mtl008 Chapter 961 My Crown Prince Brother Has Excellent Eyes
Chapter 961 My Crown Prince Brother Has Excellent Eyes
"Didn't you say you missed Sister Qiaoqiao? How come you really don't remember?" Madam Si quickly walked over, took the daughter from the wet nurse's arms, gently wiped the girl's drool with a silk handkerchief, comforted her, and then teased the serious-looking Qilang.
As she spoke, the smile lines at the corners of her eyes deepened, revealing her deep affection.
"You are... my sister? Qiaoqiao?" Qilang looked up, trying hard to recall the memory, his thick eyelashes fluttering. He tilted his head and thought for a long time, but he couldn't remember anything. However, Qiaoqiao's smiling face inexplicably made him feel good towards her, and he actually pounced on her, completely forgetting the difference between men and women that he had just talked about.
He opened his arms and hugged Qiaoqiao's legs, rubbing his little head against her skirt. Qiaoqiao quickly squatted down and hugged him back, affectionately calling out, "Young Master Qi, you're so tall now."
"Back in Yamen Village, I loved playing with Mingzhu and Qiaoqiao the most, and I especially loved it when Qiaoqiao hugged me. I guess I'm really forgetful and heartless." Si handed her daughter to her husband, who had already reached out his hand. The little girl giggled as soon as she was in her father's arms.
Si pulled Jing Chunxi forward and began to grumble, "All fathers are doting on their daughters. Qilang has hardly ever been held." She then gave Jing Changning a reproachful look.
"Your cousin, the princess, is here too. Hurry up and come over to pay your respects!" Madam Si scolded with a laugh, and pushed Jing Chunxi out as well. Jing Chunxi stumbled, and her skirt spread out like flower petals.
“Cousin Princess,” Qilang released Qiaoqiao and turned to greet her, his plump body and charmingly clasped hands in a proper manner. His little fists were held upright, and his waist was bent just right.
Then, after taking a few careful looks at Jing Chunxi, he said, "Brother Crown Prince is indeed discerning, but he got off too easy. We should ask for more betrothal gifts." As he spoke, his brows furrowed slightly, giving him a calculating look.
"Hahaha!" Not only them, but even the guards at the gate laughed, and then they all bowed to Jing Chunxi. The guards in black robes laughed so hard they were doubled over, and then quickly straightened their appearance and bowed.
"Qilang! How can you be so cute?" Jing Chunxi stepped forward and wanted to hug him, but her words angered him. He turned his head away and grabbed her arm. "I'm a man. I have to be strong and dignified, like my older brother and third brother. I don't need to be cute." He puffed out his cheeks and pouted so much that an oil bottle could hang from them.
"Why is Qilang so funny? Your cousin brought too few gifts. You can help your cousin extort money from the Crown Prince another day." Jing Chunxi patted the top of his head, soft strands of hair flowing through her fingertips.
Then she suddenly lowered her head and gave his chubby cheek a quick kiss; the cheek was as soft as a freshly steamed bun. Then she ran quickly inside, her embroidered shoes making a light, cheerful sound on the bluestone slabs.
"Cousin, men and women shouldn't touch each other! You're dead! I'll tell the Crown Prince another day." He moved nimbly, his chubby legs taking a leap, and quickly chased after her, the jade pendant at his waist jingling as he ran.
Then came another burst of laughter, which echoed in front of the prefectural governor's mansion, startling passersby who all looked up in surprise.
As dawn broke, the bluestone streets of Zhaoqing County were still damp with morning dew, and the sound of suona horns for the wedding procession drifted through the thin mist. Sanlang, dressed in a crimson wedding robe, rode a chestnut horse, his eyes brimming with the bright, youthful smile unique to young men.
The bridal sedan chair carried by eight people behind him was much larger than usual. The twin lotus flowers embroidered with gold thread on the red silk sedan chair were faintly visible in the morning light, but there was no trace of extravagant decoration.
As soon as the group left the inn, the street became as lively as a boiling pot. Women carrying vegetable baskets, ready to pick vegetables, stood on tiptoe to look around. The windows on the second floor of the teahouse opened one after another, and Granny Wei, along with several maids and servants, leaned out to scatter peanuts and longans wrapped in red paper.
