Chapter 1123: Princess Chun'an was led astray by the storybook 4
After returning from the racecourse, Xiao Keyan felt a little uncomfortable and asked Dong Jingyi, "I haven't been away from Xiliang for a few years. Why do I find that some people here are so shameless when I come back this time?"
Dong Jingyi paused for a moment, then smiled and asked tentatively, "Did someone approach you at the racecourse?"
Xiao Keyan looked surprised: "How do you know? Did you see it?"
Dong Jingyi smiled mysteriously: "I didn't see it, but I can imagine it. The racecourse is not open to the public now. Most of the people who can enter are soldiers from the surrounding areas. It's difficult for border soldiers to get married. You should know this, right?"
Xiao Keyan nodded. "I know. My father had a lot of headaches trying to solve this problem. He built a military housing complex for the soldiers and tried every possible way to recruit women from other places. It took a lot of effort."
Dong Jingyi: "The various measures issued by the prince have indeed helped many soldiers get married, but there are too many soldiers guarding the border, and the problem of soldiers having difficulty finding wives still exists."
"One woman is sought after by many families. This situation is very common in various military towns."
"In other places, marrying a wife is often determined by one's parents. But for the soldiers of Xiliang, there are more men than women, and the competition is fierce. To increase their own advantage, many men from military families will take the initiative to approach the girl they like when they see her."
"This would be reckless in other places, but the situation in Xiliang is special. If someone really offends you, don't take it personally. After all, it's your appearance that makes people like you."
Xiao Keyan glanced at Dong Jingyi with a smile. After listening to her explanation, the anger in her heart dissipated a lot. She asked curiously, "Have you also encountered a man who directly expressed his affection to you?"
Dong Jingyi smiled shyly: "I often go out with my father and eldest brother, so I will definitely encounter some."
Xiao Keyan immediately smiled and asked, "Do you have any favorites?"
Although Dong Jingyi was a little shy, she still said generously: "Of course I am happy to be liked by others, but compared to passionate and unrestrained men from military families, I still prefer gentle and elegant men."
After hearing this, Xiao Keyan was moved.
It seems that being liked by others does make people happy.
At this moment, the maid came into the room and reported: "Miss, there are guests at home, and the lady wants you to go over and meet them."
Dong Jingyi quickly looked at Xiao Keyan: "Together?"
Xiao Keyan shook her head: "Forget it, just let me take a break and avoid socializing for a few days, and you can go by yourself!"
Seeing this, Dong Jingyi did not try to persuade her any further. As for the princess's status, not everyone could see her. She smiled and re-dressed herself before turning around and heading to the main courtyard.
In order not to appear too abrupt, Madam Yuan specially invited several ladies with whom she had a good relationship to come to the Dong Mansion. When Dong Jingyi arrived, Madam Yuan and Miss Yuan all looked over.
Dong Jingyi greeted the ladies present gracefully, and then warmly entertained the girls in the room.
Mrs. Yuan secretly looked at Dong Jingyi, and the satisfaction in her eyes became more and more intense. Later, when chatting with Mrs. Dong, she would praise Dong Jingyi from time to time and learned a lot about Dong Jingyi.
It was not until mid-afternoon that the ladies left.
Dong Jingyi returned to her yard and saw Xiao Keyan lying on the couch in front of the window, eating fruit and reading a storybook. She looked so comfortable.
Seeing her come back, Xiao Keyan smiled and asked, "Are you done with the socializing?"
Dong Jingyi nodded and looked at Xiao Keyan enviously: "I also want to be like you, to not see people when I want, to do whatever I want, free and easy."
Xiao Keyan laughed. "Look at what you said. Who in the world can truly do whatever they want? It's only in your house that I can hide away for a few days without any worries. Normally, I still have to follow my mother around socializing. It's just that I have the title of princess, so I can refuse to see people, but most of the time, I still have to see them."
Dong Jingyi thought about it and smiled as she talked about today's visitor: "General Yuan's rank is higher than my father's. Logically, we should be the ones paying him a visit. I didn't expect Madam Yuan to come with Miss Yuan today. It really surprised me."
