Wei Chenglin's return brought laughter and joy to the Duke of Ying's mansion that day. The eldest princess in particular looked radiant and her smile never stopped.

Half a day later, Lin Fu and Wei Yingzhi, who had received the news, also came with their eldest son, Ang'er.

When the brother and sister meet, there is naturally a lot of excitement.

After everyone left, Wei Chenglin stayed in the Grand Princess's room and patiently told the Grand Princess and Shen Xinyan about his days in the Northern Frontier over the past few years. Of course, he did not mention a word about the dangers he had experienced.

Shen Xinyan naturally knew about it, but she didn't ask any more questions. As long as the returnees came back safely, everything else should be left in the past!

"...When the blind bear fell down, we were almost exhausted. It was thanks to Changfeng that he came with soldiers and brought the blind bear back." Wei Chenglin naturally would not just talk about ordinary things, but also picked out some surprising and interesting things and told them slowly, which made the Grand Princess exclaim in surprise.

Changfeng? Shen Xinyan somehow caught a familiar name in his words. After thinking carefully for a while, she remembered that this Changfeng was Pingyan's youngest brother, who had followed his eldest son about three years ago in place of his older brother who had passed away.

She looked thoughtfully at Wei Chenglin, who was smiling and trying his best to amuse the Grand Princess. After a moment, she sighed softly.

That's fine...

Wei Chenglin spent most of the first month after returning to Beijing gathering with relatives and friends, paying little attention to other things, as if he was wholeheartedly trying to make up for the debt he owed to his relatives over the past few years.

Shen Xinyan followed him. Coincidentally, at this time, good news came from the Chen Mansion that the third young master's wife, Shen Huiran, was pregnant again.

Since the Crown Princess successfully gave birth to the Crown Prince's eldest son a few years ago, the Crown Prince's family finally breathed a sigh of relief. The Chen family, as the Crown Princess's maternal relatives, also soon spread the news that the third young master's wife was pregnant. The following year, the third young master Chen's eldest son was also born.

Shen Huiran also officially established herself in the Chen family. Now that she was pregnant again, whether it was a boy or a girl, it would not affect her position in the Chen family.

"I never thought that in the blink of an eye, cousin Hui is about to become the mother of two children." Wei Chenglin, who was flipping through Xiangger's calligraphy, could not hide his surprise when he heard the news.

"Don't you see how many years you have been away from the capital? Not only your cousin Hui, but also your cousin Feng's third child is about to be born." Shen Xinyan shook her head.

Wei Chenglin put down the copybook in his hand and answered seriously: "It is my fault that I have made my mother worry all these years."

"There's no need to say these things between mother and son. But, have you met any nice girls in Northern Frontier in these years?" Thinking of the girl in General Huang's mansion, she asked tentatively.

General Huang and his daughter only returned to Beijing last year. After all, they had lived with the eldest son in Northern Xinjiang for two years. I wonder if the eldest son would have some impression of the girl from the Huang family.

Wei Chenglin was a little surprised that his mother brought up the topic. He laughed and said, "As a man, I am busy with work all day long. How can I have the time to pay attention to whether a girl is good or not?"

"But why did I hear from Changfeng that a girl from Prefect Mo seemed to have feelings for you?" Shen Xinyan had already inquired about it long ago, so how could she let him get away with it vaguely?

"Miss Mo?" Wei Chenglin shook his head. "Mother, don't listen to Changfeng's nonsense. Miss Mo is just a child, competitive and ambitious. How can she have any romantic feelings?"

A little girl of fourteen or fifteen years old who grew up in a pampered way and never encountered any setbacks. It is not so much that she is happy with herself, but rather that she is unwilling to be "ignored" by herself.

Shen Xinyan stared at him closely, not missing every expression on his face. Seeing that he looked calm and not pretending, she believed that he had feelings for that Miss Mo. She couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or something else in her heart.

She thought for a moment and then asked, "What about the young lady in General Huang's house? Do you know her?"

Miss Huang? Wei Chenglin was stunned, and a stubborn face appeared in his mind involuntarily.

"When I first arrived in the Northern Frontier, General Huang was already seriously injured and could not afford to leave. Naturally, I had to go to his house to handle the official business. Miss Huang... was in charge of the general's household affairs, so I naturally recognized her."

Huh? You actually have to explain so much? Shen Xinyan was surprised by his words and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Wei Chenglin felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her. He cleared his throat, lowered his head and pretended to read seriously.

Seeing him like this, Shen Xinyan's heart immediately settled down.

It looks like this daughter-in-law has hope.

