amaotonovel Chapter 443 The Flower of Barrenness (18)
Chapter 443 The Flower of Barrenness (18)
The eldest princess led Wangyou to sit on a chair, her eyes filled with affection.
"I wonder what brings the Princess here?" Wangyou asked after a moment's thought, feeling rather uncomfortable being stared at.
"Here's the thing, I'm here to ask on behalf of my good-for-nothing son. This kid hasn't even had a female mosquito around him all these years. You're the only one he's ever liked. Don't worry, this brat often climbs over walls, I've already taught him a lesson."
"However, I was born with a weak constitution and will definitely be unable to conceive and have children in the future. Moreover, I am a rather domineering person. If he marries me, he can only have me for the rest of his life. I would rather be widowed than accept betrayal."
"I will never love anyone else, only you. I don't want children, I only want you," Murong Guan said, standing up expectantly.
“That’s right. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have children. We can just adopt one from his younger brother later. As long as there’s someone to burn paper money for him during festivals,” the princess said magnanimously.
However, there was also a hint of regret in his tone, as the children born from those two children must have been incredibly beautiful.
"Then I don't seem to have a reason to refuse." Wangyou knew that she couldn't hide her true face forever, and the Tian family couldn't protect her appearance.
The eldest princess and the Duke of Fuguo have high enough status, and Murong Guan seems to be devoted to her. There's nothing wrong with marrying into that family. As for what to do if the man changes his mind, it's not a big problem. At worst, she'll become a widow.
"Then it's settled. I've had someone check it out. Three days from now is an auspicious day. I will personally come to propose marriage then. The results of the imperial examination will be released at the same time, so it will be a double celebration."
“Okay.” Wangyou nodded in agreement, and the princess didn’t linger, hurrying back to prepare the betrothal gifts.
Murong Guan dawdled until he reached Wangyou, then stuffed a hairpin into her hand before turning and chasing after the princess without looking back.
Wangyou glanced at the hairpin in her hand. It was warm to the touch, and it was actually made of warm jade. The hairpin had exquisite patterns, but the lines were not smooth, clearly indicating that it was carved by a novice.
Wangyou suddenly smiled. So far, things seem pretty good.
"Daughter, are you really going to agree?" Tian Laosan and Song asked worriedly.
“Father, Mother, why don’t we agree? They’ve shown enough sincerity, so we have to accept. Otherwise, we’d be ungrateful. Besides, Murong Guan seems like a good man. If I marry him, my life probably won’t be too difficult. And when my younger brother enters the officialdom, he’ll be a great help.”
"Sister, I'll work hard for my own future, so don't sell yourself off."
"Come on, I look like this. I can't just disappear forever. Murong Guan's family background is enough to protect me," Wangyou said irritably.
Upon hearing this, Tianye looked ashamed. They were still too weak. From that moment on, Tianye had a heart that yearned to climb higher.
Wangyou didn't try to persuade him further; a little stimulation was necessary.
Murong Guan was overjoyed when he returned home. He suddenly felt that his family's treasure was not good enough for his girl. After thinking for a moment, he decided to ask his cousin, who was now the emperor, for some of his most prized possessions.
"What? You're getting married? That's wonderful! Who is this girl who managed to win you over?" Emperor Fu Jinzhang asked excitedly.
After asking the question, seeing that Murong Guan remained silent, the emperor asked again nervously, "You didn't find me a male brother's wife, did you?"
"Imperial decree, betrothal gifts."
"No problem, a man is fine too, I'm not picky. I'll write an imperial edict for you right now. Also, Dezhong, go open the storeroom, I want to pick out some treasures."
"The slave obeys the order."
Fu Jinzhang then went to write the imperial edict and asked about the name. "Tian Wangyou, that's a good name, but is this a girl?"
The emperor was met with a glare from Murong Guan, which only fueled his curiosity: what kind of girl could possibly win over his cousin, who was more like a monk than a monk himself?
The emperor wanted to know something, and there were many ways to do so. He also learned that this family had two students who had passed the imperial examinations, and the emperor suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.
This is like a pillow arriving just when you're sleepy. He was just worried that he didn't have enough support from the poor, and this is a perfect solution. However, they still need to be qualified to take the imperial examination.
The emperor did not take any other action, but he did pay some attention to the Tian family. Tian Ye and Tian Zhuang had come into the emperor's sight.
When the results of the imperial examinations were released, the emperor used the excuse of taking the exam papers of the successful candidates. This time, it was clear that no trickery had been done, and Tian Zhuang and Tian Ye were indeed on the list.
Fu Jinzhang picked out the two test papers. Both papers showed good insights and were consistent with their rankings. However, he kept looking at Tian Ye's paper and found it a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong with it.
Fu Jinzhang suppressed this oddity, and since there was no problem with the list, he had the people from the examination hall take it back.
Neither Tianye nor Tianzhuang checked the list; instead, they sent their respective servants to look at it. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if they were chosen as sons-in-law by those listed.
Tian Ye is ranked thirteenth, and Tian Zhuang is ranked nineteenth.
The celebratory money was given to the official who brought the good news. The emperor's decree of marriage and the betrothal gifts from the Duke of Fuguo's mansion arrived together, causing an uproar among the crowd. This was truly a meteoric rise to power!
This can be considered open support, which will make things much easier for Tianye and Tianzhuang in the future. Of course, there will also be plenty of obstacles to hinder them.
But whatever the future holds, it will be a test.
After the betrothal gifts were presented, the formalities of marriage and marriage were quickly completed, but without any perfunctory manner. As for why it was done so quickly, one can only say that a certain prince was in a great hurry.
Since their formal engagement, Wangyou gave Murong Guan a black jade pendant engraved with the image of the red spider lily, so Murong Guan no longer had to give gifts secretly.
Today it's wontons on East Street, tomorrow it's pastries on West Street, or maybe it's jewelry he made himself—he just never stopped.
Wangyou wasn't idle either. Sometimes she would send a letter to tease someone, and sometimes she would paint a picture for him. It was a kind of give-and-take.
As for the claim that the gift's value is mismatched, Wangyou never worries about that. Trying to save face or pretend to be rich is something only a fool would do.
Two weeks later, the palace examination arrived as scheduled.
After ten years of hard study, they had finally reached this point. It would be a lie to say that Tian Ye and Tian Zhuang were not nervous.
But they managed to stay calm. The emperor, who was sitting high in the Golden Palace, found Tian Ye and Tian Zhuang. He first looked at Tian Ye's appearance. With such a handsome younger brother, he figured his older sister must be just as good-looking.
The emperor was relieved and then signaled to the eunuchs to distribute the examination papers.
Tianye looked at the exam questions on the test paper, which were about 80% similar to what his older sister had guessed. This time, Tianye no longer needed to hide his talents. Ten years of hard work had finally paid off.
Looking at Tian Ye's confident demeanor, Fu Jinzhang slowly walked over and watched him answer the questions. Tian Ye was nervous for a moment, but then calmed down. Her sister had already trained her beforehand, and suddenly she felt that the emperor's imposing manner was not so bad after all.