Union

Chapter 210, 209if section

It was the height of summer, and the air was scorching hot.

The heat outside was intense, even the cicadas seemed to be chirping weakly, let alone people.

The young maids yawned as they tried to keep their eyes wide open while on duty. Suddenly, a snapping sound of a tree branch breaking rang out, making them think their master had arrived. They quickly straightened up and stood at attention.

But after waiting for a long time, they didn't hear the owner's footsteps. Instead, they heard a few childish "meows".

The two maids then realized that it was the cat that had been causing trouble.

They were already awake and couldn't doze off anytime soon, so they whispered among themselves, "Where did this cat come from? It might startle the girl again."

"I don't know. I'll tell Granny later. We need to get rid of this cat quickly. The young lady is a light sleeper. She's taking a nap in the old lady's room right now. If she were in her own courtyard, she would definitely be startled awake."

"Go tell them, I'll keep an eye on things here, so the girl won't come back and not find me..."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

The girl frequently mentioned by the two maids was none other than Gu Yuanhua, the noble and precious eldest daughter of the Duke of Xuan's mansion, whose nickname was He Miao, but the masters of the mansion preferred to call her "He'er".

The little girl, He'er, was indeed taking a nap in her grandmother's room at that moment.

She's eight years old this year, but because she suffered hardships in her childhood and lost her mother at a young age, her family dotes on her rotten. They treat her like a precious gem, afraid she might fall from their hands or melt in their mouths.

Even now that she's eight years old, she still can't live in her own courtyard if she hadn't fought for it herself.

Even though she successfully won the right to live in a courtyard by herself, she was often moved by her grandmother's sorrowful eyes during her lunch break and had to stay in her grandmother's courtyard to rest with her.

He'er slept for most of the hour before being woken up by her grandmother.

After washing and grooming themselves, the grandmother and grandson sat together sweetly and ate pastries and fruits.

July is the hottest time of the year.

He'er was frail, and her family didn't even dare to use an ice basin for her, let alone give her fruit that had been chilled in ice.

The two ancestors were of advanced age and frail health, and could only eat a couple of fruits and vegetables from cold water to satisfy their cravings.

He'er naturally had objections to this, "Grandmother, I'm already eight years old, and the imperial physician says I'm in good health now."

"It's not good now, it's good if it stays good. He'er, you may have forgotten that before you were four years old, you were as weak as a kitten. Your father and grandfather were worried that you wouldn't survive, so they begged His Majesty to invite the imperial physician to stay at our house. The imperial physician checked your pulse three times a day, and that's how we barely managed to save your life."

But before that, the granddaughter was not only sickly every day, but also in a daze all day long.

At the time, the family was worried that their granddaughter might have been injured in the fighting.
It's not impossible.

Amidst the chaos of war, Huiyin's labor was agonizing; the child might have suffered brain and physical damage from being confined in the birth canal for too long. Even worse, there were rebel troops patrolling nearby, and wolves drawn by the scent of blood lurking nearby…

Any one of these would be an immense danger to a newborn baby. It's possible the child was harmed while Wang Chen was searching for him.

But if a wealthy and powerful family has a stupid or foolish child, it's not only unpleasant to hear, but also because that's their own child, and they've gone through so much hardship to raise her. Who can accept that she'll live her life like this?

The child must have been traumatized by that massacre; with proper care, he should recover.

Gu Yuanhua was raised to be mentally challenged until she was four years old. One day, due to the carelessness of the maid, she rolled off the bed while sleeping. Unexpectedly, the head healed after that bump.

They took it to the temple and had a master examine it. The master only said that the missing wisp of soul had returned, and he also talked about some theories about past lives, which left the entire family of the Duke of Xuanguo completely confused.

But it's okay if you don't understand!
As long as the child recovers, that's all that matters.

With his mind clearing up, Gu Yuanhua became mischievous and clever, delighting everyone in the mansion.

But because she was so clever, she could cause a ruckus that no one in the household could control her. One year, she ate too much iced food and suffered from dehydration for several days. Even the imperial physician couldn't stop her. That incident terrified everyone in the household, and they never dared to indulge her again.

But that's a long story. To put it simply, no matter how unwilling he was, Gu Yuanhua didn't want to worry the old man, so in the end he could only eat two cold fruits to satisfy his craving.

