Chapter 32: Snow Appreciation Banquet

Imperial Study in the Palace

While reviewing the memorials in her hand, the Emperor looked at Wei Yun standing below and said, “Have you considered what I mentioned to you last time? I’ve practically watched Jing Mo grow up. This child excels in both appearance and talent! How could ordinary noble ladies be worthy of him? I can’t bear to let him marry into an ordinary family and suffer.”

The Emperor looked at Wei Yun with a face full of smiles, her tone gentle and friendly, as if she were an elder from an ordinary family caring for a younger generation.

However, Wei Yun didn’t really feel that the Emperor was concerned about Wei Jing Mo’s marriage.

She could naturally hear the implication in her words. The Emperor was subtly reminding her that Wei Jing Mo could only marry into the royal family.

Wei Yun’s expression remained unchanged, her sharp black eyes calm and undisturbed. She said in a low voice, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern about my son’s marriage! I too can’t bear to let him suffer in another family, and naturally hope for him to marry into a good family.”

“However, Your Majesty knows that although I am his mother, I cannot force the child’s wishes. After all, this is a lifelong matter, and it still requires his approval.”

At this point, her usually stern face showed a rare hint of helplessness, “Unfortunately, this child has only grown in age over the years without developing any sense of romance. He has no thoughts about marriage at all. I am quite at a loss!”

Wei Yun’s words conveyed two points to the Emperor.

First, she had no intention of letting Wei Jing Mo marry into other families and had no objection to him marrying into the royal family.

Second, Wei Jing Mo had no interest in the Fifth Princess Feng Bai Wei, effectively rejecting the Emperor’s desire to match them.

After hearing her words, the Emperor naturally understood the hidden meaning behind them.

Upon hearing this, she chuckled lightly, her face revealing no emotion, her voice somewhat inscrutable: “Indeed, parents cannot disregard their children’s wishes, but they also can’t be too indulgent. After all, when the age comes, one must eventually marry. As the old saying goes, keeping someone unmarried too long can turn into resentment!”

The Emperor’s subtle warning was implicitly telling Wei Yun that Wei Jing Mo didn’t have to marry the Fifth Princess, but she shouldn’t keep her waiting too long either.

Wei Yun lowered her eyes and immediately replied in a low voice, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s wise words!”

—

The marriage between Wei Jing Mo and Feng Bai Wei was considered settled.

Although this matter was only known to the Emperor and the Northern Marquis’s mansion.

However, soon after, another big event occurred in Phoenix Capital!

The Emperor suddenly issued an imperial edict of marriage to the Grand Tutor’s mansion, bestowing the Grand Tutor’s eldest son Shen Ruo as the primary husband to the Fifth Princess Feng Bai Wei.

This imperial edict of marriage came without any warning, catching everyone in the Grand Tutor’s mansion off guard!

Unlike the joy and excitement of Shen Ruo’s mother and father, the old Grand Tutor’s face turned solemn after sending off the edict announcers.

Since that day at the birthday banquet when the Emperor suddenly sent gifts, she had a certain suspicion. Now with the imperial edict of marriage, it felt like everything had fallen into place.

Her wrinkled face looked deep in thought, and she sighed inwardly, not even looking at the excited Shen parents beside her.

Her gaze fell on Shen Ruo, who was standing quietly to the side, and she said in a low voice, “Ruo, come with grandmother for a moment. Grandmother has something to tell you.”

Shen Ruo followed the old Grand Tutor inside with his head lowered.

Only when the two entered the room and the servants outside closed the door did the old Grand Tutor turn around.

Looking at Shen Ruo standing below, she said in a deep voice, “Grandmother knows you might have harbored some resentment towards her recently. Now that the imperial edict has been issued, things are settled. It can be considered as fulfilling your wishes. From now on, you can only rely on yourself!”

