Chapter 894: Chapter 730: Are You Willing?
Liang Zhirui sighed, looking at his granddaughterâs quiet face, he couldnât help but think of his eldest daughter.
Yao Mengxian hadnât recovered from the words just now; she already felt that Gu Chengyu had no interest in her, so why did he agree to her grandfather?
Could it be to repay the kindness of his grandfatherâs teachings over the years?
Since her grandfather said Gu Chengyu valued loyalty, it was very possible.
At this moment, Yao Mengxian felt an indescribable mix of emotions, a bit of bitterness, guilt, and yet a trace of delight.
"Grandfather, Xianxian knows Mr. Gu is a good man, an excellent match. But I donât want to trouble grandfather and grandmother, nor do I want to trouble Mr. Gu. He probably didnât want to agree at first, right? What youâre doing is no different from leveraging kindness for repayment."
Yao Mengxian laid out her thoughts, unwilling for Gu Chengyu to marry her just to repay a debt of gratitude to her grandfather.
"You silly girl, you were born into the Duke Zhenâs Mansion, and as the legitimate daughter of the main branch, why would he not want to marry you? Donât be foolish, are you really contemplating marrying Prince Jing?"
Mrs. Ning looked at Yao Mengxian with eyes full of helplessness, almost hoping for her to see reason.
"You have your motherâs temperament? Being stubborn makes you easily disadvantaged." Looking at her granddaughterâs stubborn yet guilty eyes, Mrs. Ning was both exasperated and concerned.
"Though Prince Jing is not in good health, if he goes to his fief in the future, I could finally have some peace."
Yao Mengxian shook her head, knowing that Gu Chengyu had better options and she didnât want to hold him back.
She knew her own background wasnât bad, but marrying Gu Chengyu wouldnât provide him any benefit.
Could her father or grandfather support Gu Chengyu? How could that be possible?
What could Gu Chengyu possibly want from her? As for dowry, what could she bring other than what her mother left her?
Besides, Gu Chengyu was not lacking in wealth; the good things he had sent as filial gifts to her grandfather were shamelessly enjoyed by herself.
Thinking of it this way, a person like Gu Chengyu with ambition, perseverance, and capability could surely marry an aristocratic legitimate daughter after ascending in rank a few years later.
"Would your maternal family harm you? Do you know what kind of person Prince Jing is?"
Mrs. Ning was almost jumping with anxiety, fearing her granddaughter might be blinded by the title of Princess Consort.
Yao Mengxian was somewhat confused; what kind of person was Prince Jing? She really didnât know.
In her dreams, her name had only been mentioned with him a few times! Whether in dreams or now, she hadnât met Prince Jing.
However, in her dreams, she heard that Prince Jing was born with a debilitating poison, and imperial physicians determined he wouldnât live long.
After coming of age, he didnât go to his fief but stayed in the capital to recuperate. Despite this, he frequently fell ill; in any case, he was an invalid.
What sheâd heard since waking matched the rumors in her dream.
A person in poor health, long tormented by illness, might change temperament, which was possible.
Had her grandparents heard negative rumors about Prince Jing? Otherwise, her grandfather wouldnât be in such a hurry.
"Prince Jingâs ambition is huge; who knows if heâs been truly or feigning illness all these years? If you truly wed him, and he raises a rebellion, how would you manage?"
Mrs. Ning spoke anxiously, realizing her granddaughter didnât know Prince Jingâs true nature.
Ignoring any improper words, dispelling her granddaughterâs desire to marry Prince Jing was most important now.
"Indeed! If the Emperor chose Prince Jing as the Crown Prince, marrying him would be a rise. But I see the Emperor never favoring Prince Jing, and given Prince Jingâs ambition, if heâs not the Emperorâs choice for Crown Prince, he wonât stand idly by."
Liang Zhirui quickly added a few words; his granddaughter was just a young lady of the inner chambers. How could she know of Prince Jingâs private schemes?
"What? Are you saying Prince Jing..." Yao Mengxian was shocked, not expecting Prince Jing to be so ambitious, never intending to lead a peaceful life in his fief.
"Yes! So, I believe Jinyu is the best choice. Think about it, even if Prince Jing succeeds, the woman on the throne may not be you. Because of your choice, I and the other disciples must choose Prince Jing."
Liang Zhirui was somewhat helpless; marital alliances in aristocratic families were always entangled with interests.
Jinyu didnât favor Prince Jing, and neither did he. So Jinyu agreeing to marry her was part of the reason.
Yao Mengxianâs face turned pale; so Gu Chengyuâs willingness to marry her also had those considerations.
Did she have any other choice? Gu Chengyu seemed like a good match at the moment.
"What do you think? If youâre unwilling, I wonât force you. Although Iâve set aside my dignity, Iâm not afraid to lose face again in front of my disciple. He said it before; he would ask your opinion. If you donât agree, he will find another way."
Liang Zhirui looked at his granddaughterâs somewhat gloomy face. Although he knew pressing a young girl to choose her marriage was improper, the timing was critical. They must act swiftly, or Prince Jing would seize the opportunity.
"But would Duke Zhenâs Mansion agree?"
Yao Mengxian suddenly realized they were at the Liang Mansion. Her grandfather was merely her grandfather, unable to make the decision alone.
Hearing this, Mrs. Ning knew her granddaughter was willing. She just had some concerns, so she hadnât voiced her agreement.
"I have my ways."
Being a man, Liang Zhirui naturally didnât think too much. He was still waiting for Yao Mengxianâs answer.
Yao Mengxian took a deep breath, clenching her fists, "I want to see him first!"
Gu Chengyu stepped down from the carriage and swiftly entered the side gate of the teahouseâs backyard.
The location was at the innermost side of the alley, secluded to avoid being seen meeting someone.
After entering the reserved private room, Gu Chengyu faintly heard opera singing from the downstairs hall.
This was a method Gu Chengyu devised, partitioning several seats as private rooms on the second floor, naturally charging higher than the ground floor.
Besides opera, he also hired storytellers. Overall, it was a pleasant place for the wealthy to relax.
If the noise was bothersome and there were matters to discuss, the upstairs private rooms provided the peace guests needed.
"Sir, Iâve already instructed the shopkeeper that when Miss Yao arrives, he will personally bring her upstairs."
"Hmm!" Gu Chengyu nodded.
"Miss! Weâve arrived, itâs this place." Lianxin was the first to jump off the carriage, assisting Yao Mengxian out after she donned her veil.
This time, Yao Mengxian didnât bring Qing Dai but left her at the Liang Mansion, as she planned to stay there for two more days.
The Liang Mansionâs driver drove the carriage away from the teahouse entrance to find a place to park.
Looking up at the gilded sign above, Yao Mengxian took a deep breath and stepped inside.
"Sir! Miss Yao has arrived."