GTB Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Miss, Wait!

Chapter 36: Miss, Wait!

Inside a private room on the second floor of the Qingfeng Pavilion, faint strains of zither music drifted out, as several young gentlemen gazed towards the windowsill below.

“What’s going on down there?” The speaker was Chu Yifeng, the youngest son of the Marquis of Yong’an, also a well-known playboy in Kyoto.

Shí Yuánchén watched the scene below, turning his head to look at Shí Yǎn. “Seventh Brother, something feels off! Did something happen?”

Shí Yǎn glanced down, picked up his wine cup, and said in an uninterested manner, “I don’t know. If you want to know, go back to the palace and inquire.”

Shí Yuánchén was just asking casually. He never cared about anything, mainly because he had so many older brothers above him, it wasn’t his turn to care.

He immediately changed the subject, moving closer to Shí Yǎn and saying, “Seventh Brother, guess what Father Emperor told me yesterday?”

Shí Yǎn unfolded his fan, pushing away the face that was approaching him. “Say it or don’t, I’m not interested anyway.”

Seeing this, Chu Yifeng quickly chimed in, “Eighth Prince, tell me quickly, I’m interested, I want to know.”

He knew that Shí Yuánchén never had anything serious to say, but since it was the Emperor who said it, he was still quite curious.

Shí Yuánchén pouted, seeing his Seventh Brother’s attitude, he really didn’t want to tell him, but he couldn’t help it! So he had to use Chu Yifeng as a stepping stone.

“My Father Emperor wants to bestow a consort on me, but how could I agree? I said I’m still young, only seventeen, no rush.”

Saying this, he looked at Shí Yǎn and said, “As a result, when Father Emperor heard this, he thought of you, Seventh Brother, saying you’re older than me, already eighteen, and then he planned to choose a princess for both of us.”

Hearing this, Shí Yǎn swept his icy gaze over him. “Next time you use me as a shield, don’t even think about stepping into my Seventh Prince’s residence.”

Hearing this, Shí Yuánchén felt a little guilty. There was clearly no one else present at the time, how did Seventh Brother know he used him as a shield?

“I didn’t mention you, really didn’t. It was… it was Father Emperor who remembered on his own. After all, you are also his son, aren’t you?”

Chu Yifeng, who was next to them, didn’t quite believe it.

Shí Yǎn ignored his sophistry and asked, “Then what? What else did Father Emperor say?”

Shí Yuánchén replied, “Father Emperor said that at the palace’s Hundred Flowers Festival banquet next month, he will choose consorts for us.”

“Father Emperor also emphasized two people, one is the Second Miss Li Zhīróu of the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s residence, and the other is the Eldest Miss Hé Yùyáo of Minister Hé’s residence.”

Shí Yuánchén muttered with some annoyance, “I don’t know if they are choosing for you, or choosing for me, or one for each? Anyway, I don’t like it.”

Hearing this, Chu Yifeng quickly interjected, “I know these two young ladies, especially that Hé Yùyáo, she’s good friends with my sister. She’s quite good-looking, fair and delicate. I don’t know about her personality, but since she plays well with my sister, she’s probably a bit spoiled, after all… birds of a feather flock together.”

After saying this, he unconsciously glanced at Shí Yǎn, thinking to himself, Seventh Prince does always play with them, but why does he feel like they’re not the same kind of people?

His thoughts only lingered for a moment, and he continued, “Also that Li Zhīróu, I’ve also seen her. Her appearance is just as her name suggests, although she’s not the most beautiful, but with her delicate and graceful appearance, coupled with the title of one of Kyoto’s Four Great Talents, she can be considered both talented and beautiful.”

Shí Yuánchén also knew and had seen these two, but he had never paid close attention to them, so he really wasn’t sure what they looked like.

He said with a gloomy expression, “You know what? Just listening to you say this, I feel like it’s meaningless, no fun at all.”

No, his princess absolutely cannot be either of these two. He felt a little anxious in his heart, looking at Shí Yǎn with a pleading expression, “Seventh Brother, think of a way! We are now brothers in trouble, grasshoppers on the same rope. While you untie the rope, help your imperial brother out as well!”

