Chapter 408: The Imperial Decree of Marriage

Chapter 408: The Imperial Decree of Marriage

Bai Xiaofeng spat repeatedly at the fleeing figure of Lady Wang.

Not stopping there, Bai Xiaofeng instructed the doorkeeper that no one from the Chu family was to be allowed into their home anymore, and then went to tell Wei Pozi about the incident.

Wei Pozi was shocked to hear that Lady Wang, whose own daughter was in trouble, was trying to pin the blame on Xingxing and even wanted to use this as leverage to have Liu Ge'er marry her daughter!

Regardless of anything else, just based on her character, even if Liu Ge'er himself was willing to marry her, Wei Pozi would have broken his legs!

Wei Pozi also discussed the incident during dinner, warning the whole family to be cautious and never let such people into their home.

Later, when Madam Liu came to visit Bai Xiaofeng, she shared the story as a humorous anecdote. Lady Wang had gone to her house, tearfully complaining about being driven out by Bai Xiaofeng and hinting at their long-standing friendship. Madam Liu, fearing that Lady Wang might try to impose on her second son, quickly and firmly sent her away.

When Madam Liu mentioned this to Bai Xiaofeng, she was still shaken and resolved to stay away from Lady Wang in the future.

…

The news of the engagement between General of the Western Garrison of the Yujia family and the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jiangtai spread throughout the capital, leaving many families disappointed. Although the Marquis of Jiangtai's family seemed prestigious, the capital's noble families were ranked in tiers. The General of the Western Garrison was the most sought-after young hero in the capital, so how could such a prize be claimed by a fading noble house?

Moreover, when the Marchioness of Jiangtai went out to socialize, her forced smiles when questioned suggested there was more to the story, gradually giving rise to unfavorable rumors.

When Yu Yonghuai heard these rumors, he was so enraged that he immediately took his sword and confronted the rumor-mongers at their homes, leaving no room for face. He shouted at their gates where they had heard such news.

If they couldn’t provide a clear answer, he warned them to expect no mercy from him!

This caused those who had been secretly gossiping and spreading rumors to be thoroughly humiliated.

Later, His Majesty learned of the matter and summoned Yu Yonghuai to the palace. After inquiring about his engagement with the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jiangtai, His Majesty directly issued an imperial decree, bestowing a pair of jade Ruyi scepters, officially sanctioning the union.

When the eunuch arrived to deliver the decree, the entire household of the Marquis of Jiangtai was in shock.

The Marquis of Jiangtai almost tripped when he went to the front courtyard to receive the decree.

The Marchioness of Jiangtai and Cen Yuehua were clearly distressed, with the Marchioness even accidentally dropping her beloved Junyao teacup.

In contrast, the bride-to-be, Cen Yueyi, blushed slightly but remained composed. She tidied herself up and calmly went to the front courtyard to prepare for receiving the decree.

The eunuch smiled as he finished reading the decree and gave a meaningful glance at Cen Yueyi, complimenting the Marquis of Jiangtai, "Your daughter is indeed a perfect match for the General of the Western Garrison." The Marquis was so overjoyed that he almost stumbled in his excitement while receiving the decree.

After the decree-reading procession left, the Marquis of Jiangtai was too excited to speak, not daring to even touch the imperial jade Ruyi scepters.

Cen Yuehua, filled with envy, gazed at the pair of Ruyi scepters with a hint of greed and whined to her father, "Father, since His Majesty has bestowed this pair of Ruyi scepters, and you have two daughters…"

Cen Yueyi glanced at her sister, thinking her sister was being utterly naive.

As expected, before she could even speak, the Marquis immediately protested, "No! These were bestowed by His Majesty as a dowry for your sister! This pair of Ruyi scepters will be placed at the forefront of the dowry procession when she marries!"

Cen Yuehua's eyes reddened, and she stomped her feet, writhing in frustration as she cried, "I knew it! Father only cares about sister now, not me anymore…"

In the past, the Marquis would have been heartbroken by Cen Yuehua's childish antics, but this time he coldly retorted, "Yuehua, you’re not a child anymore. You’re even trying to take imperial gifts from your sister—you truly have no sense of propriety! If you really want something, work hard and find a husband who can earn you an imperial decree of marriage!"

Cen Yuehua, who had never been treated so harshly, sobbed uncontrollably and fled.

"Yuehua!" The Marchioness wanted to chase after her but restrained herself, turning back to the Marquis, "My lord, Yuehua is simple-minded. She didn’t mean it…"

The Marquis glared, "If she didn’t mean it, then what did she mean? Today is her sister’s special day, and she pulls this stunt—what else could it be?"

Turning to Cen Yueyi, the Marquis beamed with pride, "My dear Yueyi, you’ve made us proud. Don’t worry, since His Majesty has shown you such favor, I will ensure you are not slighted when you marry."

Upon hearing this, the Marchioness of Jiangtai felt her heart skip a beat and almost lost control of her expression.

Cen Yueyi smiled slightly, curtsied to the Marquis of Jiangtai and said, "Then I shall rely on you, Father."

The Marquis of Jiangtai, beaming with pride, stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

…

Once the imperial betrothal decree was issued, no one in the capital dared to gossip openly. Instead, invitations to banquets for the Marquis of Jiangtai's household increased.

As the year-end approached, Cen Yueyi, citing her wedding preparations, declined most of the invitations, only attending those she couldn't decline.

However, even when attending banquets, Cen Yueyi remained proper, leaving no room for criticism.

Yet, despite her caution, there was one instance where she nearly fell victim to a scheme when someone spilled tea on half her skirt.

Fortunately, Cen Yueyi was vigilant and asked a few trusted friends to accompany her to change her clothes.

Later, her maid whispered that she had seen a suspicious man lurking outside. If Cen Yueyi hadn't brought her friends along, the outcome could have been disastrous!

Another time, Cen Yueyi took a bite of pastry while out and immediately sensed something was amiss, experiencing discomfort and fever. She had her friends escort her to a doctor, who after a long examination, concluded it was a stomach issue and prescribed some detoxifying medicine.

From then on, Cen Yueyi became even more cautious, hardly eating anything outside, and even when drinking tea, she would think twice about it.

Xingxing heard about this from Huai Geer and visited the Marquis of Jiangtai's residence.

She brought a box full of her own medicinal pills.

Each pill was neatly packed in small bottles, with tiny labels indicating their uses.

From detoxification to stopping bleeding, Xingxing prepared a set of commonly used medicines for Cen Yueyi.

Cen Yueyi gratefully held Xingxing's hand.

"...At the moment, I have no evidence, and it's not appropriate to confront them. With less than half a year left until the wedding, I'll just have to endure," Cen Yueyi whispered. "After the New Year, my two uncles will come to the capital to see me off, and things should get much better then."