Too high to reach

Chapter 49 Big Pig Hoof
Seeing the prince's furrowed brows, Granny Zhao felt helpless.

But I still have to advise you: "Your Highness, Princess Zhou has been gone for several years, it's time for you to have a princess as well!"

"Let's see... If we can delay it, we'll delay it as much as possible," Li Jing said indifferently.

He didn't have many thoughts about marriage. Over the years, he rarely stayed in one place for more than two years at a time.

The vast royal mansion became his only place of residence in the capital, but he never felt at home... even with his concubines and children there.

From a young age, he was not very good at matters of love and romance; as long as he was an accessory and didn't cause any trouble, that was good enough.

My deceased wife, Zhou Li...

Back then, she was the most outstanding lady in the capital. She was beautiful, talented in literature, and played the zither exceptionally well.

She is gentle and innocent, and kind to others.

He solemnly married her, and she happily married him, but the two of them didn't get along well.

From beginning to end, he couldn't figure out what Zhou Li wanted!
What kind of cook doesn't she have at home? But she insists on cooking herself, even if it means getting cuts and burns, she never tires of it!

Everything I do, I have to taste it. And not only do I have to taste it, but I also have to give my opinion!
Saying "It's delicious!" won't work.

Even after saying, "Not bad!", she was still not satisfied.

To put it another way: "It's just average, and I don't like sweets."

That's it!

Tears started falling!

Are tears... so worthless?
When his mother and brother died, he stared wide-eyed without crying.

His eyes only reddened when he saw his sister, who was his compatriot.

What's the use of crying?

That kind of venting is not as satisfying as killing some people!

And... she would feel sentimental about everything, from the full moon to the half-moon, from rain to snow, from the first flower of spring to the first leaf of autumn.

The water for making tea must be collected from snow or dew... Originally, the water for brewing tea at home was delivered daily from Yuquan Mountain, and that wasn't enough?!
It's indescribably complicated!
If you like these, go ahead and experiment! I won't be picky or restrictive.

But she insisted on dragging me along!

You have two outfits, and you insist on letting me see which one looks better!

Both are yours. Wear whichever one you want, and if you don't like it, just throw it away and buy a new one.

There's no limit to your spending, so why be so long-winded?

Sister, you never do that!

I remember her; on important occasions, she was always radiant. But on ordinary days, she wore fine linen clothes! She said they were comfortable!

While we were at the mountain villa, he even secretly wore the clothes of a young eunuch, secretly rode my horse, and sneaked out to play with that bastard Dongfang.

Later, the horse returned, but the two of them did not!

They didn't know whose dogs they had offended, but the two of them were chased back by several dogs, their hair disheveled and covered in mud. Dongfang's clothes were torn by the dogs, exposing her underwear, and she had lost her shoes!
But my sister's smile...

That's what real beauty looks like!
Why can't she be like her sister?
...He knew that Zhou Li was unhappy too!
Even after she gave birth to her eldest daughter, she was not happy!
At first, I had to coax her. Later, I didn't need to do anything anymore! We didn't even talk to each other when we were together.

Perhaps she truly had no will to live. An illness so easily took her life, and I didn't even get to see her one last time. Such a stunningly beautiful woman… Sometimes, I feel guilty!

He really disliked this feeling: that he hadn't done anything wrong, but felt like he owed someone something.

Very troublesome!
He said coldly, "Things over there were finally settled. Only then did I have the energy to manage things here. In the court, apart from a few hidden agents, the foundation is certainly not as deep as the Crown Prince's. The Emperor's health is indeed somewhat weak... I don't know how much time we have left. There are many things to do. As for marriage, I don't want to."

“Your Highness, I know you look down on this, but if we could find a good match, it would be a great help to our affairs…”

Li Jing smiled and said, "Granny, a good marriage is certainly a help. But every help comes with a price! If it's for my own sake, that's fine. But if it's for Anian... then the help now will become an obstacle in the future."

Granny Zhao said somewhat somberly, "Times have changed. We'll see what happens in the future. Besides, perhaps there will be someone who will always suit your taste!"

She took out a list. "You haven't returned yet, and there must be a lot of invitations piled up in the study and at Consort Feng's place. And you probably won't be able to avoid the Emperor's question either. If that's the case, we should make plans in advance."

"The nanny hasn't been idle either; she's been keeping an eye out and has selected several girls who are quite good in every way. They're all on this list. You should take a look when you have time..."

Li Jing casually took it, glanced at it symbolically, and put it on the table without giving it any thought.

Granny Zhao was still unwilling to give up: "Leaving aside others, the granddaughter of the Princess of Fengcheng was originally betrothed to the heir of the Marquis of Jing'an, but before the wedding, the Marquis of Jing'an and his son died for the country. The Princess of Fengcheng doted on her the most, and she will definitely make plans for her. But looking around the capital, there are only so many good young men... The Princess of Fengcheng treated the Prince well all those years. If she really opens her mouth..."

"The Princess has done me good deeds, but I haven't been ungrateful! Whether it was helping her son out of trouble or helping the Princess's household to profit. Therefore, if I don't bring it up, she shouldn't just ask for it. If she does, she can't blame me for being embarrassed..."

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Granny Zhao had no choice but to say, "Yes. Then you should keep this list too. In case the Emperor can't handle it, we need to have our own plans and not let the palace lead us by the nose."

"Very well." Li Jing sighed, "In the past two years, although official business has gone very smoothly, the things I wanted to investigate still haven't yielded any results. The people I've been looking for haven't given me any news either... Year after year has passed, and I wonder if my mother, brother, and sister... are getting impatient."

"Your Highness, if the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Princess could know this in the afterlife, they would surely wish most that you were well and that our Nian-ge'er would be well taken care of. No matter who committed the dirty deeds, their motives were nothing more than this: once we achieve our goal, we will exact a severe revenge on them!"

“What the old woman said makes sense…” Li Jing nodded, and was about to mention Zhou Dong’s wife and children when the head guard outside announced: “Your Highness, Consort Feng has arrived!”

Granny Zhao's eyes darkened, but she didn't say anything.

"Let her in!" Li Jing instructed.

Consort Feng entered with a smile, and Granny Zhao stood up and bowed.

"Granny Zhao is here?!" Consort Feng nodded with a smile, walked over, and poured the prince a cup of tea. "Your Highness, have I disturbed you?"

"nothing!"

"Your Highness has returned, and the sisters haven't been able to have a meal with you! I've prepared wine and dishes, and since Granny Zhao is here today, you must do me the honor of joining us."

"Alright. You can make the arrangements! Granny, please stay for dinner!"

"Yes!"

Consort Feng secretly observed that both the Prince and Granny Zhao seemed to be in a turbulent mood. She wondered what they were talking about…

Aside from official business, the prince knew a great deal about many things.

But they certainly don't know as much as Granny Zhao.

There were two pieces of paper on the table. She glanced at them lightly as she placed the teapot on the table.

The handwriting looks like Zhao Mama's. Is this a list?
I saw the words "eldest daughter of..."

This old hag, could she be a candidate for the prince's queen?
My heart sank...

(End of this chapter)