Chapter 404 Mother?
Looking at the silent King of Chu above, the eldest son of the Shen family was actually a little uneasy. If he really pushed the King of Chu to the limit, he was afraid that he might not be able to leave Taiyuan.
However, this time they came knowing exactly when the King of Chu was short of troops, which is why they dared to propose a marriage alliance.
Shen Shijia felt a little disdainful. She was just a divorced woman. He wondered what the King of Chu and his men were hesitating about. With that thought, Shen Shijia put on a respectful expression and spoke to the King of Chu again.
“Your Highness, I, Shen Shijia, hereby swear that after the princess marries me, I will treat her with utmost care and will never let her down.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Changning sneered and suddenly asked, "Would Young Master Shen be willing to dismiss all his wives and concubines?"
Shen Shijia looked at Lin Changning for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Of course not."
Realizing what he had said, and seeing the displeased look on the face of the King of Chu, as well as Li Mingxiu and Qi Rong, the eldest son of the Shen family hurriedly bowed to the King of Chu and tried to make amends: "I have many concubines in my family who have already borne me children and are considered meritorious to my Shen family. If we were to drive them away and dismiss them, it would inevitably give my Shen family a reputation for being cold-hearted and ungrateful. Furthermore, the Princess's reputation for being gentle and virtuous has long been spread throughout Da Xuan. I believe that the Princess is not the kind of person who would fight with others for love."
Lin Changning scoffed, "If your love for your concubine is stronger than gold, then go back and live a good life with her. Why pretend to be so virtuous to ask for the princess's hand in marriage? The Shen family really has a lot of nerve."
The eldest son of the Shen family remained unmoved: "They are just some maids who serve me and the princess. Why should this gentleman take them to heart? Which man these days doesn't have a few concubines? The princess will receive the respect and dignity she deserves for marrying me."
Lin Changning snorted coldly: "Who cares about your respect and dignity? Does the princess lose her respect and dignity if she doesn't marry you? She will still be a princess even if she doesn't marry you. As for you? I haven't yet asked whether Young Master Shen has made any achievements in the imperial examinations or in martial arts?"
Lin Changning's words directly hit the sore spot of the eldest son of the Shen family. He was indeed neither good at literature nor martial arts, and his own father often compared him with people from other families. What he hated most in his life was others touching his sore spot.
Hearing this, she blushed and pointed at Lin Changning: "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to ask me questions?"
Lin Changning cupped his hands and said calmly, "I am not talented. I am the Vice Commander of the Right Guard of Taiyuan. Although I am not good at the imperial examination, I have some experience in swordsmanship. I am currently teaching swordsmanship to the two princes."
As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of discussion arose around him. In fact, quite a few people had already inquired about Lin Changning when they arrived, and he was considered a popular candidate for this meeting.
The top aristocratic families also took notice of Lin Changning. He was a junior official who had not yet come of age, had a good relationship with the three princes, had a clean background, and was valued by the Prince of Chu. He was definitely a promising prospect.
Although his background is somewhat humble, Lin Changning is capable and handsome. Although he is not very old, if he can be betrothed in advance, he will definitely be able to help his family in the future.
Mr. Cui, sitting at the table, remembered that Lin Changning was his son A-Zheng's teacher, and couldn't help but speak up in support.
"It is truly remarkable that Lin Qianshi was able to reach the fourth rank before he was even twenty. My family's eldest grandson was also saved by Lin Qianshi's help. It is no exaggeration to call him a young prodigy."
The eldest son of the Shen family realized his earlier lapse in composure and snorted coldly, "A mere fourth-rank military officer is nothing more than..."
Before he could finish speaking, the King of Chu abruptly interrupted him: "Insolence!"
The eldest son of the Shen family turned pale and hurriedly knelt down: "Your Highness, please forgive me, I misspoke."
The King of Chu stared at the kneeling eldest son of the Shen family with an uncertain expression: "I had no idea that the Shen family looked down on my subordinates so much!"
Shen Shijia hurriedly tried to explain: "Your Highness, please forgive me, Your Highness, please forgive me. It was Shijia who misspoke. I never meant to look down on Your Highness's subordinates. It's just that this Lord Lin has insulted me many times, that's why..."
Qi Rong chuckled softly: "Insult you? Then, young master Shen, could you tell me which of Xiao Liu's words was wrong?"
Shen Shijia knew that his words had angered the King of Chu, so he did not answer Qi Rong's question.
Changing the subject, she continued to ask the Prince of Chu: "Your Highness, the princess will eventually have to remarry. She is already remarrying, so it is not easy for her to marry into a good family. My Shen family has come to propose marriage with sincere intentions, and we hope that Your Highness will grant our request!"
The King of Chu rubbed his aching head, waved to Shen Shijia, and was about to say something when he suddenly heard a voice from outside.
“My Shu’er has already been betrothed. Young Master Shen, you should find another suitable match.”
Princess Chu, accompanied by her two daughters and a wet nurse carrying Yue'er, gracefully entered the main hall.
She walked in gracefully and bowed to the King of Chu, saying, "Your Highness~"
The King of Chu hurriedly stood up, helped his queen up, and led her to a seat. He then looked at his queen with a knowing expression.
As Li Minghua walked past the eldest son of the Shen family, he snorted coldly and even choked on the man.
Li Mingshu walked calmly to the side of the King of Chu, bowed to him with her younger sister and Yue'er, and then took her seat.
The eldest son of the Shen family looked at the Princess Consort of Chu with a displeased expression: "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"
Princess Chu snorted coldly: "If Young Master Shen is hard of hearing and can't hear clearly, then I will say it again. My Shu'er already has someone she likes. However, the two families are currently discussing the marriage, so it is not appropriate to make it public. But the marriage has indeed been arranged!"
The eldest son of the Shen family looked somewhat pale: "Your Highness, please don't joke. The princess has only been back for a few months, and she has a daughter with her. How could she possibly find a marriage so quickly? Is this just an excuse to refuse?"
The princess scoffed, "The Shen family isn't that influential, telling us to find any random family for our daughter to marry off on short notice. Go, bring them here!"
As the princess spoke, she instructed her maid to go outside and find someone to come over. Lin Changning was a little curious, as he had always known about the princess's life in the mansion. Why was she suddenly saying that the princess had been promised away?
Thinking this, Lin Changning couldn't help but look at Li Mingshu sitting in the seat. As soon as she looked over, the two of them looked at each other. Li Mingshu gave Lin Changning a smile, nodded, and winked playfully at him.
"Your Highness, the Lady has arrived."
As the maid spoke, she brought in a person from outside the door. The lady in brocade robes walked to the center of the main hall and kowtowed.
"Greetings, Your Highness; Greetings, Your Highness..."
Lin Changning couldn't help but turn his head to look over, and his expression suddenly changed when he saw his mother being helped up.
Qi Rong's expression also changed, and he looked at Lin Changning with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Mother? What brings you here?"
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