Harem Daily Life

"Who did you say? Lord Marquis?" Hua's father asked to confirm.

The steward suppressed his excitement: "Yes, Lord Marquis, the Marquis of Ningyuan's residence, Marquis Gu, and the famous General Gu. Oh, right, there's also Minister of Works, Lord Tao, and the Tao family's official who works in the Hanlin Academy. They're all waiting outside our door!"

Not only the Hua family, but the Zhou family was also shocked. Everyone rushed out to greet them, wanting to see what was going on.

Hua Ruyan pondered for a long time but still couldn't figure out what was going on. However, seeing that Hua Yurong also looked clueless, she felt a little more at ease.

"Father, Mother, don't worry, maybe we've come to the wrong house."

But when she arrived at the door and saw the handsome young man at the front, Hua Ruyan's heart sank into an icy abyss.

He Jin'an only brought a few small gifts today, but his group of relatives and friends is no ordinary person. Any one of them can be treated like a big shot in the Hua family.

He Jin'an saw Hua Yuerong at night that day, but today he saw her during the day, and he saw the girl's appearance more clearly.

Hmm, it looks like a peach, pink and tender, and quite cute...

“Well, I don’t know why you all have come here…” Father Hua stepped forward and asked somewhat awkwardly.

Marquis Ningyuan stepped forward to greet him: "Don't be afraid. I am Marquis Gu. This is Lord Tao, the Empress's father. These are the Empress's brother and cousin. We have come to propose marriage for Prince Jin."

Hua Yurong's mind went blank. She staggered and was only saved from falling by the help of her maid.

She looked at He Jin'an in disbelief, opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

He Jin'an curled his lips and coughed lightly: "I got engaged to Miss Hua at the Lantern Festival that day. After returning home, my father and mother questioned me quite a bit. My mother blamed me for not being thorough enough and not keeping Miss Hua's address. I have been inquiring about Miss Hua's whereabouts for the past few days. After I was fully prepared and chose an auspicious day, I invited the Marquis, my maternal grandfather, and my two uncles to come and propose marriage."

Hua Yurong was at a loss for words. She had felt resentful, regretful, annoyed, and even given up in the past few days, but she never imagined that someone was also looking for her in private.

Seeing his usually bright and clever daughter speechless as if she were a fool, Hua's father quickly said, "Let's go inside first, distinguished guests, please!"

The Zhou family were originally honored guests today, but with Prince Jin arriving with a group of dignitaries, they had to stand aside. Even the eldest member of the group, Old Madam Zhou, didn't dare to move forward.

He Jin'an sat at the head of the table, followed by Marquis Ningyuan, then Lord Tao, and Gu Yi and Tao Zhixing sat at the very end, opposite the Hua family and the Zhou family.

He Jin'an glanced at the betrothal gift boxes displayed in the courtyard and said, "Today is the marriage proposal, so I didn't bring many gifts. I've prepared a small token for our first meeting, and I hope you'll accept it."

The servants brought out the gifts: a pair of fine white jade porcelain vases and a box of the latest jewelry from Zhenbaozhai, all of them exquisite.

"I don't know what Miss Hua likes, so I ordered a batch from Zhenbaozhai. You can choose which ones to wear, and if you don't like them, you can give them away as gifts."

Hua's father hurriedly had someone accept the gift, looked at his daughter, and said, "My daughter was presumptuous and did not recognize that you were the prince, so she privately... arranged the marriage. Please forgive her, Your Highness."

Hua Yurong finally withdrew her divine sense and stepped forward, saying, "Yes, I was blind that night and did not recognize Your Highness. If I have offended Your Highness, please do not blame me. Even if Your Highness wishes to dissolve the engagement, it is possible, and I will not have any complaints."

He Jinan: “…”

Knowing who I am means you don't want to support me anymore? That won't do!

