Chapter 29 Chapter 29 The Dispute over the Marriage Certificate
Ye Yunzheng went through a lot of trouble, and He Anting watched coldly for a few days. He found a similar opportunity and went to the Jing Mansion.
It's the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. If you want to stop Ye Yunzheng, you naturally have to start from the Jing Mansion.
Jing Yao's father, Jing Xunyuan, was a merchant in Bianjing City, running a clothing shop. He held a sinecure position of the seventh rank. He Anting ordered a thorough investigation and found out that Jing Xunyuan usually focused on his shop and rarely went to the government office.
He also had a son who was about to take the provincial examination, and Cui was trying hard to find some connections to help him.
After learning about it, He Anting submitted a visiting card in advance and visited the house.
Jing Xunyuan was flattered and looked very happy, while Cui was even more panicked and didn't know what to do.
"Your Excellency, please accept my humble respect." Jing Xunyuan knelt down tremblingly and kowtowed.
"No need to be so formal, just stand up and talk." He said concisely.
The couple stood up and looked at each other. Many people knew about what happened in the Bo Mansion in the past two days. They guessed that He Anting must have come here for his sister. As a brother, how could he allow his sister to serve two husbands?
Even a noble person like the Prime Minister would condescend to help, which shows how important he is to the matter. Fortunately, Prince Ye informed them in advance and promised to help her Ji'er to have a smooth provincial examination.
Cui also understood that He Anting's intentions also reflected the county lady's. "Sir, we know why you've come. Don't worry, we will never agree to a co-wife."
Jing Xunyuan smiled flatteringly: "Yes, yes, I will definitely not agree to it."
Although the goal was easily achieved, He Anting still felt a little uncomfortable. The Jing Mansion did not look like it was dying. On the contrary, Jing Xunyuan and Cui Fengyun were wearing gold and silver, and Huanghuali furniture could be seen everywhere in the house.
How could a good family that lives a luxurious life send their legitimate daughter to be a concubine?
He Anting looked at the two of them coldly. Unless they were a family selling their daughter for fame and fortune.
It's really disgusting.
To calm his anger, Jing Xunyuan deliberately said, "Yao Jie'er has been scheming and scheming since she was a child. She's very opinionated. Her decision to marry a concubine is probably just a clever move. Don't worry, sir. We will definitely dissuade her."
He Anting was so angry that he almost laughed. He didn't want to say any more to this family. He said a few perfunctory words and left.
After going out, he got on the carriage. The alley where Jing Mansion was located was too narrow. When they turned around, they didn't see it and collided directly with another slightly smaller carriage.
Nanny Yu leaned forward to ask what was going on. With her sharp eyes, she immediately recognized Qing Wu: "Ah, but is it the guard who is accompanying the prince?"
He Anting stuck his head out of the car when he heard this and looked at Nanny Yu for a few seconds before he remembered who she was.
He's heart tightened, and she quickly lifted the carriage curtain: "Prince?"
He Anting also leaned forward and calmly said, "Mrs. He."
He smiled and nodded: "You just came to the house yesterday. What's the matter with you coming here today? You left in a hurry yesterday, so I didn't have time to greet you."
Yesterday? He Anting's mind fluttered, and his expression suddenly turned cold: "We didn't discuss everything yesterday, so I came again today. Oh, why didn't Madam come out yesterday?"
He's face turned pale when she heard this: "When the prince came yesterday, the two of them did not inform me. When I wanted to go out to meet him, he had already left. Even the engagement letter was signed by them." He said this a little unnaturally.
When He Anting heard this, his pupils suddenly constricted.
The contract...signed?
Anger flashed in his eyes. His men had been keeping an eye on Ye Yunzheng all day, so why was he still allowed to be one step ahead?
"I wonder where Madam is going?" He Anting asked out of courtesy. He felt guilty for deceiving He, but was also glad that she "told" him.
Of course, He Shi would not tell him: "I, I'm going to look for my best friend. I won't delay the prince. I'm leaving first."
She forced a smile, she was very nervous because she had a secret in her arms.
Fortunately, He Anting did not doubt it. He nodded and left behind the curtain.
As Qingwu turned the car around, he whispered, "Let's go to Kaifeng Prefecture."
"yes."
Qing Wu sighed and said that his master was really crazy.
He Anting went to Kaifeng Prefecture to confirm whether the marriage certificate was stamped with the official seal. Thinking of this, he thought of something else: "Go and find out who Ye Yunzheng has been close to recently."
