That night, Fu Yu returned home unusually early.
As soon as I walked in, I saw a variety of delicious dishes on the table: cold cucumber rolls exuding a refreshing aroma, unique steamed bread made with fresh purslane that whetted my appetite, red and spicy noodles that made my mouth water, and delicate, sweet lychee cakes...
All this immediately whetted his appetite.
"Let's go, let's go to Xuanheyuan."
He said with a smile, a gentle glint in his eyes.
"Then shall I go and inform the young lady first?"
Wen Zhu hesitated for a moment before speaking and made this suggestion.
At this moment, after hearing this, the smile on Fu Yu's face quickly disappeared, replaced by a faint melancholy expression.
Noticing his change, Wen Zhu gently shook his arm and said softly, "Although the prince's trip to the capital was only a month, he put a lot of energy into handling state affairs and was exhausted both physically and mentally. Don't you think we should create a more pleasant and warm atmosphere for him to relieve his pressure? Let's all be happier, what do you think?"
After hearing this, Fu Yu was silent for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement, and stretched out his hands to tidy up the slightly messy hair around Wen Zhu's ears.
After feeling this attentive care, Wen Zhu smiled back in response, then stood up and walked towards the main hall, where he found Su Qiulu and informed her of the news: "Young Madam, the prince invites you to have dinner with him at Xuanhe Courtyard."
"Really?"
Su Qiulu was so happy when she heard this that she almost jumped up. She hurried to the mirror and quickly checked her makeup to see if it was neat and appropriate before leaving. "My Lord."
She called out in a gentle and pleasant voice, then straightened her clothes and bowed deeply to Fu Yu as a sign of respect.
But to her surprise, this man who was usually polite and warm to others did not give any positive response. He just glanced at Wen Zhu who was not far away and walked forward a few steps.
When everyone arrived at Xuanhe Courtyard, they saw their son and daughter-in-law appear together. Duke Anguo and his wife couldn't help but feel infinitely relieved in their hearts, and even felt that every food on the table became more delicious.
At night, according to usual practice, the Anguo Association rested in Xuanheyuan.
After he finished his bath, he sat beside his wife at the dressing table, enjoying their bedtime preparations, and began to discuss their experiences during the day. "A few days ago, when I visited the Prince of Runan's mansion, I happened to meet the young master. He is handsome and, at a young age, has already become an indispensable general in the position of Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple. Later, I heard that a distant relative mentioned the marriage between Shuyan and him and expressed great support."
"It's truly impressive that someone so young is capable of holding such a high position!"
Duke Anguo expressed his feelings about this.
"It would be a good idea if the two tribes could marry."
The lady stood up, walked slowly to the edge of the bed and sat down, then added.
Duke Anguo interjected with concern, "Indeed. It's just about things from the past..."
"After all, we are still relatives and have some interactions on a regular basis, so the relationship is not unfamiliar."
The lady explained softly with a faint smile.
"If Shuyan could be accepted as a daughter-in-law, it would certainly be much better than being a minister's daughter-in-law."
The Duke spoke slowly, with a hint of approval in his tone.
"Some other families have also inquired about the marriage proposal, but since Shuyan has been absent, it has not been finalized."
The Duke's wife finished her words and snuggled into her husband's warm arms.
"This kind of lifelong event requires careful consideration. Perhaps we should arrange for Shuyan to return home as soon as possible?"
An Guoan said soothingly.
"As her legal mother, I naturally care about these things. If you have a preference for any of the children, please feel free to make your decision."
She answered softly.
"Okay... let me think about it."
The Duke thought about it and said hesitantly.
"Okay, there's no rush. You can also discuss her opinion with Liu."
She offered her advice calmly.
"Ah! She's just a concubine, so she can't really say anything."
Guo Angong patted his wife's back comfortingly. Although he felt amused in his heart, he also realized that he should not neglect Liu too much.
He knew that if the beauty showed even the slightest sign of grievance, his position would be easily shaken.
If this beauty continues to stay at the frontier, perhaps soon the Duke of Anguo will once again fall into the situation of favoring his concubine and neglecting his wife.
After all, it is easy to meet someone but harder to miss them. It is not advisable to keep Liu any longer and affect your mood and decision.
The next afternoon, when the sun was at its warmest, Lord An Guo strolled leisurely into the small courtyard of Danxia Residence.
"Oh, it turns out my master still remembers this road!"
The corners of her rosy lips curled up slightly, and she glanced at the other person and teased him with dissatisfaction.
"Stop joking! I have something important to discuss with you. Madam just mentioned Shuyan's marriage..."
Duke Anguo answered in a serious tone.
"She? Does she really care about Shuyan's future? Lord, didn't you promise before that you would personally choose a good husband for Shuyan?"
Hearing this, Aunt Liu grabbed Duke Anguo's arm and spoke in a sweet voice.
"Naturally, I should be involved in this matter. The people that Madam introduced to Shuyan are all young talents from prominent families with good backgrounds. I have watched them grow up under my watchful eyes. It would be a pity to miss them. However, I can't stay in the capital forever to handle all this, so I still have to rely on Madam to handle these details."
After saying these words, Duke Anguo found a chair and sat down.
"I feel very uneasy."
Aunt Liu also sat down shortly afterwards.
"Then we should just look for a suitable family for Shuyan in the northern part of the Saibei region."
Duke Anguo looked at the person in front of him with concern, and took a quick look at Liu.
After hearing this, Aunt Liu was silent for a moment before she slowly spoke, "But the result of doing this... wouldn't it be a waste of Shuyan's outstanding talent and beauty?"
She knew very well in her heart that, comparatively speaking, the wealthy young men in the capital were obviously more suitable to be Shuyan's future partners than the rough soldiers in the northern frontier.
However, he thought again, even so, he was not sure whether the high and mighty wife could really allow the child who was not her own to grow up happily.
When she thought of this, her heart was filled with a little sadness.
"Based on this situation, I still think it would be more appropriate to bring Shuyan back to the capital and let her complete the blind date process there."
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