Chapter 796 Extra: Qiao Yuanyao & Wen Jue
Qiao Yuanyao had just come out of Princess Dingguo's residence and hadn't even gotten into her carriage when someone called out to her.
"Miss Qiao, may I have a word with you in private?"
Qiao Yuanyao turned her head and saw Wen Jue. At this moment, Wen Jue was not wearing armor, but simply dressed in plain clothes. He had lost some of the sharpness of a military general and gained more of the elegance of a scholar.
Even though several years had passed, Qiao Yuanyao immediately thought of the first time she met Wen Jue at the foot of Fahua Temple.
That's how he was back then: thin, frail, and a little lame—he looked like a depressed and frustrated scholar.
But later I found out that it was all just a disguise.
Even his limp was faked.
Qiao Yuanyao snapped out of her thoughts and said with a faint smile, "What a coincidence. Commander Wen, are you also here to visit the Princess?"
She has been back in Beijing for three months.
My aunt said that Princess Dingguo might be having some psychological problems and needed someone to comfort her, so she hoped that my aunt could return to the capital to be with the princess.
She returned because of her aunt's request and because of her past friendship with the princess.
However, on the very day she returned to the capital, she encountered Wen Jue at the city gate.
From then on, she would coincidentally run into Wen Jue in various places.
Just like now, she came to visit the eldest princess, and unexpectedly ran into him again before leaving.
This made her wonder, didn't Wen Jue, the commander of the Imperial Guards, have any duties? How could he be so idle?
Wenjue shook his head. "I came here specifically to see you."
Qiao Yuanyao frowned, glanced at the residence of Princess Dingguo behind her, and said with a troubled expression, "Commander Wen is the Princess's maternal uncle. We're already at the gate of the Princess's residence. It wouldn't be right not to go in and see the Princess, would it?"
Wen Jue smiled, "If I go in to see the Princess, will Miss Qiao still be here when I come out?"
Qiao Yuanyao gave an awkward but polite smile.
Haha, of course not!
Wen Jue looked at Qiao Yuanyao with a determined gaze, "Does Miss Qiao really intend to keep me at arm's length?"
Qiao Yuanyao was also helpless and had a headache. "Why is Commander Wen so determined to keep bothering me?"
Judging from Wen Jue's constant attempts to create "chance encounters" every few days, even a fool could see what he was up to.
But it's really impossible for her and him!
Not to mention that she never even considered marriage, there's no way Wen Jue's stepmother and the relatives and clansmen who hate her aunt to the bone would let him marry her!
So she couldn't understand why Wen Jue was still bothering her.
Oh, by the way, the Yongchang Marquis's mansion was raided and all its property was confiscated. The Yongchang Marquis and his wife, along with their daughter, the Princess of Chu, were also assassinated.
But the others escaped. They were simply stripped of their property, their official positions and titles, and reduced to commoners.
Now, Wen Jue is the only son of the Wen family who holds an official position.
Therefore, the entire Wen family relied on Wen Jue to make a living.
After experiencing such a great storm, Madam Wen surprisingly did not collapse. Instead, relying on her status as Wen Jue's legal mother, she once again became the head of the Wen family.
There was no way around it; filial piety was the shackle on Wenjue's head.
As long as Madam Wen is alive, he will always be Madam Wen's son and will always have to listen to Madam Wen.
Neither of them would give in.
After a short while, Qiao Yuanyao was defeated.
Let's talk somewhere else.
Every time she saw Wen Jue, she was polite and distant, adhering to proper etiquette and rules. People said she was behaving improperly and was having an affair with Wen Jue.
If we continue to stand and talk at the entrance of the Princess's residence for such a long time, who knows what kind of rumors will spread if people see us.
Fifteen minutes later, the two entered a teahouse in the northern part of the city and asked for a private room.
After entering the private room, ordering tea, and dismissing the servants, Qiao Yuanyao got straight to the point and asked, "Commander Wen, what exactly do you want to do?"
Wen Jue didn't beat around the bush and readily replied, "I have admired Miss Qiao for many years and wish to marry her."
Qiao Yuanyao's lips twitched. "Do you even believe what you're saying?"
She's twenty-six this year, already considered an old maid. The kind of woman who'd be rejected as too old even if she were to become a second wife.
But what about him? He's thirty. Although he's not young anymore, age is never a problem for men.
There are plenty of young and beautiful girls who want to marry Wen Jue these days.
Why would he like her?
Although she considered herself not bad-looking, she was indeed the least attractive of the three siblings and had no ability to make anyone fall for her.
Wen Jue smiled wryly: "Is Miss Qiao going to reject me again?"
This is the third time.
Wen Jue said self-deprecatingly, "Am I really that unworthy of Miss Qiao's attention?"
Qiao Yuanyao was taken aback; she hadn't even realized that she had already rejected Wen Jue three times.
Think about it, that's three times, isn't it?
The first time was at Fahua Temple, the second time was when Xia Linyuan came to Dayan to choose a crown princess, and now it's happening.
However, "Why are you so determined to marry me?"
"Is it because you can't have it that you feel resentful?"
Wen Jue looked at Qiao Yuanyao with a forlorn expression, "Why can't it be because of genuine love?"
"I fell in love with your paintings long before I pretended to be lame and disappeared from the public eye. After I returned to the capital, I learned by chance that you were the artist, and that's when I fell for you."
"Over the years, many people have tried to arrange marriages for me, but the only person I've ever wanted to marry is you."
Qiao Yuanyao sighed, "Thank you for your kind words."
"Even if you truly love me, I can't marry you."
"As you know, the feud between the Wen family and the Qiao family can never be resolved."
“I will not compromise myself for you, nor will I make things difficult for my aunt by marrying you.”
Wen Jue's expression darkened, but his eyes remained firm.
He said, "What if I said I could get my mother to agree to this marriage?"
"What if I could get my mother to personally go to the Zhenguo Lady's residence to apologize to your aunt and resolve the past grievances between the two families?"
Even so, you still don't want to marry me?
"I……"
This time, Qiao Yuanyao couldn't bring herself to say no decisively.
There was no way around it; Wen Jue's gaze was too resolute, and his words were too impactful.
She never dreamed that Wen Jue would go to such lengths for her!
Madam Wen was such an arrogant person.
Wenjue actually said that she should personally visit her aunt to apologize.
This is truly astonishing.
Seeing Qiao Yuanyao hesitate, Wen Jue finally smiled. "Don't worry, I will definitely persuade my mother! Wait for my good news!"
After saying that, Wen Jue reached out and shook Qiao Yuanyao's hand, then quickly ran out of the private room.
He didn't even notice when he got up, having taken the chair with him. Clearly, he was so overjoyed he forgot himself.
Their joyful footsteps as they went downstairs made a series of loud noises.
Anyone who didn't know him would think he was just a young kid; he's not mature at all.
Seeing Wen Jue's obvious joy, Qiao Yuanyao unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth.
Perhaps, marrying someone who truly loves her wouldn't be bad?
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