After finishing the fruit, the grandfather and grandson went for a walk outside, and while they were walking, they waited for the brothers Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanxi to come home.

In that year, Gu Yuanming passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Also in that year, he became engaged to a young lady from the Yang family.

He was a handsome young man, taciturn and reserved, yet steady and reliable, making him very convincing.

Compared to his older brother Gu Yuanming, his younger brother Gu Yuanxi was much more lively.

He's eleven years old this year, but he still retains a childlike heart. One day he's going boating on the lake with his friends, and the next day he's preparing to start a poetry club with them. In his spare time, he loves to go to the theater to listen to operas and watch street performances. In short, he's enthusiastic about everything except studying.

Of course, compared to all those other random things, Gu Yuanhua, Gu Yuanxi's younger sister, was definitely his favorite.

Later that evening, Gu Wangchen and the Duke of Xuan also returned to their residence.

The family dined together, and laughter frequently echoed from the flower hall.

Amidst the laughter and joy, Gu Yuanxi solemnly announced that he would be celebrating his birthday in two days and would be hosting a banquet at home, inviting his friends to his house.

Several of Gu Yuanxi's close friends were people he met at the Imperial Academy. Because he frequently mentioned them, even those in his household who had never met him had heard of them.

Three of them were sons of noble families: one from the Rongguo Duke's mansion, one from the Wu'an Marquis's mansion, and another from the Changming Marquis's mansion. The last one was the eldest son of the Imperial Academy Director of Studies.

The Duke of Xuan and the Marquis of Wu'an had already conducted their investigation and were very satisfied with the characters of these men. So much so that they had no objection when Gu Yuanxi wanted to host a banquet for his friends at home.

Of course, while agreeing to this, the father and son also reminded Gu Yuanming, "Next time it's your birthday, you can also invite your friends to your home."

Gu Yuanming understood the meaning behind those words perfectly and couldn't help but laugh. "Father, I'm not a child anymore. Why would I compete with my brother for his affection over such trivial matters?"

Duke Xuan and Gu Wangchen both laughed, "We were too talkative."

At this moment, Gu Yuanhua raised her hand and said, "Big brother doesn't want it, I do! Grandfather, father, since you agreed to hold a small banquet for second brother this time, I will also invite my close sisters to the house for a banquet on my birthday next time."

Her charming and adorable appearance, coupled with her vying-for-favor pose, was absolutely hilarious. The elders and her two brothers immediately burst into laughter, while Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanxi, sitting nearby, kept patting her head, exclaiming, "How can she be so cute?"

Yun Ying, oh, her name in her past life was Yun Ying, and in this life it's Gu Yuanhua.

Gu Yuanhua almost rolled her eyes. When she transmigrated, her hair was sparse and yellowish, looking quite unpleasant to look at. Over the years, she had painstakingly grown it into the thick, black, and shiny hair she had now. If anyone touched her hair again, she would get angry.

……

Before they knew it, it was Gu Yuanxi's twelfth birthday.

After having breakfast that day, Gu Yuanxi personally greeted guests at the gate of the mansion.

He changed into brand-new brocade clothes, puffed out his chest, straightened his back, and looked very serious, as if he were someone important.

Gu Yuanhua passed by the main gate several times, intentionally or unintentionally.

She did it on purpose!
Otherwise, a young lady from a wealthy family who lives secluded in her chambers might not even pass through the gate once a month.

How many times has she passed by today? Three times or five times?
Gu Yuanxi rolled his eyes so hard they almost reached the sky.

As she passed by the gate for the last time, Gu Yuanxi grabbed her and said, "What's so interesting? I'm just standing here to greet guests. Oh, you're just a young girl, you don't understand these things. You should go back now, or you'll get a tan."

Gu Yuanhua isn't afraid of the sun at all. Didn't you see she's holding an oil-paper umbrella? The sun protection function of an oil-paper umbrella is almost zero, but as long as she's mentally protecting herself from the sun, her face definitely won't get tanned.

Gu Yuanhua chuckled, "Second brother, don't be angry, and don't chase me away. I'll watch your show for a while longer, and then I'll go back."

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

Two bursts of suppressed laughter rang out, finally rousing the brother and sister who were busy bickering.

