The Wild Goose as a Marriage
Mrs. Lu was urged by Lu Yu to come to the Bai Mansion the next day. Although she wanted to keep a low profile as much as possible, there were too many people keeping an eye on Lu Yu and the Zhenguo Mansion recently.
As soon as she got off the carriage, she felt many eyes hidden in the dark were watching her.
After the servant informed the matter, Mr. Bai soon came to the door and personally welcomed the person in.
Mr. Bai only heard about this this morning. When he was having breakfast with his two children, Bai Miaoke suddenly said that someone might come to propose marriage in the next few days and asked him to entertain them well.
Mr. Bai asked his daughter with a confused look on his face, and when he heard that it was the Prime Minister who had a bad reputation recently, his face changed.
It stands to reason that for a merchant's daughter to marry into a duke's mansion is a high-ranking marriage, but he has worked hard for half his life to earn such a fortune so that his children can live a happy life. No matter how high the marriage is, it is not as good as his daughter's willingness.
Fortunately, he coaxed and deceived his daughter into believing that she did it voluntarily, and Mr. Bai finally felt relieved.
Only after meeting Mrs. Lu today did I feel relieved.
After all, she was born as a military commander who had fought on the battlefield. Madam Lu was very straightforward. After a simple greeting, she got straight to the point and said, "I should have told you that I am here today to discuss my son's marriage with you."
"My son has a very good appearance and personality. If you are worried, I will call him over to take a look at you."
Unexpectedly, the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo would be so polite. Mr. Bai smiled and said, "Thank you, Madam Zhenguo. Since Xiaoke is willing to accept this marriage, it is great."
"It's just that my daughter has been spoiled by me since she was young. If she marries into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and does something against the rules, I'll have to trouble you to bear with her and not get angry with her."
Mr. Bai wanted to say a few more words on behalf of his daughter, but Mrs. Lu hesitated and said, "Didn't you say that I would marry into your family?"
Now it was Mr. Bai's turn to be confused. His daughter had never told him about this, but he quickly realized what was going on.
Ke'er actually asked the Prime Minister to come to her house as a son-in-law. Even if he was willing to come, the Bai family couldn't accept this big Buddha. Mr. Bai felt that he was in a dilemma and said a little embarrassedly: "Actually, this matter can still be discussed. It is not necessary to marry into the family."
In the end, the two of them kept passing the buck to each other and being polite for a while, but still couldn't come to a specific conclusion, so they simply decided to let the two parties decide for themselves.
Mr. Bai arranged a banquet at Lanyue Tower and sent invitations to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, inviting them to a gathering that night, and also notified his son and daughter.
In fact, according to convention, marriage is usually arranged by the matchmaker and the parents, and the newlyweds can only look at each other at most. However, the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion does not think there is anything wrong with this, and Mr. Bai does not care about it.
When Bai Miaoke received the notice from the old man, she was arranging the next plan with several shopkeepers.
The jewelry, rouge, powder, cakes and snacks she brought back from Jiangnan were gradually sold through the Bai family's shops to the streets and alleys, and were sold to everyone from aristocratic families to ordinary people, creating a new wave in the capital.
This has resulted in Bai Miaoke being very busy in recent days, with many things waiting for her to deal with.
But the old man's banquet tonight is related to her marriage, so she must go and take a look.
At the agreed time, Bai Miaoke arrived at Lanyue Tower, but she noticed something strange today, as if someone was secretly spying on this place.
As the station of Yueying Pavilion, Bai Miaoke was naturally not worried about the safety in the building, but she was a little curious about what these people were doing here.
When she walked into the private room and saw Lu Yu sitting and drinking tea, Bai Miaoke finally realized that the people outside were probably brought in by Lu Yu.
She first greeted the two people sitting opposite her, "Daddy, Prime Minister."
"Ke'er is here, please sit down." Mr. Bai signaled his daughter to sit next to him.
