Chapter 65: Marriage Matters

  Although she was very dissatisfied with Ling Yuexuan's sudden departure, as the hostess of the other courtyard, Xiao Chengxin still went to Guo's house to try to persuade Ling Yuexuan to return after receiving a letter from Tanzhou. When Ling Yuexuan saw her, she was also very polite, but she absolutely refused to mention what had happened before. Every time Xiao Chengxin mentioned Yuedai in her conversation, she would immediately stop talking. After trying twice, Xiao Chengxin also lost her patience and reluctantly chatted with her for a few more sentences before getting up and leaving. She understood that the conflict between Yuexuan and Yuedai originated from herself, and now seeing Ling Yuexuan like this made it difficult for her to feel comfortable in her heart.

  When she returned to Yuandai, there was still some resentment in her heart, but it wasn't suitable to express it to Yuandai, so she just endured it.

  Yan Dai didn't say much more, seeing that the sky was already getting late, and smiled: "Since you've come, why not have dinner at my place? Today's snow is quite interesting, if it doesn't fall too little tonight, we can go to Shui Lin again for a walk!"

  Xiao Chengxian couldn't help but laugh and said, "I remember that my sister has always been afraid of the cold, how come she's changed her nature today?" For a while, they talked about other things, and they were able to put aside some of their previous unpleasantness.

  Yan Dai didn't mind, saying: "Sister, this statement is incorrect! People all say that it's cold when snow falls, but they don't know that the time of thawing snow is actually the coldest. If you want to appreciate the plum blossoms and don't want it to be too cold, isn't this the perfect time to go?"

  Xiao Chengxian couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. She immediately called someone over and had dinner sent to the western wing.

  After dinner, the two sat opposite each other chatting, but both deliberately avoided mentioning Ling Yuexian. Xiao Chengyan remembered Far Dai's words in her heart. As the hour approached, she got up and pushed the window to take a look outside, only to see that the snowflakes were still dancing outside, and a thick layer had already accumulated on the ground. This snow not only didn't weaken slightly but instead grew stronger and more intense. With a hint of helplessness, Xiao Chengyan turned her head to glance at Far Dai, shook her head and sighed: "It seems that tonight's elegant affair of seeking plum blossoms in the snow is impossible!"

  She was lazily leaning on the kang, and upon hearing this, she laughed and asked, "If it's really snowing outside now, are you still going out, sister?" Her previous mention of admiring plum blossoms was just to distract Shao Xian's attention, but in fact, she had never intended to do so.

  This has nothing to do with Cold or Not Cold, it's just because of the reason of Baili Zhuo, which is enough to make her go to Zhaoshui Lin as little as possible.

  Xiao Cheng looked at Yuan Dai with a bewildered expression, but it wasn't until now that she understood what she meant. With a rather helpless sigh, she said: "You!" Then she sat back down beside Yuan Dai, slightly dazed and seemingly lost in thought.

  Yuandai raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, but didn't interrupt her reverie. The room fell silent for a moment until Xiaocheng suddenly spoke up: "What does Ninth Sister think of Prince Rui?"

  Her slender eyebrows rose slightly in a gentle challenge. Then, with a somewhat careless tone, she replied offhandedly: "Just like a pot of dead ashes!"

  "Dead ash?" Xiao Cheng's expression clearly didn't expect Yan Dai to give such an evaluation of Rui Qin Wang Baili Zhao. After a moment of stunned silence, he smiled and said: "Isn't dead ash also capable of reigniting at times!" However, that smile seemed somewhat forced.

  Yuandai nodded and said, "Then it depends on his luck!" When she mentioned the word "luck", Yuandai suddenly felt a hint of melancholy. Ba Li Zhao's luck... would it be better than his?

  Inside the house, the candlelight flickered slightly, and the charcoal in the brazier emitted a faint crackling sound. The deep red flames danced and stretched, providing more warmth to the already cozy room. However, the two people inside were lost in their own thoughts. After a long time, Xiao Chengyan let out a soft sigh. The sigh seemed to carry a hint of melancholy.

  "It seems now that the person Aunt chose for her sister was indeed Prince Rui's relative!" she said suddenly.

  This issue, in fact, had been discussed by the two of them before. At that time, all discussions were still based on Faraday's speculation, but now everything is clearly presented to both of them, without any doubt.

  However, Yuandai couldn't help but feel a little strange that Xiaochengxian suddenly brought up the old matter: "Why would sister suddenly ask about this?" She asked, vaguely feeling in her heart that Xiaochengxian must have had an ulterior motive for suddenly bringing it up.

  Xiao Chengxian let out a bitter laugh and slowly said: "There's something, I've never mentioned to my sister before. Today, there are only the two of us in this room, so I'd like to tell her about it. But sister must promise me not to mind."

  Xiao Chengxian looked thoughtful for a moment, and then suddenly understood, saying: "Sister wants to talk about something, is it about Prince Rui?"

  Xiao Chengyan nodded with a serious expression, and seeing that Yuande's face did not show any anger or resentment, she finally spoke up: "Sister, do you know why I have never agreed to marry anyone until now?" In the great Zhou dynasty, the daughters of noble families typically got engaged between the ages of 10 to 13. After the engagement was settled, the bride's family would start preparing a generous and dignified dowry for their daughter, which usually took at least two years or as long as three years to be fully prepared.

