Cheng Yuanjing has seen Cheng Yujin choosing a man before. Although he didn't like it, he was not anxious either. Because Cheng Yuanjing knew that Cheng Yujin only valued the man's family standing and wealth, so he had inexplicable confidence.
If she only looked at status, it would make no difference. When Cheng Yuanjing watched Cheng Yujin moved back and forth between promising husband candidates, it was a bit like watching a child picking a toy.
But this time, Cheng Yuanjing clearly aware that Cheng Yujin has been genuinely tempted.
The men of the Lin family could only take concubines after being sonless at forty. Perhaps it was precisely because of the strict ancestral rules that generations of their descendants could produce many respectable scholars. If it were only Lin Qingyuan and the Lin family behind him, they would not be enough for Cheng Yujin to make her stance firmly. No matter how high Lin Qingyuan's present score was in Cheng Yujin's mind, once a better option appeared, she would abandon him without hesitation.
But what if she added the point of not taking concubines?
Cheng Yuanjing was not sure.
Cheng Yuanjing noticed his thought to be very strange. What did Cheng Yujin's marriage prospect have to do with him? When a person grew up, they should get married. Cheng Yujin was trying to choose a husband to secure a better future for herself, wasn't it better than a completely blind marriage? And to be fair, Lin Qingyuan was indeed very good. Otherwise, he wouldn't enter Cheng Yuanjing's eyes. As Cheng Yujin's nominal uncle, he should be happy for her.
But Cheng Yuanjing was unhappy, and even felt an inexplicable irritation instead. He restrained his sudden emotion and raised his eyes to look out the window. Cheng Yuanjing suddenly realized, now that Cheng Yujin had finished embroidering the screen, she no longer had a reason to come visiting him every day.
If hadn't been for old Master Cheng who suddenly decided to let Cheng Yujin do the embroidery, he and she would never have an intersection. In the beginning, Cheng Yuanjing was uncomfortable of this sudden intrusion, but slowly became accustomed. As if it was the most natural event, every day he would read the book on the desk, and whenever he looked up, he could see Cheng Yujin sat on the chaise, carefully imitating his handwriting.
After hearing Lin's ancestral rule about concubines, Cheng Yujin began to seriously look at Lin Qingyuan, and her view also changed from 'this person is good enough as an alternative candidate' to genuinely think about marrying Lin Qingyuan.
Cheng Yujin grew up seeing the struggle in the inner courtyard. She understood very well the significant difference would be for the legal wife if her husband has or does not have concubines. Regardless of how clever and capable a woman was, once her husband picked up flowers outside and brought other women home one by one, the wife's life would be ruined.
Just like her mother, Qingfu Junzhu. Ning Wang was a powerful vassal prince, and Qingfu's ability was also strong enough. But what was the use? Being childless for so many years, she spent her time trapped inside the inner courtyard, covered in billowing smoke and foul atmosphere all day long.
Lin Qingyuan was living alone in the capital without elders' supervision. Yet he still strictly adhered to the ancestral's rule and didn't take any concubine. This steadfast dedication was definitely better than simply choosing a family with vast wealth.
Cheng Yujin seemed to see Lin Qingyuan seriously for the first time and carefully observed the man in front of her. She really thought it would be a good thing to marry him.
As soon as Cheng Yuanjing moved his gaze, he saw Cheng Yujin's look towards Lin Qingyuan, and the inexplicable irritability once again rose in his heart. Cheng Yuanjing suddenly called: "Cheng Yujin."
Cheng Yujin raised her head and looked at Cheng Yuanjing with bright eyes: "Yes, ninth uncle?"
Seeing his own reflection in her pupil, Cheng Yuanjing realized that he had no reason to meddle in her affair. Nominally, there was no intersection between women in the inner courtyard with men in the outer courtyard. If it hadn't been for old Master Cheng's whim to let them prepare the Emperor's gift together after hearing about Cheng Yujin's failed engagement, he would have never interfered in her upbringing.
"There is a travel book on the bookshelf. You mentioned it last time. If you have nothing to do today, go back and read it."
Cheng Yujin understood. Cheng Yuanjing didn't like her to sit here and disturb him and his friend. This was him telling her to get lost. Cheng Yujin secretly glared at Cheng Yuanjing before gracefully bowed: "Ninth uncle, thank you. This niece retires. Compiler Lin, please stay longer, I'm leaving first."
