Chapter 20 The Question of Marriage
Shen Qingyue arrived very quickly.
"Mother, is something the matter? Or is there something I don't understand about the accounts of the congratulatory gifts I prepared for Aunt Dong?" Shen Qingyue asked respectfully.
Looking at Shen Qingyue, whose attitude was respectful and whose manners were impeccable, Shangguan Jin was filled with emotion.
She seemed quite rebellious at that age.
If my mother comes into my room at this time, I think I always have an impatient look on my face!
"Yue'er, Mother just looked at the accounts you made. They're very good and very clear. Our Yue'er is becoming more and more capable," Shangguan Jin said with a smile.
Shen Qingyue's eyes lit up immediately.
The mother is praising herself!
"Sister Yao, come, sit next to Mother." Shangguan Jin beckoned to Chen Qingyue.
Shen Qingyue hesitated for a moment, but still walked over and sat down next to Shangguan Jin in the armchair.
Shangguan Jin held Shen Qingyue's hand and looked at the eldest daughter again.
Sixteen years old, what a wonderful age, like a flower bud. In addition, Shen Qingyue inherited Shangguan Jin's good looks, she is definitely a beautiful girl in ancient style!
Such a beautiful young woman is going to marry into the Marquis of Wuding's household...
Hehe, Shangguan Jin has made up her mind. No matter what method she uses, she will ruin this marriage.
So what if the Empress Dowager bestows a marriage upon us? If we set our minds to it, we'll definitely find a way.
However, before that, Shangguan Jin still needed to figure out Shen Qingyue's attitude.
"Sister Yue, what do you think of your engagement with Yu-ge'er from the Marquis of Wuding's mansion?" Shangguan Jin suddenly asked.
Shen Qingyue, who had been sitting comfortably, suddenly straightened up.
The marriage agreement with the Marquis of Wuding's family?
Shen Qingyue had no idea what her mother meant by suddenly saying this at this moment.
Shen Qingyue had no expectations for this marriage.
Although every time she went out to a banquet with her mother, the young ladies from other families would look at her with envy.
The Empress Dowager bestowed a marriage upon a descendant of her own family, the second son of the Marquis of Wuding, who was known as the first marquis below the Three Dukes.
This is the best marriage opportunity besides becoming a concubine in the palace.
But Shen Qingyue was very reluctant to accept the marriage.
The second son of the Marquis of Wuding's family...
He looks respectable, but he's the kind of person who can't run far on a horse before being thrown off.
Despite coming from a family of military generals, they couldn't even ride a horse properly.
Moreover, even though Shen Qingyue lived deep within the inner quarters, she would still learn about things from the conversations of those old women.
How much did this second young master lose at the casino? And which courtesan did he spend lavishly on?
Shen Qingyue grew up watching her parents' loving relationship, and she had secretly wondered if she could be like her mother in the future.
But the Empress Dowager's decree of marriage shattered her dream.
Although his father secretly told him that he would use his military achievements to ask the imperial family to cancel the marriage.
But my father has been missing for three years...
"I will leave it to Mother to decide!" Shen Qingyue said softly.
Shangguan Jin felt like she had punched cotton.
The winter wheat plant standing to the side also looked helpless.
"Miss, you can just tell me what you're thinking."
"Since the young lady loves you so much, she'll definitely find you a good home."
Shen Qingyue didn't speak, she just lowered her head.
For the past three years, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion has been supported by my mother alone. How could she not see how hard my mother has been?
Those once humble and reasonable ladies are now all laughing at Mother.
The Marquis of Wuding's family is related to the Empress Dowager's maternal family. They have the Duke of Anguo and the Prince of Qin behind them. How could my mother possibly be a match for them all by herself?
Shangguan Jin looked at Shen Qingyue, whose only visible feature was her snow-white neck, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
"Sister Yao, listen to what your mother has to say first. If you have any different ideas, you can tell your mother as well."
Currently, there are only two paths for your marriage.
The first condition is that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion will prepare a ten-mile-long dowry, and provide you with capable maids and servants to marry into the Marquis of Wuding's mansion.
However, it now appears that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and the Marquis of Wuding's mansion have completely broken off relations.
However, since it was a marriage bestowed by the Empress Dowager, the Marquis of Wuding's family dared not break off the engagement.
It means your life after marriage won't be easy.
