Upon entering Tianya Inn, the Seventh Princess Uxihan covertly stared at Liang Madam and Fan Shaohui for a long time.
It wasn’t until Jiujiao tugged her that she turned away, pretending nothing happened.
But as Fang He and Liang Madam spoke, Uxihan sidled up to Jiujiao, brimming with curiosity.
“So these are your Fan Brother’s parents? They really are good looking. How handsome must that First Place Scholar be?”
“Hm… probably like an immortal who has tasted the dust of the mortal world,” Jiujiao said with a laugh, leaning on the window and watching the bustle outside.
Uxihan: “…..”
‘What kind of description is that?’
It wasn’t as good as when Jiujiao once said he was the child of her Fourth, Eighth, and Ninth Brothers—though Uxihan couldn’t figure out how three people could have a child together.
Jiujiao seldom praised anyone, especially those young men.
She, the Ninth Sister, seemed born knowing how to be a butterfly—flitting prettily through the green leaves, never getting entangled.
But Jiujiao had only mentioned Fan Lianghan once before Uxihan, and occasionally drew mysterious, elegant figures in Xisan Place.
Uxihan had tested Jiujiao’s feelings several times to no avail, and now she was too curious to resist.
She deliberately teased, “Ah, you talk him up so much, and he’s about my age—what if I like him, too? Would you stop talking to me for the rest of your life?”
Jiujiao glared at her playfully and said, “Come now, Seventh Sister, am I that kind of person?”
Uxihan smiled smoothly and replied, “Last time, I picked a few of your flowers to make snacks. You ate the snacks, but didn’t speak to me for a month because I picked your flowers. What do you think?”
Jiujiao: “……”
Could she admit she avoided her sister because the snacks were so delicious, she feared gaining weight and lacked self-control?
She’d lose all face!
She maintained her composure and retorted, “If you like him, go ahead and ask Father to arrange the marriage. Aren’t there enough young men in the world? With my status, do you think I couldn’t find someone better?”
Uxihan raised her brows, smiling still.
She knew Jiujiao too well.
If Jiujiao didn’t care about something, she wouldn’t bother saying more, just like the Imperial Noble Consort.
Having drawn out Jiujiao’s true thoughts, Uxihan dropped her joking tone.
As the adopted daughter of Concubine Jing—whose own mother once harmed the Imperial Noble Consort—Uxihan, now under the Noble Consort’s protection, lived a decent life, and naturally had her own wisdom.
One must be grateful in life; Uxihan never wished to harm the Imperial Noble Consort or her child.
Even putting the Noble Consort aside, even among true sisters, if something—or someone—was off-limits… one joke was enough.
Any more would be foolish.
Besides, to maintain lasting honor, a princess’s consort had to be well-matched in status.
Uxihan didn’t care whether her future husband was good-looking or devoted; after all, no man would dare mistreat a princess openly.
Seeing Uxihan’s ambiguous smile, Jiujiao blushed.
She was still a young girl; no matter how calm, there was some shyness she could not speak of.
She puffed her cheeks at Uxihan, “If you want to get married, just say so! I’ll have Mother send your portrait over so you can pick from the best.”
Uxihan quickly surrendered—she was only sixteen, what was the rush?
It was much better to stay in the palace, close to Jiujiao and the Imperial Noble Consort, for a few more years.
After a round of laughter, Uxihan couldn’t hold back her curiosity and whispered to Jiujiao, “Since you like him, why not tell the Imperial Noble Consort? If you do, could he even refuse?”
As for status, honestly, in the palace with the Imperial Noble Consort present, it was the least of their concerns.
Jiujiao was amused, “I’m not a female warlord…”
Under Uxihan’s strange look—’You know yourself’—Jiujiao smoothly changed her words.
“…Even if I were, it’s useless. It would only cost me my dignity, so why bother? If he likes me, he’ll find a way to come to me. If he can’t, he’s not worthy.”
Uxihan was even more surprised, “But aren’t you…?” in love with him.
Jiujiao raised an eyebrow, cutting her off, “Who says the one who falls first must be at a disadvantage?”
“Father gave us our blood, our education, our privilege—not so we could grovel before men.”
Though only fourteen, Jiujiao already displayed the pride and bearing of a mature princess.
“I never force anyone. We live in the most privileged place in the world; I only pick the sweetest fruit. If it’s not sweet, I’ll choose another.”
Mother once told her, a girl must first learn to love herself, then her family, her lover, and her children.
Mother said, “If a woman can’t even learn to cherish herself, how can anyone else cherish you more?”
Jiujiao firmly believed it.
She’d never liked anyone as she did Fan Lianghan, and had dreamt of him many times, but she never planned to make the first move.
If she and Fan Lianghan had no fate, it would be his loss!
Just then, noise erupted outside.
Jiujiao instinctively peeked out, but stopped short and quickly pulled her head back, composing herself with a gentle look, and turned to Fang He and Liang Madam.
“Mother, Aunt Liang, he’s here! Come and see!” She promptly hid behind Uxihan, peeking out only from the corner.
Liang Madam winked at Fang He—Jiujiao’s temperament was like a more stubborn version of Fang He’s; simply unyielding.
A hint of pride flickered in Fang He’s eyes.
Her daughter, naturally, must do even better than herself.
Whatever Jiujiao chose, she would support her, because she believed Jiujiao knew how to love herself best.
When Fan Lianghan passed by the Tianya Inn, dressed in the red scholar’s robes and riding a tall horse adorned with red flowers, he smiled and lifted his head, looking to the window where Fang He and the others sat.
