As the saying goes, a sparrow may be small, but it has all its vital organs.
Such a courtyard was a bit too modest for either Xia Tingfeng or Ni Manxue. Therefore, he felt somewhat apologetic. However, for now, this was all he could manage.
Seeing how small the courtyard was, Rat asked, "Big Brother, you spent nearly a thousand taels of silver on a hairpin for Consort Xian Pin back then. Do you regret it now?"
Xia Tingfeng, standing at the courtyard entrance, replied without hesitation, "No regrets!"
Why would he regret buying something for his younger sister? If he had the chance to do it over, he would still buy that hairpin for her, as long as she liked it.
As for... Miss Ni, if she didn’t look down on him and was still willing to marry him, he would do everything in his power to treat her well, ensuring she never shed a single tear for the rest of her life. After all, she was the girl he liked; he wouldn’t let her continue to feel so wronged! Everything he had was hers!
「Inside the palace」
As the weather grew colder, Xia Ruqing stopped going out. No one dared to spread news about outside affairs within the palace. Other than knowing her elder brother had been impersonated in a memorial submitted to the throne, she was unaware of the subsequent events in the imperial court. Ultimately, she only knew the final result. She learned that the Emperor had decreed a marriage between her elder brother and Miss Ni of the Ni Family.
Only on the third day after the marriage decree did Xia Ruqing finally see Zhao Junyao.
That night, after dinner, the two of them lay leisurely on the bed. Little Bun, having eaten and drunk his fill, was sleeping soundly and was carried away by the Wetnurse Nanny. Da Bai and Xiao Bai, sticking close to Little Bun, went down as well. Only the two of them remained in the room.
Thinking of her elder brother, Xia Ruqing’s eyes sparkled, and she asked with a look of anticipation, "Emperor, am I going to have a sister-in-law soon? When will the wedding be?"
Zhao Junyao, who was drinking tea, smiled when he heard her question and said, "The wedding? That depends on whether Miss Ni is willing to marry him!" He wore an expression that suggested he could only help so much.
Xia Ruqing thought for a moment, then asked, "Has Big Brother been very poor lately?"
That hairpin was quite valuable. Big Brother couldn’t have... spent all his savings, could he?
Zhao Junyao found it somewhat amusing. "How did you know?"
Xia Ruqing pondered for a moment, then said, "Although Big Brother didn’t write that memorial, the facts in it... they should be correct!"
Zhao Junyao then asked, "So, how do you plan to help him?"
Xia Ruqing seemed a bit stunned and surprised. Then, hesitantly and with a hint of grievance, she said, "Emperor, I am confined to the deep palace. What help could I possibly offer? Emperor, you promised you would help. You can’t go back on your word!"
Zhao Junyao found her little act of siding with an outsider quite amusing. "I never said I wouldn’t help! When that Miss Ni looks down on your elder brother for being poor, it won’t be too late for me to step in then!"
Xia Ruqing was speechless. Emperor, you might as well have said nothing. Miss Ni looking down on Big Brother for being poor? If she were truly the type to scorn the poor and curry favor with the rich, Big Brother wouldn’t have taken a liking to her in the first place. He might not be skilled in other areas, but after navigating the wider world for so many years, he should at least have some ability to judge character, right? The Emperor saying this clearly means he still doesn’t want to help.
Xia Ruqing became unhappy, her lips pouting noticeably.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Junyao found it even more amusing. He reached out, gently tapped her nose, and said, "You could hang an oil pot from that pout!"
"Emperor..." Zhao Junyao decided not to tease her further and said, "Qingqing, why are you worrying so much? He’s a grown man. What help could he possibly need? If Miss Ni isn’t the type to scorn the poor and curry favor with the rich, then temporary poverty is nothing to be afraid of. If she were such a person, then even if I gave them mountains of gold and silver, it wouldn’t guarantee they’d grow old together!"
Men have their pride. Asking for help to marry a wife would be a real loss of face. Many a strong-willed man would rather endure poverty than accept help.
At first, Xia Ruqing didn’t quite understand, but after thinking it over, she did.
"Emperor..." she said, looking down in embarrassment. "It was I who was being narrow-minded and petty!"
Zhao Junyao ruffled her hair. "A gentleman doesn’t accept food given in contempt, and a true man carves out his own destiny. Why should we meddle unnecessarily?"
Xia Ruqing giggled. "Good thing I’m neither a gentleman nor a ’true man’!"
Zhao Junyao gave her a light pat on the bottom and said with a sigh, "Alright, alright! It’s getting late. Time for bed!"
Xia Ruqing stuck out her tongue, then rolled over and climbed out of bed. The Palace Attendants moved in an orderly manner, bringing copper basins, towels, and wooden tubs to help their masters wash up and change. After a flurry of activity, the inner chamber quieted down.
Zhao Junyao had been quite tired recently. Holding Xia Ruqing in his arms, he had no other thoughts and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. With her worries gone, Xia Ruqing also drifted off to sleep early. The two of them slept soundly, without a care in the world.