Chapter 180 The Lu Family Comes to the Door
Zhao Yueru tried to stand up to stop her, but Zhao Yuelian grabbed her hand again, saying, "Oh, my dear sister, Xinghe is someone you've watched grow up. He's just buying something for his cousin; it's only right."
As they spoke, Lu Xinghe had already replaced Su Xiaoyu's cup of hot tea with a fresh one and also brought out some snacks.
"Little Fish Sister, try this. This is your favorite osmanthus cake."
Su Xiaoyu waved her hand and declined, saying, "Cousin, you're too kind. You're a guest, how can I let you do it?"
"No, it's alright." Lu Xinghe stammered.
Seeing this, Zhao Yuelian couldn't help but sigh, "If you ask me, this is fate. Xinghe and Xiaoyu were originally engaged. Xinghe is a kind-hearted boy. For so many years, he has only thought about Xiaoyu. Before, he was thinking about making a career in the army and was afraid of delaying Xiaoyu. Now it's all good."
She clapped her hands, her eyebrows dancing with excitement. "My brother-in-law has become a general, and Xiaoyu has been rewarded for saving the emperor, enjoying unparalleled honor. Xinghe is now serving in the Imperial Guard, young and promising. Aren't they a match made in heaven? In my opinion, now that the Su family is having such a joyous occasion, and our two families are so close, why not take this opportunity to double the joy and arrange the children's marriage? That would be a true double blessing, a marriage between two families!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall froze.
Zhao Yueru could no longer maintain her polite demeanor, and her voice turned cold.
"Sister, what makes you say that? Didn't you and your brother-in-law say a few days ago that the two children weren't suitable for each other and that the engagement was off? Why are you bringing this up again now?"
"Oh dear, sister, what are you saying? We only thought that Xinghe had just returned to the capital and was unfamiliar with everything, and that he hadn't seen Xiaoyu for a long time, so we planned to let him get to know her for a while before making any decisions. We never said that the marriage was off!" Zhao Yuelian quickly tried to make amends.
"Besides, this marriage was arranged by our elders. How can it be dissolved with just a joke?"
Besides, I'm Xiaoyu's aunt, how can I be considered an outsider? It's better for Xiaoyu to marry Xinghe than one of those spoiled brats in the capital, right? I'm doing this all for Xiaoyu's own good!
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yueru's face immediately fell: "Sister, Xiaoyu is still young, and she has only recently been granted the title of County Princess by His Majesty. There is no rush for her marriage. If you have come to offer your congratulations today, I will naturally welcome you. However, if you continue to slander Xiaoyu's reputation, that would be a great disrespect to His Majesty. I will risk being reprimanded to go to the palace and ask His Majesty to make a decision."
Upon hearing this, the Lu family was immediately taken aback.
Zhao Yuelian quickly grasped the key information in his words: "What did you say?! County... County Princess? What County Princess?"
At this moment, Su Zhong, who had been silent all along, added, "We only just learned about this matter. Just now, the chief eunuch by His Majesty's side came to deliver the imperial decree, praising Xiao Yu for her meritorious service in saving the emperor, bestowing upon her the title of Princess of Jiahe County, and granting her the privilege of entering and leaving the palace. The imperial decree has just been placed in the inner hall."
"Princess Jiahe!"
Isn't that a fourth-rank official? That's a higher rank than Lu Xinghe and his father, and he also gets a salary.
Zhao Yuelian's eyes widened tenfold instantly, and her mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.
She turned her head sharply and looked at Su Xiaoyu, who had been sitting quietly to the side with a calm expression. It felt like she had been slapped in the face, and the pain was burning.
Good heavens, she actually said she wanted to call off the engagement before! Luckily, she didn't say anything definitive back then, so it's not too late!
The huge contrast caused Zhao Yuelian's emotions to churn, but Zhao Yuelian was Zhao Yuelian after all. After a brief moment of losing her composure, her face instantly broke into a smile that was ten times more enthusiastic than before.
"Oh my god! Little Fish!" She almost pounced on Su Xiaoyu, wanting to take her hand, but hesitant.
"Little Fish! No! County Princess! Your aunt is truly... truly blind to recognize such a gem! This is a joyous occasion, an immense honor!"
"May our ancestors bless you, sister and brother-in-law, you've finally made it through! Little Fish is so lucky, so very lucky, hehehe!"
As Zhao Yuelian spoke, she was quickly calculating in her mind.
Princess!
In any case, this marriage must go through. As long as Xinghe marries Xiaoyu, he will be related to the imperial family by marriage, and his future will be limitless. The Lu family will also rise to prominence along with him.
Beside him, Lu Xinghe was also stunned by the news. He looked at Su Xiaoyu, who sat there quietly, dressed in a finely made dress that, while not extravagant, seemed to be enveloped in a halo of light. She appeared aloof yet noble.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally stepped forward, bowed to Su Xiaoyu, and said, "Congratulations, cousin, no, Princess Jiahe. I was unaware of this good news before I came, so my gift was prepared hastily and simply. I hope the princess will not take offense. I will definitely make up for it with a generous gift another day and offer my congratulations again."
Zhao Yuelian quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes! Xinghe is right. Sister, brother-in-law, you too! Such a joyous occasion, why didn't you send a message sooner? I'm Xiaoyu's aunt, and I'm happier than if I'd drunk honey to hear that she's become a county princess!"
"We are all one family. We are all proud of this great honor."
She tried to rekindle the relationship, speaking in a warm and ingratiating tone.
Seeing Lu Xinghe at a loss, he turned to him and instructed him, "Xinghe, look at you, you're like a block of wood. Little fish... oh no, the county princess has just recovered and has such a happy occasion. She should go out and enjoy the good fortune. Aren't you on leave these days? In a little while, take the county princess out for a stroll and buy her favorite cherry blossom pastries, candied hawthorns, and the like."
Then she turned to Su Xiaoyu with great enthusiasm: "Xiaoyu, don't eat at home tonight. Your aunt will cook for you yourself. I'll make you your favorite Eight Treasure Gourd Duck when you were little! Do you remember when you were seven years old, you ate half a duck at your aunt's house and were so full that you kept burping. Your mother was so worried. Tonight, let's have a big family gathering and celebrate for you!"
Before Su Xiaoyu could speak, Zhao Yueru had already refused with a stern face.
“Sister, you’re so kind. However, Xiaoyu isn’t fully recovered yet. The imperial physician advised her to rest and not to go out. She’d be in trouble if she caught a chill. We just moved in tonight and have a lot of things to settle down at the mansion, so we won’t bother you any longer. We appreciate your kindness.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuelian immediately became unhappy, and the smile on her face slowly faded.
"Sister, what do you mean by this? What, now that your husband has become a general and Xiaoyu has been granted the title of county princess, oh, you've all grown up and don't even recognize your own elder sister anymore? I just wanted to invite Xiaoyu to our house for a meal, how did that become 'disturbing'?"
The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. "Yes, our Lu family is poor. His father was just a scholar with no real skills. We can't compare to the Su family's current prosperity. But we are sisters after all, born of the same mother. Even if our bones are broken, they are still connected. Back then, our parents passed away early, and our family was in dire straits. As the older sister, didn't I help you?"
Now that you've made it big, instead of helping your own people out, you've put on airs and won't even eat a meal with us. Are you looking down on us, afraid we'll benefit from your success and hold you back?
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