He always felt that since he could move freely under his nose, there must be someone helping him secretly.
…
Because the Duke of Lingyun was going to take a concubine, more people came to the mansion to congratulate him. Gu asked her to go out to meet the guests, but Jing Yao simply pretended to be sick and refused to go, saying that she had morning sickness and would not feel comfortable going. This was her weak silent resistance.
It's so annoying. She turned over. Ye Yunzheng has been very busy these past two days. I don't know what he said to the young lady that day. There has been no movement from He in the past two days.
Stop it quickly, threaten it quickly.
Seeing that Ye Yunzheng had brought back the engagement letter yesterday, He Shi didn't even react. She was so anxious that she was running around in circles, and blisters appeared at the corners of her mouth.
She tried to persuade Ye Yunzheng, but Ye Yunzheng seemed to be possessed by a demon and only told her not to be afraid of the He family's tyranny, as he had his own way.
But putting aside the reasons for the He Mansion, she really didn't want to do it.
Jing Yao was very distressed, leaning on the soft couch with a blush on her face, like a mushroom that had lost its nutrients. The blisters on her fair cheeks were very eye-catching.
Yun Qiao came over and said, "Auntie, the Madam is here."
Jing Yao was puzzled: "Which lady?"
"Your mother, Mrs. He."
Jing Yao struggled to sit up: "My mother? Why is my mother here?"
He had not originally planned to come and see Jing Yao. In fact, she also wanted to pretend that Jing Yao was completely unaware of this matter. However, she waited outside the He Mansion for more than an hour and did not even see the county lady.
The doorman gave her a perfunctory response, saying that he didn't want to see outsiders and tried to send her away.
He was left with no other options and had to ask her daughter for help. No matter what, the marriage certificate had to be returned today.
Fortunately, the people in the Bo's Mansion invited her in respectfully, and the steward took He directly to Lanxiang Pavilion.
"Mom, why are you here?" Jing Yao ran out happily, holding up her skirt.
"Be careful, be careful." He said anxiously, scolding her for being disrespectful. How could she be like a child when she was about to become a mother?
Jing Yao buried her head in her neck: "Yaoyao misses you."
He was annoyed: "Get up, get up, you are making a fool of yourself for the servants."
Jing Yao brought her into the house, and He also looked around at the place where she lived. It was better than the house in Jing Mansion. The furnishings were simple and the house was tidy. It was not bad.
Then he looked at the corner of his daughter's mouth: "What's wrong? Why are you so angry? Are you greedy?"
She felt uncomfortable when talking about this: "Mom, you came at the right time. I want to tell you that the prince wants me to be his co-wife, but I don't want to do it."
He Shi was not surprised to hear this. She knew her daughter best. "What should we do? The marriage certificate has been signed. I can see that the prince is very interested in you. I saw him again when I went out today."
Jing Yao's heart skipped a beat. She remembered that the prince her mother met was replaced by He Anting.
So, He Anting really went to her house.
Jing Yao suddenly felt complicated. He might be doing this for He Qingyu.
"One husband and two wives, hasn't my mother suffered enough?" Jing Yao murmured softly. She had seen too much suffering since she was a child. If her happiness was built on another woman, what kind of happiness would it be?
He forced a smile and said, "Why mention mother? I came here today to talk to you about something." She turned and asked Madam Yu, taking out the lacquer box, "Do you still remember this engagement letter?"
Jing Yao remembered this the moment she took it.
Letter of appointment, yes, she also has a letter of appointment, it's with...
Jing Yao spread it out with a complicated expression, looking at the two names written at the end, He Anting and Jing Yao, as well as the fingerprints of the matchmaker and her parents.
"This is the marriage your grandfather arranged for you, but unfortunately you are not destined to be together. I heard that this man has already reached a high position in the government, and we are too high to marry him. Let's not waste our time and go to the county lady today to cancel the engagement."
Jing Yao was confused for a moment: "But since He Anting doesn't know either, just destroy the engagement letter."
"Silly girl, according to the laws of our dynasty, destroying a letter of engagement without permission is punishable by sixty strokes of the cane. Neither you nor I can afford this. Just follow the rules and resign."
Jing Yao nodded: "Okay."
He heaved a sigh of relief. Jing Yao stood up and left after hearing this: "Mother, I'll take you to see the county lady."
