Chapter 33 Marriage

Qiu Heng has a good memory; she still remembers the malice in Cui Er's smile and his resentment when Xue Han forced him to apologize.

Was he proposing to her so he could take revenge on her?

How can there be such a boring person? It's true that you become like those you associate with.

“Grandfather, the second young master Cui and Han Ziheng are good friends.”

The Earl of Yongqing raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Is that so?"

When it comes to marriage, adults mainly consider social status, family interests, and at most pay attention to the other person's age; they wouldn't bother to know such details.

Actually, even if I knew, I wouldn't care.

With that thought in mind, the Earl of Yongqing no longer hesitated.

Han Wu's case is not yet closed because the assassin who tried to kill him has not been found, but most of those who should have fallen have already done so. Deputy Commander Cui is perfectly fine, and they are not even from the same department.

"The Cui family is a respectable family in the capital..."

Qiu Heng saw through Yongqing Bo's thoughts and asked directly, "Grandfather, do you intend to agree to this marriage?"

Her tone was not gentle, and Yongqing Bo could naturally tell.

When no one else is around, they don't look like a grandfather and grandson, but more like business people negotiating.

The buyer is in a superior position, waiting to see what the seller can offer to satisfy him.

Previously it was calming incense; now he wants to see what it is.

"Is Heng'er unwilling?"

The girl smiled sweetly: "Of course not."

Why?

"The Cui family is a decent family, but that's all. My granddaughter thinks I can marry someone better."

Pretending to be clever and cunning won't work on someone like Yongqingbo; only those who are like him will listen to him.

"Marry someone better?" The Earl of Yongqing was initially intrigued, then burst into laughter. "Heng'er, what makes you think you can marry someone better?"

Laughter echoed in Qiu Heng's ears; there was no compassion, only greed.

Qiu Heng thought, if it weren't for those ten years of extraordinary encounters, how desperate Ah Heng, who was just a simple country girl, would be now.

Thankfully, she wasn't.

Having witnessed the devastation of a chaotic world, she had long understood that all beauty without the power to protect itself is as fragile as glass.

A little pain or suffering is nothing compared to the benefits of relying on others for protection.

Uncle Yongqing continued, “You have five older sisters. In terms of character, they have been educated and learned etiquette since childhood, while you grew up in the mountains. In terms of background, they all have both parents, while you lost your mother at a young age. In terms of appearance, you are indeed slightly better, but when it comes to marriage, appearance is the least important thing. Heng’er, tell me, where do you have the advantage over your sisters, and how can you marry better?”

Uncle Yongqing said these words not to discourage his granddaughter, but rather with some expectation.

He already has five well-behaved and obedient granddaughters, so he's not lacking in that regard. This granddaughter, who doesn't seem like a granddaughter at all, is the one who surprises him the most.

It's a pity she was born too late; otherwise, she would have been far more suited to entering the palace than the eldest maid.

The Earl of Yongqing was troubled by the thought of his eldest granddaughter, who had gone on a hunger strike because she wanted to enter the palace.

That girl is stupid. She's been in the palace for years and is still sitting on the sidelines, wasting the good opportunity she fought for back then.

Thinking about it this way, Uncle Yongqing found his little granddaughter even more pleasing to the eye.

"Just because—" Qiu Heng met Yongqing Bo's eyes, "just because my granddaughter grew up in the countryside, lost her mother at a young age, and only stayed in the capital for a little over a month before a decent family like the Cui family came to propose marriage to her."

She laughed and said, "Grandfather, don't you think it's a loss to marry me off like this? Your granddaughter is only fifteen years old."

Yongqingbo had to admit that this little girl was too good at manipulating people's hearts.

Yes, she's only fifteen, but she already knows how to strive to reach the top, unlike those silly girls who only care about food and clothing.

Just like this girl said, the Cui family is good, but that's all.

It's still early, let's wait a bit longer.

Having persuaded the Earl of Yongqing, Qiuheng breathed a sigh of relief.

That would be best. If the Earl of Yongqing insists on agreeing, we'll have to find another way.

"Grandfather, this is a new calming incense that I made after adjusting the formula based on your recent sleep patterns. Please try it."

“Okay, Grandfather, give it a try.”

Qiu Heng escaped an unexpected marriage, and soon heard that the Marquis of Xiping's mansion was seeking to marry his second daughter, Qiu Xuan.

"Go and invite the four elder sisters to Lengxiang Residence and offer them some snacks."

Just as Qiu Heng had predicted, the sisters' conversation quickly turned to Qiu Xuan's marriage.

"Second sister, is your marriage settled?" Qiu Ying asked curiously.

Qiu Xuan's cheeks flushed slightly: "Such delicious snacks can't shut you up."

"Oh dear, second sister, this is a major life event like marriage, how can you be so calm?"

"You know it's a major life event like marriage, and your parents and elders have their own considerations."

"No." Qiu Heng's words immediately drew everyone's attention.

Qiu Xuan looked puzzled.

Although she hadn't spent much time with Sixth Sister, she could tell that Sixth Sister wasn't the type to meddle.

“Our parents and elders have different ideas than we do, and even our parents and grandparents have different ideas. But we are the ones who will marry into the family and spend our lives with them. How can we not consider our own marriage?”

Qiu Xuan fell silent.

Qiu Fu nodded in agreement.

Although Sixth Sister is just average, there's some truth to what she said.

Qiu Yun replied, "But what if we consider it?"

Whether it succeeds or fails is not something they can decide.

"Aren't there many other people to look at? You can observe their appearance, age, speech, and behavior, and also inquire about their character. Second Uncle and Second Aunt both dote on Second Sister, so why wouldn't they agree to meet them first before making a commitment?"

Qiu Heng couldn't bring herself to tell Qiu Xuan about her drowning after getting married, nor could she say that the marriage was bad, because she wasn't sure herself.

The fates of the Qiu family's daughters were only briefly mentioned, and Qiu Xuan had no idea which family her husband's family was.

Who can guarantee that it is the residence of the Marquis of Xiping?

All she could do was remind Qiuxuan to inquire more and make more observations, no matter which family was proposing marriage.

"Sixth Sister is right." Qiu Xuan no longer blushed, but became more serious.

After seeing her four elder sisters off, Qiu Heng thought for a moment, packed a box of red bean cakes and a few silver notes, and left the Earl's mansion under the pretext of buying spices.

If Qiuxuan could use the matchmaking as an excuse to postpone the marriage, perhaps besides reminding her, she could do something else.

The turmoil surrounding Han Wu's assassination attempt had not yet subsided, and there were far more officials and servants from various government offices on the streets than usual. Qiu Heng soon spotted the Imperial City Guards.

One of them was clearly the leader and should be able to contact Xue Han.

"Please wait, sir."

The young man paused, looking at the girl who had spoken: "Who are you?"

When did he meet such a beautiful young lady?

Qiu Heng, carrying a food box, said calmly, "I'm looking for Lord Xue."

"You're looking for our adults?" The young man was even more surprised.

When did those adults meet such a beautiful young lady?

"Lord Xue did me a small favor before, so I made some pastries at home and sent them to him."

"Ah, I know!" The young man slapped his forehead, excitedly pointing at Qiu Heng, "You're that, that red bean cake!"

Qiuheng: ?

"Wait a minute!"

Then the young man took off running and disappeared in a flash.

Qiu Heng silently looked down at the food box in her hand, lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)