Chapter 59 Part 1

 

Since he had agreed to take him as a disciple that day, how could Pei Xiaoyuan refuse now? He accepted it immediately.

Lady Xue personally led her son, Li Hui, out. The prince mansion’s officials, including the chief secretary, military commander, and various household retainers and guests, were all present.

Pei Xiaoyuan followed the customary etiquette of the time, apologized to Prince Ning and Lady Xue, sat on the pre-arranged teacher’s seat, and accepted Li Hui’s kneeling worship.

Li Hui was wearing new clothes today. Although he looked a little thin, his eyes were sparkling. He hurriedly walked up to Pei Xiaoyuan and solemnly performed the ceremony of apprenticeship, saying, “Disciple Li Hui, pay respect to the master!”

Pei Xiaoyuan got up in front of him, lifted him up from the ground, and gave him some words of encouragement.

Every time he said something, Li Hui nodded once, unable to hide his admiration. Prince Ning was delighted to see this, and the people around him were also full of praise. After the master and disciple finished burning incense and praying, Prince Ning invited Pei Xiaoyuan to have dinner together. Lady Xue personally led the maids in the mansion to prepare the banquet. Prince Ning then led Pei Xiaoyuan to the study, where the others joined them for a chat. Through their conversation, it became clear that this Pei’s son was not only exceptional in martial arts but also possessed remarkable knowledge. From the Si Wuxie in the Book of Songs to the classics of the Ming Dynasty, to the books of Wei and Jin, he had read them all. Even when Prince Ning talked about the “Family Instructions of Yan” that he highly respected, the young man in front of him could talk to him about self-cultivation, family management, and governance, without any pause.

Everyone at the table nodded, and Prince Ning couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, he really lived up to the name of a son of a noble family. Although the son of the Pei family did not participate in the imperial examination, his knowledge and insights were in no way inferior to those scholars whose names were listed on as Jinshi. Prince Ning couldn’t help but look up to him even more.

According to Prince Ning’s original plan, he was going to bypass Pei’s son and discuss the marriage with Pei Ji, because Pei Ji was the only elder left in the Pei family. If Pei Ji agreed, Pei’s son would naturally obey. However, in this moment, unable to hold back, Prince Ning tested the waters in public: “Now that the western frontier is stable, and you’ve been summoned to the capital, you’ve also come of age. It’s time to consider marriage. Has Chief Pei thought about this?”

He was so impressed with this young man that if his retainers and guests were not present, he would have almost recommended his granddaughter directly.

Pei Xiaoyuan’s eyes flickered as he looked at Prince Ning and paused.

Prince Ning immediately realized that he had acted too hastily, and hurriedly stroked his beard to cover up. He looked around at everyone and explained, “Recently, I heard that there is a family in the capital who thinks highly of you and wants you to be their son-in-law, but I wonder what you think about this, young man?”

Pei Xiaoyuan hesitated for a moment, then stood up from his seat under everyone’s gaze, bowed solemnly to Prince Ning, and then responded: “Although the country is not in trouble now, I have not yet established my reputation and career, so how can I build a family? I don’t know which family in the capital would mistakenly take a fancy to me. I am extremely grateful and even more terrified. So far, I have not heard of such a thing, I am afraid that Prince Ning has misheard. But if this is true, I dare not mislead anyone no matter what. In the next few years, I will not have any thoughts about marriage.”

Everyone was silent for a moment. Prince Ning was also startled.

With his keen eyesight, how could he not see that the young man in front of him was not saying one thing and thinking another, and it seemed that he really had no intention of getting married. But he finally met such a grandson-in-law that he liked, how could he be willing to just give up like this. Through his friendship with Pei Ji, he was also like the elder to the young man in front of him, and couldn’t help but say earnestly: “It’s naturally a good thing for a man to set his sights on a career, but marriage is a major matter to family name, not just yours. How do you know that getting married will become a burden? If you can choose a good partner, one surname, two families, and have more help in the future, it will be like adding wings to a tiger, wouldn’t it be better?”

Pei Xiaoyuan smiled: “As a member of the Pei family, how could I rise up through marriage connections?”

His tone at this moment was still humble and gentle, but beneath his indifferent appearance, he could not hide a hint of arrogance.

Prince Ning was suddenly speechless.

To be honest, if a grandson-in-law who wanted to rely on his family to rise to prominence came today, he would definitely not treat him with respect, and would only look down on him. However, at this moment, he actually wanted to use his power to tempt this young man.

He could only be thankful that he had held his composure earlier and didn’t directly reveal his intentions. Laughing it off, he quickly shifted the conversation to a different topic. During the lunch banquet, Prince Ning also refrained from bringing the subject again. After everyone had enjoyed themselves and Pei Xiaoyuan set a time to tutor Li Hui, he saw the guests off. Left alone, he pondered for a long time before finally sitting down, wrote a letter, and ordered someone to send it to the East Capital and give it to Pei Ji.

If things go well, he should be able to receive Pei Ji’s reply within a few days.

If this boy knew that he was marrying into his family, he might agree. After all, the family background of Prince Ning Mansion was different from the other families. Prince Ning was still confident about this.

At Pei’s residence, early in the morning, at the first faint sound of the morning drum, Xuyu woke up. She got up and found that Pei Xiaoyuan had not returned last night.

Qingtou said that he must be busy, as he often stayed out all night before. This was nothing, but his master actually missed the new curtain that was specially set up for him last night!

“What a pity!” The servant couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face.

Perhaps because he was the only one who arranged the whole thing from beginning to end, and he was brought into the palace on the way to get the curtain, thus having a dreamlike experience, his feelings for the curtain were far greater than Xuyu’s.

After all, she only lent out ten thousand coins.

“But it doesn’t matter. It will be the same if he come back to sleep tonight!” the servant said finally.

