After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

"The princess has returned safely."

Before Chu Jinyang could react, Gu Yu'an was already on his horse.

"You...you're accepting me?"

Gu Yu'an's ears turned bright red, and with a flick of his whip, the horse immediately galloped off.

Chu Jinyang curled his lips into a smile: "As expected, Linglong's methods are the most effective."

"Set off"

"Yes"

Back home, Gu Yu'an looked at his younger siblings and said, "Well, now you even dare to lie to your older brother."

Gu Linglong touched her ear, lowered her head, and pointed at Gu Liyao preemptively: "Big Brother, it was Second Brother who told me to do this."

Gu Liyao stared wide-eyed at his beloved younger sister in disbelief: "?"

What happened to the promise of sharing both good times and bad?

"Brother, don't listen to Linglong's nonsense, it was all her idea."

"How old is Linglong? How could she come up with such an idea? You must have been the one instigating her."

Gu Linglong nodded frantically: "Yes, yes, it's him!"

"Copy today's article twenty times and give it to me."

【Hehehehe～】

"Brother, it really wasn't me."

Gu Yu'an: I know it wasn't you, but someone has to take the blame. Since you got involved, well, just you wait!

Gu Yu'an went to find Su Xiuran: "Mother, there's something I need your help with."

"What is it?"

"Help me propose marriage to the Princess's residence."

Gu Yu'an looked at him with a smile: "You're asking to marry the princess?"

"nature"

"Okay, okay, I'll go prepare right away."

After saying that, he disappeared like the wind.

Gu Yu'an: Isn't there a need to be in such a hurry?

The following day, Su Xiuran publicly announced that Gu Yu'an was to be engaged to the princess, and the eldest princess also thought highly of the two.

Gu Linglong and Gu Ziming were so happy that they shouted excitedly, "We're going to have a feast! We're going to have a feast!"

Gu Yu'an: "..."

Gu Yu'an put down his teacup: "Mother, I heard that Aunt Chen is also asking you to help her find a husband?"

Gu Liyao immediately perked up his ears.

Su Xiuran nodded: "Yes, I know more people than that. I've seen several recently, and I'm planning to have Xi Ning take a look."

Gu Linglong tilted her head: "Mom, do you like my sister Xining?"

"Of course I like her! She's well-behaved, sensible, and very talented."

Gu Linglong smiled and said, "Recognize Sister Xining as your goddaughter, that way Sister Xining can find a handsome guy."

Su Xiuran thought for a moment: "You mean if I adopt Xi Ning as my goddaughter, she might be able to marry someone better?"

"Uh-huh"

Su Xiuran clapped her hands excitedly: "Oh my, how come I didn't think of that?"

"Let's go, let's go find Xining."

Gu Liyao jumped up in a panic and stopped her mother: "No!"

Gu Yu'an looked at Gu Liyao with amusement: "No? Why not? What's it to you?"

Su Xiuran looked at him and said, "Yeah, what's it to you? You didn't make her your daughter."

Gu Liyao: "..."

"That's right, let's go find Sister Xining."

Gu Liyao scratched his head in frustration: "It just won't work!"

"What's wrong with it?"

As Madam Chen's voice rang out, everyone looked over and saw Chen Xining entering arm in arm with Madam Chen.

"What's wrong? Madam Gu, didn't you arrange to see the portrait with me?"

Su Xiuran then remembered: "Ah, right, right, that's it! Come on, come on!"

Su Xiuran glanced at Gu Liyao out of the corner of her eye: "Chunhe, go and get the portrait from my room. Madam Chen and I need to adjust it properly."

"Yes"

A short while later, Chunhe brought over a handful of portraits.

"Come, Madam Chen, let's choose carefully."

Chen Xining felt a little awkward: "Then... I... I'll excuse myself for a bit?"

Su Xiuran pulled her aside: "No need. Ultimately, marriage is your decision; you have to be the one who likes it first."

Madam Chen nodded quickly: "That makes sense. Girl, you stay here."

Chen Xining awkwardly replied, "Okay."

Su Xiuran unfolded a portrait: "Madam Chen, what do you think of this young man? His family has been tea merchants for three generations, and their tea has even entered the imperial trade. They own countless tea plantations. He has two younger brothers. What do you think?"

"This is pretty good."

Gu Liyao, having somehow appeared behind Su Xiuhou, looked at the portrait and remarked leisurely, "Dean Chen comes from a scholarly family, yet his association with merchants reeks of money."

Su Xiuran: "..."

Mrs. Chen: "..."

Chen Xining: "..."

Gu Linglong rolled her eyes as she chewed on the jerky, giving off an expression that said, "I can't even be bothered to talk to you."

Su Xiuran ignored Gu Liyao and continued flipping to the next portrait: "This one is good. He's the eldest son in the family. His father is a fourth-rank Imperial Advisor, and he's in the same department. Their families are well-matched. If Xi Ning marries him, she can take charge of the court."

Mrs. Chen nodded: "This is good."

Gu Liyao: "Is that the civil official who would smash his head against a pillar and die in remonstrance at the slightest disagreement? Ugh... that's bad luck!"

Su Xiuran: "..."

Mrs. Chen: "..."

Chen Xining: "..."

Su Xiuran said awkwardly, "Um... then let's look at the next one, the next one."

Su Xiuran flipped to the next portrait: "How about this one? The father is a great general, and the mother is kind and gentle. I heard she plans to go to the border this year to make a name for herself. She's ambitious."

Gu Liyao: "Go to the border to make a name for yourself? That means you could very well die on the battlefield?"

Su Xiuran: "..."

Mrs. Chen: "..."

Chen Xining: "..."

"It seems... not quite suitable."

Su Xiuran glared at Gu Liyao. The Imperial Advisor had gone to deal with border matters; how could a fight possibly break out? At most, he was just going to gain experience and find an excuse to get promoted.

Su Xiuran continued flipping through the pages: "Mrs. Chen, don't listen to his nonsense. Then... then shall we look at the next page?"

Madam Chen wiped away imaginary sweat. Was Gu Liyao targeting them?

"Alright, alright, it doesn't seem really suitable for her to always be going out to fight, after all, she's our only daughter."

Su Xiuran nodded and turned to the next one: "Hey... this one's not bad. He's the eldest grandson of the old Grand Tutor, and his family background is quite good. He's already a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination), so he'll definitely pass next year's exam."

Gu Liyao: "Him? I know him. He took the exam three times before finally passing and becoming a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). It's clear he has no talent whatsoever."

"Gu Liyao, what are you trying to do?"

Gu Liyao pursed his lips.

Madam Chen stopped Su Xiuran from hitting her, saying, "Oh, it's alright, it's alright. What the second young master said is just the truth."

Suppressing her temper, Su Xiuran flipped to the next page: "And this one? A junior official in the Ministry of Rites. Although it's only a sixth-rank official, he's young and will definitely have a bright future."

Gu Liyao stroked his chin and commented seriously, "She's just a bit ugly, and her future children will be smelly too."

In the subsequent portraits, he would either say that the person's eyes were small or that their buttocks were big; he could find fault with anything.

That's too venomous! Su Xiuran stood up and slapped Gu Liyao's arm: "What are you doing? Shut your mouth!"

Chen Xining's eyes were red; she finally understood that Gu Liyao didn't want her to have a good time.

Auntie, Mom, I'm going out to sneak a peek.

He then ran out.

"Hey... Xi Ning, don't listen to Gu Liyao's nonsense!"