Bai Miaoke was wearing a light pink double-breasted jacket and skirt today, with a fox fur cloak over it. She looked exceptionally light and graceful, and moved like a nimble white rabbit. Lu Yu's eyes had been glued to her since she entered the room, and it was difficult to look away.
It was Mr. Bai's somewhat displeased cough that drew his attention back.
Bai Miaoke winked at him, sat down next to Master Bai, and talked about what had happened in the store in recent days. The two chatted so animatedly that they completely forgot that there was a Prime Minister sitting next to them.
Not long after, the waiter brought up two distinguished guests, who were the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife.
Bai Miaoke restrained her lazy posture and stood up behind her father to greet him.
"Greetings to the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife. This is my daughter Bai Miaoke." As an ordinary citizen, Mr. Bai should have bowed to the Duke of Zhenguo according to the laws of this dynasty, but the Duke of Zhenguo helped him up and said cheerfully, "We are relatives now, so we don't need to pay attention to these empty formalities."
Mrs. Lu also held Bai Miaoke's hand affectionately and said, "I haven't seen Xiaoke for a long time. You are getting more beautiful."
Bai Miaoke smiled embarrassedly and helped Mrs. Lu sit down.
When everyone was present, the dishes began to be served. Bai Miaoke specially arranged some special Jiangnan dishes, which the old couple praised highly. Bai Miaoke also told many interesting stories about their trip to Jiangnan.
The two elders laughed so hard that Lu Yu, who was sitting quietly beside them, seemed like an outsider.
The Duke and his wife of Zhenguo were visibly fond of their future daughter-in-law.
After having a good meal and a few drinks, it’s time to get down to business.
The Duke of Zhenguo directly stated: "Xiao Ke saved my son's life, so it is only right for him to marry into the Bai family."
Mr. Bai wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "No need to do that. You have made great contributions to the country and the people. This title cannot be lost here."
A general who fought on the battlefield and a wealthy man who was well-versed in business discussed for a long time whether to marry or marry a son-in-law, but they could not reach a definite conclusion.
Bai Miaoke listened to their discussion boredly, glancing towards Lu Yu from time to time.
After their eyes met, they both saw helplessness on each other's faces. Bai Miaoke raised her eyebrows and mouthed, "Look at me."
So Bai Miaoke cleared her throat, interrupted their conversation, and said crisply: "Actually, we can just get married, not get married."
Now everyone present fell silent and turned to look over.
"Xiao Ke, what do you mean?" asked Mr. Bai.
"This is what I think. Getting married does not affect our original identities." Bai Miaoke's words were like a bolt from the blue, causing everyone present to fall into deep thought.
Lu Yu was the first to understand what she meant. He looked at her with a smile and undisguised admiration in his eyes.
Madam Lu said, "Xiao Ke means that Zi Cheng can be his heir, and Xiao Ke can continue to manage the Bai family's business. You just have a small family of your own."
Bai Miaoke nodded: "Yes, it is a marriage, but not a wedding."
Her idea perfectly solved the dispute between the two parties. It was like killing two birds with one stone, and they quickly reached a consensus.
All that remains to be discussed are the details.
Bai Miaoke had no objection and just sat quietly aside as a mascot.
"My dear, how about setting the wedding date for next spring?"
"Yes, spring is great."
When they were discussing the wedding date, Lu Yu suddenly said, "Earlier."
Mrs. Lu looked up at her son, wondering why he was so anxious, but she still said, "Then let's do it in March. I'll find someone to find a good date later."
After that, he looked at Bai Miaoke and asked, "What do you think, Xiaoke?"
"It all depends on the arrangements of our elders." Bai Miaoke answered obediently.
The two families chatted until very late before going home.
On the way back to the Bai Mansion in the carriage, Bai Yongsi asked his sister in shock: "Did you originally want the Prime Minister to marry into our family?"
Bai Miaoke nodded and said, "I think so, but Dad doesn't agree."
