Union

Chapter 199 It's settled
We had just said that the Rongguo Duke's Mansion wouldn't come knocking, so there was no need to cause trouble, but who knew that just one day later, people from the Rongguo Duke's Mansion came knocking.

It was a day off, and the entire family of the Duke of Xuanguo was at home.

The Duke of Rongguo, accompanied by Lady Feng, came directly to their door.

What title did the Duke of Rongguo hold?

He came to visit his friend for drinks, and Xiao Fengshi came to pay her respects to the old lady.

Of course, this is just the surface-level explanation; anyone can guess what's really going on.

Seeing this, the people from the Duke of Xuan's mansion naturally understood that the Duke of Rong's mansion was probably in a hurry.

It's good that you're in a hurry.

The fact that they're anxious shows they value He'er.

It's only when they're in a hurry that they realize they absolutely need He'er.

If it were truly the Prince of Zhaoyang's mansion proposing marriage, and they remained unmoved, then the Duke of Xuan's men would have to completely remove Chen Yanzhou from their consideration list.

Back to the present.

After entering the Duke of Xuan's mansion, the Duke of Rong and Madam Feng immediately went to pay their respects to the two elders in the mansion.

Both the Duke of Xuan and his wife were considered to be of advanced age.

Both men were over eighty years old, and would be treated with utmost respect in any household. Even the Duke of Rong, with his high position and great power, could only show the deference of a junior in front of these two.

After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Duke Rongguo looked at the younger generation in the flower hall... Gu Wangchen knew that the grand performance was about to begin, so he waved to his children and daughters-in-law to leave first.

Gu Yuanming led his younger siblings out of the flower hall and towards the courtyard.

Gu Yuanxi, however, dawdled, turning back every few steps, as if he wished he could sneak out the window to eavesdrop.

After being glared at by his older brother, Gu Yuanxi awkwardly touched his nose and quickly followed. "I don't believe I'm the only one who's curious. Don't you all want to hear what Uncle and the others are here for?"

Gu Yuanming glanced at his younger brother and said, "A brain is a good thing, it's a pity you don't have one."

Yang Lingjia and Yun Ying both burst out laughing upon hearing this, while Gu Yuanxi turned pale. "Big brother, just speak properly. Why do you always resort to personal attacks?"

"Then what should I say? It's something anyone can guess. Why do you have to ask? Does it make you seem like you're being nosy?"

Gu Yuanxi felt even more aggrieved. "Big brother, it's one thing to say something to me, but you keep saying it. Don't I have any pride?"

"How much is your pride worth?"

The two brothers bickered, and naturally, Gu Yuanxi suffered a crushing defeat in the end.

Gu Yuanxi was only dejected for a short while after being reprimanded. He quickly lowered his voice and said to the others, "I know that Uncle and the others have come here to discuss the marriage between Yanzhou and my sister."

"Cough, cough." Gu Yuanming glared at his younger brother. "If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll have you thrown out of the manor. Your sister is right here; can't you watch your words?"

Gu Yuanxi: "..." This is outrageous.

He can't say this, he can't say that. Does that mean all he can do with his mouth is eat?

However, seeing his younger sister turn her face away shyly, Gu Yuanxi realized that she was, after all, a young lady who could be shy and embarrassed. He had spoken about her marriage prospects in front of her; his older brother's reprimand was justified.

Gu Yuanxi shut his mouth this time, daring not to utter another word. But though he didn't say it, he felt increasingly restless. He wondered where they were in the flower hall; were his uncles really here to propose marriage between Yan Zhou and his sister? He wondered how they were going to convince his grandparents and father.

He wished time would pass quickly; he was insanely curious about this.

……

Inside the flower hall, after all the younger generation and servants had left, the Duke of Rong coughed lightly before getting down to business.

As everyone expected, the couple came to Chen Yanzhou's door in person to discuss his marriage.

They said that Yan Zhou was fond of the girl in the manor and intended to marry her as his principal wife. They also said that the couple were quite pleased with the girl's character and wished to have her as their daughter-in-law.

He speaks eloquently, like a theatrical performance, but that doesn't change the fact that he genuinely wants to get to the bottom of people's hearts.

Gu Wangchen glared fiercely at the Duke of Rong, asking how he dared to propose to the girl the man had just recognized.

Duke Rongguo smiled awkwardly. In all these years, this was the first time he had felt so out of the loop in front of his childhood friend.

But who can be blamed for this?

If anyone's to blame, it's him for having such a rebellious son!

Upon hearing that the Prince of Zhaoyang's residence had invited the Princess of Huiyang to propose marriage to the Duke of Xuan's residence, the unfilial son became extremely anxious.

He couldn't even wait for his father to return home from his official post, so he tricked his father into going back by making an excuse that something important had happened at home.

