After Qin Zhijie's commotion, everyone lost the mood to play. They all returned to the palaces arranged for them one after another. Since there were not many concubines in the harem, there were plenty of palaces. Even with all the young scions of the noble families staying in them, it wasn't crowded.
Yi Zhici and Yan Sijin were assigned to the same palace. Needless to say, this was due to Gu Jing's efforts. There was also a young lady with a baby - face, Ye Cong'an, the daughter of the Minister of War. She had a very enthusiastic personality and was easy to get along with.
As for the main hall, naturally, it was allocated according to one's status. Yi Zhici excused herself by saying that she wasn't used to sleeping in a big bed. In fact, she just wanted to be closer to Yan Sijin. Ye Cong'an wasn't coy either. Seeing that Yi Zhici really didn't want to go to the main hall, she went there herself.
The night passed peacefully.
Early the next morning, a maid brought the Four Treasures of the Study.
Gu Jing's fiancée came in person to explain, "His Majesty's intention is that the autumn hunt is an opportunity to match - make the young scions of the noble families. He asked Songyang to come up with a solution, and Songyang came up with the idea of pairing up men and women."
Gu Jing's courtesy name was Songyang.
And Gu Jing's fiancée was Wei Ning, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Right Prime Minister. She had a gentle and generous personality. She could manage Wei Xing at home, and now, naturally, she could also control Gu Jing.
"To ensure fairness in the pairing, Songyang said it would be a two - way choice. Each of you should write down the name of a person you'd like to team up with on the willingness note. If two people happen to write down each other's names, then they will be a team directly."
"If there's no such situation where two people choose each other, but one person writes down another's name and that person has no other choices, then these two will be a team."
The willingness notes were very delicate. On the back of Yi Zhici's note was engraved her name, while the front was blank rice paper, presumably for writing the name of the person she was interested in.
Yi Zhici got the general idea. "I understand. But what if many people choose the same person, and the person this one chooses is not among those who have chosen him?"
"That still depends on whether the chosen person has chosen someone else and whether there are others choosing this chosen person. There are too many uncertain factors, but we will surely strive for fairness."
Yi Zhici nodded. "Then Sister Ning, this willingness note won't be shown to others, right? Only you two can see it, correct?"
Wei Ning smiled, her dimples faintly visible. "Naturally. We'll protect everyone's little secrets."
That was good. Yi Zhici finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The autumn hunt was scheduled to take place on Sheshan. Every year, it was a great opportunity for the young scions of the noble families to show off their talents, and often new stars would emerge.
This year's hunt was a bit different from previous ones. The younger generation would set off first. Without the restraint of the elders, they could relax better.
Before setting off, Gu Jing gathered everyone together to announce the pairing. Yi Zhici had been looking forward to this for two days, but she was still extremely nervous at this moment.
Yi Zhici nudged Yan Sijin with her elbow. "Sister Yan, who did you write down?"
Yan Sijin coughed uncomfortably twice. "I chose someone who I think many others would choose. In this way, I should not be paired up."
"You're even hiding it from me, Sister Yan." Yi Zhici gave a mischievous smile. She wasn't as nervous anymore. She quickly let go of her anxiety. As long as it wasn't Du Wenting, it was fine.
Speaking of which, it was quite strange. According to Du Wenting's personality, he shouldn't have swallowed this humiliation silently. Even if he couldn't cause a big stir, he would surely create some small troubles. Why hadn't he bothered her this time? Could it be that his mentality had changed after that incident?
Yi Zhici couldn't help but want to laugh.
Yan Sijin looked a bit embarrassed. "Aci, actually, I'm afraid of being embarrassed. What if..."
Yi Zhici came back to her senses. "Sister Yan, I understand. I'm not unhappy. It's normal not to say it. Everyone has their own considerations."
Yan Sijin nodded, but there was a hint of desolation in her expression.
......