The Year of Lihua: She Was Reborn

Although the Zuo Mansion is not as vast as the Hua Mansion, its overall layout is unique. The difference lies in the unique furnishings and arrangements in the rooms.

The Zuo Mansion is mainly decorated with paintings and calligraphy, and is filled with a quiet and elegant atmosphere. The lush green bamboo forest in the courtyard is particularly elegant.

In addition, there are rockery and flowing water dotted around, adding a bit of lively beauty.

Zuo Nian smiled lightly, appearing quite reserved. He quickly took off his armor, changed into a light casual outfit, and walked straight towards the main house.

"Mom, have you and Dad returned from the marriage proposal in Washington?" Zuo Nian asked expectantly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, but at the same time he tried hard to restrain his inner excitement.

"Nian'er..." His mother hesitated, as if she found it difficult to speak. Seeing this, Zuo Nian's face gradually darkened and his heartbeat accelerated.

"Mom, just tell me what you want to say!" He took a deep breath and said calmly.

"It's not that your mother and father are unwilling to help you propose marriage, it's because the emperor's imperial decree for marriage arrived in Washington before us!"

Mrs. Zuo finally plucked up the courage and told Zuo Nian the truth.

"Are they going to appoint Hua Ye as the Crown Princess?"

Zuo Nian asked the question to his mother in a questioning tone with a hint of affirmation, which also made him panic.

He clenched his fists tightly and let them hang down at both sides of his body, as if trying to steady his shaky mind.

"You also know that the prince likes Miss Hua?" Madam Zuo looked at her son in surprise, as if she was looking at a stranger.

She really couldn't believe that her son, who had always followed the rules and never stepped out of line, would dare to compete with the crown prince for a woman.

Zuo Nian's face flushed crimson. He clenched his teeth tightly and squeezed out a word from his originally rosy, thick lips: "Hmm!"

Although the voice was not loud, it was full of firmness and determination.

Mrs. Zuo looked at her son with pity on her face, but she still couldn't help but persuade him.

"Nian'er, you should just forget about Hua Ye! With our family's status, we can't compete with the Crown Prince. Doing so will only bring us endless troubles and disasters!"

However, Zuo Nian was not shaken by his mother's words. He still stood there stubbornly, with a gleam of determination in his eyes.

"Hua Ye and I are in love with each other and have a perfect rapport. We have already made a solemn vow to each other and have decided to spend our lives together. Tomorrow morning, when I go to the palace for the morning court session, I will report this to His Majesty and ask His Majesty to make the decision for us!"

Zuo Nian looked ahead with a determined gaze, as if he had already made a decision.

However, at this moment, a stern voice suddenly rang out: "This is simply nonsense! The imperial edict is before us, how can you disobey it at will? Will His Majesty revoke the decree just because of you?"

The person who spoke was the Left Captain. He had a serious expression on his face, his hands behind his back, and walked slowly into the house with a look of righteousness on his face.

"Son, let's not make this any easier, shall we? Even though His Majesty has approved this matter, the Crown Prince..."

The Left Commander hesitated to speak, and after a moment's silence, he continued, "In my opinion, the Crown Prince seems to have a special liking for Hua Ye, and is determined to marry her. Before this, he even sent his men to warn..."

"The Crown Prince is so aggressive and unreasonable..."

Zuo Nian clenched his fists tightly, and because he was using too much force, the veins on his wrists bulged out, as if they would burst in the next second.

At this moment, his face was full of anger, and his originally bronze face turned red because of anger, and there were even fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

"I thought he was deeply in love with Hua Ye and would respect her choice and let her pursue her own happiness...but I never expected that he would actually try to force himself on her and marry her!"

Thinking of this, Zuo Nian's anger grew stronger. If he had not tried his best to restrain himself, he would have rushed forward to argue with the prince.

"Listen to my father's advice and forget about that girl Hua Ye! Why would you sacrifice the entire Zuo Mansion for a woman? Can you bear to see your parents suffer an accident?"

The left captain looked embarrassed and gave earnest advice.

Madam Zuo, tears in her eyes, echoed the advice, "Nian'er, there are so many women in the world, you don't have to marry Hua Ye. General Hua has already received the imperial edict."

Hearing General Hua's agreement, Zuo Nian's expression became unsettled. His tense nerves seemed to have broken, and he fell into a wooden chair beside him in a trance.

"Send the young master down to rest. Without my permission, the young master is not allowed to take a single step out of the door."

Commander Zuo found two peerless masters and carried the distraught Zuo Nian away...