When he learned what had happened, he was relieved to have beaten the kid badly.

But that kid was fearless and dodged with incredible skill. He even dared to approach him after escaping, urging him to personally come and propose marriage on his behalf. Otherwise, he'd only have a son destined to be alone for life.

Honestly, he's the Duke of Rongguo, does he care if people say he has an unmarried son?

He has his own son to take care of him in his old age, so he doesn't care whether his second son gets married or has children.

If you dare threaten him, then let him show some backbone and say he'll never get married in this lifetime.

The Duke of Rong gave his unfilial son a thorough dressing-down, but the next day, he still had to accompany his wife to visit his son's future father-in-law and speak well of him.

Not to boast, but aside from being a bit sharp-tongued and arrogant, his second son was unmatched among all the powerful and wealthy young men in the capital.

Chen Jingxuan praised his eldest son to the skies to win his son's favor, but no matter how eloquently he spoke, the people of the Duke of Xuan's mansion showed no sign of wavering.

Finally, Chen Jingxuan could only wipe his face and say, "Uncle, you watched Yanzhou grow up. You know in your heart whether he is good or bad. Although he had a marriage with Lin, the two of them have always been innocent..."

Chen Jingxuan had finally revealed his true intentions; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought up his son's innocence.

The Duke of Xuanguo's mansion still forbids marriage, and one of the main reasons is because they are superstitious about that marriage.
They loathed the Lin family and the Chang'an Marquis's residence, which was associated with the Lin family.

Another reason is that he doesn't want his daughter to marry far away, and he can't bear to see his daughter, whom he has just recognized, leave his side again.

After considering all of these points, Chen Jingxuan began to tackle them one by one.

He had explained the matter between Yan Zhou and the Lin family clearly, and he was confident that Yan Zhou would never have any dealings with the people of the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion.

Then there's the matter of Yunying having to go to Yanzhou's post after getting married, which is something that can't be helped.

These days, if anyone wants to climb the ladder and get into the cabinet, which official doesn't have to serve as a subordinate for several terms?

Looking at the young people of Yanzhou's generation, Yanzhou is the most outstanding among them. His official career is the smoothest and his progress is the fastest. He is currently the prefect of Jinzhou, and he may be able to be re-elected after his three-year term expires. However, if he manages things properly, his son may be transferred back to the capital after three years.

Instead of marrying another powerful and wealthy man and going through the same process that Yan Zhou went through, why not just go directly to Yan Zhou?
Yan Zhou has reached the middle of the race. If Yun Ying marries Yan Zhou, perhaps they will only have to endure three to five years of separation from their loved ones.

But if Yunying marries someone else, and that person has no ambition, he will just settle down as a minor official of the fourth rank or below in the capital. But such a person has no future. Wouldn't marrying him be a waste of Yunying's potential?

If her husband has lofty ambitions, it's not impossible that he will be appointed to various posts outside the capital. Perhaps it will be for ten or eight years, perhaps for one or two decades. Could the people of the Duke of Xuan's mansion really endure such a situation?
It has to be said that Chen Jingxuan's words hit the nail on the head.

The people in the Duke of Xuan's mansion kept silent about Yunying's marriage. One reason for this was that they had just found their child and wanted her to enjoy a few years of peace and happiness at home. They didn't want her to marry into another family and become a concubine so soon.

On the other hand, aren't they also worried that their children will follow their husbands to other places, and then they will only be able to look at things and think of their husbands?

After listening to Chen Jingxuan's analysis, Chen Yanzhou truly was the best candidate—

Firstly, he and He'er had an emotional foundation and were mutually attracted to each other.

Secondly, his career is progressing smoothly, and he may be able to return to the capital in three years.

Thirdly, Chen Yanzhou is an outstanding person with excellent character and ability, and can withstand scrutiny.

Such a talented man! Since his divorce, many powerful and influential people have been whispering in the Rongguo Duke's mansion that they want to introduce him to a lady from a prestigious family as his second wife.

Whether it was because he had told his parents beforehand that he would marry no one but Yunying, or for some other reason, in any case, the Duke of Rongguo and Madam Feng dismissed the matter entirely, saying that their son's first marriage was arranged and coerced by them, resulting in a tragic marriage. They said that they would not make any demands on their son's future marriage or who he would marry, and that it was entirely up to their son's wishes.

That's just a way to fool people. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell that they have other plans, and the people they recommended are not within their consideration.

Then we have no choice but to give up.

Thinking about these things is a bit far-fetched. Let's just say that Chen Jingxuan did his homework at home, and his words at this moment really hit the nail on the head.

Even those from the Duke of Xuan's mansion who were somewhat resistant to the marriage were now tempted by the proposal.

But while they were interested, it was impossible for them to easily agree to marry He'er off.

