This was a vast grassland where countless noble steeds roamed freely and grazed at their leisure; this was the training ground for the Xiao Family’s military horses.
Lying on a patch of clean grass, Xiao Qinqin gazed at the blue sky and asked, "Which do you prefer, horses or the eagles in the sky?"
Yue Tingfang sat beside her, glanced at the few eagles soaring above, and laughed, "Eagles are even harder to train than spirited horses, so I prefer horses—they’re within reach."
Xiao Qinqin gave a wry smile and said, "How can you compare them like that? Compared to horses, I actually prefer eagles."
"Why?" Yue Tingfang suddenly thought of the cliffs by the Southern Sea where one could capture some young eagles that had yet to fly, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
If Qinqin liked them, he wouldn’t mind indulging in a bit of nest-robbing for once.
Xiao Qinqin sighed, "Horses may run fast, but they’re corralled on this land. They seem free, but in truth, they are not masters of their own fate. Their ultimate destiny is to become mounts for soldiers. But look at those eagles in the sky—if they wish to spread their wings, they can fly wherever they please."
Yue Tingfang looked at her, her delicate features unable to hide a touch of valiance, making her even more dazzling than the daughters of the Yue Family.
Yue Tingfang had already been in Beijing for several months, and thanks to his striking appearance, prestigious background, and gentlemanly demeanor, he had quickly won the affections of a great many women in the city within this short time.
If it weren’t for the restrained local customs of Beijing, he would be afraid to even step outside.
By day, he would join Jin Moning in visiting the Xiao Family’s military camp, while at night, he stayed at the Crown Prince’s residence.
Thus, he had become an extremely important friend to the Crown Prince.
Jin Moning teased, "My butler has received yet another invitation for you today—that’s for the birthday of Official Jian in two days’ time. Will you go?"
"Official Jian?" Yue Tingfang thought for a moment, then responded, "Oh, that Official Jian, yes, I must go. I heard that my father had some old acquaintances with him when he first came to Beijing."
Jin Moning’s smile took on a deeper meaning as he said, "Is that so? No wonder they insisted on inviting you. It appears that their legitimate second daughter came of age last month, and after seeing you on the street, she hasn’t stopped thinking about you. Official Jian dotes on that daughter exceedingly. It seems he’s willing to lose face just to try and secure a chance for her."
Yue Tingfang could only smile bitterly and said, "You’re a Crown Prince, yet you seem to know everything about the private matters of officials’ households?"
Jin Moning paused, his smile fading as he said, "The affairs of the inner court and the imperial court have always been one and the same."
"That... I don’t understand," Yue Tingfang replied as he poured some tea, leaning back in his chair in the Shuixie and laughed, "But there are so many young ladies who can’t stop thinking about me. If I were to lavish attention on each one of them, I wouldn’t have time to live my life."
"You’re asking for trouble!" Jin Moning pushed him and said, "You aren’t getting any younger. If you think Miss Jian is quite good, it would be nice to bring her back to Lingnan. I heard your father has written to my father, asking for help in arranging a suitable match for you."
Yue Tingfang suddenly stood up, shocked, "Really? Is that true?"
"Of course it’s true." Jin Moning felt a touch of schadenfreude and said, "It seems you weren’t aware."
"I had no idea!" Yue Tingfang’s expression turned as though he was facing a great enemy.
Seeing this, Jin Moning no longer felt like teasing him and said, "You needn’t worry too much; I heard from the emperor that he will not force you into a marriage—you must be willing. In a few days, the emperor will likely summon you to discuss this matter. If there is a young lady you fancy, you can tell him in advance, and he will issue an imperial marriage decree for you."