Chapter 142: The Heir Had Better Not Get Too Deeply Involved

It wasn't that the Duke's Manor was in trouble and besieged; rather, the Heir of Prince Yan, holding an imperial edict, came to propose marriage.

Only because the betrothal gifts were too many did they mobilize the Black Armor Guard to help carry them; this grand display—those who knew it was a marriage proposal, those who didn't, thought it was a forced marriage!

The maidservant came running in a panic to report: "Miss! Miss! Xiao Heir... he... brought the imperial edict!"

Shen Shuangning froze for a moment, standing up from the swing: "The imperial edict?"

In the front hall, Xiao Jingyuan dressed in stone-green robes, his posture straight as a pine, went straight to Old Madam Shen, bowed deeply, and solemnly said: "Junior Xiao Jingyuan has come today specifically to ask for Miss Shen Shuangning's hand in marriage."

He holds the imperial edict—how could the Duke's Manor possibly refuse?

Old Madam Shen and Lady Liu exchanged a glance, both filled with complex feelings.

On one hand, they felt this Xiao Heir's actions were overbearing, leaving the Duke's Manor no room to refuse; on the other hand, this near-all-or-nothing sincerity moved them deeply.

Everyone knows what military merit means in the state of Dai Liang—it's honor earned with one's life, and it can be exchanged for high office, generous stipends, titles, and fiefdoms.

Since the founding of the state, no one has ever exchanged a lifetime of military merit for a mere marriage contract. If word got out, outsiders would only think Xiao Jingyuan had gone mad.

Today Shen Xiuci was off duty, and upon hearing the commotion he came too; as soon as he entered the gate he saw this scene, and his eye twitched involuntarily.

Old Madam Shen couldn't help but say: "The Heir using military merit to ask for Miss Ning's hand—truly generous."

Xiao Jingyuan smiled, but said nothing.

Soon after, Shen Shuangning also arrived.

Upon learning that he had actually come with a bestowed marriage edict, she simply didn't know what to say.

When she turned her head, however, she saw her grandmother and mother looking very pleased, smiles on their faces.

Lady Liu pulled Shen Shuangning aside and asked if she was willing.

Shen Shuangning could feel the man's gaze continually on her; her jade-like earlobes inevitably flushed slightly.

The two had already agreed in private, so Shen Shuangning nodded to her mother.

Thus, the Prince Yan's Manor and the Duke of Rong's Manor settled the marriage that very day, setting the wedding for the fifteenth of the eighth month.

Just as in his previous life, the engagement was set that same day, but the wedding date was moved up two months; this time, Xiao Jingyuan was anxiously eager to win his beauty.

Soon, the news spread throughout the Duke's Manor—the Heir of Prince Yan, Xiao Jingyuan, personally bearing the imperial edict, came to propose to the Fourth Miss of the main branch, Shen Shuangning.

Box after box of betrothal gifts were carried in, the red lacquer boxes adorned with gold patterns, heavy enough to bend the wooden poles slightly, the carriers sweating profusely.

Not long after, all the betrothal gifts were brought to the open space in the front hall, neatly stacked, taking up nearly half the area.

When the boxes were opened, pearls, agate, jade artifacts, antiquities, silks and fabrics dazzled the eye; even the steward, accustomed to worldly sights, couldn't help clicking his tongue—this far surpassed the usual lavishness of aristocratic families by leaps and bounds.

People from the second and third branches heard the news and rushed over, crowding the corridors to watch from afar; gazing at the line of betrothal gifts stretching from the hanging-flower gate to the main hall, their eyes widened.

Lady You of the second branch gazed at those dazzling jewels and said somewhat sourly: "Just look at this display—I doubt our manor could find a second family with such grandeur."

If the betrothal gifts are this lavish, then after the marriage, the daily allowance for living in Prince Yan's Manor will surely be even more astonishing.

Lady Yang of the third branch stood behind the crowd, her plain handkerchief twisted out of shape in her grip.

The main branch has wealth and power, their son has a promising future, they have everything—how can even their daughter be so fortunate? Heaven is terribly unfair.

Earlier, Shen Shuangning's marriage arrangement with the Xie family fell through; she secretly gloated and even had people spread rumors that she was a "husband-killer".

After such an uproar, who would think any noble house would be willing to marry a girl with a tarnished reputation? Even if a proposal came, it would surely be from some ordinary clan, no longer worthy of the Duke's Manor's legitimate daughter.

