Chapter 1041 Gu Xishu’s Marriage
At this time, Zhang Qilan finally came to her senses. Being conscious of her indiscreet remarks, she looked at Shao Wanru with a bit of guilt and said, “So many things to deal with knocked me senseless. I shouldn’t have talked to you about this.”
Her words were straightforward, in line with her usual character.
“Since you asked, I replied. It shouldn’t be a breach of etiquette for us.” Shao Wanru said with a smile, her eyes serene and elegant.
“Okay, that’s all right. Let’s not talk about the royal family,” Luo Xiaowan lost no time in saying that.
“Then what to say? The Number Three Scholar?” asked Zhang Qilan playfully with a smile, as always.
!!
“You…” Again, Luo Xiaowan blushed up to the roots of her hair.
“I think this year’s Number One Scholar is inferior to the one of the last exam. Do you think so?” Shao Wanru saved her from embarra.s.sment and added, “I didn’t see the previous grand event, for I was in the Yuhui Nunnery back then.”
“In the previous examination, my mother forbade me to come out, so I didn’t watch it either!” Luo Xiaowan said, glancing at Shao Wanru gratefully. For fear that Zhang Qilan wouldn’t let go of the previous topic, she hurriedly continued, “Qilan, you’ve come to see the ceremony last year. After that, I heard you talk about it for a long time, especially Third Young Master Wen.”
During the last exam, Luo Xiaowan was trapped in her marriage. With that unsettled dispute, she was in no mood to join in the fun.
In the imperial exam last year, Wen Xichi ranked first and Qi Tianyu won third place.
“The top three in the last exam were indeed very remarkable. Besides, the three young scholars haven’t been engaged yet. Of course, the most outstanding one is Third Young Master Wen. We’ve seen him before, but it’s a pity you didn’t see him that day.” Zhang Qilan said with a beam of pride.
“Then why hasn’t Third Young Master Wen been engaged yet? As the Number One Scholar from a powerful family, he will obtain boundless prospects after Prime Minister Wen retires. But why hasn’t his marriage been arranged yet?”
Luo Xiaowan asked, full of curiosity. Watching the lively scene just now, even she felt a little worried. It could be seen lots of people must have paid particular attention to this. For a few times, Luo Xiaowan had seen Wen Xichi, who was indeed elegant in manner and possessed striking literary talent. However, she could only secretly think about such a promising talent at most, and never did she dare to attach any extravagant hope to him. After all, she knew she was far beneath him in consideration of the high social standing of the Mansion of the Prime Minister and his excellent character.
“I heard that he is unwilling to do that!” Zhang Qilan hesitated before saying that.
“He is over marriageable age, and many men at his age are married. Has he been unwilling to get engaged? But my mother said Madam of Prime Minister Wen has been secretly looking for a wife for him.” Luo Xiaowan became increasingly surprised, flus.h.i.+ng slightly as she thought of an old matter.
In fact, Madam of Prime Minister Wen had visited and considered her, but nothing happened later. It must be because she heard of Luo Xiaowan’s previous engagement.
“He… might think it’s freer to be a bachelor!” Zhang Qilan said with a careless smile.
“How could he not want a wife at this age? Perhaps, he is in love with someone that Madam of Prime Minister Wen can’t accept to be her daughter-in-law, so they’re locked in a stalemate.” When it came to other people’s business, Luo Xiaowan was very sensitive.
“No way… it doesn’t look like it!” Zhang Qilan was uncertain, frowning slightly. Then she turned to face Shao Wanru, who had been silent and smiling, “So, what do you think?”
Shao Wanru had been avoiding making any comments on Wen Xichi. Her last life had pa.s.sed, and they were just not strangers in this life.
Later, he wasn’t nearly as good as an acquaintance to her. Shao Wanru knew it very well in her heart after Chu Liuchen presented the news that Wen Xichi plotted against her.
Now that Zhang Qilan directly threw the question at her, she had to answer.
“Well, it’s possible!” Shao Wanru said vaguely.
“I heard that the Marquis Xing’s Mansion and the Mansion of the Prime Minister have had a good relations.h.i.+p, and their juniors have been in constant contact with each other. Hasn’t the Marquis Xing’s Mansion thought of making more connections through marriages?” Another reason suddenly came to Zhang Qilan, who smiled and blinked at Shao Wanru. “There are two Misses in your mansion.”
In terms of status, the Third Miss and the Fourth Miss didn’t compare with Wen Xichi, who was from the Mansion of the Prime Minister. However, since the two mansions enjoyed a close and good relations.h.i.+p, it was hard to say what would happen. In the eyes of others, the Third Miss and the Fourth Miss of Marquis Xing’s Mansion were indeed qualified to marry Wen Xichi.
“Uh, I’ve no idea about that… I didn’t grow up in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion when I was a child. When I came back, I was not close to the other sisters in the mansion. So, I don’t know if the two mansions’ juniors are on good terms. But the cousin Miss in their mansion seems to be well in with Big Sister.”
Shao Wanru chuckled to herself.
“The cousin Miss in their mansion is very strange. I heard she got on well with Second Young Master Wen. They would soon talk about their marriage, but recently I heard something different…” Luo Xiaowan came to a halt, feeling the remark was inappropriate. After all, what she would share with them was not necessarily true. She just suddenly blurted out when Shao Wanru mentioned this matter.
Thus, she couldn’t finish what she was saying.
Zhang Qilan was listening with great interest. Suddenly, Luo Xiaowan stopped talking, and she was immediately displeased. “Hey, how can you swallow back the words on the tip of your tongue? Please! Tell us the whole story. We’ll keep it to ourselves.”
