A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Is Wulang Engaged?

This was the first time Qi Yang had appeared in public since he had grown up, and it was truly shocking.

When the competition ended, people from far and wide were looking at him.

Prince Yongqing thought to himself: No matter which of the two girls on the boat is Wen Yu, standing with Qi Yang, they both complement each other perfectly!

He couldn’t help but feel sour and annoyed. “Good for you, you’re stealing my girl, and you’re stealing the game too!”

“And to think I was trying to be nice to you before, what do you take me for?!”

“When I get this world…”

“Not only will Miss Wen, but even you, have to kneel before me and serve me!”

“At that time, we’ll settle the score one by one.”

He had never suffered such a big loss, and he couldn’t control his emotions. The Emperor finished giving out the awards and saying his words, telling everyone to go down.

He just walked away on his own…followed by a few people.

The Emperor saw it, and his eyes turned cold. “I asked everyone to go down first, but he left!”

“He couldn’t even stand losing a game, truly useless!”

Prince Wu saw it, and he was also unhappy.

“Qi Yang, come here!” the Emperor called.

The Crown Prince was very excited to finally be able to stand with Qi Wu in public, and he was talking to him about the game just now, still gesturing…

Qi Wu heard the Emperor call and stepped forward respectfully.

The Emperor looked at him carefully for a long time and sighed: “I remember you had a great-granduncle who was once known as: Golden Spear Qi Yulang. He was truly elegant and charming! I was still young at that time, and when he returned to the capital, I specially went to see him!”

“It’s a pity that he died in the Battle of Wushan, so young. Qi family’s descendants actually produced you…Hmm, very good! Looking at you, you have some of his charm, but you’re fairer.”

Being mentioned for his looks, Qi Wu didn’t know what to say.

“Your skills also have the Qi family style! What, did you know each other before?!” The Emperor pointed at the Crown Prince and asked.

Qi Wu said, “When this subject was young, I was sent out of the capital by my mother to study and came back a few times. I have met the Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince looked at Qi Wu, grinning, his admiration evident.

“Studying outside? Where did you study?”

“I went to the Qin Family Academy. My mother had hoped that this subject could pass the imperial examinations!”

“The Qin Family Academy is not bad…Your mother, is that Cui Fengying girl?!”

The eunuch beside him laughed: “Your Majesty, Madam Qi is no longer a girl. Look, her son is so old! And he even has an elder brother!”

The Emperor laughed loudly, “That’s right! I only remember that girl was very much liked by the former Empress, her little mouth could talk! I remember some time ago, your father came back. Did Qi Youyi come?”

The eunuch was worried that the Emperor would call, so he had already called Qi Youyi, who was watching the excitement, to wait below the platform, and Qi Xiao was also there.

As soon as the Emperor called, the two of them went up to the platform to salute and congratulate him on his birthday again.

Just now, they, father and son, had already seen Qi Yang flying all over the field from the stands.

Qi Youyi sighed inwardly: “Such a good opportunity was obtained by him.”

Qi Xiao, however, couldn’t sort out his thoughts.

“This son of yours is very handsome! He’s also skilled, well raised!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your praise!”

“Have you arranged anything for him?”

“Your Majesty, this subject just came back and hasn’t had time to think about it.”

“Well, in that case…Qi Yang, if you don’t want to take the imperial examinations anymore, go report to the Xuanji Department!”

Qi Youyi was startled, the Emperor was going to use him personally? He would be separated from the Qi family…

The Crown Prince looked at the Emperor with pleading eyes, “Imperial Grandfather…Grandson…” It seemed he wanted Qi Yang!

The Emperor ignored him and was deeply satisfied with his own decision. “Well? What do you say?” he asked Qi Wu.

Qi Wu knelt down and saluted: “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your cultivation!”

Everything was beautiful, the Emperor was very happy.

In the blink of an eye, he saw that Princess Yongan of Prince Yun’s family and another…it seemed to be the girl from Princess Zhengyang’s family, had all gathered at the bottom of the platform!

Both of them had their four eyes fixed on this handsome young man.

“Eh, they’re looking to arrange a marriage for him, not bad!”

So he asked, “Qi Wulang, are you engaged yet?”

The Emperor was calculating in his heart, such a good thing, to whom should he bestow it upon…

“Replying to Your Majesty, this subject is engaged.”

“Engaged?! To whom?” The Emperor’s calculations fell through, and he was very dissatisfied.

His eyes glanced at the Crown Prince.

The Emperor had reached his current position with a deep mind! Today, the Crown Prince choosing Qi Wu seemed accidental. But in this world, how could there be so many coincidences?

Listening to who he was engaged to, he might be able to understand a thing or two…

As a result, Qi Wu said: “Replying to Your Majesty, it is the eldest daughter of Vice Minister Wen Qian of the Ministry of Revenue from Jiangzhou.”

Wen? Ministry of Revenue? Vice Minister…never heard of him!

“Why such a marriage?!” The Emperor was dissatisfied and directly asked Qi Youyi.

Qi Youyi gave an appropriate wry smile…

Qi Wu said, “Your Majesty, my mother met Miss Wen at the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s millennial Dharma Assembly…So…” Qi Wu blushed appropriately.

Qi Xiao, seeing the bruise on his fifth brother’s face, also blushed, feeling a little guilty.

“That Cui Fengying girl is simply outrageous!” The Emperor was unhappy.