But who could have imagined that, precisely when the rumors were rampant, the very person least likely to come knocking with a marriage proposal arrived!

It was none other than the Heir of Prince Yan, who holds heavy military command and wields power over the court, and who didn't hesitate to exchange his military merit for a marriage edict!

Lady Yang had no idea that, by secretly tripping her up, she actually helped Shen Shuangning fend off those impure "rotten peach blossoms," saving Xiao Jingyuan considerable effort in clearing obstacles.

Laughter from Old Madam Shen and Lady Liu drifted from the flower hall, while Lady Yang's gaze grew ever darker.

Shen Ling had been happy for her elder sister's impending happiness, but upon turning and seeing her mother's stern face, her smile vanished at once, and she dared hardly laugh.

"Mother…" she whispered softly, her heart pounding with dread.

Lady Yang pulled her aside, and when no one was around, she grabbed her ear and said: "The Heir Xiao has taken a liking to her, and you didn't even tell me?"

Shen Ling's eyes reddened from the pain, but she dared not cry out loud, only managing a timid: "I don't know either... besides, what does this have to do with me?"

Lady Yang exclaimed in frustration: "I've always had you spend more time with your good elder sister, so you could build a good relationship, bask in her glory, show your face before notables, and secure a good marriage for yourself! But look at you—she's latched onto the Heir of Prince Yan, and you haven't caught a whiff of it, wasting so many opportunities!"

"How could I have given birth to such a fool!"

Shen Ling felt wronged, tears streaming down.

Her elder sister always treated her well, but Mother always made her approach with an ulterior motive, which she simply couldn't do. Besides, her elder sister gained the Heir Xiao's favor through her own nature, not by clinging to anyone……

But she dared not say these things to her furious mother, so she could only let Lady Yang scold her on the side, her tears falling even harder.

In a daze, the image of the young man she had seen by the Curve Water Lake before unbidden surfaced in her mind.

That young man wore a faded blue shirt, possessed nothing, yet was handsome; his brows and eyes held a hint of indescribable vicissitudes, and this very aura was quite attractive.

That day she happened to hear Wei Chun gossiping with Miss Lin about her elder sister, and in a flash of anger she came to blows with Wei Chun; afterward she accidentally dropped the silver-inlaid jade hairpin her mother had given her, which he picked up.

At that time her hair was disheveled, her skirt muddy; thinking of herself, a young lady of an aristocratic family, publicly 'pulling at flowers' with someone, she felt both ashamed and embarrassed.

But he showed no contempt at all; instead, when he returned the hairpin, he said softly: "Miss, your anger to protect your kin is righteous and kind—there's no need to take it to heart."

His voice was warm and faint, yet like a spring breeze brushing the lake surface, it sent a ripple through her heart.

Later she learned his name: Gu Fengchun.

Indeed, he lived up to his name.

Unfortunately, Mother's standards are exceedingly high; she would never be satisfied with him... so Shen Ling simply buried the thought in her heart.

The flower hall was filled with a harmonious scene as both families discussed the marriage, yet Shen Shuangning's face showed little joy.

Not long after, she gave Xiao Jingyuan a glance, then stepped out ahead of him.

Just as she reached the pavilion in the courtyard, Xiao Jingyuan followed closely behind.

Now he is the future son-in-law of the Duke's Manor, so even if they meet in private, outsiders won't gossip.

From afar, the two stood facing each other in the pavilion, their sleeves fluttering; they truly seemed a match made in heaven.

The manor's servants, seeing them, thought they were lovers eager to be close, smiled and quietly stepped aside, paying no further attention.

Shen Shuangning glanced at the servants shoving and dodging out of the way, her expression unchanged, then she lifted her head and asked Xiao Jingyuan, "Why?"

Xiao Jingyuan's brows and eyes softened: "What do you mean, why?"

Shen Shuangning said, puzzled: "We already agreed that we would divorce in two years, so why are you still using military achievements to exchange for an imperial marriage edict, making such a show? I doubt the heir intends to keep his promise."

Since we agreed we would inevitably divorce, it's naturally better to keep a low profile; otherwise, when the time comes, it won't be easy to wrap up.

Seeing the woman's persistent yet distant demeanor, Xiao Jingyuan found it glaring, so he turned his face away and, voice somewhat hoarse, said: "I only want to make proper amends for you; I thought......" you would be happy.