The two siblings quickly turned their heads to look and saw a carriage bearing the clan emblem of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion parked not far away.

There were two young boys on the carriage. One was chubby with a fair and smiling face, and from a distance, he looked as endearing as a sesame dumpling.

The other boy was more than a head taller than this one. He was tall and slender, but had a refined and handsome appearance.

Like a jade tree in full bloom, he is elegant and refined. At such a young age, he already possesses such grace and charm. It's not hard to imagine how popular he will be among young ladies in a few years.

Recalling the descriptions the second brother gave of his friend, the identities of these two people became quite easy to guess.

One of them must be Liu Ying'an from the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion, and the other one is probably Chen Yanzhou, the second young master of the Duke of Rong's mansion.

While Yunying was guessing the identities of the two, Gu Yuanxi had already adopted the demeanor of a host and happily went to greet them.

The two boys were quite interesting; they exchanged pleasantries with him politely and presented him with a small gift. After the formalities were completed, all three of them couldn't help but laugh.

Gu Yuanhua couldn't stop laughing either.

The scene of a child insisting on pretending to be an adult was, in her eyes, just like playing house.

Gu Yuanhua was smiling happily when the others suddenly looked over.

Liu Ying'an grinned, her eyes narrowing into slits as she smiled. "Is this our little sister? Oh my, I've only ever heard Yuanxi say that our little sister is a picky eater, I never imagined she was so beautiful. It's all my fault for being so negligent; I forgot to bring her a gift. I'll make it up to her next time."

If other people of the opposite sex were to compliment someone's appearance, it would inevitably carry a hint of disrespect, but this would not be the case at all when it comes to Liu Ying'an.

His eyes were very pure, and he exuded an honest and innocent charm. When he praised someone, he truly meant it; there was no way he could have any other intention.

Liu Ying'an was extremely annoyed. How could he not have thought that Yuan Xi had a younger sister? The sister was younger than them, so they should have given her a gift when they met.

Just as Liu Ying'an was filled with regret, Chen Yanzhou took a box from the servant behind him and handed it to Yun Ying.

"It's nothing valuable, just some toys that young girls would like. Please accept it, little sister."

Gu Yuanhua: "..." You guys call her "little sister" so naturally. If you count the age in your past lives, you're all little brothers!
But perhaps because his body shrank after transmigrating, his temperament also shrank considerably. Gu Yuanhua is now just like a real child—playful, mischievous, picky, and fond of all sorts of random toys and colorful clothes…

She couldn't resist her curiosity and took the box, saying in a drawn-out, childish voice, "Thank you, Brother Yanzhou."

The handsome young man seemed pleased by the "brother" address. He couldn't help but chuckle and then took the oil-paper umbrella from her hand. "Let me hold it for you."

Chen Yanzhou took the umbrella from Gu Yuanhua, and the two turned and headed into the mansion together, leaving Gu Yuanxi and Liu Ying'an looking at each other in bewilderment.

Gu Yuanxi felt something was wrong, and then belatedly realized that Chen Yanzhou was being too overly enthusiastic towards his sister.
Is this how Chen Yanzhou usually treats young girls he encounters on the street?
Absolutely not!

He always had a cold face, which scared people away, but then he would rush over to help people hold an umbrella for them.

Liu Ying'an sighed at this moment, "My little sister is so cute. I wanted to hold an umbrella for her too, but Yan Zhou beat me to it. How annoying!"

Oh, so it's because his sister is so cute, then that's fine!

……

Gu Yuanhua didn't eat lunch with her second brother today; she ate with her grandmother as usual. After lunch, she was held in her grandmother's arms again and took a sweet nap.

After her afternoon nap, she strolled back to her yard to practice her calligraphy for the day. But halfway there, she suddenly heard the meows of a kitten.

Gu Yuanhua stopped and lowered his body, meowing softly.

Her voice, still carrying a hint of childishness, successfully lured the kitten out. But upon seeing that it was a two-legged creature in front of it, rather than one of its own kind, the kitten alertly leaped far away, glancing back at Gu Yuanhua as it ran off into the distance.

Can Gu Yuanhua tolerate this?

She quickly followed.

He darted through flowerbeds and ran up the artificial hill, eventually losing track of the kitten and ending up looking like a little beggar.

