The banquet at the Duke Residence went without a hitch, ending successfully.
After bidding farewell to the guests, not only did Lu Weiran breathe a sigh of relief, but so did the Duke himself.
The Duke called Lu Weiran into his study and, once he had closed the door, asked him, "Has your business with Guixue been taken care of?"
Lu Weiran nodded.
The Duke took a deep breath; he had never imagined that Princess Zhenmin had faked her death and escaped all those years ago, and that she even had a daughter with the Nanchu King. On the day Ye Guixue arrived in the Capital City and moved into the Duke Residence, she had sought him out for a private discussion. After all, the Duke Residence of Daliang and the Ye Xiang Residence of Nanchu were tied with unbreakable marital bonds. His own sister had been married to Ye Xiang, making him Guixue’s uncle; as long as he did not betray his country, the relationship between the Duke Residence and the Ye Family could never be severed. If Guixue was to accomplish anything in Daliang, she couldn’t do it without the assistance of the Duke Residence.
The Duke was not particularly talented, and he had so many sons he could hardly keep track of them, but he had one strength: he knew how to understand the times and seize opportunities.
It was not just the real identity of Su Rong; the fact that she was favored by so many households itself made it worthwhile for him to invest in her.
So, he had thrown Su Rong a grand birthday party and asked his most promising son, Lu Weiran, to assist Ye Guixue, entrusting the task to him.
Now that he heard that the task was accomplished, he felt rather complex, saying, "Were you part of their conversation?"
Lu Weiran shook his head, "All I did was create an opportunity. It seems they didn’t need anyone else to intervene, they got along quite well. When they parted ways, there wasn’t much change in Lady Su Qi but my cousin Guixue seems happy."
The Duke nodded, "Guixue, two years younger than you, is already bearing great responsibilities. Weiran, you need to work hard."
Lu Weiran, feeling troubled, was silent for a moment.
The Duke also understood his difficulties; he had a number of sons, legitimate and not, who were a mix of good and bad, creating chaos in the residence. This made things very difficult for Lu Weiran and hindered his career advancement. But the Duke was well aware of this situation.
He was quite fond of Lu Weiran, his legitimate son. He had no intentions of replacing him. He intended to entrust him with the upkeep of the Duke Residence in the future, especially as he was truly talented and capable of getting things done efficiently and solidly.
Coughing lightly, he said sincerely, "I trust you. Those are your brothers, you become Duke someday. If they go too far, you don’t have to be merciful. The Duke Residence will be handed over to you in the future."
Lu Weiran had been waiting for these words from his father for years. Giving a formal bow, he finally said, "With your words, father, I feel relieved. If things continued to be this way in our residence, no matter how hard I tried, it would be futile. I’d rather establish my own residence than remain here."
The Duke was taken aback and quickly admonished him, "Watch what you’re saying! You cannot say such things again."
Lu Weiran closed his mouth.
The Duke scratched his nose, straining to maintain his dignity as a father, "Anyway, I’ll leave Guixue to you for these few days. If anyone causes trouble and you get your hands on them, you can deal with them as you see fit."
Lu Weiran nodded.
After leaving the Duke Residence, Yan Huisheng got into the carriage. As the curtains fell, the faint smile on his face disappeared.
Ye Guixue had mentioned that he has already been engaged. As the first person to know Su Rong’s true identity, he couldn’t help but worry. Especially knowing Su Rong’s nature, having interacted with her during her stay at the Eastern Palace, he knew that in terms of assessing situations and weighing gains and losses, or even in matters of love, she was better than anyone of them.
Ye Guixue is the ladder leading to Nanchu, and if he extends his hand, there’s no reason for Su Rong to not climb it.
After returning to the Eastern Palace, Yan Huisheng returned to his study. Once there, he called for one of his men and whispered, "Deliver a message to Su Rong for me. I want to see her tonight. Ask her whether she would like to come to the Eastern Palace, or whether I should come to find her?"
The shadow guard agreed and left immediately.
When Su Rong, Mrs. Shen, and Su Xingze returned to Shen Residence, both Mrs. Shen and Su Xingze looked at Su Rong.
Understanding that they were concerned about whether she had met Ye Guixue and what she had discerned from the meeting, Su Rong laughed and said, "Brother, let’s take Mrs. Shen to her courtyard for some tea! We’ve talked a lot today, and I’m quite thirsty from the journey home."
Su Xingze nodded.
So, the three of them returned to Mrs. Shen’s courtyard. After the servants had served the tea and been dismissed by Mrs. Shen, Su Rong took two objects from her bosom and placed them on the table for the other two to see.
Su Xingze picked them up, shocked, "This is...?"
Mrs. Shen also could see now, and was equally astonished, "This is a token representing one’s status and... it’s the Tiger Talisman of the Nanchu Army?"
"Auntie has a good eye." Su Rong nodded, "It is indeed these two items, given to me by Ye Guixue during our secret meeting today."
