Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

After confirming that Xia Yu had no objections, Shen Jingheng went to the palace to ask the Emperor for a decree to grant them marriage.

When Zhou Luo heard that Grand Tutor Shen wanted to marry Xia Yu, he was stunned for a while. He wondered if this meant they were from different generations.

Thinking this way, he asked the question aloud.

"Grand Tutor, you're marrying my sister, isn't that a difference in generation?"

"Did we differ in generation?" Shen Jingheng asked, puzzled.

"Yes, that's right! I remember my sister used to call you uncle, and I used to call you father, and the princess sister. Now that you're marrying my sister, should I call you brother or her mother?"

Zhou Luo's words left Shen Jingheng speechless, wondering what she was talking about. What was this "older sister" and "older brother" nonsense?

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. Your Majesty is the sovereign, and I am but a subject. How dare I claim to be Your Majesty's father? The reason I did that at the time was merely a temporary measure to protect Your Majesty. Furthermore, the Princess no longer calls me uncle. Even before she was the Princess, she called my parents 'Uncle' and 'Auntie.' Therefore, Your Majesty, my marriage to the Princess is not at all a matter of seniority. Please do not worry."

"Oh, is that so? Then does Sister agree to marry the Grand Tutor?" Zhou Luo asked again.

"I agree!" Shen Jingheng thought that since she didn't object, it meant she agreed.

"Alright, then I will issue the decree of marriage now." Hearing Shen Jingheng's reply, Zhou Luo was also very happy. He felt that apart from being a bit older than his sister, the Grand Tutor and his sister were quite well-matched in other aspects.

The news of the Emperor's bestowal of marriage between the Eldest Princess and Grand Tutor Shen quickly spread to every corner of the capital. Upon hearing this news, some were overjoyed while others were saddened. No one expected them to become a couple. At first, they thought the Emperor had randomly arranged a marriage, but upon closer examination, it seemed that the two were actually a perfect match.

Shen Jingxun was still pondering when to send his mother to the Marquis's residence to sound out the Marquis's wife when he unexpectedly heard the news that his third brother had been betrothed to the eldest princess.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by a metallic taste in his throat, and then he vomited a mouthful of blood. This terrified the servant boy who was attending to him, who ran out screaming and howling to fetch a doctor.

Shen Jingxun tried to call him but couldn't. Remembering the news he'd just heard, his heart ached again, and he fainted. In the last second before losing consciousness, he was still thinking: No wonder his third brother said he and the Eldest Princess weren't a good match; no wonder he'd sent him to guard Jialing Pass for a year. It was all because he liked the Eldest Princess.

Because the servant made such a commotion, it not only alerted everyone in their own household, but also reached Shen Jingheng.

When Shen Jingxun woke up, he opened his eyes and saw his third brother looking at him with concern. Overwhelmed by the surge of blood, he couldn't hold back and spat out another mouthful of blood. Then, his eyes rolled back and he fainted again.

"My son... what's wrong with you? Xun'er..." Shen Jingxun's mother cried her heart out when she saw her young son vomit blood and faint twice, fearing that he might just pass away.

Shen Jingheng sighed, rose from the armchair beside the bed, and spoke to Shen Jingxun's father.

"Uncle, let's go outside and talk."

"Sigh, let's go!" Shen Jingxun's father sighed and said helplessly.

The two sat down in the outer flower hall, and only then did Shen Jingheng speak.

"Uncle, I know why Zhiming fainted?" Shen Jingheng said directly.

"Oh? What's the matter? I just asked the servant, and he doesn't know either."

"It's probably because the Emperor bestowed a marriage upon me and the Princess."

"What did you say? Could it be that Jingxun still..."

"That should be it. He specially rushed back from out of town for the Marquis's housewarming banquet a few days ago, probably for the sake of the Eldest Princess," Shen Jingheng said.

Actually, if he hadn't seen Shen Jingxun rushing back from out of town that day, he wouldn't have thought of confessing his feelings so quickly. But seeing Shen Jingxun return, he realized that although the young man had been well-behaved these past few years, his feelings for Xia Yu had never diminished. He was afraid that if he spoke up too late, the young man would beat him to it, so he went directly to Xia Yu to test her feelings. After confirming that she hadn't yet realized his feelings, he then went directly to the Marquis of Dingguo to discuss the matter.

"Sigh, why is he so stubborn? Does he think just anyone can marry the Princess Zhenguo? I was wondering why his mother had been trying to find him a wife these past few years, but he hadn't liked a single one. Turns out, he's still fixated on this!" She sighed again, then said to Shen Jingheng.

"Zecheng, you should go back to the manor first. This child just hasn't figured things out yet, but he'll be fine in a while."

Shen Jingheng knew that his presence there would be of no help to Shen Jingxun's illness and might even worsen it, so he got up, bowed, and returned to his residence. He then selected a considerable amount of medicinal herbs and tonics and had them delivered to the Shen family mansion.

Shen Jingxun caused a ruckus at home for over half a month before gradually calming down. However, he still harbored some resentment towards Shen Jingheng, believing that it was Shen Jingheng's interference that prevented him from being with the Princess. Because of this, his father beat and scolded him, but Shen Jingxun remained adamant. Finally, he simply rode off to the border without a word, accompanied by his servant.

No matter how much he caused trouble, it couldn't stop the marriage from proceeding, following ancestral customs step by step. A marriage between two families was already a very grand affair in the capital, and Xia Yu's status added even more prestige. Everyone in the capital was speculating about what kind of betrothal gifts the Shen family would offer the princess. Everyone knew about the recent shopping spree by the Shen and Zhang families; everyone was focused on this incredibly prestigious wedding, ready to witness it firsthand.

Amidst the eager anticipation of everyone in the capital, the day finally arrived for the Shen family to present their betrothal gifts. Early in the morning, a large crowd had already gathered on the road between the two residences.

Although it was only the day for delivering the betrothal gifts, both families still hung bright red silk ribbons on their respective residences to signify the joy in their homes. The court officials also divided into two groups, one going to the Shen residence and the other to the Hou residence.

There stood Shen Jingxun's cousin, Shen Jingchen, dressed in a magnificent and dignified robe, riding a strong, tall horse with a joyful expression. Today, he would represent the Shen family to formally propose marriage to the Zhang family of the Marquis's residence.

The people lining the road watched as boxes of gifts were carried past them, wondering why they were putting the betrothal gifts in boxes. How could others see them like this? In the past, when nobles got married, they always displayed their treasures, carrying them on shoulder poles to show everyone. Were the betrothal gifts not valuable enough to be presented in public?

"What do you know? I've heard that the Shen family has prepared a lot of good things for the betrothal. If we packed them like you suggested, it would take a whole day to carry them all. So, we might as well put them all in a box and carry them over together. Don't underestimate this box; the things inside are more than we could earn in several lifetimes." Hearing the man's mutterings, the person next to him enthusiastically explained.