Chapter 334: Marriage
Editor: Atlas Studios
Qi Xiuyuan didn’t expect his younger brother to be so aggressive as to directly ask the girl for a token. He knew a little about his brother’s thoughts, but he mostly wanted them to get married when the conditions were right. Anyway, the two children were still young. They could always discuss marriage in two years’ time.
Most importantly, he, the older brother, was not even married yet, but this kid was already ahead of him.
No matter how satisfied he was with this marriage and how much he doted on his younger brother, he would not agree to let Qi Haoran get married before him. Should that happen, not only would he become a joke, but his younger brother would also be criticized.
Therefore, he could only discuss it with Mu Shi. The marriage between the two families could be decided in private first, and he could organize his younger brother’s wedding after he himself got married.
Since Qi Xiuyuan was not in a hurry, Mu Shi was even less anxious. His daughter was only 12 years old this year.
However, Mu Shi could no longer stay under Qi Haoran. After all, now that he was his future father-in-law, it would not be easy for him to carry out his work. Hence, Mu Shi was transferred to Qi Xiuyuan’s tent.
There was another important reason for calling him back. Since the two families had already decided to be in-laws, they had to clarify the Mu family’s background in Lin’an Prefecture to prevent them from being implicated in the future.
Although Mu Shi didn’t want to expose his wife’s background, he was afraid that the Shu family would cause trouble for them in Lin’an Prefecture, so he simply mentioned it.
Qi Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t care about family background, but he didn’t expect his brother to marry a granddaughter from the side branch of an aristocratic family. The Shu family was much more powerful than the Qi family. However, when he thought of Shu Wanniang’s current situation, Qi Xiuyuan’s already-poor impression of scholars worsened. “I didn’t expect them to be cold-blooded people. Scholarly people are willing to do anything for that bullsh*t pride and chastity.”
Mu Shi looked at Qi Xiuyuan in confusion. Qi Xiuyuan did not explain and only said, “Uncle Mu, don’t worry. We brothers don’t care about family backgrounds and don’t care for marriage alliances. Since Ah Ling caught Haoran’s eye, he will definitely treat her well in the future. If he dares to have an affair and abandon her, I won’t let him off.”
Everyone’s heart was biased. Although Mu Shi did not believe it, he still thanked him happily and chatted happily with Qi Xiuyuan for the entire night.
Mu Shi’s heart was filled with sadness. His daughter, whom he had painstakingly raised, was already engaged. Qi Xiuyuan was filled with bitterness. His younger brother had already found a partner, but there was still no movement on his side. It seemed like he had to put his marriage on the agenda.
Mu Shi did not ask about Father Qi’s opinion simply because he had forgotten about his existence. In his opinion, since Qi Xiuyuan had taken over the fatherly role, this matter only required Qi Xiuyuan’s consent.
As for Qi Xiuyuan, he deliberately hid it. Not to mention his brother’s marriage, even if it was his, the Qi family could forget about interfering. Didn’t his brother leave home because of the marriage arranged by the Qi family?
Hence, Qi Xiuyuan specially hid this news. Since he couldn’t find a marriage partner in Lin’an Prefecture or even in the south, he could only search nearby. That night, he found Rong Xuan and said seriously, “Didn’t you ask me to get married? Do you have a candidate?”
Rong Xuan widened his eyes and said, “You’re the one getting married, not me? Why are you asking me for a candidate?”
Seeing Qi Xiuyuan frown at him, Rong Xuan coughed lightly and said, “Why don’t I get someone to find some portraits? You can choose then.”
“Well-bred young ladies are raised in seclusion, aren’t they? Where are you going to gather the portraits?”
Rong Xuan looked at him disdainfully. “Are all the scouts you raise freeloaders? Don’t worry, these are all small matters. Oh, right, marriage can’t be done in a day or two. Why don’t I find two concubines first?”
Qi Xiuyuan blushed and couldn’t help but kick him. “What nonsense are you talking about? I want to get married quickly so that Haoran can start to discuss marriage.”
