“In my private treasury, pick one if you like something,” Emperor Chongwen said. “I’ll need your help with matters in the harem.” Emperor Chongwen’s words were pointed.
“These are all within my duties, and I will certainly do my best,” the Empress replied.
“Anian brought his wife to the palace to speak with Ale. You have nothing else to do here, so don’t keep them.”
“I find Zhenzhen quite agreeable, so I spoke a few extra words. Sister, please don’t be offended,” the Empress said with a smile to Consort An. “When Zhenzhen visits the palace again, you should also bring her to see me more often.”
“As long as Sister doesn’t find us noisy,” Consort An replied with a smile.
“How could I?”
Leaving the Empress’s Yikun Palace, Qi Zhenzhen rubbed the corners of her mouth. She had maintained a proper smile the entire time, and her cheeks were stiff.
“Aunt, I still have some matters to attend to. I’ll bring Zhenzhen to chat with you again later,” Gu Sinian bowed to Consort An.
Consort An didn’t mind, but Jinrong was reluctant to let Qi Zhenzhen leave. She rarely had playmates in the palace, and now that her cousin-in-law, with whom she could talk, had arrived, she had to leave before they had finished chatting.
It was all the Empress’s fault for summoning her cousin-in-law for no reason, wasting time, and bothering people.
“Cousin-in-law, when are you coming to the palace next? Don’t forget what you promised me. I still want to know if Gray Wolf managed to eat the sheep! As a wolf, it’s quite pitiful. Also, don’t forget to ask Cousin to help me…” Jinrong held Qi Zhenzhen’s hand, looking reluctant, but not forgetting to remind her of this and that.
Qi Zhenzhen agreed to everything, and only then did Jinrong let go. “If you don’t have time to come to the palace, I can come to the Duke’s mansion to find you. I often stayed at the mansion when I was little, and my maternal grandmother liked me very much.”
“Jinrong, don’t be silly,” Consort An chided. “You’re already a young lady.”
Jinrong pouted. “I was just saying.”
After leaving the palace and getting into the Duke’s mansion carriage, Gu Sinian asked Qi Zhenzhen, “What did that girl Jinrong say to remind me about?”
Qi Zhenzhen explained that Consort An was choosing a husband for Jinrong. Gu Sinian’s brows furrowed slightly. “That Cheng family one is no good. A gentleman in public, but behind closed doors…”
He paused, then continued, “He has an outer chamber, and it’s not a woman he keeps, but a male prostitute.”
Qi Zhenzhen was slightly surprised. “The Ministry of Rites didn’t find out?”
“He’s very secretive about such things. Even his parents might not know,” Gu Sinian scoffed.
“Then how do you know?” Qi Zhenzhen asked.
Gu Sinian touched his nose. “Yuanbao told me. Yuanbao had some dealings with him and accidentally stumbled upon it. He’s fine as a friend or brother, but not as a husband.”
“Anyway, Jinrong didn’t fancy the Cheng fellow. What about the others?” Qi Zhenzhen asked.
“Yan Laoliu is alright, I suppose. I’m not familiar with the others,” Gu Sinian said after some thought. He had served in the army for many years, and the Yan family was a military family. Although he hadn’t fought on the battlefield with Yan Laoliu, he was very familiar with Yan Er and Er, and had seen Yan Laoliu a few times. He was a straightforward person with no ulterior motives. More importantly, the Yan family’s ancestral teachings stipulated that Yan family sons were not allowed to take concubines! Even if they couldn’t have children, they weren’t allowed to take concubines. With so many brothers, there were always those who could have children, ensuring the lineage wouldn’t end. Moreover, the Yan family had no such worries; the married ones all had children, and more than one. Speaking of which, in several generations of the Yan family, only Yan Qi was a daughter.
Qi Zhenzhen had never heard Gu Sinian praise someone so highly. Since he said this one was alright, he must be suitable, right? The others were not very important, after all, Jinrong fancied Yan Laoliu.