He had thought he’d see Jiujiao, more graceful than ever, but instead only saw a stranger, along with the Imperial Noble Consort and his own mother.
Yet, on closer look, he saw beside that regal young lady, a little head poking out, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
So, the Nine Princess was indeed stubborn—never willing to appear at a disadvantage, no matter what…
As he deftly avoided a sachet thrown his way and rode off, Fang He turned to Liang Madam with a smile.
“Want to bet? I say your son will get the worst of it.”
The boy was indeed talented, but perhaps life had been too easy for him—he took everything lightly.
But Jiujiao, as the daughter of Fang He, wouldn’t indulge a man’s wishful thinking.
Liang Madam smiled unconcernedly and replied, “No bet. He deserves it. A little setback now is better than a huge fall in the future.”
She had long noticed her son’s hidden pride; after all, all young men, no matter how clever, were the same at heart.
Ten days after the First Place Scholar’s parade, it was time for the annual Dragon Boat Race in the palace.
Many ministers arrived early at Changchun Garden, proceeding in order toward the Outer Lake palaces.
The race was watched from lakeside pavilions, with the Emperor and Imperial Noble Consort accompanying the Empress Dowager in the central Guanlan Waterside Pavilion.
But first, the competition between the female top scholar and the First Place Scholar would be held in the newly built Shuzhu Hall by the Outer Lake.
The Princess of Chengyuan and the harem consorts, along with the Hanlin Scholars, served as judges.
Fang He, having seen how Geng Shuning managed debates, set detailed rules allowing both sides to invite royal relatives or friends for support.
This year’s top-ranked female candidate was Guoluoluo Zining, cousin to the Eighth Princess Consort, and thus a distant niece of Consort Yi.
Zining had grown up in Shengjing and still carried the boldness of Shengjing’s Manchu young ladies, but was also sharp and clever, thriving in the Imperial Household Department and soon assigned to Fang He as her chief lady-in-waiting.
As royal relatives could be invited, Zining naturally did not hesitate, inviting the Seventh Princess and Nine Princess to help her with the debate.
When Zining arrived with the two princesses at Shuzhu Hall, she found that Fan Lianghan, the First Place Scholar, was already there, accompanied by the most learned among the princes—Yinzhen and Eight Prince Yinsi.
Zining and Uxihan both fell silent, even Jiujiao looked at her two brothers in surprise.
“Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, how could you side with an outsider?”
Previously, the Princess of Chengyuan had picked three potential brides for Yinzhen: the legitimate daughter of Mingshang Guoluoluo, Deputy Minister of Works from the Bordered Yellow Banner; the legitimate daughter of General Sun Sike from the Plain White Banner; and the second daughter of the Khalkha Prince.
After much deliberation, Yinzhen did not pick the more proper Sun family girl, but rather the lively Guoluoluo girl, thus making himself and Yinsi’s cousins-in-law.
Since the fathers of the Fourth and Eighth Princess Consorts were cousins, both should logically be supporting Guoluoluo Zining.
Yinzhen remained silent.
Yinsi smiled warmly and saluted Jiujiao by saying, “It really was an accident. Blame my gambling nature. That day I met Fourth Brother at Tianya Inn, and bet with the First Place Scholar over an old cold case.”
The result was, after being unsolved in the Ministry of Justice for over ten years, Fan Lianghan found evidence and solved it in just three days.
Though Yinsi took the blame, everyone knew Yinzhen was on duty at the Ministry of Justice, while Yinsi was at the Lifan Yuan.
Jiujiao snorted twice at Yinzhen.
She knew Fourth Brother was meticulous and dedicated.
Father had long said that the Fourth Brother would eventually take over the Ministry of Justice, so she couldn’t blame her brothers anymore.
Without so much as a glance at Fan Lianghan, she pulled Uxihan and Zining toward the affirmative side of the arena, as arranged by Fang He.
Fan Lianghan watched her back with a smile.
He hadn’t seen her during the parade, but now that he did, he realized she’d grown even more beautiful, blossoming like a flower in full bloom—impossible to look away, drawing countless admirers.
He glanced, without betraying emotion, at the group of young men holding banners to cheer on the Nine Princess at the side of the hall, his eyes narrowing slightly.
No rush—he’d first deal with these young upstarts, gain the standing of a Bannerman, and only then openly express his feelings to Jiujiao.
At a moment unseen by Jiujiao, a hint of ruthless determination flickered in Fan Lianghan’s eyes, one even he might not have realized.
But this expression was caught by Lobzang Gunbu, the perceptive son of the Prince of Dalhan.
A hint of hostility flashed in Gunbu’s eyes.
He might not be able to overtly suppress the Eight Banners scions and the Khalkha princes, but would he let a Han scholar steal what was rightfully his?
Heh… he’d see to it that this new First Place Scholar wished he were dead.
Fan Lianghan’s senses were keen, and as soon as he sensed the killing intent, he matched Lobzang Gunbu’s cold stare directly.
He smiled and nodded slightly in return, as if to say—the first rival he needed to deal with was this Prince of Dalhan’s son.
Though this contest was subtle, it could not escape the seasoned eyes of Kangxi, who, accompanying Fang He into the hall, instantly sensed the tension between the two youths.
Noticing Jiujiao’s eager expression as she rested her chin on her hands to watch them, Kangxi’s face darkened, about to lose his temper.
Fang He tugged at his sleeve and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Jiujiao has her own mind. If you don’t want her to rebel, then say nothing.”
“My daughter takes after me—when have you ever seen me suffer a loss?”
Kangxi: “…”
‘Did you consider your daughter’s Father’s feelings before you said that?’