When Qingying received Feng Ruilan's letter and learned that she had succeeded, she was not surprised at all.
After all, I put in a lot of effort.
Has she returned to the capital?
"Cui'er said she came back early yesterday morning, crying her eyes out, as if she was afraid that outsiders wouldn't know she had been bullied."
Qingying chuckled, burned the letter, and instructed Tongxia, "Send the remaining three thousand taels to him. That much silver should be enough for him to marry a wife and take concubines."
"yes."
As soon as Tongxia left, Mujin's voice came from the front yard: "Third Miss, Madam summons you to the main hall to discuss important matters."
"So fast?" Qingying was taken aback.
Logically speaking, even if you are in a hurry, you should have to prepare for two or three days before proposing marriage. Could it be that Lu Jingyan has no intention of marrying her?
She was lost in thought for a while when she arrived at the main hall and realized that the person who came was not Lu Jingyan, but Wei Huaixu.
He came to propose marriage to Liu Shushu.
As soon as Qingying stepped across the threshold and entered the room, she heard his solemn vow: "I am in love with Shushu and want to marry her. I hope the General will grant my request."
Qingying froze on the spot for a moment.
"I love Shushu and want to marry her..." He had said the same thing in front of everyone at the autumn hunting grounds, under the clear sky.
Now, with only a single word difference, the woman he sincerely sought to marry has changed to someone else.
Just a few days ago, he told her, "I hope you can trust me one more time. This time, I will definitely not let you down."
But now, in front of everyone in the Liu family, he says he wants to marry Liu Shushu.
How ridiculous... She almost believed his lies again...
Qingying felt the bright gazes falling on her, so she composed herself, walked in without a word, and sat down at the end of the room.
"Ying'er, you've come at the right time. You heard what was said earlier, so tell me your thoughts," Madam Pan said with a gentle smile.
The fact that it was so obvious made Qingying pause for a moment. She put the teacup she had just picked up back down and said with a light smile, "This is naturally a good thing. I am very happy to see His Highness the Crown Prince and my sister finally become a couple."
"Are you telling the truth?" Liu Chengfeng, sitting opposite him, frowned as he looked over.
The same applies to Wei Huaixu.
"What do you think, brother?" She raised an eyebrow, without looking at Wei Huaixu.
Liu Chenglin couldn't stand it anymore and sneered, "You talk a good game, but who knows what you're cursing about Second Sister behind her back."
"What proof do you have for your statement, Fourth Brother?" Qingying's expression also turned cold, and she retorted without any politeness: "You dare to accuse me without any evidence? What's the difference between you and those gossipy women outside? And you call yourself a doctor who saves lives!"
"You..." Liu Chenglin couldn't argue, and his face turned red in an instant.
Qingying knew that he was just a "follower of Liu Shushu," and that he was actually simple-minded and not a big threat.
"Enough." Liu Yu's stern voice interrupted the argument between the two. He then looked at Wei Huaixu and his voice became much gentler: "Shushu is the eldest daughter of my Liu family, whom we lost and found again. She suffered a lot in the past, and our whole family has been trying our best to make up for it. Therefore, we attach great importance to her marriage. I believe that His Highness the Crown Prince can understand our good intentions as parents."
"Of course, Shushu is a good girl, and I will cherish her and treat her even better."
"In that case, as long as Shushu agrees to this marriage, neither her mother nor I have any objections."
What objections could they possibly have? Rumors are circulating that the Emperor is ill, and morning court sessions have been suspended for several days. Wei Huaixu is the sole heir to the throne, and if Liu Shushu marries him, she will become Empress. They have no reason to refuse this golden opportunity. Otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed Liu Shushu and the Crown Prince to meet privately and exchange flirtatious glances for so long.
Upon hearing Liu Yu's words, Liu Shushu lowered her head slightly, blushing, and said sweetly, "I have no objection to Your Highness's affections."
"A pointless play," Qingying thought to herself after watching it.
...
Two days later, the Minister's family brought betrothal gifts and a letter of engagement to discuss the wedding date. Just as the two families were having a pleasant conversation, the Duchess of Lu and Lu Jingyan also arrived.
When Madam Pan saw the people carrying things behind them, she almost didn't react. "Madam Lu, what's going on?"
Madam Lu smiled and said, "Oh, we've come today to discuss the marriage."
Madam Pan was stunned and asked in confusion, "What marriage are you discussing?"
"Didn't Miss Feng tell you?"
"Tell what?"
Madam Lu covered her lips with her handkerchief, glanced around the room, and then belatedly said, "Madam Wen is here too... Could it be that you've also come to propose marriage to Miss Feng?"
The Wen family members' expressions all changed. Madam Wen said angrily, "How can your Feng family do things like this? You made a good promise to our family on one hand, and then secretly looked for other families on the other? What? Do you think our Minister's Mansion is too low-class and not good enough for your humble Feng family?"
Pan Hongyu, who was sitting to the side drinking tea, blushed at what was said. "The Lu family also wants to marry our Lan'er? I really just found out about this myself."
She said this aloud, but in her heart she began to make comparisons.
No matter what, she was once the legitimate daughter of the Pan family, so she naturally knew about the Duke of Lu's mansion. It was a family with a noble title. Although it had declined somewhat, it was still a force to be reckoned with. If they could just give the Feng family a hand, they might be able to move back to the capital soon.
Madam Pan invited Madam Lu and Lu Jingyan to sit down.
The Wen family was naturally unhappy to see this: "Madam Liu, didn't we already reach an agreement? You've already accepted the betrothal gifts and the betrothal letter, you can't go back on your word."
Madam Pan was also weighing the situation in her mind. Ever since Lu Xingli's accident, the Liu family and the Lu family had become like enemies, with no contact whatsoever. Now that Madam Lu had actually come to their door, things were definitely not that simple.
Sure enough, before Madam Pan could say anything, Madam Lu spoke first: "Actually, I originally looked down on the Feng family, that small and humble family, but because Miss Feng and my Yan'er have already made a private engagement, I, as their mother, had no choice but to swallow my pride and make a trip to the General's Mansion."
These words stunned everyone in the room.
It was Madam Pan who was the first to regain her composure and asked, "Is there any basis for what Madam Lu said?"
"Isn't my son the evidence?"
Lu Jingyan cupped his hands in greeting and said gently, "Miss Feng and I pledged our love at Chongfu Temple, witnessed by Buddha. Please grant us your blessing, Madam."
Madam Lu continued, "If you don't believe me, you can simply call Feng Ruilan to come and confront her."
"This..." Madam Pan looked troubled and asked Pan Hongyu, "You are her sister-in-law. With her parents gone, her marriage is up to you. What do you think?"
Pan Hongyu was unsure whether to be angry or happy, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Elder sister, you should make the decision."
So Pan took it upon herself to apologize to the Wen family, return the betrothal gifts in full, and have the Feng family provide some compensation. She then politely and personally saw the Wen family off from the General's Mansion.
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