After parting ways with Xue and Qin, Tang Xiaobai was still smiling.
Tang Jiaojiao glanced at her and said coolly, "That Qin is digging his own grave. Back in the palace, even Prince Jin stopped , asking if I knew he was a man from the start."
Tang Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat: "Prince Jin didn’t trouble you, did he?"
"Does he have the ability to trouble ?" Tang Jiaojiao scoffed.
Tang Xiaobai breathed a sigh of relief.
"One Prince Jin, one Xue Tenth Son, debts must eventually be repaid," Tang Jiaojiao said.
Tang Xiaobai knew she was reminding her and smiled in agreent, "You’re right, sister."
She felt that Qin Xiao probably had so idea himself.
Recalling Qin Xiao’s attitude towards his many admirers now felt rather subtle.
He always had a constant rumored companion, Li Xingyuan.
He wasn’t emotionally misleading towards others either.
But even after regaining his male identity, he had still caused significant harm to his forr admirers.
For instance, even Cousin Gu Hui was quietly affected.
Prince Jin and Xue Shaojian were even more so; they were major side characters portrayed as deeply affectionate in the original book, and now... it’s quite stimulating!
It’s uncertain whether this will develop into a darker direction or a boys’ love direction?
...
The sisters returned to the Duke Yan Mansion and first went to pay respects to Gu Ning.
Gu Ning was currently in the first three months of her pregnancy and had almost completely let go of all matters inside and outside the household.
But when they entered, they found Gu Ning holding a pen, writing sothing, with a hint of distress between her eyebrows.
Tang Jiaojiao imdiately had a stern look on her face, "Who brought this to Madam!"
Gu Ning looked up and smiled at her, "Almost everything in the mansion can be left to you sisters to decide, except this matter, which I must handle myself."
As she spoke, the sisters had already entered the room.
Tang Xiaobai caught a distant glimpse of what Gu Ning was holding.
She couldn’t see the words clearly, but the format looked particularly familiar.
It was—
"Mother! I refuse to discuss marriage!" Tang Jiaojiao reacted faster, firmly rejecting it.
Gu Ning held a stack of papers in her hand, which seed to be information on potential matchmaking candidates they once ca across.
"Jiaojiao, you..." Gu Ning was sowhat surprised.
"Mother! I’m going to wait for him! I’m going to wait for Li Xingyuan to return!" Tang Jiaojiao said, her expression resolute and calm, "He went through this ordeal because of . I can’t accompany him, but at least I can wait for him to co back."
She lowered her eyes, her voice dropping, "He once asked if I could wait three years for him; I didn’t agree then, but now I’ve changed my mind..."
"Mother, I want to wait for him, just over a year, and he’ll be free from mourning. By then, he will surely find a way to co back, to rise again, to return and marry —" She suddenly knelt down, "I only ask to wait for this one year, please let father and mother grant this to your daughter!"
She prostrated herself in deep respect.
Gu Ning listened quietly, and when she saw her kneel, her eyes quivered slightly, surprised for a mont, then smiled warmly.
"Quickly, help your sister up."
Gu Ning beckoned to her daughters with a cheerful smile.
Tang Xiaobai helped her sister to Gu Ning’s side. Another glance at what was in front of Gu Ning caught her by surprise: "Mother is looking for a match for Brother?"
The list on the paper was clearly of unmarried noblewon in the capital.
So it wasn’t for her sister...
Tang Jiaojiao glanced too, and her face instantly turned bright red.
Gu Ning smiled and said, "Your father said that Jiaojiao’er must have been moved by Li Xingyuan this ti, and for the mont has no interest in marriage discussions—"
Even though Tang Jiaojiao was usually unperturbed, she was now blushing, looking down to avoid Gu Ning’s gaze.
"Your father said our family isn’t in a rush to marry off our daughter. Let you wait a little longer, until Li Xingyuan is free from mourning, and if he doesn’t have the skills to return—"
"He will definitely co back!" Tang Jiaojiao raised her head.
"Right! Right!" Tang Xiaobai also quickly agreed, "He’s still in mourning, so he can’t do anything. He might as well stay outside; once he’s out of mourning, the Crown Prince will surely try to bring him back!"
