Chapter 72 – Discussing Marriage

Chapter 72 - Discussing Marriage

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The three of them lingered in Ji Yanbai's courtyard for a while.

With nothing to do, Yu Jianli began measuring the dimensions of Ji Yanbai's yard, inspecting various areas and the furnishings inside the room, then inquiring if there was anything Ji Yanbai needed.

For a moment, Ji Yanbai couldn't think of anything specific, so Yu Jianli offered suggestions on his behalf.

He gestured with his hands. "The weapon rack could be moved over here. I can make one specifically for you, so that when the weapons are displayed, it would resemble an exceptionally unique screen."

Lu Huaijing had been following them and quickly interjected, "I want one too!"

Yu Jianli was somewhat helpless. "What use would you have for it?"

"To protect the house," Lu Huaijing replied with righteous indignation. "Anyway, since you're making one for him, you should make one for me as well."

"..." Yu Jianli and Ji Yanbai fell silent simultaneously.

As they continued their discussion, Ming Zhiyan was welcomed by Tan Hui.

Upon seeing him, Yu Jianli was pleasantly surprised. He turned to look at Ji Yanbai, who explained, "My sister-in-law asked me to write a list of people to invite. I couldn't think of anyone else, so I included everyone from the polo team. The others will come with the family members of the estate, but he is alone."

It wasn't just that Yu Jianli's family couldn't come; Ming Zhiyan, as an eighth-rank official of the Hanlin Academy, didn't have the qualifications either.

But now that he was here, he might be able to network and meet some influential people.

"How is your time in the Hanlin Academy going?" It had been a while since Yu Jianli last saw Ming Zhiyan, so he immediately stepped forward to inquire.

Ming Zhiyan entered calmly and casually remarked, "It's going quite smoothly. Everyone is very kind."

Lu Huaijing popped another grape into his mouth. "A place where everyone is kind and friendly?"

"In those who weren't initially kind, kindness blossomed after three days of my presence," Ming Zhiyan said as he picked up his teacup for a sip, as if discussing something trivial.

Lu Huaijing fell silent, suddenly realizing he had overthought the situation.

Ming Zhiyan could tame the group at the Hanlin Academy within a few days, and it wouldn't be surprising if his superiors started treating him respectfully soon.

Ming Zhiyan was a person he knew all too well.

While they were talking, Tan Hui ran out again for a moment before returning shortly after. "Young Master, we should also go to wish the Lady a happy birthday. My lady will be free soon."

"Alright." Ji Yanbai spoke, beckoning the other three to follow him, and he specifically told Yu Jianli, "Don't worry, my mother is very kind."

"Okay." Yu Jianli wasn't nervous, as he figured no one would embarrass him on their birthday feast.

To Yu Jianli's surprise, what he thought would be a celebration for the Lady of the Duke's household turned out to involve another unfamiliar lady sitting beside her.

After they entered, the ladies began to speak to them proactively.

"Oh, this must be your son! This is the first time I've seen him since he returned to the capital, and indeed, he lives up to the rumors—handsome and tall."

Another person chimed in, "Indeed, he exudes the aura of a true military general."

The Lady of the Duke's household smiled warmly, clearly delighted, and beckoned Ji Yanbai over.

Ji Yanbai bowed. "May Mother be happy today."

"You don't know how to say more than that."

"I hope you're happy tomorrow as well."

"Fine, stop there, or I won't be happy anymore."

The Lady of the Duke's household looked at the others and said, "Little boy from the Lu family, I never expected you to get along with Bai... to get along with Yanbai. I assumed you two would despise each other."

The Lady of the Duke's household recognized Lu Huaijing and greeted him first.

Lu Huaijing wasn't nervous, having grown accustomed to such scenes. He spoke without restraint: "At first, I did find him annoying, and he found me troublesome too. Honestly, things aren't much better now; we just occasionally play together."

"Hahaha! Your personality hasn't changed a bit."

After the Lady of the Duke's household finished speaking, she looked at Yu Jianli and Ming Zhiyan and promptly said, "You must be Yu Jianli? I often hear Yanbai and Tan Hui mention you. And the person next to you is Ming Zhiyan? I've heard of him too; he's a rare talent at the Imperial College."

Seeing that the Lady of the Duke's household recognized him, Yu Jianli took the initiative to bow. "May your beauty remain unchanged, and may your happiness be eternal."

