CMWKSD -Chapter 134: Even the Prince Ling and Princess Took a Fancy to Ji Chaomian

Princess Ling suddenly slammed the tall stack of portraits to the ground.

Usually gentle and composed, she turned her back and sobbed uncontrollably.

The Prince Ling sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders. “It’s nothing. If none of these are satisfactory, I can look again. Surely I can find someone who suits your heart.”

Seeing her mother like this, Ling Yue quickly stood and came to her side. “Mother, they’re all fine. I’m quite satisfied. Please don’t be like this.”

The Princess Ling tugged at the Prince Ling’s hand. “Actually, I never thought Yueyue needed to marry someone extraordinary. We won’t look at family background or anything else—just look at the person himself. Isn’t that enough? Who cares about his family? As long as the person is good, isn’t that enough? This is Yueyue’s whole life.”

Prince Ling choked a little. “Honestly, among those who passed the imperial exams, there are indeed some respectable families from humble backgrounds, but their households are simply too low-ranking—too low to match Yueyue.”

The Princess Ling wiped her tears, her eyes shining with a strange light. “Which one are you talking about?”

Prince Ling blinked, feeling a sort of mutual understanding. “You’ve taken a fancy too?”

Ling Yue and Ling Mo exchanged a glance, puzzled by the cryptic conversation between their parents.

Who are they talking about?

“How could one not notice them? A pair of rising stars in the capital—they’ve made a name for themselves. Many people, openly or secretly, are trying to inquire about their marriage prospects.”

“If it weren’t for their humble family backgrounds, I would indeed take a fancy to them,” said the Prince Ling, pursing his lips. “Well, maybe they’re a little old.”

The Princess Ling patted the Prince Ling’s arm. “Come on, look at this year’s exam results. How many under twenty-five? The top-ranked candidates may have higher family backgrounds than the Ji family, but they all already have wives.”

The Prince Ling sighed. That’s true—there aren’t that many young achievers. Many are elderly men taking the exams again.

This made the Ji twins all the more remarkable.

Speaking of which, the Ji family also had three elder cousins, closer in age to Ling Yue.

But those small-time students pale in comparison to the imperial exam achievers.

Ling Yue listened, feeling a sense of familiarity. She awkwardly asked, “Father, Mother, are you talking about the eldest of the Ji family?”

Could it be? The one she had picked blindly, the one who stirred a little excitement in her heart, had also been noticed by her parents?

Princess Ling gently brushed away her tears. “Yes. Yueyue once met him briefly. Your father even spent a lot of time inquiring about him. Though he’s older than you, his character is truly good. If you marry him, life may not be extraordinarily wealthy, but your days will be your own. It would be satisfying and ideal.”

“A humble family has its advantages. In a grand household, there are too many twists and complications. I simply cannot be at ease,” she added.

With Ling Yue’s temperament, she could never be a proper high-ranking lady of a noble household.

The Ji family is humble, and their household simple.

Moreover, Princess Ling had her own thoughts: if Ling Yue married into the Ji family, no one would dare act arrogantly toward her.

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Ji Yiqing and Ji Chaomian had both passed the exams, and the family still had two young students.

As for how far they might rise in the future, it was unpredictable—perhaps there could be unexpected rewards.

Those fallen noble families, even if capable, wouldn’t have fallen so low without reason.

It might be better to choose a humble family, low in status, and see what fate brings.

Ling Yue had no idea when her parents had taken a fancy to Ji Chaomian, nor how he had caught their eyes.

The Ji family’s background was insignificant, after all.

Unbeknownst to her, this had originated from the time after Ling Mo was beaten, when the Ji brothers came to apologize.

The Prince Ling and Queen observed the Ji brothers, who, despite being humble, were polite yet unpretentious, with a composed demeanor.

They thought, “This is what a scholar should be like.”

So later, they inquired further. Ji Chaomian was originally a backup candidate.

But after reviewing the fallen noble families, the fallen marquises, and comparing them to Ji Chaomian, he truly seemed a better choice even than those “muddy” nobles.

With a shared glance, the Prince Ling and Princess quickly reached a conclusion.

“Alright, you two go play. Don’t just stand here. Your father and I have matters to discuss,” said Princess Ling, growing impatient with her two children.

If they truly arranged a marriage with the Ji family, there would be countless things to handle afterward.

Ling Yue blinked, and Ling Mo, dazed, was pushed outside.

“Sis, didn’t you say you wouldn’t marry Ji Chaomian? But now it seems Father and Mother want to pair you two up?”

Ling Yue lifted her head, her face instantly turning red.

Rushing to find Ji Chaomian herself was entirely different from a formal family-arranged engagement.

Frankly, if anyone had overheard today’s meeting, a private rendezvous would have been minor; a secret engagement without following propriety could be scandalous.

Seeing Ling Yue blush, Ling Mo leaned closer, his large face looming in front of her. “Sis!”

Ling Yue nearly screamed—her budding feelings were almost dashed by his shout.

“What are you doing?” she wanted to kick him right then.

Ling Mo instinctively covered his ears, a skillful motion. “Doing nothing. I just saw you blush and wanted to ask.”

Ling Yue glared at him fiercely. “Mind your own business! So annoying!”

Yet the slight curve of her lips betrayed her good mood.

After all, her judgment had been validated—her parents had lowered their expectations because of Ji Chaomian.

Ling Yue happily returned to her room, leaving Ling Mo dumbfounded in place.

A few days later, the official appointments for Ji Chaomian and Ji Yiqing arrived.

Ji Yiqing, unsurprisingly, went to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler, a sixth-rank official.

The runner-up shared the same rank, while the top scholar took a sixth-rank position as an attendant reader.

Surprisingly, Ji Chaomian went to the Dali Court as an assessor, a seventh-rank position.

Both brothers would remain in the capital—a pleasant surprise. Although they intended to gain experience in the provinces, staying in the capital first would also be beneficial for learning governance.

With their posts settled, Ji Yiqing and Ji Chaomian were granted two months and one-and-a-half months of home leave, respectively.

Considering Qing Shui County was distant and mountainous, and the family had already written letters, they would soon arrive in the capital.

Thus, returning home would be uneventful.

The two tidied themselves up and began reporting for duty.

Meanwhile, Jiu Yue followed Shao Qing to inspect houses—her first property ever.

Of course, a thorough inspection was necessary.

It wasn’t that Jiu Yue initially didn’t want to buy. Who could have guessed both brothers would stay in the capital? If she had bought a house immediately and then they went to the provinces, it would remain vacant with no chance to rent.

Better not to buy for now.