When Zhai Yanlin heard this, he was stunned. Old Lady Zhai seemed to remember something and suddenly became happy. She said happily, "Yes, it's good that she's going to be Brother Qing's mother. Why didn't I think of her before?"
The more Old Lady Zhai thought about it, the more she felt it was feasible. Cheng Yujin was born into a noble family and her official mother was Princess Qingfu. Her status was very respectable and noble. With such a background, it was good for her to be the first wife of the Duke House. Although Cheng Yujin was adopted and was not of royal blood, Cheng Yuan-hsien's Marquis status was not fake. Cheng Yujin was also raised as the eldest daughter of the first wife. Whether it was dealing with people or managing accounts, she was good at it.
Thinking of this, Old Lady Zhai vaguely remembered that some time ago, the Cheng Family had sent a screen to the Emperor's birthday. The Emperor was very pleased and the Palace had specially sent a decree of commendation. The person in charge of the screen seemed to be Cheng Yujin.
Old Lady Zhai was surprised. The Duke House of Cai's situation was special. She originally thought that it would be difficult to find a suitable second wife. She didn't expect that there would be someone who fit the bill perfectly. Cheng Yujin was of noble status and was known for her filial piety. Such a person would not disgrace the Duke House and would be able to support the prestige of the Duke Of Cai's wife. In addition, she was very gentle, sensible, virtuous, and filial. She could take care of the Duke House. Most importantly, she could take care of Zhai Qing. She would be a good stepmother in the future.
Old Lady Zhai thought more and more that it was a good idea. She used a negotiating tone and said to Zhai Yanlin, "Duke, what do you think? The Cheng Family's eldest daughter's status and temperament are suitable. You have to be busy outside and don't have time to take care of Brother Qing. I'm getting older and less energetic. Sometimes I can't keep an eye on him. The eldest daughter of the Cheng Family is young, knowledgeable and patient. She is just right to take care of Qing 'er. "
Zhai Yanlin finally understood what the thought that flashed across his mind was. He was already middle-aged and had experienced many ups and downs. He was no longer as emotional as a young man. His state of mind was like a pool of stagnant water. But at this moment, Zhai Yanlin seemed to have been seen through by his mother. He felt a rare sense of awkwardness and shyness. "It's all up to mother. As long as Mother thinks she's good, I have no objections. "
Old Lady Zhai was a little surprised. Zhai Yanlin rarely talked about women. Even Brother Qing's mother, who had been his wife for many years and had even given birth to a son for the Duke House, Old Lady Zhai had never heard Zhai Yanlin praise his wife. But today, Zhai Yanlin was different from his usual self. He went along with her words and admitted that Cheng Yujin was outstanding.
Old Lady Zhai thought about it and understood. Yes, Zhai Yanlin had gone to the Marquis of Yichun to socialize. He had met the eldest daughter of the Cheng Family. It seemed that Zhai Yanlin was very satisfied with Miss Cheng.
The main reason for marrying a wife was to take care of Zhai Qing. It was rare that her son liked her. It was a happy ending. Old Lady Zhai was very satisfied. She said, "I've heard that there's a eldest daughter in the Marquis of Yichun. She's very good at dealing with people. But at that time, I didn't take it to heart. Although the Cheng Family has been declining over the years, it's still the Marquis Family. The title can still be passed down from one generation to the next. It just so happened that it fell on Miss Cheng's father. When the eldest son of the Cheng Family inherits the title, she will become the daughter of the Marquis. Her status will be ten percent higher. Because of this, I've never considered the Cheng Family. Second Young Lady won't stay in the Marquis Family in the future. It's not worth it. Eldest Young Lady has both integrity and talent. Many madams secretly see her as their daughter-in-law. If we try to snatch her away from them, it'll be troublesome, and we might not be able to get her. "
Now that there was no one in the room, Old Lady Zhai spoke the truth. It wasn't that they didn't think of Cheng Yujin, but that they didn't consider her at all. Cheng Yujin used to be very famous. Her status, family background, appearance, and ability were all good. Such a person didn't have to worry about marriage. She could choose from any noble family. How could she be interested in the Duke House of Cai as a stepmother? Because she understood her family's situation, Old Lady Zhai didn't step forward to annoy her.
Zhai Yanlin was a little uncomfortable when he heard these words. However, he had to admit that there was a big difference between a first marriage and a second marriage. Even if it was a man, when he took a second wife, the conditions of the woman would be much lower. Zhai Yanlin had been doing very well in the imperial court these past few years. The growth of his power made up for his disadvantage in age. However, there was still a long way to go before he could casually choose one of the top noble young ladies in the capital.
Especially when Zhai Yanlin had a six-year-old son.
