Chapter 303: Yu Chan 10

Chapter 303: Yu Chan 10

Not long after the New Year, in February, Sun Dian was about to marry Liu Chu.

Xiao Yuchan took Qi Yao to attend the wedding. After the noon banquet, the mistress of the Grand Princess's residence was escorted away by Sun Dian, and the guests gradually left, leaving only the relatives from the Grand Princess's maternal family.

The stewards and matrons, along with the maids and servants, took care of the miscellaneous tasks, while the ladies sat together chatting and drinking tea.

They brought up how Xiao She had been eyeing Lu Qiu the day before.

Aunt Xiao: "With Miss Qiu's looks, I wonder if our fifth son has the fortune to win her heart."

Madam He: "Our fifth son isn't ugly. Thanks to his second brother and sister-in-law, he has been made the Prince of Wu Commandery. He's quite the eligible bachelor in the capital, don't you think?"

Just as she finished speaking, Xiao She arrived to escort Tong Sui back to the palace.

Xiao Yuchan teased her brother: "Although he's a catch, he's too big a catch. I'm afraid the young lady might be too intimidated to take a bite."

Xiao She, truly afraid of the gathering of his mother, aunts, sisters, and sisters-in-law, said to Tong Sui: "Second sister-in-law, let's hurry. I still want to go have a drink at the Sun family's."

Tong Sui smiled. There were indeed many matters to attend to in the palace, so she took Xiao She and left first.

Xiao Yuchan and the others went to see them off. That's when Xiao Yuchan noticed her son was nowhere to be seen, or rather, she hadn't seen him since the noon banquet.

"Mother, have you seen Yao Ge Er?" Xiao Yuchan asked her mother.

Madam He: "I haven't. Did he go to the Sun family to watch the excitement?"

Fourteen-year-old Mianmian looked at the steward, who said: "Reporting to the Grand Princess, the young master is surely still within the residence, but I don't know where he went to play. I'll send someone to look for him immediately."

Mianmian: "If he's not here, I'll have someone look over at my place as well."

Her Grand Princess's residence was next to her mother's, and the two were connected. In a couple of days, her mother would move in with Uncle Sun and the eldest son.

Not long after, Qi Yao arrived with a servant. While others might be clueless, Xiao Yuchan could instantly tell her son was up to no good.

She took her son aside and asked privately: "What mischief have you gotten into this time?"

Qi Yao nervously said: "If I tell you, don't hit me."

Xiao Yuchan maintained her smile: "You tell me first."

Qi Yao took out the folding fan Qi Yun had given him and emphasized: "He stepped on me first and took advantage of me. That's why I spat at him."

Xiao Yuchan: "...He is on brotherly terms with your uncles and has the same relationship with our family as Uncle Sun and Uncle Zhang. You can indeed call him uncle."

Qi Yao: "For that, of course, but I think he was teasing me. Remember that time someone told me to call his elder brother 'father'?"

Xiao Yuchan: "If he really thought that way, it's understandable for you to be angry. But what if he isn't that kind of person?"

Qi Yao: "I think he is. Otherwise, why would he smile so familiarly when we're not close?"

Xiao Yuchan: "...Maybe he just likes you too much. Look, he casually gave you a fan worth ten gold taels. Your third uncle isn't even that generous to you."

Qi Yao unfolded the fan in his hand and doubted: "Is this fan really worth a hundred taels?"

Xiao Yuchan knew Qi Yun liked to carry a folding fan with him, always thinking it was just for show. She had never inquired about the price of the fan and had no knowledge of famous calligraphy or paintings. She directly took Qi Yao to ask Lin Ningfang.

Lin Ningfang examined the fan and said: "This fan bears an inscription by the great master Zhang from the previous emperor's reign..."

The inscription on the fan is by the renowned Zhang Dajia from the previous dynasty, and during prosperous times, it could fetch a hundred gold pieces.

Xiao Yuchan: "..."

Is Qi Yun so wealthy?

Madam He, standing nearby, felt a pang of distress upon hearing this. She leaned in to examine the fan closely and sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, there's no trace of Yao Ge Er's spit on it."

Qi Yao: "..."

He only spat once; how much saliva could there be?

Lin Ningfang glanced at Qi Yao, then turned to Xiao Yuchan. Common sense would suggest that Qi Yun wouldn't easily discard such a valuable fan unless he was overly fastidious and couldn't tolerate even the slightest flaw.

Xiao Yuchan didn't notice her sister-in-law's gaze. After a moment's thought, she said to Qi Yao, "You must go to the Sun family immediately, find an opportunity to apologize to Marquis Qi, and return the fan to him. If he refuses to take it back, tell him we can't afford to compensate him."

Qi Yao also felt the fan was a hot potato and quickly boarded the carriage arranged by his mother to set off.

By the time Qi Yao arrived, Xiao She had already escorted his sister-in-law back and joined a group of brothers gathered around a table, drinking.

Xiao Ye was the first to notice Qi Yao peeking around and beckoned him over, asking, "What brings you here?"

Qi Yao looked at Qi Yun and said, "I came to return the fan to Uncle Qi."

Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, Qiao Changan, and the rest were clueless. Xiao She, who had witnessed his nephew's mischief, explained the situation.

Xiao Yan: "It's just a fan. I think you're just using it as an excuse to come and play, aren't you?"

Qi Yao: "This fan is worth ten gold pieces. Can you afford that, Third Uncle?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Xiao Ye snatched the fan away, intrigued, "Worth ten gold? Let me see."

Qi Yao: "Third Aunt also said that during prosperous times, this fan could sell for a hundred gold!"

The brothers, though well-off, were all hesitant to spend a hundred gold on a fan: "..."

Xiao Ye, while tucking the fan into his sleeve, grinned at Qi Yun, "Well, well, our Marquis Qi is quite the generous one. Next time we drink, it's on you."

Xiao Yan grabbed his wrist with one hand and held the fan with the other, "Qi Yun gave the fan to Yao Ge Er, so it's his now. Stop being greedy."

Qiao Changan, sitting across the table and unable to reach the fan, remarked, "A prince and a prince's heir, you two are really something."

Qi Yun explained, "I acquired it during the war for just one gold."

Qi Yao snatched the fan back from his uncles and thrust it at Qi Yun, saying, "Here, take it back. I'll apologize, and we're even."

Qi Yun: "Then wouldn't I have made you come all this way for nothing?"

Qi Yao: "It's fine; I'll just enjoy another feast at Uncle Sun's place."

Xiao Yan: "We adults are busy drinking and won't have time to look after you."

Just as Qi Yao was about to glare at him, Qi Yun said, "Yao Ge Er came because of me. I'll take care of him."

With that, Qi Yun instructed a nearby servant to add an extra chair and set of utensils beside him.

While Xiao Yan and Xiao She were engrossed in their drinking, Qi Yun was busy piling Qi Yao's plate with his favorite dishes.

At the age of ten, Qi Yao experienced a kindness from Qi Yun that none of his uncles, whether paternal or maternal, had ever shown him.

Xiao Ye, Qiao Changan, and Zhang Wengong glanced several times at the two Qis, exchanging meaningful looks.

When they went to the bathroom, Xiao Ye quietly asked Qiao Changan, "Has Qi Yun ever met Yu Chan?"

Yao Ge Er is also Qi Yun's nephew, a mischievous little tyrant since childhood. Not even Yu Chan, let alone his uncles, had ever been particularly gentle with Yao Ge Er. Qi Yun's attitude was clearly unusual.

Qiao Changan was about to say they hadn't met, but seeing Xiao Ye trying to remember, he suddenly slapped Xiao Ye on the shoulder: "It was at your wedding that I went with Qi Yun, and Yao Ge Er bumped into him. Yu Chan ran over... Oh, and Yu Chan even complimented Qi Yun on his good looks, and Yao Ge Er called her out on the spot, making her blush!"

Xiao Ye: "So last year in Liangzhou, when he asked me for the melon seeds Yu Chan gave to Lao Wu, he already had something else in mind?"

Qiao Changan: "Maybe those melon seeds were actually meant for him. After all, in all our previous outings, when did Yu Chan ever give melon seeds to Lao Wu?"

Xiao Ye: "...So he just stole Yu Chan right under our noses?"

Qiao Changan: "...Yu Chan has always had a thing for handsome men."

The two brothers exchanged glances, paused, and then went to relieve themselves.

After calming down, Xiao Ye said, "Qi Yun must have taken a liking to Yu Chan. He's even started winning over Yao Ge Er. Let's play dumb and wait for him to make the first move. Then we'll make him pay. Meanwhile, I'll help Lao Wu curry favor with Duke Lu."

Qiao Changan: "I wonder who will get married first."

——

On the fifth day of the seventh month, Xiao She got married.

After Xiao She went to the bridal chamber, the banquet for the male guests continued.

Xiao Ye glanced at Qi Yun and deliberately said, "Lao Wu's lifelong matter is settled. Now we only have one bachelor left."

Xiao Yan nodded, speaking with the wisdom of experience, advising Qi Yun: "You're already twenty-six. Don't be so picky. Hurry up and get married."

Xiao Ye, Qiao Changan, and even Zhang Wengong, who had already guessed, exchanged looks.

Sun Dian, Sun Wei, Tong Gui, Zhao Jin, and Jiang Tiankuo, who were thoughtfully observing the three, also exchanged glances.

Qi Yun glanced at Xiao Zhen, who was sitting in the host's seat, and smiled bitterly: "It's not that I don't want to marry, it's that she won't marry me."

Qi Yao is easy to win over, and a ten-year-old is already sensible. He declared that as long as his mother is happy, he's fine with it. However, Yu Chan keeps finding excuses to delay, perhaps because she's taken a liking to another handsome face. Qi Yun doesn't dare to push too hard, fearing he might upset her and be barred from entering the princess's residence.

Xiao Yan exclaimed in surprise: "Which girl is so picky that even you can't win her over?"

The other eight silently watched the drama unfold.

Qi Yun looked at Xiao Zhen again.

