Chapter 43: Choosing a Son-in-Law—Xie Junnuo, Xie Junxing, Ye Changning, Zhou…
Chapter 43
After coming out of Piaoxiang Tower, Xie Junxing left on horseback, and Zhou Mingyan rode in the same carriage with Jing Yue again. Ji Feng, one of the guards of Ding'an Marquis Mansion, followed on Zhou Mingyan's horse.
"Xiuyuan, you seem to be particularly unhappy with Xie Er today... Did he offend you secretly?" Zhou Mingyan asked.
Jing Yue remembered his current identity as 'Young Marquis Lin' and realized that he was not calm enough just now. Even the careless Zhou Mingyan noticed that something was wrong with him, so the fox-like Xie Junxing would definitely notice it even more.
But it doesn't matter, he still has an excuse today - for no reason, Xie Junxing, a stranger, suddenly talked about his sisters' marriages, it would be strange if he could give him a good face.
Jing Yue calmly asked, "Have I ever been very nice to him before?"
Zhou Mingyan thought about it and said, "Not really, but he certainly wouldn't be as cold-faced as he is today. But he's definitely wrong. Where has he learned the etiquette of a gentleman? Even I know that one shouldn't casually discuss a woman's marriage. Maybe... he has other intentions?"
"What do you mean?" Jing Yue stared at Zhou Mingyan.
Zhou Mingyan told Jingyue his guess, and finally said: "I am just imagining it, after all, he didn't say anything..."
Jing Yue had a gloomy face, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Zhou Mingyan: "Xiuyuan... Actually, think about it, it's better to marry Xie Er than marry the prince. If you can choose Young Marquis Xie, it would be even better. Do you want to discuss it with the Marquis?"
Jing Yue: "My father and mother must have already made their own proposals on this matter."
Zhou Mingyan: "That's right. It's the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. You should be more open-minded. You and the princess were married by imperial decree. Now that you're together, don't you feel pretty good?"
Jing Yue continued to remain silent.
He thought, he hated Cheng Lunian, so he also hated Xie Junxing. Wasn't that a bit too extreme?
As for his marriage with Lin Zhiyi... such a coincidence would not happen in hundreds of years, so he was willing to believe that it was a match made in heaven.
He will manage it well.
When they reached the fork in the road, Zhou Mingyan jumped off the carriage and rode away on horseback.
Jing Yue took a carriage back to the Marquis' Mansion.
Not long after he arrived at Bitong Courtyard, Lin Song ran in happily: "Young Marquis, there's a letter from the princess!"
Jing Yue raised her eyebrows, turned around, took the letter, went to the inner room and opened it to check.
The letter Lin Zhiyi wrote to him also mentioned that the third and fourth princes had feelings for the daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, and said that this was told to her by his mother. His Majesty would probably not agree, but she asked him to comfort his sisters when he had time.
Jingyue burned the letter after reading it.
It is inappropriate to speculate on the emperor's intentions in private, and since there are written records, we should be even more careful.
Only when the letter turned to ashes did Jing Yue breathe a sigh of relief.
After dinner, Lingxitang sent someone to invite him to the Marquis’ study for a chat.
Jing Yue dressed and went to Lin Shuo's study.
"Dad." He saluted. Lin Shuo nodded and motioned him to sit down. Then he handed him a name card and said, "Take a look."
Jingyue took it, opened it, and found several familiar names on it.
——Xie Junnuo, Xie Junxing, Ye Changning, and Zhou Bokai.
Zhou Bokai is Zhou Mingyan's older brother and the eldest son of the general's family. He currently serves as the commander of the Southern Camp of the Dayan Army in the capital, responsible for managing the daily affairs and training of the Southern Camp.
Jing Yue knew at a glance that this was the candidate for son-in-law listed by Lin Shuo.
I just don't know if the candidate is chosen for the eldest daughter, or if all four daughters are also included.
"This is the husband that Mom and Dad have chosen for your elder sister. Take a look at it. Tell me what you think."
Jing Yue lowered her eyes and glanced at the order of the names on the name card. She said, "Father and Mother prefer Young Marquis Xie, right?"
Lin Shuo held the tea, paused, and motioned for him to continue.
Jing Yue: "The Yongsheng Marquisate is of equal status to ours. Young Marquis Xie is renowned for his talent and serves in the Imperial Academy, so he has a promising future. He is indeed the best candidate." He asked Lin Shuo, "Was Second Xie just a random addition by Daddy?"
