Chapter 33 Yan'er is not that kind of person
Out of gratitude to his savior, Pei Yanzhou still sent a matchmaker to the Chu family to propose marriage, even though he was conflicted.
Not only did he send the Engagement Letter with Pei Yanzhou's birth date and time, but he also checked the gift list and sent all the betrothal gifts that Chu Ruyan had proposed, which was a sign of his sincerity.
The Chu family accepted it, but was reluctant to give a definite answer.
Sometimes he said Chu Ruyan was young and he couldn't bear to let her go. Sometimes he said Chu Ruyan had caught a cold and the marriage needed to be discussed later.
Pei Yanzhou's repeated excuses finally made his mother, Princess Ronghe, angry.
"She's just the eldest daughter who wasn't favored. She lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her stepmother. How could she be so ungrateful?
Princess Ronghe, adorned with jewels, drank the new tea bestowed by the emperor, with a look of sarcasm on her face:
"Right now, the whole capital is buzzing with rumors. Everyone is saying that Zhou'er abandoned Miss Shen for Chu Ruyan, accusing him of being treacherous and abandoning his lover... To dispel these rumors, we have repeatedly declared: Zhou'er and Miss Chu are deeply in love, their bond is stronger than gold, and Shen Yu Ningshi voluntarily broke off the engagement..."
"Now, the news has spread, Haikou has made a boast, but Chu Ruyan is being polite and refuses to reply."
Nanny Li stood behind Princess Ronghe, fanning her. "Yes, you've accepted the engagement letter and asked for the betrothal gifts. You're deliberately keeping my young master hanging. It's obvious you're just trying to show off."
She was the maidservant who came with Princess Ronghe as a dowry, and her status was quite high, so she did not shy away from speaking.
"Mother, Mammy, Yan'er might be shy. She is kind-hearted and definitely not someone who puts on airs!"
Pei Yanzhou defended Chu Ruyan, saying, "Perhaps her stepmother, Wang, thinks the betrothal gift we gave is too little, so..."
“Snap—”
Before she finished speaking, Princess Ronghe put down the teacup in her hand heavily and asked, "Do you think the betrothal gift is too little?"
"Sixty-six thousand taels isn't enough? Who the hell is Chu Ruyan?"
"Is she a commandery, a princess, or even a female general? How much dowry did she prepare? Do you dare to compare yourself to me back then?"
Nanny Li quickly helped Princess Ronghe calm down, "Please don't be angry, Princess. Miss Chu used to come to our house every day to pay her respects and was very attentive. Now that she has suddenly disappeared, there must be other reasons."
"Any other reasons?"
Rong He rolled his eyes at Pei Yanzhou standing beside him. "It's just that he saw that the situation had gotten out of hand and that he couldn't escape, so he pretended to be sick and refused to show his face."
"Who knows where to find a good horse!"
Hearing this, Nanny Li quickly stopped what she was doing and gave a wink to the maid next to her.
The little maid immediately understood and stepped forward to report:
"In reply to Madam and Young Master, I have been inquiring about the news at the Chu family's door every day and have discovered that Miss Chu is not ill at all. She is in high spirits and attends banquets every day!"
Ronghe's face darkened and he motioned for her to continue.
The maidservant reported truthfully:
"Miss Chu has bought a lot of new clothes and accessories. Every day, Vice Prime Minister Chu takes her to... to the Zhaixing Tower where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is!"
"Not only that," the maid swallowed, "I also heard... the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace has a special liking for Miss Chu. The other day he even gifted her with a South China Sea pearl and an emerald jade bracelet. Miss Chu is so overjoyed that she not only wears them every day but also shows them off to everyone she meets..."
"presumptuous!"
Pei Yanzhou suddenly smashed the teacup, shocking the maidservant so much that she trembled all over. "Do you think a lowly servant like you can discuss the whereabouts of the future mistress?"
Nanny Li quickly gave the maid a look, "Why don't you leave now? You're only making the young master angry!"
