Chapter 17 Struggle
Chapter Seventeen
After this incident, Shen Panyan lost all desire to speak and asked listlessly, "I wonder what important matter Miss Zhao has to discuss with me at the teahouse?"
Seeing her like this, Zhao Wenyao sighed inwardly, wanting nothing more than to give her stupid younger brother a good beating.
But no matter how difficult it is to talk about it, she has to say it.
She looked at the two people behind Shen Panyan, "May the princess ask the people behind you to step back?"
Shen Panyan opened her mouth, somewhat unwilling, but since everyone had already come in, she could only agree.
After Lin Xiao and Mu Ying left, Zhao Wenyao spoke up: "It's like this, does the princess know that His Majesty intends to bestow a marriage upon my younger brother?"
Shen Panyan paused for a moment, then said, "I've heard a little about it."
“You know? That’s wonderful.” Zhao Wenyao smiled. “Since my younger brother returned to the capital with our father three days ago, His Majesty has asked about his marriage. However, my father postponed it at that time because he thought my younger brother was unruly and not suitable for marriage.”
Shen Panyan asked, puzzled, "Why are you telling me all this?"
She couldn't help but clench her fingers. "Could it be that Father Emperor has chosen me?"
If it really is you, then things are much easier to discuss.
Zhao Wenyao sighed, "No, His Majesty chose Princess Chengle."
Princess Chengle, her fourth younger sister, Chenxu, is the son of Consort Hui.
Shen Panyan breathed a sigh of relief; at least it wasn't her.
However, if it wasn't her, why did Zhao Wenyao invite her to a chat?
Just as Shen Panyan was about to ask a question, Zhao Wenyao spoke up, looking at her earnestly.
“Princess Mingyue, actually... my parents have their eye on you. Princess Chengle is good, but she is really incompatible with my brother’s personality. Even if the two of them get married, they will only turn from a perfect couple into a resentful one.”
"But you are different. You are kind-hearted and gentle. In the entire capital, there is no noble lady as elegant in speech and manner as you. I know that Your Highness has always been a recluse and does not like to go out much, but that is alright. If you marry my brother, everyone in our General's Mansion will respect and love you..."
Hearing this, Shen Panyan finally understood that she had come as a persuader to convince her to marry Zhao Yun.
Shen Panyan frowned. She had considered marriage, but Zhao Yun's impression of her had been so poor that she disliked him. After much hesitation, she finally spoke, "I'm sorry, Miss Zhao, I have absolutely no interest in your younger brother..."
Hearing this, Zhao Wenyao's heart skipped a beat. It must be because her foolish younger brother hadn't made a good impression on the princess. She quickly explained, "Your Highness, please don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Please let me finish speaking first."
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Panyan ultimately decided not to get up and leave.
Zhao Wenyao breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Princess, my younger brother's appearance may not be the best in the capital, but it is definitely among the top. Besides, as you just saw, his figure is definitely not bad, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He is skilled in martial arts and has great strength. Someone like you, Princess, could be easily carried away..."
Shen Panyan's eyes widened, and her cheeks gradually flushed. Did this Miss Zhao even know what she was saying?
"You...you shouldn't say these things to me..." Shen Panyan covered her face, looking flustered.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Wenyao smiled knowingly, knowing that she was shy, so she quickly stopped talking and changed the subject, saying, "Princess, if you marry my brother, he can take on ten men by himself if you encounter danger while traveling. He can be both a bodyguard and a husband. Where can you find such a good consort? Moreover, the most important point is that from birth until now, apart from us relatives, my brother has never been touched by any other woman, let alone been touched by anyone else. You can rest assured that he is clean from head to toe and has never been tainted by anyone."
“There was no such thing before, and there will never be another. He will spend his whole life with you.”
"You must have heard of my General's Mansion, Princess. We have a family tradition of integrity, and my parents are both easygoing. If you marry into our family, we will absolutely not let you suffer any grievances."
What do you think?
After saying that, Zhao Wenyao looked at her expectantly.
Shen Panyan felt as if her throat was incredibly heavy, and she had to squeeze out each word one by one.
"I...I think...I feel..."
Zhao Wenyao's eyes brightened as she looked at her. "How is it?"
Shen Panyan turned her head away, her voice hesitant, "I think... these kinds of things... should be based on mutual affection..."
Hearing this, the light in Zhao Wenyao's eyes dimmed, and she sighed.
She picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip; her mouth was a little dry after talking so much.
"But Princess, feelings can be cultivated. My brother is definitely not one of those disreputable men. He is pure and sincere. Even if there are no feelings between us, he will definitely treat you well after we get married."
"Besides..." Zhao Wenyao paused for a moment, "Princess, you won't have a better choice for a consort than my younger brother."
Hearing this, Shen Panyan fell silent for a moment. Indeed, in the capital, she could not find a better consort than Zhao Yun. No wonder Consort Hui wanted to deal with her. Who wouldn't want such a desirable man?
Zhao Wenyao's voice continued, "Princess, you have been of marriageable age for almost a year now, but the Empress still has no intention of choosing a consort for you. His Majesty is busy with state affairs every day, so he is even less likely to care about your marriage. You still need to plan for yourself."
