Chapter 682: Discussing Marriage
Hua Zhi immediately halted, her brows furrowing deeply. "What did the Emperor say?"
"The Emperor didn't consent. He only said Shaoyao's marriage should be decided by herself. If she takes a liking to Wu Yong, the imperial family will naturally arrange a grand wedding for her. If she's unwilling, he absolutely won't issue an imperial decree for the marriage."
"Shaoyao hasn't doted on him for nothing." Hua Zhi felt relieved. In this world, no one could defy imperial authority. She had long been aware of this, but after the past two years, this realization had grown even more profound. Even if she herself wasn't afraid, she had a large family behind her – truly, "the monk may run away, but the temple remains."
Even though the one sitting on the throne now was her student, she still lacked the confidence to challenge him. The Emperor was heaven; if the ruler demands the subject's death, the subject has no choice but to die. These concepts were deeply ingrained in the bones of the people here. No matter how capable a person might be, they couldn't oppose the entire world.
Thinking of Wu Yong as a person, Hua Zhi didn't harbor any particular dislike. Back at Yinshan Pass, she had already noticed some signs, though she hadn't dared to think too deeply about it at the time, especially since Shaoyao's appearance had been ruined then. But now...
"What do you think?"
Gu Yanxi remained silent for a moment before speaking with what seemed like a sigh. "Yinshan Pass is too far away."
Yes, too far. This was exactly what worried Hua Zhi. She wasn't concerned about status or martial skills, but the filth and schemes within inner chambers couldn't be dealt with through martial prowess or status alone. She genuinely feared that if Shaoyao married so far away, she would be bullied, and by the time Hua Zhi found out, it would be too late.
Just imagining Shaoyao isolated and helpless made Hua Zhi's nose sting with emotion. No, she couldn't marry so far away.
Sitting down beside Yanxi, Hua Zhi said gently, "Now that Shaoyao's face has recovered, perhaps we should find her a suitable family here in the capital. Let's avoid those aristocratic families with too many rules. Selecting from military officers might be feasible."
Gu Yanxi had been thinking the same. Hearing this, he immediately took a name list from his chest. "I've listed a few candidates. See what you think."
"..." Hua Zhi politely refrained from looking too long at her fiancé. Clearly anxious yet still maintaining appearances – he was no ordinary man, being both the Imperial Heir and Regent. If he forbade it, who could possibly marry Shaoyao off to someone distant?
However, the hastily compiled list didn't contain a single satisfactory candidate. "Even if the civil officials show some signs of discontinuity, they've managed to carry on. But the military officers... Daging truly has no capable generals left. This can't continue."
Gu Yanxi was equally dissatisfied. These candidates couldn't even compare to Wu Yong. Upon careful consideration, aside from the distance, Wu Yong really had no other faults worth criticizing.
"Let's ask Shaoyao herself," Hua Zhi said, lifting her chin slightly. "If she has feelings for Wu Yong, then no distance is too far. I can train maids and matrons for her so no one can bully her. We can even extend our business to Yinshan Pass. You can station more personnel there for her to command at will. If Wu Yong treats her well, we naturally won't let him suffer losses. If he treats her poorly, we can beat him crippled and then present him with a letter of divorce. With a Regent and a Grand Tutor backing her, who dares say we can't be her support?"Ever since learning of this matter, Gu Yanxi had been extremely restless, but these words soothed him. Indeed, as long as Shaoyao was willing, what did distance matter? That place was vast and open, free from the many constraints imposed on women. For someone with Shaoyao's untamed nature, living there would actually be most suitable. Once he and A Zhi stepped down from their duties, there would be nowhere in the world they couldn't go. When the weather was fine each year, they could easily spend a few months there. He was determined to see whether Wu Yong had the audacity to bully his sister.
Hua Zhi held his hand and called out to someone outside the door, "Go and invite Shaoyao over."
Shaoyao arrived swiftly, bouncing along cheerfully. As soon as she entered and saw the two of them holding hands, she immediately covered her eyes and turned away. "Oh, why did you call me over?"
"Come here, we need to discuss something serious with you."
Shaoyao walked backward toward them, deliberately avoiding looking at the couple.
Hua Zhi released Yan Xi's hand, turned Shaoyao around, and got straight to the point. "Wu Yong has proposed to the Emperor."
Shaoyao was bewildered. What did this have to do with her?
"He wants to marry you."
Shaoyao grew even more confused. "Why would he want to marry me?"
"..." That was indeed a good question. Hua Zhi also wanted to know why, but she felt somewhat pleased. It was far better for someone to propose marriage of their own volition than to have parents or family arrange it. At least this person was chosen by oneself, and if one chose this person, it was unlikely they would dislike her.
Wu Yong didn't dislike Shaoyao—in fact, he probably even liked her a little. That already made him better than anyone else.
Having reasoned this through, Hua Zhi decided to have a proper talk with Shaoyao.
"Have you ever thought about who might be suitable to entrust your life to?"
Without hesitation, Shaoyao pointed at Yan Ge.
"..." Hua Zhi had to admit the answer was correct, but she added, "Besides him."
Shaoyao thought very seriously for a moment, then shook her head.
Hua Zhi suggested someone, "What about Mr. Zheng?"
"No, that won't do." Shaoyao crossed her arms in front of her chest in a big X. "When we were in the south, he stayed up half the night trying to persuade me to listen to him. After that, I got a headache every time I heard him speak, and I wanted to run away whenever I saw him."
Imagining the scene, Hua Zhi almost laughed. With Shaoyao's temperament, she truly wouldn't fit in among aristocratic families—there were too many rules and restrictions. She wouldn't last three days before wanting to flee.
"What if it were Wu Yong instead?"
Shaoyao thought for a moment. "Then Wu Yong it is."
"Is there a reason?"
"Mr. Zheng is too clever. Before I even say anything, he already knows what I'm going to do and comes up with seven or eight strategies for me to choose from. It gives me a headache. In comparison, Wu Yong is much simpler."
"He's simple?"
"He got tricked by the women in his own household—isn't that simple-minded?"
"..." That was undeniably true. Hua Zhi recalled that Wu Yong had once had a house full of concubines, though he had dismissed them all after that poisoning incident. She wasn't sure about his current situation, but she could ask her grandfather about it. If nothing else, her grandfather was always astute at judging people.
Hua Zhi smiled and patted the back of Shaoyao's head. "The Emperor has left the decision to you. Think it over carefully. Whatever you decide, I'll stand by you. Don't worry—I won't let you suffer any losses."
Shaoyao nuzzled against Hua Hua and hugged her without saying a word. She had so few family members left; she didn't want to go anywhere. She just wanted to stay close to them, guarding them from the nearest place.
But it seemed that as she grew older, some things naturally became clearer.A woman must marry once in her life, much like being reborn—with good fortune, she'll enjoy a smooth-sailing life; with bad luck, she may encounter an unreliable man and toil all her days. Yet only by marrying can she truly know what her partner is like. No one would force her if she chose not to wed, but if she remained unmarried, Hua Hua and Yan Ge would constantly worry about her marital prospects. They wouldn’t fear her becoming an old maid, but they would dread failing to ensure her happiness.
Thus, for this reason alone, she must marry once.
PS: Updates are getting later lately. I revised today's previous chapter again—ladies, feel free to go back and reread it.
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