Princess Qingping and her son-in-law had never planned to nurture their daughter as a future Empress, they basically spoiled and overindulged her.
The two of them knew their daughter better than anyone else; they knew her behavior since she was a child. Fortunately, she held the title of a princess. No matter how disgraceful her behavior was, as long as she did not commit murder or arson, she would never worry about food and clothing in her entire life. She would enjoy the status of a princess, precious as gold and noble as jade.
Over the years when she was obsessively chasing after Zhou Gu, they, as her parents, were actually quite frustrated. However, as long as nothing major happened, they were pretty content.
But the son-in-law had never imagined that the Crown Prince would propose to Duanhua, someone he’s seen crying and sniffling since she was a child.
The son-in-law, genuinely, wanted to know why.
Seeing her father’s stunned expression and the complexity in his eyes, Duanhua didn’t need to guess what he was thinking - he must think the Crown Prince has gone mad.
She also thought the Crown Prince, her cousin, had gone mad.
But going mad was actually quite good, after all, he did say that he wouldn’t have six palaces, only one Crown Princess. Nobody else in the Eastern Palace had been touched. Plus, he was quite handsome. She didn’t feel she was at a disadvantage at all.
"Dad, do you think this will work?" Duanhua asked.
"You should be asking the Crown Prince. Can you really be his Crown Princess, and future Empress?" The son-in-law believed this matter needed further discussion.
Duanhua nodded, "Yes, I should ask him."
She hadn’t thought of this yesterday.
The son-in-law forced himself to calm down. "Did the Crown Prince tell you that he likes Su Rong?"
"Yes."
"Since the Crown Prince confessed this to you, it seems he hasn’t completely let go. If Su Rong is always on his mind..." The son-in-law worried.
"Oh, Dad, I like Su Rong too. I think of her all the time. Nanchu is so far away, but I want to go there to attend her grand wedding. It must be very lively." Duanhua fantasized, "And Zhou Gu dressed in wedding clothes must look so handsome..."
Son-in-law: "..."
Apparently, she still yearned to see Zhou Gu in his wedding suit.
The son-in-law felt tired. "Why don’t you calm down for a few days? The Crown Prince might just be acting impulsively and might change his mind later."
Duanhua pouted. "If he changes his mind, he must promise to let me post a Royal Notice to choose a handsome husband."
The son-in-law looked at her speechlessly and waved his hand. "You go home first. Do not tell your mother yet. We will discuss it with her together after I get off work. We don’t want to scare her. She cannot handle shocks."
Duanhua nodded, "Alright."
She waved at her father. "Dad, I’m going home now."
The son-in-law waved at her. "Be careful. Don’t rush around. The Grand Secretariat has admonished you for speeding many times."
"I know." Duanhua got into the carriage.
Watching his daughter’s carriage disappear into the distance, he pondered over the numerous times she’d been admonished since childhood. What would the officials’ reactions be if they knew the Crown Prince wanted to marry her? They might be shocked and protest that it’s unthinkable, right?
After leaving the office where her father was, Duanhua realized she was hungry from all the running. She ordered the coachman to stop, and she found a place to have breakfast.
After breakfast, she thought about it and decided to visit Dongsi Hutong. She dared not go home, afraid that she wouldn’t be able to withstand her mother’s questions. It was better to go to the Su Family’s wife. She particularly liked the matriarch of the Su Family. She felt that woman was very free and straightforward, and could certainly give her some advice.
So, she drove to Dongsi Hutong.
Upon arriving, she found out that the matriarch didn’t go out that day. She was surprised to see Duanhua, "Princess, are you here to see me for something?"
It wasn’t strange for her to ask that, considering Duanhua had just visited a few days ago.
Duanhua nodded, "Auntie, are you busy?"
"Not busy." The matriarch shook her head.
Duanhua said softly, "Since you’re not busy, I want to talk to you."
The matriarch nodded and led Duanhua into the inner room.
Once the door was closed, Duanhua recounted to the matriarch how she had posted a Royal Notice to choose a handsome husband because of her obsession with Yan Huisheng and then eventually ended up with a marriage proposal from him.
The matriarch was dumbfounded after hearing the whole story.
Duanhua blinked her large eyes at her, "I came here to avoid being questioned by my mother. I have to wait for my father to get off work to talk to her. I also wanted to hear your opinion."
The matriarch gave a startled explanation, "This... this is such a huge matter. How can I dare to give you advice?"
She thought to herself, my goodness, being reborn as a princess was already enviable enough. If this girl really became the Crown Princess and then the Empress, it would be too good to be true. The handsome crown prince was sought after by many people aiming for the position of Crown Princess. It seems like she was going to stumble into this luxurious life.
If this event were finalized, wouldn’t many people’s jaws drop? No, it would cause tremors throughout the Capital City and the world.
Looking at Duanhua, she suddenly realized she was very remarkable. No wonder her Su Rong was able to mix with her as soon as she arrived at the capital. They both were quite capable.
"You should give me some advice. Just think of me as your daughter. If it was Su Rong, you would definitely give her some advice." Duanhua hugged the matriarch’s arm and acted coquettishly.
The matriarch took a deep breath. Who could resist such a sweet and soft girl? She had no choice but to say, "I think it’s great."
Duanhua cocked her head and looked at her.
The matriarch was sincere, "Really, I think it’s great. That’s the Crown Prince. There’s only one Crown Prince in Daliang. Moreover, he told you that he won’t have six palaces. Where can you find someone like him even with a lantern? Especially considering he’s your cousin. You know him inside and out, and he knows you the same. After the grand wedding, there’s no need to adapt to the in-laws."
Having been playing in the palace since her childhood, There wasn’t a single queen or concubine in the palace whom Duanhua wasn’t acquainted with. Adding her uncle as her father-in-law, she was indeed super close to her in-laws and shouldn’t need to adapt.
Duanhua sighed, "But my father said that I might not be able to be the Crown Princess or the future Empress."
The matriarch didn’t think it was a problem for Duanhua, "You grew up in the royal court, and the princess certainly taught you housekeeping. The Eastern Palace has a self-sufficient system, and you won’t have to worry too much after marrying into it. As for the royal palace, the Empress will teach you hands-on."
Duanhua was slightly troubled, "But once I take up the responsibility, I can’t play anymore."
The matriarch’s lips twitched, "But the Crown Prince is handsome."
Duanhua sat up straighter, "The things I need to learn are tiring, right?"
The matriarch just said, "But the Crown Prince is handsome."
Duanhua sat up even straighter, "Also, being a niece and a daughter-in-law are not the same. The expectations of my uncle and aunt will be different, right?"
The matriarch said, "But the Crown Prince is handsome."
Duanhua: "..."
She almost blurted out, "Being handsome can’t fill your belly." Lucky for her, she didn’t say it. She actually believed that being handsome could fill your belly.
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