Duke He frowned. "Chan'er's reputation is ruined. What else can she do but marry into that family?"
The princess disagreed. "Second brother, Chan'er is the legitimate daughter of the He family. There aren't many legitimate daughters in the direct line, and she's the only one who has come of age. To marry her to a concubine's son, this..."
"What else can we do?" Duke He sighed. "Her reputation is gone, and the He family has become the laughingstock of the whole capital. There's no other way but to marry her off quickly. She's the only legitimate daughter of the He family who has come of age, and there are several who are about to come of age and get engaged. There are so many girls from the side branches. As the head of the family, I can't let Chan'er alone ruin the reputations of all the girls in the family."
The princess knew she couldn't persuade him, so she just sighed. After thinking for a while, she asked, "Then... what did the Fu family say?"
Duke He shook his head. "After I learned about this, I only thought about coming here first. How could I care about so many things? Because of the previous incidents, the rift between our siblings hasn't been resolved yet... Renran, you're my younger sister. Our youngest sister is in the palace and we rarely see each other. Speaking of which, we should be the closest people in the world."
The princess was very touched by these words and said, "Brother is right. Renran also thinks so."
Duke He was in a bad mood because of the trouble in his family. He casually drank some tea, got up, bid farewell, and left.
Seeing his wife looking worried, Lu Hongxi could only comfort her. "Don't worry. He Chan is a legitimate daughter of a noble family and the niece of the queen. The Fu family won't act recklessly anyway."
The princess shook her head. "I'm not worried about her. She's only been of age for a few months and has time to waste. But our daughter Ning'er is already seventeen and still doesn't have a fiancé. Before, I favored Nan Feng, but Ning'er herself didn't like him. Besides, Nan Feng is already... Later, I picked and chose and thought that although the heir of Prince Qishan was a bit of a playboy, I had dealt with his parents when they were young and their characters were not bad. If he was willing to dismiss his concubines and settle down, it would be okay... But today..."
She had never really thought the heir of Prince Qishan was okay. At that time, she disliked the fact that the heir had too many female friends and thought that if he was matched with Ning'er, Ning'er would suffer in the future from other women. But now, by some strange coincidence, the heir of Prince Qishan had to discuss marriage with Zhen Yan. She then thought that his playfulness was just a minor flaw and he could change.
At this moment, of course, she regretted not having set this son - in - law early.
Seeing his wife so anxious about Ning'er's marriage, Lu Hongxi was also a bit unhappy. Ning'er's marriage couldn't be delayed any longer. He must find a way to find a good young man for her soon.
"In my opinion, character is much more important than family background. Also, good looks don't count. That Fu Rongxuan that Ning'er liked before, what kind of person is he really. Wife, you can't just let Ning'er do as she pleases. We should choose for her ourselves."
The princess quickly nodded. "I also think so. If we let Ning'er pick and choose, being unhappy with this one and that one, we really don't know when she'll get married. Before, she said that Sister Jiang and Sister Zhen weren't married yet, so she wasn't in a hurry. Now, it's good. They both have their own arrangements. Among her best friends, she's the only one left."
Lu Hanchi's head was throbbing. He knew what his father was like. His father would always agree with his mother. He just didn't know if Ning'er would throw a tantrum if she heard these words today.
Just as he was about to speak, Wei Shi beside him had already opened her mouth. "Father - in - law, Mother. I heard Sister - in - law mention something today. I didn't take it seriously at that time. But now that I think about it, I don't know if I should say it or not."
Lu Hongxi said, "Zhaozhao, don't be so polite. We're all family. There's no such thing as should or shouldn't say. Just say it."
Wei Shi's tone was light. "Sister - in - law said that she saw Ning'er and... the heir of Prince Jia very close today."
The princess frowned. "Sheng Li? Sheng Li and Ning'er grew up together. They even swore to be siblings. He and Zhen Yan both recognize Ning'er as their elder sister. It's normal for them to be close."
Wei Shi shook her head repeatedly. "Mother, they had a good relationship when they were young. But as they grew up, because of the difference between men and women, their contacts became fewer. Now they suddenly got in touch again. According to Sister - in - law, they were very intimate."
The princess thought for a long time and sighed. "But that child A Li, he's a good boy, but his mind isn't very mature. He's already fourteen, but he's still as muddled as a child. If Ning'er marries into his family in the future, wouldn't it..."
Lu Hongxi disagreed. "I was like that back then too. I only became mature after I married you, wife. A man should establish a family and start a career. He'll be different after getting married."
Lu Hanchi thought his father's way of speaking so boldly was really an eyesore. Couldn't he say these things in the bedroom? In front of them, the younger generation... But his wife was sitting upright, looking like she was listening attentively, which made him feel like he had impure thoughts.
Wei Shi nodded in agreement. "Father - in - law is right. Daughter - in - law thinks that Prince Jia and his wife are loving and harmonious. They only have the heir as their son, and Prince Jia hasn't taken any concubines. Moreover, the idle royal clan doesn't involve in politics. In the future, the heir's wife will surely have less trouble."
The princess asked, "So, do you think this marriage is okay?"
Wei Shi then frowned and smiled. "Mother, of course, you should decide Ning'er's marriage. Daughter - in - law can only give a suggestion, right?"
The princess was deep in thought and murmured to herself. "That child A Li, his mind is not mature. He always listens to Ning'er. He's not very talented, but I've never heard that he would do anything reckless. He's a bit timid... But Zhaozhao is right. The idle royal clan. If Ning'er marries into his family, there won't be many things. Her father - in - law and mother - in - law are kind and easy to get along with. With their son like that, they surely won't dislike our Ning'er for being a bit out of tune..."
After calculating like this, the princess actually thought that this marriage was really good.
She couldn't help but clap her hands and laugh. "We have to hurry. Zhaozhao, you arrange it. We'll go to Prince Jia's mansion tomorrow to avoid any changes."
Wei Shi quickly shook her head. "Mother, don't we still have to go to Prince Yu's mansion tomorrow? Prince Yu saved Ning'er. According to etiquette, our whole family should go there to thank him. As for Ning'er's marriage, there's no need to be in a hurry. The heir of Prince Jia is only fourteen years old. They won't make a decision so early."
The princess felt relieved and was even happier. She was about to ask Wei Shi to prepare the gifts for tomorrow. But seeing that Wei Shi had been worried with her all day and was pregnant, she was afraid that she couldn't bear it. She quickly waved her hand and asked her eldest son to accompany his wife to rest. She would arrange tomorrow's things herself.
Lu Hanchi carefully supported Wei Shi out of the hall and walked towards their courtyard. As he walked, he turned to look at Wei Shi. "You... hope Ning'er will marry Sheng Li?"
Wei Shi smiled. "It's not what I want. It's what Mother wants."
Lu Hanchi frowned. "You clearly..."
Wei Shi laughed even more cheerfully. "Husband, before, in order to find a good match for Ning'er, Mother has investigated all the young men in the capital with suitable family backgrounds and ages. She hasn't found a satisfactory one. Husband, do you want Mother to find more things for you and your second brother to do?"