Chapter 46

Because of the incident at noon, the Crown Prince lost interest in continuing to attend the poetry gathering.

“Let’s call it a day.”

With these words from the Crown Prince, Han Yaxian and the Xiao sisters bid farewell.

Qiao Jiaojiao’s gaze swept over the six people present, and suddenly she realized that there were exactly three couples in front of her!

Seeing the three young ladies leaving gracefully, Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

【They say spring is the season of budding romance, and it’s really true. The souls of these three couples are completely lost!】

Qiao Tianjing, being shy, quickly averted his gaze.

Qiao Diyi, on the other hand, was very straightforward. Although she’s not my wife yet, she will eventually become my wife!

The Crown Prince: I’ll discuss with my mother later, and we can finalize the selection for the Crown Princess.

Because they left halfway through the poetry gathering, the road back home was very smooth. As soon as Qiao Jiaojiao arrived home, she threw herself into the fragrant and soft embrace of Mrs. Qiao.

Sitting in Mrs. Qiao’s arms, Qiao Jiaojiao gestured excitedly and chattered away about the day’s events. Although she knew Mrs. Qiao couldn’t understand what she was saying, it didn’t stop her from sharing her joy.

【Mother, you won’t believe it! Today, I saw my eldest sister-in-law! I also met the two sisters from the Xiao family—one is the Crown Prince’s consort, and the other is my second sister-in-law!】

Mrs. Qiao’s eyes curved with laughter as she listened with relish.

With this, it seems the selection for the Crown Princess is settled, fulfilling the Queen’s wish.

As a mother, Mrs. Qiao empathizes with the Queen’s feelings towards the Crown Prince. She worries about her eldest son’s marriage just as much.

Speaking of which, it’s time to set the wedding date for the eldest son.

Three days later, Mrs. Yang joyfully paid a visit.

“Oh, I heard that my sister has chosen the wedding date?”

Mrs. Qiao greeted her with a smile, “Yes, it’s all set. It will be on the tenth of September. I’ve already checked, it’s an auspicious day! Could you please pass on this wedding date to the Han family?”

Mrs. Yang was happy for her sister, “Of course, of course. And don’t forget to have the newlyweds toast me, the matchmaker, a cup of wine.”

Mrs. Qiao affectionately held Mrs. Yang’s hand, “That goes without saying! Not only that, but my husband and I will also toast you a cup of wine!”

Mrs. Yang waved her hand, “Forget about your husband, I’m not qualified to drink his toast! Alright, wait for my good news!”

In the afternoon, Mrs. Yang sent word that the Han family had agreed!

Mrs. Qiao was overjoyed. During these days, apart from taking care of Qiao Jiaojiao, she was busy preparing generous betrothal gifts for her future daughter-in-law.

The date for the betrothal gifts was set for the tenth of August. Although the time seemed ample, there was a lot to prepare, and Mrs. Qiao was bustling around.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day before the announcement of the Spring Imperial Examination results, and Qiao Jiaojiao was feeling nervous too.

Qiao Zhongguo knew what was on Qiao Jiaojiao’s mind, so the first thing he mentioned when he came home was Tan Hanchi.

“Wife, our eldest and second son won’t be coming home for dinner tonight.”

Mrs. Qiao pretended to be puzzled. “What’s going on? Do they have some social engagement?”

After a tender moment between the couple last night, Mrs. Qiao leaned in her husband’s arms and brought up Qiao Jiaojiao.

“Husband, Jiaojiao has been talking about Tan Hanchi a lot lately. Is everything okay on your end?”

Qiao Zhongguo lovingly wiped the thin sweat from his wife’s forehead and smiled, saying, “Don’t worry, everything is prepared properly. But we can’t let Jiaojiao keep worrying like this.”

“Let’s do this. Tomorrow, we’ll subtly reassure her in front of Jiaojiao, so she can feel at ease.”

So, we have the scene now.

