bayedsolid Chapter 155 Never leave
Chapter 155 Never leave
Zisu rolled her eyes at him again: "Why do you have so many unwanted suitors? Sigh, why are you so stunningly beautiful?" Zisu had reason to believe that even the most beautiful woman in Xiliang Kingdom might not be as good-looking as him.
Prince Duan chuckled awkwardly, then reached up and touched his nose, saying helplessly, "It's not my fault that I'm good-looking." Besides, being good-looking is a good thing, so why did she say it was a flaw?
Zisu: "Tell me, if you were even slightly less attractive, I wouldn't feel this immense pressure being with you! Stay away from me, I don't want to be pelted with rotten eggs by other women. You know, there are at least a thousand, if not eight hundred, in this capital city who want to be your woman! If each of them throws a rotten egg at me, I'm sure I'll lose my life!"
"Where are you going? I'll take you there!" Prince Duan said helplessly, and quickly changed the subject.
As Zisu walked, she said, "I'm going to the Good Days Restaurant. I have an appointment with the Princess to give them a new recipe! It's only a short walk from here, I'll be there in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, no need for you to take me! I also know martial arts, and in broad daylight, apart from the bastards you've attracted, no one will dare to do anything to me!"
Prince Duan said, "Oh, just let me escort you! You said it yourself, I've attracted a lot of unwanted suitors. How can I feel at ease if I don't escort you there?" He stayed close to Zisu, never leaving her side.
Zisu had no choice but to roll her eyes at him again: "If you want to give it to me, then give it to me, but please stay away from me, preferably at least three steps away!"
Prince Duan chuckled and indeed took three steps back, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far from her. Xiangli walked behind the two, feeling a little apprehensive.
Seeing Xiangli's trembling appearance, Lixin lowered his voice and reminded her, "Don't be afraid. With the Prince here, there's nothing to be afraid of!"
Xiangli sighed inwardly: It's precisely because your lord is here, and so close to my master, that I'm worried. At three steps, even if those crazy women threw eggs at my master, they wouldn't hit him. That distance is worse than if the lord and my master were inseparable!
No! How could a young lady walk side by side with Prince Duan in the street? That's definitely not allowed. It would make people gossip about her, saying that she has no shame, walking with a man in broad daylight.
Xiangli was extremely nervous. After walking a dozen steps, she couldn't hold back any longer and ran to Zisu's side, walking on Zisu's right. This loyal little girl was mentally prepared to shield Zisu from any rotten eggs thrown at her without hesitation.
Seeing how nervous she was, Zisu quickly reassured her, "Relax a little. Your young lady hasn't done anything wrong, and she has a clear conscience. If anyone targets me, I will definitely not forgive them, so don't worry! Unless they're crazy or stupid, no one would dare to openly target me!"
Xiangli: "Girl, didn't you once say that women in love are all fools? Those infatuated women are not only fools, but also crazy. You have to be careful!"
"What? Women in love are all fools?" Prince Duan couldn't help but ask with a laugh.
Zisu: "That's right. Women in love are completely fooled by men. Aren't they idiots? Women in love experience a significant drop in intelligence, and some even have negative intelligence!"
Prince Duan asked curiously, "Negative number? That's a new term. What does it mean?"
Zisu: "Let me put it this way, zero is already very low. Anything less than zero is a negative number! In other words, that's a fool, a person without intelligence, isn't that a fool!"
"Hehe!" Prince Duan couldn't help but laugh, clapping his hands and saying, "Your analogy is very vivid! Well said, isn't that exactly it?" For example, my cousin Caihong was originally a very good woman, but unfortunately she fell into a crazy infatuation and was capable of doing all sorts of vicious and crazy things.
And then there are those infatuated women, who know perfectly well they're not good enough for him, not fit to be his wife, yet even the eldest daughter of a prestigious family openly tells him she's willing to be his concubine. How incredibly foolish, how mad, must they be to be willing to give up the status and position of a principal wife!
Zisu couldn't help but sigh: "You, you, you're a menace! Because of your existence, so many girls in this world have been bewitched by you, making many inappropriate decisions and behaving inappropriately! Fortunately, I'm not one of them, otherwise my life would be ruined!"
Prince Duan: "You're mistaken! If you love me, I will cherish you like a jewel, and I will love and treasure you dearly!"
Zisu: "I don't think so. If I had been obsessed with you from the beginning and pursued you madly, you might have ignored me! People are just like that, they don't cherish what they get easily. Take me for example, if one day you get me, maybe you won't be so good to me!"
Prince Duan: "You're wrong again. No matter what happens, my love for you will remain the same and will never change!"
As they were talking, they arrived at the Good Days Restaurant.
Jiang Shichang had been waiting at the gate for quite some time. When he saw Prince Duan, he was greatly surprised and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him: "Greetings, Your Highness, Princess! The Princess is at Zizhu Pavilion. Please come in quickly!"
