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Chapter 45 - Marriage Proposal

Indeed, Yan Tao learned this from Liang Kuan.

At the same time that Eunuch Yu came to Duke Dingguo’s Mansion with the imperial edict, Yan Tao knew that Xie Zhen was going to be given to Yan Yu by the emperor.

He thought that the matter was certain, but who would have thought that something unexpected would happen in the middle of it.

This was his sixth brother, who was usually quiet, being efficient when he did things.

Yan Tao was sitting in a rosewood chair, holding the scented sachet that was embroidered by Xie Zhen. He was looking at it thoughtfully as he slowly rubbed his thumb against the patterns on it.

In his thought, Xie Zhen was a little smart, but not experienced, and still a very simple little girl.

If such a girl came to the Crown Prince’s Palace and even the imperial harem, she would be plotted.

He wanted her because he felt that he could protect her innocence, allowing her to live a peaceful and carefree life in the future.

It was probably because he had gone through too many experiences and had complex thoughts. Thus, her innocence seemed to be extremely valuable to him.

So what did Sixth Brother like about her?

Before Yan Tao could come up with an answer, a servant came in and said, “Your Highness, the Sixth Palace is here.”

He did not seem surprised at all. He lowered his head slightly, unable to figure out his emotions. “Please come in.”

The servant left and soon led Yan Yu to the central room.

Yan Yu stepped across the threshold and saw the sachet embroidered with jasminum flower in his hand. His eyes dimmed and he stopped where he was and called out “Second Brother.”

He knew that was the work of Xie Zhen. He had been listening at the door when Xie Zhen had spoken to Yan Yao’an. He had heard every word clearly.

Not only did that little bastard make a scented sachet herself, she also embroidered her favorite jasminum flower. Did she want to anger him to death?

Even though he knew she knew nothing about it, he could not help but feel angry.

At the same time, he was shocked by Yan Tao’s methods.

In terms of meticulous thoughts and profound complexity, no one could compare with the Crown Prince.

He didn’t even let Xie Zhen see her, but successfully led her into the trap.

If he hadn’t came back in time, he would found she had been gone by the time he got back to capital.

After thinking about it, he felt extremely lucky.

Yan Tao lifted his eyes and seemed to notice him. He gestured for him to sit, “Sixth Brother, you’re here?”

“Sit down and talk.”

Yan Yu did not sit down. He stood still and said with surprise, “Second brother, can you give me the scented sachet?”

Yan Tao was stunned for a moment before he immediately laughed in annoyance.

This brat had robbed his woman, and now he was even righteously standing in front of him, asking for the scented sachet. How could he have such a big face?

He placed the scented sachet back on his waist, feeling very calm. “I need to sleep on this scented sachet at night, I can’t give it to you.”

His thin lips were drawn in a thin line and he looked unhappy.

He was already so jealous before he had a wife. If he were to marry a wife in the future, wouldn’t he die from drinking a jar of vinegar every day?

Yan Tao thought that he was here to admit his mistake. He did not expect that he would actually want something. It seemed that he had overestimated his sixth brother. With his brain, he probably did not know how to write the word “admit his mistake”!

Thinking of this, Yan Tao became more open-minded. He leaned back with a relaxed posture and said, “The imperial edict that was issued this morning, aren’t you going to explain?”

His eyes never left the sachet. He said quietly, “I met Xie Zhen earlier than second brother.”

Yan Tao was a little surprised, but he raised his eyes and said, “How early?”

“We’ve known each other since we were five,” he said.

So early!

Yan Tao didn’t think that there would be such a reason. He had never seen him meet with Xie Zhen before, so he assumed that they never knew each other. The reason why he stole Xie Zhen away was because he wanted to go against him.

“How come I’ve never heard you mention it before?”

A look of uneasiness flashed across his face. He hadn’t mentioned it before because it was a memory he had buried deep in his heart. Once he told others, it wouldn’t be his own.

The reason he didn’t mention it now was because he didn’t want others to know that she was his weak point.

He tilted his head. “Nothing worth mentioning.”

“I don’t like to touch women, and second brother knows it. She’s the only woman I’ve known since I was a child, so I can only accept her.”

Yan Tao quietly studied the expression on his face. After a long while, he smiled and said, “You mean, second brother must give her to you?”

Yan Yu turned around and met his gaze. “Second brother, please do as you please.”

“So what if I don’t? The imperial edict has already been passed down. Do I have to defy it?”

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips, along with a sense of helplessness. “Ah Yu, you are slapping your second brother’s face.”

Yan Yu stood there without saying a word.

They were originally a pair of good brothers, and from this moment onwards, it was likely that the two of them would be estranged from each other.

In fact, Yan Tao had treated him very well. He had taught him a lot over the years, allowing him to clench his teeth and endure until today.

Unfortunately, they were not the same person, and even without Xie Zhen, they would still be at odds.

After a long silence, Yan Yu said, “Actually, I was very grateful to second brother.”

Yan Tao raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked with interest, “What do you mean?”

He thought back to that time, and then his expression softened a little. “When we were at Puning Temple, Xie Zhen and I were kidnapped, and it was second brother who let us go, right?”

Yan Tao laughed softly, “When did you know?”

“As soon as I entered the palace,” he said.

His memory was not bad. At that time, he was six or seven years old.

Even though Yan Tao was dressed in black and had his face covered, some of the characteristics of a person would not change.

After he had guessed it, he would only get close to one of the princes, ask him for help, and serve him loyally.

Yan Tao reflected on what he just said and suddenly realized, “The little girl who protected you was Xie Zhen?”

He was stunned for a moment before he nodded and said yes.

It was a night he would never forget in his life, and the little body of Xie Zhen, standing in front of him, trembled more than he did, but it was the face of a hen protecting her cubs, determined and brave.

