RPAGF Chapter 80 Childhood Betrothal
Chapter 80 Childhood Betrothal
In order to gain Xu Zengshou's full support, Zhu Gaoxi solemnly promised that Xu Jingyan could do whatever he wanted in the Wu Prince's mansion, and he would accept it completely.
How can someone who can't even tolerate a little kid be the King of Wu?
Zhu Gaoxi didn't want to be as petty as Zhu Yunwen.
However, his statement did not completely dispel Zhu Youdun's doubts.
He still felt that stewing wasn't enough. What was he worried about?
Zhu Gaoxi couldn't understand it, nor did he have time to think about it in detail. He bluntly stated that he would accept any request, no matter what it was.
"Brother, tell me everything you're thinking, and I'll listen to you."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Youdun's expression immediately relaxed, and he no longer hesitated. "Why don't you and Jingyan get engaged first? That way, it will be easier for you to keep in touch. You know, your uncle's marriage was arranged by your grandfather and the Prince of Kaiping when they were fighting abroad."
Zhu Youdun, worried about being refuted, rushed to finish speaking in one breath.
I finally got to say what I'd been holding back for so long, and I felt so much better.
Miao Jin came up with the idea, and to everyone's surprise, Xu Zengshou completely agreed, even to the point of being overjoyed.
In Xu Zengshou's mind, Zhu Gaoxi's image as a child prodigy was simply perfect.
The father-in-law looked at his son-in-law and liked him more and more.
However, it remains to be seen whether Zhu Gaoxi will accept it.
After all, Zhu Gaoxi's true love had always been Miaojin, so Zhu Youdun was in a dilemma. After receiving Zhu Gaoxi's assurance, he simply told him everything directly.
Now it was Zhu Gaoxi's turn to be in a dilemma.
Xu Jingyan staying temporarily is fine, and staying long-term is also possible, but becoming the mistress of the house right after arriving is something he had never considered before.
Getting engaged after only meeting once? That's too hasty, isn't it?
However, this could not be raised as a formal issue, because Zhu Gaoxi could meet with him anytime he wanted.
Seeing this, Zhu Youdun knew that he would have difficulty making a decision in a short time, so he did not urge him. He then made an excuse to visit his grandfather at the Qianqing Palace and got up to leave.
If the old emperor approves of this marriage, he will have no choice but to comply.
It's better to express your stance early on to avoid creating misunderstandings and giving others ammunition for criticism.
You Dun always acts prudently. Even if he wanted to facilitate it, he wouldn't speak up rashly without Xu Zengshou's consent.
The marriage came too suddenly, and he couldn't process it for a while. He hadn't yet extricated himself from his unrequited love for Xu Miaojin when he had to accept the marriage to her niece. The sudden change in the situation caught everyone off guard.
He and Xu Miaojin were destined to be apart. Rather than suffering heartbreak every day from intense jealousy, it was better to let go sooner rather than later and find a brighter future.
Zhu Gaoxi tried hard to convince himself to face reality and be brave.
He was keenly aware that he should not be too attached to his illusory love for Xu Miaojin, otherwise he would hurt both himself and others.
Youdun is his closest friend, so even for Youdun's sake, he should let go of the past sooner rather than later.
Unrequited love is rarely reciprocated, and always inevitably leads to regret.
Let the regrets remain in my heart, and start a new life from now on.
Zhu Gaoxi secretly resolved to lock the memories of Xu Miaojin away in a corner of his heart, and only to secretly open them when he was alone late at night.
Having overcome his inner hurdle, Zhu Gaoxi immediately went to the Qianqing Palace to find the old emperor and took the initiative to propose marriage. Since he had decided to marry Xu Jingyan, he wanted to give her the greatest respect.
It was love at first sight, I suppose.
As soon as Zhu Gaoxi stepped onto the steps, he saw Zhu Youdun coming out of the Qianqing Palace.
"Brother, is Grandpa asleep?" Zhu Gaoxi asked as he stepped forward.
Hearing the noise from inside, the old emperor shouted, "Come in!"
