Chapter 104 [Extra Chapter] Jiang Mian of the Jiang Family and the Jiang Family Get Engaged...

Chapter 6 [Extra Chapter] Jiang Mian of the Jiang Family and the Jiang Family Get Engaged...

Jiang Mian was very puzzled. Boys like Cong Shan seemed quite nice, and they spoke softly and gently. Unlike Ping An, who didn't act like a boy at all.

When Jiang Mian asked him this question, Ping An couldn't give a straight answer for a moment. He stubbornly insisted, "I said no, and that's final. If I marry a husband like that, I'll have to protect him all the time. It's better to find someone strong and healthy, preferably someone who knows martial arts!"

Ping An admires swordsmen the most, but unfortunately few men learn martial arts. Otherwise, he would definitely roam the world and uphold justice!

"Girls should protect boys," Jiang Mian muttered softly. She didn't argue with Ping An, but sat down and waved to Cong Shan. She didn't care; if Cong Shan needed protection, she would be more than willing.

Unlike Ping An, who always tries to be strong and competitive, always wanting to prove himself against women, and who is always the first to rush to the front no matter what happens, he doesn't need anyone's protection at all, but can instead be someone else's protector.

Ping An couldn't help but feel jealous when she saw Jiang Mian staring at that pretty boy, so she simply dragged Jiang Mian outside the palace to play.

Today is his birthday celebration. He is the eldest among them, so Jiang Mian tries her best to accommodate him. Although this cousin is a bit older than her, he is much more childish than her.

Jiang Yuan accidentally drank too much wine. When she saw the two children running out of the palace hand in hand, the Emperor and the Phoenix watched them leave with smiles. She also laughed in a daze, "Only Princess Ruyi can keep the Second Prince's temper in check."

Seeing her mother smile without saying a word, Cong Shan understood something in her heart. Jiang Mian was a princess, and the Jiang family was not only a royal merchant family but also a noble family. Such a status was completely worthy of marrying a prince. Moreover, marriage between cousins ​​would strengthen the bond between relatives, which was the best thing to do.

For some reason, Cong Shan felt a tightness in his chest. He said to his mother, "Mother, I think I drank too much fruit wine. I want to go out for some fresh air."

The eldest son is the most obedient and never causes trouble. Moreover, he is currently in the palace, where he is guarded by guards everywhere, so it is unlikely that anything will happen to him. Therefore, Jiang Yuan agreed.

Congshan wasn't a heavy drinker; rather, he had never touched alcohol before. Even though he had drunk fruit wine that most people wouldn't get drunk on, he was still slightly tipsy. He felt dizzy and his steps were a little unsteady. There happened to be a pavilion outside the palace, so he decided to go there to get some fresh air and return when the banquet was almost over.

With his eyes closed, the moonlight shone on his dark blue eyelashes, making his skin appear as white as jade. Back in the Imperial Academy, many people had said that he had a handsome appearance and a gentle nature, and that he would surely find a good family to marry into in the future. But he never took it to heart. For him, marriage would mean giving up too many things.

For some reason, Jiang Mian's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

"Brother Congshan".

Cong Shan thought he was hallucinating; Jiang Mian must be playing with the Second Prince, so why would she come to this little pavilion? But when he slowly opened his eyes, he really saw Jiang Mian with a worried expression.

"Brother Congshan, don't sleep here, you'll catch a cold." Jiang Mian sniffed him a few times, smelled the alcohol on him, and frowned, saying, "Why are you drinking? Children shouldn't drink alcohol."

"It's fruit wine. I'm not a big drinker, so I'm a little drunk," Cong Shan explained, getting up and rubbing his aching temples.

Seeing that there was no one behind her, Cong Shan said, "Junior Sister, didn't you go to play with the Second Prince?"

“Ping An wanted to play hide-and-seek with me, so he must be hiding somewhere. I searched all the way here and found you sleeping in the pavilion, so I came over.” Jiang Mian tiptoed and touched Cong Shan’s cold forehead with her small hand. She was relieved to see that he did not have a fever.

"Brother Congshan, please don't drink alcohol anymore, and don't sleep in such thin clothes in the wind," Jiang Mian instructed.

Unexpectedly, he was lectured by Jiang Mian, who was two years younger than him. Cong Shan said helplessly, "I'll remember it."

"Then you should go back quickly, I'm going to find Ping An first." Jiang Mian said goodbye to him, turned around and ran away and disappeared.

Cong Shan reached out and touched her forehead, where it still seemed to retain the warmth of Jiang Mian.

Jiang Mian is like a little sun, always able to warm others. Yet, she is never short of people revolving around her, and she has many, many friends. Even Mr. Li from the Imperial Academy, who disliked her, can now say a few words of praise when he mentions the name Jiang Mian.

Jiang Mian seems to possess a magical power that makes everyone who comes into contact with her fall in love with her.

But Jiang Congshan seems to have nothing.

Cong Shan seemed to suddenly sober up, and he listened to Jiang Mian's words and returned to the palace.

For some reason, Jiang Mian felt that after the birthday banquet, Cong Shan seemed to have become more distant from her. Although he would still patiently answer her questions and smile at her, he always gave her a feeling of being out of reach.

And so, she spent ten years in the Imperial Academy, which she had initially found extremely tedious. Mr. Song not only taught her mechanical arts, but also knowledge of supervising bridge construction and water conservancy projects. Now she can even independently design a bridge of above-average quality.

