Chapter 150

Chapter 150

Emperor Chengwen and Di Sui laughed again.

Emperor Chengwen added, "The Empress Dowager is getting older and loves a lively crowd. In a few days, she will host a flower-viewing banquet in the palace, inviting all the marriage-age girls and boys of the capital. If suitable matches are found, she even hopes to play matchmaker for a few couples. Have Hong come too."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Di Sui expressed his gratitude again before sighing. "But Hong is a quiet and shy kid who doesn’t talk much to strangers. I fear his attendance may be in vain."

"Don’t worry about it," Emperor Chengwen dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Nuo Er is lively by nature. Let her take her brother Hong around to meet the young ladies. He can just watch."

Di Sui was delighted. "That would be excellent."

---

---

Princess Baoning’s estate.

After finishing her hair and washing up, Shen Zhinuo led Di Guihong to the dining table and invited him to join her for breakfast.

Di Guihong ate his porridge quietly, while Shen Zhinuo wolfed down her shrimp dumplings, in a hurry to talk to the Little General. As soon as she set down her chopsticks, a hand with a handkerchief reached over to wipe her mouth.

She laughed and took the handkerchief herself. "I can do it. I’ve grown up now."

Di Guihong’s hand hovered mid-air before he chuckled. "Sorry, force of habit."

Shen Zhinuo brushed it off. "What’s there to apologize for? Eat up—we’re heading out after."

Di Guihong nodded with a small smile, quickly finishing his porridge and setting down his bowl. "I brought you some things. Check them out first."

Shen Zhinuo was curious. "What did you bring? Where is it?"

Di Guihong smiled. "It’s in the front courtyard."

Shen Zhinuo instructed Yingtao, "Go get it, quick."

Yingtao acknowledged and, accompanied by two maids, went to the front courtyard. Soon, they returned carrying a chest, placing it on the table before silently retreating to wait outside.

Di Guihong stepped forward and opened the lid. Shen Zhinuo saw the chest stuffed with books and asked curiously, "Books?"

Di Guihong smiled. "Open one and see."

Shen Zhinuo picked up a volume and flipped it open. The first page depicted a chubby kid with two little pigtails, chasing after two peacocks.

Her face lit up. "Is this me?"

Di Guihong nodded. "Yes."

She turned to the next page—again, it was her, but this time, the Little General was teaching her swordplay while their brothers and sisters cheered them on.

After smiling at the scene for a while, she turned to the third page. Once more, it was her, but now alone with the Little General, the two of them sitting on a round stone in the imperial garden, watching the sunset.

The fourth page showed her again—this time, a skinny Little General holding a chubby little her.

...

When she finished the first book, Di Guihong pulled it from her hands and retrieved another from the chest, handing it to her. "This one too."

Shen Zhinuo pointed at the chest. "Wait, all of these are...?"

Di Guihong nodded. "All of them." Speechless, Shen Zhinuo kept taking books, paging through one after another.

Every sketchbook was filled with drawings of her—some of her whole family gathered for meals, others showing her playing with the Little General, and still more of her with her imperial grandparents...

There was three-year-old her, four-year-old her, five-year-old her... all the way up to twelve-year-old her.

Shen Zhinuo became more and more touched as she flipped through them. Hugging the last album to her chest, she looked at Di Guihong with teary eyes, "Little General, you must have spent so much time drawing all these."

Di Guihong reached out and ruffled her hair. "Now that Daxuan is at peace, there are no wars to fight. Aside from drills in the army, there’s nothing else to do, so I whiled away the hours drawing these."

Shen Zhinuo didn’t believe it was just to kill time. "Then why did you draw so many?"

And every single one was of her, each one painstakingly detailed.

If it was just to kill time, he could have drawn plenty of other things to draw.

Di Guihong smiled but said nothing.

Shen Zhinuo suddenly recalled a conversation from their childhood.

It was a summer day, just after the rain had cleared. She and the Little General had gone to the imperial garden to play when a vibrant rainbow arched across the sky.

The rainbow faded quickly, and she sighed regretfully, "If only there were some magical device in this world that could record all the beautiful and wonderful sights."

The Little General said, "That's easy—just draw them."

She shook her head. "Drawing's too slow, and you can't capture everything."

