Chapter 100

Duke Ying has five granddaughters. First Miss had married a while ago. Second Miss was recently engaged. Fifth Miss Wei Zheng was recently married into Prince Ru Yang’s family. Currently, there was only Third Miss and Fourth Miss left. Empress Chen hadn’t talked with Third Miss Wei Ya, only Fourth Miss Wei Luo. Hearing Zhao Jie’s words, she opened her eyes wider in surprise. All sorts of feelings welled up in her heart as she asked, “Is… Is it that girl?”

Even though she asked this question, she had already made a decision.

Duke Ying’s third granddaughter, Wei Ya, wasn’t particularly outstanding. She had seen her a few times during palace banquets. Wei Ya’s bearing was overcautious and slightly small-minded… She didn’t have a strong impression of her. Zhao Jie would probably have less of an impression. However, Wei Luo was different. Wei Luo had been Zhao Liuli’s study companion when she was a child. Later, she was Zhao Liuli’s best friend. They had practically grown up together. Zhao Jie had often seen her and treated her like a younger sister. Sometimes, he would look at her a few more times.

Empress Chen felt as if five bottles of different emotions had been knocked over in her heart. She was nervous and apprehensive. Was it Wei Luo? Why hadn’t she thought of her previously?

Wei Luo was fourteen years old this year. But, she kept thinking of her as ten to twelve year old girl.

Every time that girl came to the palace, she would always bring happiness to Liuli. At such a young age, she was already so charming and exquisite. Her teeth were white and her eyes were like precious gems. Her clever, little mouth had the gift of gab. If she could become her daughter-in-law, it would be very wonderful…

But after Empress Chen thought more, she became slightly worried. What if it was Third Miss Wei Ya instead of Wei Luo? She really couldn’t tell what type of preferences her son had!

Empress Chen’s hands were squeezed so tightly that her palms were sweaty and she could only wait to hear Zhao Jie’s reply.

Sitting next to her on the arhat couch, Zhao Liuli secretly smiled like a little mouse stealing kerosene. Her smile was both proud and secretly delighted.

Zhao Jie didn’t disappoint her expectations. Word by word, he slowly said, “It’s Fourth Miss, Wei Luo.”

Empress Chen suddenly felt as if she heard a giant stone in her heart dropping. The jolt of surprise turned the stone into dust. Her son really liked Wei Luo… Empress Chen felt happy, but her mood also felt complicated. When did Zhao Jie become interested in that young girl? Every time that he refused to be married, was it because of Ah Luo? Zhao Jie would sometimes come to Zhao Yang Hall when Ah Luo was also here. But, she had never seen her son show any sign of unusual behavior in front of her at Zhao Yang Hall! He really could pretend. If he liked Wei Luo, why didn’t he tell her? Why did he hide this from her? It couldn’t be that he was worried that she would eat Wei Luo, right?

As soon as she thought of this, Empress Chen felt anxious. Her son had become interested in that young girl a long time ago.

Empress Chen’s mood went up and down. First, she felt pleasantly surprised. Then, her mood became complicated. Suddenly, she thought of a problem and her mood quickly changed again. Panic-stricken, she asked, “Isn’t Ah Luo engaged to Count Zhong Yi’s grandson, Song Hui? If you like her, are you planning on snatching her from Count Zhong Yi’s family?”

Zhao Luli ate a piece of pea pastry, brightly smiled at Empress Chen, and said, “Imperial mother, Ah Luo’s engagement with Song Hui has already been canceled. You didn’t know?”

Empress Chen really didn’t know.

After Zhao Liuli mentioned this, she finally smiled after the flash of insight and all was clear. She anxiously asked Zhao Jie, “What are your plans? Have you talked with Duke Ying or the emperor yet? What was their reaction?”

Zhao Jie calmly said, “I haven’t talked with imperial father yet. Your imperial son is planning on getting Duke Ying’s permission first, then asking imperial father to bestow this marriage.”

“This is good…” Empress Chen nodded. She felt delighted from the bottom of her heart. How could she not be happy? There was finally a solution to her son’s marriage. She had been worrying about this problem for so long. She had like Wei Luo to begin with. Now that Wei Luo had solved the problem of her son’s major life event, she felt even more partial towards her. But, she suddenly thought of something else and worriedly asked, “Chang Sheng, aren’t you nine years older than Ah Luo? The age gap is a bit too big. Will Duke Ying agree? That stubborn old man follows rules inflexibly. What will you do if he doesn’t agree?”

Zhao Jie saw down in a rosewood chair. He paused with bringing the teacup closer. “Is nine years a lot?”

On the side, Zhao Liuli swallowed the bean pastry in her mouth and scrambled to say, “It isn’t. It’s better if you’re old. Old people will know how to love and care for another person dearly.”