Zhai Yanlin didn't respond, but Old Lady Zhai seemed to recall many memories. She told Zhai Yanlin about the past. "If it was in the past, I wouldn't even mention it to save myself from a snub. The old madam of the Cheng Family isn't someone who's easy to deal with. She's very ambitious. When she was still a noble young lady, she was already restless. Later on, when the Xue family got into trouble, she was lucky enough to marry into the Marquis Family. She tried her best to compete with others, but in the end, both of her sons were more useless than the other. However, when it came to the third generation, she raised an outstanding granddaughter. She wholeheartedly hoped that her granddaughter would marry into a noble family and sell her for a high price. How could she bear to let her granddaughter become a second wife and cut off her future path to riches? If it wasn't for the fact that the First Young Lady's engagement was broken and her reputation was damaged, she would probably still be arrogant. "
This was what Zhai Yanlin was most concerned about. Zhai Yanlin couldn't be bothered to care about the previous generation. However, he really wanted to know why Cheng Yujin's engagement was broken off. "Mother, do you know if Miss Cheng's engagement was broken off for another reason? Who was her previous fiancé? Why was the engagement broken off? "
Old Lady Zhai really did know. She said, "It's all because of the Huo family. It's funny. Miss Cheng and Marquis Huo got engaged because he saved her life. In the end, the Huo family said that they recognized the wrong person and should have engaged the Second Young Lady. Look at what they've done. "
Zhai Yanlin was shocked. He couldn't help but ask, "The Huo family? Is it the Marquis Jingyong Huo Changyuan who made a military contribution last year and received the Emperor's favor? "
"That's him." Old Madam Zhai nodded her head and said, "Originally, a talented man and a beautiful woman should be a match made in heaven. Who would've thought that Marquis Huo would do such a thing and break off the engagement between the older sister and the younger sister? They are twins, so it's normal for them to recognize the wrong person. However, the reputation of the two girls was ruined just like that. As an outsider, I can't help but feel angry when I hear about it. "
Zhai Yanlin was speechless. He stared blankly for a long time before sighing. "Huo Changyuan's martial arts are not bad. He's also good at leading troops. I used to think highly of this junior, but I didn't expect him to handle his private affairs in such a mess. He broke off the engagement just like that. What about other things? How can such a person be useful in important matters? "
Old Lady Zhai didn't understand the matters of the imperial court. However, based on Zhai Yanlin's attitude, the imperial court didn't like this kind of behavior. Zhai Yanlin slowly understood what happened today. He said in shock, "That means that Huo Changyuan is going to marry the Second Young Lady of the Cheng Family in the future? The Second Young Lady of the Cheng family took the place of the older sister's engagement? "
"That's right." Old Lady Zhai was disdainful. "Only Old Lady Cheng would do such a disgraceful thing. She doesn't look like an elder at all. Even I feel embarrassed for her."
Zhai Yanlin understood now. No wonder Cheng Yumo looked so relaxed and happy during the day. No wonder Cheng Yujin treated Cheng Yumo as a sister when she saw his unhappy expression. It turned out that there was such a dispute between them.
Zhai Yanlin immediately understood Cheng Yujin's attitude. At this moment, when he recalled her words and actions, Zhai Yanlin's heart was filled with pity. Her fiancé broke off the engagement, and her younger sister replaced the engagement. No wonder she spoke sarcastically to Second Young Lady Cheng.
Originally, it was a waste of Cheng Yujin's talent to be his second wife. Now that Cheng Yujin's engagement was broken off, it was Cheng Yujin's good fortune to be able to marry into the Duke's family. Zhai Yanlin knew that this marriage was basically a done deal. Other than having a disobedient son, his other qualities were very good. He didn't lack a second wife, but Cheng Yujin might not be able to find a marriage as good as that of the Duke's wife.
Zhai Yanlin suddenly had an indescribable feeling. When he went out today, he thought it was just an ordinary day. However, he didn't expect so many twists and turns. It might even affect the rest of his life. He first met the Second Young Lady. He thought that Cheng Yujin was just fishing for fame and was old-fashioned and boring. However, when he met the real person, he was surprised. Everything that Cheng Yujin did after that surprised him. And now, this mysterious woman was going to become his new wife.
This knowledge made Zhai Yanlin happy from the bottom of his heart. At this moment, Zhai Yanlin realized that he actually liked Cheng Yujin so much. However, Zhai Yanlin was used to taking the initiative. There were only women who would die for him. There were definitely no women who would lower their heads to please him. Zhai Yanlin calmly suppressed his happiness and said, "I don't have any requirements for my second wife. I just want her to be dutiful, understand the big picture, and take good care of Zhai Qing. Don't have any thoughts that you shouldn't have. That's enough."
Old Lady Zhai nodded in agreement, "That's right. In the future, the title of Duke will belong to Brother Qing. If she is dutiful and raises Brother Qing well, it's okay to give her son more of the family property in the future. What I'm afraid of is that she will be blinded by wealth and have thoughts of competing with Brother Qing for the title of Duke. "
Zhai Yanlin frowned and said, "I see that Miss Cheng's eyes are clear. She's shrewd and not shallow like other women. She wouldn't do such a thing. "
Old Lady Zhai glanced at Zhai Yanlin. She wanted to say something, but swallowed her words. After all, her son had grown up. There were some things that Old Lady Zhai couldn't say as his mother. For example, Old Lady Zhai didn't think so. They hadn't even married into the family yet, and Zhai Yanlin was already speaking in favor of Miss Cheng. In the future, when she married into the family, they would be together day in and day out. Would Zhai Yanlin still remember Zhai Qing when he saw his beautiful wife every day?
