When Wang Wentian returned to the court, the emperor held a palace banquet and invited all officials above the third rank to attend with their families.
All of a sudden, all the ladies and young ladies from the families of officials of the third rank and above in Wangjing City became nervous.
The protagonist of the palace banquet is Wang Wentian, who has been arranged to marry by the emperor, but there is more than just Wang Wentian when one enters the palace.
Except for the eldest prince who is already married, the second prince, the third prince and other princes are still unmarried. The most eye-catching one is Prince Yi.
Prince Yi is the legitimate son of the Queen, and with his handsome appearance, he has long been the ideal husband choice in the minds of the young ladies from aristocratic families.
The daughters of officials below the third rank could only stamp their feet in frustration at home, blaming their fathers for not trying harder, otherwise they would have had the chance to get close to Prince Yi.
Chen Liyue entered the palace with Jiang. She was dressed in her best today. Although she was not deliberately dressed up to be extravagant, she had to meet the emperor after all, so she certainly could not be casual and perfunctory as usual.
Shen Liyue's back was straight, revealing a beautiful curve from her profile to her neck.
Xie Wanting arrived earlier, and when she saw Shen Liyue, she moved closer to her.
"Hello, Madam Shen." Xie Wanting saluted Jiang with a smile. Jiang smiled and said, "Ting'er looks very beautiful today."
Xie Wanting chuckled, "Mrs. Shen is really pretty!"
Jiang covered her mouth and laughed, "You're so talkative. How can I compare to you little girls? Go ahead, I'll go talk to your mother too. It's been a while since we last met. Just remember to come back before the dinner."
"Okay!" Xie Wanting agreed with a smile, and pulled Shen Liyue to look for Wei Rushu.
Wei Rushu was not as lively and active as usual that day. She was very nervous and also had a hint of anticipation.
Wei Rushu was sitting beside her mother. She saw Xie Wanting waving at her from afar. After informing her mother, Wei Rushu stood up and walked towards them.
"You will be able to meet your fiancé today, right?" Xie Wanting joked to Wei Rushu with a smile.
Wei Rushu blushed slightly. She was nervous about this matter.
"You haven't met him yet?" Chen Liyue asked. Logically, Wang Wentian should have paid a visit to Duke Wei's residence after returning to the capital to meet the emperor. Wei Rushu shouldn't have met him yet.
Wei Rushu shook his head. "No, he's been busy with military affairs in the Northern Frontier. After returning, he's been reporting on the war in the Imperial Study for the past few days. It was my father who took the initiative to tell him not to rush to the Duke's Mansion. He can just wait until he's done with these few days and then come to propose marriage."
"Then can you bear it?" Xie Wanting said to herself: "Anyway, if it were me, I would definitely see it with my own eyes."
"Won't we be able to see it today?" Shen Liyue said with a smile.
Xie Wanting's eyes turned, "Do you want to meet him in advance?"
"How can we see her?" Wei Rushu asked. The men were all in the outer courtyard, so they couldn't see her until the banquet started. Even then, because of the taboos between men and women, they had to sit at separate tables, separated by a screen, so they couldn't see clearly.
"The outer courtyard is through the archway with hanging flowers in front. We can go and see it secretly without being discovered." Xie Wanting said.
"No." Wei Rushu immediately shook his head and said, "If someone saw me, not only would I lose my reputation, but I would also implicate you two. If someone didn't know, they would think I hated getting married."
Xie Wanting scratched her head, "What should I do then?"
Shen Liyue thought for a moment, "How about I send someone to tell my brother to invite General Wang out, and you two can meet in the garden?"
Wei Rushu shook his head and waved his hands after hearing this, "This is even more impossible. He's not even curious about me, so how can I call him first..."
The three of them thought about it over and over again, but they were at a loss as to what to do.
Just then, the three heard faint noises coming from behind the rockery on the west side of the garden. They quickly fell silent, quietly moved towards the rockery and hid again.
When they got closer, the three of them could tell that it was the voice of a man and a woman talking.
"You haven't married for so many years, I know you have me in your heart..." said the woman's voice.
"Miss Xu, be careful with your words." A clear, strong voice rang out. "The war in the northern border is intense. I haven't married for many years because I can't take care of it. A man should protect his family and country. I have no intention of getting married until my family and country are served. It has nothing to do with Miss Xu."
The woman's voice was almost tearful. "I know you're angry that I didn't go with you that day, but I also have my own difficulties. Northern Xinjiang is remote, and I'm not in good health. I was really afraid of going there and enduring those hardships..."
"But things are different now." The woman continued, "After all these years, I have also realized my true feelings. I have not married yet, and I am waiting for you."
The man said, "I'm already engaged, and will be getting married next year. Miss Xu, please don't say such things in the future. If anyone hears them, it will only insult your innocence."
The woman said, "I know you can't refuse the emperor's arranged marriage, but have you ever met that woman? Do you know her? Do you know her character? You're probably unwilling in your heart, and besides, you and I already have a past relationship. Considering this, I'm willing to go to the general's mansion and be his concubine."
Wei Rushu and the others had already recognized that these two people were Wang Wentian and Xu Qier, but they were just curious. Wasn't Xu Qier in Mobei with her aunt? Why did she come back?
Hearing this, Wei Rushu bit his lips tightly.
Wei Rushu actually shared these concerns. The emperor had arranged the marriage, and neither of them had the power to disobey. Even if Wang Wentian was reluctant, he had no choice but to marry her.
But Wei Rusu still has a glimmer of hope for her future life. She doesn't want to marry someone she doesn't love, grow tired of each other, become a pair of resentful couple, and waste her life.
Shen Liyue saw that Wei Rushu was feeling uneasy at the moment, so she gently leaned over and held Wei Rushu's arm.
Wei Rushu glanced at her gratefully, then the voices began to rise again. Wang Wentian said, "Your Majesty knows my character and that of the Wei family. He treats me with great kindness. This marriage must have been decided after careful consideration. Although I have never met Miss Wei, I am willing to harbor some goodwill towards her. Miss Xu, please do not worry."
Xu Qi'er said anxiously, "I am willing to be your concubine. I will put her first in everything from now on. I only hope to be by your side and fulfill the friendship we had back then."
Wang Wentian remained unmoved and said, "Miss Wei is much younger than you. If you enter the mansion, won't she still have to call you sister? Besides, I have no intention of taking a concubine. There will only be Miss Wei in the Zhenguo Mansion."
Xu Qi'er said, "You're so protective of her even though you've never even met her? What if she's ugly? What if she has a bad temper? What if she has no talent or moral integrity?"
Wang Wentian was truly furious at this moment. "Miss Xu, why are you insulting my future wife? Never mind that she couldn't possibly be as despicable as you say. Even if she were, she's still my wife, and I won't allow anyone to talk about her like that. This is the first time, and I hope Miss Xu will respect herself. If it happens again, I won't let it go."
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