Xuyu smiled and went out to the palace.

The murals in Ziyun Palace have been completed. This morning, as before, she resumed her daily duties in the painting department and went to Jixian Hall first. However, when she passed by the Imperial Medical Bureau, after some hesitation, she finally couldn’t help but turned in.

Of course, she was not asking about the emperor’s medication. This was not something she could ask as a painter. She found a junior medical officer on duty and asked about the frequent dreams she had recently had. After the consultation, she pretended to ask casually whether Pei Xiaoyuan had asked the imperial physician to treat his head injury yesterday.

The young imperial physician shook his head and said that he seemed to have never seen him before.

She thanked him, walked out and came to Jixian Hall.

Most of the painters and artisans in the painting department were now working in Shenshu Palace, including Song Bokang, Lin Mingyuan and others. They went there directly in the morning, leaving only a few people on duty here. Now everyone knew that she had saved the two county princesses, and the mural she just painted in the West Hall of Ziyun Palace seemed to have been praised by the emperor. Seeing her come back, they all came to greet her, with a lot of flattery in their words. Hearing Xuyu asked if there was anything she needed to do here, they hurriedly shook their head and told her to go and get some rest.

Xuyu thought about it.

The emperor had Zhao Zhongfang back in the palace to serve him, and he hadn’t come looking or said anything bad, for now, there shouldn’t too much to worry about. There was nothing to do here either, so why not go to Shenshu Palace and look for Song Bokang to ask about the next step?

Just as she was about to leave, she saw someone coming hurriedly towards her. It was County Princess Yucheng, Li Wanwan.

This was the first time she saw Li Wanwan since the Qujiang Banquet. Today, she was also dressed in men’s clothing, and it was clear this wasn’t the first time she had dressed this way, as her movements were quite natural. However, for some reason she looked depressed. It seemed she had entered the palace early in the morning specifically to find her. As soon as she arrived, she dismissed everyone nearby, leaving only her and Xuyu in the room, but she remained silent, sitting there sullenly.

Xuyu had a very good impression of this vigorous niece, and asked her what happened. Li Wanwan shook her head at first, and said sullenly that she had wanted to come to Xuyu to thank her for saving her life that day, but her family was worried and had been watching her for many days, not allowing her to go anywhere, and only wanted her to recuperate at home, so she couldn’t go out, and hadn’t been able to thank her in person before.

Xuyu smiled and said it was fine. Seeing that Li Wanwan had finished speaking, but her expression was still full of grievance, she asked again: “What’s wrong? I see you seems very unhappy. Did something happen?”

Li Wanwan asked, “I heard that you have a good relationship with that surname Pei?

“You live in his house, like a brother?”

Xuyu didn’t react at first. Who was the “Pei” she was talking about? After she finished listening, she realized that it was Pei Xiaoyuan.

“I’m indeed living in Pei’s residence now. What’s the matter?”

“Can you tell him not to marry me?”

Xuyu was stunned, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “What does this mean?”

Li Wanwan couldn’t bear it any longer and stamped her feet: “He is at my house right now! My grandfather wants to marry me to him!”

It turned out that last night, Li Hui suddenly came to his elder sister secretly and told her something. He said that he wanted to go to the study to find his grandfather to ask about the apprenticeship, but he saw his mother, Lady Xue, was talking to his grandfather inside.

How could he eavesdrop on the conversation of the elders? But just as he was about to leave, he heard the names of his sister and Master Pei through the crack of the door that was not closed tightly. Curious, he could not help but listen to their conversation quietly. He then hurriedly told his sister that his grandfather want to marry her to Master Pei.

“If that’s the case, then Sister, I will have to call you my master’s wife in the future, right?”

Obviously, Li Hui was also cautious about this layer of relationship. He was also not happy to see his fierce elder sister become his master’s wife, because that would give her even more reason to bully him.

Li Wanwan’s heart skipped a beat, and she gave Li Hui a hard knock on the head before hurrying off to eavesdrop herself. What she overheard shocked her even more—the matter had received the emperor’s approval. Unable to contain herself, she burst through the door, declaring that she didn’t agree. Lady Xue was put in a difficult position, but her grandfather wouldn’t listen to a word she said, saying that a girl should get married when she grows up. After considering all of the young men in the capital, only Master Pei was truly suitable for her. He told her not to make a fuss.

“Grandfather also said that if I don’t marry, the girls from the Grand Minister of Ceremony Mansion and the Wei family will marry him. He also said that if I miss this opportunity to choose a husband, I will definitely regret it in the future!”

The more Li Wanwan spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, until her eyes turned red.

Xuyu was stunned and dazed.

Good Heavens, she had no idea that Pei Er had quietly become the perfect son-in-law and a favorite in the eyes of many nobles in the capital?

“I won’t regret it! If they want him, let them treat him like a treasure. I don’t want it!”

She grabbed Xuyu’s sleeve and shook it.

“Aren’t you like a brother to him? Please do me a favor and pass on my words. If he covets my family status and dares to agree, I, I——”

Xuyu was shaken back to her senses by Li Wanwan: “What do you want to do?”

“I will keep male concubines in the future!”

Li Wanwan looked at Xuyu and shouted with a red face.

“I will make him lose face and become a tortoise that everyone in the capital laughs at behind his back!”

Xuyu opened her lips slightly and exclaimed in surprise.

She quickly calculated in her mind, and then gently reminded the agitated Li Wanwan: “Isn’t there still His Majesty? Why don’t you go and ask His Majesty in person? As long as he opens his mouth, your grandfather will be unable to do anything to you.”

Li Wanwan suddenly came to her senses, her eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: “Yes, yes, yes! You are so smart! Why didn’t I think of that! I will go and ask my great uncle for help! You come with me!”

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