Why did Prince Duan come with Zisu? This is no small matter. Does this mean Chun'er has no chance at all? Alas, besides Prince Duan, there's also Fang Heng!
Just as Zisu and Prince Duan entered the Good Days Restaurant, Fang Heng finally arrived on his steed. He watched Zisu and Prince Duan's retreating figures, his feelings incredibly complex. When did Zisu and Prince Duan become so close?
Does this mean I have no chance anymore?
No! As long as Zisu isn't engaged yet, he still has a chance! Today, no matter what, he's going to the General's Mansion to propose marriage!
Shangguan Mufeng happened to be on leave today. He was talking with his wife when Haitang came to report: "General, Lord Fang Heng has arrived, bringing many gifts!"
Shangguan Mufeng was taken aback. What was he doing here? And why was he bringing so many gifts? Could he also be here to propose marriage?
I have to say, he told the truth!
As expected, upon seeing Shangguan Mufeng, Fang Heng immediately knelt and bowed deeply, earnestly requesting, "General, I admire Princess Yulin. Please betroth her to me!"
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Mufeng felt a headache coming on.
Just a few days ago, they chased away one suitor, and things had barely calmed down when another one showed up. What should they do? Should they accept or refuse? And Zisu isn't home; what should they do?
Left with no other option, Shangguan Mufeng said, "I can't make that decision. I promised Zisu that she can decide her own marriage! Besides, she has repeatedly told me that she will absolutely not discuss marriage with anyone within a year. Furthermore, she currently harbors a great deal of resentment towards your mother. If you propose to her now, she definitely won't agree!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Heng couldn't help but feel saddened.
Shangguan Mufeng felt a little reluctant and said, "How about this? If you can wait, wait another year. After a year, even if she doesn't commit to the engagement, I will still ask her to finalize the marriage. However, the final choice is up to her. So, I can't give you any promises; you'll have to decide for yourself!"
Fang Heng couldn't help but feel saddened. He left with the gift, his steps heavy.
Fortunately, Zisu will not be discussing marriage with anyone for at least a year. That means that her relationship with Prince Duan is currently just that of friends.
That's good. It means he still has hope and isn't completely hopeless. In the coming year, he must work hard and try to do as many meaningful things as possible for the people of Zhangshu County. Perhaps then, Zisu will look at him more favorably and change her mind.
Carrying the gifts that Shangguan Mufeng had returned, he quickly left the capital and headed straight for Zhangshu County.
Today, Zhangshu County has a horse-drawn carriage service, running twice a day, once in the early morning and once at noon. Currently, it generates about two hundred taels of silver for the county government each month, covering the monthly salaries of minor officials with a considerable surplus. In the future, once the Wuliping Ecological Park is fully developed, two more bus trips will be added, and the profits could double, or even triple.
It must be said that Zisu's idea solved a major problem for Fang Heng, a problem that allowed the minor officials in the yamen to work with peace of mind and maintain basic operations. With this problem solved, Fang Heng could finally unleash his full potential and get things done.
Back home, Madam Ying angrily scolded, "Heng'er, did you not listen to me and go to the General's Mansion to propose marriage?"
Fang Heng frowned slightly: "Yes, I went to propose marriage!"
Madam Ying: "You unfilial son! I clearly told you not to go! If you disobey your mother like this again, I will go to the prefect's office to report you for disobedience!"
She was furious! She'd told him not to go, but he insisted. Wasn't he deliberately trying to antagonize her? She'd chosen several women for him to meet, but he'd completely ignored her. Ignoring her was one thing, but he even wanted to propose to the General's mansion! He clearly didn't respect his mother at all!
Fang Heng: "Disobedience? Go ahead and sue me. You'd better send me to jail for life. There's no point in living anyway!"
Originally, Zisu and he were getting along well; Zisu herself had said she was determined to marry him. However, her mother's outburst at Wuliping ruined this beautiful marriage! He hadn't even gotten angry with his mother, hadn't thrown a tantrum, yet she had gotten all worked up! A perfectly good marriage was gone just like that, leaving him feeling like he'd fallen from the clouds into the mire. He felt an indescribable pain, loneliness, and sorrow. Sometimes, alone in the desolate night, an unspeakable despair and grief would well up within him.
Upon hearing her son's words, Madam Ying was greatly surprised and felt very uneasy.
What's wrong with my son? Does he not want to live anymore? Does he feel that life has no meaning?! No, this can't be! Her son is her only support. If anything happens to him, her life will have no meaning!
Madam Ying quickly grabbed her son's arm and shook it vigorously: "Son, what's wrong with you? Don't scare your mother! If something happens to you, how can your mother live? Your sister is still young, and Yunduo and Rufeng are still young. None of us can live without you!"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
Fang Heng looked utterly exhausted: "Mother, since you know that my younger sister, Yunduo, and Rufeng are still young, why did you treat Zisu like that? Don't you know what it means for Yunduo and Rufeng if I get married and marry a woman of bad character, or if they have a wicked stepmother? And my younger sister, she'll be getting married in a few years. What will it mean for her if her sister-in-law finds her an unreliable marriage?"