Lin Qingyuan was a little surprised: "Leaving now? There is rain outside. You may get wet."
Cheng Yujin looked at Lin Qingyuan and smiled. When she smiled, her eyes resembled crescent moon and spring blossoms: "Compiler Lin, the rain has stopped."
Lin Qingyuan looked out and found that the rain indeed has been stopped. He laughed: "I didn't pay attention. But you are a woman and should still pay attention, don't get cold."
After Cheng Yujin left, Lin Qingyuan casually sighed at Cheng Yuanjing: "Your eldest niece is so smart and beautiful. Getting along with her is indeed comfortable. I don't know who will have the fortune to marry her in the future."
After talking, Lin Qingyuan looked back and was startled: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Cheng Yuanjing no longer wanted to chat, and soon sent Lin Qingyuan out. After the visitors left, the room returned to its initial silence. Cheng Yuanjing looked at the chaise in the study, with two sets of pen and ink on the table, and the travel notes on the bookshelf. He suddenly realized that the layout of his room had changed a lot, and inside this space, Cheng Yujin's shadow could be seen almost everywhere.
When Cheng Yujin got the news that the screen had been framed, she immediately went to Cheng Yuanjing's yard. After seeing the finished product, she gave a sincere compliment: "It's excellent. So much better than before."
People relied on clothes, and horses relied on saddles; the old saying wasn't wrong. Even the same embroidered screen looked completely different with a suitable frame and decoration.
Cheng Yuanjing ordered his men to put the screen away and asked: "I heard these past few days, the Marquess is in poor health, how is he?"
"Still the same old illness. Two days ago, he was exposed to the wind, and his cough hasn't been receded until now."
When talking about old Master Cheng's condition, the two felt into a heavy silence. Two days ago, when the imperial physician came to see the old Master, he hinted that the Cheng family should be prepared. Even if no one in the manor dared to speak openly, they all knew that the old Master probably wouldn't last long.
"How did he be exposed to the wind?" Cheng Yuanjing asked, sitting on the chair.
Cheng Yujin followed behind, and very naturally sat on his side: "Seeing the weather was warming, grandfather became greedy, and let people open the window. As a result, the weather still hasn't been stabilized, and he caught a cold."
Cheng Yuanjing frowned. Cheng Yujin saw that and immediately said: "We all tried to persuade, but ninth uncle also knows grandfather's character. Unless you are the one who speaks, otherwise, our words are nothing."
Cheng Yuanjing sighed, "I know. I will go to see him."
During this period, Cheng Yuanjing was very busy. Even Cheng Yujin, a girl in the boudoir who didn't touch the matter outside, knew that Cheng Yuanjing was extremely busy and rarely at home. Cheng Yujin was curious and asked, "Ninth uncle, what make you busy recently?"
"I'm checking the file records of the Bureau of Forestry and Hunting from previous years."
Cheng Yujin's instinct made her feel peculiar when she heard this: "Doesn't the files always be kept? You can check them anytime. Why is ninth uncle so hurry?"
Cheng Yuanjing glanced at her appreciatively. Her knowledge was pretty good.
"I will be transferred next month. Once transferred, I cannot check the files of other bureaus at will, so I have to read it now."
Cheng Yujin's eyes widened: "Transfer? Why do you get a transfer? Ninth uncle should not make a mistake, right?"
"It's just a normal transfer." Cheng Yuanjing answered casually. He never had the habit of explaining to others, but when looking at Cheng Yujin's eyes, he still added some words: "To the Bureau of State Farms, still in the Ministry of Public Works, it is not a big deal."
Cheng Yujin still had some doubts. The most important thing for officials was stability. Who was willing to be moved back and forth between the six ministries and twenty-four bureaus? After spending only two months in the Bureau of Forestry and Hunting, Cheng Yuanjing had to be transferred away. Listening to his words, it seemed like he would have to go through all the six ministries.
Cheng Yujin didn't know what was happening. She was afraid that something deeper was hidden, and, if she accidentally stepped on it, it would only make both sides embarrassed. Cheng Yujin quickly changed the subject and asked with a deliberately brisk tone: "The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, does ninth uncle have some plans?"
"Dragon Boat Festival." Cheng Yuanjing smiled a little, and for some reason, his expression became indifferent. "That's an unlucky day, why bother."
"How can you say that." Cheng Yujin was unhappy, "Dragon Boat Festival is a day to repel the evil and avoid misfortune, to guarantee our health and safety throughout the year."
