Shen Ning was about to return when Princess Chang Le sent someone to find her, forcing her to go back again.
Li Kun and the others were all sent away. The noble ladies either left with their brothers or fiancés or hid from Qin Zhuo, that devil. In the end, the place became so quiet that only the two of them remained.
Princess Chang Le looked somewhat irritable and tired, but she still cheered up and smiled when she saw Shen Ning coming over.
"Now it's all over, they've all left, it's just the two of us."
Shen Ning sat down: "Did the princess call me back because there's something she needs to tell me?"
Princess Chang Le gave her a disgruntled look: "Can't I call you if I have nothing else to do?"
“Of course it is possible.” Shen Ning offered no resistance whatsoever; whatever the princess said was right.
Princess Chang Le looked at her and sighed: "Mother knows that I invited you out to play, and she asked me to ask about your plans for marriage."
marriage?
Shen Ning raised her eyes. Her marriage should be none of Princess Qi's business.
"Does the Princess still want me to become the Crown Prince's concubine?"
Princess Chang Le quickly shook her head: "No, no, my mother gave up on that idea a long time ago. She hasn't paid any attention to my brother these days, as if she's letting him fend for himself. Besides, with your example, she doesn't dare to arrange a marriage for my brother, for fear that the marriage will not happen and they will become enemies instead."
“My mother truly admires you. Although my brother is blind, there is no shortage of talented young people, whether it is the royal family or my maternal grandparents’ family. She just wants to ask what you think, and I guess she wants to be a matchmaker.”
The Princess Consort of Qi acted as her matchmaker; that's quite an honor.
This question was a bit abrupt, but Shen Ning really gave it serious consideration.
Given the status of Princess Qi, this marriage is bound to be of high quality. Moreover, Princess Qi likes her and even has a desire to make amends. Therefore, Shen Ning can make appropriate requests, perhaps even aiming for higher power and a more prestigious status, which Princess Qi might then agree to.
This is an opportunity.
Shen Ning had always wanted a powerful and influential backer, and this was her chance to choose one.
If it were only based on her own status, she wouldn't be able to choose a particularly prestigious family, but with the Princess Consort of Qi's intervention, her social standing could be raised by at least two or three levels.
Shen Ning is strong, but she is even more rational.
She, a woman, upheld the Shen family's reputation and faced all hardships head-on, so she knew better than anyone how many difficulties a family would encounter without a male head.
She has no romantic love in her heart; her marriage is merely a desire to marry a man with a promising future, as having a man in front of her will save her from many difficulties.
Wei Congwen could barely be called a young talent, but he was far from being a chosen one or a nobleman.
However, Shen Ning felt that he came from a respectable family and was quite literate. She believed that if she fully supported him after they married, he would surely rise rapidly in his official career.
What she wanted was neither love nor a husband, but a high wall that could protect her from the ravages of wind and rain.
In her previous life, she gave up the idea after becoming ill. In this life, she is healthy and has escaped the predicament set up by Wei Congwen and Shen Shu. Now she can choose an excellent man to marry and become a virtuous wife, assist her husband, manage the household, and protect the Shen family, just as she originally planned.
Now, the offer from Princess Qi has given her a wider range of choices: a prestigious family, a member of the imperial family. If she can marry into one, she can at least save herself thirty years of struggle.
The opportunity she had always wanted was suddenly presented to her, leaving Shen Ning somewhat bewildered.
She could instantly figure out the benefits she could gain, and at the same time, she could sense her inner reluctance. She didn't want to seize the opportunity, nor did she really want to get married.
Moreover, given her low status, if she were to enter into those prestigious families, she would only be subject to their whims and humiliation. How could she possibly be allowed to manage the household and wield power at will?
“Your Highness’s kindness is deeply appreciated, but I haven’t really thought much about this marriage. I need to think about it carefully.”
Nothing is absolute, and she couldn't refuse outright in one go, otherwise Princess Qi might think she was ungrateful.
Princess Chang Le didn't expect her to agree immediately, and nodded, "Alright, then tell me when you've thought it through. If you have someone in mind, that's fine too. My mother will step in and make sure your wish comes true."
Shen Ning smiled wryly. This Prince Qi's mansion was truly a case of good bamboo producing bad shoots. Everyone in the mansion was quite easy to get along with, but the young master Li Kun... was a complicated matter.
After finishing her story about Shen Ning, Princess Chang Le brought up her own marriage: "I won't be able to come out anymore after tomorrow. My wedding day is the seventh day of the ninth month. Can you come and be with me on the sixth night?"
According to the established customs, a woman was not allowed to leave her home for a month before her marriage and had to wait at home to await her wedding. She was not allowed to see her fiancé.
The day before the wedding, one can invite close female friends to accompany the bride. These friends will bring gifts to add to the dowry, some of which are purchased, and others are handmade embroidery items.
He was able to stay overnight to talk to the bride and ease her tension and anxiety, just like Du Yunzhi had done for Shen Ning before.
Generally, on the night before the wedding, the bride invites her closest and most trusted friends to spend her last night as a woman, which will make the relationship between the two more intimate and solid, and unforgettable for a lifetime.
How long has she known Princess Chang Le? How many times have they met in total?
They don't seem like the kind of people who can be very close.
Seeing her hesitation, Princess Chang Le became displeased: "You're not willing?"
Shen Ning said frankly, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm a little surprised. The princess has many close friends, and I've only met the princess a few times. Why would the princess choose me?"
Princess Chang Le: "It's not just you, there's someone else too."
But adding her here would seem rather abrupt.
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