Sheng Jingheng just smiled faintly and told the truth that marrying Ruan Niang was indeed his father's last wish.
"Mother Ruan, you and I grew up together, so it's only natural for me to become husband and wife."
Ruan Niang sneered. In fact, this was something she had always cared about. Which woman didn't hope to be married by a man who liked her, rather than following the orders of her parents?
"You don't have to force yourself. You are talented and well-educated. I am just a fire-burning girl in the Sheng family since I was a child. I am not even a child bride. Marrying a young master like you is a blessing."
Sheng Jingheng took her hand and said, "Mother Ruan, don't say that. You are a good woman. I have always wanted to close the medicine shop and let you enjoy life at home. I have made you suffer so much in the past, and I will not let you suffer again in the future."
Ruan Niang wiped her tears and said, "I don't want to close the medicine shop."
"Okay, let's talk about it later. Let's eat something together."
The two of them went to the table and picked up their chopsticks together. In the past, Ruan Niang talked non-stop at the table, but now she doesn't say a word.
"Mrs. Ruan, I went to Yuzhou on business, and a lot of interesting things happened. Let me tell you about them..."
Sheng Jingheng spoke with great excitement, and Ruan Niang stared at him. She was not listening to the story, but because she liked this man so much that she couldn't get enough of looking at him.
Inside the Su Mansion, Madam Su sat on a carved rosewood chair, holding a piece of paper in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed.
She handed the post to Su Yunfu, who was sitting beside her, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Fu'er, this is a list of talented people in the capital. Take a look. Do you find anyone you like?"
Su Yunfu took the note, flipped through a few pages, and then impatiently closed it, pouting and saying, "Mother, I look down on all these people. I only want to marry Sheng Jingheng."
Madam Su's face darkened when she heard this: "Sheng Jingheng? He's nine years older than you and already has a wife. How can this be possible?"
Su Yunfu disagreed, a hint of persistence flashing in her eyes: "I just like elegant and mature men. Sheng Jingheng is talented, the top scorer in the imperial examination, and now he is the Minister of the Cabinet. How many men like him can there be in the capital?"
As she was speaking, Lord Su came back from outside carrying a birdcage. Upon hearing his daughter's words, he raised his eyebrows and said, "Sheng Jingheng? What does he do?"
Su Yunfu quickly stood up, took her father's arm, and said in a gentle voice, "Father, Sheng Jingheng was the top scorer in the imperial examination in the same year as my brother, and is now a minister in the cabinet. Moreover, his second sister is the Imperial Concubine, a rank higher than that of his eldest sister!"
Upon hearing this, Lord Su's eyes flashed with a gleam. He picked up the hot tea on the table, took a sip, and looked at Madam Su meaningfully.
"Don't say that, this is a good choice. Yunluan has been in the palace for more than three years, but she is not favored. It is difficult to rely on her. Why not find another marriage for our family? Sheng Jingheng is highly valued by the emperor and has the help of the imperial concubine. It is not a problem for him to be granted a title of nobility and become a prime minister in the future."
Madam Su wiped her eyes and sighed, "Alas, our son is so unworthy. He was exiled three thousand miles away, and I don't know where he is suffering."
Lord Su put down his teacup and said firmly, "Madam, precisely because of this, we must find a good son-in-law for Fu'er. Sheng Jingheng has a promising future. If we can marry him, our Su family will have a supporter in the future."
Seeing this, Su Yunfu quickly massaged her father's back and said in a sweet voice, "Father is right. Sheng Jingheng is a very good person. He will definitely be filial to you in the future."
Madam Su frowned and said, "But he already has a wife. Do you want to be his concubine?"
Su Yunfu's eyes flashed with cunning, and she whispered, "Mother, just talk to Aunt Queen Dowager and ask Sheng Jingheng to divorce that old woman. Then I will be his legal wife, right?"
Lord Su and Madam Su looked at each other, both with calculation in their eyes.
Lord Su nodded and said, "Madam, Fu'er is right. The Queen Mother still owes us a big favor. She must help with Fu'er's husband."
Madam Su pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Then I'll try."
Su Yunfu asked curiously, "What favor? What favor did my aunt ask us to do for you?"
Madam Su's expression changed, and she quickly pulled her aside, saying, "Go and see if dinner is ready. Your father is hungry."
Su Yunfu curled her lips and reluctantly left the main hall.
Seeing his daughter walk away, Lord Su whispered, "Don't worry, Madam. No one knows what happened back then. The Queen Mother will never know the truth. As long as we are justified, she will always owe us a favor. Besides, this matter is your fault. Who told you to treat the wet nurse so harshly back then?"
Madam Su stubbornly said, "How could I know the wet nurse was so vicious? She just didn't get paid for half a year, and she could secretly abandon the child? I don't even know where the child is now."
Lord Su shook his head and said, "In this world, who knows? Luan'er is real, absolutely true, don't let your imagination run wild. Hurry up and go to the palace to talk to the Queen Mother about Fu'er. Our family's fortune depends on this marriage. If the Queen Mother dies in the future, we still have someone to rely on."
At noon the next day, in the Cining Palace, Madam Su brought Su Yunfu to pay a visit to the Empress Dowager.
The Queen Mother sat back on a phoenix chair, wearing a dark green phoenix robe with peony patterns and a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin on her head, looking graceful and elegant.
After Madam Su bowed, she got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, Fu'er is not young anymore, and I want to find a good marriage for her."
The Queen Mother looked up at Su Yunfu and said calmly, "Oh? Does Fu'er have a favorite candidate?"
Su Yunfu hurried forward and said in a soft voice, "Aunt, Fu'er wants to marry Sheng Jingheng."
The Queen Mother frowned upon hearing this: "Sheng Jingheng? Does he have a wife?"
Madam Su quickly responded, "Your Majesty, Sheng Jingheng is incredibly talented, having won the top spot in the imperial examinations and is now a minister in the cabinet. If we can marry him, my sister will have something to look forward to. Furthermore, Yunluan is not favored in the palace, so if we can marry into the Sheng family, both families will have someone to look after us."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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