"Hmph, you stinky cat!"

"Meow!"

"Hey, did I not lose it? The cat's still here?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Gu Yuanhua saw a handsome young man, holding a kitten by the scruff of its neck, appear in front of him.

Gu Yuanhua was both delighted that the kitten had been caught and worried about the boy's rude behavior.

"Brother Yanzhou, let go of the kitten quickly, it's going to be in pain soon."

"It hurts?" The boy raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "If I let go, it will run away."

"That's not allowed, it's not allowed..."

"Don't worry, I'm very gentle. This little thing is well-behaved and hasn't moved around. Look, it hasn't struggled at all. If it were in pain, it would have started thrashing around by now."

That's true.

The kitten, now in Chen Yanzhou's hands, seemed to have encountered a trial by fate. It became incredibly obedient, showing no trace of its earlier provocation.

Gu Yuanhua stepped forward and poked its little belly. "I don't know where this cat came from, but it's been running around in my yard every night for the past few days. It's either knocking over vases or breaking flowers and trees, making so much noise that I can't sleep well at night."

"What should I do then? Should I take it with me today?"

Gu Yuanhua was tempted, yet also reluctant, and stammered for a long time without saying a word.

The young man, unusually patient, simply watched her quietly. But after a long, long time, she still couldn't make a decision. Chen Yanzhou could only smile and offer to help her decide, "How about this, I'll take this cat and keep it for now. If you want to see it again, just have Yuanxi send me a message, and I'll deliver the cat to your residence. Is that alright?"

Gu Yuanhua readily agreed, "That's wonderful, Brother Yanzhou. But, but what if Grandmother finds out..."

"Then let's keep it from our elders and not let them know."

The two reached an agreement and easily persuaded Gu Yuanxi to become an accomplice.

Thus, the two maintained this clandestine relationship for the next four or five years.

The elders, of course, were unaware of the trickery involved. They only noticed that Yuanxi was increasingly inviting his friends to visit their home, and they were also frequently taking Yuanhua out to play. Yuanhua would always go out excitedly and come back jumping for joy. Although they had some doubts and felt that it was inappropriate for the children to be getting older, they couldn't bring themselves to say anything to stop them when they saw little Yuanhua's sweet smile.

This time, Chen Yanzhou passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. Several of his friends suggested celebrating for him. Gu Yuanxi asked his sister's opinion, and Gu Yuanhua decided to go out with them.

This is what she told her grandmother: "Brother Yanzhou has treated me very well these past few years. Every time he brings food to my second brother, I always get a share. If my second brother can't find some books I want to read, Brother Yanzhou will go to Grand Secretary Tong's place to copy them for me. Because I like orchids, my second brother brought me the two best blooming orchids from Brother Yanzhou's yard. Not to mention, for every festival and holiday, Brother Yanzhou never forgets to prepare a gift for me. Now that he's passed the imperial examination at such a young age, if I don't go to congratulate him, I feel like I'm an ungrateful wretch." The old lady wanted to say, "There's no need to go in person. Wouldn't it be the same if your second brother brought you a gift?"

But then I thought, my granddaughter is already thirteen, and lately people have been frequently trying to find out what she wants, asking about her marriage prospects. The young girl doesn't have many more years of truly carefree days left, so if she wants to relax a bit, then let her be.

With his grandmother's approval, Gu Yuanhua cheered and went out with his second brother.

The group had booked a private room at a restaurant. When the brother and sister arrived, Chen Yanzhou, Zhou Zhenshu, Liu Ying'an, and Chen Henian were already there.

Seeing Gu Yuanxi bring Gu Yuanhua along, none of them showed any surprise. They all warmly invited Gu Yuanhua to sit down and treated her like a younger sister.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the others gathered together to chat, while Chen Yanzhou beckoned Gu Yuanhua to follow her to the next room.

Gu Yuanhua knew they were going to see the cats, and he excitedly followed along.

Zhou Zhenshu and Chen Henian, who were in the private room, both gave each other a meaningful look when they saw this. Their gazes then fell back on Liu Ying'an and Gu Yuanxi. These two were idiots. Chen Yanzhou's intentions were practically written all over his face, yet these two still thought it was just "brotherly and sisterly affection."

