Glory

Therefore, Qi Ji believed that if Lu Guanyi proposed marriage to Ye Yaming, she would openly decline if unwilling. After the refusal, she would carry on as usual without changing her attitude.

"Let me think about this first," Lu Guanyi said. "Even if I were to propose, it would have to wait until we return to Lin'an."

Qi Ji was overjoyed.

As long as Lu Guanyi was willing to propose, things would be manageable.

He repeatedly agreed, "Fine, fine, fine. Discussing it after returning is best. If it were brought up now, regardless of how Miss Ye might react, I would feel awkward interacting with her."

...

Ye Hongrong had been investigating Lu Yan behind Ye Yaming’s back, worried that Lu Yan might harm his niece.

After all, this was someone else’s territory, and when women went mad, they could be utterly unreasonable. If anything were to happen, they needed to take precautions early.

Unexpectedly, he overheard some shocking news.

From the voice, the person who spoke those words was Qi Gongzi; the pages of both Lu and Qi were waiting outside the room. So, it was clear to whom Qi Gongzi was speaking.

Thus, Ye Hongrong drew a conclusion: Lu Guanyi was willing to become his niece’s groom who lives with the bride's family.

How could that be possible?

Ye Hongrong was utterly stunned by this conclusion.

"Impossible, impossible," he muttered to himself, shaking his head repeatedly.

Though he kept saying it was impossible, his mind couldn’t help but wander toward the possibility.

His niece was truly beautiful, especially her large, sparkling eyes—both clear and profound, exceptionally lovely.

Although Ye Yaqing and Ye Yayin were also quite attractive, each with their own charm compared to Ye Yaming, Ye Hongrong believed Ye Yaming was the most beautiful among the girls in the family.

Most importantly, his niece was intelligent—exceptionally so—and highly capable of earning money. Her mind was always brimming with ideas, each one promising substantial profits. Despite her youth, she was more capable than many men.

For someone as beautiful and talented as her, it was only natural for Lu Guanyi to fall for her.

Anyone who wasn’t moved by her would be blind.

But the problem was... a groom who lives with the bride's family?

"No, no, no..." Ye Hongrong shook his head again in disbelief.

Lu Guanyi was the legitimate eldest son of the Xuanwu Marquis Household. What did that mean? Just like his own elder brother, he was meant to inherit the family estate, taking the lion’s share of the assets.

For someone like that, even ordinary commoners wouldn’t allow him to become a groom who lives with the bride's family, let alone a noble family from the capital.

If such a thing were to happen, the Xuanwu Marquis Household would undoubtedly become the biggest joke in the Great Jin.

It was impossible for Lu Guanyi to become a groom who lives with the bride's family. What about the reverse—having his niece marry Lu Guanyi and become Madam Lu?

Ye Hongrong’s spirits lifted: This could work!

Compared to that scoundrel Song Yifeng, Lu Guanyi was far superior. He was better-looking and his family background was in a completely different league. He had both power and wealth. Someone like him would be highly sought after by noble and official families in the capital, let alone a merchant family like theirs!

With this thought, Ye Hongrong grew restless.

He stood up and paced around the room a few times before clapping his hands decisively and heading out. He went to Ye Yaming’s quarters and said to Guan Ting, who was guarding outside, "Go check if the young lady has retired. If it’s convenient, I have something to discuss with her."

Guan Ting acknowledged and went inside, returning shortly to open the door for Ye Hongrong. "Fourth Master, please come in."

As soon as Ye Hongrong entered, he said to Bai Rui, "All of you, step outside and keep watch. I have urgent matters to discuss with the young lady. Make sure no one comes near."

The servants quickly complied and withdrew.Seeing this, Ye Yaming’s expression turned serious. After offering Ye Hongrong a seat, she asked, “What happened?”

“Just now…” Ye Hongrong recounted his visit to Lu Guanyi’s courtyard and repeated the words he had overheard from Qi Ji.

When he finished, noticing that his niece’s expression remained unchanged, he assumed she hadn’t grasped the implication of Qi Ji’s remark. He hastily explained his own interpretation to her.

“If Young Master Lu has no such intentions, then let’s say no more. A Qi man is no match—our family status is far beneath his, and we shouldn’t entertain such delusions. But since Young Master Lu is fond of you, then we…”

“Stop, stop!” Ye Yaming quickly raised her hand to cut him off.

Ye Hongrong had no choice but to fall silent, though his eyes remained fixed on her expectantly.

After spending so much time together recently, Ye Yaming had come to understand her fourth uncle quite well.

He had many flaws—he was lazy, lacked ambition, and seemed content to idle his life away.

Yet, he also had a strong sense of pride. Resentful of how his father and elder brothers looked down on him, he yearned to prove himself. This led him to take shortcuts under others’ instigation, attempting to profit from illicit tea, which ultimately resulted in his mistake.

Still, at heart, he was a good man—loyal and fiercely protective of his own. Since the family lacked neither food, clothing, nor money, and he had no grand ambitions, the idea that he would sell out his niece for personal gain was truly unfounded.

“Fourth Uncle, marriage is about uniting two families, not just two individuals. Do you agree with that?”

“Mm.” Ye Hongrong nodded.

He had experienced this firsthand.

Back then, he had been smitten with Zhang Shi, but both families opposed the match, causing an uproar over the marriage. After finally tying the knot and settling into daily life, he realized it was nothing extraordinary.

Matters of affection could hardly withstand the trivialities and practicalities of everyday life.

Now, what annoyed him most was Zhang Shi’s constant nagging—how his elder sister-in-law had bought a small shop, how the second branch was spending money to support a son-in-law, how the old man favored the eldest branch, how Old Madam Ye had gifted Ye Yaming jewelry and silver… It was endless and utterly exasperating.

He often wanted to yell at his wife, “What’s it to you? It’s not your money being spent!”

But given Zhang Shi’s fiery temper, to avoid even greater trouble, he forced himself to keep quiet, opting instead to escape outside and enjoy some peace away from it all.

“As for this marriage proposal, our side has no issue. If I were willing, I doubt my grandparents or my parents would object. But what about his family? Never mind noble families—even someone like Song Yifeng, who lived off our family’s resources, looked down on us for being merchants. How could the Lu family ever agree to marry me into their household?”

“Even if we stretch the imagination and suppose the Lu matriarch would allow me to marry in to suppress Lu Guanyi, what about Lu Guanyi himself? Marrying a merchant’s daughter would not only offer him no advantage but would also make him a laughingstock. Even if he acted on impulse and went through with the marriage, would he regret it later? And if he did, what would become of my life?”

As Ye Yaming spoke, the corners of Ye Hongrong’s mouth, which had initially been upturned, gradually drooped. By the time she finished, they were fully downturned.

“Moreover, as the legitimate eldest son, the reason he hasn’t been named heir is precisely because his stepmother covets the title and wants her own son to inherit. Her maternal family holds significant influence. Even with his grandparents’ protection, Lu Guanyi still hasn’t been able to secure the heir position.”"Now that his grandparents have passed away, he's left isolated and helpless. Never mind how difficult life would be for me after marrying into that family, having to endure whatever mistreatment his stepmother might inflict. Just considering his own situation—he needs to marry someone from a family more influential than his stepmother's to suppress her and build a stable life."

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