Chapter 285 Why is Prince Su delaying his marriage proposal?

"Your Highness, could this matter... possibly remain a secret of my own?"

She naturally couldn't reveal the current Pan Li.

But he couldn't lie to Duan Rongshi.

So I simply said it that way.

After a moment of silence, Duan Rongshi surprisingly agreed: "Okay."

Li Qingluo looked up at him with eyes full of joy and disbelief.

The two had only been looking at each other for a few blinks when a cough suddenly came from inside the room: "It is late at night, so this old minister will not leave his room to see Your Highness off tonight."

Upon hearing her grandmother's voice, Li Qingluo suddenly felt a pang of panic.

She quickly suppressed her panic and looked at Duan Rongshi apologetically.

"Your Highness, this humble woman is seeing you off..."

Before she could finish speaking, her grandmother's voice came again: "Luo'er, come here for a moment, Grandmother has something to say to you."

Li Qingluo suddenly didn't know where to look.

Duan Rongshi said gently in a low voice, "Go. It's late, get some rest."

After saying that, he turned around and hurriedly left.

Li Qingluo approached Madam Pei's window: "Grandmother?"

When Madam Pei sought her out, there wasn't anything urgent to discuss.

She thought for a moment before saying, "Help Grandma close the window."

Li Qingluo looked at Zhang Mama, who was now standing there helplessly like a decoration: ...

After closing the window, Li Qingluo waited a while, but still didn't hear what Old Madam Pei wanted to say, so she called out again, "Grandmother?"

Madam Pei was quite surprised: "Eh? What are you still doing here? It's late, why don't you go back to sleep!"

Li Qingluo: ?

So, Grandmother's "I have something to say to her" was just asking her to close a window?

Wasn't Grandmother's intention too obvious?

Even if Li Qingluo was slow to understand, she would realize her grandmother's meaning at this moment.

She didn't want to have too close a relationship with Prince Su.

“Grandmother, Luo’er has already pledged allegiance to His Highness. From now on, our Xiuli General’s Mansion will be considered His Highness Prince Su’s people.”

Madam Pei remained silent.

Fearing that she might misunderstand, Li Qingluo added, "Grandmother, I made this choice out of necessity. However... a wise person chooses a wise ruler. From now on, I will do my utmost to protect General Xiuli's Mansion and Grandmother. We will both live in peace from now on."

Madam Pei: "Alright, Grandmother understands. You may leave now!"

Does this mean Grandmother has tacitly accepted her decision?

Li Qingluo finally showed a hint of joy on her face before retreating.

After she left, Madam Pei let out a deep sigh.

"Don't you think your grandmother knows that you'll never escape Prince Su's clutches in this lifetime?"

Granny Zhang was both surprised and puzzled: "Madam, you...you mean you agree to the young lady's relationship with His Highness? But just now you..."

With a hint of anger, Madam Pei said, "What? You want me to watch them being all lovey-dovey in my yard instead of driving them away?!"

Granny Zhang chuckled, "Madam, you jest. This old servant thinks the young lady is still quite naive and may not yet understand His Highness Prince Su's thoughts."

Madam Pei snorted, "That's how it should be. Perhaps Luo'er doesn't even think much of him?"

Upon thinking of this possibility, Madam Pei couldn't help but burst into laughter a few times.

"How wonderful! Luo'er looks down on him, the dignified Prince Su, making him yearn for him but not get him, hahaha... Then Luo'er will find me a live-in grandson-in-law, and we can live a simple and happy life."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Madam Pei grew increasingly pleased with herself, but Zhang Mama couldn't help but try to dampen her spirits: "Madam, I'm afraid that's impossible. You know His Highness Prince Su's reputation..."

Madam Pei's smile froze for a moment, then vanished instantly.

"Old Zhang, you're such a spoilsport."

"I'm not blind, how could I not see Prince Su's feelings for Luo'er?"

"Although there are rumors that he is a bloodthirsty, furious, and cruel person, from my interactions with him these few times, I have seen that many of these rumors are untrue. At least he is a decent person to Luo'er now, and he is willing to set aside his status and dignity to coax this young girl."

"There's just one thing: if he's so interested, why hasn't he gone to my Xiuli General's Mansion to propose marriage yet?"

"What exactly does he mean? Is it that his attraction to Luo'er isn't enough for him to make up his mind about this matter?"

"Or perhaps, he no longer values ​​Luo'er's background after she left the General's Mansion?"

"After all, although my Xiuli General's Mansion is called a general's mansion, I am no longer an official and am just a useless old woman with no power or influence. Could it be that he looks down on us in his heart?"

"What if he only wants me to be a concubine? How could I possibly be a concubine?"

"If this is truly as I suspect, and he intends to wrong Luo'er in this way, then even if it means becoming the villain, I will absolutely not allow it!"

"If we are really forced to that point, I will personally go to the palace to beg his father to use my past military merits to ask for a proper wife for Luo'er!"

Anyway, if I were to enter Prince Su's mansion, I'm afraid I would never have a peaceful life.

Luo'er is slow-witted and doesn't understand, so this matter is not difficult to handle.

