I will marry no one but her
After buying the hairpin, Xie Zhuo wrote a letter and had it sent to Qingzhou along with the hairpin.
After resting at the Prince's residence for a few days, Xie Zhuo returned to the elite cavalry for training. He was extremely busy, shuttling between the Prince's residence and the military camp every day.
On the other side, Princess Duan, Zuo Murui, was also extremely busy, receiving so many visiting cards every day that her hands were sore from holding them.
Zuo Murui was about thirty years old, with willow-leaf eyebrows and phoenix eyes. Because she took good care of herself, her skin was still fair and clear, and there were no signs of aging around her eyes. She sat on the chaise lounge, flipping through the list of names sent by the matchmaker, thinking that she should take advantage of Xie Zhuo's time in the capital to arrange a marriage for him.
Zuo Murui had been married into the Prince's mansion for over ten years and had given birth to a son and a daughter in succession. The two pregnancies had severely depleted her health, and she was unable to conceive again.
To outsiders, it was Zuo Murui's monopolization of her husband that led to their lack of offspring. Many families privately said that the princess was a jealous person. Although they talked about it, they secretly envied her. Prince Duan, Xie Chi, had not taken any concubines in all the years since his marriage. Apart from his two concubines from before the marriage, he had no other women and had not fathered any illegitimate children, thus giving her ample face.
Therefore, over the years, the Prince Duan's mansion has only had two children.
When she was young, things were fine, but now that she's older, Zuo Murui feels increasingly lonely in the Prince's mansion.
Two children in such a large palace is far too few!
Sun Lixuan, the eldest son of the Duke's family, is only one or two years younger than Xie Zhuo. He has already had his second child, but her own son is still not married. As his mother, she is really anxious!
Xie Zhuo had been studying away from home for many years. Zuo Murui thought that his studies were the most important thing, so she didn't disturb her son's studies. Finally, when her son returned to the capital after completing his studies, he joined the Xiaoji Army and trained at the training ground every day from dawn to dusk. Then he was sent out to suppress bandits.
She spent most of the year away from home and had no chance to talk to him about marriage.
Now that she's finally back in Beijing, how could Zuo Murui possibly let the opportunity slip by?
Prince Duan, Xie Chi, had no objection to this. Xie Zhuo was now mature and steady, and it was indeed time for him to settle down and start a family.
After dinner, Zuo Murui kept Xie Zhuo behind for a private talk.
"You already know, right? The eldest son of the Duke's family, Sun Lixuan, has had another baby." After saying that, she glanced at Xie Zhuo.
"Mother, please speak frankly if you have something to say." Xie Zhuo could vaguely guess what she was thinking.
"Look at you, you're not getting any younger, shouldn't you start thinking about getting married?" As she spoke, Zuo Murui took out a stack of booklets and placed them on the table. "These are the portraits of eligible young ladies from all over the capital that your aunt and I have carefully selected. Take a look and see if there's anyone you like. If there is, your mother will immediately find a matchmaker to arrange a marriage..."
These portraits of noble ladies were all sent by matchmakers. Xie Zhuo had made great contributions in suppressing the bandits and received praise from the emperor. He had a bright future and many noble ladies were willing to marry him. Many matchmakers had already come to inquire about Xie Zhuo's marriage.
Zuo Murui excitedly pulled Xie Zhuo to look at the portrait. "Mother has sent people to inquire carefully. Their family has a good reputation. They are all gentle, virtuous, and understanding girls. Their looks and talents are first-rate. They are true ladies from a prominent family!"
"My mother wants me to marry a woman I've never met?" Xie Zhuo was very resistant. He had never seen these girls before, let alone knew what their personalities were like. Just thinking about having to share a bed and be intimate with a complete stranger gave Xie Zhuo goosebumps all over his body.
Zuo Murui opened the booklet, pointed to one of the women and said, "This is not someone I've never met before. She is Yu Yadan, the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites. She used to come to our house to play when she was little. She would follow you around and call you Brother Zhuo. Have you forgotten?"
Xie Zhuo genuinely couldn't remember. He bowed to Zuo Murui and said, "I have military duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!"
"Stop!" How could Zuo Murui let him leave? The so-called military affairs were just an excuse for him to leave.
"Feelings can be cultivated over time! Besides, I had never met your father before we got married, and we're doing just fine now, aren't we?"
Xie Zhuo refused again: "Forced relationships are never sweet."
How do you know it's not sweet if you haven't even tasted it?
Xie Zhuo: ...
He couldn't win the argument; he should have realized this sooner. What good would it do to argue with his own mother?
Xie Zhuo laid it all out: "Mother, I already have someone I love."
Zuo Murui was somewhat surprised to hear this. Her son had many admirers since he was a child, but he was a bit indifferent and had never been moved by the girls who admired him. She didn't expect that he would have a sweetheart after returning from his trip. Zuo Murui asked curiously, "Really? What's her name? Which family does she come from?"
Now that the truth was out, Xie Zhuo no longer hid anything: "Her name is Fu Zhiqiao, and she is from Qingzhou. Her family runs a shop."
Running a shop?
Zuo Murui's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Her son had finally come to his senses, only to find out that the object of his affections was a merchant's daughter. She asked awkwardly, "A merchant's daughter?"
Xie Zhuo nodded, having been observing Zuo Murui's expression, and added, "She is outstanding in both character and knowledge; she is a very good girl."
A complex look flashed in Zuo Murui's eyes, "But she is a merchant's daughter, which is a rather low status."
Zuo Murui comes from a scholarly family. Her father was a famous Confucian scholar, and her ancestors also produced many scholars who passed the imperial examinations. It was a truly prestigious family.
