"The sky is getting late, Miss Bai should return soon. Be careful of your footing," said Wen Gongzi.
"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Wen. Han'er will be going back now," replied Bai Sihan.
After bowing, she lifted her skirt and ran towards where Madam Shen was.
Seeing her daughter's flushed face as she approached, Madam Shen was overjoyed. "Is it done?"
"Mm."
Upon hearing Bai Sihan's affirmative answer, Madam Shen was so happy she almost jumped. Now, all she had to do was wait for Wen Mengsheng to achieve success and then come to propose marriage to their daughter. The capital city she had always dreamed of, they could finally settle here.
Thinking of this, she felt the trip was well worth it!
After the mother and daughter left, Wen Mengsheng glanced at the red string, scoffed at her overestimation of herself, and then casually discarded it by the roadside, where it was buried by wind, rain, and soil, leaving no trace.
Meanwhile, Feng Jinlin, who had taken the bundle, was quite generous with the red strings in the box. Three red strings, clearly prepared for all of them, so he handed one to Yin Canwen and kept the remaining one for Feng Yunhe.
"Canwen, although this thing is superstitious, it's still a token of A'Yao's good intentions. Wear it for good luck."
This was the first time Yin Canwen had received anything from Feng Jinyao. Naturally, he treasured it.
However, he didn't want to appear too conspicuous in front of Feng Jinlin, so he put it on his wrist and pretended to be calm, saying, "Brother Feng, don't worry, I will wear it well."
At this moment, he did not know that this inconspicuous red string would change his entire life.
For decades to come, he never married or had children. When he was buried by the younger generation of his clan, a pouch placed over his chest contained this long-faded and even broken red string.
Just as the Bai family's carriage was returning to the city, the Chang Le Palace was quite lively.
Consort Liu brought gifts to visit the Imperial Grandson. Coincidentally, Emperor Qi was also present. The Emperor and Empress were holding the Imperial Grandson and playfully teasing him when suddenly a cry of surprise was heard.
"Empress, did you see? Yongcong smiled at me."
"I saw it. Yongcong must like Your Majesty. You visit him every day, and he remembers you."
"Hahaha, indeed, he is my good grandson. He can remember me after only a few days. In the future, he will surely be close to me."
Hearing this, the Empress smiled even more happily.
Consort Liu entered at this moment and quickly paid her respects to the two.
"Your humble subject greets Your Majesty, wishing Your Majesty eternal life. Your humble subject greets Empress, wishing Her Majesty longevity."
"Sister Consort Liu is here? Come and take a look at Yongcong. He is smiling at His Majesty right now." The Empress had been sisters with her for over twenty years and liked her uncompetitive nature, so she was not wary.
Consort Liu, however, was extremely cautious, not daring to move or touch anything, for fear that any mishap with the child would fall upon her. So, she stood half a step away and said, "The Imperial Grandson looks so much like Your Majesty. The reason he is smiling now is probably because he feels like he is looking in a mirror with Your Majesty."
This remark was amusing and made everyone present laugh.
As if sensing something, Yongcong even grinned. Although there was no sound, it still delighted the Emperor and Empress.
After a while of playing, the two felt a little tired, so they called the wet nurse to take the child away to be fed and put to sleep.
The Empress then remembered something and spoke.
"Since Your Majesty is here today, I have some happy news related to Sister Consort Liu to share."
"Oh? What happy news?"
Emperor Qi was curious, while Consort Liu was bewildered. The Empress chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, look at Sister Consort Liu's nature. She is indifferent to everything and doesn't rush even her own son's marriage. Little Sixth is not young anymore, and his position as the main consort has not yet been decided. A few days ago, Sister Fulin specifically came to me about this matter, saying she intended to match Little Sixth with the granddaughter of Elder Scholar Xu. What do Your Majesty and Sister Consort Liu think?"
Emperor Qi pondered this.
The granddaughter of Elder Scholar Xu was indeed a good candidate, and she was a good match for Little Sixth. However, to arrange another marriage so soon after a broken engagement might not be suitable. Thus, he slowly said,
"The candidate is not bad, but Elder Scholar Xu was ill for many days last time because of the Liang family's broken engagement. He then announced to the public that his granddaughter's marriage would be decided by herself, and even if the King of Heaven forced him, he would never agree. At this juncture, it would be inappropriate for me to issue an imperial decree for marriage."
Consort Liu listened to this with a calm expression.
"This humble subject does not understand these matters. Everything is as Your Majesty and Empress decree."
"You, as a mother, are truly not diligent enough. I see that you and Noble Consort Sister have different personalities. You are indifferent, while Noble Consort Sister has already chosen a candidate. Last time she came to me and said she fancied Princess Qianling and would finalize the marriage as soon as Little Ninth returned. Your Majesty, you must not be biased. Little Ninth's marriage should be settled, and Little Sixth's cannot be delayed any longer, otherwise, it would be improper for a younger brother to marry before his elder brother."
She casually revealed the Wei family's intention to marry Princess Qianling, disguised as a joke. As expected, Emperor Qi's expression immediately turned cold.
The Empress, feigning ignorance, continued to chat and laugh with Consort Liu about harem matters.
A moment later, Emperor Qi stood up and said, "Alright, Empress, I still have state affairs to attend to and will not stay longer. You and Consort Liu continue your conversation."
The Empress replied gracefully and generously.
"This humble subject bids Your Majesty farewell!"
"This humble subject bids Your Majesty farewell!"
Consort Liu also followed the Empress, and only dared to rise after the Empress did, which was in line with her usual cautious nature.
Upon returning to the Hall of Diligent Governance, Emperor Qi immediately ordered someone to investigate whether the Empress's words were true.
His expression was so grim that Eunuch Wang, who was beside him, dared not breathe loudly.
Princess Qianling's status was very special. Since the death of her father, Prince Yi, Zhongzhou had been managed by this single woman. She had managed it well for so many years, which showed her capabilities.
Such a person, as a subject, already required some caution. If she were to become a daughter-in-law, perhaps even her son would change his temperament and no longer be under his control.
How could he be at ease with such a matter? If the Wei family truly had such intentions, it was likely that the campaign to the west would not be peaceful.
Those who sit on the throne are all cold-hearted individuals. If they sense danger, brothers can be killed, and sons can also be killed!
Consort Wei did not know that a single remark of hers had almost caused her son to lose his future and his life. Now, she was happily preparing wedding gifts for Wei Lanxuan.
The winds were stirring, and threads were intertwining. Amidst this atmosphere, the marriage between the Wei and Liang families finally began.
Before dawn, Wei Lanxuan was awakened by the servants of the household. Yue Jian, who was serving her, was pregnant and had to avoid the newlyweds, so she only attended to matters outside. Inside, Bei Tang and Nan Hu, along with four young maids and two auspicious elderly women, were serving her.