Noble Lady

for a long time.

"Mother, I still say the same thing. If you are willing to remarry, then do so. If you don't want to, our family can still support you." Madam Xue pressed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and spoke softly.

"If your future sister-in-law cannot tolerate you staying in the Marquis's Mansion, then Mother will buy you another house and move in with you."

Now it was Xue Chenyu's turn to be stunned. "...Mother, Xiao Huai hasn't even gotten engaged yet, and you've already put such a big accusation on his future wife. If this gets out, people will probably criticize me, their older sister, for being overbearing."

After saying this, the mother and daughter burst into laughter and laughed together.

Although Xue Chenyu suffered some grievances at the flower-viewing banquet, she received enough comfort from her family.

She was very relieved.

After the mother and daughter finished their long speech, Mrs. Xue let her go back to her room to rest.

Although this trip around the palace wasn't physically demanding, it was enough to exhaust one both physically and mentally.

Unexpectedly, just as Xue Chenyu changed out of her complicated outfit and put on a light green casual dress with the help of Yuzhu and the others, Xue Luoyan came stealthily with a quilt in her arms.

"Sister, I want to sleep with you these two days."

Xue Chenyu laughed, "You're already a grown-up kid, and you're still pestering me to sleep with you. Aren't you ashamed?"

"I want to protect my sister!" Xue Luoyan was so excited that he shouted out bold words.

Xue Chenyu rubbed her furry head and couldn't help laughing.

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble our future female general to protect me."

"Of course!" Miss Xue raised her head proudly.

……

Xue Chenyu was really tired after spending the day in the palace.

I originally wanted to meet Xue Huai and talk to him, but after just a few words with my sister, I felt very sleepy and could hardly open my eyelids, so I simply took a nap.

When it was getting dark, Xue Chenyu woke up for a while, and then Mother He came to invite her, saying that the Marquis had returned home.

Xue Chenyu got up and washed for a while. She was too lazy to dress up, so she simply tied her hair up and went out.

Recently, Xue Hou has been busy investigating Xue Hejun's sale of salt and iron. He is trying to find the person who has been trading with Xue Hejun through that line. He is so busy every day that he has no time to rest.

Xue Hejun said that he had never even seen what the other party looked like. He just agreed to put the written letter in a fixed place at a fixed time and conduct the transaction in this way.

From the way he revealed it, it seemed that the other party had been keeping an eye on his movements, but he had no idea who the other party was. He was a complete fool who had been exploited to the extreme, and yet he was still complacent about it.

It was just a pity for Lord Xue, who ran around but only got some sporadic clues.

It is still a long way from finding out the truth of the matter as Your Majesty said.

I didn't expect him to come back before dark today. Xue Chenyu knew that this must be related to him, so he naturally had no intention of neglecting him.

"My daughter greets my father and mother." Xue Chenyu greeted her parents first, then turned to Mr. Lu and Mrs. Qi, "Greetings, sir and madam."

Xue Huai and Xue Luoyan also hurriedly saluted, "Sister."

"This child has become more polite recently." Mrs. Qi smiled helplessly.

"We are all family, there is no need for so many formalities. Please sit down and have your meal." Marquis Xue urged.

Xue Chenyu, her siblings and two sisters all sat down obediently.

Normally, Mr. Lu and Mrs. Qi did not come to dine with them, but today Xue Chenyu went to the palace to attend a flower-viewing banquet, and the old couple heard some rumors and were a little worried, so they came together.

However, no one at the table took the initiative to mention the flower viewing banquet, for fear of affecting Xue Chenyu's mood.

It was Xue Chenyu who took the initiative and told them the general course of events, so that they could understand the attitude of the palace.

"People love to gossip about other people's families. I'm afraid this flower viewing banquet will cause trouble for my family. Mr. Lu and Mrs. Qi, you two may also be affected by some rumors. I hope you will forgive me."

"What kind of polite words is this little girl saying?" Madam Qi said with a helpless smile, "I'm already old, and I'm just pretending to be an elder here. To me, you're no different from the younger generation in the family."

"You were invited to the flower viewing banquet and won two first-class awards. If I could have a granddaughter as wonderful as you, I would wake up smiling in my dreams."