At the time, the Little General fell silent. But the very next day, he brought her a painting—the imperial garden bathed in the rainbow from the day before, with her and the Little General holding hands in the scene.

From then on, whenever she mentioned something beautiful, the Little General would find time to draw it for her.

The paintings piled up until there was no more space to hang them. They were stored in scroll cases, forming an unwieldy pile, making it difficult to browse through them. So she came up with an idea—why not have them bound into books? The Little General then took it upon himself to assemble them, page by page.

Later, when the Little General left to study and train in martial arts, they saw each other less often. Yet he never stopped drawing for her, continuing until a few years ago when he left the capital for the army.

She had assumed he would stop drawing once he joined the military, yet here were so many more. It was clear he had been thinking of her all these years.

Especially during festivals and holidays—he never failed to send her gifts from the army.

In contrast, though she often spoke of the Little General, it was more that she missed having a like-minded companion who always supported her unconditionally.

Truthfully, aside from occasionally sending him treats from the capital in return, she had never made any real effort to express how much she missed him.

The contrast made her feel almost ungrateful.

Shen Zhinuo grew uneasy, but with no immediate way to make it up to him, she resolved to make more time for him.

She carefully packed the albums back into the box, telling Hai Tang to put them away carefully, then grabbed Di Guihong’s hand and marched out. "You haven’t been back to the capital in years. Come, I’ll take you around."

Di Guihong glanced down at their tightly clasped hands, a smile playing on his lips as he closed his larger hand around her slender fingers.

Hai Tang and Ying Tao had just carried the box inside when they noticed their princess was already crossing the courtyard. They hurried after her. "Your Highness, where to? Should we prepare the carriage?"

Shen Zhinuo tilted her head toward Di Guihong. "You have your carriage here, right?"

Di Guihong nodded. "Yes."

"Then we’ll take yours." Shen Zhinuo smiled and turned to Ying Tao. "The Little General and I are going for a walk. You don’t need to follow." With that, she strode off hand in hand with Di Guihong.

Ying Tao stamped her foot, flustered. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Our princess is of noble status, doted on endlessly by the retired emperor, the empress dowager, His Majesty, the empress, the crown prince, and all the princes and princesses. Every time she goes out, she is surrounded by attendants, afraid she might get hurt or disrespected.

Later, the princess grew annoyed and even threw a fit, prompting her family to ease up a little.

But they only dared not send people openly— who knows how many might be tailing her in secret?

However, every time the princess goes out, she always takes Hai Tang and me along. Now she won’t let us follow—how can this be?

Hai Tang whispered in reassurance, "Sister Yingtao, don’t worry too much. Commander Liang Jiang and the others will surely follow in secret."

Cherry thought for a moment but still hurried after them. "That won’t do. We must follow too—quietly."

Shen Zhinuo led Di Guihong out and boarded the carriage. Sitting across from each other, Shen Zhinuo kept up a steady stream of chatter about the amusing incidents that had happened in the capital over the years.

Di Guihong listened with a smile, his gaze fixed on the girl’s completely captivated face.

Shen Zhinuo spoke enthusiastically but noticed Di Guihong hadn’t responded for a while. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Are you even listening to me?"

Di Guihong nodded. "I heard everything."

Shen Zhinuo said, "Then repeat it back to me."

Di Guihong repeated her words nearly word for word, convincing her he had been paying attention, so she continued.

Chatting all the way, they arrived at the busiest marketplace in the capital. The carriage stopped, and they got out.

Shen Zhinuo pointed ahead. "That Yunxiang House is the restaurant opened by Xue Wan. We’ll have dinner there tonight, but first, let’s go shopping."

Di Guihong naturally agreed. His gaze inadvertently swept behind them, spotting a few people dressed as ordinary citizens turning away or ducking into side streets. He shook his head slightly.

Shen Zhinuo, noticing he hadn’t followed, turned back and saw him shaking his head. "What’s wrong?"

Di Guihong lowered his voice. "Someone’s following us, but they mean no harm. Judging by their boots, they’re likely imperial guards."

Shen Zhinuo wasn't bothered and tugged his sleeve to keep walking. "Ignore them. They always follow me. I’ve told them Daxuan is perfectly safe these days—there’s no need for such vigilance—but my grandfather and father refuse to listen."

