Chapter 126: 126. Congratulations Congratulations (Round One)
Translator: 549690339
Today, when Su Liang arrived at the Qin Family, she heard from Qin Yujin that Old Master Qin’s hand could already move.
This was good news.
The Qin Family was very grateful to Su Liang. After the needling session, Qin Yujin invited Su Liang to stay and play at their house. Su Liang didn’t refuse and went to Qin Yujin’s place and told her what happened after leaving the Huguo Temple yesterday.
Qin Yujin was dumbfounded.
Because neither the Xing Family nor the Lin Family had sent any news, the Qin Family didn’t know anything about it!
“Such a big matter, Xueqing didn’t say it, and neither did my cousin! If Xueqing were really ordered to marry the Fourth Prince, it would be terrible!” Qin Yujin frowned and sighed, “I can’t blame them though. Xueqing must be the most scared, and nobody expected this to happen.”
As Qin Yujin finished speaking, she hugged Su Liang tightly, “I’m so grateful to have you, Liang Meimei!”
Although Su Liang had only briefly mentioned her finding the Fourth Prince, Qin Yujin knew that it must not have been that simple.
Being as astute as the Fourth Prince, he would have agreed to give up Lin Xueqing only if Su Liang had offered something in return.
Qin Yujin was worried for Su Liang, “You didn’t promise the Fourth Prince any excessive conditions for Xueqing’s sake, did you?”
Su Liang chuckled lightly, “No. The Fourth Prince owed me a jin of top-quality Dahongpao tea, and since he can’t give it now, I’ll just write it off this time.”
Qin Yujin held her forehead, “You were actually able to make the Fourth Prince owe you a jin of Dahongpao. You’re truly talented.”
Su Liang thought to herself that the real talent was Ning Jing. He probably had figured out early on that the Duanmu Chen couldn’t afford it. When Duanmu Chen saw the long list, the Dahongpao was not conspicuous, and he was eager to use Su Liang to investigate the case, so he signed the contract.
“That’s good then. I was worried that you might have promised to marry the Fourth Prince so that Xueqing wouldn’t have to,” Qin Yujin said.
It wasn’t that Qin Yujin was overthinking. Duanmu Chen had actually considered this, but was soon deterred by Su Liang’s “threat”.
Qin Yujin cheered up again, “That’s great! Once Xueqing marries my cousin, we’ll all be one family! But since this happened all of a sudden, would Uncle Lin disagree? I’m sure Xueqing is also bewildered by it.”
A maid reported from outside the door that Xing Yusheng had arrived.
Su Liang got up, “I should go back first. You can ask Xing Crown Prince about the other matters, he knows it best.”
Qin Yujin wanted to keep her there, but Su Liang said she had other things to do at home.
The two went out together, and Xing Yusheng had already entered the courtyard. Upon seeing Su Liang, he smiled, “My grandmother said to invite you to our house whenever you have time.”
Su Liang nodded, “Alright.” She had always thought that Xing’s old lady was a good person.
After sending Su Liang off, Xing Yusheng asked Qin Yujin, “Do you want to go visit Miss Lin?”
Qin Yujin teased Xing Yusheng, “Isn’t it my cousin who wants to go?” Xing Yusheng’s face flushed slightly, “It seems you already know.”
“The engagement has been set, so if my cousin wants to go to the Lin Family, feel free to go. My presence would be more of a hindrance,” Qin Yujin said with a smile.
Xing Yusheng shook his head, “It’s better for cousin to invite Miss Lin to our house.”
“Oh? I get it. Cousin must be afraid of Uncle Lin and Brother Lin keeping an eye on you, which would make it hard to talk to Xueqing, right?” Qin Yujin laughed, “So many things happened yesterday, I’ll go see Xueqing now and invite her to our house tomorrow.”
Xing Yusheng nodded, “That would be great.”
Su Liang didn’t mention Nian Ruxue to Qin Yujin, so Xing Yusheng told her about it.
“That was discovered by the Fourth Prince and has nothing to do with us. If anyone asks me, I’ll tell the truth. The person who lied and harmed others was Nian Ruxue, and any bitter consequences are her own doing,” Qin Yujin said with a cold glint in her eyes.
