Union

Chapter 198 Proposal
Yunying and Chen Yanzhou never met at the temple.

Because Chen Yanzhou's appointment came down that day, he went to the palace to express his gratitude.

After Yunying and her maternal grandfather spent a day at the temple, they returned home and heard that Chen Yanzhou had been promoted to the fourth rank and was to serve as the prefect of Jinzhou.

The name Jinzhou is very familiar; my maternal grandparents' ancestral home is in Jinzhou, and they still live there now.

On her way back to Beijing with Chen Yanzhou, she also passed through Jinzhou. At that time, she heard that her old acquaintance, Prefect Wei, had been cuckolded and was so angry that he showed signs of a stroke.

His political enemies, adhering to the principle of "taking advantage of your weakness," seized the opportunity to attack him, which caused Prefect Wei to become completely paralyzed with anger.

At that time, Yunying had also discussed with Chen Yanzhou in private that Jinzhou belonged to the Southern Zhili and held a very important position in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Moreover, Jinzhou is a prosperous and wealthy city, a beautiful and peaceful haven in the world. If someone is greedy, they can earn enough money to last three generations of their family to spend in one term as an official in Jinzhou.

In addition, Jinzhou is geographically important, and most of its officials are the emperor's confidants. The prefect of Jinzhou is ranked as a fourth-rank official, but his position is more important than that of the prefects of other prefectures.

This is a lucrative position; I wonder how many people will be vying for it.

No one expected that this lucrative position would ultimately fall to Chen Yanzhou; it was like being hit by a pie from the sky.

Gu Yuanming kept talking about Chen Yanzhou's good luck, while Gu Yuanxi said, "It must be Uncle who secretly helped. Yanzhou was only a seventh-rank official before, and now he has been promoted five ranks in one go. I don't believe there's nothing fishy about it."

There must be something fishy going on here.

However, upon closer reflection, Chen Yanzhou, a top scholar in the imperial examinations, was originally a sixth-rank official. It was because he offended the emperor that he was demoted to a seventh-rank official and sent to serve as a county magistrate in the desolate and remote Lingnan Prefecture.

But the more remote the place, the easier it is to achieve political success.

Look at the great achievements Yungui County has made under Yanzhou's governance: the population has increased by more than 20,000 people in three years, the amount of reclaimed land has increased by 70,000 mu, and the taxes paid last year were three times the total taxes paid by Chen Yanzhou when he came to Yungui County.

These are all real achievements.

These achievements are remarkable and outstanding. Unless Your Majesty is blind or a foolish ruler, you would never allow such a talented person to waste his time in the lower ranks.

Gu Yuanxi was somewhat impressed by his elder brother's explanation, but he still wouldn't let it go, saying, "He's accomplished so much; it's already good enough that he's been reinstated. Being promoted to the fifth rank shows His Majesty's appreciation of talent, but to be demoted to the fourth rank..."

Gu Yuanming said, "Didn't you just say that Uncle Shi has been pulling strings behind the scenes? Uncle Shi is favored by the Emperor, and Yan Zhou's previous marriage was only dissolved because of the Second Prince. As for this matter, cough cough, His Majesty has not given an explanation. I think that promoting Yan Zhou to the fourth rank should be His Majesty's compensation."

Gu Yuanxi opened his eyes wide, looking startled.

He had only felt sorry for Yan Zhou being cuckolded, but could being cuckolded actually help with his career advancement? If he had known this beforehand, he... wouldn't have wanted to be cuckolded either!
It can only be said that there are some blessings he simply cannot enjoy.

While the two brothers were whispering to each other, Gu Wangchen and his father-in-law were also talking about Chen Yanzhou.

However, the two spoke rather cryptically.

The old master of the Chu family asked, "That child, is that He'er..."

Gu Wangchen nodded slightly and replied, "Yes. He was born into the Rongguo Duke's family and was the son of a second wife, but he was extremely outstanding. He was the top scholar in the imperial examination in the twentieth year of Changping and was granted the title of compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Later, he petitioned on behalf of his mentor, Grand Secretary Tong, and was demoted to serve as the magistrate of Yungui County in Lingnan Prefecture."

Gu Wangchen spoke of Chen Yanzhou with a rather complicated tone.

This nephew is handsome, comes from a distinguished family, is honest, kind, and filial, and is also quite talented.

Such a good son-in-law is hard to find even with a lantern.

What's even more remarkable is that he was in love with He'er.

If his marriage to He'er were to go through, he should be overjoyed.

Kehe'er is the daughter he searched for for eighteen years. How could he bear to marry her off so soon and endure being separated from her?
Gu Wangchen sighed, "He is a talented person, and he has good character. However, he is about to take up his post in Jinzhou, and he also had a previous marriage."

Old Master Chu remained silent.