Di Guihong chuckled and agreed.

The streets were bustling, and the two of them, both exceptionally good-looking, turned heads constantly. Some were so distracted they bumped into stalls or other people.

They browsed a jewelry shop and then an antique store, but wherever they went, they attracted onlookers. Shen Zhinuo got fed up with it and tugged Di Guihong’s sleeve. "How about we find a refined-looking teahouse to sit for a while?"

Di Guihong readily agreed, and they chose one and entered.

Shen Zhinuo frequented this place. The moment the manager saw her, he pushed aside a waiter and personally came forward, all smiles. "Prin—"

Catching Shen Zhinuo’s warning glance, he quickly corrected himself. "Miss Shen, what a pleasure! Your usual room is ready. Please, this way."

Shen Zhinuo nodded and led Di Guihong upstairs. Just as they reached the second floor, a door to a private room opened, and out stepped a handsome, refined young gentleman.

Upon seeing Shen Zhinuo, his eyes lit up with delight. He approached in two strides and bowed. "This humble official greets Princess Baoning."

Shen Zhinuo found him somewhat familiar but couldn’t place him after a closer look. "You are?"

The man smiled and introduced himself. "This humble official is He Ming, this year's third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations."

Shen Zhinuo suddenly remembered. "Ah, the Tanhua (third-place finisher)! I recall now—we met at the palace banquet."

"Indeed, Your Highness. This teahouse is my family’s business. If you would honor us, please take the Celestial private room." He Ming smiled, stepped aside with a welcoming gesture.

Di Guihong stood beside Shen Zhinuo, quietly observing Top Graduate He Ming.

Shen Zhinuo leaned closer to Di Guihong and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Xiao Jiangjun (Little General), this top scholar is among the husband candidates my parents have chosen for me. Let’s go have tea with him, and you can help me check him out?"

Di Guihong’s relaxed brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before he nodded. "Alright."

Shen Zhinuo then nodded at He Ming. "Then we’ll trouble you, Scholar He."

He Ming beamed with delight. "It is my honor to personally host Princess Baoning. Please, this way."

The three entered the VIP room and took their seats. Princess Baoning sat at the head of the table, with Di Guihong beside her. He Ming instructed the manager to serve the finest tea and snacks.

While he was speaking, Princess Baoning leaned in toward Di Guihong and whispered, "What do you think of Scholar He?"

Di Guihong just shook his head without answering.

Princess Baoning, prodding, asked again, "Why the shake of your head?"

But before Di Guihong could reply, He Ming finished speaking with the manager and turned back.

Princess Baoning straightened up and smiled politely. "Scholar He, if you have matters to attend to, please don’t let us keep you."

He Ming glanced at the rather close distance between Princess Baoning and the unfamiliar gentleman but kept his cool. "Today is my day off duty, so I came to the teahouse to relax."

Princess Baoning nodded. "Then please, have a seat."

He Ming thanked her and sat down, leaving one seat between himself and Princess Baoning. He then smiled at Di Guihong. "May I ask your name, sir?"

Only then did Princess Baoning remember to introduce them. "Xiao Jiangjun (Little General), this is Scholar He Ming. Scholar He, this is General Di Guihong."

Both men rose to their feet.

Di Guihong cupped his hands in greeting. "Scholar He."

He Ming returned the gesture with a smile. "So it’s General Di. I’ve heard so much about you."

Di Guihong gave a slight nod and sat back down, stone-faced.

Not bothered by Di Guihong’s indifference, He Ming also resumed his seat and turned to Princess Baoning. "I’ve heard Princess Baoning enjoys fishing?"

Princess Baoning replied, "Occasionally, just for leisure."

He Ming smiled. "I own a lakeside estate outside the city, full of fish and shrimp. If Princess Baoning ever has free time, you’re welcome to visit."

Though Princess Baoning wanted to learn more about He Ming, she wasn’t keen on casually visiting his estate—in case people got the wrong idea.

She didn’t care much about others’ opinions, but she worried her parents might pressure her into choosing He Ming, which would be troublesome.

Moreover, because of what happened years ago with Ning Er’s elder sister, she was wary of lakeside estates that weren’t her own. Unless it was family property, she preferred not to go.

