Chapter 61: Sending Zheng Jinxiu Away

Chapter 61: Sending Zheng Jinxiu Away

Unexpectedly, Xie Peiyu replied, "No, they won't object. I understand the rules of your noble families. Once a marriage is arranged, it would never be broken off easily."

Zheng Jinyu smiled faintly. "But now circumstances have changed. They will know how to weigh the pros and cons."

Xie Peiyu approached her, stopping three bamboo lengths away. "And what about you? Don't you know how to weigh the pros and cons?"

Zheng Jinyu slightly furrowed her brow.

He continued, "Are you planning to spend your whole life trapped in the capital, marrying someone they choose for you, a suitable match from a similar background? The world is vast—don't you want to explore it?"

Zheng Jinyu had never considered Prince Chen in her plans. Yet, his words seemed to have a hypnotic effect, drawing her in deeply.

Should she stay in the capital and accept a marriage arranged by Madam Zheng?

Marry at fifteen, then devote herself to her husband, raise children, serve her in-laws, manage relationships with her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, concubines, and educate a group of stepchildren and stepsisters...

While her focus was on outmaneuvering Zheng Jinxiu, she had not given any thought to these inevitable future challenges.

Zheng Jinyu drew in a deep breath, striving to maintain her composure.

She had to admit that her heart was wavering.

Should she stay and continue the rivalry with Zheng Jinxiu, fighting for her dignity? Or should she leave this place and seek a new life? Perhaps she could hasten her plans, disable Zheng Jinxiu before next year, and then depart from this place, leaving all behind.

From then on, it would be a world away from imperial power.

It sounded like a good plan, but if she left her family's protection, would she simply fall into another trap? The Long Princess was not someone to trifle with, and so far, Xie Peiyu didn't seem like an ideal partner either.

He seemed to defer to his mother in matters of marriage. Having lost his father even before he was born, he grew up in a single-parent household. Would he be overly dependent on his mother, a so-called "mama's boy"? It was said that boys brought up solely by their mothers tended to lack independence and could be difficult to deal with.

Zheng Jinyu mulled over all possibilities in her mind before addressing Xie Peiyu, "I need to ponder over this matter. For now, please send me back home."

Xie Peiyu looked at her in surprise.

He thought to himself that she indeed had her own opinions, how could an ordinary young lady from a noble family in the capital speak like that?

Ponder over it? Could a woman decide on her own when it came to marriage?

"Alright, follow me," he agreed inexplicably.

Mrs. Zheng accompanied Zheng Jinyu back home, both of them silent and worried throughout the journey.

Upon their return to the Zheng residence, Mrs. Zheng gave a few brief instructions to the servants, asking them to escort Zheng Jinyu back to her courtyard.

After careful consideration, she discussed her plan with Old Master Zheng.

"It's confirmed now. The princess is seeking Jinyu, not Jinxiu. Prince Chen doesn't have any romantic feelings towards Jinxiu. In the past, he only treated her as a sister due to his affection for Yan'er. Now that they've discovered the children were switched at birth, he shares the same sentiment as the Imperial Princess – they would rather annul the engagement than marry Jinxiu."

Old Master Zheng was about to speak when she interrupted him.

"I've thought of a way to keep Jinxiu out of this trouble. Today, she didn't accompany the princess because she pretended to be ill. Let's keep up the pretense."

Old Master Zheng asked, "You mean to have her feign illness, and then propose a marriage switch from our side?"

"Exactly. Mother is planning to return to our hometown in Xingyang soon, right? Let Jinxiu go with her. Later, we can write a letter to Big Brother and Sister-in-law, asking them to take care of Jinxiu."

Old Master Zheng frowned. "You want to send Jinxiu away? She's been raised by you. Can you really bear to part with her?"

Madam Zheng replied, "This is only temporary. Three years, at most. If there's no suitable match for her in Xingyang, we'll bring her back and find a good family for her in the capital."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Zheng's brows knitted even tighter. "It's a good plan, but to Jinxiu, it would seem as if we're abandoning her."

Madam Zheng wiped away her tears. "I have no other choice. I know both children are innocent, but at this point, this is the best we can do."

"Sigh! Alright, let's discuss this with Mother."

The elder lady had long distanced herself from worldly affairs and usually spent her time worshipping Buddha in her own courtyard. Only on occasions like Buddhist ceremonies or when ladies of similar age invited her out would she venture outside.

Actually, she was well-informed about the family matters; she didn't need to step out as there were others who did it for her.

"You two came together because of Jinxiu, right?"

"Mother, you already know?"

"I've heard some rumors, mentioned by Xu'er."

So it was Little San who spilled the beans.

"Mother, the princess' residence is requesting for Jinyu. For Jinxiu's sake, we plan to send her to Xingyang for a few years. What do you think?"

Madam Zheng shared her plan with the Elder Madam, who nodded gently upon hearing it.

"Well then, sigh! It's a tragedy that things have come to this. I'll set off for our hometown in Xingyang in a few days and take Jinxiu along with me."

Madam Zheng expressed her gratitude repeatedly and continued, "Please rest assured, Mother. In no more than three years, I will bring her back."

"Let's see. Later on, I'll ask your eldest sister-in-law to look into a suitable marriage for her, preferably far from the capital. If that doesn't work out... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Lady Zheng and Old Master Zheng exchanged glances.

To send Zheng Jinxiu away in marriage to a distant land, truth be told, they were truly reluctant to part with her.

Yet, the matriarch did have a point. In truth, the best solution would be to take her back to their ancestral home in Xingyang and form alliances through marriage with the other prominent families.

Her maiden family, the Cui clan, and her elder sister-in-law's family, the Li clan, are both esteemed and respectable households.

After discussing with the elder madam, they went to Jinxiu Pavilion to persuade Zheng Jinxiu to take on the task.

Upon hearing their plan to send her away, Zheng Jinxiu promptly knelt on the ground, weeping in plea.

"Father, Mother, please don't send me away. I beg of you, don't send me away. I won't compete with Younger Sister Jinyu; I'll yield to her in everything. As long as you don't make me leave, I'm willing to do anything. I don't want to be apart from you; I've lived here for fourteen years. I'll die if I leave you. Please, don't abandon me..."

Zheng Jinxiu's cries were heart-wrenching, each sob filled with tears.

Madam Zheng was deeply saddened and embraced her, weeping as well. "Jinxiu, Father and Mother aren't abandoning you. This arrangement is for your own good."

Old Master Zheng also tried to console her. "That's right, we're not abandoning you. We're doing this to protect you from some unpleasant matters."

"But I don't want to leave you both."

"Foolish child, what are you saying? You'll have to leave your parents sooner or later."

"Your mother is right. You'll be fifteen at the next new year, already a young lady. Even if you don't go now, you'll have to marry next year and leave us anyway."

"But... why send me so far away? If I were to marry, I'd choose someone in the capital, so I could stay close to you both and visit often. You've raised Jinxiu into adulthood, and I have no way to repay you except by being filial as often as possible."

"Good child, Mother knows you're filial. There's no rush to fulfill that duty. Trust in your mother's advice, leave the capital for a while, and return in two or three years."