Chen Xin understood what Duke Liang meant. The essence of aristocratic marriages is simply the need for equal status. This doesn't mean the aristocracy looks down on the common people; it's a multifaceted consideration, encompassing not just personal gain but also the well-being of their children. Imagine a man and woman from completely different backgrounds, if they were to enter into a marriage based solely on youthful impulse, conflicts would likely ensue.
But this problem happened to be the one that Shen Xin was least worried about. Putting aside Wang Yanzhou's status, although Shen Xin's position was not comparable to that of a prince or noble, he was confident that he could give Liang Shuyi everything she had now: "Please rest assured, Duke, I will never treat the young lady unfairly, and I am qualified to discuss marriage with the Duke's Mansion."
Upon hearing this, Duke Liang seemed somewhat curious and asked, "Oh? In that case, why don't you tell me about it, sir?"
Chen Xin raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "It's a long story."
After Duke Liang coughed dryly, the servants serving in the study left quietly and quickly: "Now you can talk."
...After the two of them had a secret conversation in the room for a long time, when they opened the door again, a comfortable smile appeared on the Duke's face. Chen Xin followed him, and the two of them went to the backyard while talking and laughing.
When the Duke's wife saw the Duke coming, she said nothing and just sat in front of Liang Shuyi's room, looking at him expressionlessly. After the Duke of Liang made sure that Liang Shuyi had mostly calmed down and wasn't making any more noise, he hurried over and asked in a low voice, "Why are you sitting here?"
The Duke's wife glanced at him and said expressionlessly, "What do you think?"
Throughout his life, the Duke of Liang had kept a low profile, aiming to be a quiet centrist, avoiding the tangled affairs of the court. However, he truly devoted all his resources to marrying this woman. If one were to ask who he feared most in his life, besides his deceased parents, it would probably be her.
Duke Liang knew that she was unhappy because of his imprisonment, but since the servants and Chen Xin were there, he also wanted to save some face for himself, so he said in a coaxing tone: "Alright, alright, we have guests today, you two should be quiet for a while, okay?"
Madam Liang looked Chen Xin up and down, then, with the help of Duke Liang, she slowly stood up and said, "Is this Master Chen Xin? He is indeed a handsome man, not bad."
Chen Xin quickly bowed his head and said, "Madam, you are so kind."
Duke Liang sighed helplessly and said, "Let's talk about family matters later. Open the door."
The maid had just unlocked the door, and through the crack in the door, she saw Liang Shuyi hanging a long white silk ribbon on the beam. Not only did she not say anything, she also brought a stool and was about to go up: "Miss!"
After hearing the exclamation, Chen Xin hurriedly kicked the door open and saw Liang Shuyi's head resting on the white silk: "Shuyi!"
"What are you doing? Come down quickly!"
When Duke Liang saw this scene, he was so angry that he jumped up and down, but he had to go up and persuade them. However, Madam Liang was surprisingly calm this time, as if the idea of crying, making a fuss and then hanging herself was hers.
Liang Shuyi clung to Bai Ling, refusing to let go. She cried and expressed her firm stance: "Dad, Mom, instead of letting me marry someone I don't like, you'd rather let me die!"
Duke Liang was also anxious. No matter what happened before, he had never seen Liang Shuyi joke about her life. Could it be that she had angered her this time? This child, how could she be so similar to her mother? "I didn't say I wouldn't let you get married!"
Liang Shuyi was about to kick the stool when he heard Duke Liang say this and suddenly froze: "Wait, what did you just say?"
Duke Liang said, "Come down first, come down, and we will discuss this matter carefully!"
Liang Shuyi, with tears on her face, saw that Duke Liang had actually agreed this time. She looked at Madam Liang in disbelief and asked, "Did he agree?"
Mrs. Liang, who was watching the show calmly on the side, nodded slightly and said, "Yeah."
"That's great!" As soon as the words fell, Liang Shuyi didn't care about being shy or not. She jumped from the high stool and threw herself into Chen Xin's arms.
As for why Duke Liang changed his opinion of Chen Xin in such a short period of time, it was simple. During the half-hour-long meeting, apart from some unimportant conversations such as self-introductions, it was mainly because Chen Xin came prepared.
After Chen Xin introduced his hometown, work, and future plans to Duke Liang, and seeing that Duke Liang had a basic understanding of him, he took off the amulet hanging around his neck that Wang Yanzhou had given him before he left and handed it to him.
As expected, after carefully examining Chen Xin's jade pendant, Duke Liang's face suddenly darkened. "Boy, you'd better tell me the truth. Where did you steal this thing from? If you can't explain it, you might as well leave here alive today, let alone ever want to see me again."
Chen Xin didn't say much, just bowed his head and said: "The master only ordered me to bring this item and a letter to the Duke, and did not mention anything else."
After reading the letter, the Duke threw it into the brazier. No one else knew the content of the letter except him and Wang Yanzhou.
Duke Liang didn't ask any more questions. After returning the jade pendant to Chen Xin, he sighed with a hint of helplessness: "...I only ask you one question, and you answer me honestly."
"yes."
Duke Liang said, "You are sincere in your feelings for the book."
"Chen Xin swears to heaven with this body. If I break the promise, heaven and earth will not tolerate it."
After motioning for Chen Xin to sit down, Duke Liang continued, "She's my only daughter. My sons are all grown up and no longer under my care. But this daughter is the most precious treasure in my heart. I don't expect her to soar to fame, nor do I rely on her to uphold the glory of the Manchu clan; I only hope that she will live a healthy and happy life. But at the rate things are going, my wife and I won't have the time to carefully select a future husband for her. I trust you, but you have to promise me one thing."
Chen Xin hurriedly said, "Please speak, Duke."
"If you two truly love each other, I will arrange your marriage as soon as possible. After the wedding, take her away, whether it's to return to Qingliang Valley or to travel around the world. In short, don't come back, and don't get involved in the affairs of the court again."
Under the gaze of Duke Liang, Chen Xin said without hesitation: "Chen Xin's life was given by the Lord. As long as the Lord needs me, Chen Xin is willing to do anything."
It was obvious from Duke Liang's face that Shen Xin's answer was not the standard one; but it didn't seem to be too wrong: "Including giving up the meaning of the book?"
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