Chapter 172 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo looked bewildered: "So fast?"
"OK?"
"good."
She responded cheerfully, her gaze pure.
Gu Yican felt a pang of sadness. His sister, with whom he had been inseparable since birth, was about to go to someone else's house. This made him extremely unhappy.
If it weren't for the need for Xie Yingchen to bring good fortune to his sister, he would definitely have kept her until she was twenty years old, no, at least twenty-five!
Gu Yican's phoenix eyes were wet, and he was on the verge of crying.
Brother-in-laws are absolutely the most hated people in the world!
After a moment of confusion, Gu Zhizhuo finally came to his senses.
For her, it was just a matter of taking a nap; the memory was still of the excruciating pain in her chest. Later, she was so tired that she didn't want to get up.
But soon she realized that it wasn't just because she was tired and had taken a nap.
She called out "Master" with a smile, but when she tried to get up, her limbs were weak and powerless, and she couldn't even do the simple action of sitting up.
Thinking back to the chest pain I had experienced earlier, I suddenly understood.
Gu Zhizhu muttered, "Heaven is so stingy."
Gu Yican sat on the edge of the couch, helped her up, and let her lean against him. His usually flamboyant eyes were filled with deep worry.
Even on the battlefield, facing perilous situations and a near-death experience, nothing compares to the anxiety I feel now.
"You fool."
Wuweizi flicked his whisk, lightly striking her shoulder. The silver strands brushed her cheek. He said sternly, "Are you satisfied now?"
Wuweizi, with his keen senses, could also see that the aura of Tianyan on her body had intensified, and that the Heavenly Dao probably wished it could send down heavenly lightning to turn her to ashes.
"They don't know how to restrain themselves at all."
"He was full of brute force, recklessly rushing around everywhere."
"You must have gotten a bloody head injury."
Wuweizi, with a fierce expression, reprimanded him.
"You're still not listening even though you've been hurt!"
"Have you ever listened carefully to a single word I've said?"
It is only natural for a master to discipline his disciples, and neither Xie Yingchen nor Gu Yican dared to interrupt.
Gu Zhizhu chuckled at him, playfully pinching his sleeve and shaking it: "Master... I was wrong."
But I won't change it.
"Please don't be angry."
No matter how angry you are, I won't change.
"I will obey."
Even if you're obedient, I won't change.
"Master~"
Her voice was weak and feeble, sounding delicate and soft.
Wuweizi never raised any girls. All the boys in the temple were raised roughly. As long as they had a bowl of rice, they wouldn't starve to death. As long as they had a Taoist robe, no matter whose it was, they wouldn't freeze to death.
Even though he could clearly see through the girl's hypocrisy and sweet talk—that only the word "master" out of ten sentences was genuine—he was still helpless when she acted coquettishly. He could only pretend not to understand.
Wuweizi stroked his white beard and said solemnly, "It's good that you know you're wrong."
"Enough, enough." Wuweizi's eyes were deep as he touched the top of her head, his voice softening. "With your master here, you have nothing to fear."
Gu Zhizhuo leaned her head affectionately on her master's arm.
Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing the emotions surging in her eyes.
Her master always treated her so well.
In her previous life, she fought until she was covered in wounds, and only her master was always by her side, accompanying and protecting her.
Oh, this girl. Wuweizi's loving face was filled with heartache.
He gestured for Gu Yican to let her lie down, and then said, "Chen'er, Can'er, you two go back first. Zhuo'er can stay in the temple for now."
"yes."
Xie Yingchen stood up and bowed deeply.
Gu Zhizhuo was so weak that he couldn't even sit up, so it was best for him to stay in the temple and be looked after by his master.
"Master, on which day should we hold the betrothal ceremony?"
Xie Yingchen dared not be negligent in the slightest.
Wuweizi asked him for his birth date and time, and after calculating with his fingers, he said, "The tenth day of the ninth month."
That means there are five days left.
In terms of time, it's quite rushed.
