Chapter 51: The Gift of Marriage

Chapter 51

"Qin Shao Sima, this king will grant you a marriage. What do you think?"

"Everything is up to Your Majesty."

"Haha, what do you think of the palace maid? Although her family background is ordinary, she is talented in both civil and military arts, and her future prospects are limitless. When taking a wife, one should marry a virtuous woman."

Everyone looked at Qin Chuyuan and Gong Xiaohua sympathetically.

They thought, Your Majesty, how shameless can you be to say something like this. No matter how promising her future prospects, without a powerful and prominent family background, how far can she go, not to mention benefiting the Qin family?

As for Gong Xiaohua, with her background, marrying into the Qin family, Your Majesty, aren't you trying to harm her?

Gong Xiaohua was speechless. What was going on today that everyone was staring at her?

She signaled Qin Chuyuan with her eyes, hoping he would reject the marriage offer.

Her eyes were almost twitching. He seemed to be thinking about something and didn't even glance at her, completely isolating her.

Seeing that he was ignoring her, she could only reject it herself. Just as she was about to step forward, Qin Chuyuan's voice rang out.

"This subject thanks Your Majesty for the marriage offer."

A thousand grass mud horses galloped through Gong Xiaohua's heart. Big brother, have you gone mad?

"Your Majesty, this subject opposes..." Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted again.

"Come, pass down an edict, offering marriage between Qin Chuyuan of the Qin family and the young lady of the Gong family, set a date for the wedding."

Gong Xiaohua looked at the enthroned king above, then at Qin Chuyuan kneeling on the ground. She finally understood that behind today's ridiculous scene, countless forces were pushing things along.

At this point none of her thoughts mattered. The ending would be the same regardless.

She did not fear death and could reject the marriage, but behind her was the Gong family, her maternal grandparents' family, and countless other relatives. She could not defy the edict for a marriage and disregard her family.

So she could only kneel down and express her thanks: "This subject thanks Your Majesty for the marriage offer."

"Don't tell me your grandfather harbors ambitions to usurp the throne?"

Qin Chuqin immediately covered Gong Xiaohua's mouth and whispered softly in her ear, "Little Flower, watch your words. You absolutely cannot say anything like this again outside in the future."

"Grandfather is utterly loyal to the Da Ye Dynasty. It's just that the current state of affairs in the realm are unstable, the struggle for the crown prince's position in court is intense, and grandfather worries that the Qin family will become a political sacrifice in the future. That's why he thought of allying with the Lin family to preserve the Qin family in the days to come."

"So you schemed against both the Qin and Lin families, and also the Sixth Prince, then gave the Lin family a push to match them with the Sixth Prince?"

"I only played a small part. There were others with further plans afterward." Qin Chuyuan said.

"Then doesn't the Crown Prince have a powerful opponent now?"

"Don't worry. An untamed white-eyed wolf, sooner or later will become raising a tiger which brings trouble. The Crown Prince doesn't bother using this kind of person."

"After all, these matters are yours. Why drag me into it? I don't want to get involved in your sinister schemes at all."

"Because at the time you were involved in the incident and your status was the lowest, this was what pleased His Majesty the most."

"So all of you influential nobles can disregard my wishes and forcibly make me enter a marriage of convenience? You people really are disgusting."

"Miss Qin, although my brother's methods were somewhat unsavory..." Qin Chuqin anxiously tried to explain.

"Big sister." Qin Chuyuan timely interrupted Qin Chuqin with a shake of his head towards her.

"Now that things have turned out this way, I can marry you but we need to first agree that despite formally tying the knot, we'll actually have a pretend marriage. When the time is right in the future, we'll each go our own way." Gong Xiaohua said.

Qin Chuqin threw a gloating look at Qin Chuyuan as if to say it serves you right for acting tough.

"That's fine."

"Alright, we're almost at my place. Stop here."

When the carriage halted, Gong Xiaohua lifted the curtain and hopped off, "Miss Qin, I'll take my leave first."

"Farewell, safe travels."

Watching the retreating figure of Gong Xiaohua's back, Qin Chuyuan thought, I'll let you leave?