NFBE Chapter 243 If I don't kill him, I'll take his surname.
Chapter 243 If I don't kill him, I'll take his surname.
When he said "bestowed marriage" earlier, Ye Shishu thought he was joking.
Now that he had knelt down, Ye Shishu's smile vanished abruptly, and she looked at him in disbelief, "Young Master Chen, are you serious?"
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Chen Zhan hurriedly pleaded with Yu Chi Ling, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess doesn't know me, but you do. I would never dare to lie to you!"
Yu Chi Ling cleared his throat, his smile fading, and said to Ye Shi Shu, "Shu'er, it seems he's serious."
Ye Shishu fell silent.
This wasn't the first time Chen Zhan had helped them with something.
On her way here today, she asked Yuchi Ling why he trusted Chen Zhan so much. She then learned that Yuchi Ling and Chen Zhan had been playmates since childhood and had studied under the same Grand Scholar. During the seven or eight years of their studies, they spent every day together and were as close as brothers. The Chen family had also taken good care of Yuchi Ling.
However, after Yu Chi Ling joined the army, in order to prevent the Chen family from being targeted by Yu Chi Rui, they stopped having any contact with each other on the surface.
Although Ziqiong Manor belonged to Yuchi Ling, Chen Zhan thrived there because of their close personal relationship.
"Crown Princess..."
Seeing that Chen Zhan was about to plead for her, Ye Shishu raised her hand to interrupt him and said seriously, "You are His Highness's good friend, so I trust your character. However, marriage is not something we can decide. I need to ask my cousin Hongxin's opinion. If she is unwilling, I cannot force my uncle and aunt to marry off their daughter, right?"
Chen Zhan nodded, "Then I'll trouble the Crown Princess to inquire for me. I respect Miss You's decision."
Ye Shishu silently observed him, already having made up her mind about 70-80%.
Chen Zhan's father, Chen Zhengkang, served as an imperial censor for over ten years. Like her father, he was an upright royalist and deeply trusted by the emperor. Since Chen Zhan followed her man, she was destined for future favor.
With such a family background and promising future, her cousin Hongxin is destined to be the envy of many.
Moreover, the marriage alliance between the You and Chen families would benefit everyone.
“Alright, then Your Highness and I will go to the Marquis’s residence later.”
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Chen Zhan's smile stretched almost to his ears. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
After he leaves.
Ye Shishu asked Yu Chiling, puzzled, "He's about your age, why hasn't he gotten married yet?"
Yu Chi Ling smiled and said, "In the past, most of the people in the court were supporters of Yu Chi Rui. Lord Chen was unwilling to form a faction with them, so naturally he looked down on their daughter. Chen Zhan also knew the importance of things and was worried that he might accidentally 'get his father into trouble,' so he has not discussed marriage with anyone until now."
"So that's how it is." Ye Shishu suddenly realized.
If the Chen family had married into Yuchi Rui's faction, they would certainly be in an awkward situation today.
This father and son are really farsighted!
……
After nightfall, the couple quietly went to the Yufeng Marquis's residence.
Seeing them descend from the sky, You Jianchuan and Ma were overjoyed.
Faced with their concerned inquiries, Ye Shishu answered them one by one, and then comforted them, "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, you don't need to worry about us, we are fine. We came here this time on someone's behalf to arrange a marriage for Cousin Hongxin."
"Arrange a marriage?" The old couple looked bewildered. What important person could they possibly be willing to help arrange a marriage for?
"Second Aunt, go and call Cousin Hongxin over. We'll talk when she arrives."
"oh oh."
Although Ma was full of doubts, she still quietly went to her daughter's courtyard and called her over.
When You Hongxin arrived, Ye Shishu stopped hesitating and directly stated Chen Zhan's meaning.
You Hongxin blushed instantly.
You Jianchuan and Ma looked at each other blankly, as if they had been hit on the head with a hammer, completely at a loss.
