Chapter 167 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

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 Favoring Concubines and Destroying Wives? I Refuse to be the Mistress of this Marquis' Mansion

 Chapter 167: 

A Plan 

"Your Highness?" 

Lin Yunwan scrutinized Qi Lingheng. 

Ever since they ascended the pavilion, he seemed peculiar, though his expression remained unchanged. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was different today compared to usual. 

"I'm fine. Speak your mind," Qi Lingheng said, standing with hands behind his back, gazing at the scholars in the Jishan Society, his expression much calmer now.

Lin Yunwan pressed down on the booklet.

Qi Lingheng turned to her and asked, "Why did you stop speaking?"

Lin Yunwan replied softly, "I didn't intend to say anything to you in the first place."

She merely showed the booklet to the prince to assure him that she had made thorough preparations, so he needn't worry. It wasn't about telling him which people she favored.

Qi Lingheng chuckled lightly. "Is it forbidden to speak to me?"

Lin Yunwan lowered her head slightly and said, "...No."

"Then why not?"

Lin Yunwan looked up to see that Qi Lingheng was asking with genuine curiosity. Did he truly not know?She could tell him what she was doing now, but she didn't want to discuss overly private matters with him!

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"Why do you think?" she asked, tightening her grip on the booklet.

Qi Lingheng smiled faintly and shook his head.

Lin Yunwan felt quite... helpless. She truly didn't know what the prince was thinking.

Doesn't he know that men and women should keep their distance? They were no longer talking about things women and men should discuss now, they were even talking about the difference between men and women? 

"Miss Lin, they're starting." 

Lin Yunwan looked over upon hearing the voice, and saw that the scholars of the Jishan Society had already chosen their topics and were taking turns reading their essays. Everything had been prepared in advance.

Though the distance was a bit far, they could catch some phrases, but the more complex ones were difficult to discern.

"They're debating 'The Path of Learning,'" said Qi Lingheng, with keen ears, picked up on it.

Lin Yunwan could also guess the topic they were debating, and she said, "This is the topic debated by the disciples of the Heart Learning and the Principle Learning schools at the Goose Lake Gathering."

"Ah," Qi Lingheng lightly nodded. He was indeed curious to hear what conclusions the scholars of the Jishan Society could arrive at through their debate.

Seeing that Lin Yunwan wasn't paying close attention, he asked in a soft voice, "Aren't you here to select someone? Why aren't you watching?"

Lin Yunwan nodded and continued to gaze into the courtyard. But her mind wasn't on them.

...The prince is really acting strange today.

Shouldn't they be watching the scholars of the Jishan Society together on the attic?

But she did need to observe the people below carefully; she couldn't just come to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion casually.

"Have you chosen anyone?" Qi Lingheng asked Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan turned her head slowly and said, "I'm still observing."

Although she couldn't quite make out what they were saying below, their behavior, expressions, and mannerisms were crystal clear to her. Using simple portraits and personality descriptions, she recognized three of them.

Qi Lingheng said slowly, "Tell me, which ones have you chosen?"

"...?" Lin Yunwan glanced at Qi Lingheng again and then asked, "Is Your Highness offering to help me choose?"

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Qi Lingheng looked at her with inscrutable eyes. Does he mean that? Let's just leave it as a misunderstanding. 

Qi Lingheng smiled faintly and said, "What's wrong with that?" 

Lin Yunwan thought quietly, there was nothing wrong with it. 

If the prince came to Jiangqian as a feudal lord, he must know more about Jiangqian than she did. There might be some big family secrets that neither she nor Dong Shuangshuang knew about, but the prince did. 

"Those three."

Lin Yunwan mentioned the positions of those three individuals, along with the one she favored the most, Yan Jingzong.

"Yan Jingzong?" 

Qi Lingheng singled out this person because Lin Yunwan's tone changed when she spoke of him, as if she particularly favored him.

However, Lin Yunwan misunderstood and asked, "Have you heard of this person, Your Highness?"

Qi Lingheng shook his head and replied, "No."

