si-mexico Chapter 969 The Crown Prince of Rouran Kingdom Seeks to Marry Mingzhu
Chapter 969 The Crown Prince of Rouran Kingdom Seeks to Marry Mingzhu
“He didn’t ask to marry Princess Anyang.” Xu Zize looked at her and smiled, then hugged her tightly, gently stroking her hair with his fingers. “I remember Xi’er mentioned that Cousin Mingzhu’s personality is different from the other sisters. Like Xi’er, she seems to yearn for the freedom outside and wants to travel to the beautiful land.”
“Mingzhu? Brother Xiaokang, you’re mistaken. Xi’er just wants to see more of the Daqing Dynasty’s plants and trees, and the different scenery in various places. She doesn’t want to see the grasslands, deserts, or dangerous Gobi.”
After speaking, she suddenly remembered the unusual and unconventional things Mingzhu had said to her sisters. Looking at Xu Zize's face, which was biting its lip and secretly smiling, she asked in surprise, "Heizi is proposing to...Mingzhu?"
“Xi’er has finally come to her senses.” Xu Zize lightly pecked her forehead, then sat down with her in his arms before saying, “His petition is written in black and white, proposing to marry Jing Mingzhu of the General’s Mansion, saying that he has long admired her.”
"What nonsense is this? How old was he back then? Mingzhu was only four years old. Where did this talk of admiration come from? Is he precocious or just precocious?" Jing Chunxi stomped her feet in anger, her cheeks flushed, and she slapped his hand away.
"It's hard to say whether true friendship is revealed in times of trouble! The two of them spent a lot of time together on that journey. Hei Zi may forget us, but he probably won't forget his cousin Mingzhu."
Patting the back of her hand, he said, "Right now, only Father and I know about this. Why don't you go back and tell the old lady and the old general first, and also find out what Cousin Mingzhu is thinking?" As Xu Zize spoke, his hand was already reaching for her soft chest, but Jing Chunxi warned him with a slap, "I don't agree." But his hand was still not obedient and did not withdraw.
"Among the Jing sisters, Mingzhu is the prettiest and also the one I like the most. My aunt has long planned to take her under her wing. As the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion, which young master in the capital wouldn't she be able to choose?"
Jing Chunxi objected, "Not to mention marrying so far away, Hei Zi's appearance is too shabby. How can he be worthy of our Mingzhu?" Thinking of how slippery Hei Zi was back then, and how dark and thin he was, and then thinking of Mingzhu's bright and beautiful face now that she has grown up, she felt that the two were not a good match and shook her head repeatedly.
"I think the two of them are quite a good match. Don't you remember how happily Mingzhu called him 'brother' back then? Even when she had a slur, she never forgot Brother Heizi. They were probably destined to be together without realizing it. Otherwise, how could she have come to like Damo Guyan?"
“You haven’t been back to visit your family in a long time. Take this opportunity to go out of the palace with your brother Xiaokang and stay at your residence for a couple of days. The old general and the old lady have personally arranged for your brother Xiaokang to come. Just remember to find out what your cousin Mingzhu is thinking.” As Xu Zize spoke, his fingers gently caressed her palm, with a hint of flattery and teasing. But before she could react, he pushed her onto the bed.
"You...you're indulging in lewdness in broad daylight."
"I dote on my wife, so how can you say that?"
The palace maids outside quickly retreated, and the young eunuch hurried to the kitchen, afraid of being a few steps too slow.
The two lingered for a while longer before getting up to eat lunch, which was well past noon. Jing Chunxi leaned lazily on Xu Zize's shoulder, casually fiddling with the tassels on the jade pendant at his waist. Xu Zize watched her with a smile, occasionally placing a piece of her favorite steamed shad to her lips.
Although the dishes for lunch were no longer as piping hot as when they were fresh out of the pot, the delicate porcelain plates and bowls still retained a warm, homey atmosphere.
At that moment, Green Shadow quietly approached the door, stopped a few steps away from the dining table under the beaded curtain, and whispered the news.
"Your Highness, there is a letter from you and the Crown Princess. It was just delivered by a messenger from the palace. It says it is related to the envoy from the Rouran Kingdom." Green Shadow's clear voice broke the warm atmosphere in the room, and Jing Chunxi quickly pushed Xu Zize away.
He held a square object carefully wrapped in dark brown oiled paper in both hands. The wrapping was quite thick, with neat edges, clearly indicating careful preparation. Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting dappled patterns of light on the wrapping and making the oiled paper gleam slightly.
"Bring it here so I can take a look." Xu Zize's voice was steady, with a hint of scrutiny that was barely perceptible.
However, as soon as the thick little package was handed to him, before he could even reach for it, Jing Chunxi snatched it away from him.
Her movements were swift and urgent, fueled by barely suppressed anger; her fingertips almost pierced the oiled paper. "I'd like to see how much guts that black devil has to dare ask for our Mingzhu's hand in marriage." With a forceful tug, the oiled paper envelope was roughly torn open with a "rip."
One, two, three, four… Jing Chunxi’s fingers flipped through the letters inside quickly and angrily, glancing at the handwriting on each envelope as she pulled one out.
"He's treating me like a messenger!" Jing Chunxi tossed one letter at a time onto the small rosewood table inlaid with mother-of-pearl between the two of them, her movements quick and heavy, the letters landing on the smooth surface with a soft "thud".
She was sulking, her chest heaving slightly, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and her eyes held a mixture of offended anger and deep protectiveness towards Mingzhu.
Inside the large oil paper envelope were several neatly folded letters. The paper was sturdy, and the edges were trimmed very cleanly. On the cover of each letter, the recipient's name was written in bold and neat Chinese characters, the ink deep and the strokes clear.
"These are for you and me, these are for the old general and his wife, and also for my uncle and aunt, even for my aunt..." Xu Zize picked up the letters casually, speaking quickly as he laid them out on the table like issuing orders, his movements slow and his tone calm and collected.
He let her vent freely without stopping her. He reached out and took out the letter written to the two of them. His movements were unhurried; his fingertips gently pried open the wax seal and slowly unfolded the letter. The wax was dark red, and an unfamiliar totem mark was pressed on it.
After reading a few lines, Xu Zize's brows relaxed slightly, and a faint smile seemed to appear at the corner of his mouth. He turned to the side, stretched out his long arm, and easily pulled the still angry Jing Chunxi into his arms, picking her up and placing her on his lap.
Jing Chunxi gasped softly and instinctively struggled, but he held her even tighter. "Princess Consort, don't be angry. Let's see what he wrote together. Daqing has been kind to him, so I doubt he would dare to offend him. If he dares to bully Mingzhu, I will not let him off easily."
His voice was deep and gentle, carrying a soothing tone, and his warm breath brushed against her ear. "Look, Hei Zi even wrote letters to each of his elders for this marriage. It's clear he's dedicated and serious." He pointed to the letter, guiding her gaze.