Zhao Shu looked at him straight in the eyes: “If I didn’t go back to Shangjing but stayed in Mi County, would you respect my wishes and let me stay in Mi County?”

Xie Jin’s surging blood instantly cooled down: “What do you mean?”

Xie Jin pressed closer to her, staring intently at the expression on her face: “Do you regret it?”

Zhao Shu looked back at him calmly: “So what if it is, and so what if it isn’t?”

Xie Jin’s pupils suddenly dilated and he stared at her intently. Then he suddenly leaned back against the carriage.

Xie Jin closed his eyes and took two deep breaths. When he spoke again, his voice had returned to its original gentleness: “Things that have not happened are illusions. Why should I bother thinking about things that have not happened just for the sake of illusions?”

Zhao Shu looked at the calm expression and contented posture of the person opposite her, and curled the corners of her mouth in self-mockery.

Zhao Shu turned her gaze away from him calmly: “Okay, I understand.”

Xie Jin’s breathing paused for a moment, but soon became smooth again.

No one spoke after that. The carriage stopped. Zhao Shu lifted the curtain, turned her head to look at the person opposite with his eyes closed, then stepped out of the carriage.

The moment Zhao Shu got off the carriage, the man who had been closing his eyes opened them and coldly ordered outside the carriage: “Go back home!”

Zhao Shu paused on the stairs, then continued walking as if nothing had happened.

Ah Ling saw her daughter from afar and ran to greet her: “Girl, have you seen the prince?”

Zhao Shu nodded calmly: “I saw it.”

Ah Ling wanted to say something else, but when she saw the tiredness on the girl’s face, she stopped talking.

As soon as Xie Jin arrived at the mansion, he heard the servant’s anxious voice outside the courtyard.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

Xie Er quickly rebuked the ignorant servant: “Why are you in such a hurry?”

The servant reached into the room and said anxiously, “Sir, His Majesty has sent someone to announce the decree. Madam wants you to go to the main hall to listen to it!”

Xie Jin was startled for a moment, then said hello and walked out towards the main hall.

Xie Jingrong knelt in the main hall with his wife and children. The father-in-law who announced the imperial edict read out the imperial edict: “Miss Wang Yujin of the Wang family is quiet and gentle, honest and kind, and is a model for the ladies of the noble family.”

Xie Jin listened carelessly to the eunuch announcing the imperial edict conveying the emperor’s will. He did not take into account a single word of the imperial edict read out by the eunuch announcing the imperial edict. However, the two sentences that the eunuch said next gave him a shock!
“The young lady of the Wang family and the son of Duke Xian, Xie Jin, are a perfect match. I have granted them a marriage and have chosen an auspicious day for the wedding. I decree this!”

Xie Jingrong looked at his wife, then kowtowed to express his gratitude: “Thank you, Lord!”

Xie Jin came back to his senses at this moment, and then bowed without saying a word.

The eunuch who announced the decree looked at him with a smile and said, “Congratulations to Xie Bu Military School. Congratulations to Xie Bu Military School.”

The eunuch who announced the imperial edict handed the imperial edict in front of him, and Xie Jin stared at the edict motionlessly.

Xie Jingrong glanced at Xie Jin with an uncertain expression: “Jin’er!”

Xie Jin took the imperial edict. The eunuch who announced it looked at him with a smile and said, “Xie Buxiao, please prepare well. I will go back to the palace to report first.”

Zhou Huijie smiled and said to the maid beside her: “Zishu, go and see the eunuch off.”

“Yes.”

The main hall was silent for a while. After the eunuch who announced the decree walked away, Xie Jingrong spoke calmly: “Did you request this decree yourself this morning?”

Xie Jin did not respond, but stared at the imperial edict in his hand without saying a word.

When Xie Jingrong saw his expression, he immediately realized that this imperial edict was not requested by Xie Jin himself.

Zhou Huijie looked at her son worriedly. She understood what he was thinking: “Jin’er?” Xie Jingrong was not as gentle as Zhou Huijie. He said directly: “Since the imperial edict has come down, let’s get ready.”

Xie Jin placed the imperial edict on the table and left the main hall without saying a word.

Zhou Huijie wanted to chase after him anxiously, but her husband stopped her: “It’s his own business, he should solve it himself, why are you following him and joining in the fun!”

Zhou Huijie shook off his hand and looked at him unhappily: “What can he do about this matter!”

Xie Jingrong looked unpredictable: “It’s hard to say, this kid has a lot of ideas in mind.”

Wang Yujin looked at the imperial edict in his hand, unable to conceal the excitement in his eyes. Lin Yin looked at her daughter’s happy expression, her face full of tenderness and comfort.

Lin Yin looked with complicated eyes at Wang Qizhang, who was excitedly directing the servants to work even though it was still a long time before they got married.

She walked to Wang Yujin’s side. Wang Yujin noticed his mother approaching and looked at her with tears in his eyes: “Mother.” He just opened his mouth and couldn’t say any more.

They had waited for it, and the mother and daughter had finally waited for the day to be proud of themselves.

After Zhao Shu returned to the yard, she had no energy to do anything and spent the whole morning in a daze. When A Ling brought in lunch, she could no longer sit still and suddenly stood up and walked out of the yard.

Ah Ling quickly put down the tray and called out from behind her daughter, “Daughter, daughter, it’s time for lunch. Where are you going?”

Looking at her daughter’s hurried back, Ah Ling muttered, “Why is the daughter acting weird after coming back?”

After Zhao Shu came out of the Zhao Mansion, she slowly walked through the streets and alleys, and finally stopped in front of the Xie Mansion.

Zhao Shu took two deep breaths and walked towards the magnificent Xie Mansion.

Zhao Shu stood in front of the stone lions at the gate of Xie’s mansion. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she heard the servants chatting.

“Although the family background of the Wang family girl is much lower than that of our prince, with the emperor’s marriage, the Wang family girl is considered a good match for our prince.”

Another servant sighed, “Yes, the prince was engaged to Miss Wang before, but the marriage fell through for some unknown reason. Now the two families have reunited, which can be regarded as the prince’s wish coming true.”

The servant lowered his voice again and said, “But isn’t the prince interested in Miss Zhao now? Now that His Majesty has granted the prince and Miss Wang a marriage, what about Miss Zhao?”

The other servant looked at him with a look of disappointment: “Are you stupid? How could this imperial decree be granted randomly? The emperor must have asked our prince about this decree before this decree was issued. Otherwise, do you think Miss Wang’s family background is worthy of our prince?”

The servant continued, “Besides, our prince is of such high status that when the first wife comes, we can wait for a year or so. If the prince really likes the Zhao family girl, he can just bring her in.”

“That can’t be possible. What is the status of the Zhao family girl? She is the eldest daughter of Marquis Xuanping.”

“To put it nicely, she is the eldest daughter of Marquis Xuanping, but everyone in the capital doesn’t know that her status in the mansion is not as good as the maidservant beside the Marquis’s wife. Maybe when the time comes, our prince will ask to marry Miss Zhao, and the Marquis will happily send Miss Zhao in on a sedan chair!”

Just when the two were discussing Xie Jin’s future backyard additions, a shout interrupted them: “You guys can’t discuss the master’s affairs, are you itching for trouble?”

The two servants immediately fell silent and begged for mercy timidly. The man scolded them harshly but did not punish them. He raised his hand and asked them to leave.

Only after the entrance of Xie’s house became quiet again did Zhao Shu walk out from behind the stone lions.

Zhao Shu turned around and walked away with a treacherous expression and steady steps. In the glaring sunlight, her face was pale and bloodless!
(End of this chapter)