"Your Highness, is what you're saying true? Is it really true that Young Master Chen wants to marry our Xin'er?" Madam Ma came to her senses and asked Ye Shishu in disbelief, "The Chen family is powerful and influential in the court. How could Young Master Chen have taken a liking to our Xin'er? Young Master Chen did help our Xin'er out of a predicament today, and we are very grateful, but how could we possibly be worthy of such a marriage?"
Their Marquis's mansion is now just a nominal, impoverished mansion. They are usually very cautious and only hope to preserve the mansion. They never thought of currying favor with powerful figures in the court.
Ye Shishu listened to her self-deprecating words and felt both amused and exasperated.
"Second Aunt, don't underestimate yourselves. I am, after all, the Crown Princess. Cousin Hongxin is my own cousin. The marriage between the Chen and You families is not a matter of you climbing the social ladder, but rather that Chen Zhan has good judgment." She then looked at You Hongxin and winked. "Cousin, what do you say? Young Master Chen invited us here, so we will only listen to your opinion."
You Hongxin's face turned bright red. She glanced at her parents beside her, then said shyly, "Your Highness, please make the decision for me."
Ye Shishu laughed and said, "Then I'll accept it for you!"
"Mmm." You Hongxin lowered her head, too embarrassed to look at them.
"Then it's settled." Ye Shishu said to You Jianchuan and Madam Ma, "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, just wait for the Chen family to come and propose marriage. Your Highness and I are going to see Cousin Hongze. Don't follow us, lest we be discovered by the people in the manor. We'll leave after we see Cousin, so you should get some rest."
Although they were not in the capital, Yu Chi Ling dispatched a disciple from Hua Xiang Pavilion who was skilled in bone setting to treat You Hongze's injuries, so that he could recover as soon as possible and not delay the upcoming imperial examination.
After watching the couple leave, You Jianchuan and Madam Ma felt like they were in a dream, still somewhat unable to believe that such a good thing had actually happened to their daughter.
"Xin'er, you met Young Master Chen today. What was your impression of him?" Madam Ma asked, pulling her daughter aside.
Although You Hongxin was embarrassed, she still nodded and replied, "Young Master Chen is... extremely good."
Judging from her daughter's expression, she was clearly tempted.
The couple looked at each other, unable to contain their joy.
And the other side.
After visiting You Hongze, Ye Shishu and Yuchi Ling were preparing to leave the Marquis's residence.
They had just flown onto the high wall when they suddenly noticed a shadowy figure lurking below.
Ye Shishu took a closer look and was surprised to find that the person was none other than her maternal uncle, You Jianbin!
You Jianbin had clearly just left the Marquis's residence, and was walking quickly away, hugging the outer wall, while constantly looking back, as if afraid of being followed.
The couple remained silent, secretly following him to see what he was up to in the middle of the night.
About 15 minutes later, You Jianbin entered a narrow alley and disappeared into the house at the very end.
Ye Shishu wanted to get closer, but was suddenly stopped by Yu Chiling, who said, "I'll go."
After speaking, he quickly flew towards the house.
Ye Shishu didn't dare to make any rash moves. After all, she was pregnant. It was fine to fly around with Yu Chi Ling, but if she had to fight someone, she would have to take care of her belly and it would also distract Yu Chi Ling.
Yu Chi Ling returned to her side after only a short while, and then led her away from the narrow alley without saying a word.
Only after confirming it was safe did he stop and tell her, "There are Qilin Guards in that house."
The Qilin Guards were secret agents trained by Yuchi Rui.
He once chased after Ye Shishu, forcing Ye Shishu to jump into the moat to escape.
"That bastard You Jianbin actually colluded with Yuchi Rui! Sparing his life before was a waste of our mercy!"
"So, how does Shu'er plan to deal with him?" Yu Chi Ling asked affectionately.
"I've already figured out a way to deal with him. But don't rush, let's have someone keep an eye on him and see what he does next." Ye Shishu smiled confidently. "If I don't kill him this time, I'll take his surname!"