"CanCan, let's go first."
Gu Yican hesitated for a moment, wanting to stay with her sister a little longer, but Xie Yingchen said, "If we don't go back soon, the city gates will close, and we still need to discuss the betrothal."
This is the important matter.
"Little sister, I'll be going now." Gu Yican said reluctantly, "I'll come again tomorrow."
"With Master here, what's there to be afraid of?"
Gu Zhizhuo turned around and gave Wuweizi a fawning smile.
The whisk lightly patted her forehead, and Gu Zhizhuo hurriedly covered her forehead with both hands in an exaggerated manner, blinking pitifully.
Gu Yican said goodbye to Wuweizi and left reluctantly.
They rode at breakneck speed on their way there, and they hurried back just as fast as they could, managing to enter the city before the gates closed.
However, after only two or three hours, the entire capital was like boiling water, with everyone in the streets and alleys talking about the deposed crown prince and the late emperor. When people entered through the city gates, many were crying and wiping away tears.
Once, the deposed crown prince murdered his father, a heinous crime that earned him widespread infamy.
Looking back now, all I can think of are the good things about the deposed crown prince.
Xie Yingchen listened in silence for a long time.
He still remembered that when he went to Liang Kingdom as a hostage, from the palace gate to the city gate, all he was met with was scorn and curses.
The carriage sped through the bustling streets, and by the time it arrived at the Prince of Zhenbei's residence, it was already completely dark.
Gu Yican jumped off the carriage and asked, "Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
No matter how much he disliked her, Xie Yingchen was willing to marry his sister to bring her good luck, thus connecting their destinies. Gu Yican's attitude towards him also became much kinder.
Xie Yingchen shook his head and said, "I'm not going in. I still need to go to Prince Li's residence."
In addition to Chief Minister Song, an elder was also needed to accompany him to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence to formally propose marriage.
Although the date was set in a hurry, Xie Yingchen did not want to be too casual; everything that was necessary had to be provided.
Very good. Gu Yican smiled slightly, waved to him, and went straight back to the manor. She needed to discuss this matter with her grandmother and uncle as soon as possible.
Xie Yingchen lowered the carriage curtain and said to the outside, "Go to Prince Li's residence."
The carriage started moving again, this time heading straight for Wangfu Street.
Prince Li had just returned to his residence from Hanzhang Palace and was exhausted. He asked his wife to rub his head. He listened to her nagging that if he kept working so hard, he would have a stroke sooner or later. Then, he heard that Xie Yingchen had arrived.
"This kid, at least he still knows to come to me."
Prince Li had him welcomed in, and his own grand-nephew, the princess, did not avoid him.
"He just left at the Meridian Gate, but he's finally back."
"Your Highness, let me tell you, this boy only has eyes for his wife and doesn't care about his own affairs at all."
"That girl from the Gu family, she's so fierce! Hey, one's willing to hit, the other's willing to be hit. You didn't see how he smiled at her..."
As they were talking, Xie Yingchen walked in. After greeting Li, Prince Li assumed that Xie Yingchen had come to see him about the succession.
Not long after he and the maid from the Gu family left, the emperor flew into a rage, kicked the Duke of Wei to the ground, and stormed off in a fit of anger. However, Prince Li heard that as soon as the Duke of Wei returned, he began writing memorials and meeting with his retainers, presumably planning to form a coalition.
When Duke Wei was originally on Xie Jing's side, he wasn't so meticulous in planning for Xie Jing's future, but now he's suddenly become so devoted to him.
Prince Li deliberately kept a straight face, picked up his tea and pretended to sip it, intending to wait for him to reflect on his behavior of leaving them behind and running away before agreeing to submit a memorial on his behalf requesting the establishment of an heir.
The first thing he said when he came up was, "Grand Uncle, please go to the Gu family to propose marriage on my behalf."
Offering a betrothal gift?
What kind of betrothal gift should be offered?