Zhao Jie, “…”

Empress Chen lifted her hand and knocked Zhao Liuli’s head. She helplessly said, “How could you say such words to your older brother?”

Zhao Liuli held her head. Because the mood in the room was good, she wasn’t as scared of Zhao Jie. She said to him, “Older brother, I was only joking. Don’t take it seriously. You’re only nine years older than Ah Luo. It’s not ten years yet. Only ten years would be too old. You’re only considered slightly old.”

Zhao Jie couldn’t continue listening. He stood up and said to Empress Chen, “Imperial mother, if there’s nothing else, your imperial son will return home to prepare.”

At this moment, Empress Chen was eagerly looking forward to Zhao Jie bringing her daughter-in-law home. She immediately waved her hand to indicate for him to leave. She didn’t have the slightest intention of urging him to stay.

Zhao Jie immediately left. Empress Chen impatiently called Zhao Liuli closer, pinched her little face, and intentionally made her face look serious as she asked, “Tell imperial mother, did you already know about this?

Zhao Jie brightly smiled, burrowed herself into Empress Chen’s arms, and flatly denied, “What’s imperial mother saying? Why can’t I understand what you’re saying?”

There was a scale in her heart. She was considering Wei Luo’s reputation. She shouldn’t tell other people about her relationship with Zhao Jie. So, no matter how Empress Chen asked, she kept shaking her head and pretending to not know.

In the end, Empress Chen could only give up on getting an answer from her.

——–

After leaving Zhao Yang Hall, Zhao Jie took his usual customary, small path to leave the palace.

It was currently early autumn. On both sides of the path, there was abundant grass. Not far away, there was a flowering pomegranate tree. It’s fiery red flowers were splendid and gorgeous. Zhao Jie walked another two steps, then he suddenly stopped. Soon after, he continued walking without any change in his expression. Seeing this, the woman that had been next to the tree hurriedly chased after him. She was wearing a peach pink robe embroidered with butterflies and flowers. She blocked his path and asked, “Older cousin Jing, do you really like Wei Luo? Are you going to Duke Ying’s residence to propose marriage? Are you going to marry her?”

Zhao Jie stopped and looked at the worried girl in front of him. In the face of turmoil, he calmly asked, “Does this have anything to do with you?”

These words were a heavy blow to Gao Dan Yang.

How could this not have anything to do with her? Originally, she was going to marry him. But, Wei Luo had appeared out of nowhere and had taken away everything that should belong to her. She had been about to go to Zhao Yang Hall to pay respect to Empress Chen, but when she walked to Zhao Yang Hall’s doors, she had heard their words and didn’t go inside. Instead, she stood outside to wait for a little bit. She hadn’t expected to hear that information!

As expected, Zhao Jie liked Wei Luo. Her premonition hadn’t been wrong.

For a man to care that much about a young girl, other than him liking her, what other possibility could there be?

All of this had been within her expectations. But, when she actually heard Zhao Jie admit to this, she still felt shocked. Apart from shock, she couldn’t resign herself. She didn’t think she was inferior to Wei Luo. When she had been in the prime of her youth, Wei Luo was still an immature, silly little girl. What was it about her that interested Zhao Jie?

Feeling wronged, Gao Dang Yang looked up with red eyes and asked, “What about me?”

Hearing her question, there wasn’t any change in Zhao Jie’s expression. His gaze was focused on a far away place. “Find someone else to marry. This prince definitely won’t marry you.”

Then, he walked around her to continue walking down the path.

Gao Dan Yang instinctively clutched his sleeve, tightly grasped it in her palm, and made her greatest concession by saying, “Why not… if older cousin wants to marry Wei Luo, I don’t mind being your second wife.”

Gao Dan Yang felt that her decision was very selfless. She couldn’t have imagined that in his eyes she was only showering affection on an uninterested person.

Zhao Jie furrowed his eyebrows, flung her hand away from his sleeve, and coldly said, “You’re willing to wrong yourself, but I’m not willing to wrong Ah Luo.”

Gan Dan Yang’s face paled. She was viciously humiliated by his words. She stiffened and didn’t move.

Even when Zhao Jie had walked far away, she was still blankly standing there.

A girl wearing sky blue robes with loose sleeves walked out from behind the pomegranate tree. She looked very similar to Gao Dan Yang.

Standing next to Gao Dan Yang, Gao Qing Yang indifferently said, “Older sister, older cousin Prince Jing has already said things so clearly. Just follow mother’s and maternal aunt’s arrangement by marrying Elder Xu Ge’s son. I’ve seen his painted scroll. He doesn’t look bad… His character is also good.”

Gao Dan Yang’s cheeks cooled. She covered her eyes with her silk handkerchief and in a sobbing tone, she said, “What do you know… Do you have someone that you like? Do you know how bad my heart feels? I would rather become a nun than marry Elder Xu Ge’s son!

