After all, they were good friends who had known each other for many years. After Chen Liyue said "I'm sorry", Lu Yun felt that he didn't need to say anything else.
Lu Yun said "hmm", and her mood improved in an instant.
Seeing Lu Xingzhou standing under a plum tree from a distance, Lu Yun turned to Chen Liyue and said, "Alright, I'm a magnanimous person and won't bother with you. My royal brother has something to tell you, so I'll be leaving now."
After Lu Yun finished speaking, he patted his butt and left.
Shen Liyue also saw Lu Xingzhou and felt a little embarrassed.
Originally, because of what happened at the palace banquet, Shen Liyue felt inexplicably awkward towards Lu Xingzhou, but yesterday she was so unkind as to abandon Lu Xingzhou and run away, and Shen Liyue felt a little ashamed again.
Shen Liyue hesitated and didn't move forward, but Lu Xingzhou strode towards her.
"Are you cold?"
Lu Xingzhou didn't ask her why she left him yesterday, nor did he ask her why she had been avoiding him recently. Instead, he asked her if she was cold.
Shen Liyue touched the tip of her nose, which felt cool and indeed a little cold.
Lu Xingzhou hurriedly took Shen Liyue to a sheltered place and handed her the heater in his hand.
"The newly added carbon will warm your hands." Lu Xingzhou said.
There should be some aromatherapy added to the heater. Shen Liyue smelled it and found that it was the same fragrance she usually used.
Shen Liyue was a little surprised: "The prince always carries a heater with him?"
"No, I asked someone to prepare it because I was coming to see you. The aromatherapy... was from Yun'er Palace. She said you gave her some before, and I thought you liked the smell, so..."
Before Lu Xingzhou finished speaking, Shen Liyue's face had already turned red.
Lu Xingzhou had never said such words to anyone, and he himself was a little nervous.
He carefully looked at Shen Liyue's face, and only when he saw that she didn't look angry did he dare to continue.
"I know it might be a bit abrupt to say this today, but the situation seems a bit urgent right now, so... I want to ask, are you willing to marry me?"
Shen Liyue: “Ah?”
Shen Liyue was really frightened. He had just refused at the palace banquet. What was he trying to do now?
Lu Xingzhou also blushed a little. He had never had such thoughts about any girl before, but it had to be Chen Liyue. However, the palace was not a place to talk. There were many people around and if others saw them, it would cause trouble.
Lu Xingzhou said, "This isn't the place to talk, and I don't want you to answer me right now. Why don't you go back and think about it? I'll be waiting for you at Four Seasons Villa in three days. If you have any questions then, you can ask me in person."
Chen Liyue: ...
Shen Liyue left the palace in a daze, feeling that the conversation with Lu Xingzhou just now was like a dream.
There was a secret joy in her heart that she herself was not aware of, but she was mostly confused.
When Shen Liyue returned home, Jiang came to greet her.
Shen Liyue had been gone for half a day, and Jiang was extremely worried.
"What happened?" Jiang asked with concern.
"No." Shen Liyue replied.
Jiang looked at Shen Liyue's dazed look, seeming to believe it or not. If nothing happened, why would she look like this?
"Has the Queen Mother given you any trouble?" Jiang continued to ask.
"No, the Queen Mother was very kind." Chen Liyue said, "The Queen Mother just asked me my age and whether I was married. I told her the truth, and then Lu Yun came in to save me. The Queen Mother let me go without saying anything."
When Jiang heard Shen Liyue say this, her heart became nervous again.
The Queen Mother had no relationship with the Shen family, so there must be a reason why she asked her to go today. She also asked her if she was married, which showed that the Queen Mother also had some thoughts about her.
The eldest prince has already married the daughter of the empress dowager's family, the Jiang family. The second prince has not yet married, but Jiang can't figure out what the empress dowager means. Does she want her to be a concubine to the eldest prince or the second prince?
Chen Wangqiu and Jiang were not in a hurry to marry off their daughter. They originally wanted to choose someone their daughter liked and who could live in love with them like they did for the rest of their lives, so they thought that they would take their time to choose and they would eventually find the right one.
But if the royal family arranges the marriage, they have no say in anything.
Jiang wanted to find Chen Wangqiu now to see if they could discuss a countermeasure, but she also knew in her heart that no matter whether it was an imperial edict or the empress dowager's decree, they had no power to refuse.
But Jiang still wanted to protect her daughter, so she said to Shen Liyue, "We know about this matter. Relax for now. I'll ask your father to find out and then we can discuss it."
Shen Liyue hummed, and then another sentence came out of her mouth: "Today, Prince Yi asked me if I was willing to marry him."
Jiang: "Ah?"
Shen Liyue stopped talking. To be honest, she was quite surprised herself.
"Then do you agree?" Jiang asked.
"He didn't ask me to agree today. He asked me to go back and think about it and give him an answer in three days." Shen Liyue said truthfully.
Jiang: ...
Okay, okay, it all came together.
Shen Liyue returned to her room and thought about this matter carefully. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
Didn't Lu Xingzhou reject her at the palace banquet that day? Why did he come again today to ask if she was willing to marry him?
Lu Xingzhou said the situation is urgent. What is it?
Is it because the Queen Mother has changed her mind and wants her to marry the eldest prince or the second prince?
Shen Liyue felt a little angry. What did the fight between their royal families have to do with her?
Besides, Lu Xingzhou was quite abrupt today. He asked this question inexplicably without giving any explanation.
The more Chen Liyue thought about it, the more she felt that Lu Xingzhou had other purposes in asking her this question today. If he really wanted to marry her, he should have discussed the matter with her parents. Why would he just talk to the girl directly?
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
The Queen Mother did share this thought.
Chen Wangqiu's current official position is the Dali Temple Minister, who is specifically responsible for the trial of criminal cases. He has only one son and one daughter. If he can marry Chen Liyue, he can win him over. Over the years, Chen Wangqiu has always handled cases impartially, and it is inconvenient for the Jiang family to do anything. They have also tried to win him over but have never succeeded.
Besides, Chen Liyue herself has business talent. The Queen Mother sent people to inquire, and found out that the shops owned by Chen Liyue are all doing very well. If you can marry her, why worry about not having money to spend? What's more, Chen Liyue has the Jiang family behind her. Jiang's business is spread all over the country. If she can be used by the Jiang family, then it doesn't matter if the Jiang family doesn't have another queen.
However, the Queen Mother has not yet decided whether to marry her to the eldest prince as a concubine or to the second prince.
The Queen Mother wanted to support the eldest prince to become the crown prince, so she let him marry Jiang as his principal wife. If he could marry Shen Liyue as his concubine, it would be even more powerful for the eldest prince.
But the second prince is also the son of the late Queen Jiang. The eldest prince is about to marry a concubine, but the second prince has not yet married a wife. I am afraid that this will hurt the second prince's heart again.
The Queen Mother didn't care much about hurting the Second Prince's feelings, but she was afraid that the Second Prince would have other thoughts and would no longer be willing to assist the First Prince.
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