69novels Chapter 423 Looking at Each Other
Chapter 423 Looking at Each Other
Cen Yin's wife brought her son and daughter to the palace today. Her son, Mao Dan, is a year and a half older than the Crown Prince, and her daughter, Miao Miao, is a year younger than the Crown Prince. Both children are quite lively, and as soon as they entered the palace, they started playing with the Crown Prince Xi He and several other children.
Qin Zhenye's wife brought her daughter to the palace, but the girl was too young, only eleven or twelve years old, so there was naturally no possibility for her to be with the Second Prince.
However, unless it is the Crown Prince choosing a consort, the Qin family is unwilling to marry into the families of princes born out of wedlock. If their daughter is of suitable age, Shen Shixi will not send an invitation to the Qin family, and the Qin family will not bring their daughter into the palace.
The Qin family brought their daughter to the palace purely to elevate the Empress's status and, incidentally, to broaden the child's horizons.
Shen Shixi liked the girl very much. He praised her as soon as they met and gave her a hairpin as a reward. This would be a big plus for the girl in the future when they were looking for a marriage partner.
Shen Shixian also entered the palace. In addition to taking care of two children, she also took care of Han Xiao's cousin's daughter, who was seventeen years old this year and named Han Wanyue. She was beautiful, intelligent, and poised.
Shen Shixian privately told Shen Shixi, "This is the daughter of Han Xiao's second uncle. I think she's quite nice. She was originally engaged to a man, but he turned out to be a scoundrel and caused a scandal involving his eldest son, who was with his cousin."
My cousin refused to be a concubine and insisted on being a secondary wife. This girl has a strong temper and is determined to break off the engagement. Isn't she just ruining her own life? I think she's not bad. Her family background is a bit lacking, but she has good character, and we usually get along well. She's intelligent.
Shen Shixi, unaware of her plans, tapped her fourth sister's forehead and said, "You're so cunning!"
She wanted to use one of her own people to keep the Second Prince in check.
Shen Shixi had no such intention, but she couldn't refuse her fourth sister's kindness. As for who the second prince would choose, that was up to him.
This time, Dou Derong, a girl from the Dou family, also entered the palace, as did Song Mingyi. However, Shen Shixi had told the Second Prince beforehand that neither of these girls was of good character and that she did not like them.
The second prince didn't even consider it. He pretended to be passing by the Imperial Garden to pay his respects to his mother and glanced at all the girls.
He didn't have many requirements for his wife's appearance, but the women his mother chose for him were all quite attractive, which made him very grateful.
While the Second Prince was paying his respects, Shen Shixi pulled him aside for a chat, also showing the Second Prince to the girls. It was unreasonable for a prince to be able to pick and choose girls at will, and for the girls not to have their own opinions.
Shen Shixi summoned the Second Princess, Third Princess, and Fourth Princess and said with a smile, "Take the girls to the Peony Garden and see if the flowers are in bloom yet. Second Prince, take the Crown Prince and the others with you. You are the eldest brother, so keep an eye on them."
This was meant to let everyone get to know each other. Several girls were eager to try, wishing they could gouge their eyes out and stick them to the Second Prince.
As they reached the Moon Lake Bridge in front of Chengxiang Pavilion, a sound of "Oh dear!" came from behind them, followed by a fragrant breeze. The Second Prince quickly dodged to the side and pulled Xihe, who was walking next to him, into his arms. Then he saw a girl rushing forward.
If he hadn't dodged in time, the girl would have fallen onto his back.
Even if he is a prince, the emperor will still make him marry a noblewoman in order to win over his subjects.
Xihe was still shaken. If her second brother hadn't pulled her away in time, she might have been tackled to the ground and her face might have been bruised.
This girl was Gao Chengbi's youngest daughter. She didn't expect the second prince to suddenly dodge. She was lucky to fall to the ground, otherwise she would have been the one with a smeared face.
"I'm sorry, my shoes are broken, and I can't walk steadily," Miss Gao said.
Dou Derong was furious. This was the move she had planned to use, but this guy surnamed Gao used it. How could she use it now?
He scoffed, "It's hard to say whether the shoes are broken or the character is flawed."
Miss Gao was no pushover either. "What does Miss Dou mean? What do you mean by 'bad character'? Does Miss Dou think I can do anything to you?"
"In broad daylight, a young woman throws herself at a man's back. Do you really need someone to explain this to her?" Song Mingyi said arrogantly. "Did you come out in public without having read the 'Women's Analects'?"
The eldest princess was also on the list, thinking to herself that even her mother hadn't read "The Analects for Women," yet she had seen more of the world than anyone else.
The eldest princess only understood why her mother had asked her to copy the Analects of Confucius instead of the Analects for Women after she read it later. It was a pity that she understood it too late.
She couldn't help but hate her mother, Consort Du. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the wrong path at the very beginning of her life. She could never forgive her mother, nor could she forgive herself.
She wished her past life had been a nightmare.
Miss Gao was furious and about to retaliate when the Second Prince had already left with his men. Xi He was still calling to Han Wanyue, "Sister Han, come up quickly!"
The second prince asked Xihe in a low voice, "Do you know her?"
Xihe whispered, "Second brother, this is my fourth aunt's cousin. I heard from my mother that she's alright."
The second prince glanced at the girl, and her face flushed.
The second prince noticed Han Wanyue and, seeing that the girl was neither humble nor arrogant, unlike those coy women who tried to seduce him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards her.
We chatted for a bit more afterward, and perhaps because of the filter he got from his mother, he thought the girl was indeed quite nice.
Han Wanyue also noticed the Second Prince's gaze on her, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She knew it was because of Princess Xihe. Once he knew that she had broken off the engagement, he would probably give up the idea.
The Crown Prince and Xihe were playing with Miaomiao, Maodan, and a few others, while Han Wanyue watched from the side.
It was almost time, and the Empress ordered someone to call them to have a meal. After leaving the palace, Shen Shixian asked her how things were going in the carriage.
Han Wanyue laughed and said, "Auntie, you shouldn't have too high hopes. I think you're not good enough for her."
Just by looking at how those noble ladies of higher social standing were trying to seduce the Second Prince, she knew how popular the Second Prince was and what her status was.
"Who can say for sure? But if you are chosen, you will become a royal daughter-in-law. Putting aside everything else, you should learn a lot from the Empress."
Han Wanyue smiled but didn't reply. She thought to herself, "Who is the Empress? She is someone I look up to with awe!"
Shen Shixi was complaining to Li Yuanke, "It's all your fault! I'm not that old, but I'm about to be a grandmother! Honestly, Li Yuanke, you're so annoying!"
Li Yuanke held her, saying, "Who told you to arrange their marriage? A few years later it won't be enough? Do you think I wanted this?"
Outside the door, Li Fude announced that the Second Prince had arrived, and Shen Shixi pushed Li Yuanke aside to let the Second Prince in.
They were talking about the matchmaking meeting today, and Shen Shixi asked him how it went.
The second prince then said, "I think the girl from my fourth aunt's family is quite good; as for the others, I don't think they're suitable."
He then recounted what had happened on the Moon Lake Bridge, saying, "When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. Moreover, Miss Han is beautiful and has both beauty and virtue. I think she is a good match."
Shen Shixi said, "You don't have to accommodate me. I've already told you about the two girls who weren't suitable today. The rest are the ones that your father and I think are not good enough. Marriage is a major life event, so you should follow your heart."
Spending a lifetime with someone you love feels like a fleeting moment, but spending a lifetime with someone you don't love is pure torture, even for those of noble birth.