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After the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince had finished their midday meal, they saw off the old emperor.
The Crown Prince quickly asked, "Mother, has Father abandoned the idea of arranging this marriage?"
If his information hadn’t reached him in time, Liang Xuanting would’ve succeeded.
The Empress shook her head. "The conditions offered by the Southern Frontier are too tempting. I can see your father is quite swayed. I’ve only managed to delay things for now. To completely dissuade him, we need to act fast and find someone suitable to propose to the Su family immediately."
The Crown Prince frowned. "Miss Su has done me a great favor. Her marriage cannot be treated lightly. Where can we find such a suitable candidate?"
The Empress replied, "For now, we just need to establish the appearance of an engagement. This will deter the thoughts of the Southern Frontier’s Crown Prince. Once he returns to the Southern Frontier, the Su family can find an excuse to break off the engagement. Ending the betrothal is far better than having her leave her home to marry into a distant land."
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement. "That’s exactly what I was thinking. Afterward, Miss Su can carefully choose a proper match. With you, Mother, overseeing things, she won’t be wronged."
As he spoke, a thought suddenly struck him. He turned to the palace attendants and ordered, "Go and summon Ji Huaiyan to the palace!"
The Empress also nodded.
"The Ji family is a good choice."
Ji Huaiyan was puzzled as to why the Crown Prince had summoned him so urgently but dared not delay. He hurried to the Eastern Palace.
"Your Highness, you summoned me. May I ask for what purpose?"
Crown Prince Jun Yi spoke gently, "Sit down. I have a matter that requires your assistance."
Ji Huaiyan took a seat on the side chair and asked, "What is it?"
"You know, Ji Huaiyan, Miss Su Li, the eldest daughter of Minister Su, has done the Eastern Palace a great service," Jun Yi began.
Ji Huaiyan nodded. As a member of the Eastern Palace staff and aligned with the Crown Prince, he was well aware that Miss Su had saved the Crown Prince's life. He felt grateful toward her.
Jun Yi continued, "Have you met Miss Su before?"
Ji Huaiyan replied, "I caught a glimpse of her from afar during the last palace banquet."
Frowning, Ji Huaiyan wondered if the Crown Prince had taken a liking to Miss Su. Was he planning to take her as a concubine?
Miss Su’s family background made her suitable to be the main wife—not a concubine. Would the Su family or the Wei family even agree to such an arrangement?
Unaware of Ji Huaiyan's train of thought, Jun Yi went on, "Though Miss Su’s appearance has been marred, her talents are extraordinary, especially her unparalleled medical skills..."
Ji Huaiyan thought inwardly, This is bad. My guess was right.
Jun Yi praised Su Li at length, then shifted the conversation. "In my opinion, Miss Su would be a perfect match for you!"
Ji Huaiyan, who had been sipping tea, nearly choked. Struggling to swallow, he stammered, "Your Highness, surely you jest?"
"I am not jesting," Jun Yi said firmly. "You’re no longer young, and your father, the Marquis of Wuyang, has approached me several times about your marriage. Your mother has also come to the Empress multiple times. You know this. I’ve always tried to shield you, hoping you’d find someone you truly like. But now—"
Ji Huaiyan interrupted, "Your Highness, I’ve only seen Miss Su once from afar..."
Jun Yi cut him off. "Let me speak plainly. Today, the Crown Prince of the Southern Frontier came to the palace, offering two cities in exchange for the Emperor to arrange a marriage between him and Miss Su. Mother temporarily blocked the proposal by claiming Miss Su was already betrothed. But I’m certain Father won’t give up easily—not when two cities are at stake."
"Only you stepping forward to propose can counter this. With the combined influence of the Marquis of Wuyang’s household, the Su family, and the Wei family, it should outweigh the value of two cities."
Ji Huaiyan sighed. "I see."
"I won’t force you," Jun Yi added. "Once we’ve dealt with the Southern Frontier’s Crown Prince, if you truly have no feelings for Miss Su, the Su family can break off the engagement."
Ji Huaiyan thought it over. It was indeed a sound plan. Whether there was an actual engagement or not was something only the two families would know. By skipping the traditional steps of presenting gifts and exchanging names, they could directly proceed to proposing marriage, making it seem as though the engagement had long been arranged.
As long as the Su family didn’t want their daughter to leave her homeland for a distant marriage, they would cooperate.
Ji Huaiyan stood up. "Then I’ll go prepare the betrothal gifts. Even if it’s all for show, we can’t let Miss Su appear undervalued."
Jun Yi nodded. "Go ahead."
When Ji Huaiyan returned home, he ran into his younger brother, Ji Huaizhou, who was just leaving.
"Brother, why did the Crown Prince summon you to the palace so urgently?" Ji Huaizhou asked.
Ji Huaiyan replied, "It’s nothing serious. The Crown Prince of the Southern Frontier suddenly appeared in court today, asking His Majesty to arrange a marriage between him and Miss Su."
"What?! Has Liang Xuanting lost his mind?" Without waiting for Ji Huaiyan to finish, Ji Huaizhou interrupted and rushed out of the estate.
Watching his retreating figure, Ji Huaiyan called out, "Where are you going?"
Without looking back, Ji Huaizhou shouted, "To see my childhood sweetheart!"
The Duke of Wei’s Household
"Master, Young Master Ji has arrived," a servant announced. No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ji Huaizhou burst into the room.
"Brother Wei, hurry up and get ready to propose to the Su family!"
Wei Yuanling looked up at him as if he were mad.
Ji Huaizhou strode in and sat down. "Don’t look at me like that! If you don’t hurry, your cousin will be snatched away!"
Wei Yuanling’s voice was icy. "Have you lost your mind?"
Ji Huaizhou quickly explained the situation in detail, concluding, "So, you need to propose as soon as possible. If you delay, your cousin will end up marrying into the Southern Frontier."
Wei Yuanling abruptly stood up. "You sit here. I have something to do."
Ji Huaizhou rolled his eyes. I’ve just done my future brother-in-law a huge favor for the sake of my little sweetheart.