Xue Chenyu felt warm in her heart, "Mrs. Qi is so kind, your granddaughter is naturally very good."

These words made Mrs. Qi feel more at ease.

Mr. Lu also said, "There was a disturbance before, and those people now have to think twice before spreading the news about the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion."

That's true.

Mrs. Xue reiterated her position again.

Marquis Xue also said, "Our mansion cannot compare to those aristocratic families, but we can still decide our children's marriages. If you don't want to, we won't suffer that injustice."

After a pause, he continued, "He is not the only man in the world. There are many good men."

Xue Huai and Xue Luoyan also expressed their opinions, saying that their elder sister had earned great honor for the Marquis' Mansion at the flower viewing banquet, and that she would be the head of this family in the future, and they would respect her opinion on matters of marriage.

A harmonious one.

……

After dinner, Xue Chenyu returned to Furongju.

Luoluo was left behind by Mrs. Xue to talk and had no way to follow her.

As soon as I entered the yard, I saw a tall and slender figure cast on the window.

Standing tall like pine and cypress.

Xue Chenyu curled the corners of her mouth and pushed the door open and walked in.

Yuzhu and Qiuhua, who were following behind him, also kept their distance and did not get close.

"Why is the prince here at this time? Shouldn't he be talking to the princess?"

She still remembers the events of the day.

Situ Zhen curled his lips and said, "I grew up in the palace and have no real connection to Prince Cheng's Mansion. Now that things are about to fall out, I'm too lazy to play the role of a loving father and filial son, or a respectful brother."

"Falling out?" Xue Chenyu looked at him in surprise. "Could it be because of today's flower viewing banquet..."

"It's not because of you." Situ Zhen seemed to see through her identity. "Princess Cheng has her own expectations for the Crown Prince."

It seems like an explanation, but it also seems like no explanation.

Xue Chenyu tactfully didn't pursue the question further, "I did encounter some interesting things in the palace today."

Hearing this, Situ Zhen's expression darkened, "I know you've been wronged."

After the flower viewing banquet, someone handed him the news.

Xue Chenyu smiled and said that she didn't mind Princess Cheng's behavior, but "Princess Cheng told me that if they are unhappy, they will take away your position as Crown Prince."

"Just listen to their nonsense. At the time, they had always wanted to ask for the title of Crown Prince for that unworthy guy. It was only because of the pressure from His Majesty and the Empress Dowager that they couldn't suppress it."

"Plus, according to our ancestors' rule, the eldest son should be the heir apparent. I have both, and they can't find any fault with me, so they have no choice but to make me the crown prince."

Xue Chenyu couldn't help laughing, "According to what you said, it's Prince Cheng and Princess Cheng who are no match for you."

Situ Zhen didn't refute it, which was considered an admission. "I used to wonder why there are such cold-hearted parents in the world. But now I understand. Everything has a reason, we just don't know it."

"It's okay, my father and mother like you very much, Luoluo and Xiaohuai like you too." Xue Chenyu comforted him with a smile.

As for the fact that His Majesty and the Queen Mother turned a blind eye to the results at today's flower viewing banquet, they tacitly agreed not to mention it.

Situ Zhen took the initiative and poured her a cup of tea. "Xiao Chenyu, if I lost my temper and ran away, would you be angry with me?"

"Your Highness is fine, where are you running off to? Didn't you just say you wanted His Majesty and the Queen Mother to agree to my divorce? If you run away, then I'm really going to be an old maid, right?"

"Well, are you willing?" Situ Zhen looked at her with burning eyes.

Xue Chenyu was stunned for a moment before she understood what he meant: are you willing to wait for him until you become an old maid?

She burst out laughing. "What are you thinking, my lord? I'm a businesswoman, and I've always focused on profit. If you and I were to get together, it would definitely alienate you and ruin my reputation. So, this marriage..."

She did not continue.

Waiting is never a problem.

How long you wait is not a problem.

The question is whether you can wait.

"Two years, at most two years. Are you willing to wait for me?" Situ Zhen looked at her expectantly.

Xue Chenyu just smiled and didn't answer.