Chapter 258: Who Has Such a Daughter

Mu Guniang sighed, "I think he's good; if we don't settle now, we won't see that many girls staring at them."

"You are a princess; how can those people compare to you? If he lacks the discernment to choose such a woman, then you must have misjudged him."

"I think Feng'er should abandon literature and take up martial arts."

"There's no war anymore."

"The north isn't at war, but the east, south and west still have battles; gold will always sparkle. You saw it that day—my future mother‑in‑law's outstretched hand could alone block a pass, a barrier no ten thousand men could open."

"Mm‑hm, that lady of the Qiao Family is truly unfathomable."

Mu Guniang smiled smugly, "Hmph, I'm not after anything else, just their food and the exotic wares from Xiu Zhuang; I won't marry unless it's Yunfeng."

Qiao Mai curled her lips in disdain; even as a princess, she got herself involved for the sake of food and clothing—she must have good taste.

"Princess, you should think twice; this betrothal, we definitely won't approve on our side."

"Then let the raw rice become cooked rice; the man I have chosen, I will stay with even to death, unless my parents don't cherish me, hmph."

"You, you, you, you just make us furious."

"Yes, but he's still young; it's not appropriate for you to know now, so we have to wait two years."

"Maybe they've already set their eyes on someone."

"However, the Duke is just the Duke, and his wife is just his wife; to find out who that young man is, just ask the people around her."

"Mother, their food is truly first‑class cuisine in the world; once a daughter tastes it, she won't want to eat elsewhere. Moreover, aside from a slightly lower family background, everything else is fine; the daughter likes such families."

"This servant girl has her own parents running in circles; her future mother‑in‑law should be cautious."

"A 1.8‑meter tall guy, very handsome."

"When you wait a bit more, you'll be eighteen, a grown‑up miss."

"Who? Who did she set her eyes on? If she really has, that's fine."

"What, sis, you're an old ox eating tender grass?"

"The couple never imagined it would be the son of a fifth‑rank County Magistrate, nor that it would be in such a remote northern region."

"Don't know."

"The two never even dreamed in their sleep that their daughter would meet the Duke while going to Bian Guan this time."

"Two close servant girls, and a Momo trying to advise, Mu Junzhu wouldn't listen; it seems she's truly set her mind."

"Sister, you're not a kid anymore; you should put the marriage on the schedule."

"How does he look?"

"Sis, does he know your identity?"

"Does the Mu family miss you for eating or for drinking? Huh?"

"This servant girl has spoiled you too much; she's already of marriageable age, the matchmaker is about to break our family's threshold, she just hasn't given her consent. I think the families I introduced are all fine, but she's not pleased."

"Do we need others to mock us? Our family rose through war, not through marriage alliances; the Mu family doesn't climb the social ladder. The daughter marries whoever she likes."

The Duchess frowned, "Tell us about that young man's situation."

That remark made everyone look at her, "So, you have someone you like?"

"Madam, perhaps you don't know the Qiao family; I do. Not to mention how the Qiao family originated, just that Qiao Niang is truly capable."

That night, she went nowhere, just slept in a space, and only emerged at dawn.

Qiao Mai curled her lips after hearing that; this is really good—one has privately pledged love, another is eager to arrange a betrothal for her. Let's see what the servant girl does.

"Sis, have you set your eyes on someone's looks?"

"Um, I can only say roughly that his father is a fifth‑rank official; he is sixteen this year, a year younger than me, a scholar; this year he'll take the imperial exams. Though he's only sixteen, he's talented in both civil and martial arts, and his martial skill surpasses his literary talent."

"If you all approve, fine; you don't need to keep pressing me. Even if there were more, I wouldn't say. I agreed with him to discuss marriage in two years."

Qiao Mai almost laughed out loud while listening; this family is truly amusing.

The Duke finally spoke, and the Duchess nearly fainted upon hearing it.

"Sigh, imagination is beautiful; may it be as the princess wishes."

This town's Duke is a pillar of the Ming Empire, a loyal and heroic family; the Old Duke is now elderly, recuperating at a manor outside the city, with the Old Lady Defender Duke always by his side.

"Rest assured, there are people who want me."

"I tell you, you'd better keep your mouths tight; I privately pledged love with him, but he's still young and must take the imperial examination route. Whatever happens, when I return to the capital, I'll give him a path, letting him rise early so my family will regard him differently."

The Duke and the Duchess exchanged a glance, said nothing, and the breakfast passed that way.

Qiao Mai grabbed a stewed chicken from the Duke's manor kitchen, perched on a tree, eating while watching their jokes.

The Duke remained silent; the Duchess, seeing her husband about to be persuaded by the daughter, poked him immediately.

Whoever is older and spicier, after this round of bombardment, the Duke and Duchess finally figured out who it was.

Mu Guniang has three older brothers and two younger brothers; the eldest and second brothers died on the battlefield, leaving only one older brother and two younger brothers, all proficient in both civil and martial arts.

"You two really are a father‑daughter pair."

"The matter she chose, she takes responsibility for; if not for her, how would her son, at such a young age, get lovesickness?"

"Don't, wait another two years."

Qiao Mai raised an eyebrow and went to another courtyard, just encountering the town Duke and the Duchess discussing the daughter.

The Duke, smarter than the Duchess, led her back to the Main Courtyard; after sitting down, the Duchess was still angry with him.

Who would have thought that after breakfast, the Duke began to mobilize all his influence, searching every fifth‑rank official's household across the Ming Empire.

"Anyway, I let her decide her marriage; even the emperor doesn't interfere, so we won't meddle."

The Duke and Duchess were so angry they felt like vomiting blood, "Which family has such a daughter?"

All because of a bit of food and clothing, she sold herself? My god, the couple were so angry they couldn't eat, and they confronted Mu Guniang head‑on with questions.

Believe it or not, there were indeed a few who matched Mu Junzhu's criteria, but after careful screening, each was crossed off.

"Then the things she doesn't want, I won't force her either."

"Really, what our daughter says is all true; let's not even mention the matriarch of the Qiao Family, just talk about the Yuan County Magistrate—he was the top scholar who placed first in the four‑province imperial exams, and in this campaign he contributed a great deal to the court. Father, when you were at Beiguan, didn't you often praise him?"

"If we don't arrange a match soon, she'll become an old maid, and then who will we say went? All the good melons will have been taken by me."

The current Duke, about forty, looks a bit like the handsome Guan Yunzhang. Though the Duchess is a middle‑aged woman, from her appearance it's clear she was once as beautiful as a flower in her youth; otherwise how could she have given birth to such a beautiful Princess daughter.

"That won't do either; you are a proper Princess. Marrying into a family like that would just make the people of Jingcheng laugh our family to death."

Let's not even discuss it; after all, it was the other side's men who took the initiative, and also our own daughter who was proactive, all for the sake of living in their house, eating their delicacies, and wearing their Embroidery Goods.

Qiao Mai watched the family dine in the Can Ting, and from their words and manners she could see the upbringing of this household.

"Hmph, your daughter likes it, you love the crow and the crow, so naturally you'll speak up for her."

"No, it's that the guard I assigned to my daughter this time is a top‑tier martial artist of the jianghu, and when I was moving the troops back to the capital, he was injured. Guess who wounded him?"

"It couldn't possibly be that lady from the Qiao Family, could it?" the Duchess rolled her eyes.

"It was her. With just one palm strike she turned that guard's injury into an internal wound. How high would you say her martial skill is?"

(End of chapter)