If the Crown Prince himself had that thought, no one could stop him. But since the Crown Prince had no such intention, they, as his confidantes, had to be wary of women with ulterior motives.
After a moment of shock, Mei Yun suddenly burst into laughter: "Even if the young master really made such a vow, so what? He is the noble young master, the master of the Zheng family. If he really wants to take a concubine, who can stop him? A man's vow is just empty words. If you really believe it, that would be a laughing stock."
“However, if you truly believe in the Crown Prince’s promise, why have you traveled so far to express these doubts to me? Ultimately, you still have some concerns in your hearts.”
“I have already made it clear that I have no interest in competing for the Crown Prince’s favor with the Crown Prince’s wife. I only want to quietly stay by the Crown Prince’s side and provide him with care. You don’t need to see me as an enemy, because I have never taken you seriously.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Mei Yun walked past the three men without hesitation and boarded the carriage.
Xiaoman was furious and wanted to stop her and argue with her.
Fuyu stopped her in time: "Don't be impulsive."
Xiaoman asked indignantly, "Why! I must let her know why the flowers are so red! What did she mean by 'we dare not believe everything'? She was the one shamelessly pestering the prince!"
Wan Ying gently comforted her, "Everyone knows what's going on. You should know the young master's character better than I and Sister Fuyu do. If you really lay a hand on her, then we'll be at a real disadvantage. Since she's so confident, let her put on a show and see what tricks she can pull."
Xiaoman was still somewhat worried: "What if the young master returns to the manor and she uses those shameless methods..."
Wan Ying calmly replied, "Even the most despicable methods have to be used on the right person. If the prince has no interest in her, how can she possibly get any closer? Even if she does get close, she won't succeed."
If the Crown Prince truly has feelings for her, this would be a good opportunity for the Lady to see the truth beforehand.
The reason why women in the inner quarters often suffer is because they have fallen in love.
At present, the lady does not seem to have any special feelings for the crown prince; she is merely fulfilling her duty as a mistress.
But if the lady takes the vow seriously and puts the prince in her heart, and then encounters these setbacks after she has fallen in love, the blow will undoubtedly be devastating.
It would be better to let Meiyun be the witness to test the sincerity of the prince's heart before the lady falls in love. If the prince cannot control himself in front of her, then they would advise the lady to treat the vow as a joke.
Fuyu immediately understood Wanying's intention and exclaimed, "It's you who can think so far ahead."
Wan Ying pouted bitterly: "I wish I hadn't thought of that."
Fuyu knew a little about Wanying's past, and patted her back gently: "It's all in the past. Our Duanwang Mansion would never have such sordid things. Let's go, back to the carriage, and get ready to leave."
On the other side, Zheng Dinglian watched Gu Qinlan board the carriage, his heart filled with a thousand words he wanted to express.
In the end, all he could say was, "Take care on the road."
Gu Qinlan gently lifted the carriage curtain and smiled tenderly at him: "Please take care, Your Highness. We will be waiting for you in the capital."
The convoy slowly started moving. Gu Qinlan waved to Zheng Dinglian and then lowered the carriage curtain.
Zheng Dinglian stood there, watching the convoy drive away into the distance.
Once the convoy had disappeared from sight, Mo Lin suddenly jumped out and waved his hand in front of his eyes: "Young Master, are you still deep in thought?"
Zheng Dinglian glanced at him.
Mo Lin said with a grin, "If you're so reluctant to part with your wife, why not leave her here? Anyway, Jindu isn't a problem. It's rare for you two to be together, and you haven't even had enough time to enjoy your time together before you have to part again. It's really pitiful."
Zheng Dinglian kicked him: "Nonsense! Do you think I'm as useless as you?"
Mo Lin rubbed his backside and jumped away, teasing, "Yes, yes, Your Highness is wise, truly wise beyond words. How come you spent months carving a hairpin, but then dared not give it to me after meeting me?"
That hairpin was not purchased, but rather meticulously carved by Zheng Dinglian himself in his spare time.
Zheng Dinglian blushed deeply, filled with shame and indignation. He turned around angrily and hurried after Mo Lin.
Mo Lin was a mischievous fellow. Even when he was repeatedly struck, he showed no sign of backing down. Instead, he maliciously provoked them and enjoyed it.
The commander chased after his deputy, moving through the camp and causing a commotion. The soldiers in the camp were already used to this and even watched the commotion with great interest.
The Jin capital was not far from the capital city. After passing through the Eastern Tombs, it would take another two days to reach the capital.
However, due to the cold weather, the journey had to be slowed down, and it wasn't until the fifth day that the Zheng family's caravan finally arrived in the capital.
Before even reaching the city gate, they saw two ornately decorated carriages parked by the roadside, with two elegantly dressed women waving enthusiastically to the Zheng family's convoy.
"May I ask, is this the convoy of Prince Duan's residence?"
After a brief conversation with the two women, Sang Qian, who was riding ahead, turned his horse around and led them to Gu Qinlan's carriage. Through the curtain, he reported, "Madam, the two women ahead are from the Zhao family. They claim to have been sent by your godmother and godfather to welcome us into the city."
Gu Qinlan lifted the carriage curtain and saw two old women smiling and bowing to her: "This old servant greets the Third Miss. We are here on the orders of the Madam, the Master, and the Fourth Miss to welcome you and your in-laws. You must be tired from your journey. The Master and Madam have prepared a grand feast at home to welcome you and your in-laws."
Gu Qinlan was somewhat surprised, not expecting the Zhao family to be so well-informed, sending people to greet them in advance. She had always been inclined to be on good terms with the Zhao family, so she was naturally happy to accept their hospitality. She said, "Alright, please wait a moment, I'll have someone inform my mother right away."
The two nannies' smiles became even brighter.
Now, Princess Duan listens to Gu Qinlan's decisions without question, and always adopts her suggestions without hesitation.
Thus, the caravan followed the Zhao family's carriages and drove into the capital in a grand procession.
As soon as they entered the city, the Zheng family children eagerly pressed their faces against the car windows, looking around curiously and occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise.
Zheng Huiyi couldn't suppress her curiosity and really wanted to see the bustling scene of Kyoto, but she kept her sister-in-law's instructions in mind and dared not overstep the bounds in the slightest.
Remembering her sister-in-law's words, Zheng Huiyi blushed shyly. Her sister-in-law reminded her that she was now a young woman of marriageable age, and since she had come to the capital, she would inevitably have to find a husband there in the future. After her brother's promotion, she would have more options for marriage.
The family has never intended to seek any benefit through their daughter's marriage. In the future, they will let her choose her own husband, and the family will only provide suggestions.
In the past, she had no clear plans for the future, but now she has a direction. She never thought about marrying a prominent man; she knew her own worth and that she couldn't handle the life of those wealthy and powerful families.
But she was also unwilling to marry down.
Women who marry down are often not valued. It's bad enough that others look down on her, but the worst thing is that her husband's family also thinks she's giving herself away.
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