Zhu Gaoxi took Zhu Youdun's hand and went inside, saying, "Grandpa."
The old emperor placed the scroll he was holding on the table. "Xi'er, is there something you want to say to your grandfather?"
"Grandson has something important to report to Grandfather. I have fallen in love at first sight with Xu Zengshou's daughter, Xu Jingyan, and would like to ask Grandfather to arrange a marriage for us," Zhu Gaoxi said in a serious tone.
The old emperor chuckled upon hearing this. "This brat is quite imaginative. He's so young, yet he's already clamoring to get married."
Seeing that his grandfather didn't take it seriously, Youdun hurriedly told him that Xu Zengshou had agreed to the betrothal. He had originally planned to wait until Zhu Gaoxi had figured it out before reporting to his grandfather.
"Why did Xu Zengshou suddenly have this idea?" the old emperor asked, frowning.
"It was Miaojin who brought it up," Zhu Youdun answered truthfully. "Miaojin said she had already written to ask Fourth Uncle."
"What did your fourth uncle say?" The old emperor frowned even more deeply.
"My fourth uncle replied that Gao Xi's marriage should be decided by my grandfather," You Dun calmly answered.
That's more like it; the old emperor's brows gradually relaxed.
We are the only ones who can make decisions about our eldest grandson. The fourth brother only gave birth to him but never raised him. Miao Jin wrote to her sister to ask about the fourth brother's intentions, which was simply a case of choosing the distant over the near.
This girl has studied etiquette for so long, how come she doesn't even understand this simple thing?
"Please grant my request, Grandfather," Zhu Gaoxi repeated loudly, seeing that the old emperor seemed to be deep in thought.
"I remember you liked Miaojin," the old emperor said, pulling his eldest grandson closer and staring intently into his eyes. "You didn't fall for Xu Jingyan, but rather his father, Xu Zengshou, didn't you?"
The old emperor said that in front of the stew, wasn't he just stirring up trouble?
"Grandpa," Zhu Gaoxi protested in a coquettish tone.
"When I was young and ignorant, I had the wild idea of marrying Miaojin. But I know that one should not covet a friend's wife, especially since Miaojin is marrying Brother Youdun."
"Moreover, Grandpa, you don't know this, but Jingyan looks a lot like his aunt Miaojin. I really like him," Zhu Gaoxi lied without batting an eye.
The old emperor didn't believe his lies, but he was glad that his eldest grandson could see reality and stop having illusions about Xu Miaojin. So he didn't hesitate to rub salt into the wound and stated his judgment frankly, "The cause of this matter is probably that Miaojin, that little devil, is worried that you will still pester her when you grow up, affecting her relationship with Youdun."
Zhu Gaoxi had also considered this possibility, but he had never dared to face it. Hearing the old emperor's confident tone, he couldn't help but feel suspicious and turned his gaze to Zhu Youdun.
Forced by circumstances, Zhu Youdun awkwardly nodded in acknowledgment.
Zhu Gaoxi's heart shattered instantly.
Unexpectedly, Xu Miaojin despised him so much that she went to such lengths to distance herself from him. It's pitiful that all his sincere feelings were wasted.
Zhu Gaoxi really wanted to find a secluded place to have a good cry and commemorate his unrequited love that was gone forever.
Even if it's just to make his eldest grandson completely forget Xu Miaojin, this marriage is worthwhile. The old emperor resolutely decided to grant his eldest grandson's request.
"Xi'er, we agree. Tomorrow we'll have Xu Zengshou come to the palace to discuss it with him in person," the old emperor said, pulling his eldest grandson into his arms. "Grandpa is really looking forward to your marriage soon."
Zhu Gaoxi understood that the old emperor's unspoken message was that he hoped Zhu would grow up quickly.
"Grandpa, I now have a father-in-law," Zhu Gaoxi said innocently, which made the old emperor chuckle.
"You brat, I heard that Xu Zengshou treats his daughter like a precious gem. If you ever need anything in the future, just tell your father-in-law, and he'll definitely be willing to help," the old emperor said, pleased to see that his eldest grandson had more and more people he could rely on.