Chapter 716 Peach Blossom (1)
The news suddenly revealed by the Empress plunged the Shen family into a state of anxiety. Undoubtedly, the Shen Xin couple were reluctant to allow Shen Miao to marry into the imperial family. The imperial family was the most ruthless of all. Besides numerous political considerations, the complex backyard of the imperial family was also a factor. If Shen Miao married into the family, she would face intrigue and intrigue, and her life would not be easy. Compared to these, wealth and supreme honor would be a loss.
Chen Xin was determined to marry Shen Miao off before the imperial edict was issued. Before entering the palace, due to Madam Su's situation, Chen Xin and Luo Xueyan had discussed the need to prioritize Shen Miao's marriage. Luo Xueyan even had her servants compile a booklet filled with the names of talented young men of the right age in Dingjing. The booklet detailed their appearance, character, where they lived, how many families lived in their households, and their land holdings. Luo Xueyan also tried to find out Shen Miao's intentions in subtle ways. When she heard that Shen Miao didn't mind this method of choosing a husband, she felt relieved and decided to truly find one for Shen Miao.
The Shen family wielded considerable power in Dingjing, holding a special place in Emperor Wenhui's eyes. Therefore, the selection of the families he sought out was not a casual one. Shen Xin, among the already powerful ministers, was disregarded to prevent Emperor Wenhui from suspecting they were deliberately forming alliances. Therefore, Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin selected families of upper-middle class, without ambition, and of upright character. Shen Qiu, on the other hand, was a generous individual with a network of close friends within the Ministry of War, who could also assist him in gaining insights into these individuals' personalities.
Chen Xin and Luo Xueyan had planned this for Shen Miao, but to their surprise, whenever Chen Xin even hinted at the slightest interest in marriage, the other party would smile and decline, either saying their sons were already engaged or that they weren't in a rush to find a wife. Chen Xin had a violent temper, and he treated Shen Miao with such care that if others looked down on her, he would look down on her too, and so he would walk away in a huff.
But after a while, every time he encountered this situation, he found that every young talent he finally found attractive was finding excuses to decline. One or two instances were just coincidences, but when there were too many, it became apparent that something was amiss. Chen Xin also sensed something was amiss. It was a military commander who was close to him who told him that the court officials now knew that the royal family intended to marry Shen Miao to the current emperor. Chen Xin was looking for a husband for Shen Miao, but who would dare to compete for a woman with the royal family? Although Shen Miao would avoid the fate of marrying into the Eastern Palace by marrying into the royal family, it would also inevitably make the royal family dislike her.
It was all for self-protection. Even though the Shen family was wealthy and powerful, and Shen Miao was smart and steady, no one dared to marry her.
When Chen Xin heard the news in the mansion, he immediately flew into a rage. He said that he had always seen those noble families who were not tainted by the world, but he never expected that they were also cowards. It was a good thing that he did not marry Shen Miao to them. How could such a person who could not take responsibility support Shen Miao in the future?
After hearing what Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang had inquired about, Shen Miao simply smiled faintly.
Jingzhe said anxiously, "Why aren't you worried, young lady? Madam and Master are both extremely worried. If this continues, even if the imperial edict doesn't come down for the time being, we won't be able to find a suitable person."
“The Fu family isn’t stupid.” Shen Miao took a sip of the hot tea on the table and said, “How could they not know what my parents are planning?”
From the beginning, Shen Miao knew that Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan's plan wouldn't work. As for how the news of her marrying the Crown Prince spread, it went without saying that it was the work of the royal family. The royal family had openly announced to the world that Shen Miao was their chosen one. How could the ministers of Ming Qi dare to openly defy the royal family and snatch a woman? Thus, Shen Xin and his wife's plan to quickly marry Shen Miao off was doomed to fail.
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