Whoosh!
Within an hour, the news that Eunuch Wang had brought the imperial decree of marriage to the Lady of Fu'an County spread throughout the streets and alleys.
In the homes of every prince and minister, there was no other reason than that this time, whether it was the Prime Minister's Mansion, the Emperor, or Gu Zhan, everyone wanted people to forget about the marriage agreement between the Prime Minister's Mansion and Gu Zhan as soon as possible.
This confirms the marriage between Xu and Nian; it's a done deal!
Upon receiving the news, Liu Qingmei sat in her courtyard, her face meticulously made up for her upcoming meeting with Gu Zhan. However, when she arrived at the General's Mansion, she found it empty!
The gatekeeper said that General Gu went to the county princess's residence and probably wouldn't be back for a while.
If Xiao Hong hadn't held her back, she would have stormed over next door right then and there. Just look at what kind of seductive magic that vixen Xu Nian used to bewitch people so completely!
Now that I've just returned to the manor, I hear the servants whispering about something.
In less than a quarter of an hour, all the tea sets and vases in Liu Qingmei's room had been replaced with new ones.
Upon hearing of this, the Minister's wife, accompanied by a large entourage of servants, arrived at Liu Qingmei's Qingrong Pavilion. Seeing the mess in the room, she frowned and exclaimed, "Look at the state you're in! Is a mere man enough to cause you such a loss of composure?!"
"Mother, but that's Gu Zhan!" Liu Qingmei's tears fell in aggrieved stream. "Su Wanting is one thing, but what right does Xu Nian, a powerless county princess, have?! She only rose to power because she was lucky enough to save the emperor. How can she be worthy of being Gu Zhan's wife?!"
Xu Hua'an and Minister Liu were a young couple, and apart from an adopted son, they only had one daughter, who was naturally pampered and spoiled.
Seeing her like this, I felt extremely sorry for her, which is why I had a change of heart after learning that Gu Zhan had broken off the engagement.
He was indeed one of the most outstanding young talents in the capital, a desirable young man sought after by many families. She herself was very satisfied with him.
"Alright! Even if she's unworthy, it's still a marriage decreed by the Emperor! Does General Gu think he can defy the imperial decree?!"
Liu Qingmei didn't understand the admonition and impatience in her mother's words at all. Upon hearing this, she immediately got up and rushed out without even wiping the water droplets off her face.
The Minister's wife quickly stopped him, "Where are you going?"
"Mother, didn't you say this was an imperial marriage? It must be that woman taking advantage of the life-saving favor that made the Emperor do this. I'm going to find her! She doesn't even know who she is. How could she possibly covet someone like Gu Zhan who has risen to power?!"
Xu Hua'an didn't know what to say. Sometimes she wondered if she had spoiled her daughter too much, which was why her daughter had no manners or demeanor at all!
She yanked her daughter back, her expression full of exasperation. "How long are you going to keep this up?! The eldest daughter of a high-ranking official's family, have you abandoned all sense of propriety and shame for a man?!"
"If word gets out that you're like this, how will your sisters in the family ever find husbands?!" Xu Hua'an rarely lost his temper. "Stay in your own courtyard and reflect on your actions. Don't come out if you can't figure it out!"
The Liu family is not the only one like this in the capital.
After all, someone like Gu Zhan is hard to find even with a lantern. Most of those who have no interest in or can't climb the social ladder by associating with royalty are eyeing him.
In the past, Su Wanting was the most outstanding young lady from a noble family, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion, possessing both talent and beauty. Her father even held a higher official position than them, so they had nothing to complain about.
Now, it's Xu Nian's turn. Even if she's a county princess, in the eyes of those daughters of officials who don't know the inside story, she's just lucky and has no real ability!
Naturally, they all saw each other as a thorn in their side, just waiting for an opportunity to embarrass the other.
"A flower viewing banquet." Xu Nian turned the things brought in by the maid from the Duke's mansion and looked at Su Wanting to the side. "Can I not go?"
For many days now, she's had this expression every time she has to attend a banquet.
Even though Su Wanting had seen it all before, she still couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. The Prime Minister's wife gently tapped her and lovingly patted Xu Nian's head, saying, "Silly child, you'll be marrying General Gu in the future, so you won't be able to avoid these necessary social engagements. You should learn to attend them."
The first thing Xu Nian did after Su Wanting returned to the capital was to introduce her to the Prime Minister's wife and the Prime Minister.
She cured the two of their poisons, and as a result, the entire Su family was extremely grateful to her, especially the Prime Minister and his wife, who learned that Xu Nian's parents had died and she was raising her two younger brothers alone.
He treated her like his own daughter, and would often invite her and her two children to stay at his home for a few days.
While outsiders were speculating about the Liang family's relationship because Xu Nian had taken Su Wanting's place in the marriage, the Liang family was still being affectionate and didn't shy away from bringing up these things in front of Xu Nian.
Someone rubbed against the Prime Minister's wife like a kitten, then sprawled on the table without any regard for appearances. "Sigh, this marriage would have been better if it hadn't been arranged at all. Today it's a flower-viewing banquet, tomorrow it's an autumn banquet, it's so boring."
"You silly girl."
Su Wanting clung to her mother's arm, giggling at Xu Nian's antics. "Mother, you should find her another nanny and teach her how to manage the household and keep accounts. Otherwise, she might end up selling off General Gu's house in the future."
Don't you guys feel that since we arrived in the capital, there have been fewer unpleasant things happening to us?
[It's probably because the streamer has cultivated many good relationships that these powerful and influential people all like her.]
"Look at what you guys are saying." Xu Nian glanced at the comments section. "But I also think I look like a heartthrob right now."
She hardly talks about things that people want to pay attention to anymore, and as her magic power is restored, the donations in the live stream are getting higher and higher.
She doesn't need to do anything special every day, yet countless rewards keep pouring in.
In addition, although things seemed to have less to do after arriving in the capital, every single one of them was incredibly mentally taxing. A moment's carelessness could cost you your life.
Rather than doing whatever she wanted outside, Xu Nian was preoccupied with her own life and naturally neglected the viewers in the live stream.
After indulging in a bit of self-admiration, she had dinner at the Prime Minister's residence. Since she was going to the flower-viewing banquet with Su Wanting the next day, she didn't leave.
She slept peacefully in the courtyard that the Prime Minister's wife had specially prepared for her at Langyue Residence.
The next day, with the help of the Prime Minister's wife, the two sisters walked hand in hand into the carriage.
"Hey, I heard that the Lady of Fu'an County is back today too."
At the Duke's mansion, the young ladies, who had arrived early, gathered together, chattering excitedly about the gossip that had been circulating lately.
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