New Return of the Pearl: The Group's Pet Swallow Flies

Before half an hour had passed, the parents who were invited to Jingren Palace had already arrived at the reception room one after another.

When the parents stepped into the living room, they immediately saw those familiar but long-lost faces - they were the disciples or children they had missed so much and hadn't seen for a long time. At this moment, everyone's hearts were filled with indescribable emotions, especially when their eyes met, many people were so excited that their eyes were wet, and tears were rolling in their eyes, as if they were about to burst out in the next moment.

After everyone calmed down a bit, the topic naturally turned to the children's marriage. However, facing this sudden topic, the reactions of the people present were different.

Among them, only Lang Shining, who had received the relevant reply letter a long time ago, was the most calm and composed; and the Fu family couple and Xia Yuhe, who had already seen through their children's thoughts, were also smiling at this moment, looking confident. As for the other parents, all of them looked confused and bewildered. Among them, Concubine Yu and Mu Yunzhi's father Mu Chenke were like this.

The first person to be invited here was none other than Castiglione. He walked into the room with steady steps and respectfully bowed to the emperor and the empress, greeting them. However, due to time constraints, he did not even have time to have a good chat with his beloved disciple who had not seen him for many days, and reminisced about the past. He immediately started to discuss the wedding date of Benjamin with his future in-laws.

Just when the two parties had not yet discussed a specific wedding date, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door, followed by Concubine Yu, dressed in an elegant palace dress, and Mu Chenke, who looked a little anxious, hurried in.

The graceful and elegant Concubine Yu, upon hearing the news that her child, who had been away from home for three years, had finally returned, instantly broke into an ecstatic smile on her originally dignified and beautiful face. But at the same time, it was not difficult to detect a hint of nervousness and worry beneath her exquisite makeup.

After all, she already knew that her beloved son had someone in his heart, and the emperor had specially summoned her to discuss the marriage, which really made her feel uneasy.

At this moment, she couldn't help but feel a little worried, fearing that the girl she was marrying might not be as gentle, virtuous, and well-educated as she wished; she was even more worried that the girl was just coveting Yongqi's noble status and the power and wealth he possessed.

To be honest, Concubine Yu still had some regrets deep in her heart. She thought back then, there was a prospective daughter-in-law who was very much in her favor, but she scared him away and ended up running away from the marriage. Although she felt deeply sorry for this, she could also understand the many concerns that the girl faced at the time.

I thought these two children were destined to be apart and would never meet again in this life. However, what was unexpected was that when she stepped into the house, a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar figure suddenly came into her sight. In an instant, her face, which was originally slightly sad, was like being brushed by the spring breeze, and it bloomed with excitement and joy. At the same time, she could no longer suppress her inner impulse and stepped forward eagerly, as if she wanted to get closer and take a closer look, and couldn't wait to ask the other party many questions.

But just as she was about to approach, she suddenly caught a glimpse of the emperor and empress sitting above. So she quickly restrained her surging thoughts and bowed respectfully to the two people sitting on the throne, saying: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty. I wish your Majesty good health and great fortune; I wish your Majesty eternal youth!"

The emperor nodded slightly to show his approval, then gently raised his hand to Concubine Yu and said softly, "Stand up and sit down." After she stood up straight, he pointed to the place where Yongqi had just stood up and asked Concubine Yu to sit down.

After all, there were not many seats in the room and there were many people. Yongqi saw his mother coming and naturally would not let her sit without a seat, nor would he let her sit on the small stool that was added casually.

At this time, Concubine Yu finally saw her son whom she had been thinking about day and night. Her eyes were instantly filled with joy and excitement after a long separation. However, when her eyes moved to the woman next to her, she couldn't help but feel happy again. It turned out that this woman was Mu Yunzhi, who she had already chosen and thought could be the best choice to be her daughter-in-law.

But at this moment, Concubine Yu still couldn't help feeling a little worried deep in her heart, secretly wondering whether these two young people were really destined to be together.