It would be difficult.
Old Lady Zhai didn't say these words directly. Now that it was obvious that her son liked her, it would be annoying if she said too much. It wouldn't be too late for her to slowly persuade Zhai Yanlin after the novelty wore off. Old Lady Zhai didn't bring up this topic again. She changed the topic and said, "Duke, since you are interested in the Cheng Family, then in a few days, when the Huo family sends the betrothal gifts, you should go to the Cheng Family and show your face."
"What?" Zhai Yanlin was shocked again. "Marquis Cheng is only seven years old today. Even if Second Miss Cheng is his granddaughter, she can't be getting married this year, right?"
Old Lady Zhai shook her head and didn't comment. Instead, she said, "Marquis Jingyong isn't young anymore. He's in a hurry to have children. It's not strange for Second Miss Cheng to get married during the mourning period."
Zhai Yanlin paused and asked, "Then what about Miss Cheng?"
Old Lady Zhai smiled meaningfully and said, "That's why I said that Miss Cheng marrying into our family is her good fortune."
Zhai Yanlin understood. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say for a moment. "Old Lady Cheng … Isn't she too anxious? She's still in the mourning period. Let's not talk about whether it's appropriate to get married during the mourning period. Even if Miss Cheng gets married in private, she won't be able to go through the six rites in time. If Second Miss Cheng gets married first, how will First Miss Cheng's face go? "
It was indeed a loss of face. Old Lady Zhai's mouth drooped. She was too lazy to say anything more. She said, "The Cheng Family found a good excuse. They said that Grandfather relied heavily on her and wanted First Miss to observe the mourning period for Grandfather. We don't need to verify whether this is true or not. Anyway, since the Cheng Family said so, we'll believe it. Anyway, after the year is over, Cheng Yujin will have the reputation of being filial. The two daughters of the Cheng Family will be able to marry well. If we marry Cheng Yujin, it'll look good on our faces. Everyone will benefit from it. There's no need to insist on whether it's true or false. "
This was indeed the case. There were many tacit words among the aristocrats. Even if everyone in the capital knew why Cheng Yujin's mourning was delayed for a year, as long as no one exposed it, it would look good on their faces. This matter could be resolved satisfactorily. Zhai Yanlin had seen many similar things. If it was in the past, he wouldn't have bothered to ask after hearing it. But now, he didn't know why, but when he thought of Cheng Yujin, he always felt indignant.
Such a beauty clearly didn't do anything wrong. Why should she be humiliated like this? However, Zhai Yanlin was only thinking about it. If he were to become enemies with Marquis Jingyong because of a woman, that would be the biggest joke in the world. Not to mention that Cheng Yujin had no relationship with the Zhai family now, even if Cheng Yujin exchanged the marriage invitation and married into the Duke House of Cai, Zhai Yanlin wouldn't affect his diplomatic activities in the court for a woman.
As such, Zhai Yanlin only sighed and said, "I understand. Since that's the case, I'll make a trip to the Marquis of Yichun on the day the Huo family sends the betrothal gifts. "
Indeed, after the seventh day of Marquis Cheng's wedding, the Huo family quickly sent the betrothal gifts over. The day of Cheng Yumo's wedding was just around the corner.
Old Lady Cheng's house was filled with people. At this time, most of the guests had left. The Nguyễn Clan finally found an opportunity to talk to Old Lady Cheng about the dowry.
"… Mother, Mo'er is going to the Marquis Household after all. She's still young. Once she marries into the family, she'll be a Marchioness. If the dowry isn't enough, how will she subdue Marquis Jingyong? How will she shut the mouths of the people in the capital? Mother, just the betrothal gifts from the Huo family alone are three thousand taels. If our dowry is too little, won't the Marquis Jingyong look down on us? "
Today, when the Huo family brought in the betrothal gifts, it attracted a lot of attention. All the maidservants surrounded the corridor of the main courtyard. Every item was brought in under everyone's eyes. Whether the items were valuable or not, it couldn't be hidden from everyone's eyes. The Huxue Clan was a family that cared a lot about their reputation. Every betrothal gift was well prepared. The Nguyễn Clan and Cheng Yumo's faces were glowing. They were extremely proud of themselves. However, as soon as the outsiders left, they hurriedly looked for Old Lady Cheng to discuss the dowry.
The Huo family's betrothal gifts were glamorous. If Cheng Yumo's dowry was poor, wouldn't the entire capital laugh at them? Originally, before Marquis Cheng left, he gave Cheng Yumo two thousand taels of dowry. Including the public funds, the Nguyễn Clan was very satisfied with this amount. However, now, the Nguyễn Clan's thoughts started to move again.
The public funds were only so much. If Cheng Yumo asked for too little, then the rest would definitely be given to the first branch. The first branch's Cheng Enbao was still young. His marriage would be ten years later. Cheng Yujin's future marriage was uncertain. It would be better to give her dowry to Cheng Yumo first and make up for it a year later.
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