What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 348 - 344: Divination Interrupted

Taixing, Year Fifteen, October.

The Crown Prince Li Mu once again requested a decree to take the second daughter of Duke Yan as the Crown Princess Consort.

"As soon as His Majesty spoke, he complained that Xiao Bai was too young, which was inappropriate, then the newly appointed Prime Minister Wei Du chimed in with a comment ha ha ha..." Tang Ziqian couldn’t help but laugh as he recounted it.

"What did he say?" Tang Xiaobai urged impatiently.

Tang Ziqian chuckled twice before answering, "Wei Du said—"

As he cleared his throat, he mimicked Wei Du’s voice and tone.

"What His Majesty said is indeed correct. As the Crown Prince, since he is the successor, offspring should be a priority. Miss Tang is too young and cannot bear the heavy responsibility of producing heirs. A suitable aged lady should be chosen to strengthen the Eastern Palace."

Tang Xiaobai was speechless.

This Wei Du... how did he manage to stab everyone right where it hurts with one sentence?

"And the Crown Prince? What did he say?" Tang Jiaojiao asked.

Speaking of the Crown Prince, Tang Ziqian felt another bout of laughter coming on: "The Crown Prince said, ’Why don’t we consult a divination?’"

"Pfft!" Tang Xiaobai laughed out loud too.

The manner in which the Crown Prince was pushing people into the Observatory was so blatant that it seemed just short of slapping a label on Lin Xujiji’s forehead reading "Crown Prince’s exclusive mystic."

Consulting a divination, wasn’t this just an open act of cheating?

"And then? Are they really going to ask the divination?"

"Yes, they are just going to divine!"

...

Although speculating that Li Mu was confident, when the day of the divination finally arrived, Tang Xiaobai was quite nervous.

She got up early in the morning and didn’t have the mind to draw her map, so she sat alone in the study, staring blankly at the shadows of trees in front of the window.

In early winter, the shadows of the trees cast on the window’s white gauze lacked the delicate flowers and the subtle leaves; they were bare yet appeared especially tough and strong.

Spring to grow, summer to flourish, autumn to harvest, winter to store.

Being hidden does not mean it is absent.

On the contrary, after hiding the flowers and leaves, the remaining branches silhouette like bold and vivid strokes, impossible to ignore.

Tang Xiaobai quietly watched, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

"What time is it?" she couldn’t help but ask.

"Three quarters past five in the forenoon." Tao Zi immediately replied.

"Second Miss, don’t be anxious. Maybe the divination hasn’t concluded yet. Once there’s a result, the Crown Prince will surely send someone with a message." Cheng Zi comforted.

Tang Xiaobai nodded, realizing she was indeed a bit agitated.

Her gaze shifted, landing on Cheng Zi, and she asked: "About your marriage... what does your mother say?"

Due to Luo Xiong’s selfless rescue, Cheng Zi’s mother had a change of heart and even personally visited to express her gratitude.

Cheng Zi lowered her head, her face slightly flushed: "She said... she wants it after next year’s imperial examination... he wants to earn a title before..."

To earn a title before marrying the one he loves.

This approach makes sense.

Tang Xiaobai remembered that Tao Fen had the same plan.

She didn’t think much of it before, but now, maybe due to feeling anxious, hearing such words just felt like procrastination.

To talk about the marriage after earning a title next year, what if he doesn’t earn the title? Will they still talk about marriage then?

She managed to keep composure, only grumbling in her heart without speaking out.

"You all may leave, I’ll practice my calligraphy for a while." Tang Xiaobai said, pressing her jumping brow.

Initially intending to calm herself through calligraphy, she found herself undecided about what to practice.

Finally, she flipped to a copy of "Xunzi" hand-transcribed by Pei Xuan, looked at it for a while, and decided to copy from this book.

Pei Xuan’s calligraphy was excellent.

Simple yet archaic, upright and peaceful, exhibiting grand manners.

His knowledge was solid and profound as well.

Most importantly, his thoughts leaned towards materialism, just counteracting the Qing learning’s disaster-related theorems.

If indeed people were to be sent to the Imperial College, she would prefer someone like Pei Xuan.

She had strong ideas about the Imperial College.

Not like the young master sending someone eccentric, but rather from bottom to top, overturning the entire education system and guiding philosophy.

Ten years to grow trees, a hundred years to nurture people.

They needed to proceed slowly, dismantling the covering of Qing learning bit by bit.

She believed that the temperament of a nation is determined by the young, and the knowledge they acquire, the thoughts they receive, are very important.

She used to think she was still young and didn’t want to marry too early.

But now, the situation was such that if she became the Crown Princess Consort, there would be more possibilities, she could do more things, more opportunities to involve herself in the reform of the Imperial College.

She sincerely hoped that the divination today would go smoothly—

After finishing a passage, she turned to a new Chapter, it was "Heavenly Discussion":

The heavens have their constant course, they do not persist for Yao, nor do they perish for Jie.

For some reason, Tang Xiaobai was momentarily dazed.

Regaining her composure and intending to write, her hand suddenly shook, leaving a blot of ink on the paper.

She suddenly lost the mood for calligraphy and put down her pen to walk out of the study.

Looking up and seeing the sun nearing its zenith, she was about to call someone to inquire again when a shadow swiftly appeared before her.

"Second Miss—"

It was Mo Ji.

Tang Xiaobai felt a pit at her heart: "What happened?"

"An earthquake in the northeast, the divination was interrupted!"

...

Taixing, Year Fifteen, October twentieth.

When the Emperor together with the Crown Prince and the ministers consulted a divination, strange phenomena suddenly appeared in the sky, followed by the seismograph’s dragon spitting a bead, pointing to the northeast.

The northeast of the Capital City, including inside the passes, Hedong, and Hebei, covered a vast area.

The Court immediately dispatched envoys on swift horses to investigate towards the northeast.

Earthquakes, regardless of era, are natural disasters that almost bring despair.

Who would have time to care about the Crown Prince’s marriage matters at such a time?

Tang Xiaobai saw Li Mu again on the third day after the earthquake.

It was evening, and the light filtering through the window gauze was dim and gray.

The lamp was lit on the desk, and she was bent over, writing rapidly.

The maids stood guard outside the room, dare not disturb her thoughts.

Then, there came a knock from outside the window.

Softly, tapping on the wooden frame.

Tang Xiaobai looked up and recognized the familiar elegant figure silhouetted against the window gauze.

Without thinking, she pushed the window open.

A breeze stirred the candlelight, casting an unsteady glow on his face, creating a half-revealed, half-hidden effect.

Even half hidden, it couldn’t mask the weariness between the young man’s brows and eyes.

Tang Xiaobai reached out, touching the stubble on his chin, feeling deeply for him: "How long has it been since you rested?"

"I’ll rest once I get back." Li Mu replied.

After pondering for a moment, he added: "I’m tall enough now, so don’t worry about me not growing taller."

He intended it as a joke, but he didn’t have a joking tone, so it sounded quite serious, amusingly so.

Tang Xiaobai burst out laughing, holding his hand as she asked: "How did you get in? Seems like my father is at home today?"

"The Duke knew I wouldn’t be at ease without seeing you, so he let me off." His voice was low, incredibly soft.

"How are things being discussed in the court?"

In recent days, reports of the earthquake reached various state mansions to the northeast of the Capital City, stretching as far as Xingzhou on Hebei Road.

"All of these follow precedent, there’s no need to worry, the discussion now is about who to send."

Tang Xiaobai felt her heart move as she looked up at him.

"Do you hope I go?" Li Mu asked.