715 Grant a Marriage (6)
Shen Xin frowned and thought for a moment before saying, âBefore the imperial edict is issued, we have to hurry up and marry Jiaojiao off. However, in such a short period of time, it will be very difficult to find a suitable man. No matter what, Iâll get someone to look for some young talents tonight. If thereâs anyone with a good character, as long as Jiaojiao doesnât mind, weâll get them engaged first.â Shen Xin said, âIn short, we canât let Jiaojiao marry into the royal family!â
Shen Miao had an indescribable feeling in her heart. The voices in the room gradually quietened down. They were probably discussing which young talent was reliable. Shen Miao stood up and was about to turn around to return to her room when she saw Shen Qiu and Luo Ling standing behind her. The two of them were frowning. It was unknown how much of the conversation they had heard.
Shen Qiu grabbed Shen Miao and walked away..
When they reached Shen Miaoâs courtyard, Shen Qiu and Luo Ling entered the room and asked the maids to leave. Then, they closed the door and said, âSister, the empress wants you to marry the crown prince?â
It seemed like the two of them had heard most of the conversation. Shen Miao did not intend to hide it and nodded.
Shen Qiu slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth. âThis is too much!â
Shen Miao laughed and said, âSo many people want to get close to the crown prince. Why are you so angry? Brother, arenât your standards too high?â
Shen Qiu said angrily, âJiaojiao, Iâm worried about you, but youâre making fun of me.â
Luo Ling looked at Shen Miao and asked gently, âCousin, what do you think of this matter?â
Shen Miao shrugged. âIâll let nature take its course.â
âCousin, you donât want to fight back?â Luo Ling sounded a little confused.
âMy parents have already found a way out for me,â Shen Miao said indifferently, as if she was not talking about her marriage at all. She said, âTheyâll find some young talents. If I think one of them is suitable, Iâll hurry up and get engaged to him before the imperial edict is issued. Thatâll solve the problem.â She smiled and said, âDonât worry, my standards are not as high as Brotherâs. It shouldnât be difficult to find someone who suits me.â
Shen Qiu muttered, âI wonder who is so luckyâ¦â Shen Miao pretended not to hear him.
Luo Ling took a step closer and asked, âIf there are no suitable people, or the imperial edict is issued before you can get engaged, what will you do?â
Shen Qiu said, âCousin Ling, why do you say that?â
Luo Ling was still staring at Shen Miao, as if he was determined to get an answer from her.
Shen Miao smiled and said, âThen Iâll marry the crown prince.â
âSister!â Shen Qiu shouted.
âWhat else do you want me to do?â Shen Miao said, âDo you want the Shen family to be accused of defying the imperial edict because of me? Do you want me to implicate you and everyone? Do you want me to watch you suffer because of my willfulness? Brother, is this what you want to see happening? Let me ask you. If you were me, what would you do? Would you rather die than marry?â
Shen Qiu fell silent.
If it were him, he would accept this marriage for Shen Miao and his parents. If he could sacrifice himself to protect his family, Shen Qiu would do it without batting an eye.
âBrother, youâll do the same, right?â Shen Miao said indifferently, âNot everyone in the world can have everything they want. Everyone has to make sacrifices. Iâll do my best to avoid this outcome. If I canât avoid it, itâs not a big deal.â Shen Miao looked at Shen Qiu. âIn my heart, nothing is more important to me than family.â
âBut that concerns the happiness of the rest of your life.â Shen Qiuâs eyes were red. He did not know why his sister looked so cold and even a little disgusted when she talked about marriage.
âHappiness has to be earned by oneself, not gained by relying on someone.â Shen Miao said, âCan marrying a good man guarantee my happiness for the rest of my life? No matter if itâs the crown prince or someone else, are you sure that in the next few decades, they wonât have a change of heart?â
âSister, youâre not married yet. Why do you speak as if you areâ¦â A woman of the world.
Luo Ling looked at Shen Miao thoughtfully. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but thought better of it.
Shen Miao lowered her eyes. Marriage? In her previous life, she suffered tremendously because of marriage. To her, this was a word that carried pain. She didnât want to fall in the same place twice. Without anticipation, there would be no pain.
She smiled coldly. âBrother, donât worry. All women have to get married eventually. If the marriage with the crown prince turns out to be a bad one, I will not let the person who hurts me live a good life either.â