
"Nothing can be done except obey," Yuan Qingping's tone was still frosty. Just over fifteen, she had seen through much already. She had no right to object to her own marriage arrangements.
Yuan Qingling asked the nanny, "What's this Marquis of Huiding's personality like?"
The nanny replied, "The Princess Consort can ask the Prince. Since fifteen, the Prince has been in battles under the Marquis of Huiding. It was only at twenty that the Prince started leading armies himself."
Yuan Qingling looked at Yuan Qingping's ashen complexion. "You must have already inquired about him?"
Yuan Qingping's face was pale. "I did. He has a violent temper."
The two words "violent temper" were likely just a broad generalization.
Yuan Qingling suddenly understood why she wanted to stay here instead of going home. She needed a respite to catch her breath.
Fifteen years old, just a middle schooler.
For the sake of his own prospects, Jing Hou really had no limits.
Yuan Qingping looked at her sharply. "I used to resent you. If you had gained the Prince's affection and helped Father gain power, perhaps I wouldn't have to marry the Marquis of Huiding. But I know it's too selfish of me to think that way."
Seeing her indignant yet conflicted expression, Yuan Qingling said with difficulty, "I don't have the right to intervene in your marriage arrangements."
"You don't, but if you were favored, you could ask the Prince to intervene. He's the Prince of Chu. As long as he says the Marquis of Huiding is unsuitable, Father will listen. But you can't persuade the Prince, can you?" Yuan Qingping stared at her as she spoke.
Yuan Qingling just stayed silent. Could she persuade him? She wasn't certain. She also couldn't casually make Yuan Qingping a promise, in case it didn't work out and disappointed her.
"You can't, right?" Yuan Qingping gave a cold laugh and wiped her tears with one hand. "I know it's futile to ask this of you when you can barely protect yourself, let alone me."
Yuan Qingling said with difficulty, "I don't have the right to intervene in your marriage."
"You don't, but the Prince does. If you were favored, you could have asked the Prince to intervene. He's the Prince of Chu - as long as he says the Marquis of Huiding is unsuitable, Father will listen. But you can't persuade the Prince, can you?" Yuan Qingping stared at her as she spoke.
Yuan Qingling remained silent. Could she persuade him? She wasn't certain. Nor could she casually make Yuan Qingping a promise, in case it didn't work out and disappointed her.
"You can't, right?" Yuan Qingping gave a cold laugh and wiped her tears with one hand. "I know it's futile to ask this of you when you can barely protect yourself, let alone me."
Yuan Qingling still didn't speak. In this era, marriage arrangements were at the discretion of parents and matchmakers. As the controversial eldest sister, what right did she have to interfere?
Perhaps she should broach the topic with Yuwen Hao and ask him.
