Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1619 Blind Date
"Can it still be like this?"

“That’s standard procedure,” Zhu Xianxi replied. “Don’t even mention you guys. Yang Jing and I have known each other since college, and we’d pretty much decided to get married, but we still had to go through this process. We went on blind dates for several years before deciding to get married—to be honest, we both had second thoughts along the way. She thought it was too much for me to get up at 4 a.m. every day, and I worried that getting married now might interfere with her research progress. But in the end, we decided to get married anyway. Then four years later, we have this wonderful day where I’m treating you all to dinner.”

For Zhu Xianxi, blind dates are also a state of being. It's a hybrid state, somewhere between friends and marriage partners, overlapping with and yet distinct from romantic relationships. The constraints are much stricter than those of a romantic relationship; one must be mindful of their personal image during the blind date. However, ending a blind date is also much simpler—just don't meet again.

"Therefore, I highly recommend that you and Zhu Ling start dating. Meet occasionally, have a meal, and chat. If you don't want to go on blind dates anymore, just end it. It's that simple."

"It seems...it seems like it might work?"

“I think you’re not quite sure yet,” Zhu Xianxi added. “Actually, I’m doing this not just for the relationship between the two of you, nor just for myself—well, to be honest, there is a lot of self-interest involved; I do really want you to be my brother-in-law—but I have another special reason for doing this.”

"What is it?"

“I really, really, really don’t want anyone other than you to be my brother-in-law, understand? If someone tries to use other opportunities to bring up blind dates with me, and my mother agrees, I won’t be able to refuse. If Zhu Ling doesn’t want to go, I’ll be caught in the middle. Offending either her or my mother would be a disaster. If you go on a blind date with her, you can shut everyone else up. And whether you take it a step further or not, the decision is in your own hands.”

"Oh, well, it would be impolite of me not to agree, right?"

"Hmm, smart." He patted Shang Luo on the shoulder. "Then it's decided. I've solved a major problem—the Emperor Ancestral Emperor agreed, right?"

After the Great Furnace of Heaven and Earth, a distant chime resounded from the depths of the Jade Palace.

"Alright, the Emperor has agreed." Zhu Xianxi opened the oven, took out some roasted meat, and looked at it. "Hmm, very good, very good. Shangluo, can you cut this for me?"

"Okay, how many pieces?"

"Let me do the math. There are two of us, and two more at the door, so we'll cut them into five portions."

Five portions? Who gets the last one?

"Don't worry about it, just cut it off."

After Zhu Ling and Apollonia finished eating barbecue at the entrance, Zhu Xianxi and Shang Luo had already arrived at the rear hall of Changchun Palace.

"Mother, I've brought the person."

"May the Empress Dowager be well."

"Ah, he's here. Xiao Han, quickly get him a seat."

Upon hearing the name "Xiao Han," Shang Luo nearly jumped. Looking to the side, he saw that the person called "Xiao Han" was a woman around thirty years old. Han Shanggong was one of the two Shanggong in the inner court. Unlike Song Shanggong, who was in charge of the Empress's affairs, she was mainly responsible for the affairs of the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager—who was also Zhu Xianxi's grandmother—did not live in the West Garden, but rather in her villa in Tangshan. Therefore, Song Shanggong was mainly responsible for the Empress Dowager's affairs in the West Garden.

The Empress Dowager also had her own attendants, who stood behind her with their heads bowed and remained silent. Because Shang Luo was still considered a guest, they generally spoke little when they saw him.

However, the Empress Dowager had been paying attention to Shangluo for some time now.

"Good, good, very good." She looked at Shang Luo, who had taken his seat, and nodded repeatedly, just like Wu Guotai at Ganlu Temple looking at Liu Bei. Shang Luo trembled slightly, wondering if Jia Hua would emerge if his hand slipped and he dropped the cup.

"Zhu Ye, he's already agreed?" The Empress Dowager addressed the Emperor by his given name—Zhu Ye was the name he had used for a longer time than Zhu Xianxi, and that's what he called him at home.

Like in many other places, their family calls their children by their given names, without using nicknames or anything like that.

"Yes. Shangluo said he agreed." "Great, great, very good." This is the seventh time they've agreed since they met. "Shangluo, what do you think of Zhu Ling?"

"Good good."

"It would be better if you didn't come here. I want to hear your opinion—did Zhu Ye force you?"

"No, no, my senior brother didn't force me."

"Has anyone else threatened you?"

"nor."

"There must be a reason why you agreed to the blind date. After all, you didn't bring it up directly with Zhu Ling, so your relationship probably hasn't reached that point yet. So I think there must be some reason why you accepted it."

"Forehead"

"Say it, just say it. If you absolutely have to say it, what's your answer?"

"I don't want to put Zhu Ling in a difficult position regarding marrying someone else. That's probably it."

"Yes, that's acceptable." The Empress Dowager nodded. "This answer is acceptable for now."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"No need to thank me, but I'm actually quite puzzled. Isn't my daughter pretty? I see that you two have a pretty good relationship, so why didn't you have this idea before? You know, Zhu Ling could have suggested blind dates herself, but neither of you did."

"I didn't mention it probably because my father isn't here. It's more appropriate for parents to bring up such matters. As for why Zhu Ling didn't mention it, it's probably because I haven't met the Empress Dowager, and she didn't think of this."

"Hmm, that's a good answer. In that case, let me tell you about my family as well." The old lady introduced her family situation like an ordinary person, "I only have one daughter and one son. I don't have many brothers or sisters in my family, and my husband's family is not very large either. Usually, I am quite close to Zhu Ye's aunt, and we often go to trade stocks."

"Stock trading?"

"Well, we usually meet up to trade stocks, but let's not go into that. I'll take you there when I have time."

"Mom, he's on a blind date with Zhu Ling, not doing your menial tasks. Why are you taking him along when you go to trade stocks?"

"Isn't this letting him experience our family life beforehand? It's not like we're mistreating him. If he's not satisfied with the other members of our family, he can simply not go on blind dates, right?"

You're going to become their family's toy?

"Huh? When did you get here?"

[Of course I've been here the whole time. I can't just enter Yu Xi Palace casually, but I've been following you the whole time you came out. Oh, by the way, Zhu Ling is watching the live stream too. Would you like to hear her opinion?]

"what"

She said you need to come to the Imperial Garden tomorrow. Bring a knife and help her chop some bamboo. Remember to bring the peeler; it's really useful, even Xiongxiong said it was delicious.

(End of this chapter)