Xiao Keyan's expression paused: "Yuan family?"
Dong Jingyi nodded: "Mrs. Yuan is quite easygoing, and Miss Yuan is also very straightforward. Unlike some wives who always like to act superior because of their high positions."
Xiao Keyan had never met anyone before, so she didn't express any opinion and just listened to Dong Jingyi continue speaking.
During dinner in the evening, Mrs. Dong mentioned Mrs. Yuan's visit at the table.
Dong Zhenghua laughed when he heard this and said, "What a coincidence! I also ran into Master Yuan at the racecourse today and even ran a few laps with him."
As he spoke, his face showed admiration.
"As expected of a military prodigy, Young Master Yuan's riding and shooting skills are both exceptional."
Dong Yuanxuan said, "Yuan Yonghao has been training in the military camp with General Yuan since he was a child. As soon as he came of age, he was able to take charge and lead troops to inspect the twelve military garrisons. If he didn't have some real skills, how could he control his soldiers?"
As he said this, he looked at Xiao Keyan with a smile.
"Some say he has the demeanor of your father when he was young."
Xiao Keyan was full of disbelief: "That guy, can he be compared with my father?"
Dong Zhenghua smiled and continued, "I'm not exaggerating. Young Master Yuan's ability to command the army is indeed outstanding. The Xiliang Cavalry was trained by the prince himself. Among the soldiers guarding the border, the cavalry are notoriously troublesome. They are strong-willed and arrogant, and not everyone can win their approval."
"But the current cavalry commander is Young Master Yuan, which shows that he is very capable. By the way, you should have met him, right?"
Xiao Keyan nodded and said nothing.
Dong Jingyi smiled and said, "Yes, I have seen him, more than once. I saw him once when we went to the assembly square, and later at the Ganzhou Restaurant, when the Western Region merchants were causing trouble."
"Don't mention it, his skills are really good. In the arena at the assembly square, he single-handedly defeated everyone. When the Western Region merchants rioted, it was he who took action, and the second floor of the restaurant was not affected."
As he said that, he looked at Xiao Keyan.
"Aren't you right, Ke Yan?"
Xiao Keyan said 'Oh': "About the same."
Mrs. Dong: "I heard that the Yuan family seems to want to marry into the Ren family?"
Dong Jingyi quickly interrupted, "That's probably true. Ke Yan and I witnessed with our own eyes the fight between Master Yuan and Master Cao over Miss Ren. However, Master Cao also likes Miss Ren, so it's still uncertain who will marry Miss Ren in the end."
Madam Dong was not interested in these things and interrupted, "Okay, stop worrying about other people's affairs and eat your meal."
Yuan Mansion.
"Mother, have you seen Miss Dong?"
Yuan Yonghao looked at Mrs. Yuan with anticipation.
Mrs. Yuan glanced at her son and said, "Look how anxious you are."
Yuan Yonghao smiled and stood behind Madam Yuan to massage her shoulders. "A daughter is sought after by hundreds of families. Miss Dong is so good. Aren't you worried that someone else will get your daughter-in-law first?"
Madam Yuan glared at her son and said, "You haven't even started dating yet, so keep your mouth shut. A girl's reputation is the most important thing."
Yuan Yonghao nodded repeatedly: "Mother is right, isn't your son telling you now?"
Madam Yuan looked at her anxious son and was a little amused: "Before, when your family wanted you to get married soon, you always made excuses. But this time, you seem quite anxious and concerned."
Yuan Yonghao smiled without saying anything. In the past, he hadn't met someone he liked, so he was not in a hurry. But now that he had met Miss Dong who made his heart beat, of course he had to marry her home as soon as possible.
"Mother, when will you propose marriage?"
Madam Yuan was so angry that she laughed. "Girls from official families are precious. There are procedures for seeking marriage. Three matchmakers and six betrothals are essential. Plus, your father and Prefect Dong are both officials in Xiliang. Before the matchmaker comes, your father and I have to go to the house in person to test the waters."