Qiao Zhongguo nodded. “Tomorrow is the announcement of the Spring Imperial Examination results. The two brothers said they’re going early to congratulate a student surnamed Tan. They might not return home until late at night.”

Qiao Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

“Great! This is truly a blessing for our Qiao Family! Second Brother’s martial skills are so strong. If anyone from the Qingguo Mansion dares to lay a hand on him, Second Brother will definitely protect Tan Hanchi!”

“Thank the heavens! This is the best outcome. Even if Tan Hanchi ends up going to King Jing’s side in the end, with his current friendship with my two brothers, he probably won’t scheme against the Qiao Family.”

Qiao Zhongguo and Mrs. Qiao exchanged a knowing smile when they saw Jiaojiao’s joyful expression.

On the other side, Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Diyi had already arranged to meet Tan Hanchi.

They didn’t choose a prominent restaurant but rather an affordable one where aspiring scholars often frequented, making Tan Hanchi feel particularly comfortable.

Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Diyi were taught hand in hand by Qiao Zhongguo since childhood. Besides enjoying the delicious food at such a restaurant, Qiao Zhongguo even made them eat coarse food and endure hardship to toughen them up.

Tan Hanchi greatly admired Qiao Tianjing’s literary talent and ability, while Qiao Diyi was bold and unrestrained. The friendship among the three was indeed excellent.

“Tan, tomorrow is the announcement of the exam results. Allow us, brothers, to congratulate you in advance!”

Tan Hanchi waved his hand repeatedly, “The results haven’t come out yet, Brother Qiao, it’s too early for such words.”

However, Qiao Tianjing shook his head earnestly, “I’ve seen Tan’s literary talent. A person of your caliber should not be overlooked by the court.”

These were Qiao Tianjing’s sincere words.

If it weren’t for the interference of Qingguo Mansion, Tan Hanchi wouldn’t just be a clandestine adviser by the Second Prince’s side.

He would have used his talent and righteousness to shine in the court, dedicating himself to the people’s welfare.

In fact, Tan Hanchi had confidence in his own writing. His humility earlier was just a formality. Now, seeing Qiao Tianjing’s acknowledgment, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart.

“Brother Qiao, I hope to have the honor in the future to work alongside you, serving the court and seeking the welfare of the people!”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Tianjing nodded heavily.

After all, he and his second brother had come for this very purpose!

After enjoying a hearty meal and chatting for a while longer, Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Diyi finally bid farewell.

“Brother Tan, let’s walk together for a while.”

Tan Hanchi’s inn was on the way back to the Qiao residence.

“That would be excellent.”

Tan Hanchi was relaxed and cheerful. He felt quite content after spending so much time chatting with the Qiao brothers tonight.

On the way back, Qiao Diyi remained vigilant.

Tomorrow was the day of the exam results announcement, so tonight was the last chance for the thieves from the Qingguo Mansion to strike!

The journey back to the inn was uneventful.

Qiao Diyi had a sense of what was happening; it seemed the thieves intended to strike at the inn!

Upon reaching the inn, Tan Hanchi bid farewell to the two Qiao brothers, promising good news tomorrow and assuring them that he would deliver the invitation to the Qiao residence first thing in the morning.

As Tan Hanchi turned left and entered the lower-class room of the inn, Qiao Diyi gave Qiao Tianjing a meaningful look.

At midnight, everyone was fast asleep.

Tan Hanchi, preoccupied with thoughts of tomorrow’s exam results, couldn’t fall asleep.

Suddenly, he heard the latch of the window being tampered with, startling him in the silence of the night.

But Tan Hanchi couldn’t imagine that someone was coming to take his life at this hour. After all, he was just a humble examinee from Zhuozhou.

It must be a rat.

After all, this was the lower-class room, adjacent to the inn’s kitchen.

With this thought in mind, Tan Hanchi cautiously got out of bed to investigate. However, as soon as he peered out, a cloud of chloroform sprayed directly onto his face.