When returning home, Lady Anxi Marquise asked Wei Caile: “Le'er, did the princess agree to go see the lantern festival with you?”
Wei Caile said annoyedly: “Don’t mention it. No matter how much I hinted, she didn't react at all. I suspect she hasn't awakened yet.”
Lady Anxi Marquise was surprised. Considering Jiang Yuqing's age, it made sense that she hadn't awakened yet.
She then comforted her son: “She’s almost thirteen. Girls that age are the most likely to start awakening romantically.
If it doesn't work out this time, there will be a next time. As long as you appear by her side more and express yourself more, there will be a day when she is moved by you.
As long as you marry her, the heir apparent position of this marquisate is yours.
Moreover, with the help of the princess and Duke Jiang’s residence, your future prospects don’t need to be said. What does a mere Wei Caile amount to!”
"Alright, son remembers," he said.
Jiang Yuqing was completely unaware of what had happened here. The next day was the Lantern Festival, and Jing Yan sent someone to tell her that he wanted to go to the lantern fair with her family.
Jiang Yuqing was naturally happy to watch lanterns with multiple friends. When Jiang Yuqing told this matter to her father Jiang Wenyuan, he felt sour all over his teeth.
He wanted to hide away, how could this guy come knocking again? It really was misfortune!
The next evening, twelve guards in green robes escorted a plain green gauze carriage and stopped outside Duke Jiang’s residence.
When Jiang Wenyuan saw Li Deshun dressed inconspicuously in front of the carriage, his heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly went out to greet them.
Sure enough, not only Crown Prince Jing Yan came out of the carriage, but also Emperor Xia Jing and Empress Qin. The family of three had all come. The Jiangs quickly knelt down to salute.
“Your subject, Jiang Wenyuan, greets Emperor, Empress!”
Emperor Xia Jing helped Jiang Wenyuan up and said, “Get up, everyone. Today I’m traveling incognito, just call me Master Jing!”
Jiang Wenyuan said, “Yes, Master Jing, Mrs. Jing, please come inside, young master!”
It was the first time the emperor and empress came to Duke Jiang’s residence. Compared to the majesty and solemnity of the palace and the rules and regulations of other nobles' mansions, Duke Jiang's residence had more of an ordinary people's casual and warm family home feel.
For example, the strings of little red lanterns hanging from the trees, snowmen that had not yet melted everywhere on the roadside.
The white tiger languidly wagging its tail on the lobby floor, and the proud and beautiful deer, as well as the colorful wool cushions personally knitted by Lu. Everything made people feel extremely comfortable and relaxed.
Dinner was prepared by Lu and the servants, basically all home cooked dishes. After eating, the lights outside had just come on.
Everyone rested for a while, drank a cup of tea, then went out to see the lanterns.
In recent years, Da Xia had good weather for crops and grain production had increased for years. The lives of the common people had indeed improved a lot. Therefore, the lantern fairs in the past two years were exceptionally lively.
At this time, just after nightfall, lanterns were already lit everywhere in the city, especially on both sides of the Imperial Avenue, which had become a sea of lanterns.
The streets were crowded with people, most of whom had brought their whole family. Young men and women of Da Xia could freely travel in fine clothes and vigorous horses without wearing gauze hats.
In order to attract customers, every shop door was hung full of all kinds of beautiful lanterns.
Some even specially invited scholars to compose lamp riddles and couplets, and offered rich rewards to passersby who could guess them.
It was both an interesting game and a way to promote their shops, making full use of their wits.
Jiang Yuqing walked excitedly among the lantern stalls, appreciating this folk custom with a history of thousands of years.
Watching lanterns, watching people, guessing lantern riddles.
She was not very proficient in this area. For simple ones, she would try to guess and have fun.
But she was stumped by slightly more difficult ones. However, she had two super helpers.
One was her cow-spirited top scholar elder brother, and the other was the accomplished in both civil and military affairs, Jing Yan.
Jiang Yuqing saw a beautiful walking maiden lantern that she really liked.
Buying it alone would cost four taels and eight pennies of silver, which she was reluctant to part with.
But below the lantern was also posted a riddle: Eating with the yellow scrolls, pillowing half of the books - it referred to a curtain box. Guessing an official position!
??? What on earth is this! The semi-illiterate host was full of question marks.
She quickly turned to look for her helpers.
Unfortunately, her top scholar brother was busy at a stall next door, having a lively time competing couplets with others, and seemed to have no time to care for her.
She could only cast her sights on Jing Yan beside her.
Jing Yan gently stroked her hair and gently said, "Does Qingqing want that walking maiden lantern?"
"Mm-hmm!" Jiang Yuqing nodded vigorously. "I want it, I really want it!"
"Okay, wait for me, I'll win it back for you!" he said, then took paper and a brush from the nearby table and wrote down the answer.
Jiang Yuqing read it out loud one word at a time "Secretary of the Chancellery."
"Correct." He explained with a smile: “A curtain box is a type of riddle. The answer is three characters or more. It must be read backwards to match the front of the riddle, like a curtain being rolled up and then lowered again, hence the name ‘curtain box riddle’.”
"Wow, that’s so amazing!" It has to be said, the cultural literacy of these ancients was truly extraordinary, playing such high-level word games.
For her, a semi-literate person who had only ever guessed brain teasers and riddle puzzles in her previous life, it was simply crushing.
The shopkeeper took Jing Yan’s answer and complimented the young master's great talent. Then he happily took down the maiden lantern and handed it over with both hands.