  Xiao Xiang's beauty is like a rare treasure, and at the age of nineteen, she has yet to be promised to anyone. She can truly be said to be one in a hundred miles.

  Yan Dai Wei said in surprise: "Sister wants to say... Rui Qin Wang..."

  Although Yuandai didn't finish speaking, Xiao Chengyu knew she had understood her meaning. Sighing, she said: "That's right! I was engaged at the age of 13, and my fiancé is indeed Prince Rui. At the beginning of the engagement, it wasn't just Empress Dowager who wholeheartedly supported this matter, but also my parents, who were extremely satisfied with Prince Rui. As for Prince Rui, although I've only met him a few times, I can sense that he doesn't have any objections either!"

  Yuandai listened, slightly stunned, and saw that she had stopped talking, so she couldn't help but ask: "If so, why didn't this matter come to fruition in the end?" It should be said that with the Empress's strong support and the approval of the Xiao couple, and both parties having no objections, there shouldn't have been any further issues. However, the fact was that this matter ended silently and without warning, leaving one wondering.

  Xiao Cheng smiled wryly and said, "Five years ago, Emperor Rui concurrently held the positions of Minister of War and Minister of Revenue, so his affairs were extremely complicated. He was often rushing east and west, and rarely stayed in the capital. The marriage negotiations dragged on slowly, and after several months, Empress Dowager suddenly fell ill for no reason. She lingered on her sickbed for half a year, and this marriage matter was thoroughly delayed..."

  "After that, Rui's father, the king, was stabbed and injured, with both legs disabled... The capital is abuzz with rumors, all saying that this was done by the Di people..."

  Xiao Chengyan said slowly, her tone as flat as if this matter had nothing to do with her; "Before Rui Qīnwáng's accident, my parents actually had no intention of continuing this marriage. However, the engagement had caused a stir in the entire Píngjīng, and after Rui Qīnwáng was disabled, they couldn't bear to go back on their word...” She sighed unintentionally: "But Rui Qīnwáng himself sent someone over, saying that his legs were now crippled and he had no intention of getting married for the time being, so this marriage was called off!"

  She carefully considered Xue Ying's words, but felt that there was more to them than met the eye. After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly asked: "Do you have any regrets about this marriage, sister?"

  "Regret?" Xiao Cheng raised an eyebrow and shook his head, "If this marriage had been previously agreed upon, I wouldn't have done anything to break the promise. But since it wasn't, then we can just say it's not meant to be! As for regret, I hadn't met Ruiqin Wang many times before, let alone having any deep feelings, so where does the talk of regret come from?"

  Yuandai couldn't help but laugh and said with emotion: "I think, unfortunately, Prince Rui missed out on his sister, that's what he should regret!"

  Xiao Cheng smiled lightly and said, "Sister, don't try to flatter me with clever words! I know myself best. Over the years, as I've grown older, my vision has become clearer. The Hou family's wealth and prestige may seem glorious on the surface, but only those of us who are part of it truly understand what lies beneath. As for the imperial court... it's better not to speak of it..."

  Yuan Dai nodded slightly and sighed: "Sister is indeed right!"

  As they spoke, both of them couldn't help but feel a pang in their hearts, and they fell silent. After a long while, Xiao Chengyan finally reached out to hold Yuande's hand: "If I had to say it, I'm actually quite well off! My family has few members, and since my father never took any concubines, there are fewer schemes and struggles in our household. It's actually you, sister, who despite having returned home for only a few years, have already suffered many grievances at the hands of the Ling family!"

  She smiled faintly and said, "Sister, you're being too serious! I've been in the Ling family for three years, and it's just a matter of being treated coldly. It's not that I'm being humiliated." From the moment she returned to the manor, she had never planned on integrating into the Ling family. Being treated coldly was normal. However, what she couldn't accept was being calculated. Yan Dai thought silently, and suddenly a hint of chill flashed in her eyes.

  Xiao Cheng sighed and said, "I and my sister are like old times, once I even hoped that my sister could marry into our family, but now it's probably too late for that to happen!" She was originally a clever person, so she wouldn't just look at the surface of things.

  Yan Dai's marriage came so suddenly, if it was said that it was all the intention of Xiao Lao Tai Jun, Xiao Xian would not believe it at all. She knew very clearly that there was at least one more person involved - her Empress Dowager aunt.

  Baili Zhao stepped down as the crown prince and became Ruiqin Wang, it has been more than three years now. Three years is enough to make some people who are not forgetful also forget many things, and Baili Zhao's power that once existed in the imperial court is also gradually dispersing and fading away.

  By now, many people must have been secretly stirring, waiting for a stone to be thrown, and then they can stir up a thousand waves.

  Among the many princes under his command, Baili Yi undoubtedly had a natural advantage.

  The current emperor has established two empresses, one is the mother of Baili Zhao, Empress Yide Dongshi, and the other is the mother of Baili Yi, Empress Xiao.

  This means that there are only two legitimate sons of the current emperor, namely Baili Zhao and Baili Yi. Now, the eldest son Baili Zhao's legs have been disabled, and looking at history, not to mention the Zhou Dynasty, even tracing back to the previous dynasty for a hundred generations, there has never been a disabled crown prince who could eventually ascend to the throne. Therefore, in practical terms, although Baili Zhao is still alive, he no longer has any possibility of inheriting the throne.