RPAGF Chapter 611 If the Zhao family's son wants to marry her, he'll have to show some sincerity
Chapter 611 If the Zhao family's son wants to marry her, he'll have to show some sincerity
They hadn't walked far when they bumped into the Crown Prince, who was hurrying towards them.
Gu Junze stopped, and Gu Qingchen behind him quickly stood still as well.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Gu Junze nodded slightly, his voice calm and even.
The young prince paused, quickly turning aside to avoid the man's greeting, saying, "Duke Zhenguo, there's no need for such formalities."
His gaze passed over Gu Junze and landed directly on the dejected little figure behind him.
Lin Jiayou and Qian Zhenyun also came out of the side hall and met up with each other.
The young prince took a deep breath and mustered his courage to say to Gu Junze, "Duke Zhenguo, may I... may I speak a few words with them alone?"
Gu Junze glanced at him silently, his deep gaze causing the young prince's heart to tighten for no apparent reason.
After a moment, Gu Junze simply nodded, then turned and walked to a pillar not far away, standing with his hands behind his back, giving them space to talk.
The crown prince immediately strode up to the three of them and asked urgently in a low voice, "How did it go? My father didn't punish you, did he?"
"No, no." Qian Zhenyun shook his head repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice, his face showing lingering fear and relief.
The young prince breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his gaze to Gu Qingchen, who had been listless from beginning to end.
"What about her?"
"Sigh!" Gu Qingchen raised her head and sighed heavily, her little face scrunched up in a bitter expression. "My father said that we have to return all the money we collected."
She became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, her little mouth pouting: "If I return the money, I won't be able to keep my promise to my classmates. They'll definitely laugh at me for being untrustworthy. How am I supposed to get along at the academy after that!"
Seeing her on the verge of tears, the Crown Prince also felt anxious.
Suddenly, Gu Qingchen's eyes lit up, and she grabbed his sleeve, looking up at him.
"By the way! For your birthday, could you invite everyone to the East Palace to celebrate?"
This time, it was the young prince's turn to be stunned.
His birthday banquet was always organized by his father and mother; it was not something a teenager like him could decide.
Looking at Gu Qingchen's expectant eyes, and the hopeful glances from Lin Jiayou and Qian Zhenyun beside him, the little prince felt that this request was incredibly heavy.
It's too embarrassing for a prince like him to be unable to even decide who to invite to his own birthday banquet.
Driven by his pitiful youthful pride, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and steeled himself.
"Okay! I promise you!"
Gu Qingchen's mood instantly brightened, her dejection vanished, and she happily patted Zhao Chen on the shoulder, looking like she was a "good friend."
"It's settled then! We'll go to the East Palace and generously give away all those orchids and wolf-hair brushes!"
Seeing her rejuvenated appearance, the young prince felt that even if he would be scolded by his father when he returned, it would be worth it.
On the other side, at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Chu Ruohan paced back and forth in the hall. As soon as she saw Gu Junze leading his daughter back, she immediately went to greet him.
She first pulled Gu Qingchen over and checked her over from head to toe. Only when she saw that Gu Qingchen was unharmed did she feel relieved.
"You really want your daughter to enter the palace?" She suppressed her anger, her voice full of anxiety. "Can't you see His Majesty's intentions? He just wants to tie our Qingchen to the Crown Prince!"
After dismissing the servants, Chu Ruohan could no longer hide her worry: "Look at the trouble Qingchen has caused today! How can she be a virtuous and graceful Crown Princess in the future?"
"Besides, what kind of place is the palace? Can the Crown Prince really be devoted to only her in the future? Do you want our daughter to share a husband with a bunch of women?"
Gu Junze let her vent her anger before reaching out to pour her a cup of tea and handing it to her, his voice as calm as ever.
“Blocking won’t stop it.” He said slowly, “Since His Majesty has this idea, the more we try to stop him, the more he will try to find a way. It’s better to guide than to block. Let them be.”
"Let them go?" Chu Ruohan angrily pushed away her teacup. "You make it sound so easy! That's our daughter!"
Gu Junze sneered, "My daughter will only marry into a family, never marry outside the family."
One sentence left Chu Ruohan speechless. She stared at him in shock, thinking she had misheard.
“If the Crown Prince truly wishes to marry her, so be it.” He paused, then said, word by word, “She will marry into my Zhenguo Duke’s mansion.”
"You!" Chu Ruohan rolled her eyes at him. "You really dare to think like that!"
To have the crown prince, the future emperor, marry into the family of a court official? That's utterly unheard-of madness!
Gu Junze, however, looked completely at ease. He raised his eyes and said, "Wasn't this something the Emperor himself orchestrated?"
“My daughter is of noble birth and precious status. The men who want to marry her could stretch from the capital to the Northeast.”
"If the Zhao family's son wants to marry her, he'll have to show some sincerity."
Gu Qingchen, who was eavesdropping in the corner, only understood that her father forbade her from marrying out of the family. As for the so-called "marrying into the family," her little brain couldn't comprehend such profound concepts.
next day
Gu Qingchen didn't sleep well all night, and with two big dark circles under his eyes, he lay on the table looking utterly hopeless.
She could already foresee the bloodshed that was about to unfold.
Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, his classmate Zhou Panghu came over, his little eyes gleaming.
"Boss Gu, how's it going? Did you manage to get me the orchids for the Eastern Palace?"
"And my wolf-hair brush!" Young Master Li also crowded around.
"Gu Qingchen, when can we go to the East Palace to attend the ceremony?"
Each question was like a small knife, stabbing into Gu Qingchen's heart.
Her face flushed red, and she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
As more and more people gathered around, Gu Qingchen buried his head even deeper, wishing he could dig a hole and disappear right there.
Oh well, so be it if it's embarrassing!
She took out the silver and repaid everything that was owed...
The group of children were completely confused. What did this mean?
Just then, a series of light footsteps came from outside the school.
A young eunuch dressed in a blue palace attendant's robe entered the school accompanied by the teacher.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.
The little eunuch cleared his throat, his high-pitched voice standing out clearly in the quiet school.
"Your Majesty orally."
With a whoosh, all the students stood up and bowed in greeting.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is kind-hearted and has specially petitioned His Majesty. His Majesty has granted permission to hold a banquet at the Eastern Palace on the Crown Prince's birthday, inviting all the students to join in the festivities."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire school was silent for a moment, then erupted into a huge cheer.
"Great! We can really go to the East Palace!"
"Oh my god! Am I dreaming?"
Zhou Panghu excitedly hugged Li Si Gongzi next to him, jumping and skipping.
Gu Qingchen stood there dumbfounded, almost unable to believe his ears.
She looked up, her gaze passing through the cheering crowd, and met Lin Jiayou's gaze, who was also looking over.
Lin Jiayou looked at her, nodded slightly, and a beautiful smile appeared on his lips.
The crisis is over!
This crown prince is actually quite a nice guy!