RPAGF Chapter 130: Visit and ask
Chapter 130: Visit and ask
Zhao Fangyu just found it unbelievable. How could Aunt Song, who seemed to be quite smart, make such a foolish decision?
If we count the girls of the Zhao family, they all married well. The eldest girl married the eldest son of the Minister of Rites.
The second girl married to Nanshan County, and the third girl is now waiting to die in the farm. She tells outsiders that she has a connection with Buddhism and voluntarily went to practice and travel.
Zhao Fangyu was personally betrothed by the emperor to the second prince. The second prince was a playboy and had a bad reputation, but judging from her family background, no one could say anything about her marrying into the royal family.
It doesn't make sense for Zhao Fangyun to marry a country gentleman whose family doesn't even have an official position. So what if he's rich? The Zhao family is not in the situation of lacking food and clothing. How can they not afford Zhao Fangyun's dowry?
"This is too hasty. He's only thirteen."
Even if Zhao Fangyu issued an imperial decree to grant the marriage, the wedding etiquette would still have to wait until the woman reached the age of 15.
She still has to wait at home for more than a year. Zhao Fangyun is half a year younger than her, so the fastest wait would be two years. Why should she be so anxious?
Zhao Fangjin was also confused, but she had always disliked Aunt Song and Zhao Fangyun. In her opinion, the mother and daughter were both equally stupid.
"Maybe he's worried that his father won't be able to return to the court, and will be implicated and convicted, so he's in a hurry to arrange an engagement, and Xiaowu himself isn't happy about it."
Zhao Fangyu breathed a sigh of relief: "For such a big matter, we must consider it more carefully no matter what."
"But why did Dad agree?"
What Zhao Fangyu couldn't understand was why Zhao Minshan would agree to such a marriage. Didn't he always use his daughter as a stepping stone?
Can't he find a trace of fatherly conscience in Zhao Fangyun? So he wants to arrange a good marriage for her? But this marriage... I really don't see anything special about it.
Zhao Fangjin shook her head, and the hairpin on her head swayed gently. The peacock holding three hanging pearls, embellished with two small hairpins, was breathtakingly beautiful.
"It's true that this ideal doesn't make sense, but at least we have our mother here, and she won't let Xiaowu suffer any harm."
Zhao Fangjin and Zhao Fangyu chatted all the way, and arrived at the farm at noon.
The two men changed into riding clothes, got a little rest, and then went to look for the ponies raised on the farm.
There is a horse farm in the suburbs of Beijing, but it is a mixed crowd. The atmosphere in Beijing is not as open as that in Longxi. When men and women ride horses together, it is always easy to be talked about and cause trouble.
Rumors spread quickly among three people and the people at the horse farm accept everyone, so it is difficult to investigate.
Therefore, girls in the entire Shangjing rarely ride horses.
Zhao Fangyu and Zhao Fangjin learned horse riding in Longxi, and now they were riding horses for a stroll on the open space of the farm. It was quite nice as there would be no outsiders colliding with them. This was originally a place for drying grain, so there was a very large open space.
The two sisters got tired after playing for a while, so they washed up and sat in the porch to relax.
In a blink of an eye, Chun Shao came over hurriedly, stood three steps away, bowed and said, "Miss, there is someone outside the door looking for you."
Zhao Fangyu looked up in confusion. Who would come to see her at this time?
"That man... has a eunuch beside him!"
Zhao Fangjin and Zhao Fangyu understood who the visitor was in an instant. Zhao Fangyu quickly put on a sky-blue gardenia jacket with a wide brim. Zhao Fangjin helped her comb her hair into a single bun and pinned a few unobtrusive hairpins on her hair. Chunshao opened her makeup box and picked out a pair of thin bracelets made of mutton-fat jade and inlaid with ruby flowers for Zhao Fangyu to wear. Fearing that the visitor would be kept waiting for too long, she just put on a little lip balm and went out to meet the visitor.
Zhou Qinghe was sitting in the reception hall.
