The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

Chapter 362 One life, one pair

Since discussing the Rongdi King's marriage with Xiao Aiyue, Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua could only calm down and wait for news, hoping that some kind and righteous girl would take the initiative to propose a marriage alliance with the Rongdi tribe.

Little did they know that as soon as Consort Shu announced the news of the marriage alliance, it was like a tornado, sending chaos into the backyards of every mansion.

why?

Because the ladies of the various mansions were unwilling to send their pampered young ladies to the northern grasslands, which they considered like lambs to the slaughter.

Dancing with wolves? That's just a legend!

Not only was the environment harsh, but the Rongdi tribes were all barbarians in their eyes, and the Rongdi king was the barbaricest of all barbarians!

The young lady, whom you've raised with so much care and effort, might be tortured to death just two days after getting married!

This is no exaggeration. The North has been plagued by war for many years, and even women in the inner quarters have heard about it.

One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred, you add a little imagination, he adds a little hearsay, marriage alliances with Rong and Di tribes, it sounds nice, but what's the difference between that and sending them to their deaths?

The ladies preferred to marry their daughters off to distant lands, as long as it was within the territory of Xia, and they didn't care if the family was poor, since they could afford a generous dowry.

The legitimate daughter is definitely out of the question. If His Majesty forces a marriage, the illegitimate daughters born to concubines can be used as scapegoats.

But none of the concubines and illegitimate daughters were easy to deal with. They cried and wailed in front of the master and his wives every day, and they all said the same thing: if they were to be married off to the Rongdi tribe, they would rather find a white silk ribbon and end their lives as soon as possible.

As a result, paper became scarce in Liyang City, and matchmakers became highly sought after by various mansions, receiving generous rewards. They would immediately give a reward for any match they agreed to, and double the reward if the match was successful.

Young men walking down the street suddenly realized they were being targeted by kidnappers, with countless greedy eyes staring at them from all angles.

For men who are unmarried, there are noble ladies willing to marry into lower social classes; for men who are married, there are innocent girls eager to become their concubines.

Suddenly, there were no rules or regulations governing marriages in Liyang City.

?

The General's Mansion.

Qin Chuyun's boudoir.

Wu Yulan and Qin Chuyun sat at the table. She was both the mistress of the General's Mansion and Qin Chuyun's stepmother. Qin Shao only had this one daughter.

Qin Shao is constantly fighting against the Rongdi tribes in the northern border, and Qin Chuyun has no chance of marrying into the Rongdi king, but what if he does?

Therefore, Wu Yulan, without exception, immediately sought out a matchmaker upon hearing the news and obtained firsthand information.

At this moment, she was facing a booklet on the table, turning to a page, patiently explaining to Qin Chuyun one by one the suitable marriage candidates.

"...So, I still think that the third son of Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Revenue is the best match for you. You are not one to meddle in things, so you don't need to be the mistress of the house in the future. Just manage the affairs of your own courtyard after you marry in!"

Wu Yulan's mouth was dry from talking, so she picked up her teacup, took a sip, and continued speaking.

"Liu Dachuan is only three years older than you, which is a suitable age. Moreover, he is already a squad leader in the Imperial Guard and is highly trusted by His Majesty. He is considered a member of the military, so he and our family are well-matched!"

After a long and enthusiastic discussion, Wu Yulan looked up at Qin Chuyun with great interest.

She was heartbroken over this daughter who wasn't her own, and hoped that Qin Chuyun would understand her good intentions and agree to the marriage.

If things don't settle down soon, Liu Dachuan will soon be snatched away by other women.

By then, there will be fewer and fewer unmarried women of marriageable age, and it's possible that the task of arranging a marriage alliance with the Rong and Di tribes will fall to Qin Chuyun.

That would be terrible!

If Qin Shao were to blame her, Wu Yulan knew she couldn't bear the consequences. If things went wrong, she, who had been the matriarch of the General's Mansion for many years, might have to step down sooner or later!

But Wu Yulan never expected that after all her earnest advice, what was Qin Chuyun doing?