The Lady of the Duke's household laughed heartily, reaching out to beckon Yu Jianli closer to her side. She scrutinized him carefully and said, "Truly a fine appearance; I like what I see. I'm aware of how you've been urging Yanbai. Thank you for taking care of him. My son has a bad temper, but he isn't a bad person. If he offends you, don't blame him; it's not intentional."

"Mm, okay, I understand his character and won't mind."

"Good, good, good. You two should get along well."

The Lady of the Duke's household seemed to want to bestow something upon Yu Jianli. After some thought, she took out a heart-protecting jade pendant from a box. "This is a heart-protecting jade. It's beneficial to your health. Wear it close to your body regularly."

"This... it's too valuable." Yu Jianli had visited the market and knew that jade of this quality was considered a store's prized possession, displayed but not for sale. Its value was immeasurable, and he dared not accept it.

"Just take it. Only then can I continue to entrust you with taking care of Yanbai in the future."

Yu Jianli accepted it with both hands, thanking her once more.

Holding the heart-protecting jade, he returned to Ji Yanbai's side. Ji Yanbai, in a casual manner, led the group directly out, saying, "I'm taking my friends back to my courtyard. If you need anything, send someone to notify me."

"Go ahead. You're restrained around us old folks. You youngsters can only let loose when you're together."

"Okay."

Leaving the dwelling, Lu Huaijing leaned over to take a look at Yu Jianli's heart-protecting jade, unable to resist sighing, "Teaching Ji Yanbai a few words gets you this gift? If I had known, I would have taught him too."

"Hmph, how much better are you than me?" Ji Yanbai pushed Yu Jianli away, preventing Lu Huaijing from looking at the jade any longer.

Then, he instructed Tan Hui, "Go bring the rest of the polo team to my courtyard. We'll head back first."

"Okay."

Ming Zhiyan followed without saying much but cast several glances at Yu Jianli and Ji Yanbai.

He naturally could deduce that the Lady of the Duke's household's emphasis on Yu Jianli was far from being simply about teaching Ji Yanbai to read.

Clearly, their relationship was better than it appeared on the surface.

Could it be that the strategist's acceptance of Yu Jianli as his disciple was true?

After Tan Hui left, Lu Huaijing brought up another topic. "Your mother is trying to arrange a marriage for you, isn't she?"

Upon hearing these words, Yu Jianli froze momentarily.

However, Ji Yanbai refuted, "Not at all."

"Not yet? Those ladies I know are the ones who love meddling in such matters the most. When we went in, they kept staring at you, obviously sent to size you up. Speaking of which, you're of age; it's time to settle down."

Yu Jianli whispered, "You know about this?"

Lu Huaijing dismissed it nonchalantly. "Of course. My brother was sized up by them recently, but his marriage still hasn't been arranged. My mother has high standards, thinking her precious son is a celestial being, and no one is good enough for him."

*

Meanwhile, at the women's table.

Qingci County Princess sat beside Yu Zhiyun, with another noble lady named Shi Xinran seated on the other side.

Qingci County Princess munched on melon seeds, observing the commotion over there, and gestured to Shi Xinran. "Look at those eyes; they're clearly sizing you up for a potential match. Earlier, during the birthday greetings for the Lady of the Duke's household, those ladies kept urging you to chat more with her."

Shi Xinran clearly didn't want to hear it. "You know... I can't imagine how I would view him after marrying him. Forget it, anyone else will do."

"Can you choose as you please?" Qingci County Princess chuckled lightly.

"Earlier, the Lady of the Duke's household clearly glanced at Sister Yu a few more times and bestowed a reward upon her."

However, Qingci County Princess shook her head. "She wasn't interested in Sister Yu. After all, the gap between the two families is enormous. Others wouldn't think much of her taking a few extra looks. Bestowing a reward upon her was also due to her brother's influence."

"Aiya, stop talking about it; I'm already annoyed!"

Qingci County Princess stopped teasing her and changed the subject. "I wonder if Her Majesty the Empress will come this year."

"Has Her Majesty's birthday gift arrived yet?"

"Not yet."

Just as they finished speaking, a voice announced, "Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince have arrived."

Qingci County Princess immediately threw away the melon seeds in her hand and stood up, leading the two people beside her to pay their respects. At the same time, she reminded Yu Zhiyun, "Follow behind me, keep your head low, and don't look up."

