allonlinenovel Chapter 209 I judge by appearance, don't you too?
Chapter 209 I judge by appearance, don't you too?
The next day, Cheng Yan had some free time, so he took Qin Yizhen to Wanshilou to listen to storytelling and drink tea.
Outside, the summer sun was blazing, but inside the Peony Pavilion, a cool breeze was blowing. Qin Yizhen sipped her tea, listened to the storyteller, and listened to the gossip circulating in the building, finding it all particularly satisfying.
But she wasn't satisfied for long when Princess Huizhen arrived and squeezed right next to Qin Yizhen.
"I want Xie Zhan to marry me, Uncle, Third Sister, you have to help me."
Qin Yizhen paused in her tea-drinking motion, and Cheng Yan frowned, saying, "Huizhen, stop fooling around."
"What nonsense is this?" Princess Huizhen said unhappily. "I've only taken a liking to him. Even if it's a forced relationship, it's still satisfying. Besides, aren't you two doing well now?"
"I don't care, Uncle, I want him. Otherwise, I won't marry him. If I really have to marry him in a political marriage later, then that's my fate."
"Royal sister," Qin Yizhen's expression changed slightly, "Don't talk such nonsense."
In Qin Yizhen's opinion, Princess Huizhen was unaware of her good fortune. As a princess, what she feared most was being married off to a foreign land for political reasons. In her motherland, everyone respected her as a princess, but in another country, they might not respect her. Instead, they would all want to use her and scheme against her.
If the two countries break their alliance, she will be the first to die.
Now that her mother has plans for her and gives her better options, allowing her to forever live the carefree life of a princess, why shouldn't she?
Just for Xie Zhan?
"What's so great about Xie Zhan that makes you so devoted to him?"
"That's because you don't understand how good he is," Princess Huizhen said angrily. "There is no better man in the world than him, and I will marry no one but him."
Cheng Yan's expression turned cold: "Even if you have to go for a political marriage, you won't regret it?"
"Of course not..."
"Don't speak too quickly," Cheng Yan interrupted her. "What your mother said to you is not a joke, and what I said to you is not a joke either. If it is to be a marriage alliance, and the other party demands a legitimate princess, then your mother will no longer plan for you."
"Whatever the outcome, it's all your own fault."
"Don't think that you have two younger sisters in the palace who can take your place. At worst, they can just pretend to be the legitimate princess. But when it comes to your affairs, there's no reason to let others sacrifice themselves for you. Your mother would never do such a thing."
Empress Dowager Cheng was decisive and ruthless, but she also had her own bottom line in her conduct. She didn't interfere much in the affairs of Princess Shuzhen and Princess Xunzhen, and she took good care of them. When they reached a certain age, she would choose husbands for them.
If they were to be forced into a marriage alliance that would benefit Dong Qin, then that would be their fate.
However, if it were Princess Huizhen who should have gone, Empress Dowager Cheng would not have let someone else's daughter go in her place.
She had suffered the pain of oppression, and even if she held power, she would not become the kind of person she hated.
“Huizhen, you need to think this through before you speak. You have been delaying marriage. If it were really a marriage alliance, would you be willing to go and make sacrifices for Dongqin? If you say you are willing, and you are still unwilling to marry and are only chasing after Xie Zhan, I think your mother would grant your wish.”
"I...I..." Princess Huizhen was stunned and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a while.
"Yes, Your Majesty, you should know Mother's temperament. She will explain everything to you, big and small. If you still insist on doing things your own way and continue to act foolishly, you will have to bear the consequences yourself."
"You're saying I'm being stupid?" Princess Huizhen's voice rose slightly.
Qin Yizhen shrugged and said, "Isn't it foolish to plunge yourself into an abyss for a man?"
“If you don’t care about the marriage alliance, and if one day you go for the greater good of the country, I will respect you as a true man. But it’s really not worth it to put yourself in such a situation for a man who doesn’t care about you at all.”
"Royal sister," Qin Yizhen said in a low voice, "I hope you can think this through carefully. Otherwise, when that moment comes, it will be too late to regret it."
“But I only love Xie Zhan, and I don’t want to marry anyone else.” Princess Huizhen bit her lip, feeling unwilling.
Cheng Yan bluntly pointed out: "You don't just like Young Master Xie. It's just that everyone fawns over you, but he looks down on you. You're unwilling to accept that and you have to get him. Or perhaps, you are simply infatuated with his face."
"But you can't eat your face."
Upon hearing this, Princess Huizhen turned her gaze to Qin Yizhen's face and scoffed, "Uncle, can you think about yourself before you say such things?"
The eldest shouldn't laugh at the second eldest. I'm looking at their faces; aren't you the eldest?
Cheng Yan: "......"
Alas, I miscalculated.
"In short, think it through yourself. You'll have to bear the consequences yourself. Also, don't bother us anymore. Go back to your princess residence right away."
They start kicking people out at the slightest disagreement.
Princess Huizhen stormed off in a huff.
She came to complain for two reasons: first, she wanted the two men to help her marry Xie Zhan; second, she wanted to find someone who supported and agreed with her, so that if things continued to drag on, there would be someone to help her clean up the mess.
Cheng Yan frowned: "Life is really too good."
Qin Yizhen took a sip of tea and said worriedly, "If she insists on chasing after Xie Zhan and refuses to marry, what should we do if we really have to arrange a marriage alliance? Should we just ignore her?"
“Of course it’s true.” Cheng Yan sighed. “Everyone has to bear the consequences of their choices, you and I are no exception, and so is she.”
Cheng Yan suffered a lot under Qin Yizhen's control over those years, but as he himself said, it was his own choice, and he had to bear the consequences.
Qin Yizhen looked out the window, listening to the storyteller discussing the past and present, and suddenly had an idea: "Do you think that if Xie Zhan gets married, she might give up on him?"
"She can't possibly be eyeing a married man, can she?"
Cheng Yan's eyes lit up: "That makes sense. I'll have a few drinks with Master Xie another day and ask about the Xie family's plans. Xie Zhan is of marriageable age and should get married."
Xie Zhan should get married as soon as possible, so that Princess Huizhen won't miss him, and so that he won't miss Qin Yizhen anymore.
"My lady, let's go. I ordered two pieces of jewelry from Ya Chun Pavilion a few days ago. Let's go take a look."
"Okay," Qin Yizhen happily agreed.
She has a lot of jewelry, but she doesn't mind if he adds more to her jewelry box. She can wear a new one every day, which is fine too.
"My husband, you treat me so well." Qin Yi sincerely praised him. She used to be hesitant and couldn't say these words, but now she could say them without hesitation.
"Right? Then come with me tonight to read Sun Tzu's Art of War."
He spoke in a casual tone, as if he genuinely invited her to study military strategy together, but Qin Yizhen knew that this "Sun Tzu's Art of War" was not the same as the other Sun Tzu's Art of War.
Qin Yizhen pinched his waist: "Shut up!"
Do you just spend your days with nothing on your mind?