Chapter 1447 – Betrothal (2)
“Military operations are no child’s play. You have to deal with all kinds of rough terrains; are you sure your body can handle it?” Qi Guan Jinghui said.
Sun Lan wasn’t exactly the best at archery; she was rather mediocre, and her physique was on the weaker side.
War really could be deadly.
“Grandpa wants me to practice in the military camp, most likely doing some clerical work, helping out, and it shouldn’t be too dangerous,” Sun Lan said with a shy smile. “There’s still a long time before the war starts; I’ll find a master to learn more.”
Qi Guan Jinghui chuckled, “No need to go through all that trouble; I can practice with you.”
At Golden Scales Academy, boys and girls were separated for classes. They had the same courses in the morning, but different ones in the afternoon.
Boys learned archery, while girls practiced physical techniques and needlework, typically with a focus on the former—needlework only needed to be good enough to show a pocket or two.
For the physical techniques, most people only understood it superficially, thinking it was all about showcasing a “dance,” and Sun Lan was no exception.
As a result—
The sword in Sun Lan’s hand was knocked out for the tenth time, causing her eyes to redden in pain.
Qi Guan Jinghui’s sword strikes were not only powerful and versatile but also remarkably fast—before she could even blink, the sword’s tip was already close.
What’s more, she realized just how frighteningly strong her opponent was, completely shattering her preconceived notions of little girls.
But, she looked so delicate and petite…
Maybe Grandpa was right.
“Does it hurt? Look at your eyes; they’re all watery…”
Setting down her wooden sword, Qi Guan Jinghui stepped forward and carefully examined the reddened area on her hand, feeling a bit guilty.
Having practiced a lot with her classmates and the female soldiers, she’d forgotten to hold back.
Sun Lan shyly pulled her hand back, awkwardly using her sleeve to cover the sore spot—where she was touched was still flaming hot.
“I’m fine; I just didn’t sleep well last night, that’s why I feel a bit drowsy. It’s not because I’m about to cry from the pain.”
“Alright, I’ll take your word for it.”
Qi Guan Jinghui didn’t suspect anything further, and just then, a maidservant from the estate brought dinner for the two.
“Has Mother and my two younger sisters had their meal yet?”
Before eating, she casually asked about her mother and sisters.
In ancient times, there weren’t any safe methods of contraception, and Qi Guanrang and his lady loved children, which led to Qi Guan Jinghui having two more sisters apart from herself.
Currently, there was still one more on the way.
Qi Guan Jinghui hoped it would be a little brother this time.
Because she had accidentally overheard a maidservant mention that her father, despite being in his middle ages, didn’t have a male heir, and her mother hadn’t taken in a concubine, which was a huge pressure.
Growing up in this family, Qi Guan Jinghui didn’t feel the importance of having a male heir.
But as she learned more about the world outside, she became unsure.
Even though her parents had a great relationship and didn’t seem to have conflicts, Qi Guan Jinghui still hoped for a little brother, to relieve some pressure off her mother.
After all, there were plenty of cases where the main wife couldn’t give birth to a legitimate son, leading the husband to take in a concubine.
She didn’t want an annoying outsider messing up their family dynamic.
If a little brother didn’t materialize, it was fine; she could still recruit a son-in-law later on to uphold her father’s reputation.
Unbeknownst to her—
Qi Guanrang actually wished for another daughter, since he had once vowed to have a dozen girls.
Sun Lan and Qi Guan Jinghui were roughly the same age, and as a boy, Sun Lan should be taller, but reality was not on his side.
Since half a year ago, Qi Guan Jinghui had suddenly grown a lot taller. Standing beside each other, Sun Lan was still half a head shorter than her.
But the elders all said that girls grow fast at that age, and in a couple of years, it would be Sun Lan’s turn to grow taller, so he wouldn’t have to worry about being short.
After finishing their meal and having some snacks, Qi Guan Jinghui suddenly asked, “Has Mr. Sun given you a courtesy name yet?”
Sun Lan replied, “Not yet, I haven’t reached the age for a courtesy name.”
Due to circumstances of the times, many people received courtesy names before they reached adulthood, but Sun Lan was still too young, and Sun Wen hadn’t named him yet.
“Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“Just the other day, I heard Changsheng call out ‘Brother Rongli,’ and upon asking, found out that it was the name given to her by Feng Yi’s elder.”
Feng Yi, named Rongli?
Sun Lan felt a little curious about what name his own grandfather would give him.
Just as he was deep in thought, Qi Guan Jinghui continued, “Last night I overheard Father talking to Mother; it seems Feng Yi and Changsheng are betrothed.”
Sun Lan was propping his chin up, and upon hearing this, nearly slipped off his stool.
“Betrothal? How old is Changsheng anyway?”
Feng Yi was slightly older than Sun Lan, so it was normal for him to be engaged, but his fiancée was a bit younger.
“The two are happy about it; what’s wrong with that? Engagement doesn’t mean marriage; at the very least, they should wait until Changsheng reaches the age of maturity, which will be just in time for Feng Yi to reach adulthood himself.” Qi Guan Jinghui wasn’t surprised, having known that Feng Yi had a stellar reputation, and all the elders thought highly of him. Even Feng Jin couldn’t find any faults. So the two families set a betrothal; if anything changed, ending the engagement was no big deal.
Sun Lan awkwardly murmured, “I just think it’s a bit too early.”
Jinghui said, “It’s likely true; didn’t you notice Changsheng’s school plaque name changed?”
Sun Lan definitely hadn’t noticed.
Changsheng’s name on the school plaque used to be Feng Changsheng, but now it had changed to Feng Yu, which was now used as her courtesy name.
If the two families were to engage, even though the process wasn’t as complicated as marriage, they still needed the full names of both parties.
The next day at the academy, when he asked Feng Yi, he got a definite answer from him.
Sun Lan: “…”
In a moment of carelessness, Feng Yi had unexpectedly exited from the singles club.
“Why so sudden?”
Sun Lan hadn’t caught wind of any rumors before; despite some signs, Feng Jin had never budged.
Feng Yi said, “Changsheng stayed with the Feng family for a while earlier this year. You know, early in the year we often visited relatives; the Feng family is quite large, so naturally, someone had their eyes on her. It’s said to be a grandson from an external marrying branch, of noble descent, frequently interacting with the Feng family.”
Because there were some complicated ties between the two families, Feng Jin couldn’t outright refuse and had to bring up a backing.
As a result, Feng Yi found himself in a good position.
Feng Jin and Feng Zhen had already reached a verbal agreement, and this engagement was merely formalizing that agreement.
In the afternoon, Feng Yi learned that Sun Lan might be going for military training, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
Once at home, Feng Yi explained his plans to his father.
Feng Zhen said, “You still haven’t even matured; you want to go to the battlefield?”
Feng Yi replied, “What’s the use of reading so many books without putting it into practice? How would I know I’m not the next Zhao Kuo?”
“Why this sudden thought? Have you been provoked by Sun Wen’s grandson, determined to compete?”
Do you really think the military camp is that easy?
Feng Yi’s gaze was calm, but Feng Zhen had the feeling that his son was rolling his eyes internally.
“Sun Lan has his own strengths. I don’t intend to compete at all.”
Feng Yi merely believed that what they taught at the academy was enough for now; how to truly apply it flexibly would require firsthand experience.
What’s written in books and reality always have discrepancies.
“If you really want to go, your father will support you.” Feng Zhen smiled, “Life and death have their fates; don’t blame others.”