Tang Jiaojiao shot her a look, "If he can’t return to the capital himself, he needs the Crown Prince’s help?"
"He can! He doesn’t need it!" Tang Xiaobai responded with a smile, giving way to the protective Miss.
Tang Jiaojiao blushed again, humd lightly, and turned away, looking at the list of noblewon: "The ladies from the Pei and Xiao families are both fine."
Tang Xiaobai bit her lip and asked: "What does Brother say?"
Gu Ning glanced at her knowingly, "When your brother returns this ti, his marriage will surely be settled. If we don’t decide for ourselves, soone else will do it for us."
The only ones who could arrange a marriage for the Duke Yan couple’s son, besides the emperor, there was no one else.
"Princess Hengyang?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
Previously, the emperor wanted to marry the Princess Runan, born to Consort Zheng, to Tang Ziqian, but the Princess Runan didn’t want to and made a fuss.
Princess Hengyang, Li Ling, had a mother with the surna Wang, of the sa lineage as Wang Maozhao.
Gu Ning nodded.
Tang Xiaobai remained silent.
This... Would Brother be willing?
"If you don’t want to marry into the royalty, the only option is to settle his marriage first." Gu Ning said.
Tang Xiaobai said nothing more.
Tang Ziqian’s marriage was sothing he himself must have opinions on.
It’s all about making choices.
...
This year, many marriages were to be discussed in the court.
However, the first one ntioned was neither Princess Hengyang Li Ling, nor the Crown Prince Li Shu, whose offspring were of state significance.
It was a captive.
The Tuyuhun Crown Prince Murong Shun.
After Tang Shigong and his son wiped out Tuyuhun, they brought the capitulating Tuyuhun Crown Prince Murong Shun back to the capital.
The battle was over, but the aftermath still needed managing.
The vast territory of Tuyuhun, adjacent to the powerful Tibet, would be costly to occupy with garrisons.
The most cost-effective way was to support a new king, creating a mutual defense with the military town in Liangzhou.
The first choice for a new king was, of course, this Tuyuhun Crown Prince.
Murong Shun was already conferred as Prince Xiping, but before escorting Murong Shun back to Tuyuhun to ascend the throne, the emperor planned to choose a wife for him in the capital, the future Queen of Tuyuhun.
This political maneuver had no significant issues.
The problem lay in the selection of the bride.
The first candidate proposed was Tang Jiaojiao.
"A tiger’s daughter from a family of generals, with Lord Tang’s over ten years of governance in Liangzhou, his influence remains. Having Lord Tang’s daughter appear in Tuyuhun will surely stabilize the people and secure the frontier."
This was said in front of the emperor, and the speaker was the current sole Pri Minister Zheng Shidao.
Tang Shigong stood opposite him, lifted his eyes, and with a calm expression said, "Our Tang family education is only about defeating enemies, not governing people; otherwise, why would Your Majesty recall my father and after the war?"
Although the words were blocked for the mont, small news continued to point towards Tang Jiaojiao.
"I don’t think this makes sense!" Tang Xiaobai was confused, "Given our family’s estrangent with the Eastern Palace, shouldn’t His Majesty be trying to win us over? If he forces my sister into a political marriage, isn’t he pushing the Duke Yan Mansion away?"
Due to the heated discussions about the political marriage, Tang Xiaobai finally couldn’t sit still and proactively arranged to et with Li Mu to ask.
Li Mu nodded while discretely extending an arm to embrace the girl beside him, "That day, when Zheng Shidao ntioned the Miss, I was present; observing His Majesty’s deanor, indeed, he didn’t agree. Perhaps he intends to listen to the recomndations of Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites."
Tang Xiaobai was even more puzzled, "If he has no intentions, why not express it? Deliberately making us anxious?"
As she said this, a vague idea suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Before she could clarify it, the latest news arrived from the palace:
"The Empress summons Miss Tang!"
Tang Xiaobai suddenly sprang up from Li Mu’s embrace: "He just wants to make us anxious!"
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