Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 445 Engagement

At that moment, Shen Yizhi hurried over with steady steps, his tall figure as straight as a pine tree in the mountains. Madam Shen followed closely behind him, dressed in a simple and elegant dress, her steps light and graceful, like a lily in the wind.

However, although they were eager to know what had happened, the couple decided not to let Shen Zhenzhu and Shen An come to the front hall to avoid causing trouble before the situation was clear.

The two of them hurried along, and soon arrived at the main hall door. After stopping, they simultaneously adjusted their clothes, raised their hands to fix their hair, and carefully examined their faces in the bronze mirror, ensuring that their posture was dignified and appropriate before slowly stepping into the main hall.

As soon as they entered the main hall, Shen Yizhi and Madam Shen's attention was immediately drawn to Dugu Xin, who was seated at the main seat, and Dugu Moyan, who stood beside him. Dugu Xin was smiling, imposing without anger; Dugu Moyan was handsome and elegant.

Seeing the Dugu father and son, Shen Yizhi and Madam Shen did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. They hurriedly bowed and saluted, saying in unison: "Your humble servants (your servants) pay their respects to the King of Yunnan and the Crown Prince." Their words were full of respect.

Dugu Xin laughed when he saw this and quickly waved his hand and said, "Sir and Madam Shen, please don't be polite and take a seat!" After that, he personally extended his hand and made a gesture of invitation.

After Shen Yizhi and Madam Shen sat down as instructed, Dugu Moyan suddenly stood up and bowed to them again.

Shen Yizhi saw that the situation was not good and quickly spoke out to stop him: "Your Highness, you must not do this!"

But Dugu Moyan only smiled slightly and said calmly: "Although I am a noble prince, in terms of seniority, you and your wife are both older than me. It is only natural for the younger generation to pay respect to the elders. I hope you will not refuse."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yizhi turned and exchanged a glance with Madam Shen. Meanwhile, Dugu Xin, eager to help his eldest son marry his ideal partner, chimed in with a smile, "Indeed, Master and Madam Shen are both my elders. Accepting this courtesy is entirely my due."

There was no other way, Shen Yizhi and Madam Shen could only accept the gift, and they naturally understood what it meant that Dugu Moyan was willing to lower his status and give them the courtesy of a junior.

It seems that Dugu Moyan really likes their daughter and is willing to lower his status for her. However, they did not bring up this matter on their own initiative. Let's see what Dugu Xin and the others are up to first.

Shen Yizhi asked directly, "I wonder why His Highness and the Crown Prince have come here?"

Dugu Xin was also a straightforward person. He said, "It's like this. I wonder if Lord Shen knows that my son is in love with your daughter, Shen Zhenzhu?"

Shen Yizhi was stunned when he heard this. He knew it of course, but he didn't expect Dugu Xin to ask directly. What's more, he hoped that his daughter could be closer to his home.

So he hesitated and said, "This..."

On the other side, in Shen Zhenzhu's courtyard, Su Ci rushed into the bedroom in a hurry. Shen Zhenzhu saw her like this, thinking that something must be urgent, so she asked, "Su Ci, what's wrong? Why are you so flustered?"

Su Ci calmed down and said, "Miss, the King of Yunnan and his son are here!"

Hong Rui seemed to have caught the scent of gossip, so she asked, "Could it be that the prince and the prince are here to propose marriage?"

Shen Zhenzhu was so annoyed by the two of them talking back and forth that her face turned red. She said, "Hongrui, stop talking nonsense!"

Hong Rui smiled evilly and said, "Miss, don't you know whether this servant is talking nonsense or not?"

Shen Zhenzhu hadn't expected Dugu Moyan to bring Dugu Xin along. Could he really be here to propose marriage? It couldn't be this soon, could it? She had just promised Dugu Jingyao yesterday that she would give Dugu Moyan a chance, and so soon...

Shen Zhenzhu thought for a moment and then said, "Why don't you go and find out what they are talking about in the front hall?"

Seeing Shen Zhenzhu's worried look, Hongrui and Suci readily agreed, and then the two of them left the yard and moved towards the main hall.

When they arrived, they heard about the conversation that had just taken place. In order to know the follow-up, Su Ci spent some money and found a way to have her stand guard at the door of the main hall so that she could hear what they were saying.

When she reached the door, she heard Dugu Xin trying to persuade Shen Yizhi and his wife. He said, "As you know, I only have this one son, and he's obsessed with marrying Zhenzhu. And I think Zhenzhu is a wonderful girl, hard to find even with a lantern, so I don't want to miss out."

Dugu Moyan also stood up and saluted, saying, "Uncle Shen, Aunt Shen, I am serious. I really like Miss Shen. If I can really marry Miss Shen, I will treat her like a jewel and treasure, and I will never take a concubine in this life."

Seeing that Shen Yizhi and Madam Shen were still hesitant, Dugu Moyan thought to himself that it was a good thing he came prepared. He took out a piece of paper and said, "Uncle Shen, Aunt Shen, this is my sincerity. I will never take a concubine in my lifetime. If Miss Shen is willing, I will sign this contract with her. It can be regarded as a guarantee for her. What do you think?"

Shen Yizhi was very happy that someone praised his daughter so much and was willing to be so happy for his daughter. Although his expression was relatively calm, he was indeed very happy in his heart.

