flstandardbreds Chapter 163 Please
Chapter 163 Please
Song Mo: "Alas, it's a pity I'm a bit too old. If I were a few years younger, I would also compete fairly with the Prince!"
Prince Duan's face darkened: "Are you two still my friends or not? You should know that one should not covet a friend's wife!"
Dongfang Han: "Then I'll give you a year. If you haven't won her heart by then, I won't be so polite! When that time comes, I'll pursue her too, and I'll go to the Protector General's Mansion to propose marriage!"
He then said to Song Mo, "You're already thirty years old, stop being so picky and get married! Forget about Princess Yulin, you're a full fifteen years older than her, you're almost old enough to be her father!"
Upon hearing this, Song Mo couldn't help but roll her eyes at him: "Aren't you twenty-three years old too? You're not much younger than me. The three of us are actually all the same, the pot calling the kettle black!"
Prince Duan shook his head, ignoring them, and took a wild fruit from the fruit plate, chewing it slowly.
The old clan chief picked up his teacup, took a delicious sip, and felt incredibly proud and honored.
Hehe, the Shangguan family has produced such a fine young lady; they are truly the pride of the Shangguan family! Look at these three men before us: one is Prince Duan, who is also the commander of the Imperial Guards; another is the commander of the Golden Guard; and the third is the commander of the Five Cities Garrison. Moreover, they are all young talents, handsome and dignified!
Such a fine man, any one of them would be a perfect match!
Zisu was unaware of the conversation among the people in the reception room. She, along with Xiangli and the cook, were busily cooking in the kitchen.
The cook at Xiaoshitan was a woman from Wuliangping, whom Zisu called Sister Shuisheng. She was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, healthy, and efficient at her work. Her family wasn't well-off, and she wore patched clothes, but she was always very clean.
Shui Sheng's wife said with concern, "Princess, you should rest first. After Xiang Li and I have washed and chopped the vegetables, you can cook them!"
Zisu: "It's alright, come on over. There are so many dishes, how long will it take you two to finish? Hurry up, all three of you, those guests are very important people, don't neglect them!"
Sister-in-law Shui glanced at the hourglass; it was indeed getting late, so she didn't insist any further. Anyway, Zisu often helped with the cooking, so she was used to it. But Zisu must be very tired after working in the fields today.
With that thought in mind, she quickened her pace in washing the vegetables, appearing even more efficient.
While washing the vegetables, Zisu chatted with Xiangli: "You're fifteen now, have you thought about when you're going to marry Brother Luo?"
Xiangli blushed and said shyly, "Miss, I'm the same age as you. I'll get married after you do."
Zisu nodded: "That's good. If we get married later, it will be less likely to have a difficult childbirth, and the baby will be healthier."
Sister-in-law Shuisheng said in surprise, "Fifteen years old, not young anymore, it's time to get married."
Zisu: "It's best for a woman to get married after she turns eighteen, otherwise she's more likely to have a difficult childbirth. Also, if you have a child too early, the child will be weaker."
Sister Shuisheng covered her mouth in surprise and said, "Oh, so that's how it is! I knew it! Why are all the children in Gou Dan's family in our village either dying young or being so weak?"
Zisu: "At what age did the women in that family give birth?"
Shui Sheng's sister-in-law: "Fifteen years old."
Zisu: "Fifteen years old? That's a bit young. By the way, are the child's parents relatives?"
Shui Sheng's wife: "Yes, they are cousins!"
Zisu: "No wonder. When cousins marry, their children are either weak or deformed."
Sister-in-law Shuisheng covered her mouth again and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, what should we do? My mother plans to marry my younger sister to my cousin! No, since that's the case, I have to go back to my parents' house tonight and talk to them. If it's settled, then things will be terrible!"
Zisu said, "Your family home isn't close either; it would take two hours to get there by oxcart, wouldn't it?"
Shui Sheng's wife: "Yes, Your Highness."
Zisu: "Well then, after you've had lunch and washed the dishes, you can go back to your parents' house! I'll prepare dinner myself!"
Xiangli quickly replied, "I'll cook dinner tonight."
Shui Sheng's wife quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Princess. I can never find a better employer like you again."
Working as a cook in Xiaoshitan meant she could rest one day every seven days and received a monthly salary of one tael of silver. Moreover, she could eat lunch and dinner in Xiaoshitan, saving her the trouble of cooking at home. Her employers were also very kind and never scolded her; if she did anything wrong, they would gently point it out.
You should know that nowadays, people from the village who wash dishes at the Wuliping restaurant only earn one and a half taels of silver a month. Moreover, washing dishes at the restaurant is much more tiring than being a cook in Xiaoshitan.
Lunch was a sumptuous meal, consisting of eight dishes and a soup. With the clan elder present, Zisu did not shy away, and everyone gathered around the large round table for a lively and enjoyable meal.
Zisu ate with such elegance that Dongfang Han and Song Mo were stunned, almost shoving food into their noses several times.
Prince Duan's face darkened, and he glared at the two men with sharp eyes. The two men blushed and quickly lowered their heads to eat.