The emperor cleared his throat and said slowly, "Concubine Yu, I specially summoned you here today to discuss Yongqi's marriage. Look, the girl sitting next to you is the daughter of Prime Minister Mu's mansion and the eldest daughter of the Mu family.

I heard that this girl had met you once before, and then she got to know Yongqi. Over the past three years, the two of them have been together day and night, and their feelings have grown deeper and deeper. Now they are in love and have agreed to be together."

At this point, the emperor paused, then continued, "In my opinion, Yongqi is extremely talented, and Miss Mu is also beautiful, gentle and virtuous. They are truly a perfect match made in heaven. What do you think about this?" After speaking, the emperor stroked his beard gently, looked at Concubine Yu with a smile on his face, his eyes full of inquiry.

After hearing the emperor's words, Concubine Yu felt relieved. She seemed to relax instantly and let out a long sigh. At the same time, an expression of joy that was difficult to conceal quickly emerged on her face, which was as bright and beautiful as a flower blooming in spring.

She nodded without hesitation and said, "Your Majesty, I also think that the two of them are a perfect match! Both in terms of talent and appearance, they are a match made in heaven. If Prime Minister Mu has no objection to this, then the marriage of Yongqi and Yunzhi can be arranged." After saying that, her gaze involuntarily turned to the door, as if she could not wait for Prime Minister Mu's arrival.

Just at this moment, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, and then the tall and upright figure of Prime Minister Mu Chenke appeared in front of everyone.

He was wearing a gray-blue official uniform, and the well-cut robe perfectly outlined his muscular figure, making him look even more handsome. Although his white jade-like face had left some traces due to the passage of time, the tuft of beard on his lips not only did not make him look old, but instead added a touch of charming charm that only belongs to a mature man.

Mu Chenke first calmed himself down, then walked quickly into the room and bowed to everyone present. When he stood up, his eyes naturally fell on his daughter who was standing in the corner and whom he had not seen for many years. In an instant, he felt his heart tremble suddenly, and his eyes began to turn red uncontrollably.

Looking at the graceful girl in front of him, thousands of words surged in his heart. However, at this moment, those words seemed to be stuck in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't say them smoothly.

However, just as he was immersed in the excitement of reuniting with his daughter, he suddenly remembered what he had heard before, that the emperor summoned him to discuss his daughter's upcoming marriage with a member of the royal family. His face suddenly changed from the initial joy to a bit gloomy.

It turned out that Mu Chenke had always wanted to keep his daughter by his side for a few more years and love her well. After all, the father and daughter had been apart for so many years, and now that they were finally reunited, he really couldn't bear to marry his daughter off in such a hurry. Therefore, he was actually resistant to this marriage and even had the idea of ​​refusing it.

However, things had come to this point, and both the Emperor and Concubine Yu had agreed to this matter. Although Mu Chenke was unwilling, he could only find another way. After thinking about it, he decided to discuss it with everyone and temporarily make a marriage agreement, and then arrange the wedding in two years.

Mu Chenke took a deep breath, stepped forward and saluted, with a solemn and slightly embarrassed expression, he said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace. I am grateful and excited that my daughter has the honor of marrying the Fifth Prince. But I still have a presumptuous request, I hope Your Majesty will understand."

At this point, Mu Chenke slightly raised his head, looked at the emperor earnestly, and continued: "Your Majesty, I have been separated from my beloved daughter for many years. Now I have finally waited for her to return, but I have not given her enough love and care, and you are hurriedly marrying her into the royal family. It is difficult for me to give up this family relationship with my family, so I dare to ask Your Majesty, can you allow my daughter to stay in the palace for two more years? My family really wants to spend more time with Yun Zhi!"

After saying that, Mu Chenke couldn't help but look at his now beautiful daughter again, his eyes showing both joy and endless sadness. Thinking back to the past, when the child was only a few years old, she was sent to her grandparents' home in Yangzhou for foster care due to various reasons. Since then, they could only be together briefly during festivals. Over the years, he prayed silently in his heart all the time, hoping that the child would be able to return home to reunite when she turned 18, so that as parents, they could devote all their efforts to accompany and care for this precious daughter.

