When Granny Lu saw Zheng Boyuan, she knew that this young man was a very reliable person. She couldn't help but nod in approval, thinking that Xu Zhi's judgment was indeed excellent.
He said to Xu Zhi and Zheng Boyuan, "You two go inside to talk. I need to discuss this with the master and madam."
Xu Zhi lowered her head and went into the inner room of the study.
This is a side room of the study. The outside can be used to receive guests, while the inside is a place for reading. Xu Rao loves to drink tea, and there is a tea set on the desk. At this moment, the small red clay stove on the desk is not lit, so there is no hot water to brew tea.
The two people inside were initially too embarrassed to speak. Zheng Boyuan's understanding of this woman who was so favored by the Xu family came from his younger sister. Since arriving in Hexi, the siblings had received a great deal of help from this young lady of the Xu family.
After experiencing all these things, Zheng Boyuan became an increasingly pragmatic person. When he heard that the Xu family intended to marry their daughter to him, he first weighed the pros and cons. Marrying Xu Zhi would definitely come with risks. Zheng Boyuan had come from the capital, so he naturally knew what the princes in the capital had done for the throne. The Third Prince was the Empress's legitimate son and was the most popular candidate for Crown Prince in the eyes of many. Since he was interested in the Xu family's daughter, if the Xu family married their daughter to him, he would definitely suffer a blow from the Third Prince's side.
However, the Xu family is the backbone of the current regime. Although their official positions are not high, they are not yet sixty years old and are said to be in good health. It is really hard to say what the future development of the Xu family will be.
After participating in several battles in Hexi, Zheng Boyuan realized that for him, wealth and honor came from danger. Now that an opportunity was in front of him, why not seize it?
Zheng Boyuan knew very well that if he were to be retaliated against because of his marriage to a girl from the Xu family, the Xu family would not stand idly by. Although Zheng Boyuan had grown up without the love of his parents since his mother's death, it was because of this that he paid attention to news in the capital. Others might not know, but Zheng Boyuan knew that many of the profitable shops and estates in the capital belonged to the Yongning Marquis's mansion. The Yongning Marquis's mansion was not a particularly high-profile family in the capital, so their actions proved that they must have something to rely on.
Recalling the story of the old lady of the Yongning Marquis's mansion that he had heard people tell in a story-like manner, Zheng Boyuan weighed his options and decided to tie himself to the Xu family.
Upon seeing Xu Zhi, Zheng Boyuan felt somewhat nervous. He didn't know why this girl from the Xu family had told his parents that she had fallen in love with him at first sight. Given the Xu family's years of business in Ganzhou, there were actually many men in the army who were better than him. The girl from the Xu family had been with him in Hexi back then and must have seen quite a few.
This was something Zheng Boyuan couldn't understand. He had only met the Xu family's daughter a few times, and not being able to figure out the reason, Zheng Boyuan simply stopped thinking about it. He stood up, bowed to Xu Zhi, and said, "I am humbled by your kindness, young lady. However, the matter is urgent, and there are some things that I must ask you to do."
When Xu Zhi entered, she was very nervous. She was afraid that Zheng Boyuan would look down on her, but the die was cast and she had no choice but to press on. She did not expect Zheng Boyuan to be so polite to her. She quickly stood up, curtsied, and said, "Brother Zheng, please forgive Xu Zhi for being so foolish."
Xu Zhi blushed, realizing she needed to make her feelings clear. In a voice barely audible, she continued, "Xu Zhi fell in love with Brother Zheng at first sight. She truly admires Brother Zheng and is willing to take on any responsibility for him."
If it weren't for the quiet of the night, Zheng Boyuan might not have been able to hear Xu Zhi's words clearly. Looking at Xu Zhi's blushing face, Zheng Boyuan was at a loss for what to do.
However, many things need to be clarified now. Zheng Boyuan steadied himself and said, "I know what Sister Xu means. I have no way to repay your kindness. I will treat you sincerely in the future."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi looked up at Zheng Boyuan, then quickly lowered her head again.
On the table in the room sat a glass lamp, and on several small tables beside it sat ram horn lanterns. In the dim light, Zheng Boyuan felt that Xu Zhi's face was like a lotus, pure and elegant, yet irresistibly alluring, making one want to get closer to admire her.
Zheng Boyuan's heart skipped a beat. He coughed lightly and said, "I have a few words to tell my sister. After the engagement is arranged, my sister will not be of marriageable age yet, so the wedding will naturally be a few years later. My sister should know about the affairs of my family. Without the help of elders, we have to do everything ourselves. There is also something else. My younger sister is about the same age as my sister, so my sister will have to help her with her marriage."
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Brother Zheng, please rest assured, I will naturally help share all the burdens."
The two people on the other side started chatting, while outside, Granny Lu, Xu Rao, and Zhang Zhaoci were discussing how to announce Xu Zhi and Zheng Boyuan's marriage to the outside world.
What Granny Lu meant was that back then, when Lady Chen, the wife of the Marquis of Pingxi, met Zhang Zhaoci, they told outsiders that the two of them had arranged this marriage for their children. However, after Lady Chen passed away, the marriage was put aside, and the betrothal tokens were given to Lady Chen's brothers. It was only after Lady Chen's brother, Chen Zhong, mentioned it to the Xu family that the two families brought up the old matter again.
Xu Rao quickly wrote a letter and arranged for a reliable person to deliver it to the Chen family in Jiangnan, explaining the whole story to Chen Zhong so that no one would misunderstand if they asked later. Meanwhile, Granny Lu and Zhang Zhaoci went to Zhang Zhaoci's room to look for suitable items, preferably jade pendants or jade rings.
After exchanging a few words with Xu Zhi, Zheng Boyuan felt that this girl was actually very much to his liking. She wasn't coy or timid, and she knew when to stop. Her tone was straightforward and cheerful, making Zheng Boyuan feel that talking to her was a very pleasant experience.
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