Chapter 704 - 477: Even the Emperor Wants You
It’s possible that saying she liked the atmosphere in their home was true, but it was definitely not the main reason.
Anyone with a bit of sense would understand this.
Jiang Yu certainly wasn’t foolish, and wouldn’t so easily believe such a casual excuse.
After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the Magistrate’s family. How could she marry off for such a trivial reason?
Of course, it’s also possible that the Magistrate and Uncle Liu were acquainted and had inquired quite a bit about the Jiang family.
But more importantly, Jiang Yu was inclined to believe that the Magistrate was willing to let his daughter run away from home, risking the stigma of a runaway bride, to form a marriage alliance with the Jiang family. It was the Jiang family he admired.
The most important thing was, as the Jiang family’s eldest son, he was not young anymore and still unmarried.
Looking at it this way, he was quite a match for Miss Yingying.
As he thought about this, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but shake his head. This idea seemed a bit too casual.
Wei Ziang suddenly leaned in and whispered in Jiang Yu’s ear.
"Big brother, there’s someone nearby."
At that moment, both Jiang Yu and Wei Ziang were outside. Yingying, having eaten and drunk her fill, had already been taken by Second Aunt and Xiaomi to arrange her room.
It was where Xiaoxue used to stay. Now that Xiaoxue was Mrs. Liu Ze, she naturally didn’t need to live at the Jiang home, making it just right for Yingying to live in.
Jiang Yu and Wei Ziang had nothing to do, so they went outside for a walk, initially intending to go to the fields to let their father and younger brother know they were leaving. They had just stepped out when Wei Ziang mentioned someone was there.
Jiang Yu’s eyebrows twitched, "Someone?"
Suddenly, he recalled many years ago, the first time he met Miss Yingying, there were also many people following around then.
"Are they all following Miss Yingying?"
Jiang Yu trusted Wei Ziang’s instincts, even if he couldn’t see a stranger now.
"They should be, all are near our house."
Jiang Yu sighed lightly, "It seems Miss Yingying coming to Fuan Village is really the Magistrate’s idea."
Wei Ziang resisted laughing, "There’s also a possibility it’s Uncle Liu and Aunt Qian’s idea."
After all, she came with Aunt Qian’s large ship. Seeing Miss Yingying’s good state, looking well and neat, without any signs of embarrassment, she didn’t seem like someone who ran away from home.
Instead, she resembled a young lady out for a leisure trip with her attendants.
Jiang Yu sighed, "I knew it when she said the Magistrate and Uncle Liu had shared school years."
Wei Ziang thought for a moment, "Uncle Liu has always been concerned about your marriage, and since he’s in the Capital City, he surely knows more than the Magistrate does."
Jiang Yu slightly frowned, "Are you talking about the princess?"
Since there was no one around, the two brothers didn’t need to disguise their conversation.
Wei Ziang nodded, "Yes, even though you’ve long stated that the marquis title should go to Xiao Wei, you intend to pursue a civil service path."
"But no matter how you say it, since you’re the legitimate eldest son, tying you to the royal family would indeed make it easier to bind the Jiang family to the royals."
The most important point was, the Jiang family had been quite prominent over the years. Even though they wielded no real power, their reputation among the people was no less than the emperor’s.
It might even be higher.
If it were a stingy emperor, the Jiang family might have already been suppressed.
Now they were just trying to give the Jiang family a princess, which was already very kind.
Knowing all this, how could Jiang Yu not be aware?
That’s the reason why after Yingying said those things, although he was shocked, he didn’t outright reject it.
As for marriage, he really hadn’t had much thought about it over the years.
In terms of Miss Yingying, they had known each other in their youth, and her personality was quite similar to his younger sister’s. Even if they were to get along, he wouldn’t find it awkward.
Jiang Yu also understood that his little sister’s personality wasn’t suited to households with strict rules, just like he understood Yingying’s initial complaints.
After all, not all women are gentle and virtuous. Many, like Xiaomi and Yingying, are lively and forthright.
As Jiang Yu was letting his thoughts wander, Wei Ziang came closer again.
"Big brother, people have come specifically for you, why are you contemplating so much? The Magistrate and Uncle Liu must have reached an agreement, which is why she came with Aunt Qian’s ship. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?"
Jiang Yu huffed, "It’s rare to see you so enthusiastic about my affairs. What, are you worried your engagement with Yingying will be discovered?"
Wei Ziang retorted, "It’s just what people say, who can say for sure that the engagement partner is me?"
Jiang Yu kept sneering, "All surnamed Wei, lost on a mountain over a hundred miles away in Fuan Village, soldiers came looking when Xiaomi brought you back, and your wounds hadn’t even healed."
"Most importantly, you remember that lucky charm from the engagement? Do you really believe it isn’t you?"
If only one thing matched, it could be a misunderstanding, but everything matched, making it almost certain.
As for the remaining ten percent, it wasn’t something they could guess with certainty.
Wei Ziang laughed awkwardly for the first time in years, losing ground to his big brother with nothing to refute.
He realized back then when he saw the lucky charm looking familiar, he shouldn’t have let his big brother see it.
Unfortunately, being so young at that time, he couldn’t hide it well, giving it away with one look.
"Big brother, let’s not talk about me since it’s still not settled. Besides, the engagement was long canceled, even if it was me, it has nothing to do with me. Think more about you and Miss Yingying. I think she’s great and matches you well."
Saying this, Wei Ziang nodded fervently, confident that he was right, that’s how it was.
In any case, every threat must be nipped in the bud early!
Jiang Yu rolled his eyes dramatically. He’d seen shameless people, but this was the first time seeing someone so shameless.
For his own sake, proposing such nonsense.
But in one thing, Wei Ziang wasn’t wrong.
Being thousands of miles away, they naturally had no idea what the situation in the Capital City really was.
Uncle Liu might be over there, but everyone knew that the Jiang and Liu families had always been on good terms. Even if Uncle Liu did know something, he probably wouldn’t dare to tell them openly.
Coincidentally, Uncle Liu and the Nanyang Magistrate were from the same school, and most importantly, while others might not know, Uncle Liu and Aunt Qian knew about their connection with Miss Yingying.
Back in Nanyang Prefecture, the incident when Miss Yingying went hunting with Xiaomi was known by Liu Ze as well. They inquired a bit afterward and found out about Miss Yingying’s identity.
She was the only legitimate daughter of the Nanyang Magistrate, with her maternal family being generations of military officials. This is why Miss Yingying’s interests differed from ordinary girls’.
But only a few people knew about this. After returning home, they mentioned it to Uncle Liu and no one else was aware.
Thus, investigating this matter from above might not be easy. After all, at that time, Yingying had snuck out, and they were just ordinary participants among thousands of scholars attending the academy exam in Nanyang Prefecture.