Lin Yunwan furrowed her brows and asked, "Then why...?" Why was he only concerned about Yan Jingzong?

Qi Lingheng glanced at her and said, "Think carefully about his name."

Lin Yunwan didn't see anything strange about it.

Qi Lingheng couldn't help but remind her, "There was a notorious minister in the former dynasty, Xu Jingzong—Yan Jingzong. Do you understand now?"

Lin Yunwan couldn't help but smile, "It's just a coincidence in the name, they have different surnames. Perhaps it was inconvenient to change the characters in the family genealogy, so they had to bear with it."

Qi Lingheng remained silent.

Lin Yunwan's heart sank slightly. Upon closer reflection, she realized that there was some truth to the prince's words.

There were many taboos in the court, such as avoiding the use of imperial names, and so on.

Yan Jingzong was, after all, the legitimate son. Why did the Yan family give him such a name? Weren't they afraid it might hinder his future career in the imperial court?

"You just plan to observe them like this and then select someone who meets your criteria?" Qi Lingheng asked.

"Of course not."

Lin Yunwan wouldn't do such a foolish thing. To simply glance at someone from afar and then choose a spouse would be too hasty. What's the difference between that and a blind marriage?

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She had suffered enough from hasty decisions in the past and couldn't afford to make the same mistake again.

"I have a small plan that can roughly assess the temperament of a few people," she said.

Qi Lingheng listened without speaking.

She didn't even know them, couldn't even go down to listen to what they were debating, so how could she assess their temperament?

"What plan? Can I hear about it?"

Lin Yunwan smiled. "Of course. Since you said that your uncle is the owner of this garden, I need to ask you for a favor."

Without the prince's help, it would be a bit troublesome for her to take action.

Qi Lingheng seemed... so easygoing.

"Go ahead, what do you need me to do?" he asked.

Lin Yunwan said, "Please fetch some paper and a pen. I'll write an article, and then discreetly have it delivered to the scholars. I want someone to read it aloud in public."

It wasn't difficult at all.

Qi Lingheng waved his hand towards A'Fu. "Go get them."

"Yes, sir."

A'Fu brought over the paper and pen, inviting Lian Yunwan to come forward. "Miss, please."

Lin Yunwan took the pen and composed an article. It wasn't a strict eight-part essay, but it began with breaking the topic of "The Way of Learning," imitating the style used by the scholars. When mixed among their articles, no one would be able to recognize it.

After the ink dried, she was about to hand the article to A'Fu when she heard, "Won't you let me have a look first?"

Qi Lingheng approached. Since she had written it in front of him, he should be the first one to see her work. Lin Yunwan turned around. The prince's expression was serious, indicating his genuine interest in seeing what she had written.

"Please have a look, Your Highness," she said, handing him the article.

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Qi Lingheng took the article, intending to read it carefully. But as soon as he saw the opening line breaking the topic, he couldn't help but smile.

"Miss Lin, it seems I still don't understand you well enough," Quentin remarked.

Lin Yunwan was momentarily taken aback. Was the prince teasing her?

She replied lightly, "Our relationship has always been that of gentlemen and a lady, Your Highness. Of course, you wouldn't know... I also have a mischievous side."

Qi Lingheng chuckled but didn't say anything further. He instructed A'Fu, "Take this and distribute it among them. Find someone to read it aloud."

"Understood."

This matter was easily achievable. Among the scholars of Jishan Society, some couldn't speak the Jiangqian dialect or Mandarin well enough to read their own articles aloud, so they would have their attendants or others read on their behalf. With many people and distractions, slipping the article in would be easy.

"Your Highness, what do you think of the other two individuals I mentioned?" Since they had to wait for the article to be distributed and read, Lin Yunwan initiated a conversation with Qi Lingheng.

Qi Lingheng replied nonchalantly, "Not very promising."

Lin Yunwan was puzzled; it seemed like His Highness was in a foul mood with everyone today. Originally, she intended to inquire further about his insights, but perhaps it was best not to. She feared that the individuals she favored might turn out to be either treacherous officials or traitors to the nation.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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