Although Ye Ling'er didn't fully understand what the adults said, she could still sense the solemn atmosphere and her father's lonely expression. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she nodded heavily to Situ Wanqing, "Ling'er loves Daddy and Mommy, too!"
After comforting Ye Ling'er, Situ Wanqing waved to Xiaochun, who was standing in the corner, biting her lips tightly, hesitant to speak, and said, "Take Ling'er out to play for a while."
"Yes, Your Excellency the County Magistrate." Xiaochun nodded, then stepped forward to take Ye Ling'er from Situ Wanqing's hands, and carried her out of Junyanfang and went to the street to buy candied haws.
For a moment, only Lian Xing, Feng Cailan and Situ Wanqing were left sitting at a table in Junyanfang, and the atmosphere fell into a strange silence.
Situ Wanqing looked directly at Feng Cailan and was the first to break the silence. She spoke sharply, "General Feng, you don't love Liangchen. Even if you reluctantly take him as your concubine for Ling'er's sake and bring him back to the General's Mansion, so what? Are you... going to make him a widow for the rest of his life?"
Feng Cailan quickly glanced at Lianxing, then said to Situ Wanqing, "This general only knows that this is the best decision for Lianxing and Ling'er."
Situ Wanqing chuckled slightly, "General Feng, since you can't give this man happiness, why bother trapping him in a small courtyard for the rest of his life? If Liangchen marries Wanqing, he can still continue to run his shop, even opening ten or eight more. He can just hire someone to do the work and I'll be in charge of the accounts. Besides, Wanqing won't ask about the shop's income at all."
Feng Cailan asked in a serious tone, "Situ Wanqing, regardless of whether your mother agrees to this marriage or not, do you think your father, Yuwen Tianqi, who is determined to marry you off to a nobleman of equal status, can watch you marry Lianxing?"
"Hehe..." Upon hearing this, Situ Wanqing's lips curled slightly, flicking her sleeves nonchalantly, and replied calmly, "General Feng, back then, my father couldn't even decide for my brother. In the end, he could only push back the Xiahou family's marriage proposal and watch my brother marry a peasant girl as a concubine. So, what do you think... can he do to me?"
Under the shocked gazes of Feng Cailan and Lianxing, Situ Wanqing continued leisurely, "As for the age difference you mentioned, isn't the current Queen Su Mu three years older than His Majesty? Even His Majesty has said, 'A man three years older than his wife is a treasure.' As a loyal minister, why shouldn't I follow the example of Your Majesty and Queen and find a happy marriage with Liangchen?"
Feng Cailan had always known that Situ Wanqing was as sharp-tongued as her old fox mother who was the prime minister. Recalling the palace banquet at Baohua Palace, it was quite enjoyable to watch Situ Wanqing arguing with the envoys of Lengyue Kingdom. But now that she had become the target of her rebuttal, Feng Cailan felt inexplicably depressed.
Feng Cailan then placed her final hope on Lianxing. She turned her head to look at Lianxing and said, "Lianxing, make your own decision. This general... respects your opinion. However, I hope you can make the best choice for you and Ling'er."
Situ Wanqing frowned slightly when she heard this and looked at Feng Cailan warily. She knew that this sinister guy was putting mental pressure on Lian Xing, so she suddenly had an idea and covered her heart, pretending to be in unbearable pain.
"Mr. County Magistrate, are you okay?" Seeing this, Lian Xing came to Situ Wanqing with a worried look on her face and asked.
Seeing that Lianxing was worried about her, Situ Wanqing decisively took the opportunity to pinch her thigh hard under the cover of her sleeve, which hurt her so much that cold sweat rolled down her forehead.
Then, Situ Wanqing pretended to be strong and said, "Liangchen, maybe I was hit in the chest by that evil woman surnamed Feng a few days ago, and I'm afraid I've developed a chronic illness. I'm fine, don't worry about me. Just think about yourself and Ling'er, and make a decision that will make both Ling'er and you happy."
"As for my father, I'm fully capable of taking care of him, so you don't have to worry. Also, after we get married, we'll continue to live in Yuheng County for quite a while. By then, if we have ten or eight children and ask my father to raise them, he'll naturally have no time to take care of us..."
Suddenly, the three of them fell silent again.
A quarter of an hour later, Lian Xing clenched her fists slightly, looked at Feng Cailan with a determined face and said, "General Feng, Lian Xing is very grateful to you. I am also grateful for Mr. Yu Gui's tolerance and generosity, as well as the tolerance of General Feng, Mr. Mu, the Third Young Master Feng, and your daughter. However, Ling'er is very important to Lian Xing. Since Ling'er has made her choice, Lian Xing... cannot let her down..."
As Lian Xing finished speaking, Ye Ling'er, who had been hiding at the door eating a candied haws, could no longer remain calm. She immediately threw the candied haws to Xiaochun, then rushed inside and threw herself into Lian Xing's arms, saying happily, "That's great! Ling'er has a father and a mother now!"
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