RPAGF Chapter 424 Refusal to marry
Chapter 424 Refusal to marry
Consort Wan was excessively favored and was pregnant with the emperor's child. However, Prince Xian was the son of the late empress, both the legitimate son and the eldest son.
So even though the court officials had basically purged the Prince Xian's faction, the loyal old ministers still felt that the Prince Xian should be the emperor's successor.
She was quite dissatisfied with the Emperor's exclusive favor towards Consort Wan and the subtle hints that he intended to make her Empress.
The Emperor sighed: "Wan'er, you are always so considerate, always afraid of making things difficult for me. Even if I were to give you this empire, I would still feel that you are the one who has suffered."
The younger sister glared at her: "What nonsense are you talking about, Your Majesty? What do I need the empire for? All I want is Your Majesty's long-lasting companionship."
She stroked her belly and smiled, saying, "Your Majesty may not know, but today my sister came to the palace, fearing that I was pregnant with this child so that she could have a prince. She kept talking to me about how well-behaved and sensible Xiaoxia is, and that if I had a daughter, she would be just as adorable."
The Emperor laughed and reached out to touch her belly: "But I still hope that you will give birth to a prince for me."
"If it were a princess, would His Majesty not like her?" The little girl looked up and pouted.
The Emperor embraced her: "I love any child you give birth to."
The younger sister lowered her eyes.
She recalled what Lord Bi had said to her.
The more playful and mischievous you are with a young man, the more adorable he will find you; if you're too docile, it won't be very appealing. But with an older man, a little playfulness combined with complete docility will only make him adore you.
She didn't quite understand it then, but she does now.
Young men are energetic and love excitement. Older men, on the other hand, often lack the energy to focus on work and simply crave tranquility in their private quarters.
Ultimately, it's just that we're getting old.
Si Muyan returned to the estate, and life became increasingly peaceful. But her younger sister's life was not so peaceful; the noblewomen sent invitations to the palace one after another, congratulating Consort Wan on her pregnancy.
The Emperor initially wanted to decline all offers, but his younger sister said that she hadn't seen the ladies who had been kind to her in a long time, so why not hold a banquet and invite them to get together?
If it is inconvenient to do so within the palace, please ask the Eldest Princess or Princess Consort He to go to the villa to handle it.
The emperor thought it was acceptable and agreed.
However, the weather was too hot, and he was worried that his younger sister would get too hot, so he instructed the princess not to make the banquet too big and to hold it in the main hall of the villa.
The banquet was attended by the ladies of various households; the young ladies and gentlemen did not participate.
Princess He Ji looked her up and down and spoke intimately with her.
"It's been a long time since I've seen Your Highness. You've gained quite a bit of weight. I recently visited Your Highness's mother at the estate. She's doing well, but she still misses Your Highness."
The younger sister exchanged pleasantries with them, but things were different now. Her status was different, and those ladies who used to scrutinize her could only treat her with utmost respect.
Several ladies came forward to inquire, and they all talked about Si Muyan.
"The elder sister of Consort Wan is beautiful and graceful, and also a master at managing the household. However, for some reason, she has not yet married. I wonder if the eldest young lady has rejected the marriage proposal? And whose son is she?"
The younger sister shook her head: "No, my older sister made her own decision about her marriage."
The ladies grew anxious: "How can one decide their own marriage? Even in common households, women must marry when they reach a certain age; otherwise, they will be punished..."
The younger sister smiled and said, "Is Madam worried that my sister doesn't have the money to pay?"
"No...no..." The lady blushed and quickly said, "What I mean is that young ladies should get married when they reach a certain age. The eldest daughter is not young, and my nephew is a good match..."
Once someone started, others, afraid of falling behind, hurriedly stepped forward to say that their sons, nephews, and cousins were all outstanding young men, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and handsome in appearance.
They were all unmarried young men aged eighteen to twenty-three.
The younger sister didn't show it on her face, but she found it amusing in her heart.
When the sisters first returned to the capital, the men introduced to them were either dissolute playboys who frequented brothels and were not valued, or illegitimate children from collateral branches of the family, or impoverished families who were after the title of marquis.
Later, when the Si family gained favor, the men they were introduced to were mostly older widowers or men from less prominent families.
They were not even eighteen at that time.
I never expected that now that my eldest sister is twenty, her door is always full of people coming to propose marriage.
But my younger sister rejected them all.
Only Princess He Ji was truly worried about Si Muyan, and asked her younger sister alone.
“I’ve heard that there are several good young men there. Your uncle always speaks highly of them. Don’t you think they’re good enough?”
The younger sister shook her head: "Aunt, it's not that I look down on them, it's just that my older sister has no intention of getting married. Aunt, the three of us sisters have different experiences than others. We've been used to being carefree in the countryside since we were little. How could we adapt to being confined to the inner quarters?"
"But……"
The younger sister held Princess Heji's hand and said, "Aunt, with me here, my sister doesn't have to get married if she doesn't want to. If she wants a family in the future, that's a matter for the future. I'm her support and won't let her have any worries."
Princess He Ji originally wanted to persuade her, saying that if they didn't get married now, they wouldn't be able to find a suitable one later. But hearing her younger sister's resolute tone, she laughed.
"Mu Yan is blessed to have a younger sister like Your Highness."
My younger sister really likes this sentence.
She became stronger, and her older sister and younger brother could rely on her, which made her very happy.
When they returned to the palace that evening, the Emperor learned that his younger sister had rejected all those who came to propose marriage, and he couldn't help but be curious.
"Are you really not going to find a good marriage for your sister?"
The younger sister shook her head: "My elder sister is unwilling, and I don't want to persuade her or embarrass her."
The Emperor embraced his younger sister and said, "We are a perfect match, but she is all alone. Isn't that pitiful?"
The younger sister thought for a moment and then said, "If my elder sister wishes to get married in the future, can Your Majesty make the decision for her?"
The Emperor laughed and said, "She is your sister, how can I not stand up for her? Any young man in the world that she sets her sights on, I will grant her permission."
After the two chatted and laughed for a while, the Emperor said, "I didn't know you liked hibiscus flowers before. It was only after your elder sister entered the palace that I found out. I have already ordered the palace servants to plant hibiscus flowers in the courtyard of Zichen Palace so that they can accompany you at all times."
The young woman was overjoyed and immediately got off the bed to look out the window. The lights outside were still on, and she could see the newly planted trees clearly.
The Emperor said, "But the palace servants also reported that since the cuttings were taken from outside, the flowers probably don't bloom as many as they would have outside."
"No," the younger sister said with a smile. "Your Majesty doesn't know, but the flowers my sister grows always bloom beautifully no matter where they go. She just brought the soil along with the roots because she was worried that the flowers wouldn't adapt to the new environment."