Who could have expected that on her way home, the child would suddenly leave without any warning, leaving only a letter. The letter showed that she was eager to go out and explore the world, to pursue her dreams. Since then, three years have passed, and she has never returned.

Time flies, and now the child has just returned and is about to enter the palace of marriage. As parents, they naturally feel a strong sense of reluctance in their hearts.

At this time, the emperor, the empress and Concubine Yu looked at each other, and their eyes fell on Yongqi and Mu Yunzhi, who had reached the appropriate age for marriage. The three of them frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

You know, Yongqi is a prince, and once he reaches the marriageable age, he should get married according to common sense. After all, as a member of the royal family, he shoulders the responsibility of expanding the royal family and continuing the bloodline. If he delays the marriage for another two years, will it be too late?

Mu Yunzhi looked at her father, with a look of joy that was hard to conceal in her eyes, but also mixed with a little entanglement and guilt. After all, because of her personal reasons, her parents had been worried about her for a long time. What's worse, she ran away from home so willfully and didn't return for three years. This behavior was undoubtedly a great act of filial piety.

As Mu Chenke's words slowly fell, the whole house fell into silence in an instant. Although the house was crowded with people at this moment, no one spoke.

Yongqi first cast his gaze towards his own father and mother who were sitting above him. His eyes seemed to have a power that could see through people's hearts. After just a moment's thought, he already knew what the two elders were thinking at the moment.

He lifted the hem of his robe with swift movements, then knelt on his knees without hesitation. Facing his father and mother with an extremely sincere attitude, he slowly began to reveal his true thoughts from the bottom of his heart.

"Father, Empress, and Mother, please listen to me." Yongqi took a deep breath and continued, "I have been in love with Miss Yunzhi from the Mu family for a long time, and I look forward to marrying her and spending my life with her as soon as possible. However, as Lord Mu said, Yunzhi has been away from home for several years and has never personally felt the warm care and love from her parents. I really don't want Yunzhi to have any regrets.

So after careful consideration, I think the most appropriate way at the moment is to arrange a marriage with Yun Zhi first. After this matter is settled, Yun Zhi can return to the Mu Mansion to stay for a while, accompany his parents and fulfill his filial duty as a child. As for the wedding date, it can be postponed for two years to discuss and arrange it.

In this way, during this period, we can prepare for the weddings of Xiaoyanzi, Ziwei and Qing'er. By then, as an elder brother, I will not only be able to personally escort my sisters to their weddings, but also help them to have happy marriages. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

Yongqi's words were like a spring breeze, gently blowing through the hearts of everyone present. He expressed his thoughts and determination in a sincere and clear manner, not only showing his mature and steady side, but also revealing the sincere emotions deep in his heart without reservation. These words were like a magic key, instantly opening the closed hearts of the future father-in-law and the future daughter-in-law, and deeply touching the softest corner of their hearts.

The three elders sitting in the upper seats exchanged glances, and saw relief and satisfaction in each other's eyes. They nodded slightly, expressing their approval of Yongqi's performance. They couldn't help but sigh in their hearts: This child has really grown up a lot! He is no longer the immature boy who needs constant care, but a man who already has independent thinking ability and firm opinions.

However, at this time, the queen sat silently by the side, never saying a word. After all, Yongqi was not her biological son, and as the master of the harem, she just wanted to observe the development of the situation and see what arrangements would be made next.

Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei, whose names were suddenly mentioned, were like two frightened deer. They were stunned for a moment, and then their cheeks quickly turned red like ripe apples.

They lowered their heads shyly, fiddling with the corners of their clothes with their hands, but their hearts were beating like a deer. They both raised their heads at the same time and glared at the brothers Ertai and Erkang who were smiling secretly not far away. But at the same time, deep in their hearts, they were vaguely filled with an indescribable feeling of anticipation.