He doted on his granddaughter, whom he had finally found. Of course, a girl grows up and eventually gets married. Chen Yanzhou was indeed a fine man, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But… let's wait a little longer, until the child is more familiar with her family, before discussing marriage.

Old Master Chu and Gu Wangchen, the father-in-law and son-in-law, started talking about other things, while the old lady and Yang Lingjia also huddled together and whispered among themselves.

They were also talking about Chen Yanzhou and Yun Ying.

Chen Yanzhou had just turned 18 when he was promoted to the position of fourth-rank prefect. Such a rapid promotion was not uncommon, but it was also very rare.

Given his current promotion trajectory and his status as the top scholar in the imperial examination, he will most likely join the cabinet.

Even to an ignorant woman, securing a position with a high-ranking official in advance is a worthwhile investment.

But then again, He'er has only just been found and brought home; they are reluctant to marry her off so soon.

Just as everyone in the Duke of Xuan's mansion was secretly speculating about whether Yunying and Chen Yanzhou's marriage was possible, someone came to Yunying's door early the next morning to propose marriage.

The person who came to the door was none other than the Queen Consort of Prince Huiyang.

Prince Huiyang is the current emperor's uncle, and Princess Huiyang is a very fortunate old princess in the royal family.

The Dowager Princess had both a son and a daughter, and her parents were still alive; her parents-in-law, of course, had passed away. However, her mother-in-law, under her care, lived to be over ninety years old before passing away. This was the Dowager Princess's blessing, and wasn't it also the Princess Huiyang's blessing?
Because of all these things, Princess Huiyang can be considered a very busy person in the royal family.

When princesses and noblewomen of the imperial family get married, she will be invited to be a lady of full fortune who combs their hair; when the daughters of noble families in the capital come of age, she will be the principal guest of honor; when the princes and noblemen of the imperial family are seeking marriage, she will be asked to be the matchmaker...

Today, Princess Huiyang has come to propose marriage to Yunying on behalf of someone else.

The old lady and Yang Lingjia personally received Princess Huiyang.

The old princess had a kind face and a gentle smile that made people feel at first glance.

She held Yang Lingjia's hand, praising the old lady's good fortune. She said her granddaughter-in-law was virtuous, dignified, capable, and filial; who in the capital didn't envy the old lady for having such a granddaughter-in-law?

The old lady beamed with joy upon hearing this, and couldn't help but echo Princess Huiyang's sentiments, praising her as well. She remarked that Princess Huiyang had a large family, with her great-grandson soon to be married, four generations under one roof—a blessing many could only dream of…

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two began to discuss serious matters.

The person who asked Princess Huiyang to go to the Duke of Xuanguo's residence today was none other than the Prince and Princess of Zhaoyang's residence.

Princess Huiyang couldn't say for sure, but it was her nephew Xiahou Yi who had taken a liking to the girl. She only mentioned that Princess Zhaoyang had seen Yunying once at the spring banquet and was quite pleased with her. Coincidentally, the young master had reached marriageable age, so she wanted to find a beautiful and noblewoman for her son.

The old lady and Yang Lingjia originally thought that Princess Huiyang's visit was at the request of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, but to their surprise, it was not the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, but the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion.

The old lady and Yang Lingjia exchanged a glance and immediately realized that things were getting complicated.

Prince Zhaoyang was a prince of a different surname, and his own younger sister was the empress in the palace.

Because he had an empress sister and a crown prince nephew, the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion was extremely prosperous and lavish, making it one of the most prestigious families in the capital.

Xiahou Yi, the heir of the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion, is handsome, intelligent, capable, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. He is indeed a well-known figure among the younger generation.

However, along with Xiahou Yi's reputation for shrewdness and competence, there was also his reputation for being unruly, arrogant, and eccentric, making him someone no one in the capital dared to provoke.

Such an arrogant and domineering man is not worthy of their He'er.

He'er, such a gentle and quiet girl, deserves a gentleman like Chen Yanzhou. To think of He'er standing next to Xiahou Yi...no, just the thought of it makes He'er terrified.

Both the old lady and Yang Lingjia thought the marriage was inappropriate.

However, it was the people from the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion who made the marriage proposal, while the Princess Huiyang came to propose. If they refused rashly, they would offend both families.

Having no other choice, the old lady came up with the idea of ​​stalling.

Using this as an excuse, she said, "I can't make decisions about He'er's marriage. Don't think that just because I'm He'er's grandmother, she has a father. You know, my son has been searching for this granddaughter for over twenty years. He finally found her, so how could he be willing to let her go so easily? I'll talk to Wangchen about this later and give you an answer. Is that alright?"

Princess Huiyang would never agree to that, so she readily agreed.

There are always considerations when arranging a marriage; for a marriage to be successful, the matchmaker will inevitably wear out a pair of shoes running around.

However, she felt that this marriage was somewhat uncertain.