Lin Shuo cleared his throat. "Xie Erlang is actually quite good. He has his eldest brother to look after him, and he doesn't have the burden of official duties. If your eldest sister is interested in business, Xie Erlang probably won't say much, and he'll probably be happy to hand over his assets to your eldest sister." He sighed, "Young Marquis Xie is indeed a gentleman, but too gentlemanly. I'm afraid he might be too polite. If your eldest sister marries him, she'll probably be restrained and restrain her nature."
"Isn't Ye Shaoqing also cold and aloof? He also has the name Ye Xiuluo. Why did Daddy include him in the list? If Big Sister marries him, I'm afraid her hands will be tied even more, right?"
"You are wrong. Lord Ye handled the accident at your hunting ground a while ago without any mistakes. He handled the case neither arrogant nor humble. He was not afraid of the powerful and would not show favoritism. He seems cold, but he is actually quite patient and must have a gentle temperament." Lin Shuo couldn't help but sighed as he spoke.
Jing Yue understood his situation and continued, "But... he is the legitimate son of the emperor's uncle. Father doesn't want to get involved in this mess."
"……good."
Jing Yue looked at the last name: "Zhou Bokai... the son of General Zhou, about the same age as my elder sister, and now has a good position. What are your concerns, father?"
"It's best not to marry between two military families. Also, the Zhou family is full of rough people who don't look kind to others. Dad is reluctant to let your sister marry into the family." Lin Shuo said with a sad face.
In fact, if Zhou Bokai could have a little more literary elegance, he would be happy to marry his daughter to him.
In any case, the Zhou family is slightly lower in status than the Marquis's Mansion, so this "son-in-law" is easy to control.
Jing Yue: “…”
He tried to ask, "Why don't you ask big sister? See what she likes?"
Lin Shuo: "That's all we can do. I've already asked your mother to ask. They should be able to talk to each other privately."
Having said that, Lin Shuo was actually a little unsure.
The relationship between the eldest daughter and the couple was not particularly deep, because they were at the border for the first three years and raised their daughter at her maternal grandparents' home.
I don’t know if she will open her heart and tell the truth to the lady.
Jing Yue recalled the words in Lin Zhiyi's letter to him, and asked Lin Shuo for confirmation: "Dad, will His Majesty issue any decree? The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Princes don't have any wives either. I'm worried..."
Lin Shuo raised his hand, interrupting him: "That's fine. His Majesty appointing you as his consort is already the highest honor in the Marquisate. Being a prince consort... our family wouldn't dare dream of it. We have no intention of getting involved in such a mess. I discussed this with His Majesty years ago, and I wanted to choose my own son-in-law. His Majesty was kind and agreed."
In the early years… maybe it was when the Crown Prince was choosing the Crown Princess.
At that time, the eldest daughter of the Marquis's family was of the right age, but in the end it was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister who became the Crown Princess.
It can be seen that the Marquis is still very wise.
Jing Yue secretly admired him.
Lin Shuo asked, "Dad wants to hear your opinion. Which one do you prefer to be your brother-in-law?"
Jing Yue: “…”
How dare he speak nonsense?
I don’t know which one Lin Zhiyi will choose.
After pondering for a moment, Jing Yue chose one: "After comprehensive comparison, I choose Brother Zhou."
Although it is best not to marry between military families, the marquis's family has four daughters, and the only "young marquis" married the princess. Wouldn't the military power eventually be returned to the court?
General Zhou was a man of character, not prone to complex thoughts. If Lin Zhiqin married into the Zhou family, she would be able to be herself while also being able to control Zhou Bokai. Zhou Bokai was a skilled warrior and a loyal man; with proper training, he would surely become a good husband capable of protecting his wife.
Lin Shuo seemed to be lost in thought.
Jing Yue added: "Of course it depends on what my parents and sister think."
Lin Shuo nodded: "Dad knows."
Among these four talents, the eldest daughter will be selected first, and the rest will be selected for the second, third and fourth daughters.
You can always pick one or two...right?
When Jing Yue returned to Bitong Courtyard, Lin Zhihua poked her head out from behind a rockery, trying to scare him: "Stay away!"
Jing Yue had heard her breathing a long time ago and also saw a corner of the red skirt from the reflection in the pond next to her, so she was naturally not scared.
It was his first time seeing the real person, but he quickly identified her with the Fourth Young Lady in the painting, so he imitated Lin Zhiyi's voice and said, "Fourth Young Lady is so interesting."
Lin Zhihua jumped over and gossiped, "What did Dad want to talk to you about? Is it about my eldest sister's marriage?"
Jing Yue: "Yeah. If you're curious, you can ask Mom or Big Sister. Don't ask me. What I say doesn't count."