…
Duke Heng suddenly heard that He Anting had arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture and thought something had happened. However, his nephew, who always put official duties first, said, "Brother Qi, please help me."
Duke Heng has been the prefect for quite some time, but this was the first time he heard his high-ranking younger brother ask him for help, which made him feel a little surprised.
He was even more surprised when he learned that they were going to check the list of names stamped with the official seal on the appointment letters.
He Anting looked through the list and breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them were not on the list. Duke Heng asked nearby, "I wonder what Lan Jun is going to do?"
He Anting didn't reveal too much: "Nothing, just a verification. Thank you for troubling Brother Qi today."
Duke Heng waved his hand. "That's fine. Speaking of this list of engagement letters, it reminds me of an old story. That year, your father arranged a marriage for you. You were only... ten years old that year."
He Anting's eyes showed disdain. What child marriage? It would take years to happen. Why bring it up?
"Brother Qi, I don't know what you are talking about. I have something important to do, so I'll leave first."
Duke Heng sighed, "How could you not know? Your father even signed the engagement letter for you. You wouldn't have been unaware of it, right?"
He Anting became even more annoyed after hearing this. The matter of the Xue Mansion had not been resolved yet, so how could another marriage come up? It would never end, right?
"I remember that family's surname was He. The daughter of that He family was the one who signed the engagement letter with you. I think her surname is... Jing."
Duke Heng's words flowed like a stream, caressing He Anting's heart, parting the clouds and mist, and washing away the dust of the past. He Anting was stunned. "He, Jing, how could it be such a coincidence?"
He suddenly strode back, trying to find the list: "Is there any record?"
"Maybe there is, but it's been seventeen years, so I'm afraid it won't be found."
He was in a state of confusion, but followed by a secret joy, a kind of wish fulfillment, or rather, the joy of being blessed by his parents.
He had already prepared to fight for her, but she had always been attracted to Ye Yunzheng and was unwilling to come to him. Moreover, Jing Yao's identity and past could not be erased no matter what.
He Anting was even more afraid that when everything was revealed, she would be falsely accused.
No matter how strong he is, there will always be a time when he cannot protect her.
Duke Hengguo looked at him in a crimson purple robe with wide sleeves and a round collar, with only his fu hat off. He frowned and flipped through the list, trying to confirm something.
"Hurry, come, come, help." Duke Heng quickly called several officials to help.
After more than an hour, an official finally shouted, "Found it."
He Anting almost stepped forward to grab it. When he saw those two words, the heavy worry in his heart instantly settled down, and the taut string was not broken after all.
He felt relieved and his brows relaxed.
Then he wondered why his father had never told him.
Duke Heng asked, "Have you found it?"
He Anting didn't delay any longer: "I found it, thank you Brother Qi, I'll thank you another day, I have something to do today, so I'll leave first."
His robe fluttered and slid through the air in a sharp arc. Duke Heng stroked his beard and laughed at his back. It had been a long time since he had seen him like this.
He Anting returned home as quickly as possible. Since there was a letter of engagement, it should have been placed in his father's study.
After my father left, my mother locked the place for fear of being saddened by the sight.
However, as soon as he entered the mansion, Qing Wu said to him, "Master, Aunt Jing and her mother He have just arrived."
He Anting immediately turned and headed towards Zhenyueju.
Jing Yao waited outside for a long time to ask to see the county lady before she was called in. It was almost noon and the sun was blazing. The mother and daughter stood in the yard for a full quarter of an hour.
He felt sorry for her daughter, but she also understood why the county lady was like this. She was a person of integrity and felt that her life was really unfair: "What do you mean by a co-wife? Do we really want one?"
"Why can't you just say whatever you want to say? Why do you have to humiliate people like this?" He was a sickly woman, and Jing Yao was pregnant. Seeing that they were getting weaker, the nanny quickly reported to the county lady and let them into the house.
Jing Yao's little face was sunburned red, but her delicate complexion was like a blooming crabapple, dimming the entire room.
The county lady's eyes were cold, totally different from the attentive attitude she had shown towards her in the past few days.
"County Lady." Jing Yao bowed respectfully.
The county lady sneered: "You still have the nerve to come here."
He couldn't help but say, "They say the Lady County has a kind heart and can distinguish right from wrong. Now I see that she is just like that. Yao'er has no intention of taking me as a concubine. Frankly speaking, I would never let her be my concubine. It was that devout old woman Cui who tricked me into coming here. Lady County, since you are so angry, why don't you write a letter to let me be your concubine? Then we can go back home without getting in each other's way."
