Chapter 21: Marriage Proposal

No one knew what had happened. Even the usually calm crown prince had a grim look on his face. It was obvious that something big must have happened. Could it be that something had happened to the emperor?

Just as the Grand Tutor Tang was about to speak, a young servant approached and whispered something in his ear. Instantly, the old man’s expression shifted, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to surprise.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the others began to catch on. The Crown Prince, with a stern face, strode out of the main hall, closely followed by the Grand Tutor Tang. The remaining guests hurried after them.

Upon arriving at a room in the backyard, they found a crowd gathered outside, and a shocking figure emerged from within.

As the person stepped out, the Crown Prince clenched his fists, his lips pressing together as he prepared to enter. However, he was stopped at the door by a long sword.

“Your Highness, please hold on. Miss Xia is resting inside,” Xifeng said, keeping his head lowered yet firm.

There is no wall that is impenetrable. Some people who knew about the matter started to discuss it in a low voice. When the officials who followed learned the truth, they could no longer hide their shock.

Everyone knows that the Fourth Young Lady of the Xiahou family is the candidate chosen by the Empress for the Crown Princess. All that is left is for the Emperor to grant her an order for marriage. But now her innocence has been tarnished by the Regent. How can His Royal Highness the Crown Prince maintain his dignity in the future?

Some officials were visibly outraged, condemning the treachery of the Regent. This traitor was really going too far!

“I wonder what the prince^[1]The prince here refer to ML, the regent. did to Miss Xia?” No matter how well-mannered Xiao Jing was, his face was tense and stiff at this moment.

Gu Qin glanced at him, then laughed lightly. “Would Your Highness believe me if I said I did nothing at all?”

The disheveled clothing scattered on the floor and the fact that Miss Xia was still unconscious made it obvious that this was not the case.

Meeting Gu Qin’s gaze, Xiao Jing bit his lip, anger flickering in his dark eyes. “Your Highness’s disregard for propriety leaves a pure woman with nowhere to turn!”

The atmosphere was thick with tension, and no one dared to breathe.

“Disregard for propriety… is it only today that you realized this?” Gu Qin raised an eyebrow, his voice calm yet resonating with authority. “However, I have already proposed to Lord Xia for marriage, and we plan to wed next month. I hope Your Highness will accept this.”

At these words, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd—wasn’t this a direct slap in the Crown Prince’s face?

The Xiahou family members nearly fainted. The events of the day had far exceeded their capacity to cope.

Xiao Jing clenched his fists tightly. No matter how much he tried to remain composed, his restraint was slipping. Yet, a moment later, he managed to force a smile that belied his anger, radiating an aura of calm. “Of course.”

With that, he turned and strode away, disappearing from sight in an instant.

The others dared not speak a word. With military power firmly in the hands of the Regent, no one could afford to confront him.

The Grand Tutor Tang glanced between the two men, then stepped forward with a smile, addressing Gu Qin.”It’s a good thing that Your Highness has found a good match, but considering that Miss Xia is still a young lady, your actions make it difficult for her to save face.”

Feigning a righteous demeanor, Gu Qin arched an eyebrow and looked over at Xifeng. “The Ministry of Justice has been rather lenient lately. If anyone speaks out of turn, have their mouths sewn shut.”

As his words echoed, the crowd instinctively took a step back. Some of the more timid servants turned pale, fully aware that the Regent was not joking.

Gu Qin, unable to tolerate the old man any longer, was about to leave when he suddenly paused, turning back with a faint smile. “Since I arrived in such haste today, I didn’t bring a birthday gift for the Grand Tutor. I hope you won’t mind this small token of my appreciation.”

With that, Xifeng stepped forward, presenting a square wooden box. The Grand Tutor remained cheerful, while a nearby attendant took the box, not in a hurry to open it.

After Gu Qin departed, another young servant rushed over, whispering urgently to the Grand Tutor. The old man’s face darkened even further, prompting the Grand Tutor’s wife to scurry away.

“What in the world is happening? This is utterly absurd!”

“To disregard propriety and the imperial authority like this is a disgrace to the royal family!”

The group of rigid officials finally found their voices, filled with righteous indignation. Just moments ago, no one dared to speak out.

It was supposed to be a happy birthday banquet, but something like this happened. However, everyone was just angry but dared not speak out. The emperor never listened to advice and allowed the traitor to run rampant. If this continues, the court would be in danger.

*

When Xia Tong woke up, the sky had darkened outside. Looking around her familiar room, she could hear sharp voices arguing nearby. It appeared that her third aunt was speaking to her mother, while Xia Min was gloating in the background.

“Sister-in-law, I’m really sorry, although the fourth girl has been wronged, do you know how much impact this incident will have on our Xiahou family? The reputation of our Xiahou family throughout the dynasties has been ruined!”

Madam Wang fanned herself with a handkerchief, her face stern as she continued, “Besides, who is the regent? If we marry him, who will dare to associate with our Xiahou family in the future?!”

“Exactly! With so many people present today, my cousin has completely lost face!” Xia Min chimed in, reveling in their misfortune.

