Seeing that there was truly no hatred in her eyes, Su Zhengyi finally felt relieved.
If he wanted to cultivate Su Mingyu, he couldn't let there be any estrangement between them. So, he had to fill the gap that had existed before no matter what.
"If your mother knew you were so sensible down there, she would surely be proud of you," Su Zhengyi said as he sat down at the desk. "But I've asked you here today because I have something to talk to you about."
He pointed to the wooden chair opposite him, motioning for Su Mingyu to sit down. "What do you think of Prince Ruixian?"
First it was about Mrs. Su, and now it was about Prince Ruixian. Su Mingyu was a bit confused about what Su Zhengyi was driving at. But she still pretended to be shy and turned her face away, then asked, "Father, why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"Although Prince Ruixian is disabled in both legs, he is both talented and elegant, and he has been extremely kind to you, Mingyu. Especially during the time when you were injured, he took good care of you."
Seeing that Su Mingyu couldn't stop talking about Gu Ruobai, Su Zhengyi nodded in satisfaction.
"Actually, I've heard some rumors about you two since you often go to see him."
Su Zhengyi paused for a moment, as if thinking about how to phrase it. "You two are unmarried, so it's okay for you to be together. But it's really inappropriate for you to often go to his mansion without a formal status."
"Although Prince Ruixian once said he wanted to marry you, he hasn't come to propose and present betrothal gifts. It's not proper for you to be with him like this."
Hearing this, Su Mingyu understood that Su Zhengyi was getting impatient.
She gave a charming smile and shyly coquetted, "Father, do you want me to talk to Prince Ruixian about this?"
"Of course not. You're a girl with a thin face after all, and there's no reason for a girl to rush to marry a man."
Su Zhengyi raised his eyebrows slightly, his voice filled with a touch of affection. "I'm telling you this just to let you know that your marriage with Prince Ruixian can be put on the agenda."
"Maybe..." Su Zhengyi glanced at Su Mingyu's expression obliquely before continuing, "you can give him a subtle hint. After all, your relationship has reached this stage, and getting married is a natural thing."
Since Su Zhengyi had said so much, Su Mingyu had no reason to decline. She shyly nodded and said, "Then I'll give it a try."
Seeing that Su Mingyu was so obedient, Su Zhengyi squinted his eyes in great satisfaction. "Our Yu'er has grown up. If you really marry into his family, you'll be the mistress of the household. You should know how to plan for our family."
So this was what he was waiting for. Su Mingyu knew that Su Zhengyi was a man who wouldn't act without a good reason. She wondered why he was suddenly so eager for her to marry Prince Ruixian. It turned out he was trying to pave the way for Prince Yu.
Su Mingyu lowered her head pretending not to understand. After pondering for a while, she asked, "Father, what do you mean? I don't quite understand."
Seeing that she really seemed not to understand, Su Zhengyi pondered for a moment and explained, "Do you think you'll be carefree if you marry Prince Ruixian?"
"Of course he'll like you now that you're young and beautiful. But one day when you grow old, there will be countless young and beautiful girls like you wanting to marry him. Do you think he'll still like and protect you then?"
Su Mingyu seemed startled by his assumption. Her face instantly turned pale. She looked up at Su Zhengyi with pleading eyes and asked, "Father told Yu'er this on purpose. You must have a way to deal with it, right?"
This girl was really smart. There was no need to talk to her so laboriously.
Su Zhengyi gave a faint smile and then stroked his beard calmly. "I just told you about your mother to let you know that no matter how young and beautiful a woman is, her beauty will eventually fade. But her family background will never disappear with time."
"As long as you have a strong enough family background, even if you don't have a beautiful face, a man won't dare to look down on you."
This statement seemed reasonable at first glance. But if family background was really that important, why did Su Zhengyi get involved with Wang Manwen?
This scumbag like Su Zhengyi even had the nerve to talk to her about family background?
Su Mingyu found it funny in her heart, but she showed no sign on her face. She seemed to be listening very attentively. "But our family is already the family of a minister, and I'm the eldest legitimate daughter of the Su family. Isn't this status enough?"
Su Zhengyi waved his hand. "A mere minister is certainly not enough."
"Think about it. He's a prince. Although he has no chance to compete for the throne, he's still a prince after all."
"As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. As the emperor's own son and the future emperor's brother, he can enjoy endless glory and wealth. How many women will flock to his mansion and want to be his concubine then?"
Su Mingyu suddenly found that Su Zhengyi could talk in such a persuasive way. If she didn't know what kind of scoundrel he was, she might really believe his words.
Su Mingyu pretended to ponder for a while and then nodded in agreement. "Father is right. But I don't know much about court affairs. I can't help you with anything."
This was exactly what he was waiting for. Su Zhengyi frowned and said angrily, "It would be strange if you, a girl, knew everything about court affairs."
"You really can't help me much. As a useless prince, Prince Ruixian can't help me either. But - Prince Yu can."
"Prince Yu is currently the most favored prince and the most likely one to get the crown prince position. Now he's on good terms with Yue'er. If Yue'er can marry him, our family will be like climbing onto a high branch."
"If Prince Yu really becomes the emperor in the future, I'll be the emperor's father - in - law. At that time, I'll be second only to the emperor in the whole court. Who would dare to bully you then?"
Unexpectedly, Su Zhengyi dared to draw such a big picture for her. Su Mingyu secretly laughed at his over - ambition. But on the surface, she covered her mouth in surprise. "Father means... we should stand on Prince Yu's side?"
"But... although Prince Yu is the most favored, the position of the crown prince hasn't been determined yet. This is still an uncertain factor."
Su Zhengyi nodded. "So that's why I need your help now. If you help me persuade Prince Ruixian to stand on the same side as Prince Yu, won't Prince Yu have a greater chance of becoming the crown prince?"