This was completely outside the scope of the topic Prince Li had anticipated. He was stunned for a long time before blurting out, "What are you betrothing?"
"Offering a betrothal gift."
Whose is it?
The princess sighed, realizing that her husband's mind was not quite right after his stroke. Fortunately, Prince Chen had always respected him; otherwise, she would have made him retire and go home to have his brain checked.
The princess said gently, "Of course, we should propose marriage to Miss Gu. Chen'er should also get married; this is a joyous occasion."
Xie Yingchen smiled and said, "Yes, please ask my great-uncle to go to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion to propose marriage on my behalf."
Prince Li nearly spat out his tea: "The Gu family girl hasn't come of age yet, has she?"
In his opinion, there was no need to rush. The Gu family girl had not yet reached marriageable age, and the Xie family did not need the girl to bring them good luck. It would be more solemn to wait until she reached marriageable age before making the betrothal.
If you calculate it that way, it will be next year.
Isn't the most important thing now to establish the title of Crown Prince?
“Chen’er,” Prince Li said sincerely, “Now, whether in the court or among the common people, everyone is regretting and blaming themselves for your father. We should take this opportunity to establish the title of heir apparent. I can do my best for you. Minister Song and Duke Wei are also on your side.”
Every word he uttered was for Xie Yingchen's sake.
"If you can win over half the people in the court, you'll definitely be able to get the Emperor to issue an edict to establish a crown prince. If you miss the opportunity and the Emperor is prepared, it will be difficult to handle. After all, the Emperor also has his own sons. Who would be willing to give the throne to a nephew from another branch of the family? Let alone the throne, go ask around among the common people. Even in farming families, no one would pass the family's pots and pans to their nephew to inherit, let alone their own son."
"Besides, look at you now, your position is awkward, and you don't even know what your future holds. How can you be worthy of that girl?"
Xie Yingchen knew his good intentions and frankly said, "Grand Uncle, the marriage is even more urgent."
Prince Li frowned. Even though he disagreed, seeing the man's open and honest gaze, he still asked, "Why?"
"To bring good luck in marriage."
"Oh? It really is a marriage to bring good luck?" Prince Li was taken aback and asked anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell again?"
Prince Li still vividly remembers Xie Yingchen's sickly appearance when he first returned to Daqi.
"Where do you feel unwell? Have you seen the imperial physician?"
"Honestly, you could have just sent someone to tell me. Why did you have to come all the way here yourself?"
Prince Li asked several questions in a row, and Xie Yingchen finally caught the end of the sentence and interrupted him: "It was me who arranged a marriage to bring good luck to Yaoyao."
This needs to be made clear, because there are rules for "chow for good luck" and it's different from a regular betrothal ceremony. Don't get it wrong.
Prince Li: "..."
His voice got stuck in his throat, and he coughed.
The princess covered her mouth and chuckled.
Prince Li scrutinized him carefully, and Xie Yingchen replied just as earnestly, “My parents are both deceased, and my maternal uncle’s family has severed ties with me. I have no choice but to ask you, my great-uncle, as an elder, to go and propose marriage on my behalf.”
"You, you, you!"
Prince Li was furious. Their Xie family's son, the grandson of the Crown Prince, who might one day ascend to the throne and rule the world, had ended up being used as a bride to bring good luck to someone else.
How will history books record this in the future?!
He felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him, making his head buzz, and he muttered, "You might as well marry into the family."
"That works too."
"No way!" Prince Li slammed his fist on the table, his beard bristling and eyes wide with fury. "Don't even think about it."
Fine, fine, let's just have a wedding to bring good luck. It's better than him marrying into the family.
Despite his anger, he was still quite worried: "What happened to the Gu family girl?"
He was quite energetic in the morning, but he angered the emperor so much that he vomited all over the place and almost had a stroke.
"Are you really sick?"
"yes."
"Then we must find a proper imperial physician to examine her properly, and not believe those quacks. Your Highness, where is my invitation? Quickly summon all the imperial physicians to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence. Oh dear, how did this girl fall ill so suddenly?"
