Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

When there was no one around, Ji Nuan apologized for speaking too hastily.

"Cousin, I just said something that didn't make sense to me. I definitely didn't mean anything else. Please don't take it to heart."

"Cousin, I don't blame you." Shen Muge chuckled. "My mother is also busy looking for someone for me. Compared to other women, at least I can choose my future husband myself. Rather than gambling my whole life on someone I've only heard of but never met, the Prince of Nan is at least someone I know. If I have to gamble my whole life on that person, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to choose the Prince of Nan."

While the people of Dongchu were relatively open-minded, they also emphasized parental consent and matchmaker agreements. Most marriages were arranged by matchmakers, with parents often seeing each other. It was quite possible that the couple had never even met before the wedding, with the wedding night being their first meeting.

Women, however, obeyed their fathers at home and their husbands after marriage, spending their entire lives dependent on men, their honor and disgrace determined by them. If they met a gentle and sensible man, a life of respectful companionship could be considered a smooth journey. But if they were unlucky and met a scoundrel, they could be beaten and verbally abused, favor a concubine over the wife, and even have their family destroyed.

Thinking of this, Ji Nuan felt that what Shen Muge said made sense, but she also did not accept her making such a hasty decision.

At least she couldn't let Shen Muge make a hasty decision about his life because of her careless words. She couldn't bear the responsibility for Shen Muge's future.

"Cousin, Prince Nan is indeed quite good, but before today, I didn't see that he had any feelings for you. When it comes to choosing a husband, you still need to examine him more carefully."

"Oh, I didn't say we're getting married right now. If he really wants to, he'll have to get my parents' approval. With my parents' help, if he can get their approval, then he's definitely a good person."

Shen Muge is a clear-headed person and it is impossible for her to decide on her husband as casually as Ji Nuan guessed.

Ji Nuan felt guilty for saying the wrong thing, forgetting to understand the conditions Shen Muge had put forward when agreeing to Xiao Nansheng. It seemed like a simple statement, but it was not so easy to convince Shen Songyang and his wife.

"Haha, I'm glad you have a plan." Ji Nuan smiled awkwardly, stuffed a piece of pear flesh into her mouth, and tried to cover up her stupidity with nonsense literature, "Well, this pear is really good."

Of course they are good. They are all grown in her space. How could they be bad?

~~~~~

The northern border town, the Duke Zhenguo Mansion.

Xu Zecheng received the letter sent by flying eagle from Kaiyun Mansion, opened it and took a look, then hurried to the old Duke's residence.

The old Duke had gray hair and was in good spirits. He had long since stopped caring about the affairs of the mansion. At this moment, he was bending over to feed melon seeds to the budgie in the cage.

"Little sweetheart, when you're full, read a few lines of poetry to your grandfather."

The budgie rolled its small, mung bean-sized eyes and called out in a croaking voice, "The eldest grandson is here! The eldest grandson is here!"

Every time Xu Zecheng saw the bird brother his grandfather found for him, he couldn't help but feel a toothache.

He closed his eyes, quickened his pace and walked up to the old Duke, and said anxiously: "Grandfather, please take a look at this. Is it something from our Xu family?"

"Hasn't the Xu family handed over everything they have to you long ago?"

The old Duke leisurely sat down on the stone bench, poured himself a cup of tea slowly, and then took the half piece of paper handed to him by Xu Zecheng.

After taking a quick glance, he suddenly grabbed Xu Zecheng's hand, his eyelids trembling with excitement.

"Where did this come from? Who has that thing now?"

"Grandfather, don't get excited. The person is in Kaiyun Mansion."

As Xu Zecheng spoke, he unfolded the letter in his arms and showed it to the old Duke.

The old Duke read it quickly, his eyes moistened, his hands trembling as he muttered to himself, "It's her, it's her..."

"Hurry up and prepare the horse. I will go to Kaiyun Mansion to pick someone up myself."

Xu Zecheng advised worriedly, "Grandfather, the border towns have been in turmoil lately, with small groups of barbarian soldiers frequently attacking our patrols. The northern barbarians have suffered a severe drought this year, and the grain harvest has plummeted. If they're probing us like this, I'm afraid they'll start a rebellion before winter arrives."

"Grandfather, the border town is bitterly cold, and the barbarians are eyeing us covetously. Now is not a good time to go and pick us up."