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Vol 3: Chapter 38 – Diplomatic Marriage

  The next day, after paying her respects to Old Lady Song, Song Chuyi made her way to the Chuzhou Pavilion to look for Song Yan. Some of his senior cssmates had studied briefly under Tang Mingzhao and had repeatedly told him to report back once he returned. Song Yan had been visiting them with gifts these past few days and finally had some free time today. Song Chuyi pnned to ask him about Old Lady Cui's preferences.

  However, once again, she was disappointed. Yu Shu sighed with a bit of concern as she expined, "Fourth Young Master hasn't had any free time tely. He often goes out during the day and doesn't return until te at night... even Old Lady has sent people to inquire about him several times, and Old Master often can't find him either. While socializing with cssmates is good, everything should have its limits. If this continues..."

  Song Yan was only around ten years old, having passed the Tongsheng exam and now preparing for the Juren exam. Both Old Master Song and Old Lady Song held high hopes for him and were more lenient with him than with Song Qi and Song Jie.

  But Song Yan had always been a sensible child. Despite his young age, losing his mother early and being raised in the Cui family had made him meticulous and attuned to others' moods. He had never been one to spend extended time out and about like this.

  With a calm yet serious expression, Song Chuyi looked around Chuzhou Pavilion before nodding slowly. "When he returns, tell him to come to Guanju Courtyard."

  Song Yan carried all her hopes in this life. She wished for him to live a safe, smooth, and carefree life without disaster or illness. While she couldn't walk the path for him, she wanted to make it as steady and secure as possible.

  Seeing her worry, Qingying quickly tried to comfort her. "Fourth Young Master has always been well-behaved and sensible. Even if he's socializing outside, he won't go too far..."

  Yet, as the saying goes, "Close to red, you become red; close to bck, you become bck." It's hard to stay on the right path and all too easy to stray. The capital was like a vast dye vat—if one wasn't careful, they could end up unrecognizable. She closed her eyes for a moment, then instructed Qingying, "Go out and ask Luo Gui to look into who has been spending time with Fourth Young Master recently and have him come to see me."

  Qingying nodded and helped Song Chuyi back to her room. She was just about to head out when she quickly returned, looking flustered. "Miss, someone from the pace has come; Old Lady has asked you to come over."

  It had been nearly three months since anyone from the pace had visited, the st time being the rewards sent after the hunting grounds incident. Song Chuyi couldn't help but feel a chill, recalling the implicit message from the Ministry of Rites about the Prince of Commandery.

  But when she arrived at Ningde Courtyard, she realized she might have been overthinking things. With tensions running high recently, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. Though it was a pace visitor, it was no outsider—it was Zhuying, a trusted maid of Noble Consort Song.

  Zhuying appeared more composed than st time, and seeing Song Chuyi, her smile was genuine, even somewhat relieved. She quickly gestured for Song Chuyi to skip formalities, then sat down to discuss the matter at hand. "Last night at the pace banquet, the envoy from Japan requested a marriage alliance with the empire, specifically asking for the Ninth Princess... We received prior notice from the pace, so we weren't surprised. His Majesty seemed inclined to agree, and it seemed the arrangement was close to being finalized. But as soon as the Ninth Princess returned, she cimed she had fallen ill..."

  A proud daughter of the heavens, the Ninth Princess naturally had no desire to leave her home and travel so far away, especially since she had originally intended this marriage arrangement for the Eleventh Princess, as a slight against the Song family and Eleventh Princess. Now that the tables had turned, with her own fate hanging in the bance, it was hardly surprising that someone with her lofty personality would refuse to accept it quietly.

  Old Lady Song raised an eyebrow and sneered. "This is a matter of state diplomacy. How can she just throw a tantrum and do as she pleases? If she's truly sick, is the pace cking in physicians and imperial doctors? What does the Empress have to say about this?"

  Since the Japanese envoy had specifically requested the Ninth Princess and their intentions were sincere, would Emperor Jianzhang hesitate to grant his daughter? And as for the Empress's reaction, while Empress Lu was usually known for her graciousness, the underlying rivalry with Noble Consort Xian was no secret. She wouldn't allow the Ninth Princess to act so whimsically.

  Zhuying's face paled slightly, showing a trace of resentment. "That's exactly why Noble Consort sent me out of the pace. Both Noble Consort Xian and the Ninth Princess have truly gone too far. Last night, the princess cimed she was too ill to leave her bed, yet today she and Her Highness suggested to His Majesty that Grandmaster Yuanhui had once remarked at the hunting grounds that the Ninth Princess was ill-suited for a distant marriage..."

  So if the Ninth Princess was unsuitable for a distant marriage, then naturally, another girl would have to go in her pce—another princess of simir age, namely the Eleventh Princess. Noble Consort Xian's calcutions were sharp as ever; despite the damage from the hunting ground incident and her son's failed rebellion, her mind was as quick as before.

  Old Lady Song pondered silently for a moment, then asked, "So what exactly is Noble Consort Xian's intention? Is she suggesting His Majesty and Her Majesty swap candidates?"

  Marriage alliances weren't like picking vegetables. The Japanese envoy requested the Ninth Princess specifically, but Great Zhou would send the Eleventh Princess instead?

  Zhuying shook her head with a wry smile. "Old Lady, you may not know. Noble Consort Xian wishes to invite Grandmaster Yuanhui back to the pace to assess whether the Ninth Princess's illness is indeed reted to the marriage. She has also suggested that all eligible princesses and young dies of noble families enter the pace to have their fates read by Grandmaster Yuanhui, to see if any of them have the right fortune to 'bance' that of the Ninth Princess and thereby fulfill her duty to the people of Great Zhou."

  Old Lady Song inhaled sharply and instinctively gripped the hands of Xiang Mingzi and Song Chuyi beside her, a cold smile forming on her lips. "What an exquisite scheme! On the surface, it looks like she's selflessly considering the empire, but in reality, she's just trying to shift this marriage onto someone else!"

  Everyone knew about Grandmaster Yuanhui's previous association with Prince Duan. Who's to say he wouldn't simply say whatever was convenient?

  Though Grandmaster Yuankong had also read Song Chuyi's fortune, giving a simir reading to Grandmaster Yuanhui, Old Lady Song harbored a strong dislike for Yuanhui, especially since he had decred Song Chuyi to be born under a "lonely star." Her distaste for him only grew stronger now.

  Beside her, Xiang Mingzi turned pale, clutching Old Lady Song's arm and casting a worried gnce at Song Chuyi.

  Zhuying sighed, gritting her teeth as she continued, "Noble Consort Xian even had a list prepared, and both Sixth Miss and Cousin Miss are prominently listed!"

  In other words, no matter how things pyed out, Noble Consort Xian and the Ninth Princess were determined to drag the Song family down with them.

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