Rong Xuan jumped back lightly and dodged his foot. He raised his eyebrows. “Haoran is only 15 years old, right? He can afford to wait another three years.”
“That kid was anxious and couldn’t wait any longer. During the Winter Solstice, he hurriedly asked Ah Ling for a love token.”
Rong Xuan was speechless. “The new generation really surpasses the old. It’s no wonder you’re anxious. Seems like we’ve truly got to find a wife for you soon. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely gather all the young ladies in Xingzhou Prefecture and Hanzhong Prefecture for you. If that’s not enough, we can look in Xingyuan Prefecture, too. We’ll definitely find you a virtuous, kind, beautiful, and generous wife.”
Qi Xiuyuan rolled his eyes and returned to his desk to sit down. After a while, he said, “Find a capable one. Someone with a fierce personality will do, too. But she’s got to be gracious and presentable, and has the ability to handle all sorts of situations.”
Rong Xuan raised his eyebrows. Qi Xiuyuan’s expression was a little dark as he said, “By bypassing those in Lin’an Prefecture with regards to Haoran’s and my marriage, they’ll probably make a big fuss when they find out. Haoran is straightforward and doesn’t know how to beat around the bush. Ah Ling is also a straightforward person. If they return to Lin’an Prefecture in the future, they won’t have it easy.”
Rong Xuan understood. Qi Xiuyuan wanted to marry a capable woman who could protect the entire family.
In that case, they had to select the candidate carefully. At the very least, she had to have foresight and be sensible. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good if she got into a conflict with Mu Yangling before those in Lin’an Prefecture start making a fuss.
Not a girl who would suffer losses, Mu Yangling had a violent temper and had no problem resorting to physical altercations in the face of disagreements. Therefore, the woman had to be tolerant.
Head hurting, Rong Xuan regretted taking on this matter. This was even harder than choosing an empress.
“I’ve already transferred Mu Shi to my command. Change the defense in advance on the eighth of November and let Mu Shi stay. The rest of you, go to Hanzhong Prefecture to set up defenses.”
“Only one battalion?” Seeing that he was talking about serious matters, Rong Xuan also became serious. Frowning, he said, “Considering Xingzhou Prefecture is our main camp, it’s not good to only leave one battalion, right? It’s almost the New Year. The Jin Kingdom might not attack Hanzhong Prefecture at this time.”
Qi Xiuyuan lowered his eyes and quietly twirled the teacup in his hand. Rong Xuan was slightly surprised. Seeing Qi Xiuyuan looking at him with a faint smile, he immediately cried out, “No way? Aren’t you afraid of becoming the target of public criticism?”
Qi Xiuyuan didn’t speak, so Rong Xuan lowered his voice and advised, “The country is unstable, and there are traitors everywhere. Aren’t you going to stand out if you rush out now? Now that the Jin Kingdom is fighting with West Xia, can’t we just recuperate?”
With a smile, Qi Xiuyuan lowered his voice. “There’s something I didn’t tell you. Even Haoran doesn’t know.”
Rong Xuan looked at him, his heart beating wildly. Qi Xiuyuan smiled happily. “This is General Yuan’s suggestion.”
Rong Xuan clutched his chest and wailed, “Then the situation will only get worse. It’s not like you don’t know that the Emperor is wary of General Yuan. Yet you’re still collaborating with General Yuan…”
The smile on Qi Xiuyuan’s face faded slightly as he said, “Jinyu, don’t forget our original intention of joining the army to reclaim the country!”
“I didn’t forget.” Rong Xuan roared in a low voice, “But timing matters, too. There are rebels everywhere now and the Emperor keeps sending troops to suppress them. What will the Emperor think if you cause such a huge commotion now?”
Qi Xiuyuan became frustrated. “Then what should we do with the Imperial Court being so passive? If we rely on the decree of the Emperor, we won’t be able to recover our territory for the rest of our lives.”