Chapter 28

Mrs. Yang’s sincerity was genuine, and her words were like a breath of fresh air.

Mrs. Han had met Mrs. Qiao before, and she was truly a gentle and kind-hearted person. Moreover, Mr. Qiao’s reputation spoke for itself, indicating that the Qiao family had a clean and upright reputation. Mrs. Han was already somewhat tempted.

If she could marry into such a good family, Xian’er would surely have a happy life.

With this in mind, Mrs. Han finally smiled.

“Mrs. Yang, this match is naturally excellent. However, I still need to discuss it with my husband.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Yang knew that this marriage was almost certain, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Giving in to Hejing had put immense pressure on her. She had insisted on this Han girl. Now it seemed she hadn’t disappointed her.

“Of course. If Miss Han and Mr. Han agree, please give me a definite answer as soon as possible. They are waiting for my message.”

Mrs. Han immediately agreed.

After seeing off Mrs. Yang, Mrs. Han went to find Han Yaxian.

Seeing her daughter with red eyes, Mrs. Han couldn’t help but be startled, quickly embracing her with concern.

“What’s wrong, Xian’er?”

Xian’er lifted her head nervously, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Finally, gathering her courage, she asked,

“Mother, Mrs. Yang…?”

Mrs. Han patted Xian’er’s shoulder, a hint of joy appearing in her eyes.

“Xian’er, Mrs. Yang was here as a matchmaker. It’s the eldest son of the Qiao family she mentioned!”

Xian’er’s heart trembled sharply at these words, and the handsome face once again surfaced in her mind, clearer and more accessible than ever before.

She couldn’t help but lean on Mrs. Han’s shoulder, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Mrs. Han was startled. Xian’er had always been sensible and rarely shed tears in front of her mother.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Han hurriedly asked, “Xian’er, why are you crying? If you don’t want to, I’ll refuse for you!”

Xian’er shook her head gently, her voice choked with tears of joy as she said, “Mother, I want to. I really want to.”

—

On the other side, after the morning court session, Qiao Zhongguo met with his colleague, Han Mingzhe, for the first time.

At this moment, Han Mingzhe and Qiao Zhongguo were sitting in a private room of a teahouse, and Han Mingzhe looked surprised.

“Mr. Qiao, may I ask why you’ve summoned me?”

Qiao Zhongguo poured a cup of wine for Han Mingzhe and got straight to the point.

“Old Han, I want us to be in-laws!”

Han Mingzhe: ?

—

After returning home, Qiao Zhongguo hummed a tune.

Mrs. Qiao hadn’t received a definite answer from Mrs. Han yet, but seeing her husband’s triumphant look, she couldn’t help but feel a little happy.

“Husband, is it settled?”

Qiao Zhongguo raised his eyebrows triumphantly. “I personally took care of it. How could it not be settled?”

Qiao Jiaojiao was beside him.

【Ahem, is my dad going to beat Mr. Han first, then force him to sell his daughter?】

Qiao Zhongguo: ?

Mrs. Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle at the remark.

Qiao Zhongguo had just dissipated his drunkenness outside before returning home. Now, he picked up Qiao Jiaojiao and gently flicked her little nose.

“Anyone who wants to marry our Jiaojiao won’t be allowed! Unless he can beat me!”

When Qiao Zhongguo was happy, he would often refer to himself as “Laozi.” It was a habit he picked up from the military camp, and he had toned it down a lot over the years.

Qiao Jiaojiao chuckled at his words.

【Dad must be overthinking. I’m not marrying! I want to be my daddy’s girl and mommy’s girl for life!】

Qiao Zhongguo’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction upon hearing this!

That’s right, no one is worthy of their Jiaojiao!

However, when Qiao Zhongguo heard the second half of Jiaojiao’s sentence, he couldn’t smile anymore.

