ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 111

After finishing lunch, a maid brought tea over, and the Grand Princess caught a glimpse of a crimson line on Xiao Yan’s left palm, curious she asked, “What’s that?”

Before he could answer, Xiao Rulei eagerly exclaimed, “A’yang knows, it’s the marriage line!”

The Grand Princess was a bit puzzled, “Marriage line?”

“It was drawn by my sister,” Xiao Rulei proudly raised her hand to show the Grand Princess, grinning, “A’yang has one too.”

The Grand Princess couldn’t help but smile, thinking it was Xiao Rulei’s idea, she said to Xiao Yan, “Are you also playing around like her, what’s the use of drawing a marriage line?”

But Xiao Yan countered, “Why wouldn’t it be useful?”

The Grand Princess was speechless, “It’s drawn with red ink, won’t it all wash away with water?”

Xiao Rulei hurriedly said, “Then A’yang won’t wash her hands!”

The Grand Princess teased her, “If you don’t wash your hands, how will you eat snacks?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rulei’s face showed a hint of dilemma, reluctantly saying, “Well… let’s forget about it then.”

Everyone laughed, and the Grand Princess remembered something and asked Yang Jun, “How long do you plan to stay in the capital this time?”

Yang Jun set down his teacup respectfully and replied, “My mother instructed me, I came this time for the Emperor’s Longevity Celebration. Once the festival is over, I’ll start my journey back to Southern Frontier.”

Grand Princess Yong Ning smiled and said, “There’s still over a month left, and since you haven’t been in the capital for a long time, you can enjoy yourself. Where are you staying now? Is there anything inconvenient?”

Yang Jun smiled and replied, “Following my mother’s advice, I am currently staying at the Yang residence. Other than the old lady’s constant nagging, there’s nothing inconvenient.”

Grand Princess Yong Ning nodded. “That’s good. If you need anything in the future, feel free to tell me.”

After chatting for a while longer, Yang Jun took her leave. Grand Princess Yong Ning asked Li Zhizhi to escort her out, leaving only herself and Xiao Yan in the flower hall. Grand Princess Yong Ning sipped her tea and sighed to Xiao Yan, “Your little cousin is quite bold. She’s already twenty-six and still unmarried. I asked her about it, and she said she hasn’t met the right person and isn’t willing to settle. The Queen Mother doesn’t even intervene, just letting her be.”

Xiao Yan wasn’t particularly concerned about Yang Jun’s situation, but since Grand Princess Yong Ning mentioned it, he replied, “It’s indeed uncommon in Dayan. However, I’ve heard that in the Southern Frontier, many unmarried women over twenty are quite common.”

Grand Princess Yong Ning said, “Regardless, she still needs to marry.”

She paused and glanced at Xiao Yan, then suddenly said, “Your father, too. A few years ago, some ministers brought up the topic of finding a consort for you, discussing this and that. Regardless of whether it happens or not, there are still plans being made. But now that you’re about to come of age, he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry at all.”

Xiao Yan’s hand holding the teacup stiffened slightly upon hearing this, then he smiled and said, “Aunt, why are we talking about me again?”

Grand Princess Yong Ning leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice, and asked, “Tell me honestly, do you have someone in your heart?”

Xiao Yan gently caressed the delicate porcelain cup, not immediately answering. Seeing his reaction, the Grand Princess Yong Ning understood immediately and exclaimed with a mix of surprise and joy, “Which young lady is it?”

She vividly remembered her misunderstanding when she thought Xiao Yan liked Li Zhizhi. Xiao Yan knew she didn’t approve, so if he confessed now, he’d likely be kicked out immediately. Xiao Yan didn’t want to take any chances and said, “Nothing has been decided yet. I’ll tell you when the time is right.”

He hoped the Grand Princess Yong Ning wouldn’t kick him out when the time came.

…

Meanwhile, Li Zhizhi escorted Yang Jun out, chatting happily as they walked. Li Zhizhi, curious, asked, “By the way, your brother… Yang Sheng, is he…?”

Yang Jun was straightforward and open, understanding her meaning right away. She said frankly, “He likes that Miss Su, didn’t you notice that the other day?”

Li Zhizhi laughed, saying, “Indeed, I was worried I had misinterpreted things.”

Yang Jun waved it off, saying, “No need to worry. Although he’s reserved, he’s not good at hiding things. Anyone with eyes can see it. It’s just that he likes to be proper. Even though that Miss Su hadn’t broken off her engagement before, I encouraged him to make a move, but he refused, saying a gentleman doesn’t take advantage of others. He’s really stubborn.”

She was a bit frustrated, clicking her tongue and saying, “If you like someone, act decisively. Don’t hesitate. Otherwise, by the time you make a move, someone else might have already won their heart. This time, he got lucky. It was a blind cat catching a dead mouse. Miss Su happened to break off the engagement.”

Li Zhizhi listened dumbfoundedly, while Yang Jun glanced at her and chuckled, “The men from your Dayan probably fall into two categories: the first type is fickle and indulgent, accepting all who come, eager to take in numerous concubines; the second type is secretive, not knowing how to express themselves, all awkward and timid, even the dogs on the street would want to bark on their behalf.”

Finding her amusing, Li Zhizhi burst into laughter and said, “What about the men from Southern Border?”

After a moment of thought, Yang Jun shrugged and said, “They’re about the same, not suitable for the limelight.”

She paused for a moment, then corrected herself, “Except for one who’s not bad.”

Observing Yang Jun’s expression, Li Zhizhi speculated that there must be some story between her and the man she mentioned. Just as she was pondering, Yang Jun laughed and said, “Let me guess, you must be wondering about the relationship between me and that person, am I right?”