Xing Yusheng sighed softly, “Then, cousin, about Nian Jincheng…”
Qin Yujin frowned, “Maybe he and his sister are not on the same path, and he was just deceived by Nian Ruxue. But after this incident, I found that many of my feelings for him might not be genuine. You can’t truly know someone just by looking at their appearance. If I like him without truly understanding him, that kind of liking is just illusory and wishful thinking.”
Xing Yusheng didn’t expect that Qin Yujin’s admiration for Nian Jincheng had cooled down so quickly because of Nian Ruxue.
But it was a good thing.
Nian Jincheng led a solitary life, and his only friend rumored to be Gu Ling. Anyone with secrets would surely have secrets of their own. As for the actual relationship between him and his sister Nian Ruxue, outsiders had no way of Imowing.
In fact, Qin Yujin’s feelings for Nian Jincheng were indeed one-sided, remaining only in her own fantasies. When faced with even the smallest confrontation with reality, they dissipated.
Xing Yusheng half-jokingly said, “Actually, Miss Lin’s second brother is quite good.”
Qin Yujin hesitated for a moment, then came back to her senses and held her forehead, “Cousin, you focus on marrying Xueqing first, and don’t worry about me!”
But on the way to the Lin Family in a carriage, Qin Yujin couldn’t help but think of Lin Bojun. When she had encountered trouble and was in her most desperate and frightened state, a tall and powerful man came to her rescue like a knight in shining armor. He was also a military commander, but his temperament wasn’t cold at all. When he didn’t smile, he looked quite imposing, but when he did smile, he revealed his white teeth, two parts simple-mindedness and eight parts warmth and sunshine. It made her feel at ease…
When Su Liang returned home, Ning Jing was nowhere to be found. She thought he had gone fishing again and went to look for him in the garden.
But there was no sign of him.
When Su Liang returned to her room to change her clothes, ready to look for Zhengzheng, she heard some noise in the courtyard.
There was Ning Jing, holding a hammer in one hand and an axe in the other.
“You’re at home?” Su Liang thought he had gone out.
Ning Jing replied, “I’m hungry.”
Su Liang frowned, “You didn’t have lunch?” He could have gone out to eat, gone to Zhengzheng’s house, or even the Lin Family’s house, as they were all not too far away. Alternatively, he could have prepared something simple by himself.
“I was busy doing something and forgot,” Ning Jing explained.
Su Liang originally thought to just forget about the food, but when she arrived at the training ground and saw that Ning Jing had “replicated” the training equipment from the Su Family Village for her, she silently went to make him something delicious.
Wan Hui and her husband Lu Yu brought their son Zhengzheng along with many precious and dried goods as gifts.
The Wan Family was in the food business, including various culinary ingredients.
When Su Liang mentioned Cheng Yun at the Huguo Temple, Wan Hui was surprised and said she would bring Zhengzheng there the next day.
In the evening.
Nian Ruxue and Nian Jinxing were at the house of Old Lady Nian, spending time happily with their grandmother.
“Xuexue, the Military Exam is next month,” the Old Lady Nian asked, “Are you confident?”
Nian Ruxue smiled lightly, “Grandmother, don’t worry, I won’t disgrace the
Nian Family.”
Nian Jinxing looked skeptical, “Little sister, are you planning to use some tricks? I’m well aware of your martial arts skills, they’re simply not enough.”
Nian Ruxue’s face stiffened, “Big brother, what do you mean by that?”
Nian Jinxing smiled sarcastically, “I’m just praising you. You’re the smartest among us in the Nian family. If there’s any trick you can use to bluff your way through the Military Exam, teach me as well. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our siblings both became the Martial Arts Champion and the runner-up?”
Old Lady Nian lightly slapped Nian Jinxing, “Cheating in the Imperial examination is a grave crime, don’t talk nonsense.”
Nian Ruxue was somewhat annoyed, “Big brother hasn’t even seen me practicing martial arts, so he just assumes I must be incompetent?”
Nian Jinxing stood up and reached for Nian Ruxue, “Come on, let’s go practice outside!”
Nian Ruxue’s face turned cold, “I am not in the mood today. Grandmother, I’ll go back first.”
Watching Nian Ruxue leave, Nian Jinxing sat back down.
Old Lady Nian glared at him, “She’s about to enter the palace, what’s the point of provoking her? Your future will depend on her.”