Her family hoped she would try the imperial examination. Even if she failed, they could use their connections to get her a position in the Ministry of Works. Jiang Mian was not one to take shortcuts, so she readily agreed to rely on herself and earn a degree honestly.

At the time, she told Mr. Li that studying was tiring and that she just wanted to sleep. Now it seems that not a word of it was true.

To prepare for the exam, she rarely stayed up late studying. Over the years, her grades at the Imperial Academy had consistently ranked second, with Xi Le always taking first place. If she weren't the Crown Princess, the imperial examinations would surely have discouraged all the students.

Everyone knows that the Crown Princess is exceptionally talented. At the age of thirteen, she wrote a masterpiece that will be remembered for generations. She is also kind and gentle. Even many pedantic scholars praised her highly, saying that with the Crown Princess in charge of the country, the nation will surely prosper and the Manchus will never perish.

Jiang Mian has a good memory; she can memorize almost anything after reading it twice. However, there are too many books that require careful study, and her eyes get sore from reading them. In the end, she can only light a candle, hold the book up with her hand, and take a short nap on the table. After waking up, she continues to read, going through this ordeal until the early hours of the morning.

Seeing Jiang Mian studying so diligently, Xue Lingyu couldn't help but feel gratified, but at the same time, she began to worry about her daughter's marriage.

“After the palace examination, Mian’er will be sixteen. It’s time to find her a suitable husband.”

Jiang He nodded. Young men from aristocratic families are usually engaged at the age of thirteen or fourteen. If they are not engaged, it is either because their families spoil them and want to keep them for a few more years, or because they have some unspeakable reason that makes them unable to get married.

As she grew older, Jiang Mian became less mischievous and playful than before. Instead, she became more composed. Although she still sometimes gave her parents headaches, she would surely mature after getting married.

"He must be gentle and tolerant of Mian'er's temper, and his appearance can't be too bad either. As for his status and family background, those can be put aside," Jiang He said. She was a little worried that if she really married someone of a higher social standing, Mian'er might fight with him if anything went wrong.

"I heard that the eldest son of the Minister of Works is handsome and good-tempered. Although he is two years older than Mian'er, he is Mian'er's senior brother. The two have known each other since childhood, which is quite a good fate." Xue Lingyu had heard Jiang Mian mention her senior brother many times over the years. He had also met him a few times. He was indeed a refined and gentle young man. Standing next to Jiang Mian, he was quite a good match for her.

"Jiang Yuan is a good person with an excellent reputation. I heard that it's because her eldest son doesn't want to get married so early that the engagement has been delayed. But it also depends on whether Mian'er likes her."

If Jiang Mian liked her senior brother, she would have told her parents. Jiang He was just worried that she wouldn't like him and that they would end up with a mismatched couple.

Xue Lingyu smiled and agreed, "Then I'll go and sound out Mian'er's opinion."

Jiang Mian was so engrossed in her studies that she felt like her heart was breaking. She had Mr. Li's class in the morning and planned to catch up on her sleep, so she remembered to rush to the Imperial College. She even only grabbed a few steamed buns for breakfast before heading out.

"Father, I'm going to the Imperial Academy."

Xue Lingyu stopped her, "Wait."

"Does Father have anything else to say?" Jiang Mian's eyes were dark and she couldn't help but yawn. She had already planned that after the imperial examination, she would burn all the books in the study and end her academic career!

Seeing her like this, Xue Lingyu felt very sorry for her. After thinking for a while, she asked, "I wanted to ask you if you have a man you like? After you finish the imperial examination, you will be of marriageable age."

"The man you like?" Jiang Mian felt her eyelids twitching, so she casually replied, "Of course, it's Brother Congshan."

She was only close to two men throughout her life: Congshan and Ping'an.

Ping An is her cousin; the two are related by blood, and her affection for him is simply that of a family member.

As for Congshan, it was a feeling of affection for his senior brother.

Unfortunately, Brother Congshan went with Mr. Song to survey the ancient bridge and is no longer in the capital.

"Father, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Xue Lingyu got her answer and this time she didn't stop Jiang Mian.

He told Jiang He what Jiang Mian had said, and the two hit it off immediately, planning to propose marriage to the Jiang family.

Childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree, this was a match made in heaven. Jiang He and Xue Lingyu were afraid that if they were a step too late, someone else would beat them to it.

Over the years, there have been many marriage proposals from the Jiang family. Jiang Yuan felt that several families were quite good and well-matched with her son. However, Cong Shan insisted on staying with his mother and father for a few more years to fulfill his filial duty.

Moreover, he has now made a name for himself by learning from Mr. Song and does not want to give it up just because he is getting married.

Jiang Yuan had always indulged him, but Cong Shan had been dragging it out until he was seventeen. Soon he would be eighteen, and if he kept waiting until he was older, there wouldn't be many eligible girls in the capital willing to marry him.

Now the Jiang family has come to propose marriage. The eldest daughter of the Jiang family is Congshan's junior sister. The two have known each other since childhood. The Jiang family also said that their eldest daughter has not been engaged for a long time because she misses her senior brother. If this marriage is settled, after Jiang Mian passes the imperial examination, they can welcome Congshan into the family with a grand sedan chair carried by eight people.

The Jiang family is extremely wealthy and would certainly not compromise their principles. Moreover, Jiang Mian is not only a princess but also a young noblewoman. The Jiang family has a title bestowed by His Majesty, making them an exceptionally good family.

After hearing this, Jiang Yuan immediately agreed to the marriage.