It Isn't Your Third Senior Brother, Is It?

"Yes." Zhao Ruxi nodded. "His father has wanted to go out for a while, but Senior Brother Kang and the other three senior brothers were worried about him. Now that I'm in office not far from the capital, it'll be a good opportunity for him to relax and I can look after him. So Senior Brother Kang agreed to let him go. But it will have to wait a month and a half, until I've settled down there. Sister Ruotong will be going with him."

Upon hearing this, Lady Zhu was Gao Xing and said, "Then we must either rent or buy a large house there, otherwise it really won't be enough room."

"Don't worry, Zhou Chun will set off tomorrow to find me a house. Your daughter isn't short of money, she'll definitely buy a big house. It's never comfortable renting someone else's house. I can just sell it when I leave office, I won't lose much money."

Lady Zhu knew her daughter was wealthy and powerful, and she couldn't bear to see her suffer. Her daughter had already given them the luxurious mansion she bought in Gusu Prefecture; how could she possibly send her to rent a small, dilapidated courtyard?

Having made up her mind to buy a nice house for her daughter, she began to worry about other things.

"Hey, you're just a young girl, won't people bully you? If you ask me, it would have been better if you had agreed to Minister Qi from the Ministry of Revenue. That way, I wouldn't have to worry."

"Mother, don't worry." Zhao Ruxi glanced at the room and saw that only Matron Zhou and Qingfeng were there, then whispered, "My master and the others were worried, so after discussing it, they decided to send my third senior brother to serve as an official in another region. He will be my superior then, so no one will dare to bully me."

Lady Zhu asked in surprise, "Is it your Senior Brother Wu Zong?"

"Yes." Zhao Ruxi nodded and smiled at Lady Zhu, "Now you can rest assured, right?"

Just as Lady Zhu was about to speak, she suddenly seemed to remember something, raised her head to look at Zhao Ruxi, and remained silent for a long time.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Ruxi was puzzled by her gaze and touched her face. "Is there something on my face?"

"You all go out," Lady Zhu said, turning to instruct Matron Zhou and Qingfeng.

After the two left, she looked at Zhao Ruxi seriously and whispered, "Was it your third senior brother?"

"Huh?" Zhao Ruxi was even more confused. "Who is my third senior brother?"

"You said I didn't need to worry about your marriage, that you'd bring someone back to me next year. Tell me honestly, did you and your third senior brother...?" Lady Zhu blinked, not finishing her sentence, but her expression was very unpleasant.

Zhao Ruxi then realized what was happening and was immediately at a loss for words. "Mother, what are you thinking? How could I possibly be with my third senior brother!"

She glanced outside and saw that Matron Zhou and Qingfeng were standing on the veranda. She lowered her voice and said, "Let me tell you, Sister Ruotong likes my third senior brother. I'm planning to take Sister Ruotong to her post to facilitate this marriage."

Lady Zhu felt relieved and asked with delight, "Really?"

It's no wonder she overthinks things; her daughter only has a handful of men coming and going. And Wu Zong is one of the men Zhao Ruxi has had the most contact with.

Although Wu Zong was nearly thirty, a man in his prime at thirty is not old at all. He was handsome, refined, and elegant. His character and talents were first-rate, and he was extremely good to his daughter. Therefore, when Lady Zhu thought of this possibility, she was certain that this person must be Wu Zong.

Unexpectedly, her daughter immediately denied it, even mentioning Xiao Ruotong. It seems it really isn't her.

Now that she had some free time to gossip, she asked curiously, "Didn't your third senior brother agree?"

Zhao Ruxi nodded, then shook her head. "He didn't agree. I don't know if it's because he felt the two of them weren't suitable, or for some other reason, but he refused."

A smile appeared on Lady Zhu's face as she sincerely said, "Although they are a bit different in age, they are quite well-matched in terms of both appearance and personality."

"That's right," Zhao Ruxi sighed, "But there are plenty of people in this world who look well-matched. It all comes down to fate."

Lady Zhu nodded, her attention returning to her daughter.

She stared at Zhao Ruxi and said, "You only ever have the same few people coming and going around you. And none of them are suitable. Tell me, if it's not your third senior brother, then who is it?"

"Oh, Mother, I don't have one yet. I'll definitely find one for you when the time comes, okay? Your daughter is talented, beautiful, and has a generous dowry. You don't have to worry about her not getting married, do you? Believe me, as long as I spread the word that I'm getting married, I don't know how many people will come to propose!" Zhao Ruxi said coquettishly.

"Alright. I don't need much, just one you're willing to marry," Lady Zhu sighed.

One thing that worried her greatly was the issue of Zhao Ruxi going out to take up an official post.

At first, things were fine. As a pure and innocent young lady, she naturally had many suitors. But once she became an official and spent her days among men, doing men's things, countless families in the capital would look down on her.

When she returns to Beijing, she might not be able to get married.

Therefore, she was truly worried.

But her daughter's mind was too stubborn, and she couldn't persuade her otherwise; she worried that speaking up would only make her daughter overthink. So she could only keep these thoughts to herself.

"How's Fourth Sister's marriage going?" Zhao Ruxi changed the subject.

"Sigh, don't say anymore. There are only a few newly appointed scholars. The second and sixth place candidates are of suitable age and good looks, but how could they possibly be your fourth sister's turn? The second-place Second-Ranked Graduate Duan, Duan, said that a high-ranking monk once divined for him that it was not advisable for him to get engaged so early; the sixth-place candidate, Master Lu, was chosen as the consort of Princess Xiangyang. The others are either not good-looking or come from too low a background to even afford a small courtyard house. Their whole families are waiting for him to become an official and earn a salary to support them. The good ones have already been snatched up by others, and your fourth sister doesn't even look at the rest."

Lady Zhu spoke, she shook her head.

What she didn't tell Zhao Ruxi was that she had people arrange Zhao Rurui's marriage, but forbade it to be done under the banner of the Earl of Suiping's Residence, for fear that someone would marry Zhao Rurui because of the name of Zhao Ruxi's senior brother, Wu Huaisi.

If Zhao Rurui were to sit at the Earl of Suiping's Residence every day crying for her fiancé, and beg Zhao Ruxi to help her fiancé get an official position, she would be absolutely disgusted.

Zhao Ruxi was Kang Shilin's apprentice, Wu Huaisi's junior sister, and also a top scholar in the imperial examination. It was only natural for her to secure a good position, and the officials wouldn't say anything. But if she were to ask for a position for her cousin's fiancé, she would be subject to impeachment by the censor. Countless people in the capital were watching her.

She had gone to great lengths to help the concubine's daughters, only to end up dragging her own daughter into trouble. Lady Zhu felt she must have lost her mind to do such a foolish thing.

Therefore, when she sent people to inquire about and arrange the marriage, they were only to mention the second branch of the Zhao Family, and were not allowed to mention the Earl of Suiping's Residence, let alone Zhao Zhiwei.

You're just a commoner's daughter, an illegitimate child. Among the newly appointed scholars, you wouldn't even consider someone of slightly lower status, let alone someone with better conditions. Yet Zhao Rurui seems oblivious to this, always dreaming of finding a scholar who is both wealthy and handsome. Lady Zhu thinks that's something she can only dream about.