Seeing Madam Wei's happy face, Aunt Hua couldn't help but sigh, "Madam has been depressed ever since... the incident. Now she has finally come to her senses. It's really cause for celebration."
Old Madam Wei couldn't help being lost in thought as she looked at Madam Wei's back. It took her a while to come back to her senses. When she heard Aunt Hua sigh, she smiled softly, "That's right. The eldest daughter-in-law was always unhappy in the past. She was seriously ill for a few years. I was always worried about her... Now I can see that she is so happy and busy, and I am happy in my heart."
What is even more gratifying is that all the children are growing up well.
Apart from the sad and troublesome affairs of Wei Yulong and Wei Yupo, the other children did not get into any trouble. Although they were not outstanding, they were all well-behaved people.
For old people, watching their children get married and start their own families is something worth being happy about no matter what.
Mrs. Wei paused for a moment before saying, "Although I didn't care about these children before, I am a human being. They are all my grandchildren, so how could I not want them to be well? I didn't dare to think about the future before, but now that I can see them getting better, even if I die, I have no regrets."
When people get old, they always like to say such things. Aunt Hua felt that it was ominous and hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands: "Why do you say such things, old lady? Life is getting better now. The girls and boys are all filial and sensible, and the family affairs have been resolved. You still have to live a long life to see Master Mingjing get married and have children. Although there are girls and the marquis to take care of you, they are still young after all. How can they be like you, who can take care of everything thoroughly and properly."
Old Mrs. Wei knew what she meant, smiled, and asked her to invite Wei An over.
Wei An came quickly. Zhu Yuan trusted her very much because she had saved the situation in Quanzhou before. Although she was younger, Zhu Yuan was willing to tell her his thoughts.
Therefore, Wei An had already heard from Zhu Yuan about the purpose of Madam Wei taking her to Baoquanzhai this time.
Zhu Yuan is a very considerate girl. Because her father Zhu Fang is selfish and cold, and her mother is a little cowardly, she has developed a cowardly and introverted personality. She is very sensitive and can read people's faces well.
She rarely expressed her wishes, let alone talked about the person she liked.
But this time, Zhu Yuan took the initiative to tell her about Master Lin, and said that she thought Master Lin was a nice person.
This was already an attitude, and Wei An knew it. When Old Lady Wei mentioned Master Lin from Baoquanzhai, he smiled and said, "I've heard my cousin mention it."
Old Madam Wei said, "Oh!" She was surprised that the sisters could bring up such an intimate topic, but she also felt that it was expected. She then asked her, "Since you know this, what do you think of this matter?"
Wei An thought about it seriously: "I heard from my cousin that Madam Lin is a very easy-going person. Although some mothers-in-law have to get along with each other before you can know their character, Madam Lin has three daughters-in-law, and they all get along very well, which shows that Madam Lin is at least a consistent person. I often hear you say that marriage is a union of two families. Since both families are interested..."
Mrs. Wei was very pleased. She smiled at her and said, "I feel relieved that you can analyze it clearly. As you said, I also think your cousin's matter is a good match. What about your matter?"
Wei An looked at her in surprise.
Old Madam Wei reached out to stop her: "I know about your relationship with Shen Chen. What I mean is, have you thought about it? When will you decide?"
Wei An didn't know how to answer for a moment.
As she was hesitating, Shen Chen's voice came from under the plum tree. From a distance, she could hear him responding to Mrs. Wei's question: "Madam, I am here to tell you about this."
Old Madam Wei and Wei An both looked at him.
Shen Chen quickly approached, smiled and greeted Old Madam Wei, and said, "I just received a document from the court. After the New Year, I will return to the capital."
As he spoke, he tested the temperature of the tea that Old Lady Wei and Wei An were drinking. Seeing that it was cold, he gave it to Aunt Hua and the others to add more hot water. Then he looked at Old Lady Wei and said, "When we return to the capital, I will ask His Majesty for permission to marry me."
Shen Chen has made a great contribution this time and solved the biggest worry of Emperor Longqing.
If he submitted a petition to request for marriage, Emperor Longqing would certainly approve it. After all, Emperor Longqing had promised him personally that he would let him marry Wei An once he had settled the matter with the Maritime Customs.
However, Old Madam Wei was still a little hesitant: "Although the marriage was granted by the Emperor, you were raised by the Linjiang Palace after all. The Great Zhou Dynasty values filial piety. Although you and the Linjiang Palace have fallen out on the surface, you have probably realized in recent days that everyone will still ask you to be filial. How will the relationship with the Linjiang Princess be balanced in the future?"
Old Lady Wei and Wei An already knew that Princess Linjiang had written a letter to Liu Biping and made a promise, and Shen Chen had never thought of hiding it.
Precisely because she knew this, Old Lady Wei hated Princess Linjiang even more.
No matter who they are, if they like to dwell on a dead end, it is difficult to change their minds. If Wei An marries Shen Chen, in the eyes of Princess Linjiang, Wei An will be her enemy. She already disliked Wei An because of his close relationship with Shen Chen. If Emperor Longqing's marriage is granted and this marriage really becomes a reality, who knows what kind of crazy things she will do to Wei An.
Old Mrs. Wei didn't want to see this happen.
Although she liked Shen Chen very much and approved of him as a person, she was still worried about the fact that he had such a nominal mother.
Shen Chen did not hesitate. He had thought about this question many times. When he saw Mrs. Wei asking, he told her without hiding anything: "I have asked Xuesong to go back to Jiangxi in person, and I have also sent a letter to my father, with the letter that the princess wrote to Liu Biping attached. When my father saw it, he knew what I meant. If I were alone, I could endure it. At most, I would just be more careful. In the past, I would not have told my father about this. But it's different now. I am not alone anymore, and my safety is not just about me. I have to think about the people I care about, so I have to make the princess hate me even more."
He also told Prince Linjiang in the letter about the last time Princess Linjiang contacted Mr. Xue from Prince Jin's side.
King Linjiang will make the decision.
Whether to keep his son or protect his princess, he gave the choice to his father.