"It's just a chess manual, keep it then," the Seventh Prince, always proud, would never take back something he had given away. A hint of displeasure was already in his tone.
Yu Mingyue caught her brother's gaze and quickly bowed to express her gratitude.
The Seventh Prince then nodded, "Study well. I'll check your progress in a few days."
Sixth Lady was young. Although her etiquette was impeccable, she was still a bit playful. She was destined to be a prince's consort, and she must become a model for all Wei women.
Yu Mingyue secretly wailed. Check? Was he joking?
In the storybooks, he wasn't this strict with Su Wanqing.
However, she couldn't openly refuse the Seventh Prince's kind intentions, so she bowed and agreed.
The Seventh Prince noticed she had grown taller since the Lantern Festival, though her round face still held a hint of childishness.
"Go on, your elder brother and I have matters to discuss," Xiao Che nodded.
Yu Mingyue felt as if she had been granted a great pardon, yet her manners remained perfectly composed.
Her brother was on duty at the Northern Barracks, but today he came with the Seventh Prince. Had the Sage already permitted the Seventh Prince to interfere in the affairs of the Northern Barracks?
This was a power exclusive to the Crown Prince of Wei. Was the Sage about to officially appoint a Crown Prince?
In the storybooks, Xiao Che wasn't appointed Crown Prince this early. If the appointment were to happen sooner, would the appointment of the Crown Princess also be sooner?
A formal decree was unlike a verbal engagement; once issued, it would be irreversible.
After confirming with her brother that the Sage had indeed allowed the Seventh Prince to interfere in the Northern Barracks' affairs, Yu Mingyue became somewhat dejected.
She felt as if all her previous efforts had been in vain.
She didn't deny that Xiao Che would be a good emperor in the future, but she hoped the appointment of the Crown Prince could be postponed, not so soon.
After all, the other princes had long been personally sidelined by the Sage. Xiao Che was the Sage's undisguised favorite.
...
The weather grew hotter day by day. Yu Mingyue, with worries weighing on her mind, inadvertently suffered from heatstroke and took several days to recover.
In late June, Princess Huayang and her entourage finally arrived in Luoyang. Upon hearing the news, Yu Mingyue sprang up from her bed, exclaiming excitedly, "Really?"
"Yes, Princess Huayang's carriage has entered the city," Chihua reported.
"That's wonderful! We've been eagerly awaiting her arrival," Yu Mingyue said, her expression clearly indicating her readiness for a grand undertaking.
She had decided that if the Princess could successfully poach someone, she would be her deity!
If the Luo family's daughter marrying the Seventh Prince could truly lead to peace and cessation of conflict, it would be a great contribution to Wei.
The Princess would likely be the last person to wish for a confrontation between the court and her husband's family, otherwise, the Princess in the storybooks wouldn't have taken her own life on the battlefield.
Princess Huayang was the Sage's own sister. Even after being married for many years, she still had her own residence in the capital.
The mansion was a gift from Emperor Taizu. Palace attendants cleaned it periodically, and the Sage sometimes visited it when leaving the palace.
The last time she returned to the capital was the year the Empress Dowager passed away. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years had gone by, bringing a sense of change and unfamiliarity.
"Elder Sister, didn't Mother often miss the capital? Why does she seem so melancholic now that she's returned?" Luo Lingyuan asked, puzzled.
The mansion was beautiful, and her uncle, the Sage, had sent so many gifts and attendants. Why was her mother still secretly wiping tears with a handkerchief?
"Mother isn't sad, she's just remembering old friends," Luo Lingyi whispered.
Perhaps she was thinking of her maternal grandmother, or perhaps of friends. This city of Luoyang held too many memories and attachments for her mother. It was probably a case of "near hometown, feeling timid."
"Everything in Luoyang is wonderful, but I still prefer Youzhou," Luo Lingyuan said.
Luo Lingyi seemed lost in thought and didn't answer her sister this time.
"It's getting late today. You two should wash up and rest early. Tomorrow, Mother will take you to the palace to pay respects to the Sage." Princess Huayang said.
"Yes!"