He pondered for a moment, and seeing that he was still hesitant, Dugu Xin said, "Although marrying an ordinary person is good, ordinary families may not necessarily avoid taking concubines throughout their lives. Besides, I heard that the Second Prince is almost of marriageable age and will probably be preparing to choose a concubine. It's better for her to marry into our palace than into the royal family, right? Moreover, with Yao'er's status, marrying into the royal family is bound to be humiliating. Fortunately, Prince Guangping is on Yao'er's side, otherwise she would have suffered a lot of grievances when we returned to Yunnan! Do you want Zhenzhu to live like this?"

Hearing this, Shen Yizhi finally gave in: "That's right, Your Majesty, our family doesn't have the final say. We should ask my daughter's opinion on this matter. What do you think?"

Dugu Xin was eager for Shen Zhenzhu to come out. After all, he knew that the two of them were in love with each other, not just unrequited love, so he said, "That would be great. If Zhenzhu agrees, it wouldn't be forced, and it would also make this a good marriage."

Shen Yizhi said to the people around him: "Go, call the young lady over."

The man agreed and left. When Su Ci heard that he was going to look for Shen Zhenzhu, she took a shortcut back to report the news.

Without even catching her breath, she spoke haltingly, "Miss...Miss, Hongrui really guessed it right. The King of Yunnan and...the Crown Prince really are here to ask for my hand in marriage!"

When Shen Zhenzhu heard this, a layer of red mist rose on her face again. Before Su Ci could continue speaking, someone came to report that Shen Zhenzhu was invited to go to the main hall.

Su Ci whispered a few words to Shen Zhenzhu, and Shen Zhenzhu's ears turned red. She said, "Ahem, I know. I'll go right away."

Then she quickly tidied up her appearance and took Su Ci and Hong Rui to the main hall.

Entering the main hall, Shen Zhenzhu saluted politely and said, "Your servant pays respects to the prince, the prince, and to my father and mother."

Dugu Xin quickly said, "No need to be polite, sit down!"

After Shen Zhenzhu sat down, she looked at Dugu Xin with a smile and said, "My Lord, are you healed?"

Dugu Xin's smile deepened as he said, "Hey, Zhenzhu, why are you calling me Prince? It seems strange. Just call me Uncle. I'm used to it. Don't worry, I'm fine now."

Shen Zhenzhu nodded slightly, then turned to ask Shen Yizhi, "I wonder why Daddy is looking for his daughter?"

Shen Yizhi hesitated for a moment, but Dugu Xin went straight to the point. He asked, "Zhenzhu, are you attracted to Mo Yan?"

The whole room was shocked when these words came out. After all, no one expected Dugu Xin to ask directly...

Although Shen Zhenzhu didn't say anything, her face was as red as a ripe apple. Couldn't anyone understand?

Shen Yizhi and Mrs. Shen couldn't help but secretly sigh that their daughter had really grown up!

Dugu Xin thought to himself: See, I told you they were in love with each other, right?

Dugu Moyan thought: He is really my biological father, so awesome!

Shen Zhenzhu blushed and uttered a few words: "I...I do like the prince."

Dugu Xin couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha, Brother Shen, I said that the two of them are in love with each other, right?"

Shen Yizhi still didn't give up. After all, he was happy, but his daughter would definitely not want to marry so far away, so he said, "But Zhenzhu, if you marry the prince, you will be far away from our parents. Don't you miss us?"

Shen Zhenzhu was about to say something when Dugu Moyan spoke first: "Uncle, Aunt, if Zhenzhu really marries me, in addition to the aforementioned agreement of not taking concubines in this life, we can live in Chang'an for the first year. Later, depending on the situation, we can live side by side for a year or so. This clause can also be added to the contract."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhenzhu was somewhat moved. Even Shen Yizhi felt that for a prince to do this for his daughter was really trying his best.

Madam Shen said, "But from a humble family like ours, we are marrying above our station after all."

Dugu Moyan bowed and said, "Aunt Shen, don't worry. It's me who's marrying above my station. To be honest, I was just adopted into the Yunnan Palace. My biological father was a merchant. Of the four classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants are the last. If it weren't for my father's favor, I wouldn't have become the crown prince. So, in terms of social status, I'm marrying above my station. Moreover, Zhenzhu is extremely talented. If she were a man, she would have been made a marquis or a prime minister. But I'm just a warrior, so in the end, I'm marrying above my station. So, I will definitely treasure Zhenzhu from now on."

Even Madam Shen was moved by these words. Dugu Xin also chimed in, saying, "Yes, if Zhenzhu married in, without a mother-in-law, I wouldn't restrict them. While I'm still young, it wouldn't be a problem for them to stay out for a while. Besides, we have Yao'er in Chang'an, and Yao'er is on Zhenzhu's side. When we get to Yunnan, Yue'er and I will also side with Zhenzhu."

Finally, with the concerted efforts of Dugu Xin and Dugu Moyan, the marriage between the two was decided privately.

A few days later, Dugu Xin and Dugu Moyan came again, this time bringing a matchmaker, betrothal gifts, and an engagement letter. The matter was officially settled.

When hearing about the two's marriage, most people envy and envy the Shen family. The Yunnan Palace has status and money, and the prince treats them sincerely and never takes a concubine in his life. Isn't that jealous?