EBE Chapter 123 What He Planned
Chapter 123 What He Planned
In the winter of Xuandu, the grass and trees are withered and yellow. On the shore of the lake in the western suburbs, the hooves of horses tread on the fallen leaves, making a soft, rustling sound.
“My lord, you can’t find wild geese at this time of year; they’ve all flown south for the winter.”
Jiang Se, carrying a bow and arrows, reined in her arms and gazed at the desolate, calm lake, her tone revealing her disappointment.
"I know, I just wanted to give it a try."
The attendant teased, "Why is my lord in such a hurry? Spring will arrive in two months. The Imperial Concubine has asked the Imperial Observatory to calculate that the auspicious day for the betrothal is the seventh day of the third month. It will only be two or three months from now."
Eleven felt that her husband was too impatient. Even if the betrothal was proposed now, they would still have to wait two years to get married.
Looking at the desolate world, Jiang Se felt a growing unease. The longer the night dragged on, the more likely things would go wrong; it was best to make a decision sooner rather than later.
However, it would be too impolite to propose marriage so hastily. He was afraid that it would displease Prince Hui, and even more afraid that Le'an would misunderstand him as frivolous and reckless. He respected, loved and valued Le'an, and never dared to be casual about it.
That's why he came out in the dead of winter to look for wild geese to show his sincerity, but fate did not grant his wish and had no intention of fulfilling it.
Xuandu Post Station
Inside the side room, a young man who looked like a nobleman from a foreign tribe reclined on a couch, engrossed in reading a book.
The door was pulled open with a "whoosh".
"Your Highness," the attendant said respectfully as he approached the young man after closing the door, "the official letter has been submitted, and Emperor Xuan will summon Your Highness tomorrow."
The young man nodded, his gaze never leaving the scroll. "This collection of essays on the investigation of things is very useful. Aguri, go and find some more books for me."
"Your Highness, we have purchased all the books that could be found on the market."
The young man glanced at the few books on the table and felt quite helpless. The aristocratic family cherished their possessions, and there were very few books circulating in the market. Even if you had money, you couldn't buy them.
As if remembering something, he sighed heavily, "Back then, when those uncles and elders conquered the city, they burned it all too thoroughly."
After all, they were ancestors who conquered the northern desert lands, so Yelü Moqi couldn't say anything too harsh, but in reality, he often cursed their barbaric behavior in his heart.
Once we've conquered the territory, it's ours. How can we waste it like this? It's such a waste.
Of course, this was due to the circumstances at the time. When invading another tribe, the first step was to use violence to suppress them, otherwise it would be impossible to establish authority.
However, it would be unwise to continue this practice after the regime has stabilized. What Yelü Moqi wanted to do was to resolve the enmity between the two tribes.
"Your Highness still loves Chinese culture so much, even risking everything to travel as a merchant to various Chinese countries."
"Although the upper echelons of the Chinese community are corrupt and hypocritical, their agricultural science, medical skills, crafts, and certain management systems are all unique. I should take the essence of these and use it for my own purposes."
Upon hearing this, Aguri seemed to understand something. "So Your Highness wants to marry a Han Chinese princess and obtain Han Chinese books and craftsmen?"
"Moreover, 70% of the people under the rule of the Northern Desert are Han Chinese. Our clan relies on force to enslave the Han Chinese, which is not conducive to the future expansion of our territory."
The two races are sworn enemies, and if they were to attack another country in the future, their own backyard would easily be on fire.
"Therefore, I wish to marry a princess of the Han Chinese race to ease relations between the two races and give hope to the Han Chinese people under my rule."
"Your Highness is wise!"
"Aguli, go and inquire about the Xuan Kingdom's princess and the royal women?"
"Huh?" Does getting a dowry really need to be this complicated?
"Oh~" Aguri suddenly understood, "I get it, pick the prettiest ones!"
