Chapter 77: Chapter 77
"Ah Yu is still your own nephew after all..."
Seeing her daughter becoming increasingly unrestrained in her speech, Princess Ning was about to interject when she suddenly choked on her words, inexplicably reminded of her grandson's appearance and talents.
The words died on her lips.
Truth be told, it wasn't that her eldest son-in-law was particularly ugly—he was merely average-looking, though his noble upbringing lent him some refined bearing.
But certain facial flaws had unfortunately been inherited entirely by her grandson, making the child rather unappealing.
The Shangguan family had always placed great stock in appearances.
Before her nephew was born, Ah Ran had eagerly anticipated his arrival. Yet once the child was born and his features became more pronounced, the aunt's enthusiasm waned considerably—her care now given mostly out of duty to her sister.
When confronted, her daughter would retort defiantly:
"Mother, surely you don't expect me to dote on a miniature version of my brother-in-law?"
She wasn't without regrets regarding her eldest daughter's marriage. But circumstances had demanded an advantageous union at the time.
At least her younger daughter's marriage could be arranged according to preference.
Sighing, the princess returned to reviewing the dowry ledger.
Well, her younger daughter had always been strong-willed. Fortunately, that young Tanhua Lin was exceptionally handsome—a seventeen-year-old achieving third place in the palace exams spoke volumes of his intelligence.
Being an only son simplified matters too. With the princely household watching over them, her daughter wouldn't suffer.
After the lengthy betrothal rituals—matchmaking, name inquiry, divination, betrothal gifts, and date selection—the wedding was finally set for July the following year.
During this period, Lin Jinghuai lived up to both his strikingly handsome features and the literary talents cultivated by his mother. In under two years, he was exceptionally promoted to Imperial Lecturer.
His duties involved instructing the imperial family, primarily the emperor, in classical texts—granting him exponentially more time at court.
His imperial favor became increasingly evident. On his wedding day, the emperor even bestowed a jade crown for his upcoming capping ceremony.
This level of regard silenced would-be detractors; any whispers of him being a "kept man" remained private, lest they invite ridicule or offend powerful connections.
Even An Ning had to marvel.
Indeed, beauty remained the world's most enduring currency.
She'd met that year's top examinee—while her Ah Jing might surpass him in literary mastery, the zhuangyuan's extensive travels had honed remarkable insight and attention to detail.
Her son's second-place finish in the palace exam's policy debate hadn't been undeserved.
Yet while Ah Jing flourished, the zhuangyuan still toiled in editorial drudgery.
Triennial exams ensured no shortage of talent in the empire.
Amidst the delicate fragrance of lilies, An Ning reclined on her daybed, perusing freshly inked manuscripts.
The Hanlin Academy's vast collection, coupled with imperial permission and her son's diligent transcriptions, provided endless reading material.
An Ning naturally seized this opportunity to broaden her knowledge—who knew what future worlds might require it?
This was the scene that greeted Princess Zhaohua upon entering. Despite growing up surrounded by imperial beauties, the sight gave her pause.
Now she truly understood the saying "true beauty lies in bearing, not features."
The palace boasted flawless complexions and striking features like her mother-in-law's luminous skin and bright eyes—yet none possessed this woman's distinctive blend of effortless grace and ineffable nobility.
She'd thought her husband's looks and temperament unmatched—even her exacting royal uncle frequently praised him.
But encountering this woman revealed the vast gulf between them.
Was this the legendary "poetry-filled heart radiating refinement"?
Observing the sizable stack of annotated texts accumulated in mere hours, Zhaohua's eyelid twitched.
She'd assumed her mother-in-law's reading was casual—how naive.
The gap between individuals proved vaster than between mountains and molehills.
Beyond the towering book stacks, even casually blended incenses surpassed palace masters' creations in revitalizing effect.
Absently touching her noticeably softened cheeks—thanks to gifted balms—Zhaohua sighed wistfully.
The calligraphy and paintings exuded spontaneous artistry even to her untrained eye.
Her husband's official troubles often dissolved under his mother's casual guidance.
Her former princely arrogance now seemed...
Recalling childhood struggles with books and zithers—
Please, in the next life, could she inherit even a quarter of this woman's mind?
Afternoon banter concluded, Zhaohua absently touched her flat abdomen en route home, eyes alight as she told Lin Jinghuai:
"Husband, our children—boys or girls—must take after your mother!"
"Also, Mother mentioned Xiangguo Temple's potent blessings—let's visit during your next leave!"
While he'd anticipated no mother-in-law conflicts, his wife's current enthusiasm—
Her exceeding eagerness for these visits felt somewhat...misplaced.
Yet perhaps the temple's efficacy was real—within a month of their pilgrimage, Zhaohua conceived.
Overjoyed, she nearly jumped while clutching her husband's sleeve:
"Husband, our prayers worked!"
Already envisioning her brilliant, beautiful child, she laughed delightedly.
Meanwhile, An Ning—having discreetly diagnosed the two-month pregnancy: "..."
Was her daughter-in-law perhaps excessively superstitious?
And honestly—she wasn't in any hurry for grandchildren!
Why the rush with the newlyweds' honeymoon period?