As the weather gets warmer, the curtains all around are replaced with thin bamboo curtains. The room is filled with the fragrance of agarwood. Freshly picked fruits are placed on the black lacquered small table, and there are floral patterns and fresh flowers decorating the corners.
The scent of Shen Nan was faint and the surroundings were quiet. Zhou Qinghe couldn't help but yawn. He didn't sleep all night last night. When he heard that Zhao Fangyu was leaving the house today, he didn't care about rest and hurriedly followed him out.
I just took a quick nap in the carriage, but I was still very sleepy.
Zhao Fangyu stepped into the reception hall, and Zhou Qinghe straightened up when he saw someone coming.
Without waiting for Zhao Fangyu to say anything, the man next to Zhou Qinghe was about to take Chunshao, who was next to Zhao Fangyu, down.
Chunshao stared with her eyes wide open and wanted to say something, but after receiving Zhao Fangyu's gaze, she obediently followed him down the cliff.
"I hope you won't blame me for coming here today."
Zhou Qinghe's voice was slightly hoarse. Zhao Fangyu had served the emperor for a long time, so she naturally knew that the man in front of her was extremely tired. This cool and refreshing look was just a facade he put on to avoid looking down on her in front of his fiancée.
Zhao Fangyu said nothing happened and just asked him if he had something to do when he came to the manor to look for her.
"Is Miss Zhao asking people questions so directly?"
Zhou Qinghe remembered that Zhao Fangyu had a very good reputation in front of the emperor. She must be a knowledgeable and interesting lady who would give others a way out...
Zhao Fangyu sat upright, and both of them acted in a very dignified manner. For a moment, the room seemed to be filled with some fairy air to suit the occasion.
"If it were someone else, I would naturally be more tactful, but Your Highness is not someone else."
They are an engaged couple, so it's not unusual for them to meet once before marriage.
Besides, they all came from the palace, so everyone knows each other.
She also saw with her own eyes Zhou Qinghe being beaten by the prince until his head was broken and bloody.
Zhou Qinghe looked at Zhao Fangyu's straight shoulders with interest, then looked at Zhao Fangyu's empty ears, and guessed that he came at an unfortunate time.
Zhao Fangyu was not wearing any makeup. Her face was pretty and charming, but her lips were a little pale and she seemed not to be in good health.
The Second Prince had inquired about Zhao Fangyu's stay in the Imperial Court. At this moment, a sudden bird call was heard outside the door, and the Second Prince felt relieved to speak out what was in his mind: "When Miss Zhao was in the Imperial Court, Third Brother had offered her an olive branch. If Third Miss regrets, it is not too late now."
Zhao Fangyu's hand hidden in his sleeves pinched a piece of meat unconsciously, secretly cursing Zhou Qinghe's dog-like temper. Just because she said that she was not an outsider, he wanted to ask her what she thought of his brother...
How rude!
Zhao Fangyu cursed Zhou Qinghe over and over again in her heart, from the hairpin on her head to the shoes on her feet, but her face remained calm, without any anger: "This servant and the Third Prince have not met many times, and when I first heard about it, I also heard that the Third Prince was in love with the former Miss Zhang."
The second prince seemed to have thought of Zhang Yingying as well, his eyebrows knitted, and then he looked at Zhao Fangyu twice to clean his eyes. He said that the third prince would not be so ungentlemanly as to let go of a rare beauty like Zhao Fangyu.
Considering Zhao Fangyu's appearance, if she were not so young, she would probably have been made a concubine right after entering the palace.
"I am different from my third brother. His future is bright. If he really follows me... Miss Zhao will be like me, with an uncertain future."
Brothers in heaven, where is the brotherhood?
Even fathers and sons are always calculating, let alone brothers?
Zhou Qinghe did not lie. If Zhao Fangyu insisted on marrying into the royal family, the third prince would indeed be a better choice. At least he was the most likely person to become the crown prince at the moment.
Even though her status when entering the palace would not be very high at this time, but with Zhao Fangyu's beauty, she would definitely get the position of concubine when the third prince ascended the throne.
Zhao Fangyu looked at Zhou Qinghe strangely. He didn't expect him to be so magnanimous.