Chapter 69: Chief Grand Secretary Ning Forces Marriage

Chapter 69: Chief Grand Secretary Ning Forces a Marriage

"I've just arrived at the border and am unaware of any interactions between our General Hou and Garrison Commander Xia. However, Mrs. Xia's sudden visit is rather rude."

Whether it was General Hou and Lin Ji, or the Hou mother-daughter pair, they all shared a deep closeness with Chen Yuhu, which couldn't be compared to this situation.

Their intimacy was evident.

Even they waited until the afternoon of the second day after learning of Chen Yuhu's arrival to visit.

This was to give General Hou and his mother time to reunite and talk.

Mrs. Xia hadn't expected Chen Yuhu to start by reprimanding her. Aren't people from the capital supposed to be more reserved?

Mrs. Xia forced an awkward smile. She had come to confront her, but now she found herself at a disadvantage.

She bowed to Chen Yuhu. "It was my fault for not sending a formal visiting card in advance. I was impolite."

Chen Yuhu walked over to the chair opposite them and sat down, not accepting the bow.

Instead, she smiled and said, "Mrs. Xia, you're taking this too seriously. Miss Xia has been helping at my residence for quite some time now; we're practically familiar with each other. There's no need for such formality."

Mrs. Xia was left in an awkward position, her bow half-completed, unsure whether to continue or straighten up.

Xia Xinyan, meanwhile, had watched the hem of Chen Yuhu's dress as she moved.

Hou Yizheng noticed and asked with a smile, "Auntie, is your dress made from this year's new imperial satin?"

"Indeed, Yizheng, you have a keen eye."

"So it's from the palace, no wonder it's so exquisite. Did your General Hou receive another imperial reward?"

Madam Hou asked jokingly.

Chen Yuhu smiled. It was true that Lin Ji often received imperial rewards, but this fabric was not one of them.

"The Emperor has indeed been generous with his rewards, but this fabric wasn't from the palace. Have you forgotten what my sister-in-law's family does?"

Madam Hou suddenly remembered. "Ah, that's right, your sister-in-law is the daughter of the Imperial Weaving Office."

Although the position of weaver wasn't high-ranking, it was an imperial envoy position, reserved only for those in the Emperor's favor.

Madam Hou sighed in admiration at the Chen matriarch's sharp judgment.

Apart from Chen Yuhu's marriage, which was rather reluctantly arranged, none of the other sons-in-law or daughters-in-law were ordinary.

Lin Ji's only advantage was being in the Emperor's favor.

No wonder she had refused to marry her daughter to him back then.

Mrs. Xia stood off to the side, listening uncomfortably to their conversation.

Finally, when their topic ended, Mrs. Xia seized the opportunity to say, "Madam Chen, you know why I'm here. I'll be straightforward."

"My daughter has been at your residence for a long time. She is fond of your son. Why don't our two families arrange a marriage?"

Chen Yuhu felt this was inappropriate.

She set down her teacup and forced a smile. "I'm not familiar with the border customs, but aren't marriage proposals handled differently?"

She hadn't even mentioned the other party's daughter lacking propriety, yet the other side came directly to press the marriage issue.

Mrs. Hou spoke up to explain, "There was once a famous matchmaking anecdote—you must have heard of it, State Lady Chen."

Chen Yuhu nodded, though she had never heard of it.

"After that, many people began to imitate it, resulting in several good matches. Nowadays, many young men and women are always eager to try it."

Chen Yuhu understood—there really was such a custom in the borderlands.

It was abrupt, but there were precedents.

Precedents might be fine for them, but Chen Yuhu was going back to the capital!

If Qing Tong was interested himself, that would be a different story.

If the girl’s manners and etiquette were lacking, she could be taught, as long as her character was upright and her heart was truly set on Qing Tong—Chen Yuhu could make allowances.

But she feared that wasn’t the case.

When choosing a daughter-in-law, Chen Yuhu had to be cautious—it was a matter of her happiness in her old age.

Chen Yuhu smiled slightly, composed herself, and said to Mrs. Xia, "I've only recently arrived in the borderlands and don't know the local customs here. My family has lived in the capital for generations, and my mother has always been a stickler for the rules."

She was clarifying her background, also giving the other party a hint.

