The more Chen's mother thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. She was even eager to look at all the eligible young men in the capital and find a reliable husband for Song Zhiyu, so that she, as a mother, wouldn't feel she had wronged her.
Seeing that Madam Shen was deep in thought and her expression had softened, Ye Rou pressed her advantage, "Madam, do you still remember the daughter of the General of the Cavalry? She was also a feisty person."
But after she got married, she tamed her temper by no means, and became a virtuous wife and loving mother praised by everyone.
And then there was the youngest daughter of Grand Commandant Bai, whose personality changed drastically after she got married. Women, once they have a home, have more to consider, and naturally, they can no longer be as carefree as they were in their boudoirs.
“You’re right. Zhiyu is indeed of marriageable age now, and I will pay more attention to this matter.” Mother Shen nodded, already thinking about which decent young men of marriageable age were in the capital.
Thinking about it that way, she actually found a few.
Although they came from humble backgrounds, they were of good character. More importantly, they all belonged to the Li Wang faction, so they would not have to face the problem of choosing sides in the future.
In her heart, Shen Jinshu and Song Zhiyu were both her daughters, equally dear to her, and she naturally didn't want them to be on opposite sides.
But in that case, one of them will inevitably have to suffer.
Although she was just a woman and didn't know much about the affairs of the court, she did know that the Marquis intended to support Prince Li.
Not long after, Shu'er will marry into the Li Prince's mansion, and their Cheng'en Marquis's mansion will be officially tied to the Li Prince.
Whether for the sake of the Marquis's future or for Shu'er's happiness, there is absolutely no possibility for Song Zhiyu and the Crown Prince to be together.
However, this choice made her somewhat hesitant.
More importantly, Zhiyu had only been back in the Marquis's mansion for a few months before she was to be married off, and she was still somewhat reluctant to part with him.
Thinking of this, the excitement on Chen's mother's face subsided considerably, and she looked listless.
After all, he was her own flesh and blood; though the bond wasn't deep, she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.
Seeing this, Ye Rou's eyes darted around, and she exchanged a glance with Shen Feng beside her. She spoke softly, "Madam, the Second Miss has been away from the Marquis's Mansion for so many years. I imagine you are reluctant to let her get married so soon and be too far away from you."
You might as well find a family you know well and keep an eye on them; that way, you can rest assured.
“A family whose background you know well…” Mother Shen was taken aback, clearly having taken his words to heart, and began to ponder.
Ye Rou smiled and, after a moment, added a few more words of advice, "I heard that the old lady's distant nephew just passed the imperial examination this year. He is handsome and has a very good temperament. More importantly, he is from the old lady's family, so we know him well."
"How could I not have thought of that? That child is indeed quite good." Mother Shen clapped her hands, her face beaming with joy.
She had met Qin Xu a few times; he was gentle, polite, and refined—truly a good match for her.
Apart from his slightly less privileged family background, there's nothing wrong with him in any other respect.
Rather than finding someone whose background is unknown, it would be better to let Qin Xu and Zhi Yu get to know each other first; maybe this deal will actually work out.
As for the Crown Prince, it can only be said that he and Zhiyu were destined to be apart.
“I’ll go talk to my mother about this right away.”
Without hesitation, Madam Shen left the two people behind her and hurried towards the old lady's courtyard.
Only after Shen's mother's figure completely disappeared around the corner did Ye Rou's smile slowly fade, and a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
Since the matter was handled through Shen's mother, Song Zhiyu couldn't blame her even if she wanted to.
"Is your idea really going to work?" Shen Feng was a little worried. Song Zhiyu was not someone to be trifled with and would let them manipulate her.
Ye Rou turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. "I have already spoken to the Qin family in advance. After the matter is settled, Song Zhiyu's dowry will be divided 80/20, with the Hou family taking 80% and the Qin family taking 20%."
Even if one only received 20% of this immense wealth, no one would refuse it.
Ye Rou's eyes hardened. Wasn't Song Zhiyu showing off how rich she was? Soon, that money would belong to them.
When Song Zhiyu is tortured to death by her in-laws, let's see how arrogant she still is.
Although Shen Feng was very envious of the money in Song Zhiyu's hands, he also knew her personality. "Song Zhiyu is not a kind person. She would not be so foolish as to give up the crown prince and choose a mere scholar."
If he were Song Zhiyu, he would know what choice to make.
"My lord, please rest assured, I have my own way." Ye Rou confidently boasted that Song Zhiyu would have no choice but to marry into the Qin family, even if she didn't want to.
Hearing the certainty in her tone, Shen Feng knew that she already had a plan, so he didn't ask any more questions.
Ultimately, he is a beneficiary of the system; once he gets the benefits, he doesn't need to care how those benefits were obtained.
"Rou'er, you are truly my soulmate." Shen Feng looked at Ye Rou with deep affection, and an ambiguous atmosphere lingered between the two.
The maids and servants beside them kept their heads down, looking down at their noses and their minds, avoiding seeing what they shouldn't be looking at.
The surroundings were quiet, but the two of them were mindful of the occasion and did not overstep the bounds of propriety. They simply smiled at each other, and everything was understood without words.
Before long, the slightly panicked voice of Butler Lin broke the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
"My lord, something terrible has happened! The Ye family is causing trouble outside!"
"What did you say? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on the Ye family?" Shen Feng released Ye Rou's hand, his brows furrowed with annoyance.
"The Ye family somehow heard that the Marquis didn't intend to care about Ye Ming's life or death, so they came to the door to make a scene. They are Madam Ye's family, so this servant dared not go too far."
The butler looked helpless. He was the one who knew the relationship between Shen Feng and Ye Rou best, so he naturally had some reservations about his actions.
Shen Feng's face darkened, showing some impatience with the Ye family members. "I'll go out and take a look."
If we let them continue to cause trouble, it will damage the reputation of the Marquis's mansion. We need to resolve this as soon as possible.
"My lord, I will go with you." Ye Rou hurriedly followed the steps of the man in charge, her already pale face looking even more haggard.
How did she end up with such a family? Not only did they drag Rushan down with them, but now they even want to harm her.
Ye Rou was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth. Her hands, hanging by her sides, were clenched into fists, her nails, stained with nail polish, digging deep into her palms, but she felt no pain at all.
Every step she took was incredibly heavy, for no other reason than that she knew her mother's character all too well.
But since this person had made a scene at her doorstep, she had no choice but to see him.
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