Gao Qing Yang was silent for a moment. Soon, she slowly said, “Oh. I don’t have anyone I like. But if there is someone that I like, I wouldn’t stubbornly chase after him. If he doesn’t like me, then I’ll just find someone else.”

At this moment, Gao Dang Yang couldn’t hear her words. She looked at the direction that Zhao Jie had left in and her tears increased.

——–

After the summer heat passed, the temperature became slightly cooler.Wei Luo was very happy. She didn’t have to continue staying in her room to enjoy cooler air and to avoid profusely sweating.

In a few days, it would be Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone in Duke Ying’s residence was busy. They had to prepare items to offer their ancestors in worship and to prepare for the reunion dinner. Old Madam placed a huge importance to this type of holiday.

She had already ordered that no one could leave the residence that day. Everyone had to attend the reunion dinner. Today, she had called her family to the main room in the her courtyard to discuss the reunion dinner. For example, where should the dinner be held? Should they drink osmanthus flower wine or rose wine during the banquet? After dinner, where should they go to pay respect to the moon? And other trifling matters…

As Old Madam and her daughter-in-laws discussed, Wei Luo, Wei Ya, and Wei Dong idly sat on the side and listened.

Wei Luo wasn’t close with Wei Ya. They rarely spoke to each other.

Fortunately, Wei Dong was sitting between them. Wei Dong had a straightforward personality and was very talkative, so there wasn’t an awkward silence.

The ambience could be considered harmonious.

Somehow, the topic of marriage came up in their elders’ conversation.

Old Madam looked at the girls sitting on the couch and sincerely said, “After New Year’s, Dong-er will be married. Ya Ya and Ah Luo’s marriages can’t be delayed.”

Wei Luo lowered her eyes, held a colorful teacup, and said, “Ah Luo is still young. I want to keep paternal grandmother company for a few more years.”

Old Madam smiled as if she enjoyed hearing her words very much.

Wei Ya was older than Wei Luo. It wouldn’t be Wei Luo’s turn until after Wei Ya was married. Old Madam was also currently considered this point, so the focus didn’t turn to Wei Luo. Old Madam and her daughter-in-laws started discussing Wei Ya’s marriage. On the side, Wei Ya listened and shyly blushed. She felt too embarrassed to look up.

With her head lowered, Wei Luo drank her tea, but her ears were perked up to listen to her elders’ words.

Third Madam Liu-shi kept looking at Wei Luo. She suddenly said, “I have a nephew on my parents’ side. He’s sixteen years old this year. His age is close to Ah Luo’s and his personality is straightforward and honest. He’s a worthy person for a marriage partner. Last year, he passed the provincial imperial examination and he’s currently preparing to take the metropolitan imperial examination. If he can pass the examination and get the emperor’s approval, he’ll bring honor to his entire family. If Ah Luo…”

Liu-shi had never forgotten about the dowry that she had given Wei Luo. Until now, she had thought about this constantly. Every time she thought about this, her heart would ache. Her thoughts were simple. Once Wei Luo married her nephew and became part of her family, wouldn’t that jewelry be returned to her hands? In addition, after getting Wei Luo, her family would have another connection to Duke Ying’s family. Once that happened, Duke Ying would financially assist her parents’ family. This was killing two birds with one stone.

Before she could finish speaking, Fourth Madam Qin-shi put down her teacup and disagreed, “Ah Luo is the daughter of a legal wife. Third sister-in-law’s nephew is born from a concubine.”

How could he be worthy? Although she didn’t say those words, everyone else understood her meaning.

Third Madam had been poked in her sore spot. Her parents’ family was in decline. Everyone had been looking down on them during the past several years. Now, there was finally a nephew that could bring honor to their family from passing the provincial imperial examination. She naturally wanted to improve her own standing. “Fourth sister-in-law, what are you trying to say? So what if he was born from a concubine? Isn’t Song Hui also…”

After saying half of her question, she immediately stopped.

But, it was already too late. Old Madam glared at her for bring up that topic and in a displeased tone, she said, “Let’s talk about this topic later. If your nephew want to marry a daughter from House Wei, then wait until he passes the metropolitan imperial examination first.”

Liu-shi’s face became red. She quickly lowered her head and made a sound of acknowledgement.

Holding a teacup, Wei Luo had the cool eyes of a bystander.

The room became quiet. A servant girl wearing a blue robe came to the door and said, “Old Madam, His Highness Prince Jing has come to request a meeting.”

Old Madam hurriedly lowered the needlework in her hands. Surprised, she asked, “Prince Jing is here? Is he here to see Duke Ying? Duke Ying recently left the residence. I’m afraid that he won’t be return anytime soon…”

The servant girl shook her head and said, “His Highness Prince Jing said he came here to see you.” She paused before saying, “He came here to propose marriage.”