Marriage to the Royal Prince's Uncle

C15. Lingering Guilt.

Chapter 15

In matters of his daughter's marriage, Li Yong was unable to make the decision single-handedly. It was essential for him to first confer with his wife and then seek their daughter's opinion.

At that moment, Li Yong was unable to maintain a clear head. Even as Cao Xun elucidated the truth, Li Yong remained perplexed, as if he were still in a daze.

How was that possible? Cao Xun always addressed him as "Brother Li"!

Well, they were not bound by blood. In good times, they referred to each other as brothers, but when the relationship soured, they could easily feign ignorance of each other. Age and hierarchy were not a consideration, although Cao Xun’s age...

Li Yong couldn't help but cast several glances at Cao Xun's visage, unaware that his scrutiny was akin to the one Yunzhu had directed at him a few days ago.

It could not be said that Li Yong disliked Cao Xun, but scrutiny based on age would bring a blush of embarrassment to his face if it were any other person.

Cao Xun appeared oblivious to the color of his face. As he gazed at the food and wine on the table, he spoke slowly, "I understand the Duke of Ningguo's deep affection for Yunzhu. Cao's visit is indeed impudent. I beseech the Duke and his wife to carefully weigh this matter. Should the esteemed couple consent to this union, I humbly request the Duke to convey the message to me and I shall seek the Emperor's blessing for the marriage. If fate does not unite Yunzhu and I, then my Cao family will earnestly endeavor to make amends for her."

"Your Eminence, please take your time. Cao will take his leave."

Cao Xun swiftly departed, showed no inclination to inconvenience Li Yong to bid him farewell.

By the time Li Yong regained his composure, Cao Xun had vanished.

The alluring aroma of the food lingered, but Li Yong had lost his appetite. After a brief spell of absentmindedness, he rose and strolled to the backyard.

As he hadn't spent much time conversing with Cao Xun, Meng's wife had only managed to eat half of her meal.

Upon seeing her husband, Meng Shi inquired with curiosity, "Why are you here?"

Fearing that his wife's appetite might be diminished upon learning of the matter, Li Yong put on a smile and said, "Let's discuss some trivial matters after we finish our meal."

With that, he resumed his place and hastily consumed his meal, stealing glances at his daughter as he ate.

Yunzhu immediately grasped the unspoken intent and lowered her eyes, feigning ignorance.

Following the meal, the serving maids cleared the table, leaving only the five family members in the Zhenghe Hall. Li Yong eventually disclosed Cao Xun's proposal for marriage to the family.

Yunzhu furrowed her brows upon hearing this.

Cao Xun desired to wed her, with her having no say in the matter. Clearly, he was impassioned, yet reluctant to bear the disgrace of vying with his brother for a woman. Thus, he resorted to lofty justifications and presented himself as a paragon of trustworthiness.

What a paragon of virtue!

According to Cao Xun, Cao Shao's betrayal labeled her, Li Yunzhu, as the unfortunate party facing a challenging marriage.

Indeed, Cao Shao and his mother had breached their trust, but why should her marriage be fraught with difficulties?

Hadn't anyone noticed the depth of Xie Lang's affection for her?