He still couldn’t figure out where she got so much courage from.

Such a small one, shouldn’t she let him protect her?

Every time he thought about it, the pain of the sharp blade piercing his skin felt like it was replayed once, and his memory was still fresh.

Yan Tao did a quick double take, “No wonder you want to marry her.”

After a while, he looked at Yan Yu who was still standing there. He might as well take this opportunity to say, “I don’t care about this, what else do you want to tell me?”

Yan Yu knew what he wanted to hear. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “I will help second brother accomplish your big cause.”

Even though the Second Prince had been set up as the crown prince, the First Prince and Third Prince were still eyeing him covetously.

The Third Prince was not worthy of being feared, but the First Prince was like a beast that had been lurking in the shadows for many years, not to be looked down upon.

Yan Yu was highly regarded by the Emperor Yuan Hui. His words could be set Yan Tao’s mind at rest. As for the matter of snatching a woman, he could let it go for the time being.

After Yan Yu the crown prince’s residence, Yan Yu had originally wanted to make a trip to Duke Dingguo’s Mansion but imperial edict had just been issued in the morning, then he came over now, did it seem he was too impatient to wait?

In the end, he rode his horse around the streets outside the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion before returning to the palace slowly in the evening.

The people from the Rites Department had set the date for the marriage proposal to be held on the first day of the next month. There were still seven or eight days left until now.

Emperor Yuan Hui had already given the imperial edict, so that proposing the marriage was like a formality, but the people in the palace were still too busy to get tired of it.

First of all, because the Emperor had personally granted him a marriage, and second of all, because the sixth prince, who had never been close to a woman, was getting married. Everyone couldn’t wait to know what sort of girl he was, to pull him off the altar and make him one of the many living creatures.

On the first day of the month, the sixth prince was riding on his steed and leading a few officials from the Ministry of Rites towards the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.

Duke Dingguo and his wife were already waiting for him in the main hall. Below them were Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. They were sitting upright and unperturbed, afraid that they would be slighted in the slightest.

Yan Yu arrived just after 7 a.m.

Duke Dingguo and his wife, Xie Liqing and his wife, greeted them at the door. They watched as the group of people escorted Yan Yu out from behind the crane, deer and spring Shadow. They forced a smile and cautiously greeted him, inviting him in.

Yan Yu was wearing a robe embroidered in indigo blue with dark gold patterns, looking even more majestic than usual.

He had a handsome face and looked like a first-rate son-in-law. However, his eyes were always cold and arrogant, making people feel apprehensive just by looking at him.

Duke Dingguo invited him to his position, but he didn’t hold back and immediately sat down.

There was no need for him to ask about the marriage proposal. Normally, the people from the Rites Department would be talking by the side, so he just needed to listen.

All he heard was how he and Xie Zhen matched up, how the heavens matched the earth…

He did not bother to hear these words. He listened to every word carefully.

After they finally finished speaking, the next thing he needed to do was to discuss the gifts and marriage process. Occasionally, he would interrupt with a few words. He wasn’t as difficult to get along with as he seemed on the surface.

When all the discussion was finished, it was still before noon. The Minister of Rites was about to return to the palace, but Yan Yu suddenly said to Duke Dingguo: “Let me meet with Xie Zhen.”

Duke Dingguo was stunned, “This …”

On the other side, Madam Leng quickly replied, “Your Highness, please forgive me. According to the etiquette, you won’t be able to meet my daughter until the wedding.”

He didn’t leave, and the other officials couldn’t leave either. They stood around trying to persuade him.

He was consistent. “I can only say a few words to her. It won’t take long.”

In the end, the people from the Ministry of Rites rushed back to report the situation to Emperor Yuan Hui. They helped Yan Yu persuade Duke Dingguo, and when he could no longer bear it, the Minister said, “Your Highness, please make a long story short.”

So they went out into the backyard and called Xie Zhen out.

On the side, Madam Leng frowned. She still didn’t agree.

She thought that a girl should be a little more reserved. Before marriage, she would let the other party have no chance to see her face. After the marriage, he would cherish her with all his might.

This marriage was too sudden. At the beginning, she had not been prepared. After accepting it in front of her eyes, she calmed down and decided to properly consider her daughter’s future.

This child Yan Yu was not bad when he was young, but she didn’t know if his character had changed over the years …

Not long after that, the servant maids led Xie Zhen out of the backyard. Xie Zhen was wearing a white silk shirt and a gold cloth skirt. She was dressed very coolly. It seemed like she was unprepared and had been called over without any warning.

She stepped over the threshold and looked up to see Yan Yu sitting in the center. She pursed her lips and called out to the crowd one by one, but she didn’t greet Yan Yu.

She didn’t deliberately ignore him, but rather didn’t know how to address him.

Right now, his identity was the sixth prince, but in her heart, he was still the brother Xiao Yu who didn’t like to talk back when he was young.

Did she have to bow to him?

But he would be her husband anyway.

Struggling, she missed the best time.

Just as the old lady was about to scold her for not understanding the rules, Yan Yu said to the crowd, “All of you go down. I have something to say to her alone.”

The Ministry of Rites took the lead and walked out of the central room. Madam Leng and Xie Liqing were worried, so they looked at Xie Zhen a few more times before walking out.

Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were the only two people left in the room. She slowly looked away and met Yan Yu’s eyes. After a long pause, she said, “What do you want to say to me?”

She stood far away, clearly in the same room, but it was as if they were separated by thousands of rivers and mountains.

Yan Yu’s hand tightened on the cloudy armrest and he said to her, “Stand closer.”

Xie Zhen shook his head like a rattle drum. “Why, can’t you talk while you’re standing here?”

He pulled his face down. How could he talk from so far away?