usatvline Chapter 81 081 Proposing Marriage
Chapter 81 081 Proposing Marriage
Chapter 81 081 Proposing Marriage
Consort Zhuang coughed lightly, covering her mouth, and said, "Cough...cough, I'm much better after changing the prescription. Thank you for your concern, Zize."
"Speaking of which, I came from my third brother's residence just before entering the palace. Your Highness, Consort Xian, do not know that Jingxuan was naughty today and almost made my third brother very angry." Chunyu Shan wanted to amuse the two of them, so she picked out the funny things that had just happened to tell them.
When Consort Yu heard that Chunyu Jingxuan had sneaked out of the palace by hiding in a box, she was so happy that she could hardly stand up straight. Consort Zhuang's sickly appearance also disappeared, and she smiled broadly.
"Jingxuan is really being reckless. Is a wooden box a place for a person to stay? What if the people from the Marquis's mansion didn't find him and he suffocated in the box?" Despite her laughter, Consort Zhuang couldn't help but scold him, "Moreover, he ran out of the Prince's mansion like that and no one noticed. How exactly did the servants keep an eye on him?"
Consort Yu knew that the vacancy of the position of Princess Consort of Beiwu had always been a concern for Consort Zhuang, so she asked, "Why don't you advise Boyuan to remarry? There are many young ladies in the capital with good family backgrounds and education. Even if Boyuan doesn't want anyone to replace the Princess Consort, it would be good to appoint a concubine. The Prince's mansion is so large, how can it function without someone to manage both internal and external affairs?"
“I have mentioned this matter to Boyuan many times, but he is very stubborn and never backs down. I can’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to do, can I?” Consort Zhuang sighed.
"You just think too much about others." Consort Yu sighed softly, glancing at Chunyu Shan out of the corner of her eye. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Let's not talk about Boyuan. Zize, when will you bring your princess to the palace to pay your respects to your father and me? So many young ladies came to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet this year, didn't you find one you liked?"
Chunyu Shan had come to the palace this time intending to tell Consort Yu Shu that he was considering taking a principal wife and wanted to send someone to the Marquis of Anshi's residence to propose marriage. However, since Consort Zhuang was present, he did not want to upset her, who was in poor health. So he said, "Since you are going to establish a principal wife, you should naturally choose one carefully. If you find one you like, I will definitely discuss it with you carefully."
Consort Yu felt somewhat comforted and patted his hand gently, saying, "It's good that you know what's going on. Your mother is waiting for your good news."
After exchanging a few more words with Consort Yu, Chunyu Shan rose to take his leave. His visit to the palace had failed to achieve its purpose, leaving Chunyu Shan somewhat frustrated, even the smile on his face fading slightly. However, after walking around the palace for a while, he gradually calmed down.
It wasn't that he particularly wanted to marry Ye Pianran; it was simply that he knew Chunyu Jingxuan was very fond of her and feared his third brother might suddenly change his mind. Driven by a competitive spirit, he decided to strike first. After all, his third brother had saved Ye Pianran twice. If his third brother so desired, the Marquis's mansion would undoubtedly hand over their daughter to the Northern Martial Prince's mansion. He, on the other hand, had only met Ye Pianran twice, putting him at a significant disadvantage.
Right now, the most urgent thing is to find a way to win the beauty's heart.
With a raised eyebrow, Chunyu Shan's smile returned. Rounding a corner, he saw Chunyu Jing and Right Chancellor Shi Zhenghan standing not far ahead. He paused, instinctively wanting to back away, but Chunyu Jing suddenly looked up in his direction.
Their eyes met. Chunyu Shan opened his folding fan with a "whoosh" and walked forward confidently, saying, "Fourth Brother, Prime Minister Shi, I didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence."
"Sixth Prince," Shi Zhenghan greeted him, then said to Chunyu Jing, "Since there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
Chunyu Jing hummed in agreement. After Shi Zhenghan left, he glanced at Chunyu Shan, then walked towards the palace gate with his hands behind his back. Chunyu Shan paused slightly, his hand still holding the fan, and reluctantly followed him.
"Going to the palace to see your mother?" Chunyu Jing asked.
“Yes, I’m carefree and don’t concern myself with anything. What else can I do in the palace besides having private conversations with my mother?” Chunyu Shan said with a smile.
Chunyu Jing smiled enigmatically: "Sichuan has been suffering from drought lately, and Fourth Brother is short-handed. From what you're saying, are you trying to help Fourth Brother out?"
"No, no, no, Fourth Brother, please spare me. I'm not cut out for managing things. I'm better suited to eating, drinking, and having fun."
Of all his brothers, Chunyu Shan always avoided his fourth brother whenever possible, simply because his fourth brother's thoughts were even more unpredictable than their father's. His third brother was indeed cunning, but he only ever made things difficult for himself. But his fourth brother was different; being with him always gave him the feeling that he might be plotted against if he wasn't careful.
"Really? Actually, as long as you are willing to work hard, you are definitely no worse than Fourth Brother."
Look, look, what a huge trap is hidden in these words! Chunyu Shan chuckled and said, "Fourth brother, you know me well. I've never been able to sit still since I was a child. When I was studying at the Imperial Academy, I was always impeached by those old stubborn men. After being impeached so many times, even Father Emperor gave up."
