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Chapter 249: The Son's Marriage
Chapter 249: The Son's Marriage
The spring rain persisted for six or seven days, intermittently stopping and starting again, leaving the ground perpetually damp.
Finding the wet roads inconvenient, Prince Qi decided to stay put in the mansion, keeping Su Su company and entertaining her.
"Are you tired of playing with the bamboo dragonfly?"
"Let's play with the five wooden pieces, then."
"You don't like the wooden pieces either?"
"How about we play chess, then?"
"If you don't like chess, we can fly a kite together."
...
In any case, there was always something new and exciting to try each day.
What about studying?
Princess Qi had brought it up a couple of times, but Prince Qi was reluctant, preferring to personally guide Su Su through her early education.
The Princess of Qi had some concerns.
After all, how could she be unaware of her husband's level of education? However, knowing that it was just early education, she felt slightly more at ease.
As expected, what started as early education soon turned into playtime.
Princess Qi: ...
This came as no surprise.
Before bed that night, the Princess of Qi couldn't help but fret: "Su Su is already five years old. If we don't start her early education soon, it'll be too late. Next month is also Brother Chen's birthday, and we must bring the children along. If Su Su can't recognize a single character by then, we'll inevitably be mocked behind our backs. Some children, due to their young age and innocence, speak without a filter, and Su Su will undoubtedly feel hurt by their words."
Older children might understand better and know not to offend the royal family, but younger children often lacked this awareness and would speak their minds freely. Su Su would undoubtedly feel hurt by their candid remarks.
The Princess of Qi worried for her child.
Prince Qi shared her concerns as well.
However, he just couldn't bring himself to let Su Su experience the hardships of studying.
Recalling his own struggles with studying, Prince Qi sighed: "Back then, I would get up in the middle of the night to study. I barely had any free time during the day, and it was exhausting. In the end, I still only managed to attain a half-baked level of education. I don't think this kind of suffering is necessary."
In the end, he heaved a long sigh: "Ah... Even if one doesn't study, they'll still face hardships in life. Alright, tomorrow... Tomorrow, I must steel my heart and send Su Su to school."
Due to the recent rain, Shen Huatang and Liu Hemeng hadn't visited the mansion in a while.
Instead, Prince Qi spent his days playing with Su Su.
The father and daughter had developed a deep bond, and Prince Qi grew increasingly fond of his little daughter.
Especially after consuming the medicinal meal, his health had improved significantly.
Prince Qi felt that...
Perhaps he could live for another three to five decades and become a longevous old monster.
He had to stay alive! He had to live on to protect Su Su.
If he passed away, Su Su would have to rely on her brothers in the future.
If her brothers were still unmarried, it might be fine, but once they started their own families, they would have their own concerns and might not be able to care for their sister as attentively as they did before marriage.
Therefore, it had to be this old father who worried and cared for her.
During their nightly chat, after talking about Su Su, the couple turned to the topic of the young masters in the mansion.
In the midst of their conversation, Prince Qi suddenly thought of something and sighed softly: "In a few years, our Brother Ze will also be coming of age."
Once he came of age, he could be conferred a title and officially recognized as the heir apparent.
As the eldest legitimate son, Feng Xuanze's status as the heir apparent was indisputable, unless something unforeseen happened.
Being both the firstborn and legitimate, who else could they confer the title to if not him?
Moreover, being the only academic achiever in the entire mansion, how could they not let him take the imperial exams?
Would they let those good-for-nothing academic dunces take the exams instead?
If they did, the reputation of the Qi Wang Manor would be ruined!
As the conversation turned to Feng Xuanze, Prince Qi thought of the young man's marriage: "It's also about time we started looking for a suitable match for Brother Ze. Do you have anyone in mind? Later, I'll discuss it with my imperial brother or the Empress Mother."
Feng Xuanze's marriage was, of course, of utmost importance to the Qi Wang Manor.
The Princess of Qi had already been keeping an eye out for potential matches over the past two years. However, the interpersonal relationships in the capital were intricate and ever-changing, making this task challenging.
The Empress had her eye on someone, but she hesitated, softly saying, "I had my eye on Shen Hubu's eldest granddaughter. She just came of age this year and is only one year younger than our Brother Ze. They're a good match in terms of age, and she's gentle and well-mannered, too. She's a good student, and she suits Brother Ze well. However..."
At this point, the Empress of Qi sighed softly. "I heard that our aunt has also taken a shine to her and has already discussed it with the Shen family. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to bring it up again."
Upon hearing this, Qi Wang furrowed his brow, confused. "That's odd. Why would our aunt be in such a hurry for that boy? He's only twelve this year."
Amused by Qi Wang's tone, the Empress of Qi laughed. "It's not for that boy; it's for Chen Ge.
At twelve years old, Liu Chen had already come of age, and he indeed needed a fiancee more than Feng Xuanze.
However, a good woman is something that every family desires.
The Empress of Qi wouldn't have brought it up if not for Qi Wang's mention. Now, he found himself quite intrigued.
Especially after having interacted with Shen Huatang before, he knew that young girl was gentle and quiet, and her older sister was likely even more refined and elegant.
Qi Wang was rather tempted, but it didn't feel right to compete with his aunt for a match...
In the end, he could only sigh. "Ah, it's a shame that Brother Ze is still too young. I can't very well compete with my aunt for her."
If they were both of a similar age, Qi Wang thought, he wouldn't mind pulling some of her tiger's whiskers. It wouldn't be the first time; he had been beaten by her before, and he wasn't afraid of the pain.
But never mind.
It wouldn't be good to create bad blood over this matter and involve the Shen family girl in rumors and gossip. It wouldn't be beneficial to the young lady.
Qi Wang quickly dismissed the thought and asked, "Are there any other girls you have in mind? We must take the initiative this time!"
The Empress of Qi laughed again. "There is indeed one, the eldest daughter of the He family. However, she rarely leaves home, but I've seen her a couple of times at banquets, though she's quite young, five years younger than our Brother Ze."
The He family?
Qi Wang racked his brains but couldn't quite place which family it was. Eventually, he asked in confusion, "Wasn't she the one with poor health?"
The Empress of Qi fell silent for a moment, and after a long while, she replied in a low voice, "...That's the second daughter. She's the one who's close with Su Su. Don't keep saying things like that; Su Su probably won't like hearing them."
Qi Wang realized his mistake and laughed sheepishly. "If she's truly a good match, we can't afford to wait. In a few days, when Ze returns, I'll ask him if he's willing. If not, we'll look elsewhere. If we can't find anyone suitable in the capital, we'll look beyond it."
The Empress of Qi shared the same idea. She, in fact, had someone in mind.
That person was the younger sister of the Crown Princess. However, given the uncertain political climate in the capital, the Empress of Qi was afraid that choosing someone from the Lin family might give the Emperor or the Crown Prince ideas. It wouldn't be worth it.
In the end, the Empress of Qi decided against bringing up the Lin family and instead steered the conversation back to Su Su.
The couple's nightly chat about Su Su always felt like it could go on forever. Qi Wang, delighted, made plans to go to the palace to express their gratitude the next day.
With the weather cleared and Su Su in better health, it was only fitting to pay a visit to the palace to express their thanks.
Su Su, at that moment, was eagerly listening to a story.
It was rare for her to stay up late, but on this night, she was wide awake and listening intently! Her big eyes were practically sparkling in the dark!
(End of Chapter)
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