Upon hearing that Young Master Qin was unmarried, Song Jinyu instinctively sensed something fishy. Zhongli Mingye said helplessly, "Father has bestowed a marriage upon them!"
"But Ming Ruyi has been delaying the wedding. Isn't he just wasting Rong Shuang'er's time?" Song Jinyu thought that although the emperor's bestowed marriage was unchangeable, since Ming Ruyi dared to defy the imperial edict and not marry, he might as well end this marriage.
"That's true..."
"It all depends on what the Rong family decides. If the Duke of Rong is willing, the emperor might agree. After all, the imperial uncle is known for his eccentric personality."
What could they do if he refused to get married? After all, he was the youngest son of the Empress Dowager.
Rong Shuang'er had been hiding in her room for a whole day. Qin Yu was her best choice. His family background was simple, and he clearly had feelings for her.
But why couldn't she let go? Lady Rong couldn't wait to marry her off. Currently, Rong Shuang'er had a bad reputation in the capital. Due to the bestowed marriage, no one dared to propose marriage to her.
Qin Yu's appearance was like a timely rain for the Duke of Rong's mansion.
"Shuang'er, stop being so willful!" Her mother, who had always doted on her, also said, "In this world, how many people can find true love at first sight? Most of the time, love develops gradually."
"Your father and I both think Qin Yu is a good match. If you also think so, I'll ask your father to go to the palace and ask the emperor to annul the bestowed marriage."
Rong Shuang'er stared blankly at the banana trees in the courtyard. Since she learned that Ming Ruyi liked banana trees, she had planted many in her courtyard.
Listening to the rain on the banana leaves was extremely elegant. Unfortunately, the person who used the banana leaves as paper to write was not her destined one.
Tears fell one by one, hitting the banana leaves. Rong Shuang'er slowly closed her eyes. "Okay... Daughter will follow mother's arrangement."
When Song Jinyu heard the news, she invited Rong Shuang'er to the mansion. "Are you really going to marry into the Qin family in Shangrao City?"
"Yes. Young Master Qin is a very good person!"
He Yi looked at her strangely. "If he is such a good person, why did you only discover his goodness now?"
"..."
Song Jinyu understood Rong Shuang'er's situation better than He Yi. "Don't worry. I've asked the prince to investigate the Qin family. If they are really trustworthy, it will be for the best."
If Ming Ruyi wanted to marry her, he wouldn't have delayed until now. Seeing Rong Shuang'er lower her head, He Yi knew that she still had feelings for her imperial uncle.
"The imperial uncle is really going too far!" Song Jinyu looked up, recalling her few encounters with Ming Ruyi, and sighed. It seemed that love couldn't be forced.
"Shuang'er, no matter what, you have to be careful. If..." If the Qin family was not a good match, she didn't have to force herself. Although it was a bit late for a woman in the Great Xia Dynasty to be unmarried at the age of nineteen, if she couldn't find a good husband, it would be better to live a free life alone.
Back then, it was because she met Zhongli Mingye. If not for him, Song Jinyu thought she might still be living happily on Tianmen Mountain.
Rong Shuang'er was extremely envious of Song Jinyu. "The princess is the happiest. The prince dotes on you so much. I'm sure you have a very smooth life."
"Whether life is smooth or not depends on oneself." Since she learned about Ming Ruyi's feelings, Song Jinyu had gradually understood many things. Rong Shuang'er had a similar personality to hers, so she probably wouldn't do anything stupid.
"Anyway, you have to be careful!" One wrong step could lead to a series of mistakes.
"The Qin family's background is not as good as the Duke of Rong's mansion, but Young Master Qin's character is first-class." Rong Shuang'er knew Qin Yu very well. Now that her parents were discussing this matter, she readily agreed.
It didn't make sense to force herself to marry someone who didn't love her. She thought that one day, she would be able to forget Ming Ruyi.
Therefore, she was determined to marry.
In the Prince of Zhongzhou's mansion, Ming Ruyi was initially happy when he heard the news. This way, he could stay out of this and didn't have to marry Rong Shuang'er.
But somehow, he slowed down the fanning of his fan.
He suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if a precious treasure that belonged to him was being taken away bit by bit.
"What did Miss Rong say?" he asked his servant.
"Miss Rong... seems to be willing... Otherwise, why would the Duke of Rong be so busy?"
"Snapped!" He closed his fan and tightly closed his phoenix eyes. The servants only thought that the Prince of Zhongzhou was happy that he finally didn't have to marry the "famous" duke's daughter in the capital.
For the first time, Ming Ruyi felt a sense of emptiness and discomfort in his heart. He remembered the day when he was kidnapped out of the capital by Song Jinyu.
Rong Shuang'er had followed closely behind and pleaded with Song Jinyu for his sake.
The woman he loved had threatened him with poison without any mercy.
The woman who loved him had risked her life and put aside her dignity to plead for him.
Rong Shuang'er... Thinking back to those times when he had saved her, perhaps it wasn't just because she looked like Song Jinyu. There might be other reasons.
Now, the woman who loved him so much didn't want him anymore. She was about to marry someone else. He...
"Go and investigate! The Qin family in Shangrao City... I want detailed information."
The servant couldn't believe it. What was wrong with the prince? Wasn't it a good thing that Miss Rong was getting married?
In the study of the Prince of Yu's mansion, Zhongli Mingye was slightly shocked when he saw the information about the Qin family.
What was the relationship between the Qin family in Shangrao City and Concubine Qin? And why were they so eager to marry the eldest daughter of the Duke of Rong's mansion?
Qin Yu... The Qin family had big ambitions. They were a wealthy family in Shangrao City and the ancestral family of a grand scholar in the court. Although the grand scholar had no influence on the political situation, if the concubines in the harem were involved, they had to be on guard.
Song Jinyu came in with a bowl of ginseng soup. "You didn't have dinner again?"
"Father has been going in and out of the palace quite often recently. The people around him said that he has been obsessed with a brothel."
Zhongli Mingye said casually.
"A brothel?"
Song Jinyu had been very confused recently and rarely paid attention to the palace. She couldn't believe it when Zhongli Mingye told her this. The emperor of a great country was actually frequenting brothels?
He pulled her into his arms. The fragrance of her body wafted over. After she became pregnant, the charm between her eyebrows became more and more attractive. The greenness of her youth had gradually faded, and there was more charm in her eyes and eyebrows.
She used to like to wear beautiful makeup, but now her plain makeup made her look like a lotus flower.
"Father... has his own plans... Now the world is peaceful and the country is prosperous."
"Let him do whatever he wants..." Song Jinyu said helplessly. "After all, he is the emperor. Don't the censors have any reaction to his behavior?"
"Yes, I've suppressed it."
Why?
Song Jinyu looked at his cold eyes and gradually understood. Zhongli Mingye must be plotting something again. Her heart sank slowly. He was a good husband to her, but... sometimes his actions were so calculating that even she couldn't understand him.
She used to only see his gentle and elegant appearance in public. But after she married him, she gradually understood that this man was not as simple as he seemed.
But it didn't matter. Song Jinyu looked down at him. "Are you scared?"
"Scared of what? Whether it's the old you or the current you, there's nothing I can't accept."