He glanced at Chunqin and said with fervor, "See? The fish has taken the bait! This Jiang Shu will never escape my grasp! Zheng Yu? Hmph, a stepson who doesn't even have an official title, what is he anyway!"
Gao Dekai could almost see Jiang Shu throwing herself into his arms.
The gifts sent by the Prince of Ning's mansion were carefully carried in by the steward, and it was clear at a glance that they were quite valuable.
Gao Dekai's eyes lit up instantly, and he suppressed his overwhelming joy: "Take it well, and don't neglect the county princess's kindness."
After the butler left, Gao Dekai could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter: "It's truly heaven's help! The fish has finally taken the bait! Hahaha!"
He looked smugly at Chunqin beside him, "See! Jiang Shu is still a woman after all. Heartbroken by that ungrateful bastard Zheng Yu, what choice does she have but to throw herself into the arms of this top scholar? I'm determined to be the son-in-law of the Prince of Ning's mansion this time!"
Chunqin approached Gao Dekai with a grin and said sweetly, "My lord, you are truly a brilliant strategist! Zheng Heyi's attempt to ruin your plans is utterly futile. However..."
Chunqin's eyes flickered as she cautiously continued, "Your Highness has accepted the gift, but to truly know the sentiment behind it, shouldn't we test the waters a little more?"
Gao Dekai nodded and gently pinched Chunqin's chin.
"Little vixen, you're quite shrewd. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Gao Dekai pondered for a moment, then instructed the steward to prepare an even more expensive return gift, along with a poem he had personally written, and ordered it to be sent to the Prince of Ning's residence immediately.
[Tsk tsk, Gao Dekai has it all figured out this time.]
Ningwang Mansion, Jiang Shu's boudoir.
The return gift from the Gao family had already been taken from the guard by Yunyu and placed on the table. Yunyu smiled and kept praising Gao Tanhua for his thoughtfulness.
Jiang Shu listened expressionlessly, her gaze unfocused, wooden and empty. That supposedly heartfelt love letter only disgusted her, so she didn't even open it.
Noticing Jiang Shu's expressionless face, Yun Yu frowned and said, "Princess, Scholar Gao truly cherishes you!"
Jiang Shu gave a bitter smile, a smile more painful than a cry. It was a pity that Yun Yu was completely incapable of understanding Jiang Shu's thoughts, and didn't even know what she was thinking.
"Okay, I understand. Put the things away for now," Jiang Shu said matter-of-factly, without showing any real concern.
The female lead's heart is dead; marrying anyone is the same to her. But this means she'll end up with the male supporting character.
[It seems Yunyu has already met his KPIs and is now waiting for the Princess's reward.]
Can this love between a lovesick man and a heartbroken woman last?
Jiang Shu didn't get a good night's rest, but Gao Dekai and Chunqin spent the whole night together, which was incredibly pleasurable for Gao Dekai.
The next morning, Jiang Shu got up early to wash and dress. She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to smile. The smile was lovely, but compared to how she looked back then, it seemed like just an act.
She looked into her own eyes, only to find a desolate, lifeless emptiness within them. Today, she had made up her mind to confront her parents. With a sigh, she turned away, took a deep breath, and headed towards the Prince of Ning's courtyard.
Before even reaching the house, they could hear Princess Ning's worried voice coming from inside.
"My lord, what should we do? That girl Shu'er has absolutely no feelings for Gao Tanhua. And in just half a month, Prince Ulan will be coming to the capital to pay tribute, so the marriage is practically a done deal! Although His Majesty hasn't said it explicitly, among the eligible princesses, our Shu'er is the most outstanding..."
"Alas," the mother sighed sadly, "I heard that Prince Ulan is not very old, but he already has thirty-eight concubines. He is violent and tyrannical. If Shu'er is really chosen to marry Ulan, wouldn't she be jumping into a fire pit? We must quickly arrange a suitable marriage for her!"
Prince Ning looked at Princess Ning with a serious expression.
“You’re absolutely right. But even though Gao Dekai is a good man, if Shu’er insists on not being with him, a forced marriage won’t be happy. If all else fails… we’ll have to look for someone else. But I’m worried that the time is too short. How easy is it to find a suitable match for Shang Qin?”
At first, Jiang Shu thought that the marriage alliance was just nonsense, or that it was impossible for her to be involved. But now, after overhearing her parents' words, she realized that the marriage alliance was not only for her, but also a certainty that could happen at any time.
Jiang Shu could no longer stand outside. For all of this, she couldn't just let her parents do things for her; she had to work hard for herself as well.
"Father, Mother."
Jiang Shu's voice came from outside, and Princess Ning quickly wiped the corner of her eye.
"My lord, Shu'er is here." Princess Ning quickly turned her face away, Jiang Shu's voice interrupting their conversation. Turning back, Princess Ning saw her daughter walking in with calm and light steps.
Her face was adorned with a gentle and charming smile. Princess Ning hadn't seen such a radiant smile on Jiang Shu's face in a long time, and both of them were momentarily stunned.
Clearly, they hadn't expected Jiang Shu to come over and pay her respects. Ever since Gao Dekai was introduced to Jiang Shu, the two hadn't had a proper conversation.
But now...
"Shu'er is here..."
Princess Ning could not hide her doubts and looked curiously at Jiang Shu standing at the door.
Jiang Shu naturally heard everything. She was also saddened. She walked up to her parents, bowed, and said, "Father, Mother, I have thought it through. Master Gao is a talented young man with a bright future. He was also personally chosen by you, Mother. He is the best choice. I am now willing to marry him."
Upon hearing this, both Prince Ning and Princess Ning were stunned. They were both overjoyed, and Princess Ning suppressed her immense surprise and delight—"Shu'er! You're not joking with me? You mean it?"
Princess Ning's voice trembled with excitement, "Shu'er, you..." She had done everything she could for her daughter's marriage.
It seems that not only did he fail to persuade his daughter to marry Gao Dekai, but he also angered Jiang Shu, to the point that Jiang Shu has ignored him for the past few months.
At this moment, Princess Ning was overjoyed. She grabbed Jiang Shu's hand tightly, as if afraid she would change her mind, and asked, "Are you really willing!?"
"Yes, Mother! I've thought it through, and of course I'm willing."
Jiang Shu nodded obediently and lowered her eyes. Princess Ning patted her chest, her voice trembling, "Good Shu'er, for your marriage, your father and I have already..." Seeing her mother like this, Jiang Shu interrupted, "I didn't understand you before, and I made Father and Mother worry."
"Great! Great! That's wonderful!"
Prince Ning clapped his hands and laughed.
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