Seeing the old lady's overthinking, Granny Zhang couldn't help but advise her, "Please don't be in such a hurry. What if His Highness is just waiting for a better opportunity? Perhaps he's waiting for the young lady to come to her senses, or maybe he has some other concerns?"

"Anyway, this old servant never expected that Prince Su would treat a young lady so gently. He even came to check on her injuries just now. He must have been very concerned to do such a thing."

"Madam, you've forgotten that in the past, when His Highness occasionally came to Qingsong Temple, we were all afraid of disturbing him."

“Even though he knew you lived here, he never came to visit you.”

"He is of noble birth, how could he have imagined that one day he would condescend to do such a trivial matter?"

"This shows that he really cares about our girl..."

Madam Pei: "Alas... but his background also left him with no choice in the matter..."

"The future may not be easy for these two children."

The next day.

Li Qingluo went to the small courtyard behind Cangsong Mountain early in the morning.

She encountered Ling Fengzi on her way up the mountain.

"Master Daoist."

Li Qinglu called out to him.

When Li Qingluo last visited Qingsong Temple, she did not meet him face to face, but Ling Fengzi had seen her from afar, so he knew that she had changed a lot.

Ling Fengzi was delighted to see Li Qingluo: "Miss Li, it's been several months since I last saw you. You've risen from the ashes like a phoenix, and you're getting better and better."

Li Qingluo: "You flatter me, Daoist Master. I wonder if Daoist Qingyangzi is fully recovered now?"

Ling Fengzi: "Our abbot is very kind. He went to see His Highness first thing this morning."

Li Qingluo smiled and said, "So, he really is alright?"

Ling Fengzi's smile froze, then he burst into laughter: "Miss Li, you've learned to use these tricks to get me now. As expected, no one who's ever been to Jinling City is simple."

Li Qinglu bowed slightly: "Daoist Master, please don't be angry. What would you like to eat? I'll cook something for you today, how about that?"

Ling Fengzi's eyes lit up instantly: "I've heard that the gourd chicken in Jinling City is quite good, but I've been there a few times and it's just so-so. I wonder how yours is?"

Li Qingluo: "Then why don't you hurry up and kill a chicken?"

Ling Fengzi: "Oh dear, how can we Taoists kill living beings? Although we keep dozens of them on the back mountain, they are only kept for cultivating our minds."

"How about you ask His Highness's men for a favor? We guarantee we won't even see it!"

Li Qingluo chuckled: "To ensure the Daoist's mind remains undisturbed, shall I go and beg His Highness?"

Li Qingluo and Ling Fengzi came to the backyard together.

Ling Fengzi had naturally visited this courtyard before, but he never dared to go in.

This time, he also strode in, benefiting from Li Qingluo's presence.

As soon as they entered, they ran into Qingyangzi coming out of the house. Qingyangzi didn't feel embarrassed and nodded to Li Qinglu as usual.

However, this person's personality changed drastically after Pei Shierniang's death.

Now he's terribly gloomy and withdrawn...

Qingyangzi then left with Lingfengzi.

When Li Qingluo went to find Duan Rong, she heard him saying to Po Feng, "Do as she says. Go!"

Upon seeing Li Qingluo arrive, Duan Rongshi asked her, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"If you're useless, then have dinner with me."

Li Qingluo wanted to say that she had already eaten with her grandmother.

But seeing that Duan Rongshi's breakfast had already gone cold, for some reason, she still obediently sat down.

How could Li Qingluo possibly eat?

However, I only touched my chopsticks a couple of times.

Seeing her like this, Duan Rongshi asked, "Not to your liking?"

Li Qingluo: "Of course not. By the way, Your Highness, would you like some gourd chicken? I'll make it for you for lunch today."

Duan Rongshi looked at her palm: "Is the injury healed?"

Li Qingluo: "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. To tell Your Highness the truth, I want to personally prepare a proper meal so that my grandmother and the old Duke can have a reunion dinner."

This was the promise Li Qingluo had made to her grandmother when she asked her to come down the mountain.

She didn't want to be a grandmother who broke her promise.

So I've always kept it in mind.

Now that the opportunity has finally arrived, we naturally want to seize it and get it done.

Duan Rongshi flatly refused: "No. Your injuries haven't healed yet, you can't cook."

He had a stern face, as if he would not allow her to argue any further.

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, the gourd chicken is delicious. I made it once at the manor, and even my master praised it highly, saying it's just as good as the famous Fu Man Lou restaurant."

Duan Rongshi narrowed his eyes slightly: "..."

So, he hasn't eaten it yet?

Li Qingluo quickly pressed on, saying, "This humble woman promises that if I can use my own hands, I will only use one hand; if I can't, I will ask Granny Zheng and Granny Zhang to do it. Your Highness, please agree?"

Of course, the gourd chicken is the least important.

Li Qingluo's goal was to get the old Duke out to have dinner with his grandmother!

Duan Rongshi looked at her pitiful yet charming expression and snorted, "No tricks allowed!"

"I have granted Zaina's request and ordered someone to take her token and lure her sister out in two days."

"The sisters will settle their scores then, so you must not provoke them these next two days."