Gu Yuanxi was even more foolish. Not only was he kept in the dark, but he had also been an accomplice all along. It was unimaginable how much trouble Yuanxi would cause when he found out about this.

In the next room, Gu Yuanhua looked at the kittens with eyes as soft as water.

The kitten from before has become a mother cat this year. She gave birth to three kittens, two yellow and one white. The kittens are about the size of a large mouse, and they are huddled together in front of their mother, so cute that you want to squeal with delight.

Gu Yuanhua petted the cat for a good while, reluctant to take his hand away.

Chen Yanzhou suddenly spoke up at this moment, "I'm afraid I won't be able to bring the kittens out for you to see anymore. Yuanhua, would you like to consider taking these kittens home to raise?"

Gu Yuanhua didn't hear the next question; she only noticed Chen Yanzhou saying, "You can't bring the kitten out for her to see anymore."

why?

Isn't it good for them to be like this now?
But Gu Yuanhua quickly realized that his brother Yanzhou had passed the imperial examination and would definitely participate in the spring imperial examination next year. During this preparation period, he decided to study diligently at home, even if it meant burning his head against the rafters or pricking his thigh with an awl.

With Yan Zhou's knowledge, passing the provincial examination would be no problem at all. After the provincial examination came the palace examination, and after that, he would be appointed to an official position.

Yan Zhou will soon be a government official, and it's foreseeable that he won't have time to play with the cat with her anymore.

Even though she had made ample preparations for this day, hearing the news so suddenly still weighed heavily on Gu Yuanhua's heart, as if a large stone had been placed in her stomach.

At this moment, she didn't know if the disappointment of not being able to see Yan Zhou as often in the future prevailed, or if it was the thought of not being able to pet the cat as often—no, she could take the cat home, she could keep it in another yard. The cat wasn't the problem, so what was?
Gu Yuanhua stared blankly, lost in his own thoughts.

Chen Yanzhou watched her silently, taking in all her expressions.

After a long while, Gu Yuanhua forced a smile and said, "I know my brother is preparing for the imperial examinations. I... well, I'll..."

"It's not about the imperial examinations."

"It's not because of the imperial examination?" Gu Yuanhua didn't believe it. "If it's not because of the imperial examination, then why can't you bring the kitten out to show me?"

Gu Yuanhua frowned slightly. "Brother Yanzhou, have you encountered any other troubles?"

Chen Yanzhou coughed lightly. "It's not a problem, it's just that... my mother has started looking at young ladies in the capital and wants to arrange my marriage."

"engagement?"

Gu Yuanhua was struck dumb.

How old is Brother Yanzhou? How come he's already engaged?

But upon closer reflection, Yan Zhou and his second brother are the same age, both sixteen or seventeen this year.

Grandmother had mentioned my second brother's marriage before, but my second brother said that he should not consider marriage before he has achieved any outstanding academic results. Otherwise, if he gets married, he will be distracted and how will he be able to pass the imperial examination?
Although passing the imperial examination was harder than climbing to heaven for my second brother, he had the ambition and, since he was not very old, my grandmother temporarily put the matter aside and did not continue to make things difficult for him.

But Yan Zhou's situation is different.

He passed the provincial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), and may soon become a Gongshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) and a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the metropolitan examination).

People say that one should settle down before starting a career. Now that Brother Yanzhou has achieved academic success, it's only natural that his marriage should be on the agenda.

Nowadays, people generally believe that once a person is married, they become more mature and capable of being entrusted with important responsibilities. If a person is not married, they are still considered a naive young man, always a bit impulsive, and difficult to gain complete trust.

Therefore, this engagement is not necessarily a bad thing for Brother Yanzhou.

This was clearly a good thing, but for some reason, Gu Yuanhua hesitated to say "Congratulations."

She lowered her head, her eyes unconsciously reddening. After a long while, she softly said, "Then I want to congratulate... congratulate you, brother..."

"Yuan Hua".

"Ok?"

Chen Yanzhou raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Gu Yuanhua's eyes.

"Actually, I have a solution that can solve both my and your predicament."

Gu Yuanhua was confused. What do you mean by "your predicament" and "my predicament"?
After careful consideration, Gu Yuanhua quickly understood. Yan Zhou's dilemma was that he didn't have a woman he liked yet and didn't want to go on a date; while her dilemma was that she wanted to see the kitten and also wanted to see Yan Zhou.

