amaotonovel Chapter 144: The Widow with Many Troublesome People (12)
Chapter 144: The Widow with Many Troublesome People (12)
Liang Wei realized that she had said the wrong thing.
She opened her mouth with a red face, but was speechless for a moment in front of this group of neighbors who were the most talkative.
Finally, I can only explain it haltingly:
"I don't mean anything else. My brother is going to be the top scholar. How can he marry anyone he wants?"
Liang Bei hurriedly corrected her:
"It's not easy to become the top scholar. Every student who takes the imperial examination is well-read. I just tried my best."
Seeing them making a fuss, Mu Zhou took Chu Caiyan into his yard.
*
Mu Zhou closed the door and ignored the commotion outside.
She tentatively asked Chu Caiyan about her impression of Liang Bei, and when she saw that she didn't have any extra feelings, she didn't say anything more.
The two of them were eating lychees.
Before dark, Chu Caiyan was about to leave when there was a knock on the door.
When Chu Caiyan's servant went to open the door, he suddenly exclaimed:
"General."
The two people sitting in front of the stone table were stunned and looked towards the door.
It’s Chu Jinyao.
"Uncle?"
Chu Caiyan looked at Chu Jinyao in surprise as he walked in.
The guards behind him were carrying two pheasants, and apparently other animals and birds as well.
"I went on an inspection tour with His Majesty and hunted some game. This is a chef who specializes in game. Let him cook it for you to taste."
The chef bowed to the few people and took the food to Mu Zhou's small kitchen.
Chu Jinyao explained his actions in a few simple words. Chu Caiyan didn't think much about it, but just looked forward to eating it soon.
She was a rather thick-skinned person, so naturally she didn't notice that Chu Jinyao was as comfortable as if he were at home here with Mu Zhou.
I never thought about why he came to Mu Zhou after hunting game.
I just thought he knew I was here, so he came looking for me.
Seeing that she didn't have to leave before dark, she happily started chatting with Mu Zhou again.
On the side, Chu Jinyao stared at Mu Zhou with such boldness that even Mu Zhou felt a little shy.
She stiffened her body and insisted on looking at Chu Caiyan without even giving him a glance.
Chu Jinyao didn't mind at all, he just looked at her intently with deep eyes.
He suddenly realized how stupid he had been.
Why bother pretending and forcing yourself not to look at her?
He could obviously have it openly.
*
After dinner, the uncle and nephew of the Chu family prepared to leave.
Chu Jinyao suddenly held Mu Zhou's hand and said, "The emperor's decree granting the marriage will be announced tomorrow. Don't be afraid."
Chu Caiyan only glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and was about to look away when she suddenly heard Chu Jinyao's words.
She turned around suddenly and looked at their clasped hands, then realized what he had said.
She covered her mouth and pointed at the two of them in astonishment: "You, you..."
Mu Zhou felt a little embarrassed and found it difficult to explain, but Chu Jinyao was calm and composed:
"I have already asked His Majesty to grant me the marriage. Miss Mu will be your aunt from now on."
“Aunt!?”
Chu Caiyan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise when she saw that her best friend had suddenly risen in generation.
Chu Jinyao ignored her slightly frustrated look and shook Mu Zhou's hand:
"Caeyeon is calling you aunt."
"..."
Mu Zhou looked at Chu Jinyao speechlessly.
Caiyan obviously didn't mean that.
*
Chu Caiyan was driven to the carriage. Chu Jinyao gave Mu Zhou a few more instructions, and finally, when she was off guard, he hooked her chin and kissed her.
Fortunately, it was just a quick touch and then separated. Mu Zhou looked around in panic. Seeing that no one saw him, he breathed a sigh of relief and pushed him away quickly.
Chu Jinyao knew that she had not yet fully accepted him, so he was not in a hurry. He just said to her with deep eyes:
"You have to adapt to me. After all, I will be the one who will accompany you for the rest of your life."
Mu Zhou was almost burned by the intense heat in his eyes, but he still lowered his eyelids in avoidance and did not respond to him.
Chu Jinyao pursed his thin lips slightly and said nothing more.
*
The next day, a group of people came out of the palace and marched into a small alley. The leading eunuch read out the imperial edict.
The people living here are all ordinary people, some of whom are even considered the lower class in the capital. Now that they see someone from the palace coming, they all kneel down in fear and listen to his orders.
When they learned that the person to whom the decree was to be announced was Mu Zhou, everyone guessed that it might be related to Mu Zhou's late husband.
But unexpectedly, this was an imperial decree granting marriage.
The emperor wants to grant a marriage between Mu Zhou and the mighty general Chu Jinyao!
After the imperial edict was read, some items bestowed by the emperor were left for Mu Zhou as a dowry.
Chu Jinyao had already sent people to Mu Zhou in advance, so she didn't have to worry about anything. Naturally, the nanny would come forward to arrange for the eunuchs who would come to announce the decree.
The eunuch accepted the thank-you gift with a smile, and did not forget to say a few good words for Chu Jinyao.
"General Chu won this battle and did not ask for any reward. He only asked the emperor to grant him a marriage. This shows how much the general loves the girl."
Mu Zhou cooperated with a shy smile.
As soon as the man left, the neighbors around him seemed to be dumbfounded, standing there in a daze.
Especially Aunt Qin, her eyes almost popped out.
The same was true for Liang Wei on the other side.
How could a widow like Mu Zhou hook up with a mighty general?
It was the general who took the initiative to ask for her hand in marriage and won her the marriage in exchange for his military merits.
How could she be so worthy?!
Liang Wei found it hard to accept that Mu Zhou had such a good life.
She didn't want to watch anymore and went to the street with the basket.
As soon as I came out of the grain store, I saw a dashing young man coming out of the restaurant, waving a folding fan.
Isn’t this the young marquis?
Liang Wei thought of the previous rumors about the young marquis, and then thought of today's imperial edict, and her mind moved.
*
After Mu Zhou received the imperial edict, he allowed the nanny to sort and put away the things he had received.
Soon Chu Caiyan also came.
As soon as she arrived, she pulled Mu Zhou into the house and asked all the other servants to leave.
After everyone left, she looked at Mu Zhou nervously:
"Did my uncle force you to do that?"
Chu Caiyan thought about it carefully after returning.
No matter how much he thought about it, it was hard to imagine that the timid Mu Zhou could have anything to do with his uncle.
The only possibility was that her uncle coveted Mu Zhou's beauty and used force to force her, so Mu Zhou had no way to resist and could only compromise.
Mu Zhou looked at her concerned eyes, shook his head and chuckled: "No, the general...didn't force me."
"So, you really admire my uncle?"
Mu Zhou was in a trance for a moment, his tone was confused and sighed:
"I don't know either, but if I marry the general, there probably won't be any more trouble. The general said he would protect me."
Mu Zhou caught a glimpse of the figure that suddenly disappeared through the gap in the door, and then he withdrew his gaze calmly.
*
After everyone left, 0001 couldn't help but speak.
[Why did you deliberately let Chu Jinyao hear what you said? ]
He deliberately let him hear that Mu Zhou didn't love him that much, it was just a choice he had to make.
Wouldn't this make him feel unhappy?
Mu Zhou smiled and poured himself a cup of tea.
【What is his favorability? 】
[60%]
Yes, everyone is willing to exchange military merit for an imperial decree to grant marriage, but the favorability is only 60%.
If Mu Zhou were to happily marry him and continue to live a mediocre life, it is likely that her favorability would never reach 100% until she died.
[The host means that the male protagonist doesn't like you that much? ]