Refusal

Lin Huabin talked a mile a minute, until his mouth was dry.

He then remembered to ask Lin Yunwan, "What do you think of your cousin Wenhai?"

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly.

She's not a little girl; she's a poor scholar raised by her mother. What can she possibly do?

If he hadn't been related to the Zheng Shi family, how could he have even entered the Lin Residence?

However, there's no need to say too much to Lin Huabin.

Lin Yunwan said, "If Master thinks Wenhai is good, then he is naturally a good person."

Lin Huabin was pleased to hear this. He nodded and said, "Since you also think your cousin Wenhai is good, then I'll mention it to your father..."

"No need."

Lin Huabin's face stiffened for a moment, then he asked with a smile, "Why not?"

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly and said, "My father is not a scholar. What's the point of you mentioning a mere xiucai (a lower-level scholar) to him?"

Lin Huabin smiled and looked down.

Is this girl not understanding? Or is she just shy?

He glanced at Lin Yunwan; she didn't seem shy, so did that mean she looked down on Wenhai?

"Yun Wan, your uncle has always had a good eye for people. As for Wenhai, this child—"

Lin Yunwan looked at Lin Huabin quietly; she was very calm.

She didn't even need to say anything; Lin Huabin understood on his own.

If he truly thought Wenhai was a good person, why didn't he leave it to his daughter?

Lin Huabin felt he had made a fool of himself, so he said, "... You should go back now."

Lin Yunwan curtsied and took her leave. She actually wanted to tell Lin Huabin that she wanted to see Zhao Jingyi, but after thinking about it, she decided not to.

She returned to the Bixi Hall in silence and leaned against the windowsill, lost in thought.

Xiruo brought over some tea and asked with concern, "Miss, you haven't been very talkative since you came back from Ji Mountain. Is something wrong? Can I help you?"

Lin Yunwan turned around and said, "It's nothing."

"Xiruo, could you get me some paper and a pen?"

Lin Yunwan picked up her pen, wanting to write a letter to Zhao Jingyi, but couldn't bring herself to write.

She put down her pen again.

Xiruo then came over and asked, "Miss?"

Lin Yunwan fell silent, wanting to hear Xiruo ask, "What do you think of the Prince?"

Xiruo exclaimed in surprise, "Of course, Your Prince is wonderful!"

Why would you ask that, young lady?

Xiruo felt confused and said, "It's hard to say how the Prince treats others, but he's very good to you, young lady."

Lin Yunwan closed her eyes briefly.

The Prince is a good man, but marriage is a serious matter, and it's not enough for Prince to be good. The emperor and Empress might not agree. It's obvious that the royal family would never allow such a scandal to happen!

She wasn't so presumptuous as to think that her status and intelligence could stand against imperial power.

"What exactly do you want to write, young lady?"

Xiruo didn't understand Lin Yunwan's hesitation.

Lin Yunwan said, "... I want Lord Zhao and Master to discuss my marriage."

The Prince's words troubled her, but she still knew her situation. She said, "Yan Jingzong is the Legitimate Son of the family. Although he is not the eldest son, he has the demeanor of one. Given time, he will surely achieve great things. Having a good and virtuous wife would be like adding wings to a tiger."

She could not only help her husband manage the Inner Residence, but also assist him in paving a smooth path in his official career.

Neither the Yan family nor Young Master Yan himself should object.

"The Yan family has been scholars for three generations, and it is only in the generation of young master Yan that we can see the momentum of their rise to prominence. Whether it is the East Lin Residence or the Lord Zhao, the Yan family is not considered to be marrying down."

"They're a good match."

Xiruo nodded. "If Master were to hint at this to the Yan family would probably be eager to propose marriage."

Lin Yunwan smiled and said, "It's not that bad. We're choosing whoever we want, and they're choosing who we want. We have to meet and see each other first, and only when the Yan family elders are satisfied can we make a decision."

Xiruo urged, "What are you still hesitating about? Why don't you talk to Lord Zhao and ask him to finalize your marriage as soon as possible?"

"Young Master Yan's performance in the Ji Mountain Society has been truly outstanding. I'm afraid other families have also noticed his merits. If we're a step too late, and he's already engaged to someone else, then all your efforts in investigating him will have been in vain."

Lin Yunwan gripped the pen again.

How should I tell Xiruo...?

If the Prince hadn't said those things, she would have written whatever she wanted. But the Prince said he wanted to marry her and told her to think it over carefully.

She felt she owed the Prince so much kindness, and now this had happened. Was it really appropriate for her to write to the Prince's maternal uncle, asking the Zhao family to help arrange her marriage?

This letter will surely fall into the hands of the Prince. What will he think when he sees it?

"Let's cut to the chase..."

Reason prevailed.

Lin Yunwan picked up her pen and wrote a letter to Zhao Jingyi.

She had to marry Yan Jingzong.

There are many ways to repay the Prince, but certainly not by indulging in his foolish antics.

She wouldn't do something so foolish.

\

My daughter wrote to me. Haha.

Zhao Jingyi found it quite novel that his daughter was writing him letters.

"Maternal uncle, let me see it."

Qi Lingheng instinctively felt that it was written for him.

Zhao Jingyi dodged away with the letter, jokingly saying, "My daughter gave it to me. What are you trying to steal?"

Helpless, Qi Lingheng could only say, "Uncle, you should take a look quickly."

He also wanted to know what Lin Yunwan had said.

Zhao Jingyi, eager to project an image of his father, opened and read the letter. As he put it down, he looked up at the sky and sighed with delight, "Oh dear, I'm going to lose money."

"How?"

Qi Lingheng was very curious.

A Fu went to get the letter for him, Qi Lingheng's face darkened after reading it.

Zhao Jingyi didn't think much of it. He sat with his nephew Prince, discussing his daughter's wedding. "Do you think I should prepare a dowry? How should I prepare it? How much is appropriate? Would giving too much be too conspicuous? Maybe I should mix it into the dowry Lin Huabin gives, then no one will suspect anything."

"Tsk, this is annoying. Why didn't you just make her my daughter? You're letting Lin Huabin get away with this!"

After saying that, Zhao Jingyi looked at his nephew with a smile... but why did his expression suddenly change?

Qi Lingheng clutched the letter, stood up, and said calmly, "Maternal uncle, don't worry about this for now. I have other things to attend to, so I'll head back first."

"Why are you leaving so soon after arriving?"

Zhao Jingyi chased after them, but his pet parrot was still chirping under the eaves. A Mynah mimicked human speech perfectly, calling out, "Nephew, nephew, nephew."

Qi Lingheng stopped, glanced at the Mynah, and quickly left again.

Zhao Jingyi took down the cage from which the Mynah was staying, opened the door, preened its feathers, and spoke to it, "Why did my eldest nephew get so angry with me?"

"This child has always been so composed, it's surprising that he's lost his composure one day. How interesting..."

Although he was slow to notice, he could tell that Qi Lingheng had lost his composure.

Zhao Jingyi was just teasing his nephew on purpose.

He's rich but not stupid; where would he get so much hard-earned money to give as a dowry?

"Come on, learn a few more phrases."

Mynah: "This is really interesting... this is really interesting..."

"Clever as a ghost."

Qi Lingheng returned to his palace and dealt with the letter.

Even though it was all burned to ashes, he remembered every single word written on it.

She rejected him.

She actually refused to marry him.

Qi Lingheng up his pen and wrote a letter to Lin Yunwan as well.

How could he possibly let her marry Yan Jingzong?