After a period of chaos, the four of us finally returned to my elder brother's tent.
My elder brother felt wronged. After the hunting competition concluded that day, he helped count everyone's prey and keep score. Upon finishing, he noticed he had gotten quite bloodstained. Thinking his absence would hardly be missed at the banquet, he took some clothes to the river to wash.
The river water, heated by a day under the sun, was just right. He was so comfortable soaking that he inadvertently leaned against a rock and fell asleep.
As soon as he woke up, he heard someone calling him "Miss Wang": "I was hiding behind the reef, but I never expected her to be so sharp-eyed in this darkness. She recognized you at a glance and insisted on swimming over herself."
Ji Lan stared at him indignantly, "What did you see?"
Speaking of which, my elder brother stood his ground, "I don't know martial arts and can't see in the dark. What could I possibly see of a mere dark shadow?"
I quickly raised my hand, "Princess, I can vouch for him. My elder brother's bone structure isn't suited for it; he couldn't even properly practice horse stance since childhood. In that situation, he truly couldn't see anything."
"Who would believe that? With your martial arts prowess, how could your elder brother be such a novice?"
My elder brother was so angry his eyes turned black.
I advised, "Everyone has their strengths. My elder brother's talent lies in his studies; he's the top scholar of this year's imperial examination."
"Really?"
"There's no need to lie about this. You can find out if you inquire. My elder brother grew up reading the words of sages. In the capital, no one fails to praise him as a true gentleman. He would never do something as base as peeking at a girl bathing."
Perhaps convinced that my elder brother had seen nothing, Princess Ji Lan's anger finally subsided.
To avoid arousing suspicion, the four of us scattered and returned to our respective tents. After tidying up, we headed to the bonfire banquet.
For the three days of hunting, Sui Sui had been shadowing Ouyang Yun for three days, completely neglecting me, her close friend. Situ You, no longer the same as before, was busy with his new duties and didn't have much free time. When he was free, he was busy looking after his sister, afraid she might make a mistake and be lured away by Ouyang Yun.
However, Princess Ji Lan, for some unknown reason, kept seeking me out for no particular reason, insisting I accompany her for three days, which made my elder brother afraid to approach me.
Although he hadn't seen anything that night, it was still awkward.
These three days of hunting were a matchmaking event for this brother and sister. Three days later, the Second Prince of the Northern Frontier took a liking to the youngest daughter of the Minister of Justice.
The Emperor bestowed upon her the title of Princess Yongan and set a date for her to be sent to the Northern Frontier for marriage.
It was said that Princess Yongan cried for several days. While life in the Northern Frontier was prosperous, the place was cold, and marrying so far away—which woman would willingly endure such hardship? But there was no choice. The Empress summoned her to the palace, comforted her kindly, and bestowed upon her a generous dowry. The next day, however, the Minister of Justice sought an audience with the Emperor.
He declined the gifts intended for Princess Yongan, stating he wished to request an official position for his son.
Enraged, the Emperor punished him by making him kneel for two hours.
The Minister of Justice, a dignified official of the first rank, actually used his daughter's lifelong happiness to exchange for his son's future. He was truly unworthy of being a father.
To prevent him from embezzling Princess Yongan's dowry, the Emperor specially assigned two eunuchs and four governesses to assist in managing Princess Yongan's wedding. If not for the imminent marriage alliance, the Minister of Justice's official post might have been downgraded by several ranks.
With the Second Prince's marriage settled, it was Princess Ji Lan's turn.
The most favored candidates were the sons of Prince Yong and Prince Jing, as their status was the highest. Although the Second Prince Situ You was also among the potential candidates, it was obvious to everyone that it was unlikely. After all, the Emperor only had two sons. Although the Crown Prince was outstanding and held his position as heir apparent quite steadily, the Emperor had only recently passed his fortieth year, and the future was still long. Who knew if someone else might take the throne someday?
Matters of the imperial family were often unpredictable.
To everyone's surprise, Princess Ji Lan declared she wished to marry Wang Zihuan, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
That is to say, my elder brother.
The entire court was astonished.
Since when did a sixth-rank minor official become eligible for a political marriage? What kind of judgment did the Northern Frontier princess have? Furthermore, shouldn't she have preferred a warrior? Yet, after much deliberation, she chose a frail scholar.
My elder brother was also shocked and came to me with a dejected face, "Little sister, is Princess Ji Lan serious about this?"
"Elder brother, do you have to be this scared? Although Princess Ji Lan can be a bit rash, she is a good person. Moreover, she's beautiful too. What more could you be unhappy about?"
"That day, she kicked me several meters away, and my chest still aches faintly. What if she beats me after we get married?"
"That won't happen. You're overthinking it."
"No, you have to help me refuse this marriage."
"It's too late. The Crown Prince said the Emperor plans to grant you a marquisate. Wash up and get ready for the wedding."
Brother: "...I'll go find mother."
I looked at him with pity. "Do you remember Princess Ji Lan visiting our mansion the day before yesterday?"
"She came to our mansion?"
"Our mother had a very pleasant conversation with her. I observed that mother will likely be very satisfied with this daughter-in-law."
Brother: ...