When examining Sheng Xubai earlier, she had already checked. Sheng Xubai's heart condition was congenital, something he had carried since birth, and as he aged, the condition would worsen.
If it were treatable in infancy, it might have been curable. But now that his condition was more severe, it would be considered difficult to manage even in modern times. Moreover, this was an era with backward medicine, poor sanitation, and incomplete medical equipment, making it even harder to treat.
"Eldest sister-in-law, you're going too far. I never thought of marrying Sheng Xubai, so please stop talking about it."
Ling Wan quickly denied it, turning away in a fluster. She pressed a hand against her rapidly beating heart. What was happening to her? The moment Sheng Xubai was mentioned, she felt an inexplicable nervousness, and the accidental moment they held hands surfaced unbidden in her mind.
Feng Jin took in all of Ling Wan's subtle movements, a faint smile playing on her lips. It was more interesting to see through something without revealing it.
"Alright, if you don't want to mention it, then we won't," Feng Jin paused before turning to Lin Yuwei. "I haven't asked you yet, what family does this Sheng Xubai belong to? Is he married?"
"I know this very clearly. The Sheng family of Jiaodong is a noble and esteemed family. Throughout history, the Sheng family has produced two Grand Tutors, and the Sheng family's descendants have served in the imperial court. Although Sheng Xubai has a frail constitution, he is exceptionally intelligent and well-versed in literature..."
Lin Yuwei spoke volubly, and both Feng Jin and Ling Wan listened intently.
"So, the Sheng family is also a prominent clan."
Feng Jin said lightly. Such families were intricately connected, with even more internal strife. If a naive girl like Ling Wan, who didn't understand the wickedness of human hearts, were to marry into it, she would likely be consumed without a trace. It was certainly not a suitable match.
"Indeed, but the capital has no shortage of prominent clans," Lin Yuwei, having grown up in the capital, had witnessed the rise and fall of many great families.
She didn't envy them much, as her own Pingyang Marquis residence was not insignificant.
"That's true. Clans are the most complex, and people's hearts are unfathomable."
She had seen the unpleasantness of harem struggles. Every step was a gamble, and a slight misstep could lead to eternal damnation. Feng Jin had fought her way out of the Ling family step by step. If her methods had been a little weaker, she would have lost her life long ago.
Feng Jin lowered her gaze, her eyes falling on Ling Wan as she observed her expression. She hoped this little girl hadn't truly fallen for Sheng Xubai. Setting aside his poor health, his family alone was not an easy one to deal with. He was truly not a suitable match.
Ling Wan lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief, forcing herself to calm down.
"It looks like they're playing polo over there. Let's go take a look,"
Lin Yuwei, with sharp eyes, spotted the commotion and eagerly called out, pulling Feng Jin towards the viewing platform ahead.
On the polo field, two teams of riders were positioned opposite each other, all ready to begin, seemingly poised for a great battle.
Feng Jin sat casually on the cushioned seat, her gaze sweeping around. She then spotted Ling Muzhu on the polo field and immediately became interested. Could his meager tricks be effective?
Following that, from behind, a handsome horse emerged gracefully. Sitting on it was Gu Beichen. He rode directly to Ling Muzhu's side. If this person was on their team, how high were their chances of winning?
Gu Beichen on the polo field seemed to have noticed Feng Jin. He didn't forget to pat Ling Muzhu and whisper a few words to him. Ling Muzhu also turned his head to look at Feng Jin and waved a greeting.
Feng Jin quickly turned her head away, pretending not to know them. If they lost and people found out she knew them, it would be too embarrassing.
It wasn't that Feng Jin was particularly disdainful of them. It was just that after spending so much time with Ling Mohan, she had grown accustomed to the admiring glances of others. To suddenly accept the contemptuous gazes of others, she found it difficult to accept at first.
"Eldest sister-in-law, the person below seems to be Muzhu." Ling Wan looked down and felt the figure was increasingly familiar, as if it were Ling Muzhu.
"It is indeed Ling Muzhu. Ling Wan, quickly turn your head away, lest others know we know them. Otherwise, if they lose later, we'll have to share in the disgrace."
Feng Jin avoided their gaze and pulled Ling Wan to hide in an inconspicuous corner.
This action made Ling Muzhu on the field very confused, his brows furrowed tightly: "Eldest sister-in-law and second sister aren't here to watch us play polo, why did they suddenly run off?"
Gu Beichen snorted, "They must think we're too formidable, so they're looking for a place with a better view to see clearly."
If Feng Jin were present to hear this, she would have given Gu Beichen a massive eye-roll.
Ling Muzhu nodded as if he understood, and as the referee urged them on, he quickly joined the match.
The prize for this polo match was a gold-inlaid silk jade butterfly hair ornament. Ling Muzhu had taken a liking to it at first glance, thinking of winning it for Feng Jin and also winning a few more items to give to Ling Wan, so they could change their previous impressions of him.
"Eldest sister-in-law, look quickly, Muzhu scored!"
Compared to Feng Jin, who was too embarrassed to watch, Ling Wan watched intently. When she saw Ling Muzhu score, her face was filled with unconcealable excitement.
Upon hearing this, Feng Jin casually turned her head to look. Ling Muzhu didn't seem as bad as she had imagined. He scored two goals consecutively, instantly widening the score gap between the two sides. Judging by his momentum, he seemed intent on scoring two more.
"I didn't expect Ling Muzhu to play polo so well." Feng Jin also became interested and turned to watch the match on the polo field.
"Eldest sister-in-law, you might not know, but Muzhu isn't very good at studying, but when it comes to playing polo or throwing arrows, he's proficient in everything. However, the best among us is Eldest Brother. Even Muzhu was taught by him personally."
Ling Wan spoke vividly, a sense of pride welling up. As expected, the most formidable person was her Eldest Brother. Even the most outstanding men paled in comparison to her Eldest Brother.
"Really?" Feng Jin asked with a playful tone. Why had she never heard Ling Mohan mention it before?
It seemed this man truly kept many things from her. She would have to have a good talk with him when she got back.
"Mainly because Eldest Brother abandoned literature for martial arts early on, and now he's busy with military affairs, so he has no time to play these things anymore."
Ling Wan noticed Feng Jin's expression was a little off. Fearing that her words might cause another rift, she quickly explained.
"Oh." Feng Jin nodded in agreement, but she still secretly made a heavy note of it in her mind for Ling Mohan.
"Hiss... Hiss..." The neighing of the horses rang out.