Nian Jinxing grinned, “Xuexue looks like my aunt, and my aunt is an Imperial Concubine. Maybe it’s because the Emperor wants to enjoy the company of both the aunt and niece from the Nian family that he…”
Old Lady Nian’s face darkened, “Shut your mouth! What kind of filthy language are you using? You’re becoming more and more inappropriate!”
Nian Jinxing hurriedly placated Old Lady Nian, slapped his own mouth, saying that his brain had gone bad and that he just spoke without thinking, not intentionally.
Old Lady Nian sighed, “Which man doesn’t like a young and beautiful woman? Your aunt didn’t give birth to a son, so the Emperor doesn’t pay attention to her as much. In a few years, he might forget about her. Letting Xuexue enter the palace is all for the future of the Nian family. If she participates in the Military Exam and gets a good rank, she will be more favored by the Emperor and her position in the palace will be higher. Isn’t that better?”
“Grandmother, you’re right.” Nian Jinxing nodded, “But, I’m afraid that if she doesn’t have real abilities and somehow gets exposed, it will be a disaster!”
Old Lady Nian’s eyes sparkled, “Don’t worry, Xuexue will make the Nian family proud. ”
Suddenly they heard a servant announce that the Fourth Prince has arrived with an Imperial Decree, and the Nian family members hurriedly gathered in the front hall.
Duanmu Chen sat in the main seat, smiling.
Nian Jinxing went over to exchange pleasantries, and Duanmu Chen said with a smile that it was good news.
The Nian family members all breathed a sigh of relief. Old Lady Nian thought it might be possible for Nian Ruxue to enter the palace earlier? This would be good since it would mean the Emperor truly liked her.
When everyone had gathered, Duanmu Chen deliberately asked, “Why isn’t
General Nian here?”
Now there was only one general in the Nian Family, which was the second son of the family, Nian Jincheng.
“My second brother has been ordered to go south,” Nian Jinxing said.
“Oh, I forgot about that for a moment.” Duanmu Chen said as he stood up, picked up the bright yellow scroll beside him, looked at the kneeling Nian family members, unrolled the Imperial Decree, and began to read.
Nian Ruxue also thought it might be the Emperor asking her to enter the palace earlier.
But when she heard the content of the Imperial Decree, the Nian family members were all dumbfounded, and Nian Ruxue went crazy!
“Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, is there a mistake?” Old Lady Nian looked up and asked.
Duanmu Chen’s face darkened, “What do you mean by this? My father, the Emperor, has bestowed a marriage upon the Fourth Miss Nian, are you Nian family not pleased with it? Or do you look down on my second brother the Crown Prince?”
Nian Jitang, the patriarch of the Nian Family, hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
“Fourth Miss Nian, receive the decree!” Duanmu Chen looked at the kneeling Nian Ruxue and a cold sneer flickered on the corner of his lips.
Nian Ruxue’s face turned pale and she knelt motionless.
Duanmu Chen snorted coldly, “Is Fourth Miss Nian going to defy the decree?”
With her head bowed, Nian Ruxue raised both of her hands and choked with emotion, “Nian Ruxue receives the decree, thank you, Your Majesty, for your imperial grace!”
Duanmu Chen watched Nian Ruxue’s hands tightly clutching the Imperial
Decree, his tone darkened, “Everyone, stand up. Congratulations to Fourth Miss Nian. In two months, you will be called the Second Prince’s Concubine, ha-ha.”
The word “little” deeply stabbed Nian Ruxue. She was not even willing to be a side consort of the Crown Prince, and now she was unexpectedly granted a marriage to the lustful and incompetent Second Prince Duanmu Ao! And she was still a side consort!
Everyone in the Nian family, including Nian Ruxue, didn’t know how this outcome had occurred.
I heard that Fourth Miss Nian has superb martial arts skills and will participate in the Military Exam. Were you the one who helped my second brother? This is the fate of heaven, congratulations, congratulations!”
By the time Duanmu Chen left with his entourage, Nian Ruxue was still kneeling on the ground, clutching the Imperial Decree.
Nian Jitang, with his face dark as coal, kicked Nian Ruxue to the ground and pointed at her, cursing angrily, “You slut! Can you not seduce men? You even dared to provoke the Second Prince?! Are you satisfied now?”
Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l