Li Zhizhi was slightly surprised but then felt awkward and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend…”

Yang Jun waved her hand, unconcerned, and said, “It’s okay, it’s human nature. Do you think I’m someone like Yang Shen, all filled with propriety and etiquette?”

She winked at Li Zhizhi, smiling gently, “For example, I might also speculate about your relationship with the Crown Prince.”

Hearing this, Li Zhizhi was taken aback and said, “There’s nothing between us…”

“How could that be?” Yang Jun raised an eyebrow slightly, paused, and exclaimed, “Haven’t you noticed? Since he appeared today, his eyes have been glued to you, constantly trying to make you laugh. Let me guess, did he suggest that you paint the marriage thread he’s holding?”

Li Zhizhi fell silent because what the other person said was indeed correct, but she still didn’t quite believe it in her heart. She explained, “There is a reason for that.”

She carefully recounted Xiao Yan’s previous words to prove that Yang Jun had misunderstood. However, Yang Jun just smirked, refusing to believe it, and pointed to her own eyes, insisting, “My judgment is never wrong. Just wait, next time I will make you see his true colors.”

Li Zhizhi: …

She was sure that Yang Jun had made a mistake. How could Xiao Yan possibly have feelings for her?

As she was about to return home after seeing Yang Jun off, she turned around and saw a carriage approaching, stopping at the gates of the Grand Princess’s mansion. Who could be visiting at this time?

Li Zhizhi felt a bit curious and stopped in her tracks. She saw the coachman jump down from the carriage, draw the curtains, and then a maid-like figure helped an old woman out of the carriage. The old woman was dressed in deep indigo clothes, with white hair at the temples. She looked somewhat familiar at first glance, as if Li Zhizhi had seen her somewhere.

Just as Li Zhizhi was wondering, another woman came out of the carriage, quite beautiful with a high bun, and looked very familiar. Perhaps sensing Li Zhizhi’s gaze, she looked over, and she turned out to be Xiao Man.

Only then did Li Zhizhi remember that the old woman with white hair was the Queen Consort Cheng, who had attended a banquet at the Grand Princess’s mansion last time.

Li Zhizhi’s mind was filled with suspicion. Why would these two suddenly come to visit?

…

Upon learning that Queen Sheng and Xiao Man had arrived, the Grand Princess instructed someone to escort them to the flower hall for seating. Given the circ.u.mstances, Xiao Yan didn’t want to be present, so he took Xiao Rulei to avoid the situation. In the midst of boredom, he noticed a promotion chart on the table and asked Li Zhizhi with some interest, “Care to play a game with me?”

Li Zhizhi didn’t refuse, but her mind was still pondering the intentions behind Xiao Man and her daughter’s visit, causing her to be somewhat distracted. Xiao Yan noticed this and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing much,” Li Zhizhi replied as she picked up the dice and rolled. She got a three, missing the target, and said, “I’m just wondering… why would Queen Sheng come?”

Xiao Yan took the dice, casually rolled a six, and promoted his character on the jade board. He said, “In recent years, few have had dealings with the Sheng Mansion, and the Queen has always kept a low profile. She has no close relationship with my aunt, rarely showing up unless there’s a significant matter. They must have come for a reason.”

Li Zhizhi furrowed her brows slightly, took the dice, and said, “Could it be related to the Longevity Festival?”

“No,” Xiao Yan replied confidently, “In past Longevity Festivals, the Sheng Mansion only sent gifts and never entered the palace.”

Glancing at Li Zhizhi, he said with a half-smile, “Since you’re curious, why not go and listen?”

Li Zhizhi hesitated, “That might not be appropriate…”

Xiao Yan insisted, “What’s wrong with that? It’s not eavesdropping.”

Li Zhizhi felt tempted; people often felt more confident about mischievous deeds when not alone. She wanted to leave, but Xiao Yan pointed at the dice in her hand, saying, “You haven’t rolled a six yet.”

The promotion chart, as the name suggests, is a game of throwing dice to get promoted. At the beginning, you need to roll a six to pa.s.s the imperial examination and start playing. After going around once, Xiao Yan has reached the rank of fifth-grade grand academician, while Li Zhizhi is still taking the imperial examination and has failed several times in a row, her luck is really bad.

She refused to believe it and rolled three times in a row, all getting three points. She couldn’t help but feel angry. Seeing this, Xiao Yan took the dice from her hand and casually threw it. The jade dice rolled on the table for a few rounds and landed on a perfect six.

Li Zhizhi looked surprised and stared at him, asking, “Did you cheat?”

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “How can you cheat in throwing dice? It’s all about luck.”

Li Zhizhi rolled again, this time not getting a three but a four. She was so angry that she wanted to slam the table. Xiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Let me teach you.”

He picked up the dice and placed one point facing up, gesturing to Li Zhizhi, “Hold it like this.”

Li Zhizhi followed his instructions, but Xiao Yan didn’t let go of her hand. The jade dice was too small, and their fingertips inevitably touched. Li Zhizhi instinctively pulled back her thumb, but Xiao Yan pressed down on her fingertip and said, “Hold it steady.”

Then, he held Li Zhizhi’s wrist from below, gripping her hand and tilting it slightly at an angle. Li Zhizhi touched the sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist, brushing against his skin with a slight coolness. The sunlight from outside the window poured in, illuminating the jade dice brightly, shining as brightly as Xiao Yan’s eyes.

He looked at her, smiled slightly, and said softly, “Now, roll it.”

Li Zhizhi subconsciously released her hand, and the jade dice slipped, jumping twice on the tabletop, rolling briskly, then abruptly stopping, showing a bright red six.