"Repel the evil and avoid misfortune......" Cheng Yuanjing laughed indifferently. "I was born on this day. They said the fifth of the fifth month is unlucky. Bringing forth the evil and poison."
Cheng Yujin suddenly choked. The fifth of the lunar month was considered to be unlucky and also called the evil month. Many elderly believed that children born in the fifth month wouldn't live long and would bring bad luck to their families. But Cheng Yuanjing was born on the fifth day of the fifth month, wasn't it...
How uncomfortable should he be during the Dragon Boat Festival every year, when every family was busy removing five poisons and warding off the misfortune?
Cheng Yujin was silent, unable to speak for a long time. Cheng Yuanjing didn't seem to care about these things. Everyone said that he wouldn't live long. Years ago, the Empress Dowager specially invited powerful monks to cast spells and exorcised evil spirits in the palace. Unfortunately for them, he lived to reach adulthood.
He didn't die at birth when his mother had a difficult delivery, didn't die of typhoid at the age of two, and the 'natural disaster' when he was five also did not kill him. If the Empress and Empress Dowager knew, how regretful would they be?
When Cheng Yuanjing was deep in thought, his hand was suddenly pulled. Cheng Yuanjing lowered his gaze and saw Cheng Yujin taking out a five-colored silk thread and tied it around his wrist: "Insects like mosquitoes are starting to appear in the fifth month, and disease is rampant. If a child is weak, they are most likely to get sick and die, so old people say that the fifth month is unlucky. But no matter which month, there's no such thing as lucky or unlucky. Tie this longevity rope firmly on your hand, so even the ox head and horse face will not be able to take it."
Cheng Yuanjing did not expect that someone would dare to tie a rope to his wrist, and subconsciously wanted to evade, but Cheng Yujin held his hand firmly and said: "Don't move. The longevity rope must be tied properly."
After she finished, Cheng Yujin smiled and showed it to Cheng Yuanjing: "When fate never expects us to stand, we should strive even more. You see, now that the longevity rope is properly tied, ninth uncle will live a long life. "
—When fate never expects us to stand, we should strive even more.
Cheng Yuanjing looked at Cheng Yujin's smiling face. Some unknown emotions suddenly hit his heart. Both of them were the same; fate never expected them to stand. From outside, they looked glamorous, but in actuality, no one ever genuinely cared about their life and death. It was as if he saw his fourteen-year-old self through Cheng Yujin.
From a crown prince to a shameful illegitimate child. From the heir of the whole country, he fell to the stage where he had no choice but to use the imperial exam to pave his way out.
Cheng Yuanjing's expression slowly opened with a smile: "Okay, let me borrow your auspicious words."
Borrow her auspicious words, and return to the Eastern Palace to reclaim his birthright. He would live until a hundred years, see Yang family collapes, and start the arrival of a prosperous era.
***
The Emperor's longevity feast was approaching, and there was an apparent restlessness in the capital, with people busily preparing everywhere. The Ministry of Rites carefully probed the Emperor, who expressed his intention to keep the celebration at minimum, saying that he shouldn't let his people toiled so hard. It would be enough to set the table for a family feast in the palace.
Since the Emperor had made his words, people below didn't dare to disobey. Yet they also didn't dare to let others suppress them, and poured even more attention to the gifts. Cheng family's gift list had been handed over to the palace. The men were uneasy, but matters in the outer courtyard would not shake the womenfolks.
They were concerned about something else.
"Eldest young miss, bad news!" Granny Zheng ran in, gasping for breath. Who knew whether it was because of exhaustion or being too excited, she even forgot her manner. "Huo family... Huo family comes to propose to second young miss!"
Dragon Boat Festival: A traditional holiday that occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar. Originated from evil-warding superstition, since the fifth lunar month is considered an unlucky month. People believed that natural disasters and illnesses are frequent in the fifth month. To get rid of the misfortune, people would put calamus, Artemisia, pomegranate flowers, Chinese Ixora, and garlic above the doors on the fifth day of the fifth month. Since the shape of calamus forms like a sword and with the strong smell of the garlic, it is believed that they can remove the evil spirits. There is also saying that the fifth of the fifth moon at noon was the most poisonous hour for the poisonous insects. –WikipediaOx-head and horse face: Asian demons charged in delivering souls to the afterlife.Eastern Palace: The crown prince's palace. May not be the palace's real name, since any primary residence of the crown prince was called 'eastern palace.'