“Actually, I don’t know if this is true… I heard another Madam accidentally mentioned it to my mother…” Luo Xiaowan was still a little hesitant, thinking it was quite improper for her to spread rumors.
“I know. Just tell us. You mention it casually while Princess Chen and I listen without care. None of us takes it seriously. Come on!” Zhang Qilan waved her hand and said.
Shao Wanru looked at the eager look on Zhang Qilan’s face and couldn’t help laughing. Since Zhang Qilan appeared very interested in it, Luo Xiaowan would have to say it even if she didn’t want to.
Seeing them full of curiosity, Luo Xiaowan continued resignedly, “Well, but I don’t know if it was true. The parents of cousin Miss had returned to the capital city to discuss the marriage with the Mansion of the Prime Minister, but they were talking about her marriage with the Third Young Master Wen, which was different from what I had heard before. I guess it should not be true.”
The affair between Gu Xishu and Second Young Master Wen was partly spread out. Although Gu Xishu wasn’t considered a concubine, they must have had a romantic involvement. Back then, the Mansion of the Prime Minister intended to keep Gu Xishu as a concubine. They hushed this matter to find another daughter-in-law from a n.o.ble family for Second Young Master Wen. After all, when the other families learned Second Young Master Wen had a dubious relations.h.i.+p with his cousin in the mansion, they wouldn’t accept the marriage with him.
But in reality, there were still some sorts of rumors about them.
Everyone had a vague feeling that they would get married.
“Miss Gu’s father has been promoted?” Shao Wanru thought for a moment and understood the critical point, so she considered the news authentic.
“Yes. He jumped several ranks and made many contributions as an official outside. Next, he would stay in the capital city.” Zhang Qilan knew about it and answered. After that, she frowned and said disdainfully, “Gu Xishu is really unworthy of Third Young Master Wen. Even if her status becomes much higher, so what?”
Like Shao Wanru, Zhang Qilan was keenly aware of the vital point.
Her father’s promotion steadily emboldened Gu Xishu, so she dared to propose marriage to Third Young Master Wen. Young masters of the Mansion of the Prime Minister all looked good, but the most outstanding one was certainly Third Young Master Wen.
Zhang Qilan recalled that her father had praised Wen Xichi for having an infinitely bright future. For this reason, he harshly scolded her Eldest Brother and complained that he never amounted to much, ordering his son to learn from Wen Xichi. Both were young sons of Prime Ministers, but how could Wen Xichi be much more outstanding than his son?
“It was not necessarily true. If that was the case, that Madam must have made a slip of the tongue!” Luo Xiaowan panicked and waved her hand hurriedly when she saw Shao Wanru and Zhang Qilan a.n.a.lyze it seriously.
Shao Wanru gave a winsome smile, while Zhang Qilan held Luo Xiaowan’s hand to comfort her and said, “Don’t worry. It’s okay. There are only three of us. It doesn’t matter if we just had an idle chat about it. We won’t talk about it once we get out of here.”
“Fine!” Luo Xiaowan said helplessly.
“Princess Chen, I heard Number Three Scholar came from the same place as you. His hometown is also around Jiangzhou.” Zhang Qilan changed the topic, stared at Shao Wanru, and teased her.
Jiangzhou. Qi Tianyu was from Jiangzhou. People like Prime Minister Zhang should have dug out more information about Qi Tianyu than that!
A faint solemn expression crossed her limpid eyes, but soon she smiled to cover the gloominess in her eyes and said blandly, “He comes from Jiangzhou. Not merely does he know me, but he had helped others frame me up.”
She couldn’t hide their past from others. Anyone who cared about this matter would know the old grudges between the Qin’s Mansion and the Qi’s mansion.
After Qin Yuru’s issue was widely known, some of these things were also exposed.
“Don’t be sad for such an unkind man. My mother told me that even if the bad ones succeeded in the exam, they wouldn’t gain a secure future for their bad character.”
Luo Xiaowan hastily said.
“Princess Chen, I’m really sorry. Somehow, this matter just occurred to me. Well, let’s not talk about this unpleasant matter and person. It makes me uncomfortable to talk about this wicked man,” Zhang Qilan apologized.
“That’s all right. It was a long time ago. It’s okay to mention the past that has nothing to do with me now!” Shao Wanru replied, smiling.
The three of them chatted and laughed for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Qilan couldn’t stay any longer and was the first to leave.
Since she was about to go home, Luo Xiaowan had to go back with her. Shao Wanru sent them to the door of the private room and watched them go downstairs before returning to the box.
Yujie called the waiter over, asking him to prepare hot water and make tea again. Then she poured a cup of tea for Shao Wanru and said, “My Lady, why do I feel Miss Zhang behaved strangely today?”
“Is that so?” Shao Wanru lifted her eyebrows, took the teacup, and said slowly after taking a sip.
“Yes, it was weird. Miss Zhang seems to be a little different from what she used to be,” Yujie said in low spirits. She couldn’t tell what was different at the moment and only sensed something different from the past.
“Maybe she mentioned Third Young Master Wen and Qi Tianyu!” Shao Wanru rolled her eyes slightly and got the answer.
“Right! She mentioned the two persons, which made me feel unusual as if she did it intentionally.” Yujie’s eyes lit up as she nodded repeatedly. “When you were talking, I felt these two points particularly queer. In the past, Miss Zhang wouldn’t say things like that!”
“Maybe she was in a bad mood today after being locked up!” Shao Wanru laughed in spite of herself.
“Excuse me, is it Princess Chen inside?” Someone suddenly knocked on the door. These people inside immediately quieted down and stared at the door in astonishment.