As the second legitimate daughter of the Minister's mansion, Wen Ruyu felt that she would be overshadowed by her elder sister's fame for the rest of her life.

From childhood to adulthood, she had always lived in the shadow of her elder sister. Everyone praised the eldest daughter of the Shangshu family, but no one knew that she was the second eldest daughter, Wen Ruyu.

My elder sister showed great intelligence from a young age, and later married the current crown prince because of her beauty and virtue.

The Crown Prince is truly a very gentle person. Every time I see my elder sister with His Highness the Crown Prince, it's as if she's bathed in light, radiating a gentle aura.

Wen Ruyu greatly admired her sister and brother-in-law's relationship, thinking that if one day she could marry such a loving husband, she would have no regrets in this life.

But she knew that as one of only two legitimate daughters of the Minister's mansion, she had no say in her own marriage.

Who she marries in the future will depend on her father's decision, not on her own.

Her mother had already told her that she would find a family of equal social standing in the imperial court for her to marry into.

But one day she suddenly received an invitation from her older sister to go to the Crown Prince's residence.

Under normal circumstances, her elder sister did not want her to go to the Crown Prince's residence. Although she was inferior to her sister in both appearance and ability, her elder sister was wary of any woman coming into contact with the Crown Prince.

Although the Crown Prince's residence already had several concubines, she didn't understand why her elder sister would be so hostile towards her.

Accompanied by her mother, Wen Ruyu arrived at the Crown Prince's residence and met her radiant elder sister.

That is, the current Crown Princess!

Unlike before, her elder sister was not cold towards them this time and treated them very warmly.

He also told her that His Highness the Crown Prince was entertaining a distinguished guest today.

Both her mother and she were very curious about the guest's identity, since there weren't many people who could be personally entertained by His Highness the Crown Prince.

Later, through her elder sister's intentional or unintentional revelations, she finally learned who the Crown Prince was entertaining.

I heard that not long ago, the emperor transferred a young prefect back from the border.

This man has only been in office for 5 years, yet he has brought prosperity and bustle to the border region. Moreover, it is said that he also made contributions in the army when he expelled the Mongolian people 5 years ago.

The Crown Prince is entertaining this Prefect Lin today, and his own elder sister has also called him over.

Before they even met, Wen Ruyu had already guessed why her elder sister had sent her over.

I wonder if my father knows about this?

Sigh, in short, she can't decide who she marries or not; she can only let nature take its course.

It wasn't until lunchtime that Shen Ruyu finally met the legendary young Prefect Lin.

She had heard that the young prefect came from a farming family, and she originally thought he would be an ordinary-looking but highly capable man.

Unexpectedly, after meeting him, he found that the other person not only did not have any of the rustic air of a farmer, but also had an incomparably noble temperament and a young and handsome appearance.

With looks like that, no young master in the capital can compare.

And when he looks at you, you can only feel endless tenderness in his eyes.

Wen Ruyu had never seen such a gaze from anyone else before; even a casual glance seemed to carry boundless affection.

Wen Ruyu wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the gentle look in the other person's eyes didn't seem like something a man should have.

Just when she thought he would be a gentle, humble person.

When I heard him discussing state affairs with the Crown Prince, he appeared confident and full of ambition.

That was a completely different kind of charm, utterly unrelated to the previous gentleness.

Sometimes he would even argue with the Crown Prince, showing no awareness of the difference between ruler and subject.

The two seemed like good friends, exchanging pleasant words back and forth.

Wen Ruyu was truly envious of this young prefect. If her family had allowed her to marry such an interesting person, her future days would surely not be too boring.

“Zhongyi, I know you are still unmarried and have no sweetheart, so I specially asked the Princess to call over Minister Wen’s second daughter today.”

"Let's not beat around the bush. My sister is gentle and generous, and her ability to manage the household inside and out was personally taught by the Minister's wife."

"She's only slightly inferior to the Crown Princess, but far superior to all the noble ladies in the capital!"

"If Zhongyi is willing, I can act as matchmaker for you two!"

This was the first time the Crown Prince had acted as a matchmaker, and he spoke very bluntly, which made the Crown Princess frown.

Who protects a matchmaker like this?

So direct, isn't he just like the old emperor in the palace?

If you don't get along with either side, wouldn't you just be asking for trouble?

"Lord Lin is young and promising, and my sister is also known for her beauty and intelligence."

"If the two of you could get together, I guarantee you could manage Lord Lin's household perfectly, so you could have no worries and make great strides in the court!"

While the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were talking, the second eldest daughter was too ashamed to look up.

Even without looking up, she could feel a gaze fixed directly on her.

"I was born into a poor family, how could I be worthy of Miss Wen?"

Lin Zhongyi was satisfied. Having a capable wife to help him manage the household and the family's businesses was much more comfortable than doing everything himself.

Now that he has just been transferred back to the capital, he is already busy enough with official duties.

But this is the capital city, not Yongning Prefecture.

His family members simply couldn't manage the household affairs for him, and the social obligations of attending various banquets only made them feel uneasy, and they couldn't integrate into the community for the time being.

If the Lin family could have a capable matriarch to help manage things, the whole family would surely be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Anyway, the system promised that he wouldn't have to do anything in the bridal chamber himself. His soul would temporarily leave his body, allowing the original owner to return and fulfill his duties as a husband.

Although it was somewhat troublesome to do so, his current status did not allow him to remain unmarried.

"Second sister, it seems that Lord Lin also favors you. What do you think?"

The Crown Princess's question was merely a formality; from beginning to end, they didn't care about Wen Ruyu's opinion.

Knowing her family's intentions, she, as their younger sister, would never dare to refuse.

Whether she liked it or not, if her family made the arrangements, she had no choice but to go along with it.

Moreover, Lin Zhongyi has the looks, the physique, and the skills.

This is a promising young talent in the imperial court. If my second sister marries this Lord Lin, she will definitely not lose out.

Moreover, her husband could better win over this Lin Daren, who would be her husband's right-hand man on his path to becoming emperor.

The people in the room each had their own thoughts!

After Wen Ruyu returned to the mansion, the Minister's wife specifically asked for her opinion.

Although her mother couldn't make decisions about her marriage, she was still her own mother and would at least make some plans for her.