Wanting to Marry Him

After returning to the separate residence, neither master nor servant spoke.

An Ziran shut himself in the study and did not come out. He kept thinking about his conversation with Fu Wutian. He was certain that he would never let An Yuzhi marry over as a secondary consort.

A secondary consort generally held little status. After marrying in, she would essentially never leave the inner chambers, and many matters would never fall to her to handle. She would not even have the chance to attend banquets held by the imperial family or powerful nobles. All in all, it was merely a title.

Although his original intention had been to find the An Family a patron, he was not so cold-blooded as to trade his sister's lifelong happiness for the An Family's wealth and glory. Since they had become his family, he had to shoulder some responsibility for them.

Knock, knock!

The study door was knocked upon, and Steward Su pushed it open and entered.

An Ziran looked over. "What is it?"

With a helpless expression, Steward Su said, "Young Master, Miss has something she wishes to say to you. She is waiting outside the courtyard."

There was no need to ask. They both knew what An Yuzhi wanted to ask.

An Ziran was silent for a moment. "Let her come in."

Steward Su sighed, then went out to bring her in. Before long, An Yuzhi appeared at the entrance to the study. She softly called, "Brother," and An Ziran let her enter.

"Do you want to know Prince Fu's Manor's answer?" An Ziran glanced at the restless An Yuzhi. Upon hearing his words, her little face began to flush. Before long, she was red as a ripe peach, tender and lovely beyond compare. She truly had the makings of a beauty, yet he felt no joy at all.

An Yuzhi's face reddened as she stammered, unable to answer. As a young woman, merely coming to ask her brother about such a matter already made her feel terribly ashamed. Asking her to say it aloud was simply impossible.

An Ziran remained calm, as though he had not noticed her embarrassment, and continued, "Do you really want to marry into Prince Fu's Manor?"

"Brother!" An Yuzhi's pretty face immediately burned. She seemed somewhat startled by his bluntness. Her little face was so bashful it looked as though water could be squeezed from it, yet faint delight showed in her eyes.

"Tell me your answer." An Ziran had known her answer the moment he saw her reaction, yet he insisted on hearing her say it herself.

An Yuzhi stamped her foot, her little face twisted into a knot. Seeing that her brother remained unmoved, she struggled in embarrassment for a while before finally saying in a voice so soft it was nearly inaudible, "Yes... I... I want to marry him..."

Expressionless, An Ziran said, "Even if he can only give you the status of a secondary consort?"

An Yuzhi froze.

"I spoke with him. He said he could only give you the status of a secondary consort. Even so, are you willing?" An Ziran ignored how her face suddenly turned pale. Some things had to be laid bare before they could be resolved.

An Yuzhi's face had gone deathly pale. She was not a mindless woman. The gulf between a princess consort and a secondary consort was no ordinary one. Once she became a secondary consort, it would be almost impossible for her to be elevated to principal wife. What was more, she was the daughter of a landowner. The difference in their statuses was immense. She had seen many similar tales while listening to opera with her parents.

An Ziran said, "If you do not want this, I will not force you. Your brother will make another trip to Prince Fu's Manor and cancel the marriage."

The position of a secondary consort—clearly, the other party did not seem particularly eager to marry his sister either. As a fellow man, he could understand Fu Wutian's thoughts. Thus, he knew that An Yuzhi would certainly not be happy after marrying into the prince's manor. Although it would affect his future plans, he could settle for the next best thing: use the cancellation of the marriage as a condition and make Fu Wutian agree to protect the An Family. It was the best solution he could think of.

Yet An Yuzhi's reaction made him pause.

"What did you say?" An Ziran thought he had misheard.

"I... I'm willing..." An Yuzhi lowered her head and repeated herself. The slender stretch of neck exposed beneath her collar had already reddened completely, and the handkerchief in her hands was nearly twisted to pieces.

An Ziran stared at her. "Are you sure you are willing to marry him as a secondary consort?"

Only after a long silence did An Yuzhi raise her head. This time, she finally had the courage to look directly at him. Slowly but firmly, she nodded. "Brother, I... still want to marry him."

Steward Su came in. "Young Master, Miss, she..."

He knew that the young master must have told the young miss about their visit to Prince Fu's Manor and its outcome. Yet when the young miss had just brushed past him, he seemed to have seen her face flushed red, clearly the look of shy delight rather than sorrow. The old man was immediately baffled.

An Ziran said lightly, "That was her own decision."

Steward Su stood stunned for a long while before it finally turned into a faint sigh. For the sake of the An Family, the young miss had truly suffered.

Prince Fu's Manor

In less than half a day, a report on the An Family was delivered into Fu Wutian's hands. Its contents were exceedingly detailed. It included not only everything they had done in Gentlemen City during this period, but also matters concerning the An Family in Anyuan County. It was so detailed that even eighteen generations of the An Family's ancestors had been dug up.

Had An Ziran seen it, he would certainly have been shocked. To achieve this in such a short time, Fu Wutian could not possibly have been merely some brute who had just returned to court.

"My lord, this An Ziran has quite the nerve." Ge Qian'an stood below the steps. He was the young man from the main hall earlier. He had already read the report and immediately saw An Ziran's purpose in making Prince Fu's Manor honor the marriage agreement. He simply wanted to use the prince. For a landowner, his courage was indeed considerable.

Fu Wutian held the sheet of paper between his fingers. "Don't you find him interesting?"

Ge Qian'an did not understand.

Fu Wutian released the paper and watched it drift to the ground. The writing upon it remained clearly visible as he said evenly, "Would an ordinary person wipe out promissory notes accumulated over more than a decade? Would they lower the land rent across an entire county without another word?"

Ge Qian'an nodded. "He could pick things up and put them down, decisive and clean-cut. He truly is capable. But does Your Highness really intend to marry a landowner's daughter?" As though recalling something, he imperceptibly frowned.

"If the An Family was worthy of receiving even the Mandarin Duck Jade Pendant, what reason does this prince have to refuse?" Fu Wutian raised his head toward the clear sky. The white clouds seemed to form a human face. A sharp glint flashed through his dark eyes as he slowly turned his head toward the corridor to his left. "Isn't that right, Grandfather?"

Old Prince Fu was standing in the corridor, though no one knew when he had arrived.

Ge Qian'an was startled. He had not noticed him at all. He hurriedly bowed. "Old Prince Fu!"

Old Prince Fu stood there with his hands behind his back, watching them. His expression was nearly identical to his grandson's—calm and indifferent. Hearing his grandson's words, he finally said, "Since you know that your grandfather places great importance on this marriage with the An Family, then do you have any objection to marrying the An Family girl as your princess consort?"

Fu Wutian stared at him for a long while before suddenly saying, "Of course not."

Old Prince Fu nodded in satisfaction, then turned and leisurely walked away.

Ge Qian'an immediately let out a breath of relief. Old Prince Fu's illness had truly become increasingly unpredictable. To suddenly recover his memories at such a crucial moment—perhaps even Heaven was helping the An Family. Yet the prince had changed his answer without another word. It was truly unexpected. He really did not know what the prince was thinking.