Establishing rules is the most basic requirement. As for Song Tianyu, he will definitely bring his concubine into the family as soon as possible.
That cousin he brought to the door was definitely the first one to be carried in.
She was a relative of the Lady of Wuding Marquis's family, so the Lady of Wuding Marquis would definitely treat her as one of her own.
Therefore, your days in the Marquis of Wuding's mansion must have been difficult.
However, if you insist on marrying him, you can come back and tell your mother if you suffer any grievances at the Marquis of Wuding's residence.
Although your father is gone, your mother still has some options.
If we go to their doorstep or have your maternal grandfather submit a few petitions, it will make things difficult for the Marquis of Wuding's family.
This is the first road.
There is a second option: to call off the marriage.
"Although it was an arranged marriage by the Empress Dowager, it's not like there's no other way. As for what to do? Mother will definitely come up with a solution," Shangguan Jin said earnestly.
Shen Qingyue then slowly raised her head.
Seeing Shangguan Jin's serious gaze, Shen Qingyue's eyes immediately reddened.
The marriage agreement with the Marquis of Wuding was broken, or was it a marriage bestowed by the Empress Dowager? How much will my mother have to endure!
"That's right, Miss, we're sure we can come up with a solution."
Actually, besides the two paths the young lady just mentioned, there is another path.
At worst, we can escape. We can pack some gold, silver, and valuables, sneak out of the city, and then travel around the Great Yu Dynasty.
We'll keep playing until the Marquis of Wuding's family is raided, or until his second son marries someone else, then we'll come back.
Back then, if Young Master Song married someone else, we could go to his door and demand an explanation!
How could your family allow someone else to marry?
"This shows a complete disregard for the Empress Dowager!" Dongmai chimed in with her suggestion.
Shangguan Jin...
This winter wheat has absolutely no concept of the whole world belonging to the emperor!
"Is that alright? What if the Marquis of Wuding says we ran away?" Clearly, Shen Qingyue was more interested in this route.
"So what? We have a reason for going out."
For example, going out to find the Duke is considered a great act of filial piety, and no one can find fault with it.
Or perhaps someone in the household is in poor health and can only be cured by the miraculous medicine of a divine physician deep in the mountains.
"The young lady's filial piety moved heaven and earth, and she personally went out to find medicine. Aren't these all reasons?" Dongmai said righteously.
Shangguan Jin...
She was thinking, should she let Dongmai read fewer storybooks in the future?
“Then…” Shen Qingyue pursed her lips.
"You are my daughter, and I am your mother. I only want you to be well. As for other things, don't think too much about them," Shangguan Jin comforted her.
Shen Qingyue then looked up at Shangguan Jin.
“Mother, there is actually another way,” Shen Qingyue suddenly said.
"Oh? Tell me about it!" Shangguan Jin and Dongmai immediately perked up.
“I went to the nunnery to practice Buddhism and told others that I had made a vow before the Buddha that if my father did not return, I would remain in the monastery forever.”
The Great Yu Kingdom was founded on war and governed by filial piety. Even the Empress Dowager could not make things difficult for the Duke of Dingguo's family in terms of filial piety.
"Actually, the Empress Dowager arranged the marriage because she was afraid that the Duke of Dingguo's family would form alliances with other noble families, thus weakening the power of the Empress Dowager's faction," Shen Qingyue said earnestly.
Shangguan Jin silently cursed in her heart.
This daughter is amazing! She saw right through the situation behind this engagement!
Whichever family the eldest daughter of the Duke of Dingguo marries into, the man behind that family is likely to take that position.
Back then, both the Crown Prince's and the Prince of Qin's families had considered using Shen Qingyue.
But the Duke of Dingguo said that his daughter would not marry into the royal family.
Dongmai, standing to the side, also looked at Shen Qingyue in surprise.
She seemed to see the young lady in her younger days.
When Miss married into the Duke's mansion, she was just as dignified and awe-inspiring... wait, that doesn't seem right.
"What if the Duke comes back? Doesn't the eldest daughter still have to get married?"
"Um, I didn't mean anything by it. I just hope the Duke will come back soon." Dongmai suddenly thought of a question.
"It would be even better if Father came back; then we can leave the matter to Father to handle."
"With Father here, there's nothing to fear," Shen Qingyue said with a smile.
Shangguan Jin understood what Shen Qingyue meant.
That means she doesn't want to get married either.
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