In Wеi Rufеng's viеw, givеn Fu Yunхi's power аnd stаtus, it was impоssible for him tо hаvе оnlу Нan Yan аs his sole woman in his lifetime. Nоt оnly wоuld the Еmреrоr disaррrоvе, but thе Emрress Dowagеr wоuld alsо object. Fоr members оf the roуаl fаmilу, ехрanding the linеаge wаs а dutу. Fu Yunxi's dеsire tо mаrry Zhuang Наnyаn seemed highlу unlikely.
Zhuang Shiуаng, hоwevеr, glanced nеrvоuslу at Wеi Jing. Аs аn аllу оf Prinсе Wei, if Fu Yunхi prоposеd marriаgе bеforе thе еntirе court and suсceeded, wouldn't thаt mean oрposing Рrincе Wеi? Yet, Хuan Qing Prince was also someone he dared not offend. Thus, he forced a dry laugh and said, "Your Highness is of noble status. I fear my humble daughter is unworthy of such an honor."
The Seventh Prince watched the scene before the hall with an inscrutable expression. Seeing Fu Yunxi remain silent for so long, he also smiled and said, "If Imperial Uncle wishes to take a consort, you could have His Majesty issue an order to select a virtuous, talented, and beautiful woman as your princess consort... Why must you..." He left his words unfinished, but the implication was clear.
Fu Yunxi looked at the Emperor with a faint, mocking smile. "Your Majesty has long been concerned about this subject's marriage. This subject has now made a decision precisely to fulfill the duty of expanding the lineage."
The Emperor immediately understood the underlying meaning in his words. Fu Yunxi had said that he would accompany the Emperor on the expedition against the Western Rong next year. This implied that if he could not marry Zhuang Hanyan, he would have no attachments in the future and would be even less likely to return to the capital easily. The Emperor glared at him in annoyance.
Fu Yunxi said calmly, "If I marry her, then it will be her alone. Today, before His Majesty, I vow to take only Zhuang Hanyan, the Fourth Miss of the Zhuang family, as my wife in this lifetime. I will not take concubines, nor will I keep any mistresses. My heart will never waver."
Wei Rufeng had not expected Fu Yunxi to actually go this far. He stared at him in disbelief—how could such a man exist in this world? Then, an extraordinary surge of anger arose within him. Did Han Yan dare to say that her future husband could have only her because she had long anticipated Fu Yunxi would do this? Instantly, he felt as if he had been deceived, and his heart filled with rage. From then on, he harbored deep hatred and contempt for both Fu Yunxi and Han Yan.
Upon hearing this, the other court ministers could not help but shake their heads and sigh. Fu Yunxi's elegance and talent were naturally unparalleled. Many of them had daughters in their households, and Fu Yunxi had always been the ideal son-in-law. Now that he had declared he would marry only Han Yan, their daughters would surely be heartbroken.
Fu Yunxi stood tall and straight, his slender figure like an unsheathed sharp sword—upright and resolute. His jet-black hair was simply tied up with a gleaming white jade hairpin, which only accentuated his refined demeanor. His face was handsome, with long eyebrows that swept toward his temples and deep, unfathomable phoenix eyes. His thin lips curled slightly, as if carrying a mocking smile, ridiculing those who found it unbelievable. The silver-red official robe embroidered with a white python was worn with exceptional grace, and Fu Yunxi himself seemed to shed his usual aloof indifference, appearing unusually sharp and imposing.
"I offer the entire Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion as a betrothal gift to marry the Fourth Miss of the Zhuang family as my princess consort!" His light words, carrying a faint chill, were like a massive stone thrown into a calm, deep pond. The entire court fell into a stunned silence!
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. "Granted!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was dumbfounded. Never before had such a thing happened—a subject proposing marriage before the entire court in the Hall of Golden Chimes, and the one granting permission was the Emperor. Yet, it was an undeniable fact that Xuan Qing Prince and the Emperor had always shared a deep brotherly bond.