"You..." When had Princess Pingyang ever been choked like this?
Jing Yao pulled her mother's hand to indicate that she was there to do serious business.
"County Master, I have something else I would like you to decide today."
Jing Yao was holding a box in her arms, and she took a step forward to open it and show it to her.
Before it was taken out, the door curtain was suddenly lifted, and the breeze blew in along the rolled-up curtain. The tall and straight figure was like a pine or bamboo, like a mountain, like snow, like water, like the moon.
"Lan Jun, why are you back?" The county lady looked at him in surprise.
He Anting took a few steps forward and clamped his big hand around Jing Yao's wrist. "Mother, please forgive me for being so rude. I need to take her away first. I have something important to discuss."
He covered her mouth in shock, her fingers trembling, and she was speechless for a long time.
Jing Yao's face was filled with shame and anger. She didn't want to be pulled like this in front of the two elders, as it was disgraceful. However, she struggled but couldn't get free. The palm was like a branding iron, hot and hard, gripping her bony wrist and causing pain.
After He Anting finished speaking, he dragged Jing Yao out of the house. He walked with big steps, but he deliberately slowed down his pace to match hers to prevent her from stumbling.
He took the man straight to Guanlan Courtyard, into his room and closed the door.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you pulling me for no reason?" Jing Yao shook off his hand and rubbed her wrist. There was a bright red mark on her snow-white bony wrist.
He Anting took the box out of her arms with a cold face. Jing Yao immediately wanted to stop him, but she was unable to stop him because He Anting had already unfolded the letter of engagement.
"Explain." He threw down the word.
Jing Yao hurriedly explained, "Listen to me, Master He. I admit that I've known about this engagement letter for a long time, but don't worry, I understand that there's a world of difference between you and me. You're getting married soon, and I don't mean to use this to coerce you. I really don't."
She explained anxiously, speaking quickly, afraid that he would misunderstand something: "I came here today to cancel the engagement with the county lady. The laws of our dynasty clearly state that if anyone destroys the engagement letter without permission, he will be punished with sixty lashes of the cane, so..."
She looked at him eagerly, hoping he would believe it.
He Anting was almost pissed off by her and wished he could shut up her chattering mouth.
"Who said I'm going to get married?" He Anting said in a deep voice.
"Oh no, I do want to get married, Yaoyao. Since we've signed the marriage certificate, we're engaged. You're going to be my wife. All those terms like co-wife and crown prince have to go away."
He lowered his tone, but it was unacceptable.
"Although I'm much older than you, my body is still good. I'm definitely better than your prince. What do you think, Yaoyao?" He called her Yaoyao affectionately, his eyes locked on her.
Jing Yao raised her brows slightly, as if she didn't understand what he was saying: "You, you want to marry me?"
"Yes." After struggling for a long time, he finally gave an affirmative answer.
Just because of a letter of engagement? Jing Yao was confused: "But I also signed a marriage contract with the prince."
Why mention him again? He Anting looked unhappy.
"I'm with you in front, and you're with him in the back, so his engagement letter can't be reprinted by the government. It's invalid, understand? Even the letter for taking a concubine is invalid."
Seeing this, Jing Yao lowered her head in frustration.
He had to marry her because he had to obey his father's orders.
"From now on, don't mention Ye Yunzheng again." He said in a low voice, not knowing what she was thinking.
"But I...might be pregnant with the prince's child, sir. This marriage might just be a joke from our parents. It's not worth taking seriously. There are so many beautiful women in the world. Why do you...only look at me?" She lowered her head and whispered.
Jing Yao really didn't want to be involved in any more troubles because of him.
To put it bluntly, she didn't have any feelings for him, so why did she have to be with him?
She was touched that He Anting was willing to marry her and fulfill his father's promise, but they were too mismatched.
He Anting's face darkened, and his tone suddenly turned cold: "You don't want to? It's too late for you to refuse, Yaoyao. I will not agree to cancel the engagement no matter what. Forget about that idiot. I will not let you go back and live in the same room with that idiot again. Be obedient and behave. I will go and explain things to Ye Yunzheng tomorrow."
A strange and exciting throbbing surged in his heart. He wanted to hold her in his arms, hug and kiss her like an ordinary couple, and be passionate about their love. He would never let her go in this life.
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