The Princess's Notebook

That night, there was wind and rain in the south of the Yangtze River, and water flowed under small bridges. The stream was not very wide, but it was winding and tortuous. The black-sailed boat stayed steady in the center, passing through rows and rows of houses.

It must be spring in March, the sky is so hazy with mist and rain that it is impossible to see far away.

Shiqi Niang woke up and suddenly saw this scene. She immediately realized that it was time to meet Zhao Feiran in her dream again.

For some reason, after asking him about Feng Ji's inner story, they had not shared a dream for a long time. She once thought that this extremely mysterious shared dream had naturally ended without any way to end it. Now seeing each other again, she felt a little uncomfortable.

While waiting, Shiqi Niang sat cross-legged on the black-sailed boat, lit the copper stove, and slowly brewed tea.

When Zhao Feiran arrived, he saw the young lady making tea at the bow of the boat under the rain. As if she knew what he meant, she wore a water-red long jacket with a front opening and a deep blue pine needle satin skirt. While she was making tea, the agate bracelet on her delicate hands dangled, so graceful and charming that he couldn't bear to look at her any longer.

Even though he was very satisfied, Zhao Feiran couldn't say anything. "I didn't expect you could make tea."

Taking advantage of the fact that he didn't remember anything after waking up, Shiqi Niang mocked him unabashedly.

"Your Highness looks like this, but he doesn't look like the Crown Prince."

Without being invited, Zhao Feiran followed the path and sat down on the other side of Shiqi Niang. He picked up the teacup on the table and tasted it carefully. After savoring it for several times, he finally said something human.

"This tea is good."

"Is the tea good, or is my cooking good? Your Highness, please explain clearly."

Seeing that she was obedient and poured herself another cup of tea, Zhao Feiran praised her, "Your cooking skills are good."

Shiqi Niang suddenly put on a smile, her eyes sparkling, "Your Highness, if that's the case, can you add another condition to the good boy I mentioned this afternoon?"

I'm angry, and I've said what I want to say. As the crown prince, I can't always be arguing with a stupid girl.

Then Zhao Feiran asked: "What are the conditions?"

"It has to be neither too ugly nor too handsome."

The man clenched the celadon teacup, "Is it not good to be handsome?"

"A handsome young man is easily unfaithful. When I marry, although there is no friendship in front of me, I must find someone with decent character. If he has no talent and no virtue, I don't know how low his life will go. I can't go to the street to kill pigs and feed him in the future."

Hearing this, Zhao Feiran choked in his heart. He took a few breaths, and when he had recovered, he asked the question seriously.

"Even if he is nothing, he wouldn't let you go out to earn money. And you want to kill a pig? Do you know where the pork stall is in Kyoto?"

Shiqi Niang slowly recounted her life.

"Your Highness, you were born in a royal family, with boundless wealth and honor. You don't know how I lived when I was little. When I was little, about three or five years old, my mother could still speak a few words in the backyard. At that time, my father had not yet offended my great uncle and grandmother, and our fourth room still had some money every year. Later, there were more and more concubines, one on the left and one on the right. There were seven concubines who had given birth and had names, not to mention those who had not given birth and had no names or surnames. There were so many girls. When I was about seven or eight years old, life at home was difficult, so my concubines and I moved to Qiu Shuangju and lived with Concubine Shangguan. Later..."

The voice was so vague that it seemed to come from the sky, and gradually faded away. No one could hear what it was in the end. Only the lady smiled stubbornly, her eyebrows raised, and the corners of her eyes slightly red.

Finally, she said: "I don't ask for great wealth and honor, but I ask for a healthy life."

The water town in the south of the Yangtze River is shrouded in rain and fog.

Zhao Feiran listened and gradually felt the corners of his eyes moist, as if a storm had come. His eyelids were heavy, unable to open or move.

After a long while, the man finally said "OK."

The young lady he has his eyes on wants to be both wealthy and powerful, and to live a healthy life.

As for other things, Zhao Feiran remained silent.

The winding stream seemed to have no end. They drank tea, chatted, watched the mist and admired the elegance of the boat.

Before leaving, the young lady was full of anticipation, "Your Highness, when will there be news?"

Zhao Feiran looked strange, and after a pause he said, "It won't take long, just wait."

This wait will only last three days.

On the morning of the third day, Xuandefang was once again bustling. His Majesty's most trusted eunuch, Eunuch Liu, led a number of people and marched through the main house to inform the old lady that they would not turn to the fourth house, but wait in the central hall for everyone to set up the incense table and read out the imperial edict after everyone arrived.

The group of people from the fourth room had not been treated like this for many years, and they came swaying in the envy of everyone.

Eunuch Liu saw Shiqi Niang following behind Qiao Xin. Her skin was as white as cream, her eyes were like autumn water, her face was like a lotus, and her figure was coming towards her slowly and gracefully, as elegant as a startled swan.

He immediately smiled at Shiqi Niang, with curved eyebrows and eyes, looking extremely happy.

Shiqi Niang roughly knew that the imperial edict was for her, and she smiled politely at Eunuch Liu.

When everyone returned to their seats, Shiqi Niang passed the men in the mansion and knelt in the front, followed by her eldest uncle, second uncle, third uncle and her own father. After that, it was the family, a huge group of people.

There was little smoke coming out of the incense table and the hall was silent.