Zhao Wenyao spoke frankly, "If I may be so bold, Your Highness, with your temperament, if you choose another consort, you will be easily manipulated. Whether your life will be good or bad, you know in your heart. I dare not guarantee anything else, but I can guarantee that if it is my younger brother, he will definitely not dare to bully you."
"Everyone in our General's Mansion is loyal to the Emperor, and naturally they also have great affection for Princess."
Shen Panyan bit her lip, still puzzled. "I've heard that Young Master Zhao is a military genius of our time, and General Zhao even plans to entrust the future of the General's Mansion to him. With such a promising future, would Young Master Zhao be willing to become the princess's consort?"
Zhao Wenyao smiled and said, "It's all just people exaggerating. What kind of genius general or little war god is he? He's only won two battles with his troops. Aren't they afraid of blowing their own horn? Just now, Princess, didn't you see how stupid he was? What general walks like that and trips up on flat ground?"
"Besides, this matter is not up to him whether he likes it or not. His Majesty has already made up his mind to bestow the marriage upon him. Father also thinks that his temperament is too unstable. The battlefield is not a place for child's play. A single wrong decision can lead to complete defeat. He is impulsive and cannot bear this responsibility. Moreover, apart from Zhao Xiaosan, which of my two brothers is not more experienced in fighting the enemy and not more stable in temperament than him? The idea that the General's Mansion will not be handed over to him is just outsiders' wild rumors. Princess, do not believe those rumors."
Is it really a rumor?
Shen Panyan felt somewhat lost.
Zhao Wenyao continued to persuade, "My father and mother also hope that my younger brother's family will live a harmonious and peaceful life after his marriage. You know Princess Chengle's temperament. I also do not want my younger brother to live a miserable life in the future. That is why I have taken the liberty of saying these words to you, Princess."
"Because we know your temperament and are afraid of putting too much pressure on you, Father and Mother sent me as your intermediary. We are not much different in age, so it will be easier to talk to you. If we hadn't met you by chance on the street today, I would have sent you a formal invitation to meet after you returned to the capital."
“Princess, I hope you will consider my words carefully. The promises I made to you were not empty words. The entire General’s Mansion truly welcomes the arrival of the Princess.”
Shen Panyan's head was spinning from what she said. "Let me think about it carefully..."
Zhao Wenyao curtsied and said, "Then I will not disturb the princess any longer. If the princess is willing, she may send a letter to the General's Mansion. The rest can be handled by our General's Mansion."
After saying that, Zhao Wenyao got up to take her leave. Shen Panyan watched her receding figure, her mind a mess, and she didn't know what to say. Just then, the downstairs area suddenly erupted in cheers and applause, so loud that it almost lifted the roof off.
"good!!"
"As expected of General Zhao, his skills are truly impressive!!"
"That man in black is quite skilled and rather unpredictable. We've already gone through several rounds, and General Zhao still hasn't managed to take him down."
"What do you know? General Zhao follows the path of bold and unrestrained movement, and his actions are upright. That man in black is clearly a low-class practitioner, only knowing how to dodge sneak attacks. Give General Zhao a little more time, and he will definitely be able to take him down. How can the two be compared?"
"That's true!"
"good!!"
When Shen Panyan came out, she saw the two fighting each other on the storytelling stage on the first floor of the teahouse. Her face immediately turned pale, and Zhao Wenyao's face turned even darker.
That foolish younger brother, while she was inside trying to persuade him, he was outside attacking the princess's guards.
Don't think she couldn't see that the other person had no intention of fighting him and was simply avoiding him. Instantly, veins bulged on her forehead, and she roared, "Zhao Xiaosan!!!"
"What are you doing??"
At this moment, Zhao Yun was burning with anger. "If you're a man, fight me fair and square. What kind of man is it if you just know how to hide?"
Lin Xiao glanced at him but remained silent.
"What kind of look is that?!"
Zhao Yun was furious. Just then, Lin Xiao revealed an opening and threw a punch, but Zhao Wenyao's voice suddenly rang out from the second floor, and he froze.
"sister?!"
He looked up and saw Zhao Wenyao rushing angrily toward him.
Shen Panyan also walked downstairs anxiously, quickly came to Lin Xiao's side, and asked with concern, "Lin Xiao, are you alright?"
Lin Xiao shook his head, "I'm fine."
Shen Panyan looked him up and down, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she found that he was really alright. She then turned to look at Zhao Yun with anger on her face.
But at this moment, Zhao Wenyao was already sternly scolding him by pulling his ear, so she couldn't say anything more.
"Sis! Sis! It hurts, be gentle!!"
Zhao Wenyao looked at him, and she was furious. She quickly pressed Zhao Yun down to apologize to Shen Panyan, and then led him out, scolding him as they walked, "Look at you, you've embarrassed yourself so much. When we get home, I'm going to tell Father and Mother and have them punish you properly!"
"Sis, sis, I'm your own brother! No, no!!"
Their departure left the teahouse with plenty of gossip. Shen Panyan disliked being stared at, so she quickly left with Lin Xiao and Mu Ying.
A note from the author:
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