With that in mind, she was about to turn him down.

But before she could speak, Di Guihong gently squeezed her hand under the table. She turned to him, raising an eyebrow—*What is it?*

Di Guihong said, "Nuo Er (first name basis), I’ve got something I need your help with."

Princess Baoning wasn’t sure what he was getting at but couldn’t ask in front of others, so she just nodded. "Alright."

Then she turned back to He Ming. "Thanks for the offer, Scholar He, but I’m pretty busy these days. Maybe some other time."

He Ming looked at Di Guihong seated opposite him and didn't insist, smiling as he said, "Alright. Whenever you'd like to go in the future, just let me know in advance."

Shen Zhinuo nodded with a smile. "Alright."

The door opened, and the manager entered with a waiter, bringing tea and snacks that were laid out on the table before they withdrew.

He Ming chatted a bit more, though both Princess Baoning and the Little General responded to him, they kept unconsciously exchanging glances and smiles.

And this General Di—he even smoothed Princess Baoning's hair once, adjusted her hairpin, and dusted off nonexistent specks from her shoulder.

The problem was, Princess Baoning's hair wasn't the least bit disheveled, her hairpin wasn't askew, and there was certainly no dust on her shoulder.

Looking at Di Guihong's stunningly handsome face and the radiant smile Princess Baoning directed at him, He Ming felt like a third wheel at that moment.

After silently keeping them company for a while longer, he politely stood to leave.

As he stood up, he noticed their sleeves touching beneath the table.

The smile on his face stiffened, and he instinctively stepped forward, wanting to get closer and see if their hands were also intertwined.

But when he lifted his gaze, he met Di Guihong's eyes—calm yet devoid of any goodwill.

He halted his steps, put on a smile, gave a quick bow, and turned to leave.

The moment the door closed, Di Guihong let go of Shen Zhinuo's sleeve, sat up straight, and poured her a cup of tea.

Shen Zhinuo asked curiously, "Earlier, you said you needed my help with something. What is it?"

Di Guihong replied, "Next month is Jin'er's first birthday banquet. I came back in a hurry and couldn't find a suitable gift at the northern border. I wanted your advice."

Shen Zhinuo patted his arm. "No problem at all. I'll help you pick one later."

Then, propping her chin on her hands, she sighed. "But I haven't prepared mine either. My Eighteenth Aunt is Daxuan's richest woman and lacks nothing. I still haven't decided what to give Jin'er."

At this, she laughed. "Isn't that wild? I never expected my Eighteenth Aunt to end up married to your brother."

"If we follow their relationship, we wouldn't even be in the same generation. I shouldn't call you 'Hong' like this."

"Don't be ridiculous." Di Guihong's expression darkened, his voice serious. "By that logic, since the Eighteenth Princess and His Majesty are siblings, wouldn't my father and His Majesty also need to redefine their relationship?"

Shen Zhinuo thought for a moment. "True. My father and Uncle Di always address each other as brothers."

Di Guihong nodded solemnly. "Exactly. His Majesty has long said that we can keep our relationships separate."

This was the first time the Little General had ever argued so seriously with her since childhood. Shen Zhinuo found it both surprising and amusing, tilting her head to look at him. "I was just joking. Why so serious?"

Di Guihong didn't answer, quietly drinking his tea. After several sips, he finally spoke. "This... is important."

Shen Zhinuo, munching on a snack, turned to him in confusion. "It's just a form of address. Why does it matter so much?"

Di Guihong didn't reply, lifting his teacup to drink again.

Shen Zhinuo didn't mind, continuing to eat while musing inwardly, "Doggy, why is the Little General still such a quiet type even after growing up?"

The system replied, "People don't change that easily. Wasn't he like this since childhood? What's wrong, Young Master? Getting bored with him?"

Di Guihong's hand holding the teacup paused as he stared at Shen Zhinuo's profile.

Shen Zhinuo took small bites of her pastry. "How could I ever tire of him? I'm just worried that if he stays this quiet, he'll never get married."

The system: "If you can't find the right person, staying single is perfectly fine. I'll never understand why you humans are so insistent on getting married and having children."

Shen Zhinuo: "Just growing up safe and living a stable life is hard enough. Might as well experience all life has to offer."