Mr. Bai said helplessly: "Since ancient times, the classes have been scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, and we merchants are at the end of the class. Your father will definitely agree to marry a poor student, but the one you found is really..."
Bai Miaoke never felt that doing business would make her inferior to others. Instead, she felt that there was nothing shameful about making money on her own.
But it’s hard to change the old man’s lifelong ideas, and she didn’t want to refute him, so she just stuck out her tongue and skipped the topic.
Only Bai Yongsi hesitated for a long time before speaking: "Your Majesty is already dealing with the matter of that year, and an order may be issued soon."
…
Before the imperial edict came, the betrothal gift from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion came first.
Bai Miaoke happened to be resting at home today, and heard Chun Xing rushing in: "Miss! The Prime Minister is here!"
Bai Miaoke was delighted, wondering if he was here to deliver a message, so she asked, "Where are you?"
"He was on the street in front of the mansion. The servant at the door saw him and came to report it."
Bai Miaoke picked up the cloak beside her and went out. When she reached the door, she saw Lu Yu riding a horse towards her from afar.
He wore a black brocade robe with dark patterns inside and a silver-white cloak outside. He exuded nobility and was filled with the aura of a superior.
What is even more eye-catching is the pair of geese tied to his horse's back.
Using wild geese as betrothal gifts was a custom in this dynasty. However, hunting wild geese was time-consuming and laborious, so many wealthy families used wild geese made of gold and jade instead.
The people watching didn't know what the Prime Minister was doing, but when they saw the two lively wild geese on his horse's back, they understood that he was here to propose marriage.
The people were talking about this a lot. It had been rumored before that the prime minister was not interested in women, and in recent days it was said that he was like the King of Hell. Why did he suddenly want to propose marriage?
Moreover, looking at the elegant appearance of an immortal, how could he be such a cruel and ruthless person?
Lu Yu turned a deaf ear to the discussions along the way and just sat upright on his tall horse, looking at Bai Miaoke who was standing in front of the gate of Bai Mansion.
He approached her step by step, as if there was no room for anyone else in his eyes.
Behind him was a long line of carriages loaded with boxes of betrothal gifts, and the line was so long that one could not see the end of it.
Under the surprised eyes of the people, Lu Yu stopped in front of the gate of Bai Mansion.
Bai Miaoke looked at him with a smile, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Lu Yu turned over and dismounted, and as he approached Bai Miaoke, he whispered, "Ke'er, I'm here to propose marriage."
Bai Miaoke nodded slightly and took him into the gate, isolating him from the curious or jealous gazes.
"Didn't we just agree on it two days ago? Why are you here today?" Bai Miaoke asked as they walked.
"I won't feel at ease until the marriage is settled." There was a hint of embarrassment in Lu Yu's calm tone. What he didn't finish saying was: I can't wait even a day longer.
Bai Miaoke gave him a coquettish look and took him into the front hall.
Mr. Bai and Bai Yongsi were already waiting here. When Lu Yu walked in, both of them were hesitating whether to stand up and salute.
Lu Yu stepped forward and bowed first: "Lu greets uncle, big brother."
The words were spoken in a very cordial manner, and Mr. Bai helped the man up.
"I'm here this time to propose marriage. I've been fond of Ke'er for a long time. I hope your uncle will entrust Ke'er to me. I will love and respect her." Lu Yu said solemnly.
Mr. Bai looked at his obedient daughter and then asked, "My daughter is kind and soft-hearted, and is easily bullied, so I hope there is no one else in your room. Do you think you can agree?"
"Yes, I swear that I will only love her in this life." Lu Yu raised three fingers and swore.
Mr. Bai nodded, turned around and asked his daughter: "Xiao Ke, are you willing to marry him?"
Bai Miaoke looked at Lu Yu's Adam's apple, which was swallowing unconsciously due to nervousness, and thought that he was very cute today because of his seriousness.
"I do!" Bai Miaoke gave a firm answer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
