The words "dislike women" were used in a playful way. Chen Ahfu lowered his head and looked at his toes.
The seventh prince Li Zeyin said, "General Chu, I like this young lady next to you very much. I hope you can give her up. Don't worry, I will not let you suffer any loss. I will give you four more stunning beauties."
Chu Lingxuan's face darkened, and he clasped his fists and said loudly, "Prince Rui, please be careful with your words. She is my wife-to-be, and no one should bully her like this."
The second and seventh princes were stunned by this. The second prince laughed and said, "A wife who has not yet married into the family! How can you say that?" He pointed at Chen Afu and said, "Tell me, what is your name and who are you to General Chu?"
Chen Ahfu bowed her head, bent her knees, and said softly, "I am Chen Ahfu, the fiancée of Master Chu."
The second prince still didn't quite believe it. He said to Chu Lingxuan, "Before coming to Dingzhou, I met Rong Zhao and asked you if you were engaged. I thought we were all relatives, and if General Chu was engaged, I would send gifts to congratulate him. But Rong Zhao said you were not engaged, so how come you suddenly have a fiancée? You couldn't have secretly engaged your mother before she knew about it. If the one you betrothed became a wife and the one you married became a concubine, can you still say she is your wife?"
Chen Ahfu's heart sank, not knowing how Chu Lingxuan would answer. He would let her be a concubine unless she died.
Chu Lingxuan said, "Your Highness has misunderstood. Miss Chen and I are not engaged in private. Miss Chen was betrothed to me by her father, Lord Chen Shiying." He took out a jade pendant from his waist and held it in his hand, and continued, "This is a gift from Lord Chen. Also, my biological mother, although she has become a nun and doesn't care about worldly affairs. But I still went to the nunnery to tell her about this matter, and she also gave Miss Chen a duck-cheek fur coat from her early years. I also wrote a letter to ask my grandfather for his opinion. He replied and agreed to our marriage, but I don't know whether he told Princess Rongzhao and my father. He and my third aunt will go to Dingzhou tomorrow, just for this matter. So, our marriage was decided by the elders, and it was not a private engagement. She is my fiancée for sure."
The second prince was very upset that Chu Lingxuan dared to bring up his biological mother, but the three words Chen Shiying attracted him more. He pulled the corner of his mouth and said, "She is Lord Chen's daughter?"
"Yes." Chu Lingxuan replied.
The second prince said to Chen Ahfu again, "Miss Chen, look up."
Chen Afu raised his head.
The second prince saw that she was indeed 80% similar to Chen Shiying. He said, "She is a pretty young lady, who looks exactly like Lord Chen. No wonder the seventh prince was so anxious to come to ask for her." Seeing Chu Lingxuan staring at him and wanting to speak, he quickly said, "It was a slip of the tongue, General Chu, please don't be angry. It's just that Miss Chen should have returned to her own home when she encountered trouble. Why did she go to her fiancée's house? Haha, General Chu, isn't your little fiancée a little too frivolous?"
Chu Lingxuan was about to explain when Chu Huai came in and reported that Lord Chen Shiying had arrived and was waiting outside the hall.
Chu Lingxuan was stunned. After he learned about this, he sent someone to send a letter to Chen Shiying to let him be mentally prepared, but he didn't expect him to come here in person. It would be the best if he could come. He clasped his fists and said, "Master Chen is here. There are some things that he has more say than this humble official."
The second prince said, "Please come in, Master Chen."
After Chen Shiying came in, he clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant pays respects to the Second Prince and to Prince Rui."
The second prince pointed at Chen Ahfu and asked, "Master Chen, is this young lady your daughter?"
Chen Shiying looked up at Chen Afu, clasped his fists and said, "Yes, it is my daughter Afu."
The Seventh Prince asked again, "I heard from General Chu that you have promised her to General Chu?"
Chen Shiying said, "Yes, I like General Chu's character, so I betrothed my beloved daughter Ah Fu to him."
The second prince sneered, "Master Chen, the family tradition of your house is worrying. A young girl actually came to her fiancé's house without permission and stayed there until dark without going back. This is really immoral."
Chu Lingxuan couldn't stand hearing him slander Chen Afu like this. He said loudly, "Second Prince, you can't say that about Miss Chen. The reason why he was so panicked was because he had no choice. If she had left my General's Mansion before, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to stand here and answer me."
The second prince said, "She could have gone back to her own home in the Chen Mansion, but why did she come here?"
Chen Shiying wiped the sweat off his forehead, looked at Chen Afu with pity, and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, Afu is a good girl. The reason she did this was my fault. Because, she has never returned to the Chen Mansion, her own home, since she was born." His voice was choked with sobs at the end.
This puzzled the Second and Seventh Princes, who asked in unison, "What does Lord Chen mean?"
Chen Shiying wiped the sweat from his forehead again, clasped his fists and said, "I am ashamed because she is my illegitimate daughter. I brought her to Dingzhou and was preparing to take her into the mansion to let her recognize her ancestors, but who knew that this would happen. However, I am here to take her home now, and she will not stay here any longer. So, Ah Fu is a gentle and virtuous girl, and Your Highness should not say that about her."
The second prince had not expected this to happen. He shook his head and laughed, "This Miss Chen is not only the daughter of the prefect, but also his illegitimate daughter. General Chu was born in a marquisate, is the son of the Yong'an Marquis, and is now a lieutenant general of the third rank, and he actually wants to marry her! A gentleman loves a beautiful lady. General Chu has not married since his first wife passed away. It turns out that he likes beautiful women. Tsk tsk, heroes are easily tempted by beautiful women, that's right. I believe this marriage will definitely become a rare and beautiful story in this dynasty."
The Seventh Prince was also happy. Although he was very reluctant to part with this beauty, he knew that he would never get her. He said, "I just realized that General Chu is such a passionate man. I admire you so much."
Chu Lingxuan said solemnly, "In my eyes, Miss Chen is not only beautiful, but also intelligent and virtuous. It is a great blessing in my life for me, Chu Lingxuan, to marry her."
The second prince was happy for a long time, and then said, "Yes, in order to fulfill General Chu's infatuation, this prince is also willing to be a witness to this happy marriage." He frowned and said to Chen Shiying, "Lord Chen is handsome and talented, so it is normal for the young lady to like him. However, he already has your daughter, so it is better to bring her into the palace and settle her properly. You can't let Miss Chen marry General Chu and the Prince of Chu with the title of illegitimate daughter, right? No matter what, General Chu is still my sister's stepson."
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