Lady Jing'an was well aware of Jiang Xuelin's resistance to this marriage, but in her eyes, it was a really good match.
This was not an attempt to force her to marry someone she didn't like, but rather a decision made after considering various factors.
She was genuinely worried that Jiang Xuelin might lose her temper and hit someone today—in front of the person's mother, the Princess Consort of Ping.
Fortunately, the two haven't made a move yet, and Lady Jing'an has already prepared for the worst.
...Clearly, Princess Ping thought the same thing.
So the two of them listened to a scripture and then came out for some fresh air, and also to see if the two of them had gotten into a fight.
The two of them are now talking close together, while Hongluo and Kangtai stand far to the side, clearly not wanting to be disturbed, which puts them at ease.
—That's because you two don't understand what those two are talking about!
There's a reason they're so friendly!
If the two ladies had overheard their conversation, they wouldn't have been so optimistic; unfortunately, they didn't know that.
At this moment, the two who had been pulled back by Hongluo and Kangtai's warnings exchanged a glance, then looked away with disgust.
Jiang Xuelin thought that if she could break off the engagement, she would be willing to bear some of the consequences. However, Fu Hanlai's attitude made her realize that he only wanted her to take the risks while he hid on the sidelines. Jiang Xuelin would never have agreed to that.
Even if there are consequences, we have to share them. We can't let Fu Han benefit from it.
The love-hate relationship between the two over the years is so dramatic that it could be made into a play, and it would be a bestseller in any Beijing restaurant.
Neither of them are petty people, but the object of their generosity should never be the other person.
This is the bottom line.
Coincidentally, not only did Jiang Xuelin think this way, but Fu Hanlai thought even more so.
Over the years, he had suffered countless losses at Jiang Xuelin's hands... Although most of them were provocations he had come to, he had still suffered so many losses at Jiang Xuelin's hands. Naturally, he would not allow himself to suffer losses again in this matter.
The presence of Lady Jing'an and Princess Ping temporarily suppressed their anger. After calming down, the two finally released their pent-up frustration and began to discuss the matter while suppressing their dissatisfaction.
Hongluo watched as her daughter and Prince Ping repeated the same scene from beginning to end, and her heart sank even further.
Anyway, no matter where the girl goes, she and her mother will follow and protect her. If all else fails, she and her mother will go with the girl to the Prince Ping's mansion as part of her dowry.
Having failed to find the solution they wanted again, Jiang Xuelin and Fu Hanlai were both exhausted.
It's not physical exhaustion, it's mental exhaustion.
I'm really exhausted.
Jiang Xuelin felt that she had never been this tired when she secretly led people out to fight the enemy during the invasion of the city by foreign tribes.
"...Hongluo, let's go back. Mother should have finished listening to the master's sermon."
"Kangtai! Kangtai! Hurry up and let's go, I'm starving!" Fu Han had picked up the folding fan that had fallen to the ground before he arrived, but instead of opening it, he tucked it into his waistband and walked out of the peach blossom forest with heavy steps.
"yes."
"yes."
Knowing that their two masters were in a bad mood, Hongluo and Kangtai didn't say anything and followed the two away.
Seeing Fu Hanlai walking childishly ahead, Jiang Xuelin, not wanting to fall behind her, didn't quicken her pace to compete for anything, but just scoffed and said, "Childish."
Upon seeing the two return, the young novice monk in the temple informed them that the two ladies were waiting for them in the temple's backyard. After giving them directions, the young novice monk left.
When they reached the backyard, they saw the two ladies resting in the pavilion. Compared to Jiang Xuelin and Fu Han, the atmosphere between Lady Jing'an and Princess Ping was much better.
Upon seeing the two return, the two ladies did not ask any questions.
Young people are always embarrassed about these things, and elders will ask in private, not to their faces.
They had a vegetarian meal at Yuanshan Temple at noon, and as the sun began to set in the west in the afternoon, they set off on their way back to the city. Princess Ping and Lady Jing'an agreed to meet again another day.
Only the two younger ones followed along, looking somewhat dejected and listless.
After saying goodbye and getting into the carriage, as soon as the curtain was drawn, Lady Jing'an Marquis immediately looked at Jiang Xuelin.
Bored, Jiang Xuelin straightened up instantly, waiting for Lady Jing'an to speak. Her tense demeanor actually made Lady Jing'an smile.
"Nothing went wrong today, right?"
"...No, what trouble could my daughter possibly cause? Even if there is any trouble, it's Fu Han who will be responsible."
Lady Jing'an: "..."
well.
My head is starting to ache again. Judging from this, even though the two didn't fight, they must have had a quarrel.
"mother."
"What's up?"
"In the past, it was because the Third Prince was so persistent that we rushed to arrange the marriage for the safety of my daughter and the family. Now that the Third Prince has already bestowed a marriage upon the Fei family's daughter, my daughter doesn't need to rush into marriage anymore, right?"
Hearing this, Lady Jing'an Marquis already knew what Jiang Xuelin wanted to say, so she didn't refute anything but continued to listen to her.
"Although both families were somewhat affected by saving Fu Hanlai from drowning that day, after two years, naturally not many people will mention it anymore, right?"
"In two years, you will be twenty. It's not that your mother thinks it's bad for your reputation and doesn't want you to stay at home for a while longer and relax. It's just that when a girl is engaged at twenty, it's really hard to find a good family. Most of the time, she ends up as someone else's second wife. Your mother doesn't want you to suffer that kind of humiliation. That's one reason."
"Although the Third Prince has now been betrothed to the Fei family's daughter, he still has a vacancy for a concubine. Your parents don't want you to become someone's concubine. A concubine is still a concubine, but given the Third Prince's despicable methods, it's hard to say whether he will be allowed to become one. That's the second point."
Lady Jing'an sighed as she looked at her daughter, who was listening intently to her.
The Third Prince's methods are truly... There's no such thing as a thief who can guard against thieves for a thousand days. My daughter can't stay indoors forever. Once she goes out, who knows if she'll fall into a trap? Even if the Third Prince himself can't do anything about it, the Jiang family has rejected his offers several times. Given his style, how could he not hold a grudge and ruin his daughter?
No one can guarantee that.
Moreover, to put it bluntly, if the imperial concubine summons Jiang Xuelin to the palace, even if they refuse once, can they refuse two or three times? Once she enters the palace, given Jiang Xuelin's simple nature, she is easily manipulated, and who knows what the outcome will be.
This is why, even though the Third Prince was engaged, the Jing'an Marquis's residence did not suspend Jiang Xuelin's marriage.
However, the Marquis of Jing'an and his wife did not tell Jiang Xuelin everything, also because they were worried that Jiang Xuelin would overthink things and feel troubled.
"Then, how about I ask my eldest, second, and third brothers to find me a military officer at the border, and then I can go there?"
Lady Jing'an: "..."
"Shut up!"
"……oh."
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