Chunyu Jing chuckled softly, not pursuing the topic further. His silence relieved Chunyu Shan. They rode out of the palace gates in silence, then mounted their horses and departed.
——※※※——
Ever since Chunyu Yang and Chunyu Shan brought the heir back to the palace, Ye Bijun's heart had been in turmoil. Returning to her courtyard, she looked at her own horribly disfigured face in the mirror, her hatred burning intensely, her expression twisted in agony.
She saw it clearly: when the Sixth Prince left, he smiled at Ye Pianran! That smile was gentle yet tinged with admiration, which almost drove her mad with jealousy.
Why?! Why is Ye Pianran still favored by the Sixth Prince even after breaking off her engagement with the Ouyang family?! Both of them have injuries on their faces, so why do they always only see Ye Pianran?!
No, she needs to heal the injuries on her face quickly so that she can have the power to crush Ye Pianran under her feet!
With a flurry of activity, Ye Bijun unscrewed the glass bottle containing the essential oils, poured out all of them, and eagerly applied them to her face. Only when every inch of her face was covered in the oil, and her nose was filled with its rich, pleasant fragrance, did she relax her furrowed brows. Looking at herself in the mirror, she thought with satisfaction:
The wound wouldn't heal before because I didn't use enough. Now that I've applied all of it, maybe the wound will be completely healed by the time I wake up tomorrow!
However, to Ye Bijun's disappointment, when she woke up the next day, the wound on her face not only had not healed, but had become even redder and itchier!
The wounds on her face felt like a million insects crawling all over her at once, the itching driving Ye Bijun almost mad. She wanted to scratch but couldn't. Enraged, she swept everything off the dressing table and roared in hatred:
"Ye Pianran, how dare you scheme against me like this! I will never let you get away with this!"
Just then, Qiaoyi ran in from outside, shouting, "Miss, Miss, the Ouyang family has sent someone to propose marriage! Young Master Shaoyu has come in person!"
The hand that was smashing things suddenly stopped, and Ye Bijun opened her eyes wide in disbelief: "Who did you say? Who's here?"
"Young Master Shaoyu, Ouyang Shaoyu!" Qiaoyi exclaimed excitedly, "He has come with many betrothal gifts to propose marriage to you, Miss!"
Disbelief and ecstasy instantly overwhelmed Ye Bijun. She no longer felt the discomfort on her face and was about to rush outside in a frenzy of joy when Qiaoyi quickly grabbed her, saying, "Miss, you can't just go out like this!"
"Yes, yes, Qiaoyi, quickly help me style my hair into a unique updo. I want to look my best when I meet Young Master Shaoyu!"
Ouyang Shaoyu was originally the man Ye Bijun most wanted to marry. When she went berserk at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, what she said wasn't entirely false. Although she later heard rumors circulating that she and Ouyang Shaoyu were mutually in love, she knew clearly that her act of slashing her cheek at the banquet had frightened many people. Therefore, she had already given up hope for Ouyang Shaoyu. But who knew that things would suddenly take such a dramatic turn!
Ouyang Shaoyu wants to marry her!
Regardless of Ouyang Shaoyu's reasons for wanting to marry her, as long as she can form a marriage alliance with the Ouyang family, she will truly turn her life around and will no longer be a distant relative living in the Marquis's mansion!
Qiaoyi quickly styled her hair into an exquisite and unique updo. Ye Bijun put on a veil to cover the wound on her face, applied the "pipa makeup" that was particularly popular in the capital recently, and changed into a dress made of brocade bestowed by the emperor. She transformed into a radiant beauty.
Satisfied with herself, Ye Bijun looked at herself in the mirror from left to right before turning around, tilting her head slightly, and walking outside with an air of arrogance.
In Lanxin Courtyard, Ye Pianran held a piece of candied fruit in her hand, waving it in front of Ye Yankang to try and get him to speak. Suddenly, Ling Shu walked in with a strange expression, leaned down and whispered in Ye Pianran's ear:
"Miss, someone from the Ouyang family has come to propose marriage to Miss Bijun."
She let go of Ye Yankang's hand, allowing him to snatch the plum blossom cake from her. Ye Pianran looked up at her and asked, "Who's here?"
"Lord Ouyang, Young Master Shaoyu, and several elders of the Ouyang family have all arrived," Ling Shu said indignantly. "The Ouyang family is truly going too far. They broke off the engagement with Miss and are now proposing to Miss Bijun again. They completely disregard Miss!"
To everyone's surprise, Ye Pianran wasn't angry at all. Instead, she laughed happily and said, "It's good that they came. I was afraid they wouldn't come."
"Miss? Miss Bijun is marrying Young Master Shaoyu, why are you so happy?" Ling Shu was completely puzzled.
“Of course we should be happy. When Miss was being criticized, Young Master Shaoyu sent someone to our Marquis’s mansion to break off the engagement. Such a despicable act of kicking someone when they're down is truly despicable. But now that he's trapped by rumors, he has no choice but to marry the Miss who actually has the injury on her face. Don't you feel extremely pleased?” Lingyi said.
Ling Shu didn't know as clearly as Ling Yi. After hearing these words, her eyes curved into two cute crescent moons with laughter: "That's great, that's wonderful! Miss was right to burn that sachet back then!"
Ye Pianran wiped the crumbs from her fingertips with a silk handkerchief, stood up and said, "Let's go, let's go see what's going on."