The old patriarch, instead of being angry, laughed. "Heh heh, the daughters of the Shangguan family are truly wonderful! Otherwise, why would such a fine young man be so captivated?"
Under Zisu's influence, the old clan chief became much more enlightened than he had been a few years ago. Because of this, the people of Wuliping also became much more open-minded. Although the preference for sons over daughters is still a serious problem in Wuliping today, the status of women has indeed improved considerably. The arbitrarily beating and scolding of daughters, or even the selling of sons and daughters, is now rarely seen.
It can be said that the arrival of Zisu brought tremendous benefits to the women of Wuliping. For example, when women went to Wuliping Academy, children from poor families could have half of their tuition and fees waived. Those who were particularly impoverished, eager to learn, and of good character could have their tuition and fees waived entirely after being reviewed by the clan elder.
The old clan chief genuinely liked and admired Zisu, and was deeply influenced by her. He would never object to men and women eating together at the same table, as long as there were elders present and it wasn't just one or two people.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, even a loving couple shouldn't do anything immoral, right? Besides, in the old patriarch's heart, he had long regarded Prince Duan as his nephew and son-in-law of the Shangguan family.
Zisu has been avoiding Prince Duan. If they can't even eat together, when will the two younger generations ever be able to be together? To be honest, Zisu is already fifteen years old and still unmarried, which is making the old clan leader very anxious.
After lunch, Prince Duan took the initiative to lead Dongfang Han and Song Mo to the Prince Duan's villa next door.
The old clan chief couldn't help but chuckle. Was this prince afraid that Zisu's heart would be moved by Dongfang Han and Song Mo? This kid, in the past, would linger when he came to Little Stone Pool, but today he's quite swift.
Prince Duan opened the pomegranate garden and said to the two dawdling figures, "Hurry up and go in. If you piss me off, you won't even be able to get into the pomegranate garden!"
Shiliuyuan was Prince Duan's villa in Wuliping.
As its name suggests, Pomegranate Garden is planted with a large number of pomegranate trees.
Dongfang Han reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the small stone pool and stepped into the pomegranate garden. Song Mo, however, lingered on the small stone pool for a moment before following behind Dongfang Han into the pomegranate garden.
Prince Duan got angry and slammed the door shut with a loud "bang".
Dongfang Han chuckled helplessly, "Oh, don't be so petty. I only glanced at Princess Yulin from afar, why are you so angry?"
Prince Duan angrily swung his fist at him: "What do you mean, 'glance'? Your eyes are practically glued to her! You ungrateful wretch! Zisu is the one I love. As a friend, don't you feel ashamed of what you're doing!"
Dongfang Han nimbly dodged the punch and retorted, "What? She's not even yours yet! You're just infatuated. Why can't I even look at her? Besides, my eyes weren't glued to her. I just glanced at her a few times! She's such a noble person. How could I do something so rude? Don't look down on me like that, okay? After all, I'm one of the Three Heroes of the Capital. I'm top-notch!"
The Three Heroes of the Capital refer to Prince Duan, Dongfang Han, and Song Mo.
Prince Duan said domineeringly, "It's nothing that you glanced at her a few times, and I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges, but your gaze was clearly glued to her face. Hmph, just this once, don't even think about me taking you to Little Stone Pool next time!"
Dongfang Han quickly protested, "Oh, I'm innocent! I only glanced at her a few times, but my eyes weren't really glued to her face. Xiao Hao, Xiao Hao, can you please stop being so petty? Besides, she hasn't agreed to be your fiancée yet! In fact, I can compete with you fairly right now, and you can't do anything to me!"
Prince Duan: "If you dare to make a move on her, I'll no longer want you as a friend!"
"Huh? It's that serious! Xiao Hao, aren't you being too domineering?" Dongfang Han was a little dumbfounded. No matter what, he didn't want to lose this friend. However, the allure of Princess Yulin made it difficult for him to give up.
Prince Duan: "That's right, I'm that domineering. You can try me if you don't believe me! If I find out you've been secretly meeting with Princess Yulin, I'll no longer want you as a friend! Moreover, I'll rally my other friends to isolate you!"
"Huh? Does it have to be this harsh?!" Dongfang Han was completely dumbfounded and said, "Alright, I was just joking with you. I know that one shouldn't covet a friend's wife. But I still want to make it clear here: if Princess Yulin still doesn't choose you after a year, and I go to the General's Mansion to propose marriage, you can't turn against me!"
Prince Duan: "Alright, let's make it a year! If Princess Yulin still doesn't agree to me after a year, and clearly states that she won't be with me, then you can pursue her or not, I won't interfere, and I won't turn against you!"
Huh? Do I need to specify that?
"That cunning fellow!" Dongfang Han nodded helplessly, "Alright, it's a deal then!"
Song Mo listened from the side and couldn't help but shake his head.
Alas, a beautiful and graceful lady is the object of every gentleman's affections!
The renowned Princess Yulin was destined to have countless suitors, and it was perfectly normal for many handsome young men to be attracted to her. To be honest, he was also quite interested in and admired Princess Yulin. Unfortunately, she was a full fifteen years younger than him, and given her circumstances, she certainly wouldn't choose him. Oh well, he decided not to compete with those two, lest he offend Xiao Hao. Otherwise, he wouldn't win the beauty's heart, but he'd lose a friend!