Xiao Zhen, who had already been informed by Fourth Younger Brother, was naturally pleased with Qi Yun as a potential brother-in-law. He only reminded: "At the end of the month, I'll select a few of you to accompany me on a southern tour. If all goes well, we'll be away for three months. Settle your matters before then."

Qi Yun: "..."

The hint was too obvious. After downing two more bowls of wine, Qi Yun headed to the elders' table.

Xiao Shouyi, the father of the groom, was entertaining civil and military officials of his generation, including Wei Qi and Song Lan, the two chancellors, as well as his old friend Qi Heng.

The civil officials couldn't hold their liquor well, so Xiao Shouyi and Qi Heng kept toasting each other. Xiao Shouyi was happy because his youngest son was getting married, while Qi Heng simply enjoyed drinking.

When Qi Yun arrived, Xiao Shouyi and the others were about to disperse, with the drunken Xiao Shouyi and Qi Heng still clinking their bowls.

As the two got up to leave, they were staggering slightly.

Qi Yun swiftly steadied Xiao Shouyi.

Qi Heng, almost falling, grabbed the table, trying hard to keep his eyes open. He took a look at the good-looking guy next to Xiao Shouyi, then glanced toward the Xiao family members in the hall, rubbed his eyes, and looked back at the young man: "The second son?"

His second son?

Qi Yun responded, "Hold on, Dad, let me take the Prince to his room first."

Qi Heng: "..."

Xiao Yan, who looked over: "..."

Xiao Ye slapped him: "You're always hanging around your third sister-in-law, completely ignoring your own sister's marriage prospects."

Xiao Yan was about to speak when Qiao Changan reminded, "Wait until Qi Yun makes his proposal; don't cause a scene now."

Xiao Yan: "..."

Xiao Yan kept quiet. The next day, once sober, he first asked Lin Ningfang, "Do you know that Qi Yun wants to marry Yu Chan?"

Lin Ningfang: "Yes."

She had her suspicions earlier, but then Xiao Ye spilled the beans to Mingxiu, who passed it on to her.

Xiao Yan: "Ah, why didn't you tell me?"

Lin Ningfang: "What would you do if I told you?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Tell Qi Yun to back off from his sister? With Qi Yun's looks and talents, if he drove Qi Yun away, his sister might scratch him first.

His wife was unfazed, so Xiao Yan decided to clue in his parents.

Xiao Shouyi was shocked into silence for a long time.

Madam He was stunned at first, then broke into laughter. Since her daughter was still living in the Prince's residence waiting to drink her sister-in-law's tea, Madam He directly went to find her daughter.

Xiao Yuchan: "...How did mother know he wants to marry me?"

Madam He: "Your brother told me!"

Xiao Yuchan then asked Xiao Yan and found out that her second brother, fourth brother, and even the brothers at that table knew. Last night, Qi Yun didn't even avoid suspicion and helped their drunken father!

——

When they met again on the tenth rest day, Xiao Yuchan questioned Qi Yun why he did that.

Qi Yun: "I couldn't just watch the Prince fall."

Xiao Yuchan: "...Then how did second brother and the others figure it out?"

Qi Yun: "Not sure, but I told you before, as long as the Emperor and Empress are determined to investigate, our affair won't escape their notice."

Xiao Yuchan's face flushed: "They wouldn't know about you visiting me, would they?"

Qi Yun: "At most, they know we've met in private, but they can't guess what we did inside."

The Emperor and Empress probably won't look into it; after all, he's not some random stranger.

Xiao Yuchan: "..."

There's a certain thrill in secrecy, but if every meeting between us couldn't escape Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law's notice, even Xiao Yuchan felt quite embarrassed.

Qi Yun looked at her and said, "Since the Emperor and Empress have never exposed us, they're probably willing to help us keep it under wraps. The problem is, now that Third Master has brought it up to the Prince and Princess, if I don't propose soon, they might think I'm being dishonest or insincere with you."

Xiao Yuchan pursed her lips.

Qi Yun lowered his eyes: "To give an explanation to the Prince and Princess, I must send a matchmaker to propose. If the Princess really doesn't want to marry, she can just say no. I actually expected this and wouldn't want to put the Princess in a tough spot."

Xiao Yuchan raised an eyebrow: "What did you expect? That I would refuse your proposal?"

Qi Yun glanced at her and said, "The Princess is of noble birth; I'm not good enough for you."

Xiao Yuchan: "Stop pretending, weren't you pretty into the idea of being unworthy last time?"

Qi Yun: "..."

Xiao Yuchan then brought up another matter: "Second Brother is heading south on a tour; are you really going with him?"

Qi Yun: "This is the Emperor's way of trusting me, hoping we'll gain more experience by tagging along."

Xiao Yuchan snorted: "You're going for experience, leaving for three months—what about me?"

Qi Yun's eyes deepened: "You'll miss me?"

Xiao Yuchan shot him a glare: "Don't you know what you look like?"

Qi Yun smiled, walked over, and hugged her tightly: "I'll propose first, and when I come back, we'll get married?"

Xiao Yuchan: "We'll talk when you come back, maybe in these three months I'll see someone new..."

Qi Yun directly silenced her words!