On this day, Shen Xinyan had an appointment with Xu Sumin, and Wei Chenglin took the initiative to ask for permission to escort her there personally.

Shen Xinyan naturally would not refuse her son's filial piety and readily agreed.

Because Xu Sumin had asked someone to import a batch of specialty goods from the West some time ago, Shen Xinyan went to take a look at her invitation. The carriage soon stopped at the Baizhen Pavilion in the city. Wei Chenglin sat with them for a while. He was a little surprised at Xu Sumin's experienced vision in business and nodded secretly.

No wonder His Majesty let Madam Xu manage his private property. With her means and abilities, I'm afraid His Majesty's private property must have increased many times over the years.

He never expected that his mother also had a hand in it.

When he noticed that Xu Sumin was gradually mentioning business secrets, he found an excuse to leave, leaving the space completely to the two people in the room.

"I haven't seen you for many years, but you have become more caring than ever before," Xu Sumin joked.

Shen Xinyan glared at her unhappily and said, "Don't worry, your Dun Dun will definitely be more considerate in the future."

Xu Sumin smiled helplessly: "That child has been completely corrupted by his unruly father. He has become a little rascal. He says one thing to one person and another to another."

"How can you talk about your own son like that!" Shen Xinyan was amused by her.

However, when Shen Xinyan thought of Dun Dun's ability to speak differently to different people, she couldn't help but laugh.

If someone asked him his name, he would first try to determine whether the other person was closer to his mother or his father. If he couldn't make up his mind, he would simply answer that his name was "Dundun".

If the other party is on Xu Sumin's side, he will loudly tell the other party "My name is Xu Qiao". If the other party belongs to the Qiao family of Liguogong Mansion, his answer will become "My name is Qiao Xu".

He really is doing very well, but it's also very funny!

"What about you and Mr. Qiao Liu? Do you really not want to have a formal relationship?" Shen Xinyan asked again.

"Let's do it this way! Status only sounds good, but you know the truth yourself. It's good like this now, we are a casual couple, we care about each other but won't interfere with each other, it's great!" Xu Sumin disagreed.

Shen Xinyan was not surprised at her answer at all, so she didn't say anything more.

But Wei Chenglin on the other side went downstairs alone, and suddenly saw a familiar figure entering the jewelry shop opposite. He looked closely and recognized that it was the young lady from General Huang's house. For some reason, he followed her.

"Shopkeeper, this hairpin is great. With the oriental pearl inlaid on it, it looks extremely elegant..."

He watched Miss Huang pick up a jade hairpin inlaid with oriental pearls, and it looked like she wanted to buy it. Just as he was thinking it was strange, he suddenly saw a woman dressed very exquisitely in a pink dress walk up to Miss Huang and said to the shopkeeper in a proud manner: "I want this hairpin."

"This girl has already taken a fancy to this hairpin. You might as well choose another one..." The shopkeeper was a little embarrassed.

"If you open your door to do business, you must have some vision. At least you should be able to distinguish who can afford it and who can't." The girl in pink sneered.

"I don't like this hairpin very much. If Miss Hu wants it, I'll give it to you." Huang Qingshu smiled slightly and put the hairpin back.

Miss Hu sneered again: "You sound so nice, but you obviously can't afford it."

Then, Wei Chenglin watched Huang Qingshu successively pick out a set of pearl and jadeite headpieces, a pair of pink jade bracelets, and a golden phoenix hairpin with kingfisher feathers, but without exception, they were all snatched away by Miss Hu in the end.

Finally, Wei Chenglin watched her leave empty-handed and with a disappointed look on her face. Somehow, he felt filled with rage and glanced sharply at the complacent Miss Hu.

Miss Hu suddenly felt a chill on her back and shivered, but she didn't take it too seriously. She told her servants to put away the jewelry and headwear she had bought, and then she got in the carriage and left.

Wei Chenglin took a deep breath, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

General Huang is a man of integrity, not a smooth talker. Moreover, he does not have a strong background, and has only relied on himself to reach his current position. However, he was born in a poor family with limited financial resources, so his General's Office is far inferior to officials of the same rank, not to mention those of officials of a lower rank than him.

Wei Chenglin had at least lived with him in the Northern Frontier for two years and knew the situation in their mansion. However, he had never expected that as the legitimate daughter of a general, she could not even afford a decent piece of jewelry and was looked down upon by others.

He felt sad, for the soldiers who were devoted to the country but lived in poverty, and for Miss Huang who was full of pride but had to bow down for the sake of power.

"Boss, you made a lot of money today, didn't you?" Just when he was feeling uncomfortable, he saw Huang Qingshu coming back and smilingly walked up to the boss who was excitedly counting the banknotes.