Her aged face showed some vicissitudes, “Your mother and father are blinded. You need to think more for yourself in everything. Grandmother is old and can’t protect you for much longer. Since this is the path you chose yourself, don’t regret or complain later.”

Upon hearing the old Grand Tutor’s words, Shen Ruo finally raised his head.

Looking at his grandmother who seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, his beautiful eyes couldn’t help but turn red, his voice thick with emotion: “…Ruo will heed grandmother’s teachings.”

After finishing, the old Grand Tutor leaned back and waved her hand at Shen Ruo, closing her eyes somewhat powerlessly.

Seeing this, Shen Ruo bowed again before slowly turning to leave.

This imperial edict of marriage not only caused a commotion in the Grand Tutor’s mansion but also in the Phoenix Palace within the imperial palace.

The Male Empress’s usually gentle face was now gloomy, his chest heaving violently, clearly very angry.

“Why did Her Majesty bestow that Shen Ruo to you as a husband without even a word to me? Does she not consider me, the Male Empress, at all?”

The marriage of princesses was usually arranged by the Male Empress. Now the Emperor had directly bypassed him without a word. And the one being married off was none other than his own daughter. How could the Male Empress not be angry?

Although Shen Ruo had a grandmother who was the leader of the nation’s scholars, the old Grand Tutor was already advanced in years. Who knew when she might pass away?

Compared to the Northern Marquis’s mansion, it was not even close!

The Male Empress really couldn’t understand. Feng Bai Wei had been winning acclaim in court recently, admired by both civil and military officials alike. Why would Her Majesty bestow such an in-law family to her?

Feng Bai Wei had been sitting silently in a chair to the side, her expression also unpleasant. Her cold, dark eyes were inscrutable.

Given the Emperor’s wariness of the Northern Marquis’s mansion, and the fact that the Grand Tutor’s mansion and the Northern Marquis’s mansion were related by marriage, the Emperor would inevitably make a move on the Grand Tutor’s mansion.

But she hadn’t expected that she herself would become the scapegoat.

Feng Bai Wei’s thoughts weren’t as simple as the Male Empress’s. What she was more worried about now was whether she had been too conspicuous lately, displeasing the Emperor, and if the Emperor was using this marriage edict to warn her.

Her sharp eyebrows furrowed involuntarily, the expression in her deep, dark eyes indiscernible.

Now that the imperial edict had been issued, there was no room for change in this matter.

She couldn’t help but feel irritated, feeling that this marriage edict had disrupted all her plans and arrangements.

Feng Bai Wei’s eyes turned somewhat cold.

And then there was the Northern Marquis’s mansion. If it were to form a marriage alliance with other princesses, it would surely become a major obstacle for her in the future.

Thinking of this, a cold gleam flashed in the depths of her eyes, like a venomous snake waiting to strike at the right moment.

—

The matter of the Grand Tutor’s son being bestowed in marriage to the Fifth Princess caused discussion among people for a few days, but as time passed, the excitement gradually dissipated.

Since being bestowed in marriage, Shen Ruo’s temperament had returned to how it was before, as if the shadow hanging over his heart had finally dispersed.

His wedding day with Feng Bai Wei was still far off. Although the Emperor had designated him as the Fifth Princess’s primary husband, the auspicious date for the wedding had not yet been set. Therefore, he was in no hurry to embroider wedding clothes. He often came to the Northern Marquis’s mansion to play with Wei Jing Mo.

In early November, Phoenix Capital suddenly welcomed a heavy snowfall last night, which fell continuously throughout the night and hadn’t stopped even now.

Dong Qing and Dong Gua, wearing padded jackets, directed the servants behind them to move the charcoal stove into the room, then lit the silver wire charcoal in the stove.

The roaring flames ignited, and within moments the room became warm.

Dong Gua moved a small stool to sit around the charcoal stove, grumbling, “The weather in November is as changeable as the Male Empress’s face! Yesterday we were still wearing unlined clothes, and today we’ve switched to padded jackets. There really was no warning at all!”