For a scholarly family like the Zuo family, scholars are considered to be the epitome of integrity, while merchants who make money through buying and selling are seen as unscrupulous and greedy. Growing up in such an environment, Zuo Murui naturally developed a disdain for merchants.
Speaking of a merchant's daughter, Zuo Murui couldn't help but picture Fu Zhi Qiao, a merchant herself. To attract her son's attention, she must be quite beautiful. Aside from her looks, her merchant background meant she lacked aristocratic upbringing. Her family's wealth would inevitably foster a competitive, ostentatious, and extravagant nature, potentially leading to disrespect for her in-laws and husband, thus ruining the family's reputation and making her unsuitable for respectable society.
How could members of the royal family form marriage alliances with merchants?
When Zuo Murui chose her daughter-in-law, she naturally selected from the mansions of dukes, marquises, earls, and grand secretaries.
How can someone who doesn't even understand the rules of aristocratic families be a good helpmate to her son, or the future mistress of the royal palace!
No! She absolutely doesn't want a daughter-in-law like that!
Zuo Murui's mind was in turmoil. She took a sip of tea to calm herself down and said, "If you really like her, you can bring her into your household after you marry the Crown Prince's wife."
"She is the one my son loves!" Xie Zhuo emphasized that he never even considered making Fu Zhi Qiao a concubine.
Zuo Murui: "Miss Fu comes from a merchant family. Regardless of her education or appearance, she is inferior to others in terms of background alone. Noble families will not accept such a person as a princess. If you insist on marrying her, wouldn't you be putting our royal family in a precarious position?"
It's such a headache. How could she have given birth to such an irresponsible son?
Xie Zhuo didn't care. Who would dare to gossip about the Prince Duan's mansion to his face? As for what happened behind his back, if he didn't hear it, he would pretend he didn't say it. People can say whatever they want, and even if they covered their mouths, he couldn't control what they thought. Let them be!
Xie Zhuo still remembered what Fu Zhiqiao had said at the Qingzhou teahouse: "No man wants to marry an unclean woman, and no woman wants to marry a man with three wives and four concubines."
He still vividly remembers her disdainful tone when she called the pale-faced scholar a "dirty man."
If I marry a wife first and then take her into my household, wouldn't I become the dirty man she calls me?
Xie Zhuo couldn't help but shudder. No, no, he couldn't marry another woman; he couldn't become a dirty man.
"My son will marry no one but her in this life, so please give up the idea of ​​arranging a marriage for me!"
Zuo Murui slammed her hand on the table. "You won't marry anyone but her? Listen to the absurd things you're saying. Without parental consent or a matchmaker, you've secretly pledged your life to each other. Don't you care about your reputation?"
"The heir of the prestigious Prince Duan's mansion, marrying a merchant's daughter, wouldn't that be a laughing stock?" Just thinking about it made Zuo Murui's heart ache.
"You can take her as a concubine, but you must never marry her!" Zuo Murui raised her voice, her anger barely contained. This merchant's daughter was incredibly cunning; at such a young age, she had managed to seduce her son into marrying her. It was hard not to suspect that she knew Zhuo'er's true identity and deliberately approached her. Her son was at the prime of his life, could it be...?
Zuo Murui's expression darkened further. She tentatively asked, "Did you manage to accomplish anything?"
Xie Zhuo was stunned for a moment before he reacted. Although he was still inexperienced, he had heard a lot of dirty jokes in the cavalry for so long. "What nonsense is Mother talking about?"
Zuo Murui breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they hadn't made a private engagement; there was still room for things to turn around.
Seeing Xie Zhuo's attitude, she knew that simply suppressing him wouldn't work. Zuo Murui decided to use a gentle approach and said softly, "Huaiyan, it's not that your mother is intentionally trying to stop you. Marriage is about the good of two families. Since ancient times, it has been important to match families. If the families are not well-matched, there will be no good outcome."
Although she still had a smile on her face, the smile no longer reached her eyes: "You are still young and don't understand these things. Your marriage is not just a matter between you and Miss Fu, but it concerns the future of our two families. If the two families are of equal status, they will naturally become allies and have constant exchanges. If the status difference is too great, especially for families like ours, an unwise marriage may bring the entire family to the brink of destruction."
Xie Zhuo remained silent.
He never looked down on Fu Zhi Qiao because of the difference in their social status. He had been sent out to gain experience since he was a child and didn't really understand the intricacies of the inner quarters.
He just wanted to marry the woman he loved.
"You can't have your cake and eat it too. Go back and think about it carefully!" Zuo Murui's voice was gentle but carried an undeniable authority.
The mother and son's first discussion ended with neither willing to back down.
After Xie Zhuo left, Zuo Murui remained in her room for a long time, unable to calm down.
Granny Zhang advised her, "Your Highness, you know the young master's character best. He has always been virtuous and has never been surrounded by women. He is the most reliable person. He is sensible and knows how to behave. He is just young and impetuous. Please be more understanding."
The original plan was to arrange a good marriage for their son, but it ended in a bitter falling out.
Zuo Murui twisted the handkerchief in her hand tightly, and after a while she spoke: "Granny, what should I do?"
"Your Highness must not do anything to break up this loving couple, lest the Prince feel wronged and the mother and son become estranged!" Granny Zhang gently guided her thoughts: "Your Highness, please relax. Think about it, the Prince has been surrounded by noble ladies since he was a child. He doesn't like these aloof noble ladies, which is why he is attracted to the women from the countryside. As time goes by, once the novelty wears off, he might get tired of them!"
After Zhang Mama's earnest advice, Zuo Murui felt much better: "What Mama said makes sense. I was too attached to appearances."
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