The Princess's Notebook

She decided to ask Zhao Feiran in her sleep, but she didn't meet him for a long time. Seventeenth Lady was a little discouraged. Seeing that the court was about to start the memorial ceremony for the late emperor and Prince Huai Zhang, if she continued to delay like this, what would happen if Sixteenth Sister really gave birth to the Third Young Master?

After tossing and turning for many days, he finally met Zhao Feiran the day before the memorial service.

The dream tonight was like a palace. It was magnificent, with high eaves. The huge residence was seven rooms wide, with green bamboos on both sides, green and quiet. Shiqi Niang stepped over the high threshold and saw the scene inside. The gilded plaque hung high, with powerful force, but the couplets on both sides were not clear. The palace was more majestic in the dreamlike illusion.

Various eunuchs and palace maids from the inner room filed out one after another, all well-trained. They could not see Shiqi Niang and let her wander around the room.

After crossing the partition, I entered a place that looked like a sleeping place. The gauze curtain was transparent and hung loosely on a jade hook. I looked sideways and saw a long table behind the gauze curtain. There were piles of documents, three or five pens and inkstones. A young man was writing furiously in the middle.

Who else could this person be but Zhao Feiran?

Seeing this, Shiqi Niang ran over quickly and said, "Hey, it's late at night, are you still studying hard?"

Zhao Feiran saw that it was her and continued writing, "I've been busy lately."

Seeing him like this, Shiqi Niang felt a little uncomfortable to disturb him, so she asked tentatively: "Is it too late to say a few words?" At this point, she realized something was wrong. If the two of them met, it must be when they were both asleep, and no one would be awake.

"You are already in a dream, why are you still worrying about state affairs? You are just a prince of a vassal state, not like the prince in front of His Majesty, how can you worry about so many things."

Zhao Feiran turned his head and smiled, "Well, the prince of a vassal state is indeed not as hardworking as you princes." He put down his pen and ink, casually pointed to a cushion and asked Shiqi Niang to sit down.

Looking around, only Zhao Feiran sat on a proper chair, the others were just cushions of various colors. Shiqi Niang sat down and could only look up at him. This man was high above her, adding a bit of majesty.

"Tell me, what do you want from me? Hey, little lady, don't you think you've been visiting me more often lately?"

He spoke with a smile, his eyebrows raised, as if he was extremely proud.

She wanted to refute, but then she realized that she was asking for help. Shiqi Niang looked up at him and said, "That's true. I don't know why, but I've been looking forward to seeing you from time to time. You said... maybe I'm sick. What's the point of seeing you? Not only am I worried and frightened, but I also have to endure your harsh words. It's really not a good life."

Zhao Feiran became even happier and handed over the tea on his desk.

Shiqi Niang took it and took a sip, then suddenly stopped talking, "Is this cup of tea yours?!"

Zhao Feiran suppressed his laughter. "Who said that everything on my desk belongs to me? This fish-shaped inkstone was something I was going to give to someone else, so..."

Seeing him doing something strange, Shiqi Niang shouted, "Don't be so unreasonable, you little bastard, you are deceiving me. I will..."

"How? Do you want to break my legs?"

Thinking of his identity, Shiqi Niang swallowed back the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

The young lady held the tea in one hand and stared at the teacup, as if she wanted to poke a hole in it. But she was so angry that her cheeks bulged, like a little hamster.

Zhao Feiran chuckled, "Let's not talk about this. You came to see me on purpose, so there must be something important. Tell me about it."

The arm was no match for the thigh, and Shiqi Niang glared at him and said, "I want to ask you about someone."

"who is it?"

He was so easy to talk to that all the words that Shiqi Niang had prepared when she came were suddenly useless and she was a little stunned.

"Who is it that you are asked to tell me? Are you deaf?"

Shiqi Niang: This guy always spoils the mood.

"Do you know the third young master of Minister Feng's house in the Ministry of Justice?" Shiqi Niang put aside all unnecessary thoughts and stared at Zhao Feiran.

The guy suddenly frowned, his expression changed, and he went back to writing.

She felt something was wrong, as if she had offended this guy. Shiqi Niang thought hard but couldn't figure out what was going on. She was so anxious that her face turned red, and she opened her mouth several times to speak.