Qin Chuyun rested his chin on his hands, staring blankly at the jujube tree outside the window.

Did you hear what I just said?!

Wu Yulan's anger flared up instantly. She reached out and poked Qin Chuyun's forehead, her voice filled with rage.

"Huh? Oh...I heard that..."

Qin Chuyun's perfunctory reply infuriated Wu Yulan even more.

"What did you hear? If you really heard it, I'll have a matchmaker come over in a bit and finalize your marriage with Liu Dachuan!"

Qin Chuyun finally gave Wu Yulan a reaction. She sat up straight, looking unwilling, and shook her head like a rattle drum.

"Young lady, I won't marry anyone!"

One sentence sealed the deal, and the conversation died.

"you!"

Wu Yulan was so furious that she wanted to faint immediately, hoping she would never see this stubborn girl again in her life.

But there was nothing he could do. Qin Chuyun was Qin Shao's darling. Qin Shao could ignore his wife, but he always smiled gently whenever he saw his daughter.

For Qin Shao's sake, Wu Yulan suppressed her anger.

"If you don't marry the person I chose for you, who do you want to marry? Do you really want to marry that Rongdi king? Didn't you hear what the ladies in the various mansions were saying? Barbarians, they have no ethics or morals. It's only natural for a brother to marry his sister-in-law when his elder brother dies..."

Qin Chuyun closed the booklet on the table and handed it to Wu Yulan.

"Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving; sometimes what you see with your eyes may not be the truth."

Qin Chuyun didn't mean to speak well of the Rongdi King; he simply didn't want to continue the topic.

"Little sister, Sister Xuan and her husband returned a couple of days ago. I want to go see them."

This interruption reminded Wu Yulan of the matter.

For the past two days, Qin Chuyun had been insisting on going to the Prince Xian's residence. She was worried that the two of them would have to go to the palace to meet the emperor again and manage the affairs of the residence. She was afraid that Qin Chuyun would cause trouble if she went there, so she had not agreed.

She must be almost done with her work by now, so it wouldn't hurt to have Qin Chuyun go over there. She's worried about the two children, so it would be a good opportunity for Qin Chuyun to visit them on her behalf.

Wu Yulan stuffed the booklet back into Qin Chuyun's hands.

"You can go, but take this list with you and have your sister Xuan and brother-in-law help you choose. See if I'm right!"

"Fine!"

Qin Chuyun had no choice but to back down and accept the booklet, but she had no intention of discussing it with her sister Xuan and brother-in-law. She threw the booklet away halfway there, deciding to end it all.

Wu Yulan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Qin Chuyun agreed without saying a word.

Xuan'er's words carried more weight than her mother's, and Xuan'er genuinely cared for Qin Chuyun and would definitely plan a good marriage for him.

Moreover, Xuan'er and the Prince Xian have just returned from the Northern Border Army, and they must know the Rongdi King better. They certainly won't let Qin Chuyun act willfully and recklessly, nor will they allow Qin Chuyun to have any possibility of marrying the Rongdi King.

Thinking of this, Wu Yulan smiled and her voice softened considerably.

"Wait a minute before going. I'll cook some of your sister Xuan's favorite pastries right now. Could you take them to her for me? Tell her I have a lot of chores to do at home today, and I'll visit her in a couple of days, or invite her to come over to visit in a couple of days."

Qin Chuyun agreed to all of them.

As long as she could leave this lifeless general's mansion and her nagging, demanding mother-in-law marry her off immediately, she would agree to any request.

It wasn't that she didn't want to get married, but that she didn't want to end up like her stepmother, whose heart and soul were completely devoted to her father, while her father remained indifferent to her stepmother.

She's grown tired of seeing this over the years. She knows her mother is suffering, and she feels sorry for her.

She didn't want to marry a man who wouldn't cherish her.

She wants to learn from her sister Xuan and her brother-in-law, to find someone she loves and who will be her lifelong partner.

She didn't recognize any of the men in the booklet.

Why would I marry?!