Chapter 8 Buying the Box and Returning the Pearl

Du Shiyin has only one son and one daughter. She would be willing to give up her life for these two children.

As soon as she finished speaking, she remembered that today was her daughter's wedding day, and she didn't want her mother to say anything that would spoil the mood, so she forced a smile and gently instructed, "However, being married is not the same as being at your parents' home. You still need to abide by the rules. Prince Anshun is not in the capital most of the year, so as long as you keep Princess Anshun happy, nothing will go wrong. As for Prince Wen, you have to be careful. If he falls ill, you should have the servants take care of him. In short, protect yourself and don't let others make mistakes in your hands."

"Mother, I understand." Meng Lingge nodded obediently. Her mother was in poor health, and her younger brother was still young. If it weren't for a last resort, she really didn't want to get married now.

It's all that scoundrel Guan Yi'an's fault. He clearly had no feelings for her, yet he repeatedly asked to marry her. He wanted to rely on the power of the Prime Minister's mansion, and he was fickle and opportunistic. He tricked my father into agreeing to the marriage, and now that his engagement has been broken off, she has to marry someone else because of the unfair rules of the court.

Thinking of this, Meng Lingge said softly, "Mother, after I get married, please keep an eye out and find a good marriage for my third sister."

"Xi Yao?" Du Shiyin asked in surprise, "Didn't you two always get along? How come..."

The Meng family has three daughters: one legitimate daughter, Meng Lingge, and two illegitimate daughters, Meng Huanyan and Meng Xiyao. Du Shiyin is kind and benevolent, and both illegitimate daughters are raised under their mother's name and have their own courtyards to live in. However, everyone has selfish desires, so the best things in the mansion are naturally first chosen by Meng Lingge, and the rest are given to the illegitimate daughters.

Because of this, Meng Xiyao had a lot of complaints and often threw tantrums, crying and making a scene in front of Du Shiyin and Meng Lingge many times. In contrast, Meng Huanyan was much more well-behaved and always honest and timid, never coveting things that did not belong to her.

So after Meng Lingge's engagement, Du Shiyin had people keep a close eye on Meng Xiyao, completely ignoring Meng Huanyan. Little did she know that Meng Huanyan was just pretending all along, and had already secretly colluded with Guan Yi'an.

Meng Lingge lowered her eyes and said, "My third sister informed me about Guan Yi'an and Meng Huanyan's matter."

Regardless of Meng Xiyao's intentions, if she hadn't reminded her, Meng Lingge would already be married to Guan Yi'an. Just thinking about almost living in the same courtyard as that despicable couple and becoming family makes Meng Lingge feel disgusted.

Meng Xiyao had done her a great favor this time, so the previous minor conflicts between them were insignificant.

My father's career was going smoothly, but he was clearly lacking in marriage prospects for his children. He asked my mother to help him keep an eye out for them, which was also a way of repaying my third sister's kindness.

Du Shiyin was somewhat surprised, but quickly nodded in agreement: "Since it was you who instructed me, Mother will personally select with care."

The mother and daughter wanted to chat a little longer, but they heard Dongqing say from outside the door, "Miss, the man surnamed Guan has come to fetch the bride. You should go and see."

Meng Lingge stood up, frowning, and said, "He's greeting Meng Huanyan. What am I supposed to see?"

Dongqing said anxiously, "But his bridal sedan chair stopped at the entrance of Yujian Residence. The second young lady has already gone inside, but the man surnamed Guan won't leave, saying that he is marrying the legitimate daughter of the Meng family."

Meng Lingge frowned, said "I'll go take a look," and strode out.

She didn't want to see Guan Yi'an at all, but she couldn't let that bastard park the bridal sedan chair at her courtyard gate; he couldn't dirty her place!

After leaving in a huff, Guan Yi'an quickly came to his senses. He had gone to great lengths to secure the marriage with the eldest daughter of the Meng family, and he couldn't just back out like that.

Although Meng Huanyan was alluring and charming, she was only so-so as a concubine, but far from qualified to be his wife.

He originally intended to have Meng Lingge as his wife and Meng Huanyan as his concubine, and ideally, he would also take the willful and adorable Meng Xiyao as a concubine in the future, which would truly allow him to enjoy the blessings of having multiple wives.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated today. He was caught red-handed because of his desire for excitement, and when he tried to explain to Meng Lingge, he said something reckless, which angered the beauty.

He simply did not believe that Meng Lingge would choose another husband. Marriages in prominent families are never so simple and hasty. How could Meng Lingge give up on him so easily?

It was just a harsh remark made in the heat of the moment.

Guan Yi'an returned to his residence and lingered for a while before leading the prepared bridal sedan chair slowly toward the Prime Minister's residence.

He figured that Meng Lingge's anger should have subsided by now, and if he were just a little more sincere, she would naturally have no choice but to marry him.

It would be best to bring Meng Lingge and Meng Huanyan together in a sedan chair, which would save the cost of an extra sedan chair.

On his wedding day, he had a wife and a concubine, both of whom were incredibly beautiful, undoubtedly envied by many of his colleagues. Before entering the bridal chamber that night, he had two choices, but according to custom and importance, he had to go to Meng Lingge's place first.

He was lost in thought the whole way, desperately suppressing the smile on his lips, until he arrived at the Prime Minister's residence and realized something was amiss.

The mansion seemed even more lively now. Strangely, the way people looked at him didn't seem to be filled with envy or admiration, but rather with disdain and ridicule.

His father-in-law's attitude changed as well. He told him to step aside and wait, then turned away and ignored him, glancing outside every now and then, as if waiting for some other important person.

Guan Yi'an was somewhat alarmed. He sought out his former close colleagues to inquire about the situation.

It turned out that Meng Lingge had chosen a husband in public and selected Prince Wen, and was about to marry into the Prince of Anshun's mansion.

This news was like a bolt from the blue for Guan Yi'an. Meng Lingge was so resolute that, in order to get revenge on him, she would rather marry a mentally challenged prince than marry him again.

"I never imagined you were so infatuated. For the sake of a concubine's daughter, you actually humiliated the prime minister's legitimate daughter in this way on your wedding day. But now you've gotten what you wanted and can openly marry the concubine's daughter."

Hearing his colleagues' mockery, Guan Yi'an felt a pang of pain in his heart. Damn it, he got what he wanted. He had only asked for a beautiful box as a gift when he bought the jewelry, and he never thought that he would lose the jewelry for a beautiful box.

After much deliberation, he decided to persuade Meng Lingge to get into his bridal sedan chair before Prince Wen arrived. Once he married Meng Lingge and completed the wedding ceremony, the Prince of Anshun's mansion would be unable to forcibly take his wife.

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, he ordered his men to carry the bridal sedan chair directly to Yujian Residence. As soon as the sedan chair came to a stop, Meng Huanyan climbed inside.

Guan Yi'an still missed the intoxicating taste that Meng Huanyan had given him, but he didn't want to make a fuss and attract attention, so he let Meng Huanyan sit inside while he anxiously waited for Meng Lingge.

Seeing Meng Lingge rushing up to him, Guan Yi'an's eyes reddened with emotion. "Lingge, I've come to take you away. All the mistakes are mine. Please don't punish yourself for my mistakes and make decisions that will ruin your life. After we get married, you can hit me or scold me as you please. As long as you are still willing to marry me, I will let you do whatever you want with me."