He glanced at Marquis Ningyuan, who immediately said, "Miss Hua, were you frightened by today's scene? Hahaha, we are here on behalf of His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress to propose marriage. How can you say you want to break off the engagement? The two of you were engaged that day, and so many people were witnesses. Oh, right, the Crown Prince, the Fifth Prince, and several princesses were all there and heard everything clearly. Miss Hua, you said you were willing to support our Prince Jin for life, and also support his younger siblings, right? A promise is a promise, you can't go back on your word."

Everyone: "..."

Hua Yurong blushed instantly, looking even more like a ripe peach.

"I...I...I...that day was...it was just a temporary measure..."

“But I took it seriously.”

He Jin'an gazed at Hua Yurong: "I have already informed my father and mother, and have been preparing for many days. I have personally come to propose marriage, which shows how serious and important I am to it. Miss Hua, do you not think highly of me? If so, what do you not think of me? I will improve."

Hua Yurong slightly raised her eyes, her gaze gliding gently over the person opposite her like flowing water. Her gaze first fell on that face, where she saw a handsome man with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a straight nose, well-defined lips, and a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, giving him a gentle yet approachable feeling.

Looking at his physique, he was tall and upright, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. He exuded an aura of authority and carried a subtle sense of power. His clothing was simple yet luxurious, and his entire being radiated an air of nobility.

Even the individual strands of her hair are beautiful.

Hua Yurong bit her lip. It was too difficult for her to say the words "I don't want to get married." With such an unparalleled beauty, who wouldn't want to marry her?

But the disparity in their social status felt like a mountain pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.

"Your Highness is wonderful in every way, but I am unworthy of you." Hua Yurong felt ashamed and lowered her head, not daring to look at He Jin'an again.

He Jin'an frowned. He had thought that the engagement today would go very smoothly.

"A hero's origins are irrelevant, Miss Hua, there's no need for such modesty. In my opinion, Miss Hua is excellent. As for your concerns about social standing, neither Father nor Mother cares, so Miss Hua need not worry about it either. I'll say it again: when you asked me if I was willing to be engaged to you, I agreed. It wasn't a casual reply, it was from the bottom of my heart."

He Jin'an's attitude was so impeccable that no one could find fault with it. Hua's parents felt like a huge pie had fallen on their heads. The Zhou family was also instantly excited. If the marriage went through, wouldn't their Zhou family become brothers-in-law with Prince Jin?

My goodness, I can't even imagine it! Just thinking about it brings an overwhelming sense of wealth and luxury!

Hua Ruyan was furious. She couldn't stand that Hua Yurong was better than her in every way. She thought that by stealing Hua Yurong's marriage, she could put Hua Yurong in a superior position. She never expected that the man Hua Yurong picked up on the street would have such a powerful background.

She was unwilling for the marriage to go through, so she said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but my sister was engaged before. Once engaged, it's hard to clear her name. Your Highness, why don't you reconsider?"

These words startled everyone present.

Hua Yuerong retorted angrily, "Don't spout nonsense. I was engaged, but I know right from wrong and have never done anything improper. Now that I've given you my engagement, are you going to turn around and spread rumors about me?"

Hua's father also hurriedly stopped his youngest daughter, telling her not to talk nonsense in front of Prince Jin and the other officials, lest she ruin her sister's reputation.

Hua Yurong looked at He Jin'an with a clear and honest gaze: "Please trust me, Your Highness."

Everyone looked at He Jin'an, who smiled and said, "Of course I believe you. If I didn't believe you, I wouldn't have agreed to the marriage." After speaking, he looked at Hua Ruyan and Zhou Chen, frowned and said, "Miss Hua is about to become the Princess Consort of Jin. I will not allow anyone to slander my Princess Consort. If I hear any disrespectful words towards her again, don't blame me for being impolite."

Zhou Chen, feeling extremely nervous, quickly pulled Hua Ruyan back a little.

Hua Yurong had nothing to say, because Prince Jin had already made his decision and directly acknowledged that she was the future Princess Jin.