Xiao Zhen put down the feather duster. "Speak, how did you meet him?"
"Father, you forgot. Three years ago, you asked me to deal with a group of bandits. I saved that simpleton from them." Xiao Man said righteously, as if it were his fault that she ended up in this situation because he sent her to quell the rebellion.
Xiao Zhen finally recalled the matter. He had intended to train Xiao Man by sending her to剿匪 (quell bandits), but she had exceeded his expectations, single-handedly taking down a bandit group that had been a headache for the officials. At the time, he was delighted by his daughter's excellence, unaware that she had already fallen into a romantic entanglement at such a young age.
However, Xiao Zhen was not easily fooled. "Since you saved him, why does he want to marry into your family?"
"I wanted to tease him at the time, saying that the debt of gratitude for saving his life must be repaid with marriage, and that he should marry into our family..."
"You..." Xiao Zhen was both angry and annoyed, but she was his own daughter, what could he do? "I saw that the young man had clear eyes and a righteous spirit. How do you plan to handle this?"
"I will go and explain it clearly to him."
"You'd better explain it clearly!"
"I understand, Father. I will explain it clearly. I would never dare to poison such a good seed!" Xiao Man fled quickly.
Xiao Zhen watched Xiao Man escape, and smiled helplessly. "Look at her, she dares to provoke anyone. The new Tan Hua Lang, he's the one the Ninth Princess has chosen as her consort."
"This shows that our young lady has good judgment. She recognized this young man's immense potential three years ago."
"That's true." Xiao Zhen immediately smiled. His daughter had always had a discerning eye, and the men she favored were always outstanding.
"General, actually, for young master Qin to marry into the family is not a bad idea," Steward Lu reminded him.
Xiao Zhen calmed down. At present, various factions were watching Xiao Man's marriage. For Qin Zeyan to come to the door and ask to marry into the family, holding a token of betrothal, essentially meant there was an engagement. If this marriage were accepted, the General's Mansion would be able to avoid being drawn into the princes' struggle for power.
Moreover, with this young man marrying into the General's Mansion, any children Xiao Man had would carry her surname. Worst case scenario, if Xiao Man didn't like him, they could divorce after the struggle for power was settled. All in all, Qin Zeyan marrying into the family seemed to benefit the General's Mansion more than it harmed.
"How can that young man be worthy of my daughter?" Xiao Zhen said haughtily, as if his daughter were the most exceptional woman in the world and no one was good enough for her.
"General, it's not necessary to truly marry. We can arrange for the young lady to have a nominal marriage with young master Qin, becoming a couple in name only. This would help them avoid the princes' struggle and the Emperor's arranged marriage for the young lady. After the situation is resolved, they can divorce. At that time, the General's Mansion can compensate young master Qin with a generous sum, or find another beautiful woman for him. What do you think, General?"
"No rush, let's put this matter aside for now." Xiao Zhen hesitated. "We must also investigate Qin Zeyan's background thoroughly. I'll leave this to you."
"Yes."
"Also... investigate the whereabouts of the National Master during the year he was away from Yusheng."
"General, why do we need to investigate the National Master's whereabouts?" Steward Lu was somewhat confused.
"The National Master has been away for too long this time. I have a feeling something is not right." Xiao Zhen thought of Xiao Man's appearance that day, trying hard to suppress her emotions, a mix of anger and hate, silently weeping. He felt great pity for her. He had thought it was because of Chu Qingge's affairs, but now he realized it was likely because of the National Master.
"The National Master would not harm the young lady."
"Old Lu, it is difficult to fathom the human heart. The only thing I am sure of is that I will not harm Man'er. I cannot be certain about anyone else." Xiao Zhen's face was etched with worry. "Also, the National Master's return this time also feels somewhat off."
"I will investigate immediately."
"Wait." Xiao Zhen stopped Steward Lu.
"Do not investigate yourself. Let people outside handle it, to avoid any rift between our two households."
"Yes."
"What did you say?" Nangong Yu's icy gaze pierced Wen Ruyu.
Wen Ruyu flinched, but mustered the courage to say, "The news I just received is that the new Tan Hua Lang, Qin Zeyan, is Xiao Man's fiancé."
The brush in Nangong Yu's hand cracked. Fortunately, he was rational. "Has this matter been verified?"
"It has been verified. The jade token of the eldest young lady of the Xiao family is in Qin Zeyan's hand. Furthermore, this marriage was arranged by the eldest young lady herself three years ago, for Qin Zeyan to marry into the General's Mansion as a son-in-law."
The expression on Nangong Yu's face was extremely frightening. Wen Ruyu subtly stepped back. He thought he had seen through the clouds, only to find more fog behind them.
"Have you investigated Qin Zeyan's background?"
"We have. Qin Zeyan's family background is ordinary. His father was a teacher who passed away early. It was entirely his mother who raised him and supported him to achieve academic success. Three years ago, while on a trip to visit relatives, he was ambushed by mountain bandits and held for ransom. The eldest young lady of the Xiao family led troops to raid the bandit lair and saved his life."
"He wants to marry into the General's Mansion to repay Man'er's life-saving kindness?"
Wen Ruyu cast a pitying glance at Nangong Yu. "I heard that it was the eldest young lady of the Xiao family who demanded that Qin Zeyan repay the life-saving kindness by marrying into the General's Mansion." Su Dan Novel Network.
Crack, crack. The brush in Nangong Yu's hand was covered in cracks, threatening to fall apart at any moment. His expression was unreadable, a mix of anger and amusement, truly terrifying. Wen Ruyu retreated another two steps, scared. This matter, one couldn't blame the eldest young lady of the Xiao family, after all, it was three years ago. Three years ago, the Prince hadn't even returned from the battlefield.
"What is the General's Mansion's stance on this matter?"
"From my perspective, the Great General likely intends to play along with the plan." Wen Ruyu stayed far away from Nangong Yu. "After all, the General's Mansion is currently in a precarious position, with many people watching the eldest young lady's marriage. Qin Zeyan's appearance in the capital at this time, to fulfill the promise of marriage, is like timely rain. Moreover, he himself has excellent character, astonishing talent, and holds academic success. He is the new Tan Hua Lang. This is beneficial and not harmful to the General's Mansion in any way."
"Are you saying Man'er has also agreed?"
"Your Highness, this whole situation was created by the eldest young lady of the Xiao family!" Wen Ruyu reminded Nangong Yu. This is a fine young man with a bright future, being coerced by the eldest young lady of the Xiao family with the debt of life-saving grace to marry into the General's Mansion as a son-in-law. By all accounts, it's the eldest young lady of the Xiao family's fault!
"Then what does Qin Zeyan look like?" Nangong Yu suddenly remembered that Xiao Man had a penchant for handsome men. The more attractive someone was, the more likely they were to attract her attention. Qin Zeyan's appearance must be extraordinary, right?
"While his appearance may not match Your Highness, he is quite outstanding. He is also humble and has stated his willingness to abandon his academic pursuits, remain confined to the backyard of the General's Mansion, manage the household for the eldest young lady, raise their children, and respect his wife as his superior."
The pen in Nangong Yu's hand completely turned to powder. Wen Ruyu felt a chill down his spine. He didn't want to provoke Nangong Yu, but there was a high probability that the General's Mansion would agree to Qin Zeyan marrying into the family!