The old lady showed no joy. It was unclear whether she disliked Xiahou Yi or felt that marrying into the Zhaoyang Prince's mansion would be seen as taking sides and would displease the Emperor...

In short, whatever the reason, she just needed to get the message across. As for what happens next, she would simply wait for the Duke of Xuan's mansion to give her a message.

Princess Huiyang stayed in the mansion for a while longer before Yang Lingjia personally escorted her out.

After the Princess Huiyang was dismissed, the old lady jumped up and down in a panic.

"Quickly call He'er over. Oh, does your aunt have any free time now? Invite your two aunts over as well."

Yunying and her two aunts soon arrived at the old lady's residence.

When they heard from the old lady that the Prince Zhaoyang's mansion had taken a liking to Yunying and intended to marry her to the heir apparent Xiahou Yi, Yunying and her two aunts both showed expressions of astonishment.

Xiahou Yi's image had become somewhat blurred in Yunying's memory. Only after searching carefully did she recall what Xiahou Yi looked like.

The man was indeed handsome, with a striking appearance, but his face exuded a fierce aura, making him someone not to be trifled with.

Thinking of this, Yunying couldn't help but frown.

The old lady noticed Yunying's expression and couldn't help but ask her granddaughter, "He'er, have you seen this Prince Xiahou there?"

Otherwise, with countless beautiful women in the capital, why would the Prince Zhaoyang's mansion have taken a fancy to her newly adopted granddaughter?
Yunying didn't think there was anything wrong with talking about this. She sorted out her thoughts and recounted her two encounters with Xiahou Yi.

After hearing her words, the old lady exchanged glances with her two aunts: it's probably because of these two meetings that Xiahou Yi has taken a liking to He'er.

However, things could turn out unexpectedly. Perhaps this marriage was not Xiahou Yi's own choice, but rather something that Prince Zhaoyang wanted to arrange for other reasons.

The old lady put those thoughts aside and asked her granddaughter, "So, what do you think of Prince Xiahou's character? Are you willing to..."

When Yunying was asked about marriage, she wasn't embarrassed. She said frankly, "I don't think it's suitable. Although I've only met Prince Xiahou twice, I still feel that his personality is too outgoing..."

"Extroverted" is a nice way of putting it; to put it bluntly, it means too flamboyant and unrestrained. She can't hold onto a man like that, and she doesn't want him.

Yunying said, "Grandmother, please refuse. I don't want to get married so soon. I want to stay in the manor and spend more time with you, Grandfather, and Father."

The old lady sighed, "I would like to keep you here a little longer, but now that we've started, there will probably be even more people coming to ask for your hand in marriage. I would like you to never marry, but if I did that, you would probably resent this old woman."

Yunying tugged at her grandmother's arm and said coquettishly, "Grandma, what are you saying?"

After talking for a while, Yunying was taken out by Yang Lingjia.

As soon as Yunying left the flower hall, the old lady said to her two aunts, "The Prince Zhaoyang's mansion is indeed not a good place. Prince Zhaoyang is fond of women, and the mansion is in great chaos."

It's all thanks to Princess Zhaoyang's skill that she was able to keep those women in check. Otherwise, the mansion would probably have been in complete chaos.

Of course, Xiahou Yi was also capable.

He was both the eldest son and the legitimate heir, possessed both ability and skill, was favored by the current empress, and had been close friends with his cousin, the crown prince, since childhood.

Through all these means, he easily suppressed his illegitimate brothers in the Prince's mansion, preventing them from standing up for themselves. When those illegitimate brothers saw him, they were like mice before a cat, as docile and obedient as could be.

But this is only on the surface. As for what's really going on inside, well, as long as Xiahou Yi continues to enjoy favor and power, the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion will remain peaceful; otherwise, the mansion will inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later.

The old lady spoke frankly, "I don't approve of this marriage. Since He'er doesn't approve either, I'll talk to the Duke about it and refuse the marriage."

The two aunts nodded repeatedly, naturally having no reason not to.

Actually, Yunying's marriage wasn't something they needed to worry about. It was just that the old lady was a considerate person and didn't want to exclude them. Besides, there was also the possibility that she wanted them to pass on a message—the old master was still staying at the Duke's mansion. Even though she was his granddaughter, the old master cared about her a lot, so it was best to tell him about this matter.

Meanwhile, the group sighed, "A good daughter in the family will never have trouble getting married."

Then she thought, He'er's heart and eyes are now only on Chen Yanzhou. If the Rongguo Duke's Mansion were to ask for her hand in marriage, would they also refuse?
If that's the case, He'er might hold a grudge against them.

In the end, the old lady could only sigh, "Fortunately, they haven't made any moves yet, so let's not talk about it for now. We'll deal with it when they come to our door. Let's not create trouble for ourselves now."

(End of this chapter)