Zheng Yutong's expression immediately turned serious. She looked outside to check the situation; she was afraid.
"Third cousin, didn't I forbid you from saying that? If our great-aunt hears this, she'll think I'm seducing you."
"It's one thing for you to marry someone else, but I have to worry about it because you're marrying someone else. Aren't I wronged? And you still blame me."
"As for me, His Highness the Crown Prince can't even see me. The day I fainted at the banquet, I heard a story, I don't know if it's true or not, that Cheng Suyun ran up to His Highness the Crown Prince and begged to be taken in."
"Not only did His Highness the Crown Prince not agree, but he also scolded Cheng Suyun. I didn't even have the courage to step into the Eastern Palace."
"By the time I have the opportunity to enter the Eastern Palace, I'm afraid I'll be an old maid, and you'll have found someone new and forgotten the old."
Jing Lu was completely heartbroken by Zheng Yutong's words. He kept apologizing and saying nice things.
"Cousin, I'm sorry, but I meant it all. My brother is so ungrateful. He doesn't want a girl like you. I can't afford to take you back."
"Fortunately, I asked my father for a decree to grant us a marriage. We'll be living in the Prince's mansion then. If my great-aunt and mother complain about you, you can just not go to the palace, right?"
"Are you really considering this?" Finally, Zheng Yutong stopped crying and looked at Jing Lu earnestly.
She sighed inwardly. It wasn't that she didn't want to take advantage of Yue Jiang's pregnancy and become the Crown Prince's consort.
But since His Highness the Crown Prince has moved into Yichun Palace, she can't very well go to Yuejiang Palace to seduce him.
She hasn't had a chance to make a move yet, and soon her advancing age will draw attention to her.
Having stayed in the palace for so long, Zheng Yutong had no desire to go out and marry casually. She thought that if she couldn't find another opportunity, she would end up like Cheng Suyun.
Zheng Yutong would rather marry Jing Lu, even though he's a good-for-nothing and lacks ambition. At least she's kept Jing Lu's heart firmly in her grasp all these years and isn't afraid of him being fickle.
The problem is that she can't get past her great-aunt. Zheng Yutong is very worried about how to become the prince's principal wife of Jinglu while also preventing her great-aunt from taking her anger out on her.
Zheng Yutong's feigned indifference greatly boosted Jing Lu's confidence, and he patted his chest to assure her.
"Of course I've thought it through, Yutong. I want you. I'll go tell Father Emperor right now."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the attendants guarding outside announced that Empress Dowager Zheng had returned and was eager to see Jing Lu.
After Jing Lu learned of this, he made a few more assurances to Zheng Yutong, and then immediately went to greet Empress Dowager Zheng.
Empress Dowager Zheng thought that the matter of bestowing a marriage should not be delayed. When she saw Jing Lu, she made it clear that Jing Huaixu wanted to see him, and then gave him many instructions.
"Lu'er, you must tell him that you love the Zhao family girl and that you will marry no one but her. That way your father will soften his heart."
Jing Lu showed no unusual reaction, nodding frequently and simply saying yes.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, Jing Lu knelt before Jing Huaixu. Before Jing Huaixu could finish asking him if he wanted to marry Zhao Nianfu, he had already finished speaking.
Jing Lu first kowtowed to express his feelings: "Father, I like my cousin Yu Tong and hope that you will grant me marriage."
Jing Huaixu was slightly surprised, and the solemn expression on his face faded slightly. He asked in astonishment, "Don't you know that your Empress Dowager Zheng wants you to marry a girl from the Zhao family? You come and tell me you want to marry Yutong. Does your Empress Dowager Zheng agree?"
Jing Lu was already lacking confidence, and now he was even more dejected. However, he wanted to take advantage of the situation and flattered Jing Lu.
“Your Majesty disagrees, and I dare not tell her. But Your Majesty is mighty, and no one dares to oppose your decree. If Your Majesty sees the imperial edict, she will have no choice but to accept it.”
Jing Lu's childlike words made Jing Huaixu relax and smile. He stroked his beard and leaned more easily against the dragon throne behind him, considering Jing Lu's marriage.
"You've shown concern for Yutong time and again; I think you're not as simple as you seem."
Jinglu quickly explained, "Father, my feelings for Yutong are only respectful and within the bounds of propriety. I have not overstepped any boundaries. Yutong is a good girl, and she is worthy to be my wife. I beg you, Father, to grant my request."
Jing Huaixu liked Consort Zheng's two children, not because they were his biological mother's children, but because they were well-behaved.
But Changshou Palace has many thoughts, and Jing Huaixu is afraid that Empress Dowager Zheng will spoil Jing Lu's thoughts too much, and that he might be thinking about things he shouldn't be thinking about.
He didn't want to marry the Zhao family's daughter to him, partly because he feared it would fuel her ambition.
At this moment, Jing Lu was completely unaware of Empress Dowager Zheng's purpose and insisted on going to him to ask for Zheng Yutong's hand in marriage.
After careful consideration, Jing Huaixu felt that Zheng Yutong was actually a good match for Jing Lu, and he picked up his pen, intending to agree readily.
"I have watched Yutong grow up. If you like her, I will bestow her upon you."
Just as Jing Huaixu was about to put down his pen, Jing Lu hurriedly stopped him: "Father, wait a moment. Your son wants to ask you to grant me a favor before you bestow the marriage."
"Going back on your word?" Before Jing Huaixu could finish writing, he looked up and stared at Jing Lu, trying to figure out what kind of riddle he was playing with, why he was so eager to grant a marriage one minute and hesitant the next.
"Father, please forgive me," Jing Lu kowtowed to Jing Huaixu again, his mind still troubled.
“Grandmother has raised me with kindness. Now that Grandmother has other opinions about my marriage, I dare not go against her wishes.”
"When I came here just now, my grandmother told me that I must choose a daughter from the Zhao family, but I cannot choose one."
"But now that Father has promised me that I can marry Yutong, I hope that Father can postpone the decree of marriage, at least so that Grandmother will not think that I have come here today to ask for Yutong's hand in marriage."
"Let Grandmother know that you still have something to consider, so that she won't blame her for my proposal to marry Yutong."
"At the last banquet, I saw that Grandmother Cheng also liked the Zhao family girl, and Father Emperor was even more willing to help my second brother. But now my second brother has been ruined by me."
Jing Lu suddenly felt guilty and sad. Jing Huaixu sighed and comforted him, "He was the one who had bad intentions and took your things first, so don't blame yourself."
Jing Lu wiped away his tears, sobbing uncontrollably: "In the end, my second brother's life was ruined by me. I wonder if the Zhao family girl will look down on my second brother."
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