After figuring this out, Gu Yuanhua's face turned bright red, as if it were on fire.

It was at this moment that she noticed the way Yan Zhou looked at her; it seemed different from usual. His eyes were dark and brooding, as if something was about to burst forth, which frightened her.

"Brother, brother, what's the best way?"

Chen Yanzhou looked at her and said, word by word, "You will be engaged to me!"

A thunderous event shook the heavens and the earth; the winds and clouds stirred.

At this moment, Gu Yuanhua's mind was foggy, as if he had been hit by a thunderous explosion.

Chen Yanzhou's seductive voice continued, "I've thought about it, and this might be the best way to maintain our current situation. Not only that, if we really get engaged, you can see Xiao Mao not only outside, but I can also bring her into the Duke of Xuan's mansion. Including if you want to go out to play or eat anything from outside, I can give it to you..."

"Brother Yanzhou, this isn't solving my problems at all; you're just trying to trick me into marriage!"

Chen Yanzhou was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, "You figured it out?"

Gu Yuanhua was astonished. You didn't resist?

Chen Yanzhou grabbed her hand to prevent her from escaping.

Gu Yuanhua saw through his scheme, so he stopped pretending. "Yes! I'm just trying to trick you into marriage! My goal is to get you to agree to this."

"You, you, Brother Yanzhou, how could you do this?"

Chen Yanzhou raised an eyebrow. "Why can't I do that? I love you, so naturally I want to marry you. What's wrong with what I'm doing?"

As Gu Yuanhua blushed and tried to escape, Chen Yanzhou cupped her face in his hands and turned her closer, saying in a hoarse voice, "I didn't want to rush things. I wanted to take it slow. But recently, many people have come to our door, wanting to arrange your marriage."

Gu Yuanhua hurriedly said, "But my grandmother has already refused."

“Grandmother will eventually agree to find you a husband, after all, you are already thirteen years old this year. Yuanhua, the thought of someone eyeing you makes me furious. This anger makes me restless and unable to eat or sleep.”

"me……"

"I know you're not uninterested in me either, otherwise you wouldn't have given me so many gifts that I like. Yuanhua, Hua'er, you also want to get engaged to me and marry me, right?"

Gu Yuanhua's face turned as red as if it were about to bleed.

They were just engaged a moment ago, how come they're talking about getting married now?

She's only thirteen!

Talking about this at thirteen? Isn't it too early?
Gu Yuanhua finally said, "I don't want to marry you," and turned to run away.

She naturally didn't run away, because her hand was being held by Chen Yanzhou.

The proud young man, like the most patient prey, showed no anger at her refusal. Instead, he said understandingly, "After all, Hua'er is still young and doesn't know the benefits of marriage, so naturally she doesn't want to become a wife. But, Hua'er, do you really not want to? If you marry me, you can see these little kittens every day, and I can take you shopping, boating on the lake, and horseback riding..."

"My second brother can help me with these too!"

Chen Yanzhou was speechless. "Your second brother can't marry you!"

Despite his persistent pleading, Chen Yanzhou was ultimately unable to persuade Gu Yuanhua to agree to the marriage.

But he was not discouraged and made several more invitations afterward... Of course, these were all nominally invitations to Gu Yuanxi, and as for whether Gu Yuanhua would come... well, he didn't.

Whether out of shame or anger, Gu Yuanhua kept her distance and didn't see Chen Yanzhou again before the new year.

The two met again at the palace banquet on New Year's Eve.

But the palace banquet was packed with people, and the two of them only glanced at each other before looking away.

The turning point came after the banquet.

When Gu Yuanhua came out of the washroom, she hadn't walked far when she encountered a drunkard stumbling towards her.

Gu Yuanhua couldn't tell if the man was truly drunk or faking it, as the smell of alcohol emanating from him was nauseating. But she immediately recognized that he was after her.

She dodged three times, but the man always managed to grab her. If Chen Yanzhou hadn't heard the commotion and rushed over at the crucial moment, knocking out the troublemaking Second Prince, and if more nobles had witnessed the situation, she might have ended up marrying the Second Prince as a concubine.

The Second Prince was a lecherous scoundrel. Gu Yuanhua vomited uncontrollably just thinking about his face reeking of alcohol.

