Chapter 172 I have always been stingy, so I can only lend you to him once, just once!
Su Ying had never expected that Yuan Song, who had never bothered with worldly affairs, had already made plans for her future, just like Du Heng and her aunt.
Du Heng did not accompany Su Jianrong to the prison that day, in fact, he did not want him to know that Ying'er's marriage had been decided by the emperor. They tricked Su Jianrong into signing the divorce agreement so that Ying'er would have evidence to get rid of the entanglement in the future.
It's easy to change a country, but hard to change one's nature. Even when Su Jianrong was destitute, he could still attract the affections of young ladies. But if he didn't make peace soon after his release from prison, he would most likely pretend to be poor in the streets again, saying, "The new number one scholar is my son-in-law, a marriage granted by the current emperor!" Even if he couldn't attract young ladies, he would at least attract widows seeking support.
As for Du Heng's mother, Cheng, Du Heng had already made it clear to her: "After the Spring Examination, my mother learned her lesson. The more she cares about something, the more it goes against her wishes in the end. I hadn't even mentioned taking you with me to my new post, but after hearing the imperial decree, she took the initiative and asked you to accompany me to Yunzhou."
Cheng said at the time: "You and Ying'er are in love, just like I and your father were in the past. I will treat Ying'er the same way your grandmother treated me. Let her go to Yunzhou with you. There is no need to stay in the capital to set rules. As long as the two of you live in harmony, I, as a mother, will be satisfied."
How could she tell Yuan Song about these things that Du Heng had already planned for her?
The only thing she could do was to say the cruelest words and cut off his thoughts with one blow.
Indeed, her simple words were like a poisoned knife, piercing straight into his heart and shattering the last remaining hope in his heart.
Yuan Song stood there in a daze as if under a spell, his slightly open mouth unable to utter a single word. His eyes, which had been raised with excitement, gradually drooped and lost their luster.
Su Ying stopped talking and stopped looking at him. She slowly turned around, holding back her tears, and wanted to walk away so that he could be alone and quiet.
Unexpectedly, just as she took a step forward, she felt a warmth on her back. Yuan Song had already hugged her from behind and was unwilling to let go.
"Don't move."
The sound of sobbing rang in my ears.
Her heart tightened, but she still followed his lead and didn't move. He said nothing more, and only the roar of Longqiu Waterfall could be heard, like a giant dragon, struggling and howling unwillingly amidst the lightning and thunder.
It wasn't until a long time had passed that his voice regained its former liveliness. He whispered in her ear in his usual joking tone, "Tell Du Heng that I'll keep an eye on him, whether he's in Yunzhou or the capital. I, Yuan Song, have always been stingy, so I can only lend you to him once, just this once!"
Especially the last three words, which were said with gnashing teeth.
Then, he picked her up and placed her on the horse, but this time, he did not climb onto the horse. Instead, he led the horse, the horse carrying the girl in his heart, and slowly, slowly sent her back to the academy, to the hands of the person he was willing to lend her for only once.
......
Now that all the members of the Du family were present, there was no time to delay anything. Du Heng had already made preparations, and when Mrs. Du and her family officially paid a visit to the academy, the two families agreed on a date.
Mr. Rong was in the academy, but his heart was always with the court. Especially after he received the emperor's bestowal of a name, it showed that the court and the country were the most important. The Rong family would not ask for too much. The only thing he wanted was for the two to get married quickly and go to Yunzhou to take up their posts.
After hearing this, Mrs. Rong felt resentful, but in front of the Du family, she could only swallow her anger.
"Father-in-law, even if there's a decree from His Majesty, we still have to observe all the proper etiquette. There's no reason to let Ying'er suffer any injustice. Why do we have to choose an auspicious date for a wedding? Isn't it to create a good omen, so that Heng'er and Ying'er can live happily together from the day they get married until their old age? In my opinion, apart from choosing a date that's as close as possible, everything else must be done properly. Not only that, but we must also have more than enough, making it a lively and festive occasion, so that the grace of His Majesty in granting the marriage is not in vain."
Madam Du's words immediately relieved Madam Rong's frustration, and her mention of the emperor made Mr. Rong dare not disobey.
So the two families happily decided to get married in three days, and the three books and six engagements required before the wedding would be completed as soon as possible within three days.
......
Three days later, red silk was hung in front of the gate of Yandan Academy, and everyone in the academy was filled with joy.
Su Ying wore a phoenix crown, a wedding dress, and a shawl, and sat upright in the room.
Xiaocao and Taoxi seemed to be more nervous than the young lady. One stayed in the room while the other waited at the gate, listening attentively to the sounds outside the courtyard, waiting for the number one scholar to come and pick up the bride.
"Miss, Miss, the young master is here!"
Xiaocao hadn't been at the gate for long when she heard the roar of gongs and drums, a continuous flow of joyful music. She had the door quietly opened a crack, and in the distance she saw a figure in bright red riding a tall horse, leading a seemingly endless procession of bridesmaids towards the academy.
Su Ying's heart, which was originally calm, was disturbed by Xiao Cao's shout.
Her heart was pounding, her cheeks flushed, and her red lips looked brighter than when she first put on makeup.
Perhaps it was the deafening thump of her heartbeat, for she could only see the bridesmaid's mouth opening and closing as she muttered something, while her aunt and grandmother looked at her with tears in their smiles. Then, her vision was obscured by the red veil trimmed with gold and silver thread, leaving her with only a pair of red satin shoes embroidered with pomegranates.
This pair of embroidered shoes also had gold thread edges, and they sparkled with golden light when she walked. She first left the wing room, entered the front hall, bid farewell to her grandparents, and then walked out of the academy gate.
The drums and music at this time were even more deafening. She had no idea how lively it was outside the veil. Suddenly, a pair of black satin soap boots came into her sight, matching her red satin embroidered shoes, toe to toe, forming a pair.
"Don't worry, my lord! Let us take the bride to the bridal sedan!"
As soon as the bridesmaid finished her words, the black satin soap boots paused, and then left the space in front of her.
Su Ying couldn't help but smile. Although she hadn't seen the man's face, she knew from his pause just now that he, who had always been steady, was as nervous and at a loss as she was.
She was supported to the front of the sedan chair and was about to step into it when she heard someone shouting in the distance: "Stop, stop! Without my father's approval, this marriage won't count!"
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