Dongfang Han and Song Mo stayed in Wuliping for two whole days, following Prince Duan wherever he went.
Prince Duan got angry: "I said, what are you doing? Stop following me, okay?" Now he doesn't even have a chance to see Zisu.
Dongfang Han: "This is our first time here, we're not familiar with the area at all. What if we get lost if we don't follow you?"
Prince Duan was furious: "Get lost? Is that something the Commander of the Imperial Guards can say? If you can get lost in this place without any formations, then your position as Commander of the Imperial Guards is over! Or, I'll go back and tell the Emperor to let you retire to your hometown!"
Dongfang Han chuckled: "No need, I won't get lost in the capital. It's just that Wuliping is a bit strange. I don't know why, but I feel like all the houses here are the same!"
Prince Duan, unable to bear it any longer, punched him: "You, Dongfang Han, I think you're possessed! I'll give you a punch to wake you up! Once you're awake, you won't have to worry about getting lost!"
Dongfang Han nimbly dodged, grinning as he said, "Ah Hao, I haven't gone hunting in a long time. How about the three of us go hunting? In a couple of days, after we return to the capital, we'll be busy as bees again. Since we're here this time, let's have some fun!"
Prince Duan thought for a moment, then sighed, "Very well, I'll take you hunting! Let's go to that mountain with the bamboo leaves for making zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and we can pick some leaves to ask Princess Yulin to make some zongzi for us. You've never had zongzi made by her before, have you? Oh my, they're absolutely delicious!"
Song Mo was a foodie, and his eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this: "Even better than the zongzi sold at Good Days Restaurant?"
Prince Duan: "Of course! The zongzi she makes are unique and incredibly delicious. Even the salted peanuts she boils are unparalleled in the world, absolutely delicious!"
Dongfang Han was also eager to try it: "Great! Let's hurry up and go! I know Princess Yulin is good at making braised deer. Let's hunt a lot of deer and collect more bamboo leaves. I want to learn how to wrap zongzi from the princess so I can wrap some for my mother when we get back and let her taste the zongzi her son made!"
Prince Duan gave him an approving look: "Hmm, you little rascal, at least you have a conscience and know how to respect your mother!"
Dongfang Han smiled smugly: "That's right, I've always been very filial to my mother, much more so than you!"
Prince Duan's eyes darkened, and he couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, it's not that I don't want to be filial to my mother, but my mother is different from your mother. My mother, if I'm even slightly nice to her, she'll cause trouble. There's nothing I can do; many times, I can only ignore her or be cold to her. If I indulged her in everything, there would be at least fifty, if not a hundred, women in my palace!"
Dongfang Han said sympathetically, "Alas, the Dowager Consort is really something. Why is she so determined to put women in your life? I'm already twenty-three years old. My mother respects me and hasn't put a single woman in my life. She just often reminds me to get married soon."
Prince Duan couldn't help but say enviously, "Your mother is so good to you!"
Dongfang Han: "My mother was a woman with a tragic life. My grandmother always tried to force women into my father's life. My father took countless concubines, and his concubines killed his wife, causing my mother to suffer a lifetime of misery. My mother didn't want me to experience the suffering she had gone through. She said she hoped I could find a woman I loved, and that we could be together for life, living a happy and fulfilling life."
Prince Duan said, “Your mother is truly wonderful. She didn’t try to impose her own suffering on her daughter-in-law just because she had endured hardship herself. Such a mother, such a woman, deserves admiration and respect! Alas, it’s a pity my mother wasn’t like that; she didn’t have your mother’s high level of awareness.”
Song Mo also said, "Dongfang, your mother is a model of virtue and integrity! If I have the chance, I must introduce my mother to your mother so that she can change her mind and stop trying to put women in my mouth."
Prince Duan: "Well, if there's a chance, let's get the three of our mothers together and introduce them to each other. This will give them more people to talk to and allow them to influence each other. My mother and Aunt Song should both learn a lot from Aunt Dongfang!"
Dongfang Han: "No problem. My mother is also all alone. She would be very happy to have two more close friends to confide in!"
The three were close friends, friends who had risked their lives for each other, and they could talk about almost anything. Therefore, their mothers didn't need to have so many reservations about each other and could interact freely.
The three immediately agreed to help the three mothers get along well in the future, so that they could have two more good friends with whom they could confide their innermost thoughts.
Zisu was at home drying the golden wild chrysanthemums and flowers when Xiangli came to report: "Miss, the Prince, Lord Dongfang, and Lord Song have come again, bringing a lot of game and bamboo leaves for making zongzi. They said they want to invite you to cook a braised deer dish and learn how to wrap zongzi from you."
Zisu couldn't help but sigh, "Alright, let them in!"
The Commander of the Imperial Guard and the Commander of the Five Cities Garrison were both people you couldn't afford to offend. Or rather, people you shouldn't offend. If you had a good relationship with them, your father would have two more colleagues who could look out for each other in his future official career.
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