The shopkeeper said with a smile: "It's not too much, nor too little. It's still a big loss to you, young lady. According to the agreement, young lady, this is 10% of the silver for you."

After saying this, he took out a silver bill and handed it to the other party.

Huang Qingshu took it with a smile, scanned the number on it, and was immediately overjoyed.

Oh my, the expenses for the mansion this month are here!

"It's a pleasure working with you. I'll come again if there's a chance!" He took the banknote and put it away, then said goodbye to the shopkeeper and left happily.

Wei Chenglin was stunned and could not believe what he saw.

So, this is... a good way to make money?

He couldn't help but followed her, and when Huang Qingshu turned into the teahouse next door, he called her: "Miss Huang."

Huang Qingshu turned around and looked a little surprised: "General Wei?"

Wei Chenglin had called her out on impulse, but when he met her face, he realized that he had been rude. He felt a little regretful and could only clear his throat and ask, "It's been a year since we last met. I wonder if your father's old injuries have healed?"

"General Lao is concerned about my father, and he is now in good health." Huang Qingshu suddenly realized that he was worried about his father's health.

I didn't expect this cold-faced general to be such a kind-hearted person!

The two of them were silent for a while, and Huang Qingshu naturally didn't want to stay long. She said a few polite words before getting in the sedan and leaving.

Wei Chenglin frowned deeply, and after a moment, he rubbed his forehead with a slight headache, puzzled by his own behavior just now.

"Are you, a taciturn son, attracted to that girl?" Xu Sumin, who saw the whole scene clearly, pushed Shen Xinyan's arm and asked with a smile.

Shen Xinyan smiled happily: "If that's the case, it would be great!"

"What? Have you fallen in love with that girl a long time ago?" Xu Sumin guessed what she was thinking as soon as she heard it.

"I'm not the only one who likes her, my mother-in-law does too!" Shen Xinyan would naturally not hide it from her.

"It seems that this girl must have some extraordinary qualities to have attracted the favor of the Grand Princess."

While the two were chatting and laughing, Wei Chenglin walked in. As soon as he entered the room, he was met with two faces smiling meaningfully, and he felt a little uneasy for a moment.

Xu Sumin was about to make a few jokes, but Shen Xinyan quickly pushed her away, indicating that she couldn't say anything. Xu Sumin understood what she meant and smiled and refilled her tea.

"Are you back? Let's go back!" Shen Xinyan stood up as if nothing had happened.

Although Wei Chenglin thought their laughter was strange, he did not think too much about it and just said "OK".

The mother and son then said goodbye to Xu Sumin and set off for home.

A few days later, the marriage of Wei Chenglin, the eldest son of the Duke of Ying's mansion, was officially put on the agenda. Families who had been eyeing the marriage proposal expressed their intentions to Shen Xinyan, either explicitly or implicitly. Among them was the old lady of the Mo family, who wanted to arrange a marriage between her granddaughter who was about to return to Beijing from the northern border and Wei Chenglin, and the original wife of the new Minister of Personnel, who intended to marry her daughter, who was known for her talent and beauty, to Wei Chenglin.

In front of the Grand Princess, Shen Xinyan specifically mentioned these two people, just because one of them was acquainted with Wei Chenglin, and the other was the best-looking young lady among all the young ladies in the capital.

This Miss Duan was as beautiful as Zhou Wanning back then. This was also the reason why she was a little hesitant.

After all, she would be the wife who would accompany her eldest son for the rest of his life, so she thought it would be better to let him choose one that suited his taste.

This young lady from the Duan family is outstanding in appearance and talent. She was carefully brought up by her elders. Shen Xinyan had met her once before. She was very graceful in her manners and seemed to be a good candidate.

The eldest princess frowned and said, "According to you, you want Lin to choose one from the Huang Mansion, the Mo Mansion, or the Duan Mansion?"

"My daughter-in-law thinks these three girls are all excellent. However, this is Lin'er's lifelong event after all, so he has to choose the most suitable one himself." Shen Xinyan said slowly.

"What if he looks down on all three of you?" the Grand Princess asked again.

"Then let him find someone he likes. My daughter-in-law believes that after going through so much, he is no longer the reckless boy he was back then." Shen Xinyan replied calmly.

The Grand Princess looked at her deeply for a long time, then smiled slightly: "In that case, then I'll do as you say!"

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law reached a consensus and quickly told Wei Chenglin about this idea.

Wei Chenglin was surprised.

Miss Huang? Grandmother and mother wanted to marry Miss Huang to him?

He couldn't believe it for a moment.