Yuan Yonghao frowned: "Why bother?"
Madam Yuan looked at her suddenly dumbfounded son and sighed, "Just because you like her, does that mean she has to marry you? To avoid future embarrassment between our two families, we have to test the waters first. If the matchmaker comes and we're rejected, it won't look good on our family."
Yuan Yonghao's heart tightened, and he looked at Madam Yuan with trepidation, "Will the Dong family disagree?" He quickly grabbed Madam Yuan's hand and said, "Mother, you have to help your son. He will not marry anyone but Miss Dong."
Mrs. Yuan frowned at her son's nervous expression and asked, "You've only met Miss Dong a few times, and you're so determined to marry her?"
Yuan Yonghao recalled the few times he had met Xiao Keyan, his eyes flashing with a sweet smile of first love: "It's true that we haven't met many times, but every time I see her, my heart is filled with joy. I want to see her smile and want her to pay attention to me."
Mrs. Yuan stared at her son in a daze. Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
She was both happy and surprised at her son's enlightenment.
The good news is that my son is moved and the family will soon have a new baby; the shocking thing is that my son seems to be trapped in it!
Their family is good, but what if the Dong family doesn’t agree?
Wouldn’t my son be hurt then?
Before he got the idea, he avoided the girl; now that he got the idea, he fell for her immediately. Mrs. Yuan really didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing?
That night, Mrs. Yuan told General Yuan about her son.
General Yuan was silent for a moment. "The Dong family is a good match. I'll be free in a couple of days. Let's go and check it out."
The son finally likes a girl, and the girl is also one that they are satisfied with, so as parents they naturally have to do their best to fulfill their son's wish.
"Why are the Yuan family here again?"
Dong Jingyi looked at the maid who came to report in surprise.
Maid: "This time not only Madam Yuan is here, but General Yuan is here too."
Dong Jingyi looked at Xiao Keyan and speculated, "They must be here for the horse racing meeting."
Dong Yuanxuan was the prefect of Ganzhou, so he was naturally in charge of supervising the horse racing meeting. However, the participants were mainly soldiers. As the commander-in-chief of Xiliang, it was reasonable for General Yuan to come and inquire about the horse racing meeting at this time.
"Just asking me to come over for what?"
Xiao Keyan: "You'll know if you go over and take a look."
Dong Jingyi nodded: "Okay, I'll be back soon."
Looking at Dong Jingyi going out, Xiao Keyan thought for a moment and called the maid: "Go with her and take a look. If you hear any news, come back and tell me."
The maid bowed and hurriedly followed. After about two cups of tea, the maid came back: "Princess, I have found out."
Xiao Keyan asked quickly, "Tell me quickly, what are the Yuan family doing here?"
Maid: "Princess, the Yuan family is here to propose marriage."
"What?!" Xiao Keyan's face was filled with shock and surprise: "Who is proposing marriage to whom?"
Maid: "Mr. Yuan is proposing marriage to Miss Dong."
Xiao Keyan frowned: "Didn't they say that guy liked the most beautiful woman in Xiliang?" Then, her face darkened. He was indeed a playboy!
Let’s not talk about that girl Ren for now. He had flirted with her at the horse farm before, and now he turns around and asks Jingyi to marry him. This guy has such a bad character.
Fortunately, Uncle Dong and the others said that he had the demeanor of her father when he was young.
Just then, Dong Jingyi came back with a red face.
Seeing this, Xiao Keyan hurried forward and asked: "Why did the Yuan family suddenly come to propose marriage?"
Dong Jingyi corrected him, "It's not a marriage proposal. General Yuan and Madam Yuan just came here to test the waters today. It can't be considered a marriage proposal."
"The Yuan family's sudden arrival surprised my grandmother and the others, as did I." He looked at Xiao Keyan and said, "Young Master Yuan had a huge fight with Young Master Cao over Miss Ren. You and I witnessed it with our own eyes, so it couldn't be fake. So why are they suddenly proposing marriage to me?"
"There must be a reason!" Xiao Keyan thought for a moment and called the maid over: "Go out and find out if anything has happened in the Ren and Cao families these days."
