SGEIRS -Chapter 315 Setting the Wedding Date

Spring breezes swept through the window, carrying the scent of flowers, making the air feel delightfully pleasant.

A few close friends in the boudoir chatted and laughed, sipping tea and enjoying snacks—truly a leisurely scene.

Suddenly, Song Xinning recalled some news she had overheard yesterday and asked, “A-Yao, your father has already set a wedding date with your future stepmother. You’ve heard about it, haven’t you?”

Meng Jinyao paused for a moment at this, then shook her head. “With the trouble caused by that unfilial son recently, I haven’t even gone out. I’ve been staying home with the Marquis, not listening to outside matters, so I haven’t had time to pay attention to affairs in my maternal family. When is their wedding scheduled?”

Song Xinning replied, “I heard it’s set for early April. As for the exact day, I didn’t inquire closely.”

Meng Jinyao nodded lightly, not paying much attention to the matter. She said gently, “Knowing the approximate time is enough; it gives one a sense of security. As for the exact date, he’ll send an invitation when the wedding approaches.”

Princess Jingning, curious, asked, “A-Yao, aren’t you worried it might be another cruel stepmother?”

Meng Jinyao pursed her lips and smiled. “The ones who should worry about that are Madam Sun’s children. I’m an outsider who married out, so there’s no need for me to fear being mistreated. I’ll protect my second brother too. He is now under my mother’s name and is the legitimate eldest son of the original wife; she would have to be careful in handling him.”

Princess Jingning nodded. “That makes sense. Still, I don’t think she poses much of a threat.”

Meng Jinyao asked curiously, “Why do you say that?”

Song Xinning also cast a questioning, eager look toward Princess Jingning.

The princess chuckled, “I took the trouble to find out about this Dong old scholar’s youngest daughter. She’s twenty-five, a widow with no children. She was married to her first husband for years and had no children, which proves she cannot bear any. So she won’t produce a legitimate son to elevate her status and cause trouble.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao shook her head and smiled wryly. “Silly girl, not being able to have children isn’t always the woman’s fault.”

Song Xinning added, “Exactly. Some women are abandoned after three childless years, but when they remarry, they have children. Conversely, a man remarrying doesn’t guarantee offspring.”

Princess Jingning’s smile faltered. “R-Really?”

Song Xinning laughed. “It’s more than that. There are couples who just can’t have children together, but once they split and find new partners, each has children. Sometimes it’s just strange luck—both are healthy, but together they can’t conceive.”

Princess Jingning was stunned, astonished. “A-Ning, how do you know all this? Do married girls generally know these things?”

Song Xinning laughed. “Once you’re married, you enter a new circle—the circle of young wives. You can speak more freely than when you were an unmarried girl, and naturally, these topics come up. People share all sorts of stories and gossip together.”

Hearing this, Princess Jingning looked silently at Meng Jinyao. “A-Yao, is that how it is with you too? Associating with a group of young wives?”

Meng Jinyao nodded. “Yes, though apart from you, there isn’t anyone I’m particularly close with. I don’t attend many gatherings, only the necessary ones. Otherwise, I go only when I’m bored.”

Princess Jingning sighed lightly. “Apart from you, I don’t really have anyone I connect with either. After meeting you all, I realized the rest are just flatterers, so I interact with them less.”

Song Xinning and Meng Jinyao were taken aback. Naturally, a privileged and favored little princess would have people fawning over her wherever she went, but for that reason, it’s hard to make genuine friends—many who approach have hidden motives. When you consider them friends, they’re thinking of using you.

Soon, Princess Jingning smiled again. “But my mother said I’ve become more well-behaved, finally grown up, and don’t run around constantly. Even my great-grandmother praised me for becoming more sensible. The only downside is being affected by A-Yao’s father’s remarriage. I thought the children would be the victims, but unexpectedly, it’s me.”

Meng Jinyao was puzzled. “How does my father’s remarriage affect you?”

Princess Jingning cleared her throat twice, mimicking her mother’s tone: “My mother said, ‘Look at Yongchang Bo, already on his third marriage. You’re sixteen, yet haven’t been betrothed, picky about this one and that one. You really think you’re a celestial goddess, and only a divine being can be your match?’”

At this, Song Xinning and Meng Jinyao fell silent.

After a moment, the two of them burst out laughing simultaneously, looking at the princess, frowning and feigning deep suffering, laughing so hard it was like flowers trembling in the wind.

Princess Jingning glared at them in mock annoyance. “You’re laughing? I want to hide in the palace with my great-grandmother! At home, I’m constantly nagged; even my father keeps bringing it up, saying that girls my age already have walking children. I’m a princess—even at twenty, there would be plenty of sixteen- or seventeen-year-old suitors willing to marry me. Why are they so worried I won’t get married?”

Meng Jinyao stifled a laugh and asked, “The young men the princess selected for you should all be excellent. How come you haven’t liked a single one?”

Princess Jingning vented freely: “Either they aren’t handsome enough, or not tall enough, or too quiet, or too talkative, or boring, or slick and untrustworthy, or immature, or too old-fashioned—being with them feels like being with my old father…”

Listening to this long list of complaints, some were contradictory—she disliked a quiet one, then complained about a talkative one. As her friends, Meng Jinyao and Song Xinning both felt for Princess Liang, wondering how she could handle it.

Song Xinning asked, “A-Yan, then what kind of person do you want?”

Princess Jingning froze—she couldn’t answer that offhand.

Meng Jinyao had a sudden spark of thought, recalling a dashing young man. She tentatively asked, “A-Yan, what do you think of the heir of the Duke Shen family?”

Song Xinning paused, then remembered him. Last year they saved the Duke Shen heir. At that time, the Duke Shen’s eldest son by his second wife was reportedly killed by wolves. The heir was thought to be in grave danger. Duke Shen sent people to search in secret for a long time with no news; it seemed hopeless.

Recently, the presumed-lost Shen heir returned home in a pitiful state. The once-excellent eldest son was found again, and Duke Shen wept holding him. If they hadn’t saved him last year, Duke Shen probably would have believed the heir was dead. Maybe even the second son’s death was connected to him, but it’s understandable—if someone tries to kill you, you spare them at your own peril.

However, A-Yan had an old grievance with the Shen heir. Why would A-Yao bring him up?

Princess Jingning, originally calm, immediately erupted at the mention of Shen Shizi. “Shen Yunzhou? That guy as a husband? I’ve met him several times, and almost every time was unpleasant!”

Seeing her so agitated, Meng Jinyao smiled thoughtfully and asked, “Were you angry at him, or was he angry at you?”

Princess Jingning huffed, “Of course I’m angry at him! He’s infuriating. The day before yesterday, he injured his own hand because he wasn’t careful, and yet blamed me! He even had the nerve to force me to peel shrimp for him. I swear, he has the audacity of a bear and a leopard—no sense of rank, even daring to boss around a princess!”