Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Chapter 349: Interfering in the Marriage

Chapter 362: Chapter 349: Interfering in the Marriage

“Especially this time, being startled by this incident, I’m afraid she will be even more clingy.”

“Your mother knows you’re a kind-hearted child, so I’m particularly urging you. If Zhuang Qinghe comes to you weeping after she returns this time, you must not soften your heart. Otherwise, it might be a disaster in the future and completely ruin your marriage.”

“Rest assured, mother, I understand.”

Zhuang Wencheng was initially worried that Mrs. Wang wanted to talk about something serious, which troubled him for a while. Now that he understood what she was referring to, he breathed a sigh of relief, “I am not a child anymore. I have a clear understanding of such matters.”

This isn’t a problem that can be solved by giving some money or doing some physical work. It’s about delaying his marriage.

Even if Zhuang Wencheng is kind-hearted, he understands this.

Seeing Zhuang Wencheng agree so decisively and earnestly, Mrs. Wang felt slightly relieved and began to smile, “I knew you would stand firm.”

Especially when it comes to choosing a daughter-in-law, he has a keen eye. Isn’t that why he took a fancy to Zhuang Qingning in the first place?

Mrs. Wang’s face burst into a heartfelt smile, like a blooming peony flower, “Alright, alright, since you understand, I won’t say more. You go and busy yourself, I need to quickly go and buy some meat.”

“I will stew some meat at noon and send a bowl to your Aunt Wen too.”

Zhuang Wencheng has a lot of respect for Mrs. Wen. Now that he heard Mrs. Wang was planning to show respect to Mrs. Wen, his heart was filled with joy and he nodded.

“Then I will go to work.”

“Go ahead, put more effort into your work. It’s not easy for Ning girl to manage all this as a young lady. You need to play your part and contribute as much as you can.”

Mrs. Wang rambled on, giving him a few more reminders.

Zhuang Wencheng really couldn’t figure out why Mrs. Wang’s attitude had changed so quickly, but as far as he was concerned, as long as she didn’t oppose him liking Zhuang Qingning, that was enough. He mumbled in agreement, entered Zhuang Yonghe’s courtyard, and then began to discuss with Zhuang Qingning about setting up the clinic in the town.

Mrs. Wang did not leave immediately but walked quietly to the door, peeking into the courtyard. Seeing Zhuang Wencheng and Zhuang Qingning chatting intimately, she left with a satisfied smile on her face.

Beijing, palace, Qingan Garden.

“Is everything alright with Jinzhou?” Chu Yunzhao took a sip from his cup of Longjing tea and asked, “He left abruptly some time ago. I heard from some people that something had happened in Qingzhuyuan and they were looking for you.”

“Everything is fine with Jinzhou, but as for Mr. Fan…”

Chu Jinnian said indifferently, “I suppose the Fourth Prince must know about his temperament.”

The entire capital city knew of Fan Wenxuan’s eccentric character, and of course, Chu Yunzhao knew about it. Hearing Chu Jinnian say this, he couldn’t help shaking his head in resignation, “It’s true that everyone knows about Master Fan’s peculiar character. The outrageous act of causing chaos in the Hanlin Academy that he did back then, I think there might be nothing that He wouldn’t do.”

“It’s rather tough on you, Jinnian, to not dislike him at all.”

“I’m sure this has given you a lot of headaches recently.”

“Not really. I don’t really have such big guts.” Chu Jinnian still looked as serene as ever, as if this matter hadn’t caused him too much trouble.

Well, even though Fan Wenxuan was reckless and fearless, the one he had encountered was Chu Jinnian. Probably under Chu Jinnian’s command, no matter how unbending he was, he would eventually behave obediently.

Chu Yunzhao shook his head slightly and smiled.

“You, with your tough and notorious reputation, I really don’t know which girl would agree to marry you in the future.”

“The Fourth Prince needn’t concern himself with this matter.” Chu Jinnian glanced at Chu Yunzhao.

“That’s right; you’re the heir to King Qi. You’ll inherit the title in the future. There will be many families desperately seeking such a high-branch to cling to. Even if they have to turn a blind eye to your icy face, they’ll have to find a way to send their daughters to your residence.” Chu Yunzhao teased.

“Why is the Fourth Prince so interested in my marital affairs today?”

Chu Jinnian raised an eyebrow, “I wonder, has the Fourth Prince become so idle recently? It seems that I have been overly considerate for the Fourth Prince. Perhaps I should take a few days off from tomorrow onward, so as not to leave you bored all day long.”

Seeing the icy glaze covering Chu Jinnian’s face, Chu Yunzhao couldn’t help but clear his throat.

Why tease Chu Jinnian for no reason? He knew perfectly well that the man had no sense of humor, yet he still loved to stir up the hornet’s nest.

“No, no, no. It was just a joke.”

“But I don’t find it funny at all.” Chu Jinnian put down the teacup in his hand.

Chu Yunzhao who nearly choked, sheepishly picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, squelched the awkwardness, and swallowed it down, “It was just a joke; you didn’t have to take it so seriously.”

“It’s just that today, my queen mother once again mentioned the issue of my marriage, which really gave me a headache. That’s why I made a joke or two with you.”

“Now that the First, Second, and Third Princes have married and established their own residences, it’s right and proper for the now-adult Fourth Prince to marry soon, to set a good example for the Fifth and Sixth Princes.”

“I recall that the Queen seems to be interested in choosing a candidate for the Fourth Prince’s wife.” Chu Jinnian said.

“Indeed, the queen mentioned it today.”

Chu Yunzhao frowned slightly as he said this, “Normally, the marriage of a prince would be handled by the Ministry of Rites, who would sift through suitable candidates layer by layer, and then the emperor and queen would make the final decision.”

“My queen mother was previously worried that the Queen would interfere and she asked the emperor early on to allow me to choose my own bride, hoping I could find a woman who truly loves me, for us to live in harmony.”

“The queen mother did this firstly to conceal her ambition, letting outsiders think that I’m a man who prefers beauties over state affairs, and secondly, to take this opportunity to let me and her decide my marriage and prevent the queen from interfering.”

“The emperor agreed to this at that time, but now the queen has seen the list first, and this list has also passed from the queen’s palace to the queen mother’s hands.”

“In this case, it is obvious how many people have been pushed in by the queen, and how many suitable people were deliberately excluded.”

Hearing all this, Chu Jinnian’s raised eyebrows slightly drooped, “I seem to remember that the Fourth Prince was quite fond of Miss Luo Shishan, the daughter of the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, Luo. And Luo Shishan is also a well-known talented lady in Beijing who excels in playing music, calligraphy, painting, feminine arts, and cooking. She is loved by the reputed families for being virtuous and gentle.”

“One can say that Miss Luo is the ideal candidate for marriage among all the sons of distinguished families in the capital. If it wasn’t for the rumor that the Fourth Prince was interested in her, I’m afraid the number of people who have come to propose marriage would have broken the threshold..”