ebookland Chapter 14 Poetry Gathering (1)
Chapter 14 Poetry Gathering (1)
After receiving a positive reply, Qin Yaoyao felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders, as if bathed in warm sunshine. However, as she pondered her question, she suddenly realized that Brother Yanxi didn't seem to have fully heard her, so she decided to confirm with him again.
Qin Yaoyao cautiously took a small step forward, closing the distance between herself and He Yanxi. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with anticipation and longing, and asked softly, "So, Brother Yanxi, did you come here specifically to visit me today?" He Yanxi nodded slightly in response. Seeing this, Qin Yaoyao's heart leaped with joy, and she couldn't help but take another small step forward, eagerly asking, "Really?" Her voice held a hint of disbelief and anticipation, as if hoping to receive a positive answer from him.
At this moment, they were so close that they could feel each other's faint breaths. This sudden intimacy made the already nervous He Yanxi even more flustered. His cheeks flushed red, and his palms began to sweat profusely. He involuntarily took a small step back, but the movement was extremely gentle, as if afraid of attracting the girl's attention.
Faced with the girl's persistent questioning, He Yanxi seemed somewhat uneasy. He lowered his head and spoke in a voice so soft that only he could hear it: "Really...really." After saying that, he quickly turned his head away, not daring to look directly into her expectant eyes.
Qin Yaoyao stared intently at He Yanxi, taking in his shy and awkward reaction. A sweet, honey-like ripple stirred deep within her heart. She knew that this answer was significant to her, because it meant that her brother Yanxi truly held a place for her in his heart. Although his demeanor was somewhat shy and reserved, his sincere affection needed no further explanation.
Upon hearing the reply, the girl happily hugged He Yanxi's arm tightly. He Yanxi, who had just relaxed a little, instantly fell into a state of tension again.
At this moment, Qin Yaoyao was eager to know if He Yanxi harbored feelings for her, so she kept her eyes glued to the boy before her, not missing a single subtle expression or movement. Sure enough, the instant she hugged his arm, the boy's body trembled slightly, and a faint blush rose to his cheeks. Qin Yaoyao thought to herself, "Could it be that Brother Yanxi is shy? If so, could it be that he really has feelings for me?" Thinking this, her heart leaped with joy. To find the answer she so desperately wanted, she deliberately tightened her embrace, carefully observing his expression, wanting to see how he would react. As expected, his ears and cheeks became even redder, as if blood might drip from them at any moment.
Seeing this, Qin Yaoyao secretly realized, "So Brother Yanxi really does like me!" This discovery filled her with joy. If it weren't for the inappropriate environment, she would have loved to immediately start dancing around him happily, hehehe...
He Yanxi was completely stunned by the girl's behavior, his mind went blank for a moment, and even his breathing became a little labored. However, at that moment, a soft cough broke the slightly awkward atmosphere. Everyone snapped out of their daze and turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.
The cough came from Qin Yaoyao's father, Qin Zhenhua. He lightly pressed his fist to his lips, a hint of embarrassment on his face. When he realized everyone's eyes were on him, he explained rather awkwardly, "I don't know what happened, my throat suddenly felt a little itchy..." In truth, his true feelings were already obvious to everyone else. Everyone knew he was simply feeling uneasy seeing his beloved daughter tightly embracing another man. The other men present felt the same way, though the brothers hadn't had a chance to express it yet. In stark contrast, the mother and sisters-in-law beamed with joy. These women believed that the Prince of Zhenbei was not only handsome, talented, and skilled in martial arts, but more importantly, he was of upright character and genuinely loved Yaoyao without any ulterior motives.
The mother gently took Qin Yaoyao's hand, gesturing for her to sit down and prepare for the meal, saying softly, "Alright, sit down and eat, the children must be starving." So, everyone took their seats and began to enjoy the food. During the meal, Fifth Brother suddenly turned to He Yanxi and asked, "By the way, in two days it'll be Princess Zhaoyang's poetry competition. I heard that all those invited are unmarried young men and women! Is she here to choose a husband for the princess?"
