Read Novel Full Chapter 48: Legitimate
“Bestowing a marriage, still not likely.” Xun Che indifferently said, “When it comes to bestowing marriages, aside from the imperial princes and princesses, it has always been after the two families have the intention, then request the emperor or the empress to issue a decree to add more honor. There’s absolutely no precedence of forcibly matching together while the families involved are unaware and unwilling. That way won’t be making marriage ties, but creating grudges. Just, the empress should have the intention of matchmaking.”
Yu Lingxin slanted her mouth, “The Wen family just has those two di born young ladies. The eldest miss, Wen Ruoqiong, will be betrothed to Ming eldest young master, so what’s left for you is just that second miss, Wen Ruoyao. However, isn’t Wen Ruoyao reserved for his Highness Qin Wang as a side consort?”
Xun Che snorted, “The empress probably had this kind of plan originally. Just, at present, Qin Wang has already ruined his own reputation. The Zhenguo General Manor might not be willing to let Lu third miss marry into the palace. If under this kind of circumstance, the empress still wants Wen Ruoyao to be Jingning Palace’s side consort, then the other upper class noble families further won’t be willing to form marriage ties with Qin Wang.”
“Indeed, his Highness’s reputation is already damaged. If to then add a side consort that is the empress’s niece by his side, then which family will dare to send their daughter.” Yu Lingxin shook her head, “That’s why, it’s still better for the empress to change the idea, having this Wen second miss arranged into your manor. Yiyang Marquis Manor’s young ladies really are very useful.”
“Haha.” In his two lifetimes, this was his first time hearing Yu Lingxin say something this harsh, immediately just laughing, “Hey, how come I smell a bit of vinegar?”
Yu Lingxin pursed her lips, lightly hitting his hand again, “What vinegar smell? Actually, speaking of which, the Wen family second miss still has a bit of capabilities compared to the eldest miss. If not for getting tricked by a certain someone ahead of time, fanning the flames everyday, and getting instigated, then last time, she wouldn’t necessarily have misspoke. In terms of abilities, she was also once the Eastern Palace side consort in charge of Chonghua Hall in the past, just a step from the phoenix seat. Perhaps the empress will just suddenly issue a decree to bestow the marriage, can you even directly defy the decree?”
“What side consort of Chonghua Hall?” Xun Che laughed, already carrying a bit of coldness in the mockery, “It was merely that at the time, I figured, since the Yiyang Marquis Manor had already been eliminated, can temporarily spare her life, leaving a bit of dignity in the palace, so as to let the crown prince have an excuse to bestow benevolence. If the empress dares to force a marriage decree on me, I will let the Wen clan daughter not live until the day of the wedding, see how many daughters the Wen family can still send over.”
“Shenzhi.” Hearing the killing intent in his cold words, Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but feel slightly alarmed. That bit of slight annoyance previously just instantly got tossed aside. But, she was also deeply aware exactly where this killing intent came from. She voluntarily grasped his hand, “It’s still better to not say this kind of thing rashly.”
Xun Che caressed Yu Lingxin’s shoulder, “Did I scare you? Then, I won’t say anymore in the future.” Thinking it over, it was also expected. In the past life, the most bloody storms were in those two three years starting from the beginning of Tianxu year 16. By the time Yu Lingxin returned to the capital, many things had already settled and concluded. She actually didn’t see those genuinely tragic life and death situations.
Yu Lingxin however shook her head, “No, I don’t care what happens to the Wen family young lady. Just, in this lifetime, if possible, I don’t want you to bear those cursed names again, and also don’t want others to talk about you like that anymore.”
She said it that naturally and ordinarily, yet Xun Che instantly stiffened, his throat slightly stifled. After an indescribable surge of sourness rushed up his heart, it was just an enormous wave of joy and satisfaction.
Actually, in the last lifetime, exactly how much she liked him, probably even she herself didn’t know either.
“Shenzhi?” Not hearing him make a sound, Yu Lingxin instinctively turned her face to look at him.
Xun Che slowly let out a breath, saying with a smile, “I was thinking, how come it’s still not the new year yet, how come my father still hasn’t returned yet?”
At present, Yu Lingxin can also be considered increasingly keen towards these indirect teasing of his, immediately understanding that he was grumbling about their marriage arrangements again. She couldn’t help but laugh, lowering her head and lightly saying something.
Xun Che’s smile this time really was about to fly off his face, “What? I didn’t hear clearly.”
Yu Lingxin lightly coughed, “If you didn’t hear clearly, then just forget it.”
TN: All translations outside of are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Huijun—–” Xun Che’s hand that was holding hers actually swayed, even his voice all drew out a little, “I really didn’t hear clearly!”
At this time, they heard Chen Qiao in front knock on the carriage board three times, hinting that they will soon arrive at the Yu manor.
Xun Che’s expression stiffened, and shortly after, let out a sigh, finally letting go, “Forget it, we’re already here.”
Yu Lingxin just pressed her lips into a smile, tidying her clothes as she prepared to climb down from the carriage.
Seeing that she didn’t have any intention of saying more, Xun Che couldn’t help but feel slightly dissatisfied, but seeing how the horse carriage was about to approach the Yu manor, he could only softly instruct a few words, “In the following few days, I will be a bit busy, look after Ying’er and Jinrou a little. If there’s anything, just tell Bai Guo and Bai Chuan.”
Yu Lingxin nodded, but didn’t similarly say anything like ‘be careful’, or ‘take care’.
However, when the horse carriage was about to stop, she suddenly lifted her head again, gazing towards the increasingly stifled Xun Che, the smile on her lips blossoming like a little rose, “Just now, I said, even if unable to be together everyday, I’m still thinking of you everyday. You should know, right?”
