Glory

"What are your thoughts on this matter?" Ye Yaming asked him.

"You decide for yourself. You think more deeply and see further than your grandfather."

With that, Ye Chongming put away his smile and said seriously, "Ming'er, our family status may not be high, and I've always hoped you could marry well to help the family. But I would never disregard your well-being for that reason. When I betrothed you to Song Yifeng before, it was because I believed he could give you a good life."

"I wouldn't do it before, and I certainly won't do it now. With Dragon Well Tea gaining fame, our family is no longer an obscure merchant that anyone can trample upon. You should understand how important you are to our family now. Therefore, your marriage is crucial. Only when you live well can our Ye family prosper."

"So even though Young Master Lu is an aristocrat from the capital and collaborates with our family, if he isn't a good match, you should refuse him without overthinking. Don't fear that matter with the British Duke's residence either. When the time comes, I'll seek help from Master Zhineng and have your grandmother select a good family for you to marry into, so we can avoid that issue. As for the Meng family, we'll find a way to handle it."

"Grandfather..."

Although Ye Yaming knew that Ye Chongming prioritized her wishes because of her capabilities, she was still somewhat moved.

She was decisive by nature—once she analyzed the pros and cons and made a decision, she wouldn't change it.

She said, "Then I'll agree to him."

Ye Chongming was taken aback for a moment, then reacted with surprise and joy, "Have you thought it through clearly?"

"I have," Ye Yaming nodded. "Anyway, he promised me that if I find this engagement unsuitable after two years, I can break it off."

"Good, good, good."

Naturally, Ye Chongming hoped Ye Yaming would accept this engagement.

Someone like Lu Guanyi was a marriage prospect he wouldn't have dared to imagine before, especially since Lu Guanyi was outstanding in every aspect. His granddaughter was also exceptional in every way. Apart from their difference in social status, they were a perfectly matched couple.

"Shall I go reply to him?" he asked.

But then he waved his hand, "No, no. As the woman's family, we should be reserved. Since he said you could think about it for a day or two, let's give him our reply two days later."

"Let's reply to him now," Ye Yaming said, always straightforward and efficient. "He has many important matters to attend to in the capital. There's no need to make him wait two extra days just for our pride. But you don't need to go—I'll have Fang Xing deliver the message to him."

"Is it appropriate to send a servant for such an important matter?" Ye Chongming hesitated.

"It's fine. If he doesn't believe it, he'll come ask me himself," Ye Yaming didn't consider this a major issue.

However, to be cautious, she called both Fang Xing and Bai Rui in and said, "Later, both of you go to Young Master Lu and deliver a message: tell him I agree to what he proposed."

Fang Xing and Bai Rui didn't know what Ye Yaming was referring to, nor did they understand why she wanted both of them to deliver the message together.

But since their mistress had given the order, they didn't ask questions. They acknowledged the instruction and left.

Ye Chongming, thinking about the impending marriage alliance with the Xuanwu Marquis Household, felt extremely excited and wished he could immediately return to the inner courtyard to share the good news with Old Mrs. Ye.

But he restrained himself, patiently waiting with Ye Yaming for Fang Xing and Bai Rui to return with the response.Before long, Fang Xing and Bai Rui returned, accompanied by Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji.

After paying respects to Ye Chongming, Lu Guanyi asked Ye Yaming, "Have you made your decision?"

Ye Yaming nodded, "Yes."

Suppressing a smile at the corners of his mouth, Lu Guanyi said, "Then I'll go to Chongshan Temple right away to ask Master Zhineng to act as matchmaker. If he declines due to his monastic status, I'll head to the capital first thing tomorrow morning to seek help from the Crown Prince and Princess Yu Ning."

Ye Yaming replied, "You make the arrangements."

Qi Ji glanced at Lu Guanyi, then at Ye Yaming, feeling something was amiss.

Is this how marriage discussions between men and women normally go? He could see Lu Guanyi was delighted, extremely so, but wasn't Ye Yaming a bit too calm? Where was the shyness or sweetness? Was this how a young maiden should behave when discussing marriage?

It seemed his friend still had a long way to go before achieving marital bliss.

Lu Guanyi had come specifically to confirm whether Ye Yaming had personally consented to the marriage. Now that he knew she had agreed herself, he didn't linger long and took his leave for Chongshan Temple.

As soon as they left, Ye Yaming prepared to make her escape: "I'm going back to research Jasmine Tea. I'll leave it to you, Grandfather, to inform Grandmother and my parents."

She had no desire to face their questioning or pretend to be shy in front of them. She had noticed Qi Ji's scrutinizing gaze earlier.

But there was no helping it. Anyone who had received confessions since kindergarten, collected stacks of love letters weekly in middle school, and been handed bouquets of flowers walking from classroom to dormitory in university wouldn't feel shy about such matters. Especially when her discussion with Lu Guanyi had been such a serious affair.

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Ye Chongming returned to the inner courtyard in high spirits and informed Old Mrs. Ye about the matter.

"Really?" Old Mrs. Ye was initially incredulous, then asked, "What's his family situation? Will Ming'er be mistreated after marrying into their household?"

Although it's said that "daughters marry up while sons marry down," and Ye Yaming was capable, the mismatch in social status combined with filial piety obligations meant she would likely face many hardships after marriage.

Ye Chongming detailed everything Lu Guanyi had told him, then added, "I've already told Ming'er not to compromise herself. But since she's agreed to the marriage, we shouldn't interfere further. Later, summon Yin Shi and inform her about this."

"Tell her that Young Master Lu brought this up suddenly, and Ming'er agreed after consideration. Besides me, no one else was present. She shouldn't blame Ming'er—she's doing this for the good of the entire Ye family."

He also told Old Mrs. Ye about Meng Chengwei and the Duke of Ying's estate, exaggerating the situation somewhat so everyone would understand the sacrifice Ye Yaming was making for the family.

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Ye's first reaction was heartache. She asked another question, "Could it be that Ming'er only agreed to solve these troubles?"

"That's part of the reason. But you've seen Young Master Lu yourself—his appearance, character, capabilities, and family background are all exceptional. If we miss him, who else could you find for Ming'er?"

"But isn't it improper for Young Master Lu to decide on marriage without informing his parents? What if the Lu family doesn't acknowledge Ming'er as their daughter-in-law?" Old Mrs. Ye inquired further."I asked Young Master Lu the same question. He said his stepmother's attitude toward him is something everyone in the capital knows about. Over the past couple of years, his stepmother hasn't stopped scheming about his marriage prospects, but he has exposed every one of her plots. That's why his stepmother's reputation is utterly ruined—everyone knows she goes out of her way to find problematic young ladies to betroth to him."

Old Mrs. Ye's gossip-loving soul instantly ignited: "What kind of problems? Did he give you examples?"

"For instance, there was one young lady who had an affair with a servant and even became pregnant. His stepmother tried to arrange her marriage to Young Master Lu. He publicly refused the match, yet his stepmother persisted. Two days later, the young lady's scandal came to light. Just imagine—how could people in the capital not talk about his stepmother? Similar incidents have happened twice now. Currently, matchmakers dare not arrange marriages for Young Master Lu anymore, because whenever a young lady catches his stepmother's eye, noble families immediately suspect there must be something wrong with her."

Old Mrs. Ye: "..."

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