Dong Qing smiled and rarely added, “The weather is indeed strange! In previous years, snow usually didn’t fall until mid to late November. This year it’s particularly early.”

The two chatted casually around the charcoal stove.

Wei Jing Mo sat on a soft couch not far away, wrapped in a crescent-white cloak, holding a small hand warmer to keep warm.

His legs were curled up on the soft couch, covered with a thick knee blanket.

Suddenly, a small, fluffy, fire-red head poked out from under the blanket.

It let out a soft, coquettish whine, nuzzling against Wei Jing Mo’s embrace as if acting spoiled, its fur on its head becoming messy from the nuzzling.

This little one was the fox cub that Feng Bai Su had given to Wei Jing Mo during the autumn hunt.

Now the little cub had grown much larger, its yellowish down gradually replaced by fire-red fur. Its round little body was no longer as thin as before, looking like a small red fireball from afar.

Wei Jing Mo lowered his head to look at its small body, his cold ink-black eyes softening. He reached out to rub its soft little body.

Then he heard it make another weak, coquettish whine.

Just as the master and pet were getting along harmoniously, someone suddenly lifted the cotton curtain at the door and walked in.

“Cousin! I’m here!”

Shen Ruo, wrapped in a thick cloak with a hood on his head, walked in covered in snow.

Seeing him covered in snow, Wei Jing Mo immediately sat up straight and instructed Dong Qing and Dong Gua, “Quickly let cousin sit by the charcoal stove! Dong Qing, go brew a pot of hot tea!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m not bothered,” Shen Ruo waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that they needn’t trouble themselves.

“I came by carriage, I only got snowed on for the short walk from the main gate, there’s no need to panic.”

By this time, Wei Jing Mo had already gotten off the soft couch and directly pulled Shen Ruo’s somewhat cold hand to sit by the charcoal stove.

Looking at Shen Ruo with furrowed brows, he said: “How could you come over in such heavy snow? Aren’t you afraid of freezing on the way! Where are the people from the Grand Tutor’s mansion? They should have advised against this!”

Shen Ruo stuck out his tongue, “Alright, alright, I was wrong! Lian’er and He’er are with me, so don’t be angry!”

Wei Jing Mo glared at him again, somewhat missing his recent steadiness.

Seeing Shen Ruo smile at him as if begging for forgiveness, he finally asked, “Tell me! One doesn’t visit the temple without a cause. Coming through the snow today, do you have something to discuss?”

“Hehe, cousin really understands me.”

Shen Ruo rubbed his nose somewhat embarrassedly and replied, “Actually, the Second Prince asked me to invite you to appreciate the snow scenery at Fengyang Lake. After all, it’s the first time he’s entrusted me with something, so I came to find you, cousin, thick-skinned as I am.”

Since Shen Ruo had been betrothed to Feng Bai Wei, he and the Second Prince Feng Jue Ming had gradually begun to interact, often going out to play together.

Today, this young prince had suddenly thought of appreciating the snow scenery for some reason, and immediately sent someone to the Grand Tutor’s mansion to call for Shen Ruo, asking him to invite Wei Jing Mo along.

After all, Feng Jue Ming was Feng Bai Wei’s full-blooded younger brother, and could be considered Shen Ruo’s future brother-in-law. He thought for a moment, and ultimately had the carriage turn towards the Northern Marquis’s mansion.

After hearing his words, Wei Jing Mo didn’t immediately answer.

Seeing this, Shen Ruo quickly added, “It’s alright if cousin doesn’t want to go. After all, this is just my selfish desire. You don’t need to accommodate me for this.”

Hearing this, Wei Jing Mo’s gaze fell on his face again, seeing his cheeks redden somewhat uncomfortably.

He softly replied, “Cousin, there’s no need to be so formal. I was just feeling a bit bored, so why don’t I accompany you for a walk.”