【By then, I’ll have five, six, seven, eight handsome men, letting them peel grapes for me, fan me, sing songs, and massage my legs!】

Mrs. Qiao’s eyes had a hint of bitterness. She really didn’t know what Jiaojiao was thinking. Sometimes she would encourage the queen to keep male concubines, and other times she would want handsome men for herself.

Oh no, if she couldn’t argue with her daughter, it would be all over…

Qiao Zhongguo: …

My daughter… she’s really ambitious!

The next day, Mrs. Yang happily came to visit, and Mrs. Qiao personally greeted her at the door.

Mrs. Yang’s maiden family name was Chen, and Mrs. Qiao warmly welcomed her, calling out affectionately, “Sister Chen, I’ve been looking forward to your arrival!”

Seeing this, Mrs. Yang smiled knowingly. “He Jing, you’re just like when you were a little girl.”

Mrs. Qiao scolded her gently, “Sister Chen, don’t tease me. Hurry up and tell me, how did it go?”

Mrs. Yang raised her head proudly. “If I hadn’t succeeded, I wouldn’t have had the face to come to your Qiao Mansion today!”

Mrs. Qiao clapped her hands suddenly, her face full of smiles.

“Excellent! Sister, come in and have a cup of tea! You are the great matchmaker for our eldest son!”

Mrs. Yang stepped lightly and followed Mrs. Qiao inside.

“Tea or no tea, it doesn’t matter. Let me hold your Jiaojiao first. I’ve missed her so much these past few days!”

After conveying the news to the Han family, both families were very satisfied with this marriage proposal, so they were ready to officially begin the process.

In wealthy families, there were many customs to follow when it came to marriage, from betrothal gifts to wedding dates.

Since Mrs. Yang had taken on the role of matchmaker, she had to help the Qiao family through this process.

The next day, she brought the lavish gifts prepared by the Qiao family and went to the Han family again.

The Han family was in high spirits. After accepting the gifts, they presented the betrothal gifts with the birth details of Han Yaxian.

Mrs. Yang smiled even more broadly. She thought to herself that when she got back, she would have to tell her husband. The Han family had indeed secured a remarkable marriage, so next time, he shouldn’t be so rude to Mr. Han and scold him.

The news of the marriage between the Qiao and Han families spread throughout the capital almost overnight.

Upon hearing this news, almost everyone was shocked. After all, the Han family’s background was vastly different from that of the Qiao family.

They couldn’t help but wonder, what did the Qiao family see in the Han family?

That afternoon, the Han family received an unprecedented number of “friends.”

Mrs. Han was not good at socializing, and seeing this, she became anxious and lost her sense of propriety.

Seeing this situation, Han Yaxian said to Mrs. Han, “Mother, from today onwards, let’s just shut the door to guests at our Han Mansion.”

Mrs. Han hesitated at this suggestion. “Wouldn’t it offend people if we shut them out like this?”

Han Yaxian took Mrs. Han’s hand and said gently, “Mother, why do you think they’re coming? They’re not coming to befriend our Han family, they’re coming to curry favor with the Qiao family.”

“Dad has a bad reputation in the capital, and everyone always avoids our Han Mansion. Mr. Qiao is regarded as a national hero by the public, and even his actions in court are highly regarded.”

“The Qiao family chose our Han Mansion as their in-laws, and since we’ve agreed to this marriage, we can’t hold back others. Otherwise, if so many people come to us in the name of the Han family, how do you think the Qiao family will handle it?”

Han Yaxian’s expression was calm. At this moment, she showed no signs of shyness, only a deep sense of righteousness.

“Mother, I can see that Mr. Qiao wants to be a loyal, first, and lonely minister. Isn’t that also Dad’s ambition?”

“From now on, just consider our Han family as having gained another marriage, and nothing else.”

“Good!”

As soon as Han Yaxian finished speaking, a hearty applause sounded.

Mrs. Han turned her head and saw Han Mingzhe walking briskly from outside, his face full of relief.