After a moment of contemplation, He Yanxi replied, "Perhaps not entirely. As far as I know, apart from the already married Crown Prince and Second Prince, all the other princes and princesses will be attending." His tone revealed a hint of curiosity and anticipation.
The third brother looked at the fourth brother, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said softly, "So it seems that this so-called poetry competition is actually a matchmaking banquet held specifically for the princes and princesses!" He Yanxi nodded slightly in agreement and replied softly, "That's exactly right."
The second brother turned to look at the fourth brother, his gaze tinged with regret as he sighed, "Alas, if Princess Zhaoyang hadn't fallen ill a few years ago and gone to the White Horse Temple to recuperate, she would probably have already found her ideal husband and settled down by now. It's truly a pity!" The second sister-in-law echoed, "Indeed, a woman as outstanding as the princess, with such excellent qualities, would surely be the object of many men's desires. Fourth brother, what do you think?"
The fourth brother glanced at his second sister-in-law and replied calmly, "Yes, you're quite right." At this moment, the father glared at the fourth brother with displeasure, but ultimately remained silent. The mother, unable to bear it any longer, couldn't help but ask, "You must have been invited to this grand banquet, right?" The fourth brother, still with his head down, replied calmly, "I did receive an invitation." At this point, the third sister-in-law interjected, "But in my opinion, the fourth brother probably won't attend."
Listening to everyone's words, a vague memory suddenly surfaced in Qin Yaoyao's mind. In her previous life, Princess Zhaoyang seemed to have chosen Zhang Kai as her consort at this very poetry competition. However, the princess had no affection for him, and Zhang Kai was an extremely skilled at deception. He was the son of the Minister of Justice, and outwardly appeared gentle and refined, but in reality, he was a greedy and lecherous man.
After marrying the princess, Zhang Kai gradually revealed his true nature. He kept taking concubines into his household, one after another, seemingly without end. Faced with such behavior, the princess remained unusually calm and unresponsive. This only emboldened Zhang Kai, who intensified his torment of the princess.
Ultimately, the princess became increasingly depressed, and her health deteriorated. Less than a year after her marriage, she withered away like a flower, her life ending tragically. When Qin Yaoyao heard the news, she was filled with doubt. She had asked the princess: "If you didn't love this man, why did you insist on marrying him? If you had expressed your feelings to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, they certainly wouldn't have forced you to marry." At that time, the princess simply shook her head and calmly said, "If the person I marry is not the one I love, then it doesn't matter who I marry, the result will be the same." Qin Yaoyao was very confused and continued to ask, "Then why not choose to marry the one you love?" The princess replied, "That person has no love for me, and I don't want to cause him any trouble." However, after the princess's death, her fourth brother, who had never touched alcohol, seemed to have completely changed, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day. This was the second time I had witnessed this scene. The first time, when I inquired, my brother frankly admitted that the woman he longed for was about to marry someone else. I pressed him, puzzled, why he didn't try harder to win her over. My brother helplessly replied that he had nothing. This time, I asked the same question again, and my brother cautiously said that the woman he loved had already passed away. It seems that the princess and my fourth brother were truly in love, but unfortunately, my fourth brother's actions led the princess to mistakenly believe that he had no interest in her, while my fourth brother felt that he was not yet worthy of the princess due to his lack of official success. Thus, by a twist of fate, he missed out on her.
The princess now harbors feelings for her brother, but when did he first develop those feelings for her? Could it already be...? Thinking this, Qin Yaoyao deliberately stared at Qin Yunqi. She noticed that when her fifth brother first mentioned the poetry gathering, her fourth brother hadn't shown any particular emotion. However, when her third brother said it was a matchmaking event for the princess, she clearly saw her fourth brother's body tremble slightly. Clearly, her brother also had feelings for the princess. "Then I will never let you two miss each other in this life." Just as she was contemplating how to act, an opportunity quietly presented itself.