Xun Che was finally satisfied, and at the same time, also a bit vexed. This girl was now learning how to turn around and tease him!
But no matter what, the encounter this time still made him very content for a while.
That’s why, in the several days after, Yu Lingxin’s side also settled down for once. Although Xun Che would still let someone send some tea leaves every few days, and even little accessories with water lily patterns, but in the end, he didn’t think of ways to meet with her anymore.
This also let Yu Lingxin be able to find some time to help organize the poetry gathering’s affairs.
The tenth of the ninth month’s gathering at the Xun manor this time was actually very smooth. On one hand, the Wen family sisters had just gotten reprimanded by the empress not long ago, so absolutely didn’t dare to cause trouble again, and on the other hand, it was also because the location was set in Wen’an Marquis Manor. Yu Lingxin truly was familiar to the extreme. Even if Ming Jinrou practically threw the entire matter to her, the poetry gathering still smoothly carried out.
Xun Ying’s cold at this time had already gotten better. Although still having a bit of a cough, but because she didn’t need to worry about or look after anything, she still appeared together with Ming Jinrou.
And at the end of this poetry gathering, Xun Ying also announced with Ming Jinrou that the Linglong Poetry Club will change name to Linglong Literature Club. In the future, it won’t just be composing poetry. As long as they gather together, discussing famous works of literature is also okay.
Yu Lingxin didn’t expect that there would be such a turnaround, but slightly pondering, she also guessed that it was probably Xun Che’s idea again. ‘Discussing literature’ practically was just a no threshold excuse. In the end, it was still just using different ways to have these young ladies gathered in one place, and at the same time, also giving her, as someone who doesn’t like composing poetry, an excuse to thoroughly skip out.
The other young ladies were rather happy about it. After all, at the end of the tenth month was just the Wenhua Academy’s poetry gathering. Even if the great majority of the people present already received that recommendation spot from their own family, some of those with literary talent will always have a bit of competitiveness. Even if not needing to win the opportunity to enter the academy through the Wenhua poetry gathering, they would still somewhat want to prevail over the others.
As such, during these two poetry gatherings in the ninth month, those scholarly young ladies that knew how to compose poetry, their thoughts were actually very peculiar, both somewhat wanting to hide their own abilities, yet also wanting to check out other people’s works. When everyone all had similar thoughts, the scene was just very interesting, clearly able to write out rich phrase of the vast mountains and waters, yet as far as the eyes can see, there was just a sheet of empty flowery melancholy.
At this time, Xun Ying and Ming Jinrou mentioning this idea of ‘discussing famous works’ actually let everyone relax a breath, all praising without an exception. Very soon, they came to an agreement that at the next two gatherings, that is the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, and the tenth of the tenth month, they will no longer be comparing poetry, instead just idly discussing famous works, everyone giving their own views.
And at the very end, when about to send off the guest, Ming Jinrou nonchalantly mentioned, since everyone all like the current arrangements, then aside from the president and vice president position, they will add a club secretary and historian in order to be considered complete.
This can also be considered just titles randomly called for fun in clubs of the boudoir. The young ladies naturally didn’t have any objections. Because of having a tacit understanding with Xun Che, Yu Lingxin although didn’t get a heads up from Ming Jinrou, she still immediately understood. She watched Ming Jinrou and Xun Ying symbolically say a few words to everyone, and then decided on Miss Nie, who was proficient in history and classical literature, as the historian. As for the big responsibility of managing the club’s miscellaneous affairs as the secretary, it naturally landed on her head.
The Yu family and the Xun family having some indirect relations, those that were well-informed already knew. Although previously they didn’t feel that Yu Lingxin was that familiar with Ming Jinrou and Xun Ying, but the dispute that the Wen family sisters had with Ming Jinrou and Yu Lingxin at the Jin Duke Manor last time had long spread throughout the noble young ladies’ circles of the capital. Perhaps, should say, the Wen clan sisters that were temporarily residing in the Jin Duke Manor having some conflict with Ming Jincheng’s younger sister, this matter, was already known by everyone.
Just as the officials of the court and the noble womenfolk were all discussing, what Empress Wen and the Jin Duke Manor Ming family’s relationship will be like, everyone also very naturally assumed that, that Miss Yu, who became the originator of the dispute, should be pretty close with Ming Jinrou. That’s why, at this time, Ming Jinrou picking Yu Lingxin as the secretary to help arrange the future club meetings, practically no one was surprised.
But towards Ming Jinrou ‘openly and legitimately throwing the load to her’, Yu Lingxin was still a bit helpless. Once the guests all left, she finally had the opportunity to talk privately with Ming Jinrou, “Jinrou, tell me the truth, you making this title for me, is it wanting to have all the literature club’s affairs in the future all directly thrown to me?
Ming Jinrou giddily laughed, directly taking out a small brocade case and handing it over, “This is the literature club’s badge that we specifically forged for older sister. We’ve already arranged everything in our manor and Wen’an Marquis Manor. As long as they see this badge, they will just know it’s older sister passing the word. The literature club’s matters in the future, will be troubling you!”
If Yu Lingxin at this time can still endure, then when she returns home and see another two thick stacks of account books on Lianyi Residence’s table, she will truly be dumbstruck.
Without waiting for instructions, Bai Guo already came over to explain, “Miss, the account books for shizi’s businesses in the Ji province and Yu province are all here. The last batch from the Quan province and Chen province will arrive before the end of the month.”
Yu Lingxin blankly gazed towards Bai Guo. Right now, she was a bit stupefied. This……..exactly how big of a pirate ship was this!