Spring flowers

Chapter 14 Needs a Wife

Wei Yishang finally made a friend and experienced what it felt like to have connections.

A few days ago, the Princess of Anping County tried to bring up her background at a poetry gathering, saying that as a concubine's daughter, she was not worthy of being close to the sons of noble families. I don't know where she heard this rumor from.

Unexpectedly, Pei Xiaorou stepped forward and said that she was her close friend and a person of noble character, and helped her out of the predicament.

Princess Anping was probably taken aback by Pei Xiaorou's defense and was momentarily speechless. Fortunately, it was just a few sarcastic remarks, and the princess didn't take it to heart.

At the time, Wei Yishang thought Pei Xiaorou had made the right move. What competition between women? How boring. If the sisters unite, men won't have a chance.

Having more friends is better than having more enemies.

"Has the Princess of Anping given you any trouble lately?"

"She dares?" Pei Xiaorou raised an eyebrow.

"Who wouldn't want a bottle of peach blossom wine from me these days? Princess Anping is no exception. She's not that foolish to offend me for a bit of verbal sparring."

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

After seeing Pei Xiaorou off, Feng Yueqiao happened to come looking for her.

During this time, Feng Yueqiao also noticed Pei Xiaorou's intimate attitude towards Wei Yishang, and she was somewhat puzzled.

"Yi Chang, you, you can actually reconcile with Miss Pei?" Feng Yueqiao couldn't hide her shock.

"I always thought that someone like her would never be kind to others."

Wei Yishang pulled her to sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard and pushed the Peach Blossom Wine in front of her.

"There are no permanent enemies in this world, only permanent interests. Sometimes, the best way to prevent someone from becoming your enemy is to make them feel that being your friend is better than being your enemy."

Feng Yueqiao nodded as if she understood, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She looked at Wei Yishang and felt that her sister seemed different from before.

The two sisters were enjoying this rare moment of leisure when, without warning, a mechanical notification sounded in Wei Yishang's mind.

[Ding! Key mission issued: Officially marry Ye Mingzhen.]

[Mission Description: Form an alliance in the name of marriage. He will be the spear, you the shield, clearing away obstacles and each getting what you need.]

[Task Reward: Upon completion of this stage, the host will receive "Vast Wealth" as starting capital and the permanent skill "Insight into People's Hearts".]

Wei Yishang: "..."

She almost spat out her tea.

marry?

With Ye Mingzhen?

Is this system insane? It's moving way too fast!
Although the immense wealth and the reward of insightful understanding of human nature sound incredibly tempting…

While Wei Yishang was racking her brains over the system tasks, Ye Mingzhen's days were becoming more and more irritable.

As a newly appointed third-ranked scholar and a member of the Hanlin Academy, his future should have been bright.

In reality, he felt as if he had fallen into a net woven from cosmetics and fragrances, unable to move.

Today is another elegant gathering at the Princess's residence.

Tomorrow is the Anping County Magistrate's polo match.

The day after tomorrow is the birthday banquet of a certain marquis's daughter.

These invitations arrived like snowflakes, each one carrying an air of undeniable prestige.

He can push it away once, but not twice.

He originally intended to use his position as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy to examine some old files and find clues about the massacre of his mentor's Zhang family.

But whenever he appears in the library, there will inevitably be a "chance encounter" within half an hour.

Either the Princess of Anping County came with her maid to search for a rare copy of the book, or the Princess sent someone to invite Ye Xiuzhuan to her residence for a chat.

He felt that his every move was being exposed to countless eyes.

These peach blossoms are not a blessing, but a curse.

It was a huge obstacle hindering his investigation.

The father from Shang County always felt something was off, like it didn't seem right.

But I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about it.

He had no choice but to investigate further.

That day, he finally found an excuse to escape the social obligations of the Hanlin Academy and went to an inconspicuous secondhand bookstore in the west of the city. According to the clues he had found, his father had been there sometime before his disappearance.

The bookstore owner was a thin old man with cloudy eyes, who seemed indifferent to everyone.

Ye Mingzhen patiently selected a few seemingly useless notebooks, and was about to subtly inquire about the events of that year when a charming yet somewhat domineering voice rang out at the door.

"Ye Tanhua! You really are here!"

Ye Mingzhen's back stiffened instantly.

He slowly turned around and saw Princess Anping standing gracefully at the door, dressed in a fiery red riding outfit, holding a riding whip in her hand, followed by several guards who completely blocked the already cramped bookstore.

"Princess." He nodded slightly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I've been looking for you for so long!" Princess Anping walked up to him in a few steps, pouting in dissatisfaction. "You've been avoiding me these past few days. Tell me, are you trying to see that Feng Yueqiao again?"

The few customers in the bookstore, including the gaunt owner, all turned to look at them.

Ye Mingzhen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Your Highness is too kind. I came here simply to find a few books."

“What’s so interesting about books? Come on, let’s go horseback riding outside the city!” Princess Anping said, reaching out to tug at his sleeve.

Ye Mingzhen subtly stepped back, avoiding her touch.

His movements were elegant and aloof, yet they instantly darkened the face of the Princess of Anping.

“You, the third-ranked scholar…” she said, somewhat embarrassed and angry.

"It's your good fortune that I've condescended to come to you! Don't forget, with just one word from me, your days at the Hanlin Academy won't be so easy!"

A naked threat.

A faint, cold glint flashed in Ye Mingzhen's eyes, so fleeting as to be almost imperceptible.

He maintained his outward humility, bowing slightly: "I appreciate the county princess's kindness. However, I do have official business to attend to today and cannot keep you company."

Princess Anping knew he was making excuses, but she couldn't find fault with him. She could only stomp her foot in frustration and leave with her men.

The bookstore returned to silence.

But Ye Mingzhen knew that he had already missed the best opportunity to get information out of his boss.

The boss's eyes had changed from cloudy to wary.

He walked out of the bookstore alone, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

Their entanglement, seemingly a matter of romantic love, is in fact an extension of family power.

If he agrees to someone's request, he is taking sides.

If you refuse everyone, you will offend everyone.

He needs a sharp knife to cut through this mess.

But he himself cannot be that knife.

He thought of that woman again; the methods she used, though seemingly unconventional, precisely targeted everyone's weaknesses.

There's no point in reasoning with a woman like Princess Anping; giving in will only embolden her.

There needs to be someone, someone more unreasonable, more "crazy," more "evil," and more daring, to keep those people in check.

He needs a wife.

A wife who can shield him from all unwanted romantic advances.

A wife whose social status is not too high, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.

A wife who is smart enough to understand that this is a transaction, who won't be delusional about him, and who can even leave cleanly after the deal is done.

Wei Yishang.

Perhaps his previous ideas and plans can be given a try.

She was the illegitimate daughter of the Vice Minister's household, her status was neither too high nor too low, just right.

She is also the niece of her mentor, Zhang, a scholar, which makes the marriage seem less abrupt.

He also understood that this woman was a perceptive and intelligent person.

He straightened his robes and walked towards the Wei residence.

(End of this chapter)