Madam Liu, with red-rimmed eyes, remained silent, but Xia Zhian suddenly entered the room, his voice booming, “You needn’t worry. I will ensure that this matter does not tarnish the Xiahou family’s reputation.”

Upon his arrival, Madam Wang simply replied, “That’s good to hear,” before leaving the room in a huff.

After they left, Xia Tong slowly opened her eyes and sat up on the bed.

“Tong’er!” Seeing her awake, Madam Liu immediately approached and examined her closely. “Is there anywhere you feel unwell?”

She had examined her daughter today and found that her innocence was not tarnished. However, she was afraid that no one would believe her if she told others about it. Thinking of this, tears began to well up in Madam Liu’s eyes again.

Xia Tong held her mother’s hand, the corners of her dry lips curving slightly. “I’m fine, sorry for worrying you.”

Even though he knew his daughter needed to rest, Xia Zhian couldn’t help but frown and ask, “What happened today?”

Didn’t she fall into the water? Why was the regent there?

This was a long story, and Xia Tong didn’t know how to explain it. She could only slowly elaborate, “Today, I did fall into the water, but I don’t know who did it. After being rescued, I noticed something was off in the room. It seemed like someone was trying to frame me. After being drugged, I didn’t dare stay in that room, but I still fainted in the end, and after that, I have no memory of what happened.”

She had woken up once in between and suddenly heard the villain say he wanted to marry her, nearly giving her a heart attack. Until now, she still couldn’t believe he wanted to marry her; it had to be a lie!

The villain wanting a wife? That was as unlikely as a pig climbing a tree!

Hearing this, Xia Zhian just frowned and thought for a moment, his face full of solemnity. For a moment, the only sound in the room was Madam Liu’s sobbing.

After a long while, Xia Zhian finally said in a serious tone: “Father believes that the Regent is not that kind of person. There must be some misunderstanding. However, this matter indeed should not involve the Xiahou family.”

“Father means…” Xia Tong seemed to guess something.

“Only by dividing the family can we preserve the reputation of the Xiahou family over the past hundred years.” Xia Zhi’\an said, his fists clenched, unsure of how much determination it took.

Hearing this, Xia Tong was stunned for a moment, but her heart was filled with joy, she wanted to set off firecrackers to celebrate. Her second aunt had just come, and it was obvious that she brought the old lady’s intention. The villain was notorious, how could the old lady dare to let the Xiahou family have anything to do with him? Besides, she was a granddaughter whose innocence had been tarnished, and keeping her would only cause gossip. The old lady understood better than anyone how to make a choice.

“You should rest more and don’t think too much.” Xia Zhian felt very complicated. He comforted her with a few words and left with heavy steps.

Madam Liu didn’t stay long either, leaving Xia Tong alone to ponder. She knew her father would feel reluctant, as their roots were in the Xiahou family. However, she believed that if they didn’t split, they would eventually be trapped by the old lady.

Not knowing what had happened after she fainted, Xia Tong immediately called for Qing’er to ask. But when she heard the latter part, she began to doubt what the villain had done to her—why was she seen with her clothes disheveled!?

However, she believed the villain’s declaration of wanting to marry her was just a temporary measure, merely to silence any rumors. She didn’t know whether the heroine and hero had any relationship at that time.

The next day, her father discussed the split with the old lady, who naturally had no objections, and her attitude towards Xia Tong had plummeted, not showing a single kind face.

But just three days later, a large amount of betrothal gifts suddenly arrived from the regent’s residence. The gifts filled the entire hall and even overflowed into her courtyard.

Xia Tong ran to the front hall in disbelief, only to see boxes filled with treasures all over the floor. The servants were staring at them so hard that they could hardly move their feet. The old lady was sitting at the top, her face beaming as she held a box in her hands and spoke to the butler of the Regent’s residence with a smile on her face. She looked so amiable.

“Tong’er, come here!” Upon seeing her, the old lady immediately waved her over affectionately.

Madam Wang and the others were all looking at the treasures in the boxes with envy. This time the betrothal gift was more than twice as much as that from the Duke’s family, and they were all treasures. They were all priceless. They thought the Regent was just playing around, but they didn’t expect him to be so nice to that little girl and be so generous!

“Grandmother,” Xia Tong walked over stiffly, not daring to imagine that the other party would actually send a betrothal gift.

Grasping her granddaughter’s hand tightly, the old lady smiled broadly and said to the steward, “The regent is very thoughtful. We of the Xiahou family will do our utmost to cooperate with the wedding arrangements.”

Xia Tong’s face turned pale, and she felt a buzzing in her ears, nearly fainting.

Looking at this profit-seeking old lady, she thought the Xiahou family was so noble. They bribed people with the position of Minister of Rites. This is the character of a noble family.

The butler nodded in agreement and looked at the future new mistress of their residence with increasing respect, “Miss Xia, if you need anything, just let me know.”

Their eyes met, and seeing the butler’s enthusiastic demeanor, Xia Tong clutched onto Qing’er behind her, terrified she would faint at any moment.

Crazy, crazy! All crazy!

No, she had to leave here immediately. If she didn’t run away now, would she still be able to stay here for the New Year?

After taking a deep breath, she smiled stiffly and said calmly, “Thank you for your help. I don’t need anything.”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

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