The Rui’an Queen sprang to her feet.
She looked at Xie Lin, voice rising, "What did you say?"
Xie Lin repeated himself.
The Rui’an Queen asked, "Which Prince’s Palace?"
"Prince Xiaocheng’s Mansion."
"Who from his family?" For a moment, the news stunned the Rui’an Queen so much that she couldn’t remember.
"Li Wan."
The Rui’an Queen looked at him in shock, "Are you saying that I should go and ask for her hand in marriage? The girl that you, twice now, have wronged?"
Xie Lin nodded, "My son has set his heart on her."
Without another word, the Rui’an Queen pulled her wet nurse and departed, "Alright, I will go find a matchmaker immediately."
She had long prepared Xie Lin’s betrothal gifts, all piled up in the warehouse. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she ordered the housekeeper, "Uncle Cheng, hurry, bring out the betrothal gifts to take to the Prince’s Palace, and have someone invite the matchmaker."
Uncle Cheng was also startled but hastily agreed.
In less than an hour, everything was ready. The Rui’an Queen, accompanied by Xie Lin and the matchmaker with the betrothal gifts, arrived at the gates of the Prince’s Palace.
Their swiftness was so astonishing, even the Commandery Prince and his wife were stunned. Although the Commandery Prince had heard from Xie Lin himself that he would come to visit today, he hadn’t expected them to arrive so soon; it had only taken the time for a short nap, and they were already there with the betrothal gifts and matchmaker.
The Prince and his wife hurried out to welcome them. After thinking for a moment, his wife sent someone to pass the message to Li Wan, asking her to also come to the front hall.
Having redressed, Li Wan arrived in the front hall to find the betrothal gifts had already filled the courtyard. The Rui’an Queen, with a smile in her eyes and full of joy, was already discussing the marriage with the Commandery Prince and his wife. The Prince watched as his future stepmother assented with a modest smile, all within the time it took to drink just two cups of tea.
By the time Li Wan arrived, the two families were already exchanging the betrothal letters.
On seeing her, the Rui’an Queen stood up and warmly took Li Wan’s hand, smiling kindly, "I have long favored you, but because of that annoying brat Xie Lin who offended you more than once, I didn’t dare to visit and test the waters. Unexpectedly, he himself came back to the residence today to tell me he wanted to marry you. If only I had known sooner, I would have come earlier and not delayed these two years."
Delayed her chance to hold her grandchild.
Li Wan smiled graciously, "The Little Prince is very kind; it is my fortune."
The Rui’an Queen’s joy knew no bounds, and after lavishing more praise on Li Wan, she brought out a special bracelet, "This is a family heirloom given to me by my mother-in-law, the old Queen. Today, I finally have the chance to pass it on to you."
Li Wan quickly accepted it, "Thank you, Lady Mother. I will take good care of it and keep it safe."
The Rui’an Queen laughed and nodded, pulling her to sit down as they continued to discuss the couple’s wedding plans.
Xie Lin stood to the side, feeling somewhat dazed. In this moment, he truly realized that Li Wan hadn’t played him, and he, too, had a fiancée now, not much behind Su Xingze after all.
Li Wan glanced at Xie Lin and spoke softly, "Little Prince, it’s not too late to regret this now."
Xie Lin immediately glared, "You want to regret it?"
"I don’t."
"Neither do I," Xie Lin declared firmly, "I will take no concubines, nor have any mistress. Emulating the current Emperor and Empress, the Nanchu King and his husband, I will marry only you. You will be the only one for me, with no divided heart. Rest assured."
Li Wan pressed her lips together in a smile, "Mmm, I’m relieved."
She had long seen through him—if he were like those young masters from the noble families in the capital, he would have already taken concubines. Such a match was already what she had hoped for herself.
Xie Lin looked at her beautiful face, which was truly lovely. No wonder so many men wanted to marry her. On the road, her mother had mentioned this, and he added, "You can only have me, and no divided affections."
Li Wan smiled, "Of course, Little Prince, you too can rest assured."
She was not a fickle person, shifting allegriances as the situation demanded. She didn’t look at others; she only had eyes for him.
Xie Lin became joyful, "I will treat you well."
Li Wan nodded, "I will treat you well too."
The Rui’an Queen listened to the couple’s quiet conversation and felt moved. All these years, she had worried for nothing. It turned out that her pig had not been disheartened by Qin Luan’s actions and was still capable of rooting out someone else’s cabbage. And what a fine cabbage she was—the Queen could naturally see that.
After exchanging the engagement notes and settling the marriage, the Rui’an Queen and Xie Lin left the Prince’s Palace and were both very happy on their way back to the Residence.
The Rui’an Queen looked at Xie Lin with more fondness now, "Not bad. You’re not beyond redemption."
Xie Lin raised his eyebrows proudly, "That is so."
The Rui’an King was informed of the substantial event his Queen and son had undertaken when he returned to the Residence that evening, all without his consent. However, he didn’t object. As long as Xie Lin was willing to marry, he agreed to whomever it was.
Over the years, he too had grown weary of the Queen’s nagging about their son’s marriage. If their son didn’t marry, she blamed it on him, which was utterly unreasonable. She would always sigh and lament, making it hard for him to find a good night’s sleep.
The news of Xie Lin and Li Wan’s upcoming marriage sent shockwaves through the capital, breaking the hearts of countless eligible bachelors and bachelorettes.
Yan Huisheng was surprised to hear about this.
Duanhua was even more astonished, "Xie Lin and Li Wan? I really didn’t see this coming!"
She had once mentioned to Su Rong in a letter that Xie Lin had bumped into Li Wan while she was mediating, and she had turned and run away, infuriating Xie Lin. She had told Su Rong this gossip, but Su Rong’s reply suggested that Li Wan was actually the owner behind the scenes of the North and South Twelve Drug Dealers, and that her background was not simple, hinting that there might be more to the story.
When Duanhua received the letter, she was shocked and showed it to Yan Huisheng.
Yan Huisheng smiled and nodded as she told Duanhua, "She hails from the Longxi Li Clan. Her father was from the direct lineage and was very talented, but he was frail and not long-lived. Fearing for his wife and daughter after his demise, being bullied by relatives, he made arrangements with me on his deathbed. He entrusted them to my care in exchange for half of his assets. I discreetly helped settle his wife and daughter to avoid the emperor’s surveillance. Years later, when Prince Xiaocheng took a fancy to Madam Li, she was initially reluctant to remarry. However, the Prince was persistent and she eventually consented for her daughter’s marriage matters. The other half of her father’s assets were safeguarded under my protection, and indeed, she became the owner behind North and South Twelve Drug Dealers."
Duanhua asked, "Does Xie Lin know?"
"He should be unaware. It’s a matter from six or seven years ago, and it was done in secrecy. No one knows of it."
"Then how does Su Rong know?" Duanhua inquired, "Did she find out from you?"
Yan Huisheng shook her head, laughing, "Nanchu is a producer of medicinal materials, and as its Queen, she would be hard-pressed not to know who the biggest drug dealers are. After all, she too has businesses in her hands."
Duanhua thought it made sense, "Oh my, that’s unexpected. So, was Xie Lin schemed against?"
Yan Huisheng laughed, "It’s his good fortune."
The legitimate daughter of the Longxi Li Clan, were it not for her father’s early death and a change in her status, she could have been wed by anyone she chose from all over the world, not necessarily settling only for Xie Lin.
Duanhua suddenly understood—it was just as she thought. Having set her sights on Xie Lin, it indeed was his good luck.
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