Chapter 420: Does Your Mind Not Take Detours?

Chapter 420: Does Your Mind Not Take Detours?

A few days passed, and the Mediocre King arrived in the capital with his family. That day, Tang Shuyi was giving a lecture to Li Jingyi in the palace, and they inevitably talked about the Mediocre King.

Li Jingyi said, "The Mediocre King was once a royal of the Rouran Kingdom. His coming to the capital is likely an attempt to test the waters here."

Tang Shuyi acknowledged with a hum, "What are your thoughts?"

Li Jingyi pondered for a moment before saying, "Such behavior is within reason. After all, he wasn't originally a subject of Daqian. To secure his position, it's inevitable that he would seek to grasp the information of the court."

"Anything else?" Tang Shuyi prompted further.

After another moment of thought, Li Jingyi added, "Now that Rouran has become part of Daqian, the Mediocre King must conform to Daqian. He must be made to understand that he is now the Mediocre King of Daqian, not of Rouran."

Tang Shuyi nodded in agreement, but she said, "While the Mediocre King must comply with Daqian, Daqian must also be inclusive of the Mediocre King and the former subjects of Rouran. Only by accepting various streams can the sea become vaster."

Li Jingyi agreed, "Therefore, a combination of grace and might is necessary."

Tang Shuyi smiled, "Right."

………

The Mediocre King's arrival in the capital had been formally petitioned in advance. Li Jingyi had already bestowed upon him a mansion and dispatched some eunuchs and palace maids from the palace that very day to attend to the Mediocre King's family.

The next day, the Mediocre King paid his respects to the Emperor in the palace. Entering the Imperial Study, he respectfully performed a kowtow. Li Jingyi approached, leaned over to help him up, and said, "I have long wished to meet with you, my dear official. Today, that wish has finally been fulfilled."

Rising to his feet, the Mediocre King subtly sized up the young Emperor before him. A youth of about fifteen or sixteen, but with a tall and slender stature. His face bore traces of juvenility, yet his speech and demeanor carried an air of steadiness.

Although far in the northwest, he had his informants in the capital. He was aware that the new Emperor had been supported by the Duke of Dingguo, whose wife was also the Emperor’s mentor. What he didn't know was whether this young Emperor harbored any wariness towards the Duke’s household.

As the monarch and his subject sat down to talk, they exchanged pleasantries and discussed the folk customs of the northwest. What seemed like simple conversation was laced with subtle probing.

The Mediocre King had intended to broach the subject of his daughter entering the palace. However, after their conversation, he decided to temporarily shelve the idea. This young Emperor, despite his age, was not one to be easily fooled.

Moreover, regardless of whether the young Emperor felt wary of the Duke of Dingguo or not, the Duke currently possessed the power to overturn the court. Thus, he needed to observe the situation further.

Li Jingyi, relieved that the Mediocre King had not mentioned his daughter, pondered which member of the royal family was of similar age to the Mediocre King's daughter. It was all about seeking a marriage alliance, and finding someone suitable within the royal family would suffice.

After leaving the imperial palace, the Mediocre King sent an invitation to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, stating his intention to visit the next day. Accompanied by his daughter, he made his visit as planned.

Xiao Huai and Xiao Yuming entertained the Mediocre King, while Tang Shuyi and Xiao Yuzhu attended to his daughter, Xia Dailan.

Xia Dailan, about thirteen or fourteen, with a round face and large eyes, was dressed in a purple long dress with narrow sleeves, exuding a spirited elegance. After conversing with her for a while, Tang Shuyi let Xiao Yuzhu take her around to play.

The two first visited Xiao Yuzhu's courtyard and after chatting for a bit, Xia Dailan inquired, "Have you met the Emperor?"

Xiao Yuzhu paused, then replied calmly, "Yes, I have."

"What does the Emperor look like?" Xia Dailan asked.

Xiao Yuzhu considered for a moment, "He's... decent, I suppose."

"What do you mean by decent? Is he as handsome as your second brother?" Xia Dailan probed.

After thinking, Xiao Yuzhu said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In terms of appearance, the Emperor and my second brother are quite on par with each other."

Frowning thoughtfully, Xia Dailan said, "My father wants me to marry the Emperor, but I think marrying your second brother would be better than marrying the Emperor."

Xiao Yuzhu: "..."

"Are you always so direct?"

"It's just that..." Xiao Yuzhu weighed her words carefully before saying, "You probably can't marry my second brother."

"Why not?" Xia Dailan asked.

Xiao Yuzhu replied, "My second brother is already betrothed and is set to marry after the New Year."

Xia Dailan's brow furrowed, "So I must marry the Emperor?"

Xiao Yuzhu: "..."

She could see it now, this girl was straightforward and lacked guile. Yet even so, Xiao Yuzhu didn't say that she couldn't marry the Emperor either. While the girl might be straightforward, the Mediocre King certainly was not.

Apart from the topic of whom Xia Dailan would marry, the two conversed pleasantly and found much in common. They even agreed to go horseback riding together at the stables.

The Mediocre King and his daughter dined at the Duke of Dingguo's residence before departing. Back at their mansion, the Mediocre King asked Xia Dailan what she had done at the Duke's house.

Xia Dailan recounted everything in detail, ending with, "I asked Xiao Yuzhu about the Emperor's appearance, comparing him to Xiao Yuming, and said I'd rather marry Xiao Yuming than the Emperor. Xiao Yuzhu told me Xiao Yuming is already engaged to be married after the New Year, but I don't want to marry the Emperor."

The Mediocre King: "..."

"Is your mind always so straightforward?"

"And what did Xiao Yuzhu say to that?" the Mediocre King asked.

Xia Dailan: "She didn't say anything!"

The Mediocre King took a deep breath; his daughter's way of thinking was simply not on the same level as others. It seemed he really needed to think over the matter of her entering the palace.

At that moment, Xia Dailan added, "Father, why must you insist on using marriage for an alliance? Can't my older brothers handle it? And if not them, why don't you marry for alliance yourself?"

The Mediocre King: "..."

Massaging his temple, which had begun to ache, he gestured for Xia Dailan to leave. He could no longer speak with her; otherwise, he'd be driven to his wit's end.

…………

After Xia Dailan departed, Xiao Yuzhu wrote to Li Jingyi, recounting the words Xia Dailan had shared with her. Upon reading the letter, Li Jingyi felt a wave of anxiety and hastily replied with assurances.

That evening, Xiao Yuzhu received his response and, seeing the caution laced within his words, lay on her bed laughing. In truth, she hadn’t taken Xia Dailan’s words to heart.

The Prince of Yong was astute. Having grasped the political situation of the capital, he would make the wisest decision. His desire for his daughter to enter the palace was nothing more than an attempt to secure his position in the court and the northwest. However, if his daughter’s clever schemes backfired, all would be lost.

Meanwhile, Li Jingyi began selecting eligible candidates from the royal relatives. Thus, a few days later, when Xiao Yuzhu and Xia Dailan went horseback riding, several young princes from the clan joined them. And when the eldest son of the Fan family heard that Xiao Yuzhu was going to the horse track, he too followed.

The horse track that day was exceptionally lively, with the scions of the most powerful families in the capital nearly all present. Xiao Yuzhu introduced Xie Xihua to Xia Dailan, saying, “This is Miss Xie, the second young lady.”

She then whispered to Xia Dailan, “She is to be my future sister-in-law.”

Xia Dailan surveyed Xie Xihua from head to toe and then remained silent. Although she felt that marrying the emperor was less desirable than marrying Xiao Yuming, it wasn’t because she fancied Xiao Yuming.