The system: "What if the Little General doesn't want to marry at all?"

Shen Zhinuo thought of the original plot where the Little General remained single and said, "Then that's his choice. As long as he’s happy. But I do want to get married and have my own child."

The corners of Di Guihong's lips curled slightly.

The system: "Young Master, you'd better keep your eyes peeled. We can't wind up with a jerk like the Old Emperor."

Shen Zhinuo: "Don’t worry, I've got my head on straight."

The system: "Young Master, what kind of person are you looking for?"

Shen Zhinuo: "First, he's gotta be handsome—easy on the eyes, so our kids will be cute too."

Di Guihong gently lifted the lid of his teacup and studied the tea leaves intently.

The system: "What else?"

Shen Zhinuo: "Then, no side chicks—he's gotta be faithful to me alone."

"And also, someone who's got my back no matter what, especially someone who won't give me crap for sleeping late."

The system: "Young Master, you're pretty picky. Good luck finding that unicorn."

Shen Zhinuo: "Hmm, my parents have already rounded up so many eligible bachelors for me to choose from. I’ll take a look first. If any of them seem promising, I’ll lay down my terms. Only those who agree will I consider further."

As Shen Zhinuo finished the pastry in her hand and was going for her handkerchief to wipe her fingers, Di Guihong grabbed her hand and carefully wiped it for her.

Shen Zhinuo, noticing his slightly reddened ears, asked curiously, "Are you feeling hot?"

Di Guihong looked into her pure, innocent eyes, shook his head, then nodded. "A bit."

Shen Zhinuo glanced at the wide-open window, puzzled. But then she figured that since he trained in martial arts year-round and was physically strong, he probably runs hotter than she did. She stood up. "Then let’s go. We’ll head to Yunxiangzhai first. My brothers and sisters should be arriving soon."

As the two stepped out of the private room, the shopkeeper greeted them with a smile. "Miss Shen, there you are?"

Shen Zhinuo nodded. "Check, please."

The shopkeeper waved his hands in refusal. "Our young master said that your meals are on the house from now on."

"That won’t do." Shen Zhinuo reached for the purse at her waist to take out some silver.

Di Guihong was quicker, pulling out a fifty-tael silver note and shoving it into the shopkeeper’s palm. "Take it."

The man froze, startled by the coldness in Di Guihong’s gaze. By the time he regained his composure, the two had already descended the stairs and walked out the door.

They walked to Yunxiangzhai. Upon entering, they were greeted by Xue Wan, who smiled and bowed. "Princess Baoning, General Di, there you are."

Shen Zhinuo pulled her up. "Sister A Wan, have my brothers and sisters arrived yet?"

Xue Wan nodded with a smile. "Yes, yes, they got here ages ago, all waiting upstairs. My sister has come down several times, saying that if you didn’t show up soon, she’d go out to the street to look for you."

"Alright, Sister A Wan, you go ahead with your work. We’ll head up first." Shen Zhinuo smiled, tugging at Di Guihong’s sleeve as she cheerfully climbed the stairs.

When they reached the private room Xue Wan always reserved for them and pushed the door open, they saw Shen Weiqing, Princess Wen'an, and Princess Huayue all waiting inside.

Di Guihong smiled and bowed to the group: "Hong greets Brother Wei Qing, Sister Hui Er, and Sister Ning Er."

Princess Huayue and Princess Wen'an exchanged glances and couldn't help remarking: "Hong has really grown more handsome."

Shen Zhinuo said proudly: "Of course, our Little General is now the most handsome man in the entire capital."

Di Guihong glanced at the girl with her chin tilted up, his cheeks flushing slightly.

Shen Weiqing's attention wasn't on Hong’s face. He stood up, pushed his sister out of the way, and clapped Di Guihong on the shoulder in astonishment: "Is this really Hong? How did you grow so tall all of a sudden? You’re almost as tall as me now. What have you been eating these past few years? Out with it!"

Di Guihong chuckled: "Just army rations."

"Let’s compare." Shen Zhinuo pulled them back-to-back, stood on her toes to compare their heights, and clapped excitedly: "Second Brother, the Little General is even taller than you now!"

Shen Weiqing looked in complete disbelief: "That’s impossible."

