Asking in Person
"Chang'an," he called out.
After the ceremony in Chang'an, he said, "Go and tell Madam to send the He Family mother and daughter away. Then have her prepare the betrothal gifts, as I'm going to the Earl of Suiping's Residence to propose marriage. If she objects, I will move out and establish my own household after the wedding, and she will live with the Second Young Master. I will do what Father did, sending some gifts back during festivals, but I won't return to this residence."
"Yes," Chang'an replied and left.
After about the time it takes to eat a meal, he returned and said, "Madam has seen the He Family mother and daughter off and is now arranging your marriage proposal."
"Huh? What's going on?" Fu Yunkai looked at Chang'an in confusion.
He knew his mother's temperament. If he used this as a threat, his mother would definitely make a big scene and would not give in so easily.
Chang'an hesitated for a moment, but still said, "The Marquis's letter just arrived. I heard from the maid in Madam's room that the Marquis said in the letter that if Madam does not agree to your marriage with Fifth Miss Zhao, he will divorce her."
Such words were not something a lowly servant like him should have spoken. But since his master had asked, he had no choice but to answer.
Fu Yunkai was relieved.
As soon as the steward reminded him, he immediately wrote a letter to the border. His mother's approval was irrelevant to his marriage; his father's attitude was the most important factor.
He believed that as long as he explained his reasons, his father would definitely agree to his marriage to the daughter of the Earl of Suiping's Residence.
On the one hand, the father was deeply burdened by the mother's situation and knew the pain of marrying a woman who was not intelligent; on the other hand, the father did not want to become a tool in the emperor's hand, a tool to kill the powerful families and civil officials. If the conflict became intense and the emperor could not withstand the pressure from the powerful families and civil officials, the father would be sacrificed.
To protect himself, he needed to extend goodwill to powerful families and civil officials. For the sake of his wife and children, he would rather not be the "most favored military commander" by the emperor, and rather be dismissed by the emperor than have a knife to his throat.
Fifth Miss Zhao is arguably the best person to resolve the Fu Family's predicament.
Therefore, whether from a public or private perspective, the father had no reason to oppose the marriage he had chosen.
During this time, he remained inactive, focusing solely on winning over Zhao Yuanxun, while waiting for his father's reply. He knew that his mother's attitude was not a concern; as long as his father agreed, his mother wouldn't dare say anything more about the marriage. And now, just as he had predicted.
I imagine Father was very pleased with the marriage after reading the letter, which is why he sent it so quickly.
Thinking this, he felt much more energetic, and his previous fatigue and frustration vanished.
He stood up and said, "Go and call the steward, have him bring the best official matchmaker in the capital. I need to go to the Earl of Suiping's Residence..."
Before he could finish speaking, he remembered the steward's advice and changed his mind. "No, have him make a reservation at a restaurant and send an invitation to the Earl of Suiping's Residence. I want to invite the Earl of Suiping for drinks."
He should refrain from acting rashly. He should first verbally mention the marriage to Zhao Yuanxun, and then have an official matchmaker come to propose marriage. That would be a more prudent approach.
After dealing with some matters for a while, he checked the time and saw that it was almost time, so he got up and left the outer study.
The steward was already waiting outside. "Your Highness, the invitation has been delivered. The Earl of Suiping says he will arrive on time."
Fu Yunkai checked the time and, as he went back to the backyard to change his clothes, asked the steward, "How has the Second Young Master been these past few days? Is he still secretly corresponding with Sixth Miss Zhao?"
"While he was recuperating in bed, he exchanged two letters. Perhaps Sixth Miss Zhao offered some advice in the letters, which put the Second Young Master at ease, and he stopped causing trouble. These past two days, his injuries have healed, and after following your instructions, he has stopped disobeying and has obediently followed Master Fourth Master Qin in training," the steward said.
He could tell that ever since the young master took a liking to Fifth Miss Zhao, he was no longer so opposed to the marriage between the second young master and Sixth Miss Zhao.
He also felt that it would be a good thing if the two sisters from the Earl of Suiping's Residence married into the family together.
Otherwise, given Madam's unreliable and biased nature, after the two young masters get married, she will surely stir up conflict between the eldest and second mistresses in order to establish her authority as a mother-in-law and seize control of the household. At that time, the Marquis's mansion will be in chaos, and the Marquis and the heir will not be able to rest easy at the border.
That Sixth Miss Zhao is merely an adopted daughter of the Zhao Family. If she wants to rely on the Zhao Family maternal family, she certainly wouldn't dare to go against her elder sister. It can be said that Fifth Miss Zhao is naturally capable of suppressing Sixth Miss Zhao. In this way, there will be no infighting within the inner quarters. She is an excellent candidate for the position of second mistress.
Thinking about this, the steward asked, "Young Master, when you propose marriage to the Earl of Suiping, should you also mention the Second Young Master's marriage to Sixth Miss Zhao?"
Fu Yunkai his hand. "Let's settle this marriage first, so as not to cause any further trouble."
He immediately gave a self-deprecating laugh, "I'm going to propose to Fifth Miss Zhao. Madam knows I won't listen to her, and Father has agreed, so she can only accept her fate. But she will absolutely not agree to the Second Young Master marrying Sixth Miss Zhao. If I propose to her together with the Second Young Master, Madam might ruin my marriage."
The steward was startled and nodded, saying, "Young Master is indeed very thoughtful. I misunderstood. In any case, the Second Young Master is still young; it's not too late to discuss his marriage after the Eldest Madam has entered the family."
Fu Yunkai nodded. "That makes sense."
He changed his clothes, took two bottles of fine wine, and rode in a carriage to the restaurant he and Zhao Yuanxun usually frequented.
As a junior, and intending to propose marriage to the Earl of Suiping's Residence, he arrived a little early and had Chang'an wait at the entrance. As soon as Zhao Yuanxun arrived, he greeted him at the top of the stairs, and the two went into the private room together.
After several rounds of drinks, he finally spoke, "Uncle probably knows that I've been staying in the capital for so long because of my marriage. My original marriage was arranged by my mother, and I hardly ever met my fiancée. She passed away suddenly, and although I don't remember her much, I mourned her for half a year before deciding to discuss the marriage."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanxun looked at the handsome and spirited young man in front of him, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
Although his wife agreed that their daughter could decide on her own marriage, she was still secretly inquiring about and observing eligible men in the capital. Children can be willful, but as parents, we love them deeply and always have to plan ahead for them. There are only so many good eligible men in the capital. If they are all taken early, what about the less desirable ones left? Wouldn't that be unfair to our daughter? So she repeatedly told him to keep an eye out.
Isn't this one quite suitable?
His heart skipped a beat.
Fu Yunkai was unaware that Zhao Yuanxun had the same idea as him. He filled Zhao Yuanxun's wine cup and continued, "Last time, because my younger brother was ignorant and seized your daughter's estate, when I went to the Court of Judicial Review to explain to Lord Zhang and Lord Wu, I specifically waited for Fifth Miss Zhao to come out, apologized to her, and met your daughter."