Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

“Since this is the case, I will leave first. In the afternoon, I will be having a talk with your emperor regarding the marriage alliance. So I still need to return and negotiate with the envoy. Goodbye.”

Once Zhao Zhen finished speaking, he climbed into his carriage and very quickly disappeared into the street.

In the carriage, Mo Zi looked at Zhao Zhen confusedly.

“Master, if you have someone send over the nails, won’t she be able to guess that we were the ones who did something to her carriage?”

“I know. I did it deliberately,” Zhao Zhen said with a slight smile.

“Huh?”

“Even if she manages to guess that there’s some sort of association with me, a guess is all it is. She can’t prove anything,” Zhao Zhen said. “But if it’s like this, she’ll remember me. As long as she remembers me, we’ll be considered acquaintances the next time meet. Isn’t that so?”

“So it’s like this,” Mo Zi said in understanding.

“Let’s go. Straight to the imperial palace,” Zhao Zhen said nonchalantly.

Meanwhile, the smile on Du Xiaoli’s face had disappeared the moment she heard Zhao Zhen’s line about marriage talks.

A marriage alliance with Feng Ming… was, in other words, a diplomatic marriage!!! If Northern Yuan wasn’t sending over someone to be married, then that meant Feng Ming was sending someone over there instead!

And the only person of appropriate age for a diplomatic marriage was Han Mingxiang!!

Xia Yuan saw Du Xiaoli’s heavy expression and asked concernedly, “Mistress, was what Marquis Zhen said true? That Northern Yuan wants to form a marriage alliance with us? Then Princess Changle, she…”

“Zhao Zhen!” As Du Xiaoli said Zhao Zhen’s name, she gritted her teeth, and a blaze of anger rose up within her.

He did it intentionally! He deliberately told her about the marriage alliance… But were his intentions behind doing that?

“Mistress, Marquis Zhen just had someone bring over two nails for us, so we just need to nail them on,” the coachman said as he walked over.

Du Xiaoli glanced at the nails in the coachman’s hand, and her eyes narrowed slightly. A chill filled the air as she said to the coachman, “Go ahead and install them.”

She had Xia Yuan bring over the broken nails and examined them closely. As she expected, the nails had not broken from natural wear and tear!

“Mistress.”

Du Xiaoli clenched the nails in her hand and said, “Once we return, let’s find Father and ask him to check out the situation and confirm if there really are talks of a marriage alliance. Right now, I can’t make an opinion just based on what I heard from Zhao Zhen.”

“Will do.”

The coachman had no tools, so it took quite a long while for him to finally finish repairing the carriage. Du Xiaoli climbed into the carriage and swiftly returned to the Prime Minister’s Manor only to find that Du Yunhan was not actually at home.

She grabbed an imperial bodyguard and asked, “Where’s my father?”

“Master was just summoned to the imperial palace,” the imperial bodyguard answered.

“He’s entered the imperial palace?!” It was clearly midday right now, yet Du Yunhan had been summoned to the imperial palace. Without needing to spare a thought, Du Xiaoli knew straightaway why her father was called in.

“Mistress, don’t worry. Didn’t you say so yourself that this matter has yet to be settled and that no one can say for certain what the final outcome will be?” Xia Yuan said to comfort her.

“Mm, I know. Have someone keep watch here. Let me know immediately once Father returns,” Du Xiaoli said. “Actually, forget it. It’s better for me to just wait here.”

As such, she waited in Du Yunhan’s courtyard. However, Du Yunhan still had yet to return even after lunch nor during the rest of the afternoon. It was not until after dinnertime that he finally came home with a grave expression.

“Father.”

Upon hearing the sounds of Du Yunhan’s return, Du Xiaoli emerged from the drawing room and walked over to him.

Seeing Du Xiaoli in his courtyard, Du Yunhan asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Father, didn’t you enter the imperial palace to discuss the matter of making peace between the two countries?” Du Xiaoli asked.

Du Yunhan nodded.

“Is there a marriage alliance involved? Will we be making a marriage alliance with Northern Yuan?”

“How did you know?” Du Yunhan asked, feeling baffled.

The moment Du Xiaoli heard that, she knew the matter had already been settled. She asked, “Father, is it…”

Du Yunhan patted Du Xiaoli’s shoulder and said, “I know you’re close friends with Princess Changle, but this matter… Ai… It’s her duty and calling. So don’t let it get to you so much.”

“What about Zhao Zhen?” Du Xiaoli asked.

“He said some internal problems had occurred in Northern Yuan, so he left that very afternoon to rush back there. Due to his need to leave, he did not even negotiate for better conditions and simply agreed, leaving hurriedly around noon,” Du Yunhan said.

“He left?” Du Xiaoli said in surprise “Since he left that quickly, does that mean the marriage alliance does not need to be discussed any further?”

“He made preparations for a marriage alliance very early on and even had the two people’s birth data and wedding date all calculated

,” Du Yunhan said. “He yielded regarding another aspect in exchange for this marriage alliance.”

Du Xiaoli understood now. Zhao Zhen had deliberately refrained from mentioning the diplomatic marriage. Then he secretly obtained Han Mingxiang’s birth data and confirmed the wedding day. After that, he suddenly said today that he had urgent matters to attend to and needed to leave. So he very quickly signed the peace treaty and left in a hurry without giving Feng Meng the opportunity to renege!

Han Mingze would definitely choose to sacrifice Han Mingxiang’s happiness for their country’s best interest. This was a common problem with every monarch, even Kangxi

. Did he not marry off many of his daughters in marriage alliances?

Du Xiaoli knew that once Zhao Zhen left, there would be no room left for them to turn around the decision on this diplomatic marriage. The thing that Han Minxiang had always been worried about had still happened in the end.

Du Xiaoli suddenly felt like crying—for Han Mingxiang and for the women of the feudal society who had no assurance over their futures. However, she could not get any tears to emerge and felt her eyes were extremely dry.

“Father, the wedding… When will the wedding be?”

Upon seeing Du Xiaoli’s sorrowful appearance, Du Yunhan stroked her head with an aching heart.

“Next year, the 7th of the first month [3]. Taking into consideration the time spent traveling there, she’ll need to leave in the last third of the 11th month. Currently, it has been tentatively planned for the 21st of the 11th month. According to the divination almanac, that date is suitable for her to get married.”

References 1. — Basically an astrology thing for checking the compatibility of the parties involved and to pick an auspicious date for the wedding. Birth data consists of the year, month, day, hour, heavenly trunk, and earthly branch. 2. — Emperor Kangxi was the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history. 3. — I was going to put this as January, but I remembered the gregorian calendar obviously doesn’t apply here. The dates tend to shift as well since it follows the lunar cycle, but the start of the lunar year is generally in either January or February. MoonWhisperer, TWIP's Thoughts

Hi all! Coincidentally, I have some bad news in line with this title. Due to some issues, I have left the team and am no longer translating this novel.

However, the wonderful Skyrise will be taking over, so you'll be able to continue enjoying this novel.

Stay healthy and do what makes you happy! -TWIP

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