Everyone laughed. Shen Zhinuo ignored her second brother and pulled Di Guihong down to sit, asking curiously: "Where’s Eldest Brother?"

Princess Wen'an replied: "Eldest Brother is helping Father with state affairs today and can’t leave the palace. He said we should meet up again tomorrow at the Eastern Palace."

Shen Zhinuo nodded in agreement and turned to Di Guihong: "Tomorrow, let’s go to the palace early—first to greet the elders, then head to the Eastern Palace."

Di Guihong nodded: "Alright."

Shen Weiqing and the others couldn’t help laughing. Princess Huayue joked: "Hong has always listened to Nuo Er since childhood. Who’d have thought he’d still be so obedient even now?"

Shen Zhinuo said smugly: "Of course! The Little General promised me long ago that he’d listen to me for the rest of his life. Right, Little General?"

Di Guihong smiled: "Yes."

Shen Weiqing rolled his eyes and patted Nuo Er’s head: "You should stop ordering Hong around so much. Otherwise, when he finds a wife someday, she’ll get upset."

Shen Zhinuo knocked his hand away and hit him: "Mind your own business!"

Di Guihong laughed beside them: "Brother Wei Qing overthinks things. That won’t happen."

Shen Zhinuo looked even more pleased with herself: "See?"

Everyone laughed.

---

He Ming left the teahouse and returned to his residence. By sunset, hearing his father had come back, he hurried to the study.

After sending the servants away and closing the door, he lowered his voice: "Father, last time you mentioned His Majesty intends for me to marry Princess Baoning. Is that true?"

Minister of Rites He Zhang nodded: "His Majesty does have such an intention. Why?"

He Ming: "Then you’d best act fast, lest someone else beats us to it."

He Zhang frowned: "Is that so? As everyone knows, Princess Baoning cares deeply about looks. Among the current candidates, you are the most handsome."

He Ming disagreed: "That’s only because I’m your son, so you think I’m the best-looking."

He Zhang smiled: "No need for such modesty, my son. Even His Majesty once praised you as 'a noble orchid and jade tree.'"

He Ming: "Father, do you remember General Di Sui’s youngest son, Di Guihong?"

He Zhang: "You mean that Little General Di who grew up with Princess Baoning? I remember. What about him?"

He Ming: "He’s returned to the capital."

He Zhang: "So what if he's back in the capital? No need to make a big deal out of it."

He Ming: "Today, I saw him with Princess Baoning. I think he’s into her."

He Zhang, shocked: "That can't be. I’ve never heard anything about that. Besides, his elder brother Di Guiya is already married to the Eighteenth Princess. Would the younger brother really go after Princess Baoning too?"

He Ming: "Why not? If he likes her, he won’t care. And given His Majesty's favor toward the princess, if she also takes a liking to General Di, the Emperor would surely grant his approval."

He Zhang frowned: "From what you observed today, how does Princess Baoning feel about General Di?"

He Ming: "Unless I’m wrong, she’s friendly with him, but it’s just sibling-like. So, Father, you should go to His Majesty tomorrow and make our case."

He Zhang: "Do you really like Princess Baoning that much?"

He Ming flushed slightly: "Yes. I don’t want to let her slip away."

He Zhang couldn’t help but laugh, then grew serious: "Very well. Tomorrow, I’ll take you before His Majesty."

He then pointed disdainfully at his son’s overly plain attire: "Make sure you dress sharp tomorrow. You might run into Princess Baoning. If she likes what she sees, things will go smoothly."

He Ming bowed respectfully: "Understood. I’ll remember."

---

After the banquet, everyone went their separate ways. Di Guihong personally escorted Shen Zhinuo back to the princess’s residence, stayed a while longer, then took his leave and returned home.

Back at the Di residence, he first paid his respects to his big brother and sister-in-law, visited his little nephew, then headed back to his own quarters.

The first thing he did upon entering was dig through his closet, trying on outfit after outfit, unhappy with each one.

His attendant Mingli stepped forward to help: "Young Master, what kind of outfit are you going for?"

Di Guihong examined another set in the mirror, still displeased: "I’m entering the palace tomorrow. Help me pick something sharp."

Mingli was puzzled: "But Young Master, all your clothes are perfectly sharp."

After a pause, Di Guihong added: "And something that stands out."