But before he could finish, Shen Shuangning cut him off directly: "Heir, you needn't do this; I don't need any compensation."

Xiao Jingyuan's hand beneath his sleeve slowly clenched, his lips pressing into a straight line, and he said nothing more.

Shen Shuangning has always been the sort who, once she makes up her mind, cannot be pulled back even by eight horses; yet at the same time she is timid.

As in her previous life, she had fallen for him and devoted herself to marrying him and living a good life; but now she only wants to keep her distance from him, and she is even less willing to get deeply involved.

Xiao Jingyuan gazed at her cold side profile, his heart tightening, and he asked in a hoarse voice: "I treat you well—have I done something wrong?"

He hasn't done anything wrong; it's just...... she fears she will waver.

This time it was Shen Shuangning who didn't dare to look at him much.

She walked out of the pavilion, leaving him a cold back view, and reminded him: "Heir, you'd better not get too deep; just remember your promise."

After a moment of indifference, Xiao Jingyuan finally replied with an "Okay."

Shen Shuangning then left.

Xiao Jingyuan wanted to detain her, but when he raised his hand he only touched a faint strand of silk from her hair's tip; that softness slipped silently through his fingers, ultimately impossible to keep.

He then slowly clenched his fists, his eye sockets reddening.

Ah Heng watched the two part on bad terms, not understanding why, though they had been fine, things had turned sour again.

She glanced sideways at the heir still standing in the pavilion, seeing only his shoulders slightly slumped, his whole body full of desolation, truly making one's heart ache.

As for the master's affairs, Ah Heng dared not inquire; she quickly averted her gaze and hurried after Shen Shuangning.

Shen Shuangning didn't know that after she left, Xiao Jingyuan coughed up blood.

The news of the engagement between the Yan Prince's Manor and the Duke's Manor spread like wings, reaching nearly every corner of Jingcheng; the heir's ostentatiousness was such that even the palace knew of it.

Song Xizhi learned of this news while she was dressing the Crown Prince.

These days, the Crown Prince has been staying at her place, immovable as thunder.

Meanwhile, the Crown Princess's side remained quiet, and Song Xizhi's days were extremely comfortable.

A palace servant entered, bowing respectfully: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the heir of the Yan Prince's Manor and the fourth miss of the Duke's Manor have become engaged, and they have sent a wedding invitation." The servant presented the invitation with both hands.

The Crown Prince took it, glanced at it, raised his eyebrows slightly, seeming somewhat surprised.

He then deliberately glanced at Song Xizhi's expression, only to see her calm and composed, as if she didn't care at all.

The Crown Prince said nothing, casually set the invitation aside, and went off to attend to his duties at the Hall of Nurtured Harmony.

After the Crown Prince left, Song Xizhi finally picked up the invitation, pinching it until her fingertips turned pale from pressure.

Palace of Tranquil Harmony.

Kang Shouyi said with some regret: "I never expected Xiao Jingyuan to act so quickly; it seems our earlier plan cannot be carried out."

In the side hall, it was quiet; Empress Wang held a white jade chess piece between her fingertips, lightly raising and lowering it on the board—as if she were playing against herself.

Black and white interlaced on the board, the situation was in full swing.

She lifted her eyes to glance at Kang Shouyi, the corner of her mouth curling into a faint smile, her tone calm: "Isn't this even better?"

Kang Shouyi said, puzzled: "But that Fourth Miss Shen is about to marry into the Yan Prince's Manor, becoming Xiao Jingyuan's heiress—how are we still supposed to sow discord between Grand Tutor Pei and Heir Xiao?"

"Foolish." Empress Wang lightly rebuked.

"Xiao Jingyuan is willing to exchange his lifelong military achievements for a marriage—doesn't that already make the point clear? His regard for that Fourth Miss Shen is utterly obvious."

Empress Wang's eyes flashed with a hint of calculation: "This move has only just begun; what comes next is to keep going."

Far outside Jingcheng in Sui County, Pei Zhi learned from his subordinates of the engagement between Xiao Jingyuan and Shen Shuangning; he staggered, his expression somewhat dazed.

Immediately afterward, a surge of repressed hostility rose from the depths of his eyes.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed the soldier's collar; his usually calm and gentle face was now somewhat distorted:

"What did you say? They got engaged?!"