Xu Yunci's words were as obvious as could be. If Madam Yang still didn't understand, then she had wasted all those years managing the household affairs.

Meeting her eldest son's deep gaze, Madam Yang's upturned lips flattened, her expression revealing neither joy nor anger, and her voice remained calm as if it aroused no interest whatsoever.

"Why do you ask about this? It's said that Fifth Sister's marriage is approaching, and the household is in a state of chaos right now. I just hope that nothing goes wrong."

Is this a reminder to prioritize his younger sister and not to cross the line between cousins?

When he thought of the little girl's face, he saw not anticipation for the future, but confusion about the present. If he were to shut his mouth now, he would truly be betraying his own feelings.

“Mother, you know perfectly well what I mean.”

Xu Yunci looked directly at Madam Yang without flinching, and said, word by word, "I wish to marry Yan Yan as my bride."

Yang remained silent in response. She closed her eyes, avoiding her eldest son's expectant gaze. Perhaps Xu Yunci's gaze was too intense, for Yang knew she could not escape it today, so she had no choice but to open her eyes and look at him.

“Yan Yan is a good mother, I admit. I like her because of her love as an elder. Erlang, you will inherit the title of Duke of Rongguo in the future. Your elder sister’s status will not allow you to be an idle person.”

“Your bride will surely be your helper. Today you feel good and the woman before you is the one you love, but there is no guarantee that you will not think she will hold you back in the future.”

"As for the Yunyang Marquis's Mansion now, even if I don't say it, you know perfectly well that it won't last long enough for Yan Yan's half-brothers to come of age. Perhaps you're willing to help them out of consideration for Yan Yan and your aunt, but in the long run, the Yunyang Marquis's Mansion will not only fail to help you but will become a burden on you. At that time, will you still have the same heart towards Yan Yan?"

"Mother does not deny that Yan Yan is a good child. She has a strong character. If it were someone else who had gone through those experiences, they would not have such an enlightened life. I love her, but that does not mean I will grant your request. Now that you are in the Xu family, I do not expect you to be born into a noble family. At least you can help stabilize the inner quarters."

"In that case, would you still like to ask to marry her as your new wife?"

Xu Yunci stood up, lifted the front of his robe, and knelt down straight. He had considered Yang's words before; after all, this was something Li Shiyue had always worried about.

He looked up at Madam Yang, meeting his mother's serious gaze and easily catching the worry in her eyes. He raised his hand in front of him, his forehead gently touching his robe, feeling the coolness of the ground.

"Son begs Mother to grant my request."

His movements were swift, and his tone carried a hint of determination. Madam Yang's gaze was complex. She knew her eldest son's character; once he made up his mind, he would never regret it. But after seeing this, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Yang looked away, steeling her resolve: "Let me think about it some more."

Xu Yunci wanted to say something, but when he saw the nanny beside Yang shake her head almost imperceptibly, and then seeing Yang close her eyes and not want to say anything more, he had no choice but to get up: "Son will not disturb Mother for now."

Watching Xu Yun leave, the old nanny stepped forward and reached out to rub Yang's forehead: "Madam, why must you quarrel with the young master over this matter?"

Madam Yang remained silent, while the nanny beside her sighed softly, "I see it all. You truly love Miss Biao. Just because the Marquis of Yunyang's mansion is unacceptable doesn't mean the Princess of Yichang's mansion is unacceptable."

"You should speak up for Erlang." Madam Yang let the nanny massage the acupoints on her forehead, her voice tinged with helplessness.

The old woman smiled, not denying it: "I have served by your side since I was a child, and I have watched the young master grow up. As you know, the young master has always been decisive, but Miss is not bad either. At least under Madam's care, she has learned household management very well."

Didn't you also say that if your grandmother were still alive, Miss Biao wouldn't have acted this way? It's clear you truly love her. Of course, as the young master's mother, Madam naturally has many concerns for him. But this matter has caused unpleasantness between mother and son. If Miss Biao finds out, given her personality, she probably won't have the face to see Madam.

"Besides, since Madam is troubled here, why not ask the Old Madam and the Crown Princess for their opinions? Your Highness is the Crown Prince's own elder sister, a sister and brother born of the same mother. Your Highness naturally understands her own brother better than anyone else."

As night falls, a profound silence descends. Looking up, the starry sky is twinkling, and the moonlight is reflected in the small pond in the courtyard.

Xu Lingzi's wedding date is getting closer and closer, which means that her marriage is not far away. Li Shiyue was coaxed and pleaded by Xu Lingzi for a long time before she agreed to move in and stay with her for a while.

The small pond is surrounded by a wide, sturdy marble railing, perfect for sitting on. The stone steps feel cool at first, but after a while, you don't feel it anymore.

Li Shiyue held fish food in her hand, slowly rubbing her fingers together as she watched the carp that kept circling around her, lost in thought.

When Xu Lingzi came out of the house, she saw the beautiful woman lost in thought. Although she couldn't see clearly, she could vaguely sense that Li Shiyue was often in this state since the tea shop incident.

She deliberately didn't slow her pace, bent over, gently rested her chin on Li Shiyue's shoulder, picked up the fish food from Li Shiyue's hand, and threw it down.

"What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought. Could it be that you're thinking about getting married and you're reluctant to leave me?"

Li Shiyue wasn't unaware that Xu Lingzi was joking. She smiled slightly and followed the conversation, her gaze falling on the small pond: "Yes, I can't bear to part with you."

"It's been a year since I came to the capital, and my cousin is getting married soon. It seems like time has flown by. It feels like I haven't done anything this year, and it's already over."

Xu Lingzi smiled, and when she mentioned her marriage and thought of the person in her heart, she couldn't hide the shy blush on her face.

"Your wedding is the day after tomorrow. News has come from the palace that His Highness and the Empress will be coming."

After all, it was Xu Lingzi's wedding, so Xu Lingyu would definitely come back to support her younger sister. His Highness the Crown Prince, needless to say, respected and loved his Crown Princess the most.

"You've been in the palace these past few days, and I feel like you've gotten a bit paler."

After Xu Lingzi and Guo Xun got engaged, Xu Lingzi often went to the palace to accompany the Crown Princess. However, when she returned this time, her skin looked much more delicate than before she entered the palace.

"It was my elder sister who used palace methods to take care of my skin. She said... that it wouldn't be good if my skin was rough when I wore my wedding dress on my wedding day."

Li Shiyue was taken aback, then covered her mouth and chuckled softly, noticing that Xu Lingzi's blush had deepened. But seeing Xu Lingzi like this made her very happy.

When she first arrived in Beijing, Xu Lingzi was still testing her, but they gradually got to know each other better and the distance between them narrowed.

"By the way, Cousin Xie is leaving tomorrow, you should go and see him off."

Xu Lingzi pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and then said, "Someone from Cousin Xie's side came by earlier and said that if you would like, you can go and see him off."