novelraw Chapter 822 - 800: Marriage
Chapter 822 - 800: Marriage
Fang Chuning lay on the rooftop, admiring the moonlight. The moon is fullest in his hometown. Though he had only been in Mudan City for a few days, he already missed the Capital City, missed Ningzhou. In truth, he missed Ningzhou more. The happiest and most tortured days of his life were all in Ningzhou. He had seen his brothers die on the battlefield, overwhelmed by grief. When he first felt the stirrings of love, he suddenly realized that his fondness for one person had transformed in quality. It was not mere brotherly affection, a realization that came to him much later.
He felt sweet joy from Xie Jue’s smile, like a wild horse running on the grassland. He was restless and unable to eat or sleep due to Xie Jue’s anger, and his heart would pound uneasily whenever he evaded him. Those times were both painful and sweet for him; he wished time would slow down, occasionally deluding himself into thinking they could last forever.
Due to his status, societal norms had early on buried his heart’s love. Xie Jue had also decided not to associate with him for life; they were just comrades, brothers. But after arriving in Sannan, Sannan told them that such things didn’t matter, so how could his heart not be moved?
As the wine jug gradually emptied, Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao climbed up as well. Each brought two jugs of wine. "Mr. Fang, what’s the point of drinking alone? Drinking is best enjoyed together."
"Perfect timing, I was just running low on wine."
"Is it just wine you’re lacking, or company as well?" Zhang Boxin chuckled and tossed a jug over. Fang Chuning caught it with a broad smile, "Lacking, indeed!"
The two found a place to sit and drank merrily with Fang Chuning. Lin Xiao remarked, "Their Sannan wine isn’t strong enough; it’s too sweet."
They were accustomed to the strong spirits in the northern regions, so they naturally found the Capital City’s wine lacking in strength, and thus deemed Sannan’s wine inferior. Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin sought many kinds of wine before finding something satisfactory, provided especially for the envoy.
Fang Chuning drank all kinds of wine. At home, he would drink with his mother and sister, so he didn’t mind. Zhang Boxin excitedly recounted the sights he saw in the palace that evening. Both men held low opinions of the King of Sannan’s behavior, shared views typical among clan sons. They all thought it undignified for the King of Sannan to have the princess dance. Zhang Boxin considered the princess as beautiful as a flower, yet he also pitied her low status in Sannan. The princess’s high status was solely because she was the sole royal heir.
If she were a princess from Beining, she could call the shots and have her way everywhere. Like Princess Mingzhu now, she started off a bit shy but has been nurtured to exhibit a hint of dominance. People, once given confidence, will naturally develop a temper.
"Since we can’t be family with them anyway, why should we care about their conduct?" Fang Chuning said, "Sannan is like a small foreign country, where women inherently have low status. The King of Sannan has many sons and doesn’t care about the princess. Many of the older princesses were married to forge alliances with local officials. And now, he’s just repeating the same tricks."
"Tsk, tsk... I also read the intelligence on the Royal Family; the king really can bear children. If only our Highness could propagate like this, with flocks of princes and princesses."
Fang Chuning, "..."
Lin Xiao, "..."
The air grew suddenly silent. Zhang Boxin looked at their expressions, confused, and asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Would you dare say this in front of our Highness?" Fang Chuning asked curiously. He knew that Xie Xun had a good relationship with Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have followed Xie Xun out of the Capital City and severed ties with their families.
"Of course, I wouldn’t dare. But seeing the Sannan Royal Family so prosperous, I feel envious. The Beiman Royal Family is also thriving!" Zhang Boxin said, "I’m just envious. I’m not foolish enough to say it in front of the Highness and Empress."
But Zhang Boxin subconsciously felt that in a few years, the Emperor would definitely select consorts, and the royal offspring would prosper sooner or later.
Lin Xiao said, "I warned you already, be careful with your words and actions. Your careless talk will get you in trouble one day. Even if the Highness and Empress aren’t in Sannan, if the Prince heard you, you wouldn’t be able to get away with it."
Fang Chuning nodded, "After all, Ting Feng only recognizes the Empress as a sister-in-law. If the Emperor truly wanted to select consorts and upset the Empress, who do you think he’d take it out on?"
Fengyu’s status was as unshakeable as solid rock, not just because of Xie Xun’s favoritism but also Xie Jue’s support. She was the Empress recognized by all the commercial firms in the world, not comparable to any ordinary status. Besides, Xie Xun only had eyes for her. Even if Xie Xun grew indifferent to her due to her waning beauty, wanting to neglect her by choosing a consort, it wouldn’t be easy without her consent.
Zhang Boxin patted his own mouth, and after a few drinks, the atmosphere relaxed. Lin Xiao said, "I hope the negotiations will end soon so we can go home early."
"What are you planning to do going back early? Can you still adapt to staying long in the Capital City?" Fang Chuning asked.
They were so used to living in Ningzhou that staying a long time in the Capital City was difficult.
Although Zhang Boxin was warned not to speak carelessly, he was less reserved with Lin Xiao and said mischievously, "His mother arranged a marriage for him, and he’s keen to go home and get married."
Fang Chuning was extremely surprised, "Is it true?"
Lin Xiao felt somewhat embarrassed and glared at Zhang Boxin, as if asking, ’Why say so much?’
"Hmm, my mother is eager to arrange my marriage."
"Have you met the girl?"
"Not yet!" Lin Xiao shook his head. He was supposed to meet her, but since the envoy was about to depart, he would have probably been home with the girl by now, quickly settling the marriage if not for the mission. After his elder brother’s death, although he had a young nephew, his status was awkward, and he worried about his future prospects. His father had long been relegated and was not trusted. His sister had old grievances with the Empress. Even though times have changed, Lin Yu Yan had never been to the Imperial Palace even once. Fengyu, considering Lin Xiao’s relationship, never dwelled on past events and hinted to Lin Xiao’s family that she wouldn’t pursue old grievances. But she absolutely didn’t want to see Lin Yu Yan, and thus, Lin Xiao never allowed Lin Yu Yan to enter the palace even if she got married. Despite her pleas to enter, seeing it as an honor to stand firm in her husband’s family, Lin Xiao did not agree.
Mrs. Lin was eager for Lin Xiao to start a family and build his career, hoping he could uphold the family’s honor.
The group of young lads who followed Xie Xun out of the Capital City had now reached the age of starting families and careers. This year, returning to the Capital City made them even more sought after. Fang Chuning knew that Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin were popular prospects, noted by the Capital City’s elite. Even his family’s Junjun had considered Zhang Boxin, but unfortunately, they didn’t quite see eye to eye.
Zhang Boxin was more flamboyant and bold compared to Lin Xiao, who, after the incident with Lin Cheng, became much more stable, placing family above personal matters and lacking the former youthful arrogance. His marriage was also measured with the consideration of alliances, weighing benefits and drawbacks.
Fang Chuning said, "Though it’s like this, you still have to find someone you’re fond of. You can’t just meet a few times, feel it’s okay, and hastily settle down. Marriage is a lifelong matter; once decided, it’s for a lifetime."
"I know, thank you for your concern, Mr. Fang."
"Mr. Fang, then why haven’t you arranged a match? You’re older than us... Ow, that hurts..." Before Zhang Boxin finished his sentence, Lin Xiao pinched him on the waist, causing him to grimace in pain.