But Qi Youyi was a little surprised to hear the Emperor scolding like this: “This way of scolding, isn’t it without holding back?”

The former Empress was gone, could it be that the Emperor was also good to Cui Shi?

“Has she arrived?” the Emperor asked with a sullen face.

Wen Qian had of course arrived.

Just now, that handsome young man had been flying around the field for a while before the news reached him.

At that time, he was dumbfounded, could it be that this was his future son-in-law?!

Listening to the hissing and laughter of the people around him…it was full of envy, jealousy, appreciation, and sourness.

He didn’t know what to think, he just stared blankly for a long time.

When the eunuch came to call him, he quickly straightened his clothes and waited under the platform.

✿✿✿

He didn’t expect that the Emperor really wanted to see him. He calmed himself and steadily walked onto the platform, kneeling down to salute.

His voice was softer than that of most officials, giving the Emperor a good first impression.

Looking again, he was in his thirties, with clear brows and bright eyes, tall and straight. Elegant and graceful, he really looked the part…

After a simple inquiry about his resume, Wen Qian answered respectfully.

“Jinshi at twenty…not easy!”

And he had worked in several places over the years, a real doer.

The Emperor’s impression of him improved a lot at once!

“Work hard!” the Emperor nodded.

This interlude was over.

Wen Qian retreated, his footsteps light and soft. This was his first time meeting the Emperor and talking to him. He felt like smoke was rising from his ancestral grave, his own efforts, and…and he had also benefited from his daughter’s light…

The Crown Prince pleaded with the Emperor, but he didn’t get the person, so he pointed at Qi Wu and said to the Emperor, “Imperial Grandfather, Grandson wants to take Qi Wu to show Father!”

The Emperor glared at him…

“Imperial Grandfather, Father wasn’t able to come to watch the game, and he feels regretful. Grandson will take the prize you bestowed and bring a dazzling person to tell Father about the game and make him happy!”

“Go, go!” the Emperor waved his hand impatiently.

The Crown Prince actually jumped up high and pulled Qi Wu’s sleeve and ran.

“Useless!” The Emperor loved his son, but he didn’t love this grandson…this thing was shameless.

Princess Yongan and County Princess Yongning, their eyes hadn’t left Qi Wu since he entered the field.

When the Emperor called Qi Wu over, they quietly followed.

When they heard Qi Wu say that he was already engaged, the disappointment and despair in their hearts were beyond words. They silently watched as Qi Wu followed the Crown Prince into the distance.

The Crown Prince pulled Qi Wu and ran all the way to the warm pavilion where the Crown Prince was staying.

The Crown Prince was leaning on a couch, holding a book in his hand, a thin blanket covering his legs. The Crown Princess was not there.

When he reached the door, the Crown Prince lightened his footsteps and called softly, “Father?!”

“Come in!”

The Crown Prince pulled Qi Wu and walked in.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince!” Qi Wu knelt down on one knee.

The Crown Prince looked at them with a smile.

“Father, this is Qi family’s fifth son, Qi Yang. Just now, your son fought side by side with him and won the ball game!” The Crown Prince’s eyes were sparkling.

“Qi Yang, get up.”

Qi Wu stood up and silently looked at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince also admired Qi Wu for a while, then said, “This face, was it injured just now?”

“No, I bumped into it while practicing with my brother at home.”

Hearing this, the Crown Prince’s face darkened.

But the Crown Prince laughed: “It adds a bit of a fierce air. Seeing you both in your prime, full of vigor, is truly enviable!”

He had known about his son and Qi Wu’s relationship for a long time. But in the imperial palace, he couldn’t say much.

Putting down the book, he stretched out his hand and pulled the two of them.

Although the Crown Prince was thin, his hands were broad and soft. He held one hand in each, and although he didn’t say anything, the Crown Prince could understand.

His father was worried about him and wanted a close friend to help.

The Crown Prince knelt down, and Qi Wu also knelt beside him…

The Crown Prince didn’t speak, but nodded. Qi Wu also understood and nodded solemnly.

The Crown Prince raised his chin, signaling them to get up.

Footsteps came from outside, and from the greetings at the door, it seemed like the Crown Princess had arrived.

The Crown Prince wiped his eyes and said of the one who had been injured by the collision, “…He came straight at me! It’s good that Ouyang was quick, he fell to the ground and rolled away gritting his teeth. Otherwise, if he had been trampled by a horse, it would have been really troublesome.”

The Crown Princess came in, she had already received the news that her son had won a great victory, and he had also brought back a handsome young man.

“Mother Consort! This is Qi family’s fifth son, Qi Yang.”

Qi Wu saluted her.

When the Crown Princess saw Qi Wu, her eyes lit up, she looked him up and down carefully before saying to the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, people say a man on the road is like jade, a gentleman unmatched in the world. Seeing Qi Yang, this subject consort truly understands where this phrase comes from.”

The Crown Prince laughed: “And, he’s not just a pretty face! Huan’er just said, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have won today!”

“Yes, Mother Consort, your son didn’t expect that Wulang’s ball playing was so good! Just now, Imperial Grandfather even praised him for a while!”

Seeing Qi Wu, the Crown Princess was rapidly calculating in her heart.

Qi family?!

Such appearance and character…

“Wulang, are you engaged yet?!” The Crown Princess’s enthusiasm couldn’t be contained.