Yelü Moqi's eyelids finally twitched, and he rolled his eyes at Aguli. "What I need is an empress who can help me, who truly loves the people like her own children, and who has the ability to be a model for the world, not an empty-headed vase with nothing but a pretty face."
Aguli felt a little ashamed; he had been too superficial. At the same time, the image of the county princess he had met in Yancheng flashed through his mind.
At this time, Shen Qing, unable to find a reason to refuse, was once again conscripted by Li Su.
God, someone please save me!
Just as Shen Qing was shouting in her heart, a servant came to report.
"Mistress, Second Mistress is back."
Who? Shen Qing didn't react for a moment.
“Yunxi is back,” Li Su looked up, seemingly unsurprised, and said to Shen Qing, “Go and greet your second sister.”
Shen Qing then realized that Shen Yunxi was the matriarch of the Lu family, the second sister who was four or five years older than the original owner of the body. She got married two years ago, and Shen Qing had not seen her since she transmigrated.
My gut feeling was that something was wrong. With the end of the year approaching, she should be very busy as the mistress of the house. Why would she be home visiting her family at this time?
Several melodramatic family feuds and infighting scenarios involuntarily flashed through my mind.
"What are you still standing there for?" Li Su frowned slightly. Why is this child always so absent-minded since he came back? He's really become too wild. We should get him engaged soon.
"Oh~"
Shen Qing's thoughts returned, and he immediately got up. Just as he reached the door, he saw a richly dressed young woman walking gracefully towards him, followed by a large group of maids and servants carrying large and small bags of luggage.
This scene looks so familiar.
"Third Sister."
While I was thinking, Shen Yunxi was already in front of me.
"Second Sister." Shen Qing bowed slightly.
"It's been a long time, Third Sister has grown taller."
"My second sister has become even more beautiful."
"Just your sweet mouth."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two returned to Jin Garden together.
"Greetings, Mother." Shen Yunxi bowed to Li Su.
Li Su quickly pulled Shen Yunxi up and said with a smile, "It's rare for you to come back. You should stay a few more days this time and teach Qingxi how to manage the household."
Oh no, with two deans of students, the pressure has doubled.
“Of course,” Shen Yunxi looked at Shen Qing and smiled, “I will definitely teach my third sister well.”
Shen Qing felt a chill run down his spine; there was a murderous aura emanating from him!
Did the original owner of this body have a grudge against her?
But the next second, Shen Yunxi and Li Su were chatting warmly about everyday things.
Was it just an illusion? Lacking sufficient information, Shen Qing sat quietly to the side, listening to their conversation, acting as if she were invisible.
Shen Yunxi and Qin Zhen are about the same age, but unlike the charming and eloquent Qin Zhen, Shen Yunxi is polite and dignified to the point of being somewhat rigid.
The sharing of experiences as a matriarch made Shen Qing feel a little sleepy.
"The second son of the Wei family is outstanding in appearance and talent, and is a good match for you. If Mother is satisfied, I can take my third sister to Anguo Temple to offer incense and wait for an opportunity for them to meet."
Shen Qing immediately shuddered. Wasn't this just an ancient version of a blind date?!
Sister, what have we ever done to you?
Li Su was somewhat tempted, then turned to look at Shen Qing, whose eyes were wide open, feeling both amused and annoyed. "Your second sister is worrying about your marriage, what kind of behavior is this?"
"It's not necessary!"
Shen Qing shook her head and waved her hand forcefully.
Li Su smiled and said, "Don't be shy. When a daughter grows up, she will eventually get married."
Shen Qing knew that Li Su responded better to gentle persuasion than force, so she immediately used the classic anti-marriage rhetoric and snuggled up to Li Su in a coquettish manner.
"Mother, your daughter can't bear to leave you. I want to stay with you for a few more years."
"You, you~" Li Suxin was completely soft-hearted. Helplessly, she tapped Shen Qing's forehead with her finger and then dropped the subject.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yunxi's eyes grew even colder.