After a long while, when Zhao Feiran finished writing a scroll, he blew on the ink and said, "Why are you asking him? I remember that Feng Ji, the third son of Feng Shangshu's family, has never proposed marriage. Could it be that you have taken a fancy to the young master? You came here to ask me questions and want to know something about the second young master's mind."

This man's expression really changed faster than turning the pages of a book. His face suddenly turned cold, and his words also lost their previous stupid look. He became unfathomable and unpredictable.

"You...you are also a young man..." Seeing people slandering her, Shiqi Niang immediately got bolder, "Why don't you say it? I like you and look forward to talking to you every day. You really...really make me angry. I am a young lady in the boudoir, I can't stand you slandering me like this. This concerns my reputation. If you are willing, just say it immediately. If you are not willing, just say you don't know. Don't wrongly accuse people like this."

The young lady was so angry that her heart was beating fast. She opened her mouth quickly and forgot that she must not offend this person.

Hearing her say "you like me", Zhao Feiran was stunned. How could a young lady like her be so casual?

"You...what nonsense are you talking about? My mother wants to find me a new wife, and you have nothing to do with it. Stop talking nonsense!"

Shiqi Niang was furious. "Okay, I can't say anything nonsense, otherwise it will ruin your reputation. But no matter how much nonsense you say, it won't ruin my reputation. What is the reason for this? Tell me. And I'm telling you that even if you are a young prince of a clan, with a high position and power, there are still His Majesty and the Crown Prince above you. Don't forget your duty."

When he mentioned the Crown Prince, Zhao Feiran's expression suddenly became strange and unpredictable. He had completely forgotten what they had quarreled about.

She thought he was scared, and said arrogantly, "Are you scared? Let's see if you dare to talk nonsense again. Be careful or I will ask my father and brother to report you."

Zhao Feiran thought to himself: Since she had already guessed that he was a young master of a royal family, she still dared to quarrel with him. She was really very bold.

Then he leaned back slightly and looked down at her proud expression, "Okay, I was wrong just now, but you tell me, why do you ask Feng Ji? Give me a suitable reason and I will tell you everything."

He suddenly changed and stopped talking nonsense, which made Shiqi Niang very uncomfortable. She wondered if this guy had some ulterior motive.

"Don't think so badly of me. What ulterior motives could I have towards you?" As he spoke, he looked Shiqi Niang up and down.

She was wearing ordinary, half-worn clothes, which were too wide at the waist and didn't fit her well. There was only a plain silver hairpin on her head, not even a decent silk flower. In fact, there was nothing she could do.

Shiqi Niang felt his burning gaze and had to admit that she looked a little ugly in this outfit. However, I have a good face, so I am not without any good points.

Shiqi Niang didn't dare to say this. In the eyes of the clan members who were used to seeing beautiful women, her beauty was probably normal.

As a result, the young lady was so angry that her mouth was crooked and her eyes were squinting, but she had no place to vent her anger.

He said unhappily, "Then do you still want to help me?" "You haven't told me why you want to know about Feng Ji?"

"My sixteenth sister is going to marry someone, and that person is Mr. Feng San. We sisters think Mr. Feng San is too good, and we want to know if there is any hidden reason. It's okay if you don't want to."

The man's eyes suddenly lit up, as bright as the stars in the dark night.

"Is it your sixteenth sister's marriage?"

"Of course. As a young lady, reputation is extremely important. You won't allow people to misunderstand you for no reason." The young lady fixed her eyes on Zhao Feiran, almost saying, you shameless young man, you are just imagining nonsense.

The young man was also straightforward and replied immediately: "Feng Ji has outstanding appearance and pragmatic writing skills. He is a talented person."

"that's it?"

"What do you want to know?"

How can I get the young lady to speak? Shiqi Niang was awkward, her ears were red, her mouth was slightly open and she said nothing.

This made Zhao Feiran look at her ears. They were slightly red like the glow of the sunset, and under the waterfall of black hair, he couldn't take his eyes away for a moment. Moreover, the jade earrings under the round earlobes swayed along with the young lady's increasingly anxious mood, stirring the broken hair around her ears and stirring her heart.