Finally, the Duke of Rong was tricked into going out for tea.

As for the marriage between Chen Yanzhou and Yun Ying, the Duke of Xuan's mansion replied that they needed to discuss it further.

Chen Jingxuan had done his best, and he felt that he, as a father, had done his duty to his unfilial son.

Therefore, drinking tea is meaningless; let's just go straight for the wine and drink to our hearts' content.

The Duke of Rong and his wife spent most of the day at the Duke of Xuan's residence, and only returned home in the late afternoon when the weather changed.

It seems that the successive visits from the Prince Zhaoyang's Mansion and the Duke Rongguo's Mansion made some people in the capital realize that the girl recently recognized by the Duke Xuanguo's Mansion was indeed an excellent candidate for marriage.

So, in the following days, as if they had agreed beforehand, everyone invited a matchmaker to come and propose marriage.

Those matchmakers, entrusted with a task, praised the nobleman's son as if he were a god descended from heaven. But upon closer inquiry, they discovered he was either old and had accomplished nothing, or his family appeared respectable on the outside but was actually in a chaotic mess inside, or the whole family was scheming and hoped to marry a wealthy woman to fill their financial hole...

Gu Wangchen was furious after hearing the message from the old lady, and within just two days, a large boil appeared on his lip.

That's not all. As usual, he went to the palace to attend the court assembly. After the assembly, he was summoned by the emperor to go hunting. The emperor even joked that he had a fifth prince who was still unmarried and wondered if he could become in-laws with General Pingxi.

While His Majesty's words were certainly partly a joke, the thought that His Majesty might suddenly decide to matchmake someone really gave Gu Wangchen a headache.

This time, he dared not harbor any illusions. After returning home, he spoke to his father about Yunying's marriage.

Can't delay any longer.

Even if we don't marry off our daughter, we should still arrange He'er's marriage as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if she were to be chosen as the royal bride, He'er's life would be difficult.

The father and son sighed deeply, and after searching through all the young men in the capital, they still couldn't find a suitable match.

It can't be said that everyone looked down on them; there were still outstanding young men in the capital, such as Yuanxi's good friends Zhou Zhenshu and Chen Songnian.

However, Zhou Zhenshu has a childhood sweetheart fiancée, while Chen Songnian is too cold-hearted.

Looking at other teenagers, there are always things that don't go well for them.

After considering all the options, Chen Yanzhou is still the most suitable.

The father and son sat in silence for a long time before Gu Wangchen finally spoke, "If it doesn't work out, how about Dingyanzhou?"

Duke Xuan waved his hand, "Go, talk to your mother about this, and ask He'er for her opinion. If they both agree, settle this matter as soon as possible." They couldn't delay any longer, or something bad might happen.

Gu Wangchen responded and then said, "I'll also go and tell my father-in-law."

"Okay, you can make the arrangements yourself."

Gu Wangchen left, and a short while later, Yunying received a cautious inquiry from her father: How about I arrange your engagement with Yan Zhou?

That would be wonderful!

But is it just an engagement?

When will you get married?
Yunying pondered these questions without restraint, but ultimately did not ask them aloud.

Otherwise, she was afraid her father would burst into tears on the spot.

Yunying nodded, and the old lady and the old master of the Chu family had no objections. Thus, the engagement between Yunying and Chen Yanzhou was put on the agenda.

When the conversation reached the Rongguo Duke's mansion, even Chen Yanzhou, a man of few words and aloofness, couldn't help but burst into a hearty laugh.

This greatly shocked the Duke and his wife.

Duke Rong rolled his eyes at his son, "You've wasted your life raising this son. Just you wait and see, he's bound to be a man who forgets his mother after getting married."

Madam Feng was very open-minded. "Let him forget. How much longer can I stay with Yan Zhou? The one who can truly be with him until old age is his wife. As long as the two of them are doing well, what does it matter if our son leaves me aside?"

The Duke of Rong said sarcastically, "You seem to have a very open-minded attitude."

"Alright, stop with the nonsense. Go and hire a proper matchmaker later. Last time we rushed over to propose marriage, it was just a last resort. We can't be so impolite this time. We need to prepare the matchmaker and engagement gifts in advance, so we don't neglect the girl."

"Okay, okay, I understand. I'll go and ask them right away."

The fact that the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and the Xuanguo Duke's Mansion are to be married is currently known only to the two families.

But three days later, the Grand Princess went to the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and then to the Xuanguo Duke's Mansion, and the matter could no longer be kept secret.

When the Grand Princess came out of the Duke of Xuan's mansion, she was all smiles, as happy as a Maitreya Buddha.

This scene clearly indicates one thing: the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and the Xuanguo Duke's Mansion are about to form a marriage alliance.

(End of this chapter)