Ying said, "If you get married again, you definitely can't marry an unreliable wife!"
Fang Heng: "There are very few stepmothers in this world who aren't wicked! Don't you know that?"
Ying: "I know, all the girls I've set my sights on are good!"
Fang Heng: "That's because they're still girls, not stepmothers yet! Once they become stepmothers, who knows, they might all be wicked stepmothers! The only person I trust in this world is Zisu! Zisu is an extraordinary woman, a woman who respects life. If she were Yunduo and Rufeng's stepmother, she would definitely not be a wicked stepmother!"
Ying snorted coldly: "So, in the end, all you want is to marry her! I just don't believe that after she has her own children, she can still treat Yun Duo and Ru Feng as her own!"
Fang Heng: "Given Zisu's character and personality, even if she can't treat Yunduo and Rufeng as her own children, she would never abuse or poison them. At most, she would treat them slightly worse than her own children. However, based on my understanding of Zisu and her love for Yunduo and Rufeng, she would definitely treat the children equally and as her own!"
Lady Ying: "Alright, since that's the case, I'll believe you this once! But since you went to propose, why did you bring the gifts back? I think they didn't agree, right? Of course, with Prince Duan around, where would you find a place!"
That was said in a sarcastic and insinuating way.
Upon hearing this, Fang Heng immediately became angry: "Mother, all of this is because of you! If you hadn't gone to Wuliping to cause trouble back then, Zisu and I might have been engaged long ago! It's all your fault for making such a mess of everything. It's perfectly normal that Zisu didn't agree to my proposal and General Shangguan didn't accept the gifts!"
What does all this have to do with the Prince? Don't tarnish Zisu's reputation! She's also a daughter, born of parents, their precious daughter! If someone said such things about Qiong'er, what would you do? You'd probably fight them to the death, right? Mother, do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
Madam Ying: "My Qiong'er hasn't been flirting with anyone. If anyone insults Qiong'er, I'll fight them to the death! However, Shangguan Zisu is different. She's with you on one hand and with Prince Duan on the other. I can't afford a daughter-in-law like that! Our Fang family absolutely cannot have a daughter-in-law like that! Marrying a daughter-in-law like that would be a disgrace to our Fang family..."
"Mother!" Fang Heng abruptly interrupted her, "When did Zisu become close to me? When did she become close to the Prince? She saved my life, and she and Qiong'er hit it off immediately. I went to thank her, and that's how we had the second chance to meet. I haven't even confessed to her. Do you think someone as proud as her would be so shameless and unreserved as to ask to be with me?!"
Ying curled her lip: "She hasn't even taken the initiative to be nice to you yet? If that's the case, then why was the garden arranged so meticulously when we first arrived in Zhangshu County? Humph! Wasn't it just an excuse to curry favor with you and show your goodwill!"
Fang Heng couldn't help but fly into a rage: "Mother! Are you still the kind and gentle mother I remember? How are you any different from Li Shi in this state? Speaking of the garden, this house was originally specially prepared by Zisu for her to use as a resting place when she traveled between the capital and Wuliping."
Even though we didn't live in the garden, they would still provide the bedding, pots, and pans in the kitchen! Zisu didn't interfere with anything in the house; it was all arranged by the Li family, the servants she left in Wuliping. When the garden was being prepared, Zisu was still in the capital and hadn't even been to Zhangshu County.
The Li family had only made preparations because they heard I, the magistrate of Zhangshu County, was coming, and they were bringing the entire Hou family, young and old. How did it come to you that Zisu was trying to please me, that she actively pursued me? Even if she were eighteen, let alone fourteen, with her character, looks, and status, would she have any trouble finding a husband?! Mother, you've truly disappointed me!"
The Li family member Fang Heng mentioned was one of his father's concubines.
Ying remained defiant: "But when she was in Wuliping, Prince Duan was often there too. It's said that they sometimes even ate together. Isn't that her seducing Prince Duan? What kind of decent family's daughter would be so shameless as to eat with a man?"
Fang Heng couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Mother, please watch your mouth! When Zisu ate with Prince Duan, was the Eldest Princess ever absent? Not only that, but the Eldest Princess's young princess and her cousin were also there. Xiangli and Shen Laihui were also present, and even the old clan chief of Wuliping was there with them!"
Ying said, "That's true, but shouldn't boys and girls not sit together after the age of seven?"
Fang Heng was furious: "You old fogey, I don't even want to talk to you! In short, none of those girls you've taken a liking to are to me! Yun Duo and Ru Feng are still too young, and I won't get married until they grow up!"
Thank you everyone for your monthly votes! I made it onto the list today, ranking ninth. However, I only need three votes before being overtaken by the tenth-ranked player. Please keep voting! Thank you! Today's task is 5,000 words, but I will try my best to write over 10,000. Please support me and encourage me! Mwah!