Inadvertently, the corners of Zhao Feiran's lips rippled slightly.

Perhaps she sensed his gaze, the young lady opened her red lips and said, "Why are you looking at me? Think about it carefully. If you have a sister in your family, what questions would they ask when they are planning a marriage? Just copy my answers."

"I do have a sister, but she got married many years ago, so it's not my turn to say anything."

Shiqi Niang became more and more impatient and embarrassed. Blood began to drip from her slightly red ears.

In a hurry, I blurted out, "Where's your brain!"

In response to her, Zhao Feiran laughed heartily.

Shiqi Niang: "Speak up!"

Only after the words were out did I realize that something was wrong.

Just as he was about to calm down and apologize, he heard Zhao Feiran say, "It's not difficult to explain. It depends on what you want to know. Is it Feng Ji's identity or his future as an author?"

"His identity?!"

Zhao Feiran nodded, "In the eyes of others, Feng Ji is the third son of the Minister of Justice, the son of Madam Qian. In fact, he was born to a concubine of Minister Feng in his early years. This woman was beautiful but unlucky, and died shortly after giving birth to Feng Ji. Minister Feng doted on his concubine in his early years, and for some reason, he disdained Feng Ji and treated him very badly. Feng Ji's life in the mansion was a bit difficult. But now that he has won the favor of His Majesty, I think his day of success is not far away."

Shiqi Niang was surprised, "How do you know so much?"

The young man smiled proudly, "The essence of being an official is to be observant and not to deceive others."

Seeing that he was still that handsome young man, the admiration that had just welled up in Shiqi Niang's heart disappeared completely.

He closed his eyes and then said with concern: "Such news, you just opened your mouth and told me, it shows that you know everything about Kyoto. You... you are the prince of a feudal prince, so you act like this, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will be suspicious?"

"Young lady, are you concerned about me?"

"I...I...I'm asking you for information. If anything bad happens to you in the future, won't I be implicated as well?"

Regarding concern, Shiqi Niang refused to admit it.

The man's gaze towards her changed again and again, from joy and excitement to not being able to bear to look at her.

"I told you before, have you read the Criminal Code carefully? How dare you say such a thing! Even if the cruel officials of the previous dynasty were still alive, they would not make such a ridiculous involvement. There is still a long way to go to educate the people about the law." At the end, he sighed, as if he felt extremely sorry.

"You!" Shiqi Niang spat out a mouthful of blood.

However, considering that this guy has always been a stubborn person and has helped me, I endured it.

He sighed deeply and then asked, "What else? Apart from his identity, are there any other secrets?"

"No more. This is already Feng Ji's biggest secret."

Shiqi Niang tried to give some advice, "Think about it carefully. A twenty-two-year-old man, is there nothing else left?"

Zhao Feiran didn't understand, "What's his age? He's only 22 and he's already a newly minted Jinshi. What else can you blame?"

"Oh, think about it carefully. He is looking for a new bride. Think about what is the most important thing."

The young lady rubbed her hands together, placed them in front of her belly, and moved them back and forth. The embroidered shoes hidden behind her skirt also swayed several times.

Zhao Feiran thought, if the young lady was standing, she would stomp her feet.

He asked absentmindedly, "Are you worried about Feng Ji's betrothal gift?" He paused in surprise, "You are confused. Even if he is an unfavored bastard, with Minister Feng's wealth, it is hard to believe that he will lose money."

Shiqi Niang: You are talking to a deaf person and playing the lute to a cow!

"What I'm asking is...what I'm asking is..."

The question is whether he has a girl he likes!

In a state of anxiety and embarrassment, Shiqi Niang stood up and stamped her feet angrily, "Who cares about his family's betrothal gift? If there is anything else, I will find out by myself and not ask you."

The iris-embroidered shoes disappeared in an instant under the fluttering skirt. When everything returned to normal, only the tiny toe of the shoe was exposed. Before I could see how delicate and lovely it was, the young lady turned around and left, leaving behind a back figure with fluttering sleeves.

Zhao Feiran thought to himself: Look, he is really stomping his feet.

(End of this chapter)