Chapter 702: Chapter 214: Farewell_3
“She said she was going to the kitchen to bring so cold dishes for the young miss, but she has been gone for quite a while now, and I don’t know why she hasn’t returned yet. Miss, should I go and see?”
“It’s alright.” Jiang Li shook her head, “Perhaps sothing delayed her, I’m not really concerned, I was just asking about her.”
Jiang Li sat at the desk, idly flipping through a book in front of her, her heart inexplicably racing as if sothing was about to happen. The book before her eyes failed to capture her attention, her mind excessively troubled. She pressed a hand to her forehead, about to massage it, when suddenly, soone knocked on the door, and Tonger’s voice ca from outside.
Bai Xue opened the door, and as Tonger ca in, Bai Xue, noticing her empty hands, wondered, “Weren’t you going to bring cold dishes for the young miss? How co you have nothing?”
Tonger mumbled a few words, and seeing her like this, Jiang Li said, “Just speak plainly, we’re all family here, no need to worry.”
“No, it’s not worry about that…” Tonger hesitated for a mont, looked at Jiang Li, and after Jiang Li nodded at her, Tonger seed to gather her courage to speak her mind, “Miss, the old master is going to marry you to Young Master Yin!”
Even though Tonger spoke in a whisper, Jiang Li and Bai Xue were still startled, Bai Xue said, “What are you talking about? Why bring this up all of a sudden?”
“Tonger, did you overhear sothing? Don’t be afraid, tell , and I will think of a solution.” Jiang Li comforted her.
Her voice was gentle, and after the initial shock, she quickly regained her composure, seemingly influencing Tonger to gradually calm down too. Tonger said, “I originally planned to go to the kitchen tonight to fetch so cold dishes for the young miss. It was hot, and I wanted to take a shortcut behind the Night Wind Hall, as it is closer. But as I passed under a window there, I happened to overhear the old madam and the old master talking.”
Tonger was unlike the other maids in the household, who know their place and always follow the rules. But Tonger, having spent eight years with Jiang Li on Green City Mountain, was more free-spirited. And Jiang Li, who usually indulged her, ant Tonger often took these sorts of shortcuts.
“I heard the old master tell the old madam… General Yin has won a victory this ti, and the Emperor will surely grant rewards. During the reward ceremony, he will request the Emperor to issue an imperial edict to arrange a marriage between the miss and the Crown Prince.”
Jiang Li and Bai Xue were both taken aback. Using military achievents to secure a marriage alliance? For most other young ladies, this might be seen as an honor, showing prestige and high regard from the groom’s family. However, to Jiang Li, in the midst of the hot sumr, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head, chilling her from head to toe.
Yin Zhan really doesn’t leave any avenue of escape. If it’s an imperial marriage arranged by Emperor Hongxiao, there would be no room to maneuver. Just like how the imperious Princess Yongning, when faced with the imperial decree, had no choice but to obediently marry into the Li Family.
The Yin Household are willing to use military achievents to marry into our family; they seem determined to be our in-laws at any cost.
Tonger said, “From the old madam’s tone, she seed quite happy about it. She said that the miss marrying into the Yin Household would be fortunate, that you would have an easy life and would not have to worry about anything in the future. The only concern was whether the Yin Household will return to Yunzhong in the future. But since General Yin has contributed to the defeat of Prince Cheng, the Emperor will likely not allow him to return to the Northwest. Moreover, having beco relatives with our household, the old master and Old Master the Second will persuade the Emperor to find a way for the Yin Household to stay.”
Jiang Li couldn’t help but scoff, “The Yin Household really knows how to calculate.”
Tonger was startled by Jiang Li’s expression; her young miss had always been amiable, gentle and soft, even when angry, she did it without revealing her feelings, unlike now where she was clearly irate, her whole expression darkening, frightening to behold.
But the words still had to be continued, and Tonger went on, “The old master also said, now that the young miss has passed her sixteenth birthday, the Emperor can assign the marriage and you could complete the marriage this winter. I wanted to listen further, but then soone’s footsteps approached, so I had to flee. I intended to co back and tell you about this, but I forgot to get the cold dishes from the kitchen.”
At a ti like this, who cares about a bowl of cold dishes. Bai Xue tugged at Tonger’s sleeve, but Tonger was just staring at Jiang Li with a worried face.
Both maids could tell that Jiang Li was actually interested in Duke Su; how could the Jiang Family create such a mismatched union, pushing Jiang Li to marry Young Master Yin? After so thought, Bai Xue said, “Miss, why don’t you go to the old master and clarify things? Since you think the Yin Household is unsuitable, just state your reasons. After all, the old master is your father, and if the young miss presents a sound argunt, he will listen.”
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