Shí Yǎn fiddled with the wine cup in his hand. If at first, the Eighth Brother used him as a shield, then after that, Father Emperor’s mentioning of these two people must have been to use the Eighth Brother’s mouth to tell him.

He sneered in his heart, he dared not compliment his father’s vision.

Seeing that Shí Yǎn didn’t speak, Shí Yuánchén continued to exert his efforts. “Seventh Brother, what should we do? There’s less than a month left until the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Are we really going to let Father Emperor just randomly assign a girl for us to marry into our residences?”

Shí Yǎn was also a little annoyed. This father of his really didn’t care about what he should, but he loved to meddle in these insignificant little things.

“I don’t know, either quickly find one yourself, or wish yourself good luck.”

Shí Yuánchén became anxious as soon as he heard this. “But where am I going to find one in such a short time? Besides, even if I just randomly find one, Father Emperor probably wouldn’t agree, right?”

Shí Yǎn didn’t respond, but after drinking the wine in his hand, he stood up and said, “You guys drink slowly.”

Seeing Shí Yǎn leave, Shí Yuánchén quickly got up to follow, but Chu Yifeng grabbed him and made him sit down.

“Don’t follow, it’s still early, sit for a while longer.”

“No, I have to follow my Seventh Brother, otherwise, what if he unties the rope himself and leaves me alone as a grasshopper tied to the rope?”

Chu Yifeng grabbed Shí Yuánchén with one hand, and picked up the wine pot on the table with the other, shaking it. “There’s not much left, at most two or three cups per person, finish it before you leave.”

While pouring wine, he said, “Don’t worry! Even if Seventh Prince can find a way, it will take time to plan, right? It’s completely useless for you to follow now.”

What he actually wanted to say in his heart was that if the Emperor really wanted to bestow marriage on them, what could they do? At most, it would be like what Seventh Prince said earlier, quickly find one yourself, otherwise, you can only endure it!

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that although he was not as noble as them, at least he could say no to his old man, unlike them, as long as they said ‘no’ to the Emperor, it would be disobeying the imperial decree.

By the Magpie Bridge riverside, Sòng Fúgē looked at Jiāng Jiǔchū, reminding her, “My purse must be embroidered by you personally, you are not allowed to be lazy and let the maid do it for you.”

He always felt that the little girl didn’t look like a girl who could focus on needlework, but he didn’t dare to say it, so he could only remind her secretly.

“Don’t worry! I won’t be so insincere, I will definitely embroider it for you personally. If I’m fast, I can embroider it tomorrow, and then I’ll send it to Brother Fu.”

After Jiāng Jiǔchū finished speaking, a hint of smugness floated on her face, and she also reminded him, “Then Brother Fu, don’t forget to send me my new hidden weapon!”

“Okay, I won’t forget.”

Although Sòng Fúgē secretly gave away a piece, he felt that he hadn’t. After all, if she waited until his age, she might not necessarily be able to lose to him.

“Then I’m going back.” After Jiāng Jiǔchū finished speaking, she took Lǜ Luó onto the Magpie Bridge, heading towards East Magpie Street.

Sòng Fúgē watched Jiāng Jiǔchū’s departing back for a while, and then quickly disappeared in place with Lěng Dà. He had to go investigate why that prince appeared at Píngqīng Lake outside the city today, and was assassinated?

If it was a trouble, he had to erase all traces of today, including this ship.

“Miss…” As soon as Lǜ Luó opened her mouth, she was interrupted by Jiāng Jiǔchū. “Hey, hey, hey, I’ll give you one more chance, what is my outfit called?”

“Young master.” Being interrupted like this, Lǜ Luó swallowed back the words she wanted to ask.

“That’s right, I have to buy you a set of men’s clothing.” Jiāng Jiǔchū suddenly thought of Sòng Fúgē’s words, and immediately pulled Lǜ Luó forward.

She had already forgotten that she had just reminded Lǜ Luó, and now in the eyes of passersby, she looked like a young master pulling a little maid, with the maid wearing a depressed expression.

Over here, just as Shí Yuánchén came out of Qingfeng Tower, he saw this scene. His eyes widened, staring straight at Jiāng Jiǔchū who was passing by. After being stunned for a few seconds, his face immediately lit up with joy, and he lifted his foot and chased after her.

“Miss, wait!”