The maids took the order and went down, and did not come back until mid-afternoon.
Xiao Keyan and Dong Jingyi both looked at him: "Tell me quickly, have you found out anything?"
Maid: "Nothing has happened between the Ren and Cao families these days. It's just that Madam Ren and Madam Cao often go out together. Some people have seen that Miss Ren and Master Cao are always together."
After hearing this, Xiao Keyan's face showed an expression of astonishment, and then she looked at Dong Jingyi with sympathy: "Based on my many years of experience in reading novels, Jingyi, you must have been treated as a backup by that young master Yuan."
Dong Jingyi cried out "Ah", her face completely bewildered.
Xiao Keyan: "Listen to me and I'll tell you in detail."
"If Miss Ren is the heroine in the story, then Master Yuan is the overbearing and wealthy male supporting role. To him, Miss Ren is the delicate white moonlight that he longs for but cannot obtain, while you are the female supporting role that is a match made in heaven and is the wife that your family wants you to marry."
"When it was mentioned before that the Ren family was going to marry the Yuan family, I felt something was amiss. Think about it, the Yuan family is the highest-ranking military official in Xiliang, and the Ren family is the highest-ranking civil official in Xiliang. A marriage between these two families is definitely not what the emperor wants to see."
"If the heads of the Yuan and Ren families had any sense, they would not agree to this."
"As for your family, Uncle Dong's abilities are obvious to all, and coupled with his relationship with ours, he is definitely an excellent in-law."
"Since Young Master Yuan was able to subdue the Xiliang cavalry, he's obviously not a moron. He should be aware of his family's affairs. So when he learned that Miss Ren and Young Master Cao were a couple, he was furious and lost his mind. His family pressured him, and today's proposal came about."
"There is another possibility, that is, Master Yuan has no idea that General Yuan and Madam Yuan came to the Dong family to propose marriage to him."
"No matter which possibility it is, as the female supporting role, you will not have a good ending."
"Do you think what I said makes sense?"
Dong Jingyi nodded: "Ke Yan, you are absolutely right. When I think about it carefully, things may really be as you said." As she said that, she stamped her feet.
"The Yuan family is really too much. I don't want to be their daughter-in-law. Thank God, my grandmother and the others will definitely not agree to the Yuan family."
Now it was Xiao Keyan's turn to be surprised: "Why not? I think Uncle Dong and Brother Dong think highly of Young Master Yuan. To be honest, the Yuan family is quite reputable."
Dong Jingyi suddenly became shy and turned sideways awkwardly.
Seeing this, Xiao Keyan became even more curious: "What's wrong?"
Dong Jingyi looked at Xiao Keyan and said, "I'm telling you, you're not allowed to go out and talk nonsense."
Xiao Keyan: "Don't you know how tight my mouth is?"
Dong Jingyi then whispered in his ear, "I've been engaged for a long time."
Xiao Keyan exclaimed in surprise: "When did this happen? Whose son is this?"
Dong Jingyi blushed a little: "The one you know is your third aunt's eldest son, your cousin Xue!"
Xiao Keyan was stunned: "Cousin Xue?!"
Dong Jingyi nodded and said, "Three years ago, when Uncle Xue was transferred from Xiliang, he and Aunt Xue came to my house in person to exchange tokens."
Xiao Keyan came back to her senses: "I didn't know anything about this, and my mother didn't know either. You guys kept it a secret."
Dong Jingyi quickly said, "It's not that I'm hiding it on purpose, it's just that the prince and princess haven't been in Xiliang these years, so it's not convenient for us to bring this up."
Xiao Keyan smiled. "Brother Xue is very knowledgeable and truly worthy of the term 'gentle and refined.'" She looked at Dong Jingyi jokingly and said, "You have good taste!"
Dong Jingyi was so embarrassed: "Don't laugh at me."
Xiao Keyan laughed even more happily. Dong Jingyi became anxious and pretended to hit her, and the two of them immediately started quarreling.
(End of this chapter)
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