After hearing her daughter's words, Zhou gave up the idea of the two families getting married.
Yes, Gu Heng is a good man, but he has another woman in his heart. If Weiwei marries him, won't she suffer a lifetime of grievances?
Let's wait a little longer; our daughter will surely find her own happiness.
That afternoon, Gu Heng asked a matchmaker to visit the Lu family and inquire whether they had any intention of arranging a marriage.
If Lu Ziwei is willing to marry him, he will personally go to her door to propose marriage.
Mrs. Zhou politely declined with a smile, and she felt a pang of regret as the matchmaker left.
Gu Heng was indeed a good choice; he stepped forward at the crucial moment and protected Weiwei's reputation.
Moreover, he was an upright and talented man with a handsome appearance...
Actually, feelings can be cultivated. Her daughter, Weiwei, is a very good girl. Maybe if they spend more time together, they will develop feelings for each other.
Every marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers. Many women only see their husbands' faces on their wedding night, yet they still live happily ever after.
Fine, fine. Since Weiwei is unwilling, then let's just forget about it.
Not long after the matchmaker left, Yu Mama, the empress's attendant, arrived.
It was because of Lu Youcai. Lu Youcai had gone missing before, and the second wife couldn't find him, so they asked Old Zhu to ask the Empress for help.
This was to put pressure on the eldest son's family through the Empress.
The Empress didn't want to get involved. Although she disliked the second wife's family, Lu Youcai was, after all, her nephew, and she certainly couldn't ignore him.
Now that Lu Youcai has returned in a daze, the Empress should send someone to ask what happened.
Zhou went directly to the palace with Granny Yu and told the Empress about what had happened to Lu Ziwei.
The Empress was so angry that she wanted to arrest Lu Youcai and behead him.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. This matter should not be blown out of proportion, otherwise it will damage Weiwei's reputation."
"Since Seventh Brother has already taught him a lesson, let's leave it at that."
The Empress inquired about Lu Ziwei's situation with concern, and asked her if she had any intention of marrying Gu Heng.
"Alright, I understand."
"Summon Weiwei to the palace tomorrow. I haven't seen her for a while."
"By the way, let Jiaojiao come along too. Qingwan and Qingyin will be coming of age after the New Year, so it's time to start preparing."
"Jiaojiao has a good eye, let her come over and help choose some materials and jewelry."
Zhou agreed with a smile, and the two went to the palace together after lunch the next day.
Su Yujiao also wanted to take this opportunity to remind the Empress that the two princesses would be in danger on the day of their coming-of-age ceremony.
The original book states that the two princesses disappeared on the day of their coming-of-age ceremony, and when they were found, they had been defiled, raped, and then killed.
The queen went insane as a result...
The Empress and the Crown Prince are both crucial figures. If they fall, Consort Jing and her son will immediately rise to power, and the outcome will be inevitable.
Moreover, the two little princesses were so innocent and kind that she couldn't bear to see them end up in such a tragic way.
Therefore, both morally and logically, she couldn't ignore it.
The two entered the palace, picked out fabrics, chose styles, and matched them with suitable jewelry. Before long, an afternoon had passed.
"Cousin-in-law, the peonies in the Imperial Garden are in bloom. Let's go play in the Imperial Garden."
Fourteen or fifteen years old is the age when people love to play, and the two little princesses had been sitting properly all afternoon and were already getting bored.
The Empress scolded him slightly, "Go then."
Su Yujiao didn't get a chance to speak and could only wait for another opportunity.
The four of them had just arrived at the Imperial Garden when they encountered the Emperor and Consort Jing taking a stroll.
The two little princesses immediately hung their heads, feeling extremely disappointed, but dared not show it, and could only bow respectfully.
Su Yujiao and Lu Ziwei also knelt down to pay their respects.
"Rise," the Emperor said in a relatively amiable tone.
The four girls lowered their heads, seemingly wanting the Empress and Consort Jing to leave quickly.
Consort Jing's gaze swept over Su Yujiao and Lu Ziwei, and she suddenly spoke elegantly: "Raise your heads and let me see you."
Su Yujiao and Lu Ziwei looked up at her together.
Consort Jing was forty years old, but she maintained herself as young as she was thirty. Her skin was fair and tender, and her makeup was appropriate. It was neither seductive nor bland, but just right, exuding elegance and nobility.
Her demeanor and innate confidence and pride clearly indicated that she was a well-bred young lady from a prestigious and influential family.
She was far superior to the native-born Empress. In terms of temperament, demeanor, talent, and appearance, Consort Jing completely outshone the Empress.
After all, one cannot expect a country shrew like Lady Zhu to raise the Empress with such wealth and luxury.
Moreover, given Old Zhu's family background, even if she were her own mother and wanted to pamper her, she wouldn't have the means!
Therefore, judging from appearance alone, Consort Jing looks more like the Empress than the Empress.
Thinking about it this way, it's not surprising that Consort Jing was favored by the emperor; after all, no man is immune to the allure of beauty.
Still this kind of stunning beauty!
Theoretically speaking, the emperor was also a poor man who suddenly became rich.
Before becoming emperor, he couldn't even get enough to eat. After becoming emperor, princesses and noble ladies who were once unattainable to him took the initiative to throw themselves into his arms. Who could resist that?!
Therefore, it seems reasonable that the Emperor loved Consort Jing and her children.
It's just too unfair to the Empress.
She stood by the emperor through thick and thin, sharing his joys and sorrows, only to have her efforts benefit someone else in the end.
Consort Jing stared at Su Yujiao again and again. Is this the woman Yuan'er loves?
She is very beautiful, has excellent medical skills, and I've heard she's also a good cook and has a knack for making money. She will definitely be a help to Yuan'er in the future.
Consort Jing viewed the situation as if she were looking at a daughter-in-law, and after the initial meeting, she was generally satisfied.
She's at least better than Li Jianjia, who's just a fool who's only good at being jealous.
She used to be attracted to the Li family's background, but now that the Li family is ruined, it's time for her to find a new imperial concubine for her son.
Then, she turned her gaze to Lu Ziwei, and a sarcastic smile suddenly appeared on her lips.
"This young lady is the Empress's niece. I remember your name is Weiwei?"
"This humble woman greets Consort Jing." Lu Ziwei reluctantly bowed again.
Consort Jing looked at her and nodded with satisfaction: "I have heard about your situation. You are such a pitiful girl."
"However, with the Emperor standing up for you, your future will only get better and better."
Have you found a suitable marriage partner?
Lu Ziwei suddenly felt alarmed; she suspected that Consort Jing was up to no good.
But she didn't know what to do. If she said no, what if Consort Jing acted as matchmaker and randomly arranged a marriage?
If she does have a fiancé, where would she find one?
Su Yujiao's heart was pounding. Seeing that Lu Ziwei remained silent, she immediately answered for her: "Your Highness, Weiwei has already been engaged to Lord Gu Heng, just yesterday."
Consort Jing showed displeasure when she saw Su Yujiao speaking up for Lu Ziwei.
"How come I heard that the Gu family proposed marriage, but the Lu family rejected it?"
Lu Ziwei's heart skipped a beat; Consort Jing was indeed secretly monitoring the General's Mansion's every move.
"In my opinion, the Gu family and the Lu family are of vastly different statuses and are indeed not a good match."
"How about I act as your matchmaker?"
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