Chapter 148:

In the evening, as the snowflakes fell gently, Layue Shen placed her hands on the warm teacup.

The members of the Shen family had already departed, and the outcome was naturally very satisfying.

Layue never expected that the Empress Dowager would adopt Yue Feng as her goddaughter. Not only that, but Emperor Jing also conferred upon her the title of Princess Anning.

From this perspective, being betrothed to Fu Jinyu was not a lowly status at all.

Before anyone could fully grasp what was happening, the situation had already taken such a turn.

No one could predict how the Sixth Prince would react upon learning that Yue Feng had become his nominal younger sister.

Not only was Layue surprised, but others were equally astonished. No one had anticipated that a mere visit to the palace would result in being granted a princess title. Speaking of the Shen family, they had indeed received too much favor from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

However, some suspected something fishy was going on. If it were truly for Layue’s benefit, then why wasn’t her biological younger sister granted a title?

Sure enough, just two days later, Emperor Jing betrothed Princess Anning, adopted by the Empress Dowager, to the scholar Fu Jinyu.

The court was thrown into an uproar.

Fu Jinyu accepted the imperial decree with a smile and expressed his gratitude, but the Fu family did not share his enthusiasm.

Madame Fu had never imagined that her eldest son’s marriage, which she had hoped to arrange with such care, would turn out this way.

Although this merchant’s daughter had been adopted by the Empress Dowager and bestowed the title of Princess Anning, at her core, she remained a merchant’s child. In the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, she originated from the lowest stratum. Furthermore, beyond her background, the girl herself was considered unworthy. Raised like a boy and appearing in public, these actions only intensified Lady Fu’s fury.

Madam Fu fainted from sheer indignation.

When she awoke, she found Chancellor Fu and Fu Jinyu by her bedside.

She abruptly sat up.

“If you’re awake, you must be fine. I’ll take my leave now.” Chancellor Fu was indifferent.

“Fu Yunrui, don’t you have anything to say to me!” Madam Fu cried hysterically.

Fu Jinyu was accustomed to his parents’ arguments and fights.

His expression remained unchanged as he advised gently, “Mother, your fainting earlier was due to excessive excitement. Please don’t be too anxious.”

Madam Fu looked at the father and son.

Her anger only intensified.

“Jinyu, you go out.”

Fu Jinyu, seeing his parents, knew this must be due to his recent marriage decree.

Unwilling to see his parents quarrel over this matter, he knelt down.

“What are you doing?” Mrs. Fu hated to see her son like this.

Fu Jinyu’s expression remained calm, but his words were sincere: “Mother, I know you don’t like this marriage, but this matter has nothing to do with Father, nor anyone else. It was entirely my own decision. I was the one who actively requested the marriage from the Emperor.”

Hearing Fu Jinyu’s words, Mrs. Fu looked at him in shock, as if she didn’t recognize her own son.

“You… you requested it yourself? Jinyu, what are you thinking? Among so many noble daughters, you deliberately chose a merchant’s daughter? You don’t need to deceive me. I know it must have been the Empress Dowager’s doing. She did it on purpose… she did it on purpose…”

Madam Fu’s hands were already trembling as she spoke.

“Mother, I’m serious.”

After a pause, Fu Jinyu continued: “Perhaps you think marrying Yue Feng is a loss for me, but I don’t see it that way. On the contrary, I think it’s a good thing. I don’t like those noble daughters, Mother knows this well. Although these women come from prestigious families, they are pretentious and difficult to manage. Everyone thinks I’m at a disadvantage, but Yue Feng was raised like a man, with a free-spirited personality. Thus, she will surely get along well with you. I don’t want to be busy with official duties outside while worrying about whether my new wife will quarrel with you.”

Hearing her son’s words, Lady Fu’s emotions seemed to ease somewhat, though she still harbored resentment.

Fu Jinyu exchanged a glance with his father, whose expression seemed to indicate he could now pacify his wife. Chancellor Fu then left the room.

Seeing his father leave, Fu Jinyu stood up, sat by the bed, and took his mother’s hand. Only the old nursemaid, who had accompanied Fu Furen since her marriage, remained in the room.

“Mother, the reason I haven’t married all these years is because I wanted to find someone who would satisfy you. Perhaps you currently find Yue Feng unsuitable, but please hear me out. In my opinion, Yue Feng isn’t just suitable—she is extremely suitable. Since childhood, I have seen Father and you quarrel. I understand your suffering and know that a family without harmony is a torment not only to the couple but also to other family members. Then there are Father’s concubines, each as delicate as dodder flowers. They claim to respect you, but in reality, they vie for Father’s affection. I cannot stand such women and have no desire to marry someone like them.”

