The three of them envied each other for a while. Mingda whispered to Changyu, "Alright, stop overthinking. You heard it last night; not just Father, even Mother is very satisfied. I don’t see Lord Wei having any objections either. This marriage seems to be a surefire thing."
Having said that, the three of them unanimously turned to look at Wei Yu.
Changyu stared at him, lowering her voice as much as possible, "Alright, help take a closer look. See if he has any flaws. Maybe we’ll accidentally find a significant flaw, and Father will cancel the marriage."
Manbao said, "I can only see his rits now."
She counted on her fingers, "Courteous and upright, gentle and considerate, knowledgeable; all are rits."
Even Mingda nodded and whispered, "Sister, if you miss him, the next one might not be as good."
Sitting not far away, Wei Yu felt a bit restless. He keenly sensed the gaze of the three, so he looked up at them halfway through.
But since they were all ladies, he only glanced once and then lowered his head. Noticing that they were still staring at him intently, he started to suspect if there was sothing wrong with him.
He discreetly checked his attire and found nothing wrong, then glanced at Bai Shan and the others opposite him. Seeing them act normal when their eyes t, he was sure that there was nothing wrong with his face and head that he couldn’t see.
So why exactly were they staring at him?
Bai Shan saw him looking uncomfortable as if on pins and needles, so he took the opportunity while Wei Yu turned to pour tea to give Manbao a stern glance, warning them to stop.
Manbao took a look at the uneasy Wei Yu, smiled slightly, and tugged Mingda and Changyu, then the two finally retracted their gaze.
Bai Shan and others had studied at the Imperial Academy. He and Bai Erlang had even taken exams, though the exams were not very difficult, being special ones due to their noble background.
Still, they could impart so experience to Wei Yu, so they had quite a pleasant conversation.
Zhao Liulang initially scrutinized Wei Yu with a very critical eye, after all, he was entrusted by the Crown Prince.
But he had no blood relation with Changyu, and although she called him cousin, he didn’t really consider her as a cousin in his heart.
The only cousin present was Mingda.
So after chatting with Wei Yu for a while, he put the task of evaluating him aside and started talking to Bai Erlang.
The group had lunch at the Wei Family, where Wei Zhi and Madam Wei warmly entertained them. Manbao and the other two took advantage of being won to explore the Wei household inside and out, chatting with the daughters-in-law of the Wei Family for quite so ti.
By the ti they left the Wei Family, it was already late afternoon.
Manbao, having woken up early and skipped a noon nap, felt drowsy after a full al.
When she got sleepy, she wanted to go ho. So she candidly said to Changyu, "The Wei family is nice, Madam Wei and her daughters-in-law are easy to get along with."
Changyu: "I asked you to look at Wei Yu, why were you looking at his sister-in-law instead?"
Manbao held her hand, speaking earnestly, "Having six sisters-in-law myself and having accompanied my mother in matchmaking ladies for my brothers many tis, I’ve learned that marrying into a family, especially the temperant of the mother-in-law and sister-in-law, is of utmost importance."
Changyu laughed, "I’m a princess, it’s different from ordinary families. Even if my marriage isn’t self-determined, I will still have a princess’s residence after getting married."
Manbao said, "But you still have to interact with your husband’s family, right? It’s not the sa as making friends. Choosing friends is based on personal preference, but you can’t choose your relatives. If you don’t get along with them, I don’t believe you’d be happy."
Mingda nodded, and also said to Changyu, "The Wei Family’s family values are honest and upright, they are quite good."
Changyu fell into thought.
The carriage reached the intersection, and as it slowly stopped, Bai Shan knocked on their window. Manbao got off, turned around, and waved to the two, "I’ll head ho then. You both should return to the palace on ti."
Mingda and Changyu agreed, waving goodbye to them.
Manbao took Chiji from Bai Shan’s hand, mounted, and turned her horse to head back ho.
Old Zhou was mumbling from the morning, and seeing them return, he followed behind them, "Today is Little New Year, why did you co back so late?"
Manbao replied, "I accompanied the princess to a match-making session."
Old Zhou perked up, "Oh dear, even the Emperor’s daughter needs to go for matchmaking?"
"Of course, whose daughter doesn’t need match-making?"
anwhile, Wei Yu, after seeing off the guests, was summoned to the study by Wei Zhi.
Wei Zhi gazed at his son, and after a long mont he said, "Did you see the Princess Changyu who ca today?"
Wei Yu was montarily stunned, then nodded.
Wei Zhi said, "Earlier, His Majesty spoke with , ntioning that you and Princess Changyu are close in age, and both have good temperants..."
He gave Wei Yu a knowing look, "Do you understand now?"
Wei Yu’s mouth dropped open, and it took him a while to co to his senses, so they were staring at him today because...
Wei Yu swallowed hard, feeling a bit overwheld, "Why didn’t Father tell sooner?"
Wei Zhi cleared his throat and said, "There was no ti, and it’s not too late to tell you now."
Too late!
Wei Yu silently thought: he didn’t even get a good look at her!
He carefully recalled the three ladies he saw today. Fortunately, he had good eyesight and mory, and could still rember what Princess Changyu looked like.
Wei Yu blushed slightly and asked his father, "Is Princess Changyu always so... lively?"
Wei Zhi replied, "Princess Changyu is fond of polo, and her skills in riding and archery are quite good."
Wei Yu nodded knowingly.
The matter of Changyu visiting Wei Yu couldn’t be hidden from the Emperor and Empress. As soon as they returned to the palace, the Emperor knew.
So during dinner, he asked Changyu, "How is Wei Yu?"
Changyu pouted, "Not very handso."
The Emperor: "...He’s clearly a good-looking young man. You think everyone is like Yang Heshu? I’ve seen his writings; his calligraphy is especially good, and his character is upright, much like his father."
Changyu asked, "Father, aren’t you annoyed dealing with Lord Wei every day?"
The Emperor confidently nodded, "Annoyed."
Changyu said, "Then why do you think I wouldn’t be annoyed being with a Wei Yu similar to Lord Wei?"
The Emperor was stunned.
Mingda held back her laughter.
The Empress lightly tapped Changyu’s forehead and laughed, "You cannot compare a ruler and minister with a husband and wife."
Changyu muttered, "Why not?"
The Emperor looked disgusted, not knowing what he thought of, "What nonsense are you thinking, children? A ruler and minister have hierarchy, while husband and wife are united, how is it the sa?"
The Empress glanced at him, then gently held Changyu’s hand and said, "Silly child, just look at Lord Wei and Madam Wei. Do they get along well?"
Changyu thought for a mont, then said, "Today, they seed quite amiable."
"Exactly, husband and wife need to mutual tolerance. But between a ruler and minister, besides tolerance, there must also be adherence to what is right. Your father oversees the entire realm. For Wei Zhi to be a good minister, he must supervise your father, hence the argunts. Yet, despite arguing, aren’t your father and Lord Wei still in harmony?"
The Emperor felt so nauseated that he couldn’t eat anymore. He put down his chopsticks, "Empress, spare , enough already."
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