After Jing Yan took it, he gave it to Jiang Yuqing. Jiang Yuqing held the lantern with a smile that made her eyes curve, swaying the lantern playfully with one hand.
In order not to let the crowded people jostle her, Jing Yan even stretched out his arm to shield her under his wings.
Watching the pair of children ahead, Emperor Xia Jing happily nudged Jiang Wenyuan with his elbow: “Brother Yi, what do you think about our two families becoming in-laws?"
Hearing this, Jiang Wenyuan’s entire body went cold. But he couldn’t offend the emperor either, so he just said, "Master Jing, my daughter is still young!"
Emperor Xia Jing glared at him and said, "Don't give me that. I know what you're thinking. You're afraid that when your daughter marries into my family in the future, she'll suffer grievances!"
Jiang Wenyuan sneered to himself, thinking, I know you know, so why ask!
Emperor Xia Jing also said, “Admittedly, your daughter is very good, but my son is also very outstanding, isn't he!
Other ministers’ families would be eager to marry their daughters into my family, only you are unwilling.
Humph, if it wasn't for my son insisting on your daughter, I might have become a grandfather this year!"
He patted Jiang Wenyuan's shoulder as if they were close brothers and said, "I know you dearly love your daughter.
Look, how about this, I won't force you either, and you don't interfere with the two children getting along.
If Qingqing is also willing to be with my son Yan, I’ll issue an edict to grant them marriage. What do you think?"
"That's fine!" With Your Majesty speaking to this point, what use is my objection? Either way, you have the final say.
Jiang Wenyuan felt extremely frustrated inwardly, no need to elaborate.
Having obtained Jiang Wenyuan's promise, Emperor Xia Jing looked at Jing Yan ahead, with a raised corner of his mouth, pleased.
He thought inwardly, my son, you got quite a difficult father-in-law. I can only help you this much. The rest depends on you.
Having settled this big matter, Emperor Xia Jing felt relieved. He devoted himself to strolling the lantern fair with Empress Qin. He couldn’t remember how many years it had been since he last visited a common folks’ lantern fair.
Whenever they saw something interesting, they would guess. They even won several lanterns. Empress Qin picked one lantern with a national peace and prosperity pattern for herself, and gave the rest to the Empress.
Not to be outdone, whenever Madam Lu liked one, Jiang Wenyuan would decisively buy it for her.
Afraid that Empress Lu would be jostled by the crowd, he held her hand all the way, shielding her with his body. It made Emperor Xia Jing’s eyes hurt to watch.
Huff, putting on airs as if he was the only one with a wife.
When a man's competitive spirit came up, he also took Empress Qin's hand.
It even made Empress Qin break out in goosebumps. She secretly thought, has the old fogey taken the wrong medicine today?
On the way, they also encountered other ministers.
Seeing the imperial family of three walking together inconspicuously with the Jiang family, they also knew that they did not want to reveal their identities. So they saluted from afar and then avoided them, very tactfully.
They were secretly shocked by the Jiang family’s position in the emperor’s heart, to be able to accompany the emperor even when visiting lantern fairs. They were indeed formidable.
When it was almost time to disperse, they finally parted contentedly, everyone reaping a full harvest.
Before saying goodbye, Jiang Yuqing took the lanterns she had won and gave one to each person, even Li Deshun got one.
Li Deshun had been sincerely treated well by De for many years, like a granddaughter. Whenever there was something good, she would never forget to give Li Deshun a share.
Li Deshun also treated De as another elder of her own, so for any good thing, she would never miss him either. As the saying goes, true heart is exchanged for true heart.
On the way back to the palace, Emperor Xia Jing said to his son, "Today I mentioned to Jiang Wenyuan that I intend to make a marriage alliance with him.
He did not immediately agree, but he will not stop you from interacting with Qingbao in the future.
Qingbao is still young. You have a long way to go if you want to get a beautiful woman. Good luck!"
Jing Yan's face flushed slightly, but he still sincerely thanked his father.
Emperor Xia Jing's mouth curled up. He rested his head on Empress Qin's shoulder and closed his eyes to rest.
Walking all night today, he was really tired. Years show no mercy!
At night, Jiang Wenyuan tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Lu, also disturbed by him, murmured hazily, "What's wrong? What are you so worried about?"
Jiang Wenyuan put his hands behind his head and looked at the pitch-black canopy, "His Majesty wants to marry our darling daughter to the Crown Prince!"
Hearing this, Lu was completely awakened, "Did His Majesty really say that?"
Jiang Wenyuan said, "Um! But I didn't agree!" He told Lu what Emperor Xia Jing had said.
Lu was silent for a while before saying, "The Crown Prince is a good man, gentle and courteous, outstanding in both civil and military skills, and will be a wise ruler in the future as well.
But being a prince also gets to his head. In the future, there will definitely be other women in the harem.
Our darling daughter looks gentle and easy to talk to, but in fact, she can't stand a grain of sand in her eyes.
She grew up in our harmonious family and may not be able to accept a husband with three wives and four concubines. When that happens, who knows what kind of trouble she would cause!"
Jiang Wenyuan was startled for a moment. He sat straight up in bed and said, "That's great! I'll tell our darling daughter tomorrow.
Before formally settling it down, I'll explain things clearly with that boy first.
No matter if he is the Crown Prince or not, he must marry with no concubines, otherwise, the marriage is called off!"
After saying that, he threw the quilt off and lay back down, "Sleep!"
Lu: "......." So that's fine, she doesn't need to comfort him.