"Hmph!" After the maidservant left, Princess Ronghe was upset: "What a shameless person! So this is what the Chu family had in mind?"
"The General's wife doesn't want to be the Crown Princess."
"That's right. Our Pei family is a small family. How can we compare with the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace?"
"Perhaps once Chu Ruyan gains power, she can even rule the country..."
“Ahem—”
Pei Yanzhou cleared his throat and said in embarrassment: "Mother, these must be rumors, don't take them seriously!"
"My cousin doesn't like women, so he definitely won't have any thoughts about Yan'er."
"Moreover, Yan'er has deep feelings for me, is pure-minded, and has a noble character. She is definitely not the kind of person who would try to curry favor with someone powerful!"
"I don't have the intention to curry favor with the rich and powerful, but I also have the behavior to betray them!" Princess Ronghe's eyes narrowed slightly.
"First, she demanded an exorbitant betrothal gift and refused to provide a dowry. Then, she clung to your cousin and gleefully flaunted the reward... What else could she be but snobbish?"
Before Pei Yanzhou could respond, General Pei, who had been standing outside the house, could no longer bear to hear it.
He frowned and walked in.
"Although I don't like the Shen family's daughter, the Chu family's behavior is something the Shen family really can't do!"
"In the face of national crisis, the Chu family demands a betrothal gift of 66,000 taels. They care neither about the lives of the people nor the impact on the court... unwise!"
"The Shen family not only only asked for 30,000, which is half of what the Chu family paid, but they also donated silver and medicinal materials to the Xuanjia Camp. Just based on this, Shen Yuning is more sensible than Chu Ruyan!"
"Wrong, wrong!" Nanny Li perked up instantly when she heard this. "Master, you're wrong!"
"What the Shen family wanted at that time was not 30,000 taels of silver!"
"Their family only asked for 6,600 taels, not even 10,000 taels!"
"Not only that, the farms, shops, quilts, and silks listed in their dowry are countless... Oh, and even the 200,000 taels of gold that the Shen family donated to the court were originally intended to be brought to the Pei family as dowry!"
Nanny Li's eyes lit up. "Madam Shen said that the Shen family was grateful for the Pei family's kindness and wanted to donate the gold to the Xuanjia Camp through the Pei family... I'll do you a favor, Master!"
Upon hearing this, General Pei’s brows instantly twisted into the shape of the Chinese character “川”.
He has been leading troops in battles for many years and is a man of steel. He dislikes everything except his reputation!
Such an earth-shattering and proud event was ruined by his own son.
The sharp gaze shot towards Pei Yanzhou, feeling disappointed in him.
After choosing so carefully, why did you choose that kind of stuff?
Princess Ronghe's expression turned even uglier as she scoffed, "If you weren't going to marry the Shen family girl, you should at least pick someone decent. Why did you end up with someone so clueless?"
Chu Linyuan was born in a humble family and relied on women to get to the top, which she really despised.
"Mother, please don't talk about Yan'er like that!"
"Yan'er is my savior. Her kindness is greater than heaven. If you continue to slander her, I will be angry!"
Pei Yanzhou raised his voice and showed his coldness to his mother for the first time.
"oh?"
Princess Ronghe sneered, "It seems that the girl from the Chu family is indeed charming. She hasn't even entered the house yet, and my son is already angry with me because of her?"
"Then after Chu Ruyan comes into the family, will I still have a say in this family?"
"Mother, I didn't..." Pei Yanzhou lowered his head, knowing that he was in the wrong.
"You know whether it's true or not." Princess Ronghe's expression changed. "How good can the character of an intruder be?"
"She has droopy eyebrows, she's dressed up all night, and she only smiles coquettishly at other people's men... I've seen a lot of women like this!"
Her phoenix eyes glared fiercely at General Pei, turning his face pale. Then she turned to her son:
"In three days, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will host a flower-viewing banquet at a farm on the outskirts of the city. Normally, you might not attend these events, but this time, you must go!"
"This princess knows that your beloved Yan'er will definitely be among them. She will definitely dress up beautifully and show herself in front of Han'er!"
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