Fu Jinyu was adept at reading people’s expressions. Seeing his mother’s expression soften slightly, he continued, “Over the years, you’ve endured so much hardship. Father doesn’t know, others don’t know, but I do. You may appear outwardly flamboyant, but in reality, you suffer in many ways. They exploit your personality’s weaknesses. If I were to marry a noble daughter, she would be well-versed in the intrigues of aristocratic families, with deep scheming. How could you manage such a daughter-in-law? It would be better to find someone like Yue Feng, who was raised like a man, has a free-spirited nature, and is easygoing. Precisely because of this, she will serve you well and won’t cause you trouble. Perhaps at first, you might find her lacking in many ways and feel unhappy, but consider this: compared to those noble daughters who pretend to respect you but scheme behind your back, a woman like Yue Feng is a thousand times better. Over time, as you get to know each other better, you’ll surely find everything comfortable. A daughter-in-law without ulterior motives is better than one with a good family background but difficult to manage. Moreover, with her personality, with her help, she won’t let you suffer at the hands of those concubines.”

Needless to say, Fu Jinyu’s position as a scholar was well-earned.

With such reasoning, Madam Fu only saw her son’s filial devotion.

Thinking about how her son had witnessed her suffering over the years, tears welled up in her eyes.

“In this world, only you truly understand your mother.”

How bitter she had been over the years, no one knew. Watching her husband marry one woman after another who resembled “her,” she felt indescribable bitterness. Yet, whenever she caused any trouble, all the blame fell on her.

“If she is as you say, without ulterior motives, how could she help me?”

Although she said this, Fu Jinyu had already detected his mother’s compromise and breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, “Precisely because she has no ulterior motives, if she knows you’ve been bullied, she’ll throw a punch immediately, without listening to others’ explanations. Even if it’s clarified later, the punch has already been thrown.”

Fu Jinyu teased with a smile.

Hearing this, Mrs. Fu couldn’t help but smile.

“If that’s the case, it will surely infuriate your father.”

“What if he gets angry? Yue Feng is the Princess Anning personally conferred by the Empress Dowager and is the Emperor’s adopted younger sister. Father certainly can’t punish her.”

Needless to say, Fu Jinyu’s words had indeed struck a chord with his mother.

Learning that her son had done all this for her, Mrs. Fu felt deeply comforted.

Finally, she nodded, “Since that’s the case, so be it. I just hope this Yue Feng is as good as you say.”

Fu Jinyu held his mother’s hand, “Getting along with anyone takes some adjustment. Which daughter-in-law doesn’t pretend to be close with her mother-in-law while secretly scheming behind her back? After the initial adjustment period, Yue Feng’s low status and free-spirited nature will prove beneficial. We only need to endure for a while, and later, Mother will surely appreciate the advantages of having such a daughter-in-law. What’s the point of superficial glory? How much real benefit you’ll gain behind the scenes—how could those foolish women ever think of that?”

The old nursemaid, Mrs. Fu’s confidante, seeing the eldest son genuinely thinking for his mistress, was moved and nodded repeatedly.

The young master had been clever since childhood, and it seemed he had already thought this matter through carefully.

“Madam, the young master is only thinking for your benefit.”

Madame Fu nodded, gently stroking her son’s face, and said, “You’ve endured so much hardship.”

Fu Jinyu smiled, “Mother, you’re joking. I don’t feel wronged at all. Likewise, I also want to find a wife who is easy to manage. The current political situation is complicated, and the Emperor is eyeing the aristocratic families. It’s better to marry someone like Yue Feng than to bring an unstable element into our family. Others may think she’s gained an advantage, but how much benefit we actually gain, we needn’t say.”

Lady Fu didn’t understand the intricacies of court politics, but after hearing her son’s explanation, she found it very reasonable. Seeing Lady Fu’s expression soften.

Fu Jinyu quickly added fuel to the fire: “In fact, I already knew the Empress Dowager intended to adopt Yue Feng as her goddaughter. Because of this, I proactively requested this marriage from the Emperor. The Emperor also felt I was at a disadvantage, so he promoted me to the position of scholar. However, since this matter might sound unpleasant, I told no one, not even Father. Now that Mother knows, you must keep it strictly confidential.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Fu pondered once more and realized that this marriage truly offered countless advantages without a single drawback.

Seeing his mother happily agree to the marriage, Fu Jinyu breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

His first encounter with Yue Feng had left him deeply fond of her. Such a free-spirited and cheerful woman was completely different from those aristocratic daughters. Later, upon learning that the Emperor intended to choose a marriage for her, he knew he could no longer wait and immediately volunteered, which turned out perfectly.

Seeing his mother’s smile, Fu Jinyu smiled even more broadly.

Father wouldn’t treat her poorly because of the Empress Dowager’s relationship. Mother, after his explanation, wouldn’t dwell on her background either.

Thus, everything turned out for the best!

He had never wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, so he was determined to marry Yue Feng, even if it meant competing with the Sixth Prince.

Who would have thought that heaven itself was helping him.

Now, with everything going his way and even the Emperor supporting him, it was truly a perfect alignment of favorable circumstances!