Mother Song said to Old Madam Wei, "If you're really worried about Miss Mingzhu, why not find a good opportunity and see if the Zhongqin family is also interested in Miss Mingzhu... This way, the two families won't be at odds with each other, and they can still form a marriage. Miss Mingzhu will have a legitimate status, and you won't have to worry about her anymore."
Old Madam Wei shook her head. "Firstly, the Zhongqin family has always been very cautious about family background, so I'm afraid they won't agree. Secondly, making such a hasty decision wouldn't be good for Mingzhu either."
When Mother Song heard this, she smiled, didn't mention the matter anymore, and helped the old lady to wash up.
Zhao Mingzhu stood outside the door, draped in a cloak trimmed with snow fox fur, the biting night wind rustling against her face. Her hands clenched tightly beneath her sleeves. Just as Cheng Lang had rejected her marriage proposal, someone else was offering it to Luo Yining? What did Mother Song mean by this? Was she just going to force Luo Yining to marry her if she didn't want one? She even said the Zhongqin family valued family background and wouldn't agree...
Didn't Lady Zhongqin flatter her when she spoke to her? Now that she had Luo Yining, did they think she was down and out?
Zhao Mingzhu just stood there, unable to hold back her tears. Where were all the people who used to dote on her? Why were they all gone now? They used to dote on her...
Su Xi took her hand and said, "Ms. Mingzhu, go back." She coaxed her, "Everything will be fine when you wake up tomorrow morning. Have a good sleep and forget all this..."
Zhao Mingzhu was a little girl after all, so she turned around and hugged Suxi and cried. Suxi wiped her tears and coaxed her for a long time before she stopped crying and returned to Fangshan.
It was snowing heavily outside the veranda.
When Yi Ning was teaching Ting Ge'er how to count, Wei Ling came to see her. Knowing that Wei Ling must have come for Shen Yu, Yi Ning personally poured him tea. Wei Ling held the steaming cup. The heavy snow outside made the house seem particularly quiet. Wei Ling saw that she was looking at him seriously, as if waiting for him to say something. He said, "Daddy helped you push Shen Yu."
"He's already seventeen, and he's never held a position. Although he's the eldest son, he's been spoiled." Wei Ling continued, "When I was his age, I followed your grandfather to the battlefield and killed thirteen enemy soldiers... After returning, the late emperor rewarded me with three Dayuan horses."
He thought for a moment and added, "If you're looking for someone, look for someone like Daddy. Don't look for someone who's no good."
Wei Ling still remembered what Fu Ping had said. "Who knows if your girl would like it?" But Yi Ning couldn't like someone like Shen Yu, even if she liked Cheng Lang. Although Cheng Lang was a playboy, his talent was far superior to Shen Yu.
Yi Ning burst out laughing. She thought Wei Ling was very funny. She nodded and said yes, then poured him more tea.
Wei Ling finally felt relieved. He drank some tea, told the girl to get some rest, and then returned to his own courtyard.
Yi Ning put away the tea set and asked the maid to remember to dry the cloak left by Wei Ling and send it to him tomorrow morning. Only then did she finally go to bed.
*
The next day, Mrs. Fu went to the residence of Marquis Zhongqin and told his wife what Wei Ling had said.
The wife of the Marquis of Zhongqin was a little unhappy when she heard this: "...The Duke of Yingguo thinks our family is not as good as his!"
The wife of the Marquis of Zhongqin was initially pleased to hear that her son liked Yining. As long as he married into the Duke of Ying's family, why would she worry about her son not being able to find a good position in the army in the future? But who knew that they would refuse?
Her son was the eldest son, while Yi Ning was adopted from outside. Although his family background was a little inferior, he was much more legitimate than hers. Did the Duke of Ying still want to find a prince for her daughter? Even if her son was not good enough, there were still many girls vying for him to marry! There was no need for him to despise him like this.
She found Shen Yu and told him, "Let's just forget about this marriage. Mother will find you a better one. Don't look at Yining anymore."
Shen Yu was a little depressed, but pursed his lips and refused. He thought of Yining's voice calling him, and it itched like an animal bit him. He felt that no one else was as good as her.
"I...I don't want to marry anyone else." Shen Yu murmured, "Don't worry about me, I have to see her first! I'll ask her for consent."
Mrs. Zhongqin felt that her son was very stubborn when he was stubborn. She sighed and stopped talking to him.
Shen Yu wanted to see Yining, but Yining wanted to avoid him. A month passed, spring arrived, and the maids and servants in Yining's yard began to reduce their clothing, but she rarely left the East Garden. The East Garden was where Wei Ling was, heavily guarded, and Shen Yu couldn't even get through the ceremonial gate.
Before long, the Spring Examination was approaching.
Yi Ning received a reply from his third brother, and his reply was always concise: "Mother has given birth to a son, I hope he is well and don't worry."
Yi Ning felt a little uncomfortable when she thought about how she had written him several pages, only to have him reply with only eight words. She threw it aside and didn't reply. However, a letter from Lin Hairu arrived from Baoding. Lin Hairu had written several long and eloquent words: "Yining, I can't read, so Ruixiang wrote it for me." So she didn't have to waste any effort and could write as much as she could.
Lin Hairu explained that after Yining's younger brother was born, Xuan'er fell ill. Someone told Aunt Qiao that his mother's flesh and blood would be needed as a medicine to cure him. Aunt Qiao's arm was later scarred, leaving her unsightly. But Xuan'er's condition didn't improve either. Aunt Qiao was so anxious that she knelt in the Buddhist temple day and night, her mind fading. Finally, she exclaimed, "He deceived me. It was Luo Shenyuan! That black-hearted bastard!"
After hearing this, Luo Chengzhang said that Aunt Qiao was crazy and moved her to Luming Hall, and told Luo Yilian not to visit her.
After discussing Aunt Qiao's story, Lin Hairu said of Yining's brother: "He's white and fat, has one baby tooth, and wants to bite everything."
She also talked about Luo Shenyuan's marriage: "... Lord Sun's legitimate daughter is interested in him, and your third brother is a taciturn person and won't say whether he likes him or not. Luo Chengzhang wants to arrange a marriage for your third brother, but I don't know what he means. Let's wait and see after the Spring Examination." Yining read the signature only when she got to this point. It turned out that the letter was sent at the beginning of the new year.
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