Because of this unexpected incident, the group did not stay in the palace for long and left immediately.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the Rongguo Duke's Mansion secretly sent someone to their door, wanting to ask for the marriage of their second son with the beautiful daughter of the mansion, Yuanhua.

The people from the Duke of Xuan's mansion were still plotting against the Second Prince and thinking about how to completely prevent similar troubles when the Duke of Rong's mansion came knocking.

This is truly a case of finding a pillow when you're sleepy... It's not quite right to say it like that, but with He'er's marriage arranged and the groom's family being the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, anyone with ill intentions should seriously consider whether they can afford to offend both families.

The people of the Duke of Xuan's mansion naturally didn't intend to marry Gu Yuanhua off early, but if she didn't marry, couldn't they at least get engaged?

They couldn't be more satisfied with such a wonderful marriage and such a perfect match.

The old lady, representing the whole family, went to ask Gu Yuanhua for his opinion. Gu Yuanhua hesitated, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

So, this means you've taken a liking to someone?
If a young girl didn't like someone, she would have rejected them long ago. But the way she's turning left and right makes it obvious that she likes them but is too shy to say so.

The old woman felt both joy and sorrow. Her granddaughter, whom she had raised with her own hands, was about to become someone else's family member.

Gu Yuanxi was the last in the Duke of Xuan's mansion to know about this joyous occasion.

After hearing the news, he stood there stunned for a long time. Then, as if he had figured something out, he turned and ran out the door.

That damn Chen Yanzhou, he must have had his eye on his sister a long time ago.

He said Chen Yanzhou was aloof and unapproachable, only close to his sister, but it turns out he had such a wicked plan!

Pooh!
He treated him like a good brother, but the other man wanted to be his brother-in-law. He'll kill this scheming scoundrel!
In the end, the cut was not made, because Chen Yanzhou had many leverages over Gu Yuanxi, leaving Gu Yuanxi with no choice but to obey.

Chen Yanzhou and Gu Yuanhua got engaged smoothly, and the news spread like wildfire throughout the streets that very day.

There are all sorts of opinions on this.

Those who had seen through Chen Yanzhou's intentions couldn't help but sigh in admiration: "Indeed, this cunning young man got what he wanted."

Others, however, say that the daughter of the Duke of Xuan's family is truly lucky. She married into another wealthy family and is destined for a life of luxury. Apart from losing her mother at a young age, this girl could never have any misfortunes in her life.

There were all sorts of things being said, but none of these words reached Gu Yuanhua's ears.

To outsiders, her life seemed glamorous and carefree, but Gu Yuanhua also had her own troubles—

My fiancé is too clingy.

Three days after the engagement, they sent two letters.

One letter expressed a desire to see her; the second letter revealed an intense longing for her.

With him being so persistent, can she really wait until she turns eighteen to marry him?

Just thinking about it makes me feel so incredibly difficult.

I recommend the new book "The Phoenix's Marriage" and would appreciate it if you could add it to your favorites.

The Wedding of the Phoenix

The first thing Zhao Lingshu did after transmigrating was to stop her mother from drinking the fertility remedy.

The second thing was to persuade her mother and father to divorce!

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Her mother was a merchant's daughter, but her maternal grandfather's family were imperial merchants, and they were so wealthy that they could rival the wealth of a country.

On the other hand, although her father was a marquis, the marquis's mansion was just an empty shell, and her mother had to contribute a lot of money every year in order to maintain a decent life.

While spending her mother's money, she belittled her mother for being unable to have children; while giving her mother all sorts of strange folk remedies, she plotted to ruin her mother's health and take her life.

What the hell? You want it all? You're all so shameless.
She and her mother are no longer going to serve such a bunch of troublemakers.

Divorce!

Must divorce!

With her father no longer a burden, her grandmother no longer favoring her, and her scheming uncles, aunts, and cousins ​​no longer around, Zhao Lingshu found a new husband for her mother. Her mother had two babies in a year and three babies in three years.

She also secured a good marriage for herself, successfully marrying into the royal family and becoming the emperor's daughter-in-law.

As the Queen Consort of the King of Qin, Zhao Lingshu was the sole favorite of her husband, and she could wake up laughing every day.