The night was beautiful, and the temperature inside the house was high.
Fan Zehao tossed and turned for most of the night before finally letting her go. The two fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, in Qingzhou Prefecture, everyone connected to the Chu family, those who had received money from the Chu family, were desperately trying to distance themselves. They were unaware that Chu Lian had already meticulously recorded the list of gift-givers and bribery amounts in a small booklet.
This was originally meant to be leverage, a way to control them for her own use. Little did she know, it would become evidence of their crimes.
Nanlan Village was the most famous in the area. The cloth dolls produced there were bestsellers and reasonably priced.
However, some of the dolls were quite expensive, a fact not recognized by the wealthy. Several aunts, adhering to a mass-market approach, saw their business flourish.
Liu Qinshi looked at the expanded workshop. The people working diligently inside were no longer solely from her own village; relatives from nearby villages had also come. In the past, when her family was poor, these relatives wouldn't even visit.
Now, not only did they visit, but they also pleaded for work in the village workshop. This truly showed how fortunes could turn.
She firmly believed that sooner or later, their Nanlan Village would become the wealthiest and most populous village in the vicinity.
On the fifteenth, it was the Lantern Festival.
The tangyuan were made in the morning, and in the evening, Fan Zehao took Zhao Jiaqi out for a stroll.
The ancient-style streets were adorned with all sorts of beautiful lanterns. She joined in the lantern riddle guessing, managing to solve two. For each correct answer, she received a lantern, and she picked a monkey.
She proudly showed it off to those around her, having a wonderful time.
Fan Zehao's doting gaze never wavered. Wherever she went, he protected her, ensuring she never felt crowded, even amidst the throng.
After the fifteenth, the couple bid farewell to Helian Zhicheng and Duan Yao.
As they were leaving, Duan Yao clutched Zhao Jiaqi's hand, her eyes brimming with tears, unwilling to part: "We need to go back and handle some matters. We'll come back once everything is settled!"
Fan Zehao frowned, watching the two of them leave, and inquired, "Your son isn't leaving? That doesn't seem right. If the Crown Prince doesn't return, won't others suspect that you two intend to replace him?"
Helian Zhicheng and Duan Yao, understanding the underlying meaning, immediately retorted!
"Replace him? My son hasn't even found a wife yet, why should he go back!" Helian Zhicheng shot back.
Duan Yao, even more displeased, said, "Brother, given our relationship, if Yu Meng marries my son, I, as a mother-in-law, will surely treat her well. You, on the other hand, instead of trying to match the two children, why are you interfering?"
Going to the military camp to train with Yu Meng, only to be forced to train separately, wasn't that infuriating?
Fan Zehao was quite pleased to see the couple's indignant expressions at their inability to find a daughter-in-law.
As they were leaving, and wouldn't be seen for at least half a year, anyone else would have offered pleasantries. But he, on the contrary, not only refrained from pleasantries but happily retorted.
"Sister-in-law, you can't say that. You can't understand the feelings of a parent marrying off a daughter, which is why I always advise mine not to marry far away. I even hope she'll bring a son-in-law to live with us. See, my daughter is so obedient. No matter how hard your son pursues her, the possibility of him marrying her is slim. You two shouldn't harbor too many illusions!"
Zhao Jiaqi, listening to her husband's increasingly outrageous words, couldn't help but give him a meaningful look.
However, what was meant as a joke was taken seriously by Helian Zhicheng and Duan Yao. How could they distinguish between jest and earnest?
After all, their son hadn't been pursuing her for a mere ten days or three to four months; he had been pursuing her for two full years!
Now they understood why Yu Meng consistently refused. The core issue lay here.
When they departed, their faces were grim, and they carried heavy hearts back to their country.
As soon as the carriage left, Zhao Jiaqi grabbed him and pinched him, "You've gone too far!"
Fan Zehao chuckled, "I was just joking. In reality, I wanted to discourage them and stop them from constantly fixating on our daughter!"
Zhao Jiaqi replied, "Our daughter should make her own choices. Didn't we agree on that?"
That was the agreement, but as a father, he naturally didn't want his daughter to marry far away. Especially seeing how patient that Koi kid was. Even when Yu Meng rejected him, he remained persistent.
If this continued, who knew if his daughter's heart would soften, if she would be moved, or if she would impulsively agree to marry him?
He was merely creating a slight obstacle for Koi indirectly. If Koi was truly sincere towards his Yu Meng, then taking a live-in son-in-law wouldn't be difficult.
He chuckled, "Alright, alright. I just presented them with a challenge. How they solve it will give us an answer. If they pass the test, I'll definitely help Koi. If they fail this test, I can only say that the destiny of these two children hasn't arrived yet!"
Zhao Jiaqi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She truly worried for her daughter, having a father who secretly put obstacles in her way. Was this a blessing or a misfortune for her daughter?
"I think you simply don't want your daughter to get married at all. You'd be happier if she stayed by your side her entire life!"
Fan Zehao didn't dare to respond to that, but the radiant smile on his face clearly conveyed his agreement, and he didn't reply to her.
Outside the inner city, Duan Yao and Helian Zhicheng were dejected, sighing one after another.
Duan Yao smacked her lips and looked at him sideways, "Husband, why don't you ask our son again? If that doesn't work, can't we just find a Crown Princess domestically who has a similar personality to that Yu Meng girl?"
Helian Zhicheng sighed heavily upon hearing this, "Do you think I haven't tried? But your son simply won't listen. He rejected it immediately and said he would marry no one but Yu Meng in this lifetime!"
Before he could finish speaking, he quickly added, "Furthermore, your son gave me three choices. First, either find a way to help him marry his bride. Second, if he can't marry her, he'll either become a monk for the rest of his life or live in solitude, and the Helian family's empire will have to be inherited by someone else!"
After hearing the first two choices, Duan Yao detested both. She immediately became interested in the third option and eagerly inquired.
"And what is the third choice?"
Helian Zhicheng let out a scoff, his face slightly flushed, "Have us give birth to another son to inherit the throne. He, however, will remain here, staying with Yu Meng at all times, constantly pursuing her. This is what they call 'relentless pursuit'!"
This... this was equivalent to becoming a live-in son-in-law!
And they expected her to give birth again?
An old hen laying an egg?
Even if they were to have another child, who could guarantee it would be a son and not a daughter?
Upon hearing this, Duan Yao felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Therefore, the reason Helian Zhicheng completely failed to see that Fan Zehao was joking was also here. The couple was utterly devoid of joy.
This contrasted sharply with their happiness from a few days prior. They were as dejected now as they had been happy during the New Year.
This disparity was felt both in their hearts and in their bodies. Before even boarding the ship, the couple fell ill.
Upon reaching Deming Prefecture and seeing the dragon boat, Duan Yao had a strong impulse. She suddenly grabbed Helian Zhicheng, who was walking towards the dragon boat.
"Why don't we send some people to abduct Yu Meng and have her consummate her marriage with Koi? Wouldn't that solve everything?"