strictlysupreme Chapter 189 The Xue Family’s Engagement
Chapter 189 The Xue Family’s Engagement
When Xiao Yifeng returned to the mansion, he didn't expect that the Seventh Prince was already waiting at the door.
Xiao Yifeng was stunned. "Didn't we just meet? Did you send your cousin back?"
The Seventh Prince stepped forward and said, "My cousin has a crowd of maids and servants over there, so why does she need me to escort her? Didn't I just give you a chance?"
The Seventh Prince did not need Xiao Yifeng's invitation and walked straight to the mansion. "I want to talk to you, my brother. I just happened to have dinner at your house. I hope you don't mind."
Xiao Yifeng looked at the Seventh Prince who was clinging to him like a dog-skin plaster, and he couldn't bring himself to chase him away. He could only order the servants, "Go tell the kitchen that the Seventh Prince is here, and make some of his favorite dishes tonight."
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, the Seventh Prince smiled and said, "Just eat whatever you want. I'm not picky."
Xiao Yifeng brought him to the hall and made tea himself.
"Why do you come here so many times?"
The Seventh Prince picked up his teacup and said, "Nothing much. I just feel closer to you, my brother. I still remember you saved me when we were little. I think you should be closer to me than an ordinary person."
The Seventh Prince didn't mention this incident of saving people, and Xiao Yifeng had forgotten about it. The Seventh Prince was still young at that time. Somehow he ran to the Imperial Garden and fell into the lake. Xiao Yifeng happened to see him. There was no one around, so he jumped into the water in the freezing weather to rescue him. He even caught a cold and had to stay in bed for half a month.
"What happened in our childhood is long gone. We were brothers anyway, so why should we dwell on it?"
The Seventh Prince sighed, "Luckily I had you that time, otherwise the grass on my grave would have been ten feet high."
Xiao Yifeng didn't respond. He knew that the Seventh Prince had a hard life when he was young.
The Seventh Prince gave a bitter smile and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. I'll offer you a cup of tea instead of wine."
Xiao Yifeng clinked glasses with him.
The Seventh Prince asked casually, "The Cui Mingzhi case should be almost over. Is the verdict coming soon?"
Xiao Yifeng shook his head. "After returning to Beijing, the case was handed over to the Ministry of Punishment. I have no news from here."
"Cui Mingzhi is nothing more than a puppet. How could he dare to plan such a big case? It's a pity that the person behind this is still at large."
Xiao Yifeng said without leaking anything, "All of this is decided by the Emperor and the Crown Prince."
The Seventh Prince sneered, then seemed to feel something was wrong, and said to Xiao Yifeng, "No more, no more. It's a rare occasion for us to get together, so let's not talk about those things that spoil the fun."
"Brother Wang, please don't be angry with me next time I come to your house. Among all these brothers, I feel closest to you."
Xiao Yifeng smiled without saying anything and picked up the cup again.
The Seventh Prince had dinner at the Pluto Palace before returning. After drinking some wine, Xiao Yifeng helped the staggering Seventh Prince onto the carriage and instructed his men to take him back to the palace. Then he turned around and entered the palace.
The seventh prince was originally drunk and leaning against the wall of the carriage, but when the carriage started and he opened his eyes, he was no longer drunk at all.
The Seventh Prince frowned and couldn't help but sigh that Xiao Yifeng was really a tough nut to crack.
At the Xue Residence, Zhong Qionglan had a severe headache at the moment. She patiently coaxed Xue Sitong to drink the medicine. Xue Sitong lay on the bed, his head covered by the quilt, his back to Zhong Qionglan. "I don't want to eat. I don't want you to pretend to take care of me. I'm just a substitute."
Zhong Qionglan's heart would break every time she heard this. She had given the brother and sister these names because she missed her two children, but over the years, the children she had raised since childhood had long replaced those distant memories.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You will always be my baby, not anyone else's replacement. Even though I have wronged your sister, my love for you has not diminished at all."
Xue Sitong exploded when she heard the word "sister," "I don't have a sister. She's not my sister."
Zhong Qionglan quickly comforted him, "Okay, okay, don't worry, you'll ruin your health."
At this moment, Xue Ning came in from outside. Zhong Qionglan quickly put down the bowl and greeted him, "Master, Tong'er still refuses to eat or drink."
When Xue Sitong heard her father coming in, her body stiffened. She wanted to sit up, but then she lay there in a huff. Humph, her father always felt sorry for her mother.
Xue Ning frowned, looked at the figure on the bed, and said to Zhong Qionglan, "You go out first, I'll do it."
Seeing Xue Ning's bad face, Zhong Qionglan was a little worried, "Master, don't be mean to the child. It's normal for her to be unable to accept it for a while. It's all my fault."
Xue Ning looked at the tearful Zhong Qionglan, put his arm around her shoulders and walked out the door, "Don't worry, go and rest. You didn't sleep well last night, and I'm here."
Zhong Qionglan looked back at Xue Ning every few steps, and finally Xue Ning closed the door in front of Zhong Qionglan.
Xue Sitong lay motionless on the bed. She didn't hear any movement in the room for a long time. Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore, so she lifted the quilt and took a quick look, then she was shocked.
Her father was standing in front of the bed staring at her with a sullen face.
Xue Ning said in a deep voice, "Have you had enough of your temper? If so, sit up and listen to me."
Xue Sitong was still a little afraid of her father. She reluctantly came out from under the quilt, sat up, and called out softly, "Daddy."
Xue Ning glanced at his daughter, who had never suffered hardship since childhood, and sighed, "You're old enough now, and there are things I should tell you. You'll be coming of age after the New Year, and your grandfather arranged a marriage for you before you were even born."
Xue Sitong widened her eyes. Where did this marriage come from? She had never heard of it before.
"Dad, don't lie to me. I've never heard of this marriage."
Xue Ning continued, "Yes, I originally thought this marriage was off the table, but not long ago the Wu family came with the marriage certificate."
"Wu family, which Wu family?"
"The Wu family was once a prominent family in the capital, but when you were less than three years old, the Wu family committed a crime and was exiled."
At that time, the Wu family was in trouble and there was no time to cancel the marriage, so the whole family left the capital.
When Xue Ning heard that he was exiled, she knew that he must not be from a good family now. "I don't want to marry. Can't I cancel the engagement now?"
Xue Ning really wanted to cancel the engagement directly, but the Wu family had recently shown signs of gaining momentum and had returned to the capital from exile. The emperor had also restored the Wu family's official positions. If he wanted to cancel the engagement at this time, the old man of the Xue family would not agree.
Besides, how could the Xue family dare to bring bad luck upon someone the emperor wanted to promote?
"The marriage cannot be annulled."
Xue Sitong was really sad now. "I won't marry. Why should I marry? This exiled man is worse than that country bumpkin."
Xue Ning frowned and shouted, "Shut up!"
Xue Sitong saw that Xue Ning had a bad expression on his face and quietly shut his mouth.
"It's okay if you don't marry me, just listen to me."