Chapter 234 - 233 Beautiful Talk
Uninterested in women, these four words were used sarcastically. Chen Afu lowered her head, staring at her own toes.
The Seventh Prince, Li Zeyin, spoke up, "General Chu, I am quite fond of this young lady beside you, I hope you can detach and let me have her. Don’t worry, I won’t let it be a loss on your part, I will gift you four extraordinary beauties in return."
Chu Lingxuan furrowed his brows and, with a fist salute, loudly countered, "Prince Rui, please choose your words carefully. She is my fiancée and should not be humiliated so."
His words left both the Second and Seventh Princes in surprise. The Second Prince laughed then challenged, "Your betrothed! Where does that come from?" He then pointed at Chen Afu and asked, "You tell us; what’s your name and how are you related to General Chu?"
Gently, Chen Afu knelt and replied, "My name is Chen Afu. I am General Chu’s fiancée."
After hearing it, the Second Prince still seemed sceptical. He continued questioning Chu Lingxuan, "Before coming to Dingzhou, I specifically asked Princess Rong Zhao whether you were betrothed and she mentioned you were not. Now, suddenly you have a fiancée? Surely you didn’t privately engage without even your mother’s knowledge? Since there’s no marriage contract or consummation, can you claim her as your wife?"
Chen Afu felt a pang of worry, unsure of how Chu Lingxuan would reply, she could only contemplate that being relegated to a concubine was something she would accept, only over her dead body.
Chu Lingxuan calmly responded, "Your Highness, there’s a misunderstanding. Ms. Chen and I aren’t secretly engaged. Mr. Chen Shiying, father of Ms. Chen, proposed the marriage himself," he said, retrieving a jade pendant from his waist and holding it up, continued, "This is the betrothal gift from Mr. Chen. Moreover, my biological mother, though she’s a nun and no longer involved in worldly matters, was informed of this engagement. She even gifted Ms. Chen a Fuyeqiu set she used to wear in her younger days. I also sought my grandfather’s opinion through a letter. Although he agreed to our marriage, I am unsure if he informed Princess Rong Zhao or my father. Both my grandfather and my aunt will arrive in Dingzhou tomorrow for this matter. Therefore, our engagement was set by our elders and not privately. She is indeed my fiancée."