After her initial shock, Madam Shen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, "So, the Ye Xiang Residence is loyal to the Nanchu King? This is good news for you, isn’t it? How many Nanchu troops does this Tiger Talisman command?"
"One hundred thousand."
Madam Shen gasped, "That’s quite a substantial number."
Although Madam Shen did not know the exact number of Nanchu’s troops, she knew it was only a few hundred thousand. Su Rong’s identity had not been fully exposed and recognized by Nanchu yet, but just after a brief encounter, Ye Guixue gave her these two items. This signifies that both the Nanchu King and the Ye Family have approved of her.
Su Xingze was not concerned about the Nanchu King’s and Ye Xiang’s recognition of Su Rong, but rather, he wanted to know why the Ye Family and Ye Guixue, who had never met Su Rong, brought the king’s command and the Tiger Talisman commanding a hundred thousand troops. He was most interested in why the Ye Family trusted Su Rong and offered their support, which the Nanchu King also trusted.
Looking at Su Rong, he asked intently, "What are the conditions set by the Ye Family and Ye Guixue?"
Su Rong laughed, and rightfully so given she was dealing with her elder brother. She put away the token, weighed the Tiger Talisman in her hand, and said breezily: "Lord Guixue is willing to be the husband of the princess, and this Tiger Talisman, which commands a hundred thousand troops, is the betrothal gift he gave me."
Su Xingze’s eyes widened in surprise. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Madam Shen also paused, asking, "What do you mean by that?"
Su Rong repeated the exact words of Nanchu King who had known about her existence for five years and had been biding his time. She explained why Ye Guixue had arrived later than expected.
Upon hearing this, Su Xingze fell silent.
Madam Shen also fell into silence.
Su Rong toyed with the Tiger Talisman and smiled, "Auntie Shen, you also met Ye Guixue today, didn’t you? Apart from his distinguished family background, what do you think of him as a person?"
Madam Shen immediately responded, "Of course, he’s excellent, really outstanding. He’s polite, well-behaved, and his reputation is well-deserved."
"So, with this engagement, I’m not at a disadvantage, am I?" Su Rong asked.
Madam Shen nodded, "If you put it that way, you certainly aren’t."
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Ye Guixue was extraordinarily outstanding. As long as one was not blind, they could understand that he was a perfect match. The Nanchu King had excellent judgement by arranging Ye Guixue’s engagement to Su Rong when he was just thirteen. Apart from his personal qualities, his exceptional achievements today wouldn’t have been possible without the joint cultivation effort of the Nanchu King and Ye Xiang.
Su Rong then asked Su Xingze, "Brother, what do you think?"
What could Su Xingze say? He couldn’t deny that Ye Guixue was a good choice. He had also met Ye Guixue today, and couldn’t deny that whether it was appearance or temperament, Ye Guixue was an ideal match for Su Rong. If their parents and Master Xie also met Ye Guixue, they would certainly understand that the Second Young Master Ye was not any less worthy than the young master Zhou.
Beyond that, Ye Guixue had an advantage that Zhou Gu did not. If Su Rong were to take power in Nanchu and become the queen, Ye Guixue could assist her and be her king consort. They would complement each other perfectly, something Zhou Gu could not offer.
On a personal level, Ye Guixue was already a polished gem while Zhou Gu still needed refining. Growth indeed came at a cost; Ye Guixue had spent five years and emerged capable of commanding one hundred thousand soldiers, a testament to his capabilities. Zhou Gu, despite his intentional cultivation by the Senior Duke and the Crown Prince Yan Huisheng, was treading on a different path and hence required a different method. Thus, he remained raw and his full potential was yet to be tapped. Since the time for Crown Prince Yan Huisheng hasn’t arrived, Zhou Gu, the future Auxiliary Minister, was not in a hurry.
Su Xingze sighed, "Indeed, he is very good."
Su Rong laughed. She knew it.
Su Xingze looked at the Tiger Talisman in her hand, "So, by accepting his betrothal gift, you have agreed to this marriage arrangement?"
"Yes." Su Rong nodded and put away the Tiger Talisman, "This is a betrothal gift of one hundred thousand troops. Brother, if it had been you, wouldn’t you have accepted it?"
Su Xingze choked on his words.
Su Rong laughed, "You would have accepted it too!"
Madam Shen also laughed and advised Su Xingze, "This is surely a blessing in disguise. I was worried that Su Qi would be going to Nanchu alone, grappling with issues on her own. Without anyone to rely on in such a perilous environment, she would be in great danger. With the support of the Ye Xiang Residence, things would be much easier."
Su Xingze understood her point and nodded. He stood up and said, "Auntie, you must be tired after the day’s events. Rest well! My sister and I will be heading back."
Su Rong also rose from her seat, "We’ll join you and Uncle for dinner this evening when he returns."
With a smile, Madam Shen nodded and agreed, "Alright."
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