Zheng Boyuan didn't think about the Xu family girl because he knew that she had been sent back to her family in the capital last year. Zheng Yuanyuan and the Xu family girl had been corresponding, and Zheng Boyuan sometimes heard his sister mention that the Xu family sent Xu Zhi back to the capital so that the Xu family sister could find a marriage partner there.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. Although Xu Rao is a son of a concubine in the Marquis's household, Xu Zhi is a legitimate child. Xu Rao is now the fifth-rank Assistant Prefect of Ganzhou. Since no prefect has come to Ganzhou, Xu Rao has been temporarily serving as the prefect. In addition, with the background of the Marquis of Pingning's household, Xu Zhi can find a very good marriage in the capital.
Thinking of this, Zheng Boyuan felt a pang of self-reproach. Should he have left his sister in the capital? With their grandmother's help, his sister could have found a suitable marriage. She was getting older, and Zheng Boyuan really didn't want her to marry someone in this remote border region; that would be too unfair to her.
Zheng Boyuan was distracted. After giving Xu Rao a few perfunctory replies, he began to think about how to find an opportunity to send his sister back to the capital. Even if he did send her back, he couldn't rely on the Pingxi Marquis's mansion. His grandmother was old, and since he and his sister had already been adopted by his great-uncle, it wouldn't be appropriate to ask his grandmother to take care of his sister. For a moment, Zheng Boyuan felt somewhat hesitant.
Seeing Zheng Boyuan's somewhat solemn expression, Zhang Zhaoci's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Xu Rao and asked cautiously, "Nephew Zheng, you've met our Xiao Jiu before. What do you think of him?"
Upon hearing Zhang Zhaoci's words, Zheng Boyuan was momentarily stunned and stared at Zhang Zhaoci for a few more moments. Seeing the caution on Zhang Zhaoci's face, Zheng Boyuan felt his heart leap into his throat.
Seeing the nervous look on Zheng Boyuan's face, Zhang Zhaoci secretly regretted speaking too quickly. It's never a good thing to reveal your hand too early during negotiations.
Xu Rao coughed lightly twice and said, "It is said that a beautiful lady is sought after by a gentleman, but in fact, a handsome and promising young man like Zheng Shizhi should also be liked by many girls."
Zheng Boyuan was at a loss for words. He really hadn't expected that Magistrate Xu would be like this, and that Madam Xu would be like this.
The scene became somewhat awkward for a moment. Zhang Zhaoci felt that if this matter were entrusted to Xu Di, Xu Di would definitely be able to handle it perfectly. However, even if they rushed to bring Xu Di over, it would be too late.
Zhang Zhaoci took a deep breath and said, "Nephew Zheng, I won't hide it from you anymore. Our Xiao Jiu was sent back to the capital last year. One reason was to let her be with the old lady in the mansion and ease her longing for her. But the most important reason was that Xiao Jiu had reached the age for marriage, and the family felt that there were more options in the capital, so we took Xiao Jiu there."
Zheng Boyuan knew all about these things. Hearing Zhang Zhaoci say this, he nodded. Seeing that Zheng Boyuan was willing to listen to what he had to say, Zhang Zhaoci felt a little relieved and said, "After Xu Di got married, I asked Xiao Jiu if she had a crush on anyone. Xiao Jiu said that she still liked the perseverance of the men from the border. Few of the noble sons in the capital are as carefree as the men from the border. After discussing it with your Uncle Xu, we felt that Xiao Jiu had to choose us herself before we could arrange the marriage. When we were about to leave, Xiao Jiu insisted on coming to Ganzhou with us."
Xu Rao said, "Nephew Zheng, many people are paying attention to Xiao Jiu's marriage. Several princes want to win me over through Xiao Jiu because of me. I can't bear to see Xiao Jiu serving others. My daughter needs to find someone who understands her heart and with whom she can live a harmonious life. My daughter's future cannot be used as an exchange for certain benefits. People in the capital have already come to inquire about Xiao Jiu's marriage. The only thing to do now is to get Xiao Jiu's marriage settled as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Zheng Boyuan found it somewhat absurd. Zhang Zhaoci said gratefully, "We didn't drag you into this to take the fall. It's just that Xiao Jiu said she fell in love with you at first sight, so your Uncle Xu and I thought, since that's the case, we'd ask you first. If you have feelings for our Xiao Jiu, then..."
Xu Rao was overwhelmed with grief that her daughter was being betrothed so hastily, especially since she and her daughter's mother were practically begging someone to marry their daughter. Her eyes welled up with tears as she said, "I really never imagined that my precious daughter, whom I cherished and pampered, would be betrothed like this."
When Zheng Boyuan saw Xu Rao's red eyes, he felt a pang of envy. The Xu family's daughter had parents who planned so much for her, but what about himself and his sister?
Seeing Zheng Boyuan's expression, Zhang Zhaoci knew he was somewhat tempted, and said, "Nephew Zheng, your aunt knows you are an upright gentleman. Even if you don't have any feelings for our Xiao Jiu, you won't tell anyone about what happened today. The matter is urgent. If you don't want to, just tell us directly that it's not possible. If you think it's feasible, then meet with our Xiao Jiu and have a good talk."
Zheng Boyuan was caught in a dilemma. He really didn't want to get married, especially not to Xu Rao's daughter. Just as Xu Rao had said, marrying Xu Zhi would bring a lot of trouble later, which Zheng Boyuan didn't want to see. He couldn't promise a girl a future right now, and he was even putting his life on the line. The weather was getting cold, and there were small-scale wars at the border at any time. They weren't from the Northern Di, but from some nomadic tribes on the grasslands. Those people were strong and powerful. Zheng Boyuan was afraid that if he couldn't come back one day, wouldn't he be ruining the girl's life?
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