Lin Zhihua: "...Just talk about it casually, I'll listen casually, is that okay? Mom will definitely not be happy to tell me, and big sister is shy, so I'm afraid she will keep her mouth shut."
Jing Yue teased, "Fourth sister wants to get married too?"
Lin Zhihua: "My parents didn't do anything for me."
Jing Yue led her to the main hall, poured her a cup of tea, and then dismissed the servants and asked, "Does Fourth Sister have anyone she admires?"
Lin Zhihua shook her head: "No. Those who are my age are probably already married. Those younger than me are too immature. I don't like them."
Jing Yue: “…”
Sure enough, the fourth sister liked her wood crafts more.
The Marquis raised his daughters in a very special way.
In the end, Lin Zhihua didn't get any inside information from Jingyue. She rubbed a handful of gold ingots angrily and returned to her yard.
Jing Yue smiled and shook her head, with a hint of helplessness in her smile.
If he was really Lin Zhiyi, it would be fine if he just gossiped with his sister.
But he is Jing Yue, a man, and it is inappropriate for him to discuss the children of aristocratic families in detail with a girl.
It would be better to wait until the Fourth Miss finds out the specific candidate from the Eldest Miss or the Marquis’ wife before gossiping with her.
There was silence in Ningxiang Pavilion at this moment.
Mu Hanyan looked at the various exquisite goods displayed in her daughter's room, and her mood was extremely complicated.
Samples of various products featuring the twelve zodiac animals have been sent to the Mu family, and Lin Zhiqin also sent a letter to her uncle.
At this moment, she is selecting and trying on a three-piece sun protection set.
When her mother came over, she only paused for a moment, and soon wanted her mother to try it too.
She picked out a light blue sun hat and handed it to Mu Hanyan: "Mom, try this one, it suits your skin tone very well."
Mu Hanyan looked at her helplessly and finally put the hat on her head.
Despite the hairpins and jewelry, the hat is large enough and can be adjusted for tightness, so it doesn't affect anything.
"It's time for you to focus on your studies, Qin'er." Mu Hanyan lifted the brim of her hat with one hand and spoke to her daughter earnestly.
Lin Zhiqin sat down with an innocent look on her face. "Hasn't the marriage been decided yet? The candidate hasn't been decided either. My daughter can't just do nothing because she has to choose a husband, right?"
Mu Hanyan: "So, isn't this mother here to hear your opinion? Which of the candidates I just told you about do you like the most?"
Lin Zhiqin: "What do Dad and Mom mean?"
Mu Hanyan: "I'm asking you now. Dad and Mom will of course still follow your opinion - but you are not allowed to say you won't get married again."
Lin Zhiqin also understood that if she stayed at home until she was 23 years old, she would be a very, very, very happy woman.
What's more, the men her parents chose for her are all dragons among men.
No matter which one you choose, they are both worthy of her.
In her early years, she had accompanied her mother to some mansions for banquets and had impressions of these four people. In the past two years, she had heard Yuan'er talk about the development of these four people in casual conversation.
"Mom, can you please let me think about this for a little longer?"
Mu Hanyan took off her hat and put it aside, her face still gentle. "Of course it's fine. But you should hurry up. According to your father, the Third and Fourth Princes are both interested in marrying into the Marquis' Mansion. Although His Majesty has stopped them, as long as your marriages are not settled, Mother and Father will be worried. None of you four sisters are capable of entering the palace or the prince's mansion to serve His Royal Highness."
A hint of panic finally appeared on Lin Zhiqin's pretty face.
Five years ago, she was frightened by this.
At that time, the Crown Prince was choosing a Crown Princess.
"Your Majesty can't always favor our family." Mu Hanyan sighed, "Sometimes, too much favor will lead to jealousy."
This will attract many people with ulterior motives.
"I understand, my daughter." Lin Zhiqin was the first to rule out two people. "Ye Shaoqing and Xie Erlang are not suitable for my daughter. Young Marquis Xie and Brother Zhou... I'm afraid Brother Zhou is more compatible with my second sister. They both like to wield swords and guns. My daughter and Brother Zhou may not be able to get along."
"So that's Young Marquis Xie?" Mu Hanyan's brows lit up with joy.
She also liked her son-in-law, Zhuangyuanlang, who was a perfect match for her dignified and steady eldest daughter.
"My daughter does admire Young Marquis Xie, but I don't know what the Yongsheng Marquisate means..."
"Don't worry about these things, just leave them to Dad and Mom."
"Thank you, mother. Thank you for your concern."
"Silly girl, you are our daughter. We are happy to worry about you. As long as you are happy."
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