Jinrong saw Duke An approaching and quickly bid farewell to the officials he was casually conversing with, heading towards the Duke.
You Shida saw Jinrong coming over. The sight of nephew and uncle surrounding the Duke was too eye-catching, so he bowed and took his leave first.
Jinrong greeted Duke An with a bow, "Yuyuan Prefecture sent a letter some days ago. Since the Duke doesn’t seem to wish to have dealings with us, I refrained from disturbing your residence. I hope the Duke understands."
Duke An’s expression was solemn as he returned the gesture, "Your Highness is too polite. My residence also often receives letters from my granddaughter, so we are in frequent contact. There is no need for Your Highness to mind such matters."
Jinrong made a welcoming gesture to Duke An, and as they walked outside, Jinrong said, "The people who returned this time brought back two new pieces of equipment for engineering work. One is the screw fastener that His Majesty mentioned today, and the other is a hand-pulled hoist, which is used for lifting. Both can be considered world-shaking inventions, and they were made under the leadership of the Miss of your house. I’m merely presenting someone else’s work as my offering, and I am truly ashamed."
Duke An’s expression became quite complex. His granddaughter hadn’t mentioned her work, but the letter from those who went to Clear Water Village did, and he thought it was just another ingenious device. He didn’t expect it to be brought up in the Imperial Court again for serious political discussion.
He humbly said, "Your Highness is flattering her. When she was in the capital, she used to fool around every day without doing anything serious. It’s all thanks to Your Highness’s keen eye for talent and support in her time of need that she had the opportunity to make a difference. Xinyan works for Your Highness, and whatever she creates, attributing it to Your Highness is not amiss."
Duke An appeared calm and collected, but his heart was reluctant. Xinyan was his granddaughter, and it was only after escaping from home that she achieved such accomplishments with the support of Jinrong and Jiang Yifan. If he had known earlier that confining her to the inner courtyard would cause her to lose her true nature, he would have personally guided her since her youth, and perhaps she could have become a heroine of her time.
Jinrong bowed slightly, "It is the Miss of your household who is truly remarkable. She has created the current grand pattern. To be honest, I am the one being supported by the Miss."
Duke An walked forward with Jinrong and did not speak again, waiting for Jinrong to excuse himself and leave.
Jinrong had intended to acknowledge to the Duke’s Mansion and Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion the outstanding accomplishments of their granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law. Both houses had not yet received their due honor, while he had gained all the benefits, both reputation and wealth. He owed them a proper gesture.
Yet as he walked with Duke An, his heart suddenly became uncontrollably warm.
After a moment of silence, Jinrong asked in a low voice, "Ye Zi has now returned home, being a marriageable young lady of the Duke’s Mansion. May I ask what the Duke’s plans are for Ye Zi’s future?"
Duke An paused in his steps, scanned the officials milling about not far away, and seeing that no one was close by, he spoke slowly, "Xinyan is not an ordinary woman of the inner courtyard. She has extraordinary experience, and matters concerning her life must be left to her will. I can only explain to her the pros and cons of marriage and prioritize her desires."
That was a relief to Jinrong, it was good that the Duke was listening to Ye Zi’s wishes. If Duke An imposed a marriage on Ye Zi, it was hard for others to object, and Ye Zi might even run away again, which was not the outcome he wished to see.
Before Jinrong could fully relax, he heard Duke An continue, "Considering Xinyan’s current actions, she cannot marry into a conventional grand household. If she were restrained again to a small space in the inner courtyard, it would not only be a pity but who knows if she might act out recklessly again."
The Duke’s words clearly indicated a refusal. His Highness Prince Yu was not a marriage prospect the old man was willing to consider.
Jinrong was taken aback, his expression turning troubled. Tough obstacles lay before him, all hindering his pursuit of Ye Zi. Before meeting Ye Xinyan, he had never thought that marrying would be so difficult.
Taking advantage of Jinrong’s distraction, Duke An stepped forward, bowed sideways to Jinrong, "I have other matters to attend to, and since Your Highness has just been assigned duties, you must be busy as well. I won’t delay you further, I take my leave."
Jinrong quickly returned the bow, watching as Duke An elegantly departed.
As someone who had just been assigned duties, it was not appropriate for him to leave abruptly. However, feeling downcast after Duke An’s dispiriting words and with little interest in the new duties, he made an indifferent visit to the Ministry of Personnel, showed his face in the Cabinet, then went back to his residence. There, he sat alone in his study and stared blankly for a while.
This was the first time he had subtly brought up the subject of marriage to Ye Xinyan’s family, and the first time His Majesty had inquired about his remarriage. Within one day, he faced setbacks in the same matter from two sides, leaving him feeling mournful and dejected.
Jinrong returned very late yesterday and went straight to rest in the back yard without meeting Hu Jing. Only hearing from Hongzhi that the Sixth Master had been appointed by His Majesty as the Assistant Manager of the Ministry of Personnel.
This morning, Hu Jing and Jinrong merely greeted each other without the chance for a detailed discussion. Now that he saw the Prince return to the Mansion, the Prince did not summon anyone and went into the study alone, remaining silent thereafter.
Hearing from Hongzhi that the Prince was just sitting alone in the study in a daze, Hu Jing was very surprised. Although the Emperor had imposed duties upon the Prince, it wasn’t entirely bad, so why appear so upset?
Indeed, it was unusual for the Prince to drink with others so late yesterday, and even more abnormal for him to still be today.
Puzzled, Hu Jing knocked and entered Jinrong’s study after questioning Hongzhi to no avail.