"Yaoyao is a member of the Taoist sect."
That's right.
“If my great-uncle is unwilling, then…”
"Okay, okay."
Prince Li quickly agreed, "I will go, I will go! When should we set the date?"
"The tenth day of the ninth month."
"The tenth?" Prince Li counted the days on his fingers. "Have you prepared the betrothal gifts?"
"We'll invite you as soon as we set the date."
Prince Li was finally satisfied and sent him off to get busy. He then sent someone to fetch the Minister of Rites, as there were certain rules and rituals for betrothal among members of the imperial family.
But then I thought, my son is going to have a wedding to ward off bad luck, there must be no precedent for this among the imperial family, so I can't just copy it.
Prince Li rubbed his aching cheek. He knew he had to force the Minister of Rites to consult ancient texts and think things through.
Even a marriage to bring good luck should be done with royal style!
Xie Yingchen got up to take his leave. After personally visiting Song, the chief minister, to ask him to act as matchmaker, he hurriedly returned to his residence.
September 10th, the time is indeed a bit rushed.
Xie Yingchen had actually started preparing the betrothal gifts long ago, writing down and selecting each item himself. He had prepared 128 loads, but a few loads were still short. Xie Yingchen didn't want to settle for something shoddy, so he went to the storeroom as soon as he returned home.
These storerooms in the Prince's Mansion were his father's private treasury and his mother's dowry.
It was once confiscated and added to the emperor's private treasury.
When he moved out of the palace that day, the emperor, to show his magnanimity, returned all of these things to him.
Upon hearing that their young master was preparing to propose marriage, everyone in the Prince's mansion was overjoyed. Huai Jingzhi also went over to help, carrying the storeroom's register and helping to select the betrothal gifts.
Working until almost midnight, Xie Yingchen finally finished preparing all the betrothal gifts.
He took out a brand-new bright red invitation card sprinkled with gold and personally copied the betrothal gift list onto it.
While organizing and checking, Huai Jingzhi asked, "Young Master, shall we hold a banquet?"
"put."
"yes."
Huai Jingzhi cheerfully replied, "I'll go and compile a list."
Their son is finally about to get married!
Other families with a son of his age would already have children and grandchildren around them, but their son's house was empty, and the whole mansion lacked any warmth.
I've gotten used to it, so I haven't thought there's anything wrong with it.
However, ever since Miss Gu started coming here from time to time to decorate the house and settle people, the mansion has suddenly become lively and warm.
He was inept at managing the household. Originally, both the servants and the maids lived a very rough life. Clothes were bought in sets by the steward from the tailor shop and distributed. They were either too big, too small, or too hot; very few fit properly.
After visiting several times, Miss Gu couldn't bear it any longer and specially summoned people to the mansion. Everyone, from top to bottom, had their clothes individually measured and tailored. Not only summer clothes, but also autumn and winter clothes were all prepared. She even sent several cooks to take care of the food for the servants and old women.
Zhang Ping's face was practically contorted with a grin when he saw Miss Gu.
If you just go down and ask, and tell them that Miss Gu is getting married soon, everyone will be overjoyed.
No one cared that the young master was going there to bring good luck.
After Xie Yingchen copied the betrothal gift list, Huai Jingzhi also drafted a list. Xie Yingchen looked at it and told him to take it to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and compare it with the banquet guest list of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion so as not to cause any discrepancies.
As soon as it was light, Huai Jing hurried to get things done.
Even though they usually keep a low profile, the Gu family is going to have a big celebration this time.
To bring good fortune, the celebration should naturally be lively and festive, so that the joy can truly be realized.
After checking the list, the invitations were quickly written and sent to various prefectures in the capital.
Within two days, the whole capital knew that Prince Chen was going to propose to the eldest daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei.
Oh, it's still Prince Chen going to bring good luck.
What? A marriage to ward off bad luck??
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