Fu Yunxi lifted the hem of his official robe and knelt on one knee. "Thank you, Your Majesty."Yet the gaze was unmistakably a threat. The Emperor sighed inwardly, "In that case, let us first settle the engagement. However, I have heard that Zhuang Hanyan has not yet reached her coming-of-age ceremony, so the wedding cannot take place until after her ceremony next year." He paused, then added, "I see that the eighth day of next month is an auspicious date. Let us set the engagement for that day."
Fu Yunxi raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. It seemed the Emperor was not entirely unaware of the matter. He replied, "Everything shall be as Your Majesty arranges."
Wei Rufeng and Zhuang Shiyang were fuming with anger. Zhuang Shiyang was furious because his own daughter's marriage was completely out of his control. Instead, it was decided in just a few words by the two royal brothers. Where did that leave his dignity? Wei Rufeng, on the other hand, was filled with resentment. The Emperor had arranged his marriage to the daughter of the Right Chancellor, which he already disliked immensely. Now, Han Yan was being betrothed to Fu Yunxi. Was this not tearing apart a loving couple? In his eyes, the once noble and wise sovereign had now become a tyrant who abused his power, utterly despicable.
The Seventh Prince lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he raised his sleeve and cupped his hands toward Fu Yunxi. "Congratulations, Uncle, on gaining a virtuous consort."
The other officials followed suit, offering their congratulations to Fu Yunxi. Only Prince Wei, his son, and Zhuang Shiyang wore expressions that were visibly stiff and uncomfortable.
Han Yan was embroidering in her room. Her needlework had been growing increasingly clumsy lately, and she had pricked her fingers several times. Her mind was far from calm. If any family who had taken an interest in her saw her messy embroidery, they would likely call off the engagement without a second thought. Thinking this, she chuckled to herself. Well, she had made such a vow—marrying in this lifetime would not be easy anyway. The embroidery hardly mattered.
Ji Lan hurried in. "Miss, Xuan Qing Prince has publicly declared before the entire court that he wishes to marry you."
"I won't marry him!" came the resolute reply, without a hint of hesitation. Han Yan rolled her eyes and continued embroidering. Could Fu Yunxi be serious? This was taking things too far.
But Ji Lan shrank back nervously. "But... but... the Emperor has already approved it."
With a clatter, the embroidery hoop fell to the ground. Han Yan turned her head, forcing a smile. "What did you say?"
"The Emperor has agreed to Xuan Qing Prince's request. He said that on the eighth day of next month, your engagement to the Prince will be settled."
It was actually true! Han Yan stood up, then immediately sat back down, feeling a buzzing in her head. She instinctively pinched the back of her hand to confirm she was not dreaming.
"How is this possible..." she murmured. Fu Yunxi had acted far too quickly, settling the engagement just like that. His domineering and forceful approach was truly unimpressive. Most importantly, the two of them had not even reached the stage of discussing marriage—at most, they could be considered friends. What on earth was he thinking?
Ji Lan, however, looked both delighted and worried. "Miss, we saw Xuan Qing Prince at the palace banquet last time. He is truly much better than that so-called Wei heir. Moreover, he is a majestic prince. If you marry him, you won't have to endure the disdain of the people in this mansion anymore. But..." she hesitated, puzzled. "When did you become so familiar with Xuan Qing Prince?"Not only was Ji Lan puzzled, Han Yan herself was also quite perplexed. She thought back to the first time she met Fu Yunxi—aside from his initial wariness toward her, he had always acted with great familiarity afterward, as if they had known each other long ago. Yet, he deliberately maintained a distance, never overly warm. Whenever she found herself in an awkward situation, he would always appear just in time to help her out. It seemed she had grown accustomed to this ambiguous attitude of his, so when she suddenly heard that Fu Yunxi intended to marry her as his princess consort, Han Yan simply couldn’t believe it.
When she had heard him say it before, although she was surprised, she hadn’t taken it too seriously, thinking it was just his way of teasing her. But now, after she had made such a vow and rumors were spreading through every street and alley of the capital, he chose this moment to decide to marry her... This man was truly unfathomable.
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