Eunuch Liu read out the message carefully: "The Emperor of Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven decrees: To marry a virtuous and talented woman, one must wait for a beautiful woman in the country to be the wife and heir apparent, and to marry into a family of honor. Guanglu Temple Secretary Shiqi Niang, whose family has inherited the imperial throne, has inherited the righteousness of her family, and is gentle and docile... She can be the Crown Princess. The officials in charge will prepare the ceremony and appoint her...①"

After a lot of praise, he said that she would be the Crown Princess. After reading the eunuch Li, he stepped forward with a smile and was about to hand the imperial edict to Shiqi Niang, but she seemed to have not come back to her senses, and her eyes were blank. Master Wang quickly took it for her and kept making excuses, "Please forgive me, Shiqi Niang was so happy that she forgot the rules. I will take her place. Thank you for your help. Please come in and rest for a while."

Eunuch Liu was not an ordinary person. He saw Shiqi Niang had a pretty face when she came, and was now extremely surprised. What else did he not know? However, this person was personally requested by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and he was scolded in front of His Majesty for this. He was just an eunuch, so he dared not say much.

However, he kept in mind the instructions given by His Majesty before.

So he spoke to Shiqi Niang with a normal expression: "My lady, this is a great thing. The imperial edict of conferring the title was granted by His Majesty. My lady, please prepare quickly. Someone will come to take you to the palace in a few days to learn the rules."

Over the years in our dynasty, whether it was conferring an imperial concubine or a crown princess, it took three to two years to prepare. As the eunuch said, it seemed that they couldn't wait to ask the Ministry of Rites to prepare, which was a bit unusual.

Master Wang sent a purse over quietly and asked Eunuch Liu in a low voice, "Is this a bit too urgent?"

Eunuch Liu laughed: "Look at what the Minister said. Who in the world would complain about a happy event coming so fast? We should hurry up and prepare."

The men in the family gathered around Eunuch Liu and talked, then gradually walked away. Only the women stayed behind, hurriedly offering the imperial edict and congratulating Shiqi Niang.

Finally, Madam Wei sat in the center calmly and composedly, distributing everything. However, the Wang family in Xuandefang had never seen such a scene in many years. Even though Madam Wei was as steady as a rock and the servants were smart and capable, they were still flustered and lost sight of the whole thing.

Let’s not waste any more time on idle talk. After everything was arranged, Shiqi Niang returned to the fourth room with Qiao Xin and others.

Before entering the inner room, Qiao Xin couldn't help but said in surprise, "When I asked you that day, you told me that you were just giving you a young man as compensation. We all knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince didn't mean that, but you insisted, so we had to talk about it again. And now, now, you've suddenly become the Crown Princess. This matter, this matter..."

At the end of his speech, Qiao Xin spread his hands, not knowing what to do.

She was born in a humble family and had never seen a big scene. Now she had to prepare for the Crown Princess' wedding ceremony. Although she had Madam Wei to look after her, as the mistress, she really couldn't mention some things.

He waved his hands left and right and sighed: A good cook cannot cook without rice.

The younger ones below didn't understand and were not easy to talk to. Shiqi Niang, who usually made jokes at this time, was still in the same daze as when she received the imperial edict.

Sixteen was very agile. He looked around and tried to persuade Qiao Xin, "Madam, such a big event will be arranged by the Ministry of Rites. I heard that people from the palace and the Ministry of Rites will come to teach you everything, including words, actions, rules and etiquette. Madam, don't worry."

After that, he pulled Shiqi Niang's sleeve and asked her in a low voice, "What's wrong with you? You've been happy for so long, and you haven't come back to your senses yet."

Shiqi Niang's drooping eyebrows did not show her happiness. However, since the emperor had granted her a marriage, she could only be happy. She was very happy.

Although Shiliu Niang spoke in a low voice, everyone in the room heard her and looked at Shiqi Niang at once. Occasionally, someone called her, "Shiqi!" After three or two calls, Shiqi's eyes became bright and she looked at everyone.

"Why are you looking at me?" This was the first thing she said when she came back to her senses.

After hearing this, everyone became worried. "Seventeen, you..."

Before she finished speaking, Shiqi Niang said, "I'm fine. It's just that the title of Crown Princess was a little sudden. I... thought..."

Qiao Xin: "Whose son do you think he is?"

Shiqi Niang nodded.

"You idiot, you usually seem quite smart, but how come you don't have enough brains at this critical moment? That day when Manager Xu proposed marriage, the prince came with his left and right guards and the palace, a group of people were so grand, and you..." Qiao Xin was so angry that his heart ached, "Do you really think that this is the case when the East Palace goes out on ordinary days?!"

Unable to believe it, Shiqi Niang argued, "He, he said..." She swallowed back the words about not liking me and continued to argue, "He also said he would find a suitable person for me. ... I... I..."

What am I? She herself doesn't know.

She was born as an ordinary girl, without any special talent, status, or fame. So why is she liked by others?

"Didn't Eunuch Liu say that this was a marriage granted by His Majesty? It should have nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Shiqi Niang thought about the prince's firm statement that day and the assurance she received in her dream three days ago, and felt that it would be better to believe what she saw than what they said.

When these words were spoken, everyone's jaw dropped in shock.

Qiao Xin: "You should read less storybooks."

Sixteen: "I think what Madam said is very true. Even if His Majesty is granting a marriage, there is no reason for it to be granted to the fourth branch of our Wang family."

Eighteen and Nineteen nodded repeatedly.

Only Seventeen was left, neither left nor right.

She tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep. She kept thinking, who was telling the truth? Which of His Royal Highness's words were true and which were false?

The treetops sway and the green leaves rustle.

No sleep tonight.

(End of this chapter)