Several young boys, holding the candied melons they had snatched, squeezed out from the crowd and shouted in their clear voices, "Congratulations to Lord Jing!"
"This won't do! If you refuse, I'll be punished when I get back!" The guards carrying the sedan chair laughed and stepped aside to avoid the small red envelopes offered by the people. Inside the sedan chair, Ling Xiao, dressed in her wedding attire, received persimmons from several neighbors.
The old man selling steamed buns hurriedly wrapped a few sesame cakes in oiled paper and stuffed them into the hands of Mingzhu and the others who were accompanying her to the wedding: "Lord Jing even paid for the dike repairs out of his own pocket, so you must accept these wedding cakes!"
The crowd thronged around the procession, moving slowly like a warm tide washing over the cobblestone alley. The silver shop owner, wiping his counter, remarked to his accountant, "The last time the prefect's son got married, there were no fewer than a hundred yamen runners clearing the way. It's nothing like this—so relaxed and at ease."
As they spoke, the shop assistant carried out two bolts of red silk and tied them to bamboo poles, instantly causing the entire street to shimmer with a flowing glow.
"I heard this nephew is just like his uncle, an honest man too." The old woman carrying a bamboo basket tossed a handful of red dates into the bridal sedan chair. "Look at his build, he'll definitely do things himself. Just like the other day when Lord Jing was carrying sandbags on the riverbank, he was covered in mud from head to toe."
The pharmacist stroked his beard and replied, "The government always pays three times the deposit upfront when purchasing goods, and the price is always exactly the market price, not a penny less." Before he finished speaking, several scholars under the tea stall began reciting "Peach Blossom" in unison, and gradually the people of the whole street joined in the chanting.
As the procession reached the stone steps in front of the government office, the cheers nearly lifted the roof ornaments. The moment the vermilion gates slowly opened, the people offered their congratulations.
May you have a long and happy marriage and many children.
...
Amidst thunderous cheers, the bridal sedan chair entered the government office. The sisters following behind heard the people still talking among themselves, saying, "See that? This is the kind of grand spectacle that the people cherish."
"This is how a good official should be; good people will naturally be blessed."
The arrival of his cousins brought Qilang the most joy. The little guy felt like he had finally found his saviors. For three whole days, the ruler did not fall on his chubby palms again, and his father even allowed him to skip the daily practice of those three big characters in the study.
Like a monkey released from its chain, he followed his older cousins around the streets and alleys of Zhaoqing Prefecture all day long. The bluestone pavement reflected the children's joyful figures. He would pause for a moment in front of the couplets at the former residences of famous people. When he climbed up and saw the West River like a ribbon, he would stand on tiptoe and point at the distant sails and exclaim in surprise.
What dazzled him even more were the street food: the aroma of glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo strips filled the air when they were peeled open, the spiciness of ginger milk curd melted on the tongue with the milky fragrance, and the tofu pudding vendors with the clanging of copper spoons always made him hold onto his cousin's clothes and unable to move.
He had no idea Zhaoqing was so big; he had wasted the past four years of his life.
"Xi'er, are you planning to unload the grain after returning from Leizhou, or unload it first and then go?" Jing Changning asked his niece with a smile. Although he had been busy dealing with the backlog of official documents at the government office for the past three days, he had been paying attention to the laughter and chatter in the courtyard. Now that dinner had just ended, he had deliberately kept Jing Chunxi in the study, which was filled with the aroma of monk fruit tea.
"Seeing how calm Third Uncle was, Xi'er thought you didn't want it anymore." The rising steam from the teacup blurred the girl's features. She took two sips of the tea, and only after a sweet taste rose in her throat did she smile and say, "I deliberately didn't mention it earlier, just to see when you couldn't hold back and asked."
“How can we refuse food given away for free?” Jing Changning tapped the rosewood tabletop with her finger, a subtle ripple appearing in her eyes. “My third uncle is still waiting to use it to gain some political achievements.”
Before she finished speaking, she lowered her voice again, "Your third aunt often stares blankly in the direction of the capital at night. She must be missing her parents and also longing to go back to witness the Crown Prince and Xi'er's wedding."
The candlelight crackled and popped, softening his gaze as he looked at Jing Chunxi, as if through the dust of time he could see again that small figure clutching a bundle, saying she wanted to go to exile with him.