Shen Xinyan and the Grand Princess looked at each other, both of them were a little confused about his intentions. After thinking for a while, Shen Xinyan spoke up: "Of course, if you are not interested in the three girls, the girls from other houses are also fine."

Wei Chenglin seemed not to hear her words. He just stared blankly at the three portraits in front of him, his eyes fixed on the one on the far left.

Shen Xinyan followed his line of sight and recognized that the woman was General Huang's eldest daughter, Huang Qingshu.

The eldest princess also noticed it, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other and smiled.

"Grandmother thinks that the girl from the Duan family is good. She is both talented and beautiful, and has good character." The eldest princess suddenly said.

Shen Xinyan was stunned for a moment before she understood her intention. She smiled and said, "My daughter-in-law thinks that Miss Mo is better. She is cheerful, yet generous and decent. She has known Lin'er for a long time, so they probably have a certain understanding of each other's personalities. They will naturally get along better in the future."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted with each other, but they watched Wei Chenglin's expression quietly. They saw that the hesitation on his face gradually deepened, and he looked quite struggling.

Grandmother favors Miss Duan, while mother obviously prefers Miss Mo, but...

"Lin'er, grandma has lived for most of her life, so her judgment of people is not wrong. This Miss Duan is truly a rare woman. If you don't believe me, grandma and Madam Duan will arrange for you to meet her some other day."

"Mother still insists that Miss Mo is more suitable. As a girl, she would rather follow her parents to the northern border than live a comfortable life in Beijing. Her filial piety is touching. Moreover, she is a delicate and well-mannered girl and she does not despise the wild land at all. It shows that she can endure hardships and will be able to follow her husband in the future." Shen Xinyan has her own opinion.

"But, but Miss Huang is not bad either..." Wei Chenglin finally couldn't help but say.

"Miss Huang is indeed not bad. If she were not, would grandmother include her in the candidates? But in comparison, Miss Duan and Miss Mo are more outstanding." The eldest princess remained calm.

"What your grandmother meant is also what your mother meant." Shen Xinyan agreed.

Wei Chenglin looked even more hesitant.

He has already disappointed his grandmother and mother once. Is he going to disappoint them again this time?

His gaze once again fell on the three portraits placed side by side, and then he looked at the Grand Princess and Shen Xinyan one by one, observing the anticipation on their faces.

After a long while, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, lifted the corner of his robe and knelt on the ground: "Grandmother, mother, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I, I want to choose Miss Huang!"

As if he was afraid that they would disagree, he said quickly: "Although Miss Huang's family background is not as good as Miss Duan and Miss Mo, she is filial and kind, serving her biological father, raising her younger brother, managing the household well, and has a strong character. She is capable of taking on the responsibility of a mistress of a mansion."

"But her appearance..." The eldest princess said deliberately with a smile in her eyes.

"In Sun'er's eyes, Miss Huang's appearance is not inferior to Miss Duan and Miss Mo. What's more, this shortcoming of hers in the eyes of the world just proves her character." Wei Chenglin said frankly.

A girl who works hard at housework day and night is naturally not as delicate as a rich lady who is used to being pampered.

The Grand Princess finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Shen Xinyan, seeing that she also had a happy smile on her face.

Shen Xinyan personally helped him up and said with a smile: "In this case, mother will make the decision for you. I hope you can take on the responsibilities of a husband in the future."

Wei Chenglin was delighted and subconsciously looked at the Grand Princess. Seeing that she also had a smile on her face, he was overjoyed: "Thank you, mother, thank you, grandmother!"

The news that the Prince of England, Wei Chenglin, was engaged to the eldest daughter of the General's House, Huang Qingshu, spread quickly throughout the capital, causing a sensation.

It's not that the girl from the general's mansion is not good, but with the conditions of Prince Wei, he can still choose someone with better conditions, such as the girl from Shangshu Duan's mansion who is both talented and beautiful. If these two people get together, it will truly be a story of a hero and a beauty.

But no matter what others think, the wedding day has arrived.

Shen Xinyan sat at the head of the table, watching his son, with a happy face, lead his wife into the house. They bowed to heaven and earth, to their parents, and finally the couple bowed to each other before being sent to the bridal chamber.

Tears gradually appeared in her eyes.

"It's true that good things take time to come. Second sister-in-law can finally put her worries to rest this time." Yang said with a smile.

"Yes, good things take time, but fortunately, everything has a good ending." Shen Xinyan sighed, her eyes unconsciously looking for someone in the crowd. The person seemed to sense her gaze and turned back. The couple smiled at each other.

Fortunately, he will accompany me till the end of my life!