"According to the capital’s customs, there are many rules when it comes to arrangements between young men and women!"

"Moreover, my family doesn’t have many children, and each one is cherished by both me and the Marquis’s household."

"I won’t hide it from you, madam—when my family chooses a daughter-in-law, we are, of course, extremely particular."

"Character, ability, appearance, family background… there's a great deal to scrutinize!"

"Although Qing Tong is not the eldest son, he is the only one in our family who is trained in martial arts. He is expected to inherit his father’s legacy, and his father has high hopes and specific plans laid out for him."

"In matters concerning him, I have little say, especially when it comes to major events like marriage."

There was another important point she didn’t mention—political alignment.

Mrs. Xia’s surname was Xia. If Chen Yuhu remembered correctly, the Chief Grand Secretary’s wife was also surnamed Xia.

No wonder this mother and daughter acted so boldly.

They could afford to be unrestrained, but Chen Yuhu could not.

Chief Grand Secretary Ning was a close confidant of the Emperor and served as the imperial tutor.

Lin Ji, however, was a pure loyalist—their affairs couldn't be entangled, lest the Lin family be dragged into it.

Chen Yuhu, clear-eyed and sharp-minded, quickly thought it through and immediately decided she must refuse—and make sure everyone knew she had refused.

Ambiguity would not do.

Chen Yuhu and Mrs. Hou exchanged a glance, each with complex emotions in their eyes.

Chen Yuhu immediately stood up. "So, I must ask Mrs. Xia not to bring this up again."

Though Chen Yuhu spoke politely, Mrs. Xia took it as a deep insult. She stood up and said, "If you look down on my Xia family’s daughter, just say it outright. But my daughter has stayed in your residence for so long—her reputation is ruined."

"Since Madam Chen refuses to discuss this with me, I suppose my mother will have to come and speak with you personally!"

Mrs. Xia delivered these words with an overbearing tone, leaving Chen Yuhu completely baffled.

She was cursing inwardly—what nonsense was this? What could Old Madam Xia possibly do?

Well, being the mother-in-law of the Chief Grand Secretary was indeed somewhat impressive...

But that didn’t justify strong-arming someone into a deal!

Mrs. Xia stormed off in a huff, her sleeves flapping angrily, taking along a flushed and somewhat heartbroken Miss Xia.

Chen Yuhu was truly at her wit's end. No wonder her son had said this matter was tricky and had specifically warned her about the bold customs of the border regions!

If she hadn’t come, would they have forced the horse to drink? Would they have presented a fait accompli, relying on Chief Grand Secretary Ning’s influence to drag her family into this against their will?

This is just... bullshit.

Chen Yuhu began trembling again, this time out of sheer anger—even more infuriated than she'd been with Cheng Shi.

Hou Yizheng immediately stepped forward to support Chen Yuhu. "Don't be upset, Aunt. There must be a way to resolve this. At least you’re here now—they wouldn’t dare act recklessly."

"Originally, Brother Tong had already made himself scarce, following my father every day, so the Xia family couldn't get to him. But who could have predicted he’d get injured accidentally? He just happened to uncover a traitor in the military camp."

"His injuries were severe, so he had to return to the estate to recuperate. The conditions in the camp were too rough, and my father didn’t dare take any chances. But no sooner had Brother Tong returned than Miss Xia showed up at the estate."

"Even my mother didn’t anticipate it; otherwise, the Xia family wouldn't have pulled it off so easily."

With Hou Yizheng’s support, Chen Yuhu finally regained her composure.

She patted Hou Yizheng’s hand reassuringly. "I know you’re a good child, and your father scolds your mother only because he’s worried about Qing Tong."

"But no one can guard against a family that has no shame. From their actions today, I can already see what they’re capable of."

If this matter wasn’t resolved completely, Chen Yuhu wouldn’t be able to return to the capital.

Hou Yizheng exchanged a glance with her mother, both recognizing that her aunt was sensible and reasonable. If not for her parents keeping a close watch, the Xia family would have already succeeded.

Chen Yuhu trembled with rage as she sat down and picked up her teacup, growing angrier the more she thought about it.

Since when had the Lin family become pushovers? It seemed everyone wanted to take a pinch or a bite out of them.

It was truly infuriating.