Chapter 223: How Can She Marry In This State?

Chapter 223: How Can She Marry In This State?

Noticing Cui Yongnian pause in his act of picking up food with his chopsticks, Zheng Jinyu felt a sense of amusement in her heart.

He probably didn't expect this. Madam Zheng, who usually discussed family matters over meals, had decided to change her approach today.

Go ahead and eat to your heart's content.

As a member of the Zheng family herself, she needed to be present to witness the spectacle. Otherwise, she might miss out on any cunning plans they might cook up.

She thought she had thick skin, but to her surprise, Cui Yongnian was no less resilient, for he followed her as well.

Madam Zheng: "..." So why did we have to move to the Council Chamber?

"Cui Yongnian, it's getting late. You should retire early."

Yongnian replied, "Aunt, there's no need to be formal with me. If there are difficulties, let's discuss and solve them together. If all else fails, I can write a letter back to the Cui family, asking for their assistance."

Madam Zheng was ultimately swayed by his words; seeking help from the Cui family was indeed a viable fallback option.

Zheng Jinyu glared fiercely at Cui Yongnian. Hmph, why did you have to meddle in other people's business?

Since Cui Yongnian was present, it would be unreasonable to send Zheng Jinyu away.

Madam Zheng knew that her daughter wasn't as magnanimous as she appeared; in reality, she could be petty and held grudges.

Sending her away alone might spark all sorts of thoughts in her mind.

After the family took their seats, servants carried the elderly matriarch in. Following closely behind was Zheng Jinxiu, looking timid as she entered the Council Chamber.

Behind her were Zheng Jinxiu's wet nurse and her son.

Upon entering, Zhou's wife promptly pulled her son down to kneel, weeping bitterly, "I've wronged Master and Madam, I've wronged Miss. It's all because my useless son failed to protect Miss, allowing such an incident to happen. Master, Madam, please mete out the family punishment on him, just beat him to death."

Zhou Bo already had injuries on his legs, and kneeling caused blood to seep through.

Master Zheng and Madam Zheng couldn't help but feel compassion upon seeing this.

Madam Zheng said, "Zhou's wife, quickly help your son up. People are targeting us, and they struck when the opportunity arose—it isn't his fault, is it?"

"Indeed, who doesn't know that you've always been the kindest to Jinxiu? This incident cannot be blamed on Zhou Bo; he was even injured while capturing that thief. You should take him to see a physician immediately. He's your only son, and you'll rely on him for support in your old age. It's crucial to ensure he doesn't develop any long-term health issues."

"Fetch someone to give Nurse Zhou ten taels of silver."

Through their self-inflicted suffering, the Zhou mother and son duo successfully gained the trust and sympathy of everyone present. No one suspected that Zhou Bo had anything to do with the incident.

After all, they were different from others. They didn't have indentured servitude contracts and were not slaves of the Zheng family.

Nurse Zhou was Zheng Jinxiu's wet nurse and would accompany her in the future. Zhou Bo was her son and would also follow his mother wherever she went.

Grateful for the reward, Lady Zhou expressed her thanks profusely. Supporting her son, Zhou Bo, and carrying ten taels of silver, she left to tend to his injuries.

Once they were gone, Lady Zheng surveyed the room and said, "The incident has already occurred; blaming others won't change anything now."

In truth, after hearing the sequence of events, she also found Lu Shen's involvement rather suspicious.

Moreover, when she questioned Zheng Jinxiu, her daughter recounted that the mysterious black-clad intruder had merely torn at her clothes without any other aggressive actions. This struck Lady Zheng as peculiar.

Thus, she suspected that this entire scenario might have been orchestrated by Lu Shen himself.

But they lacked evidence.

In such matters, it was the women who suffered in the end, forced to bear their grievances in silence.

"The pressing issue now is for all of us to think of a way to resolve Jinxiu's predicament," the matriarch sighed. "What else can we do? Apart from marrying her off to the Lu family, what other options are there? The marriage was already arranged with them. If you're truly worried, you should discuss with the Lus to bring forward the wedding."

"Mother, but..."

"You needn't give me any excuses. You were the one who arranged the match for Jinxiu. Now that it's set, why do you want to back out? Don't tell me you believe that marrying into the Xie family is better than the Lus, and definitely don't say that Young Master Lu is inferior to Eldest Young Master Xie.

Have you considered how outsiders would perceive a woman who changes her betrothal repeatedly? You can't simply switch because you found a seemingly better match; people will criticize you for it. Jinxiu isn't the only child in our family – there's also Jinyu. None of their brothers have even discussed marriage yet."

The elder lady's words silenced Madam Zheng and everyone else. It was indeed a matter of principle.

Zheng Jinxiu was naturally unwilling, biting her lip and feeling utterly helpless, unable to shed tears.

At this moment, she truly despised Lu Shen with all her heart.

Even if she couldn't marry into the eldest grandson's family of the Xie clan, she would rather not wed Lu Shen.

Amidst the silence, she wept, "Father, Mother, Grandmother, it must be that Lu Shen who has schemed against me. I'd rather become a nun than marry such a despicable man."

Lady Zheng promptly responded, "Jinxiu, don't talk nonsense. If you truly don't wish to marry Lu Shen, perhaps..." She glanced at Cui Yongnian, who had hurried over to witness the commotion. "Perhaps let Yongnian write a letter to my family, to see if they have any suggestions..."

"Enough," the elder matriarch scolded her. "Jinxiu has already shared an intimate bond with Young Master Lu. Who else do you want her to marry? Stop causing trouble for your own family, don't exhaust the last remnants of our familial affection."

Cui Yongnian smiled awkwardly and suggested, "If it's really not feasible, should I write a letter to my family?"

Old Lady Zheng replied, "Thank you, Young Master Cui, but there's no need. This is not a major issue; we can handle it ourselves."

She then cast a glance at the troubled Lady Zheng and said, "Prepare the dowry diligently. Today's matter ends here. Everyone, disperse."

Without waiting for others to speak, she instructed her servants to carry her back.

Lady Zheng and Master Zheng fell into a brief silence before sighing. They too dismissed everyone.

Exiting the Council Chamber, they spotted Lady Elder's sedan chair waiting halfway along the path.

The pair exchanged glances and hastened to approach.

"Mum."

"Ah." The old lady had deliberately waited for them here.

She turned to the couple and said, "I know you're both worried about Jinxiu and don't want her to marry someone like Lu Shen. I feel for her too, and I wish her all the best, but at present, there's no better solution. Although Lu Shen's actions are despicable, he is, after all, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Lu family, with an illustrious background. Jinxiu won't be at a loss by marrying him. Once they're married, the priority should be for them to have a legitimate firstborn son. No matter what, life will go on."

There was something that Madam Zheng had kept to herself, but now that the old lady mentioned the legitimate eldest grandson, she grimaced and said, "Mum, a legitimate firstborn son can't possibly come from Jinxiu's womb; Lu Shen already has a concubine-born son."

"What?"

Both Master Zheng and the old lady looked at her in shock.

Only then did Madam Zheng continue, "I've been having doubts about Lu Shen's character. To find a reason to break off the engagement with the Lus, I discreetly had someone investigate him. Little did I expect to discover that he's already taken a harem of concubines, and his concubine-born son is almost one year old, secretly being raised in a manor outside the city. Tell me, how can we possibly let Jinxiu marry such a person?"