Spring Drunk Chang'an

"The marriage didn't work out? Why?"

"Didn't Dad say he would agree the last time he saw me?"

Hearing his stepmother's words, Shi Xiaoyue was stunned. He suddenly raised his head and asked anxiously.

"Hmm?" Princess Nanweng said in a deep voice, raising her brows slightly.

Not angry.

Shi Xiaoyue shrank her neck in fear. After a while, she whispered, "Mother, please forgive me. I am rude."

"You're a girl from a wealthy family, and you're so startled. What's wrong with you?" Princess Nanweng said coldly, "A maid from a respectable family wouldn't act like you."

Shi Xiaoyue hung her head as if in shame, neither angry nor crying.

Ever since she returned to Duke Qi's Mansion from Yuansi Temple, Princess Nanweng scolded her almost every day. At first, she would feel sad and cry.

Now, it has become commonplace.

I've become thick-skinned after being scolded so many times.

"Mother, why did Dad suddenly regret it?"

I got scolded but didn't get anything done. Isn't that a loss?

Shi Xiaoyue continued to ask.

Fortunately, Princess Nanweng had called her in just to discuss her marriage. After she had vented her anger with a few words, she said, "Your father is loyal and ambitious. We in the Duke of Qi's Mansion are wholeheartedly devoted to His Majesty. The Prince of the Duke of Ning's Mansion seems quite good, after all..."

It's the princelings.

The current Emperor favors Concubine Qu and Prince Yan. In the harem, Concubine Qu can compete with Queen Song. Because of some bullshit "royal sacrificial rules", the Crown Prince left the Eastern Palace and lived in a minister's house.

It's ridiculous.

In which dynasty have you ever heard of a royal ceremony where the prince was asked to give way?

The power of King Yan can be seen from this.

However, the prince was not to be outdone. Five years ago, he had fought bloody battles with Duke Cheng'en at the border to defend his country and won the hearts of the army. He also toured the south several times and won the hearts of the scholars.

The dispute between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan is in full swing.

Duke Qi thought about it several times and didn't want to get involved, so he simply rejected the proposal from Duke Ning's Mansion.

But Shi Xiaoyue doesn't need to know this.

"You have a birthmark on your face, you're naturally ugly, and you're cowardly. Your father said you can't bear the responsibility of being a concubine of a clan!" Princess Nanweng lightly belittled her stepdaughter, saying coldly, "The Ningguo Mansion has advanced the marriage for your father's sake, but our family must also have self-awareness."

"With your appearance and character, marrying into a family of equal status would only make you an enemy."

Shi Xiaoyue bit her lip and lowered her head even more.

Princess Nanweng's eyes flashed with a smile, and she said loudly, "Your father has thought about it again and again and doesn't want to harm others. So, remember to have less contact with people from the Ningguo Mansion in the future to avoid embarrassment on both sides."

"Remember?"

Shi Xiaoyue frowned and said nothing.

Princess Nanweng lowered her eyebrows and asked loudly, "Speak? You are mute. Do you remember it?"

Shi Xiaoyue shuddered, her voice choking slightly, "Daughter, I remember."

"You're so stupid that you can't even understand what I'm saying." Princess Nanweng sneered and waved her hand in boredom. "Alright, I called you here today just for this."

"Now that you know, you can leave."

"Yes!" Shi Xiaoyue responded, bowed, turned around and left.

The nanny watched her lift the curtain and leave. Her old face sternly turned as she approached Princess Nanweng and said, "Princess, the young lady is quite talkative today. She even dared to question you."

"I heard that she has been getting close to a maidservant from the Ningguo Mansion recently. Do you think she is secretly considering marriage, uh..."

Turn over?

After my princess married into the Duke of Qi's mansion, she sent Shi Xiaoyue to Yuantan Temple and only brought her back a few months ago.

Away from home and relatives for more than ten years, sitting alone in front of the Buddha?

Shi Xiaoyue is not a Bodhisattva, so how could he not hate others for acting like this?

"If she were stunningly beautiful, I'd be a bit worried. But she looks like a scabby dog. Who would be interested in her? Even those who admire the rich and powerful might not be interested in her. Are you afraid that she might marry a 'noble husband' and cause trouble for me?" Princess Nanweng sneered, not taking it seriously at all. "Mammy, I'm the princess of the current dynasty, the wife of a duke!"

"Am I afraid of her?"

"Ah, I'm the old slave who's paranoid. I'm really worried about you, Princess!" The wet nurse smiled apologetically, feeling that she had lost her mind. "Then, about the young lady leaving the palace..."

"She's lowly herself. If a girl from the Duke's Mansion is willing to hang out with a slave, then so be it." Princess Nanweng sneered. "Anyway, the Duke has made his decision. Our marriage with the Ningguo Mansion is off. Even if she licks the feet of the Ningguo Duke's wife's personal maid, it's useless."

"I'd love to see the joke."

"What if she uses that maid to get into the Ningguo Mansion and does something ugly? She's forced to get married..." The wet nurse was also worried.

It's so easy for a grown-up girl to rely on a man. She can just take off her clothes and jump into the pool, pretend to walk into the wrong room, and go into the study!

"...Wouldn't that ruin the reputation of our mansion?"

"Even if she's bad, I don't have a daughter, so I'm not afraid of being implicated. Nanny, I'm really hoping she'll do something wrong. If she gets confused and shamelessly relies on the Ningguo Duke's son, the Duke will let her marry him for the sake of his reputation, but the private father-daughter relationship will be completely severed!" Princess Nanweng sneered, "When the time comes, I'll give her a dowry, and that'll be like sending away the plague god."

"Your Majesty knows what's going on, so I feel relieved." The wet nurse replied with a smile.

Princess Nanweng laughed, dressed herself up, and left the house surrounded by maids and servants.

-

After leaving the main courtyard, Shi Xiaoyue returned to his own small courtyard. He sat there for a while, feeling uncomfortable, so he sneaked to the guard office and found Xiong Zhen.

The two went to the garden. Shi Xiaoyue sat in the pavilion, pretending to enjoy the scenery, while Xiong Zhen stood outside the pavilion, as if on guard.

It seems like they have nothing to do with each other, but in fact, they are having a conversation.

Although Xiong Zhen was left to Shi Xiaoyue by her biological mother, there is always a difference between men and women, and she always has to be careful in the mansion.

Don't be too presumptuous.

"Big Bear, Big Bear, the princess said that my marriage with the Ningguo Mansion is off, my father doesn't agree!" Shi Xiaoyue sat at the table, fiddling with the teacup in his hand, with an upset look on his face.

Xiong Zhen listened in silence for a while before finally speaking, "You want to marry Liu Wenbai?"

"No, the Prince of Ningguo... I only met him once. He seemed arrogant and difficult to get along with. He looked at me with disdain."

"He must think I'm ugly!" Shi Xiaoyue muttered. She was not as cautious as she was in front of Princess Nan Weng. She was extremely lively in front of Xiong Zhen.

She wrinkled her nose, "Hmph, I'm so sorry, I'm so ugly to him!!"

"I just think that since my father has taken me back and I'm old enough, I should get married!"

"It doesn't matter who I marry. If I marry into the Ningguo Mansion, I can always play with Sister Chang'an. It's better than marrying into another family."

"It's a pity it didn't work."

Shi Xiaoyue's tone was regretful.

Xiong Zhen's enormous figure loomed over her. He lowered his head and gazed at her face with his fierce eyes. He said in a deep voice, "If you really want to get married, then..."

"Let me find a solution?"