Ask Her

But the Earl of Suiping's Residence was dirt poor; what could Fu Yunkai possibly want?

After much deliberation, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law agreed that Zhao Ruxi was the most valuable person in the family right now.

This is simply a golden goose!

Leaving aside the painting training classes she currently runs, the imperial edict alone could bring her tens of thousands of taels of silver in income; having become an apprentice of Mister Kumu and learned painting skills, coupled with her own unique painting techniques, she could earn a substantial income from selling paintings in the future.

This girl, with her innate Midas touch, is beautiful, capable, and a disciple of Mister Kumu. Her status is high enough to marry a prince. Isn't it perfectly normal that she would attract Fu Yunkai's attention and preparations for a marriage proposal?

It must be said that these middle-aged and elderly women who spend all day in the inner quarters, thinking about how to marry their daughters off to a good family and how to find a good wife, are often very perceptive and insightful. They can see through appearances and understand the true intentions of these men.

So the old lady insisted on getting Zhao Ruxi away—with her standing there, how could Young General Fu possibly speak?

Not long after Zhao Ruxi and her brother left, Zhao Yuanxun brought Fu Yunkai in.

Fu Yunkai bowed deeply to the old lady.

Normally, the old lady would never have dared to accept such a gesture. But considering that the person in front of her was very likely her granddaughter's husband, she accepted it with ease.

When Lady Zhu saw that Fu Yunkai was tall, handsome, and well-built, any remaining worries in her heart vanished.

Such a handsome young man, who is Principal Fourth Rank official at a young age and comes from an excellent family, is a son-in-law who is one in a thousand.

Even though he has an unreliable mother, it doesn't outweigh his merits. That brainless slacker Lady He can be easily dealt with by her own smart daughter; she's not afraid of her causing any trouble.

After the ceremony, the old lady and Lady Zhu began chatting with Fu Yunkai about everyday matters.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fu Yunkai subtly revealed his and his father's attitudes towards the family, saying that once he got married, his new wife would be in charge of the household from the moment she entered the family. He added that his mother, being simple-minded and lacking in worldly experience, was actually very easy to please; all that was needed was to keep those with ulterior motives and a penchant for stirring up trouble away.

Of course, he said these things in the most tactful way possible.

But that's the gist of it.

This was considered a promise, which made the old lady and Lady Zhu very happy, and they were more and more satisfied with Fu Yunkai.

Fu Yunkai only came to make an appearance so that the two elders could meet him. He stayed for a while and then left, refusing to let Zhao Yuanxun see him off.

Zhao Yuanxun had no choice but to instruct Liu Quan to see him out on his behalf.

As soon as Zhao Yuanxun turned and went back into the house, the old lady and Lady Zhu asked impatiently, "What exactly did he mean by that? Did he mention anything to you?"

Zhao Yuanxun beamed with joy. "He said he wants to ask our Miss Xi for marriage."

"Really? He really said that? What were his exact words? Tell us." Lady Zhu asked in surprise.

Although Zhao Yuanxun had drunk some alcohol, he was very self-controlled due to his physical condition and did not get drunk.

He remembered Fu Yunkai's words clearly and immediately repeated them to his mother and wife.

"Oh my, this lad is quite something. He must have taken a liking to our Miss Xi after just one meeting at the Court of Judicial Review, right? Haha! He's been holding back for so long, writing letters to his father at the border to ask for his opinion while also trying to curry favor with you, his future father-in-law. This child is really putting in the effort." The old lady couldn't stop smiling.

Lady Zhu was also overjoyed.

She felt that ever since Zhao Ruxi returned home, nothing in the family had gone wrong. Good things always seemed to come to them without them even having to ask for them. This was true for Zhao Ruxi's apprenticeship, for the job at the Court of Judicial Review, and now even the most worrying matter—marriage—was progressing so smoothly that it was unbelievable.

Was that child born with incredible good fortune? Had their good luck been bottled up for the previous fourteen years, only to suddenly erupt all at once?

Thinking of Zhao Ruxi, Lady Zhu's mind cleared up a little.

She asked her husband, "You didn't agree to this marriage outright, did you? Miss Xi said that her marriage requires her approval."

"No. Do you think I'm that kind of fool?" Zhao Yuanxun said confidently, forgetting that he had almost agreed.

"I didn't discuss it with you, I didn't discuss it with Miss Xi, how could I possibly agree to the marriage? Besides, do you think my daughter is so easy to marry? There's nothing here, no matchmaker has come to our door, if I were to agree like this, would I be a fool?"

Too lazy to argue with her husband about profound questions like "Is he stupid?", Lady Zhu turned to her mother-in-law and asked, "Mother, shall I go ask Miss Xi what she thinks about this now?"

The old lady was also very troubled by her granddaughter's stubborn temper.

She decided to entrust this arduous task to her daughter-in-law. "Go ahead, go ahead. It's better for you two, mother and daughter, to have a heart-to-heart talk. If she can't figure it out, you should try to persuade her. If you miss out on this marriage, it will be extremely difficult to find a good one again."

"There are good young men among the noble families, but with dozens of people in the family, can Miss Xi handle the trouble? Although the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan is muddle-headed, she's easy to fool. The family isn't large, and the illegitimate children won't cause any trouble. The only legitimate son is the second young master..."

Speaking of the second son of the Marquis of Pingnan, the old lady thought of Zhao Ruyu and asked, "Is Miss Yu still entangled with his second son?"

As she spoke, the old woman frowned and thought for a moment, "It's a pity that Miss Yu and Miss Xi aren't close, otherwise we could have let her marry the second young master. The two sisters could have looked after each other in that household. She's an adopted daughter and can only rely on our Zhao Family, so she wouldn't dare to compete with Miss Xi."

She had the same idea as the steward of the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence.

Lady Zhu thought more deeply than the old lady. She didn't quite agree, "That's true, but Miss Yu has always been proud and arrogant, with many petty schemes. Miss Xi dislikes that kind of person the most."

She stood up. "Alright, let's ask Miss Xi what she thinks first."

With that, she and Zhao Yuanxun took their leave and went their separate ways after leaving Rongxi Hall. One of them went back to the main house, and the other went to Slender Bamboo Courtyard.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Lady Zhu heard Zhao Ruxi shouting, "Zhao Jingtai, are you asking for a beating? I was only gone for a short while, and look at you, how many strokes did you draw? Let's see how I deal with you!"

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Jingtai let out a scream, "Ahhh, sister, I was wrong, I was really wrong. I'll draw it right now, I'll draw it right now, okay? Please, please don't tickle me, ahahaha, ahahahaha..."

Hearing the siblings playfully fighting, Lady Zhu couldn't help but laugh. She went over and slapped Zhao Jingtai on the back. "Serves you right, you're not studying painting properly."