Fifth Brother said to He Yanxi, "Is this poetry gathering just a matter of observation, or will a decision be reached?" After thinking for a moment, He Yanxi replied, "Perhaps Your Majesty is about to make a decision, and the rest will depend on the situation." Fifth Brother responded, "Indeed, the princess's marriage cannot be delayed any longer."
Qin Yaoyao paid close attention to her brother's reactions the whole time. She noticed that when her fourth brother heard that Princess Zhaoyang's marriage was about to be confirmed, his hand holding the food paused involuntarily for a moment before resuming normal eating. Qin Yaoyao thought to herself, "This silly brother of mine is probably stuck in a dead end."
Upon hearing He Yanxi's words, Qin Yunqi was taken aback and thought to himself, "Is the marriage really going to be arranged? That's good, it will allow me to find her a suitable match, so she won't suffer any more grievances." Just as Qin Yunqi was lost in thought, a clear and melodious voice suddenly reached his ears—it was Qin Yaoyao speaking.
Qin Yaoyao asked softly, "Brother Yanxi, does the princess already have someone she loves? Will this person attend the poetry competition? If not, the princess probably wouldn't make a decision so easily."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Yaoyao glanced at her brother Qin Yunqi beside her. Sure enough, Qin Yunqi's hand, which was holding chopsticks, froze in mid-air, his face showing astonishment, and he even forgot to eat.
Upon hearing this, He Yanxi smiled slightly and replied, "My elder sister does indeed have someone she admires, but whether that person will attend the poetry competition is still unknown." Qin Yaoyao continued, "Then does the princess hope he can attend?" However, before He Yanxi could answer, Qin Yunji impatiently interjected, "Little sister, that's a really strange question! Even a child understands the logic behind it, doesn't he? Zeyu, don't you think so?"
Qin Zeyu, who was eating, was suddenly called upon. He looked up in surprise, his gaze meeting that of his aunt, Qin Yaoyao. He quickly swallowed his food, thought for a moment, and replied, "Of course, I hope he can go to the appointment." Qin Yaoyao seemed unsatisfied with this answer and continued to press, "What if he really goes?"
Qin Zeyu quickly replied, "That means that person is also in love with her. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?" However, Qin Yaoyao did not stop asking questions. She then asked, "What if he didn't go?" Qin Zeyu thought for a moment and then replied calmly, "That only means that person has no feelings for her. Then she can look for someone else."
Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao turned to He Yanxi beside her and asked softly, "Does the princess's marriage have to be finalized this time?" He Yanxi nodded silently in agreement. He said firmly, "Yes, my brother and mother have made it clear that if my sister cannot choose a husband herself, they will make the choice on her behalf. So, in any case, my sister's marriage is destined to be settled."
Qin Yaoyao shifted her gaze back to her fourth brother, noticing his clenched fists, his knuckles slightly white from the force. She shook her head helplessly, thinking to herself, "Even though I've said all that, my fourth brother is still suppressing his emotions. It seems I'll need an even stronger dose of medicine to make him truly understand."
Qin Yaoyao, looking worried, said, "What if the Emperor doesn't like the princess he chooses? What should we do then?" He Yanxi helplessly spread his hands in response, "That's something we can't do anything about! After all, my elder sister is already of marriageable age, and we really can't afford to delay any longer!" He knew how precious time was for women, especially for royalty, whose marriage was related to national interests and political stability. So even though he had some concerns, he could only accept this arrangement in the face of reality.
After a slight hesitation, Qin Yaoyao spoke again, "Wouldn't this be very unfair to the princess?" Her voice carried a hint of worry and doubt.
Hearing this, the third sister-in-law, who was standing to the side, sighed softly and replied helplessly, "What other better way is there?" Her eyes revealed a sense of powerlessness in the face of the situation.