Yu Zhiyun understood the hint and became even more cautious.

Following Qingci County Princess's advice, Yu Zhiyun remained extremely careful throughout, ensuring no mistakes occurred.

Not long after she returned to her seat, someone came to invite her. "County Princess Qingci, Her Majesty the Empress wishes to see you."

Qingci County Princess acknowledged the invitation. Then, the messenger added, "Miss Shi should come along as well."

Shi Xinran was taken aback but quickly rose to follow Qingci County Princess.

The messenger seemed hesitant about whether to call Yu Zhiyun along, but Qingci County Princess said, "Stay here and wait for me. I should be back soon."

Yu Zhiyun agreed. "Okay."

They originally intended to call Qingci County Princess and Shi Xinran, so it didn't matter whether this unfamiliar girl came or not. They didn't insist further.

Qingci County Princess, however, knew that inviting her was merely a pretense. In reality, the Empress wanted to meet Shi Xinran.

*

The members of the Imperial College polo team gathered in Ji Yanbai's small courtyard, setting up a separate table. Without any reservations, they became even rowdier.

At that moment, Shi Huaiqi and He Chu hurriedly walked in, addressing Ji Yanbai. "Ji Yanbai, do you know that the Empress and the Crown Prince have arrived?"

"Oh, so what?" Clearly, their arrival didn't concern him.

"They called my sister in alone."

"So what?" Ji Yanbai asked again.

"What do you mean, 'so what'? This... this is to discuss marriage? Are you going to be my brother-in-law? That's ridiculous!"

However, Ming Zhiyan intervened at that moment. "Master Shi, don't speak recklessly."

Shi Huaiqi snapped back to reality, slapping his mouth. "Tsk tsk tsk, I spoke too hastily. But what about this matter? You're not reacting?"

"It seems my elder sister and the Crown Prince want me to settle down, but my mother won't agree." Ji Yanbai explained, instructing Tan Hui to set up chairs for them.

After Shi Huaiqi sat down, he was somewhat anxious and asked, "How so?"

"In fact, my mother wavered a bit recently, but after the strategist talked with my father, both of them became firm in their decision. They absolutely won't discuss my marriage. Perhaps because previous attempts to persuade her were futile, my elder sister personally came here. However, it's useless; my father listens to the strategist and is stubborn. If my elder sister angers him, he could send me back to the border tomorrow."

After hearing this, Shi Huaiqi visibly sighed in relief, visibly disliking Ji Yanbai, the unreliable potential brother-in-law.

He Chu, however, laughed and asked, "Why won't they allow you to discuss marriage?"

"Why ask so many questions?" Ji Yanbai wasn't one to beat around the bush, so he simply chose not to answer.

Yu Jianli had been silently eating, guessing that it was because of the things he had discussed with the strategist that the strategist made a decision.

Others failed to obstruct Ji Yanbai's marriage, but when the strategist spoke, no one could alter it.

He was somewhat conflicted now; did he meddle in Ji Yanbai's matrimonial affairs? If Ji Yanbai spent his life alone because of him, would he be considered a sinner?

With nothing left to do, Shi Huaiqi and He Chu wanted to leave.

But Lu Huaijing, with his sharp tongue, said, "Now that you're here, why not join us for a drink? We can discuss the Cungwen Pavilion polo team's narrow defeat while we're at it."

Infuriated by Lu Huaijing, Shi Huaiqi picked up a cup of wine from the table and downed it in one go: "I'd rather drink myself to death here than utter another word to you."

"Ho, on such a joyous occasion, saying such ominous words?"

To Lu Huaijing's dismay, his smile soon faded as Lu Huaiqing arrived.

After casting a glance at his younger brother, Lu Huaiqing turned to Ming Zhiyan and said, "Come with me; I'll introduce you to some people."

As he spoke, he placed a small box on the table: "Since I've dampened your spirits, let these serve as my apologies. Drink up."

Then, he led Ming Zhiyan, Shi Huaiqi, and He Chu away.

Ji Yanbai didn't mind and started drinking the beverage from the box.

Yu Jianli, however, continued to drift off, pondering over Ji Yanbai's marriage. When he came back to his senses, he realized that Ji Yanbai was actually drinking the fruit wine from last time!!!