Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 491 - 0465: No matter whose daughter she is, just marry her first. (2)
The one pulling him was Li Xingsheng.
Li Lixing nodded, "Yes, he mentioned it."
"What did he say?" Li Xingsheng asked softly.
"He said he needs to think about it," Li Lixing replied.
"Think about it? What else is there to think about?" Li Xingsheng frowned.
"Second brother, I sense from his tone that he will agree," Li Lixing said.
Li Xingsheng considered, "Let’s leave it at that for now, we’ll discuss it tomorrow." Pressing him further would appear too eager, after all, they represent the bride’s family.
The brothers each went to their beds to sleep.
.
The next day, Li Xingsheng and the Second Princess didn’t go to the market, and therefore, Lou Chengye also stayed home.
Lou Chengye asked Li Xingsheng when they should go, to which Li Xingsheng patted his shoulder, "No rush, no rush, we’ll talk after lunch."
"After lunch?" Lou Chengye exclaimed in surprise, "Isn’t that missing half a day’s business?"
"Ah, there are family matters that need arranging," Li Xingsheng laughed.
Lou Chengye could only say, "Alright then, we’ll go in the afternoon."
Nanny Jiang prepared breakfast, calling everyone to eat.
The whole family sat and ate breakfast together, then Prince Luling left for school, out of curiosity, Li Lixing followed him.
When he went, he took the two children with him.
The three auditors carried small stools and sat in the last row of the classroom, their eyes fixed on Prince Luling at the front.
More attentive than other students.
Lou Chengye remembered what Li Lixing said the night before and, since he had nothing else to do at the moment, he went to find Li Xingmao to discuss his thoughts.
Li Xingmao was in the South Courtyard House talking with Chai Eying, hearing Lou Chengye calling him from outside, he smiled at Chai Eying and said, "He’s probably made a decision. I’ll go out to see him."
Chai Eying smiled, "I think he pairs well with Second Sister. If this marriage happens, mother’s wish will be fulfilled."
Li Xingmao went outside, and Lou Chengye immediately greeted him with a respectful gesture, "Brother Li."
Li Xingmao smiled as he approached, linking arms, "It’s cold outside, let’s talk inside."
He invited Lou Chengye into the South Courtyard Main House.
Chai Eying was in the bedroom doing needlework, she came out to serve them tea.
Lou Chengye quickly waved his hand, "Sister-in-law’s health is delicate, no need to trouble yourself, I’m not thirsty."
Chai Eying thought, what a courteous young man, she smiled, "Making tea is no trouble, I’ve been sitting for too long and need to move around anyway."
Li Xingmao picked up the steaming copper kettle from the stove, while Chai Eying pinched some tea leaves into the teapot, the couple brewed tea together, Chai Eying placed some snacks and fruits on the table, smiling at Lou Chengye, "It’s cold, if you’re not thirsty, just hold the teacup to warm your hands."
Lou Chengye thanked her.
Chai Eying returned to the bedroom.
Li Xingmao then asked, "Brother Lou, do you have something to say?"
Lou Chengye stood up and bowed respectfully to Li Xingmao, "Brother, please accept a bow from your future brother-in-law."
Li Xingmao walked over and helped him up with a smile, "So, you agree to marry my second sister?"
"Yes," Lou Chengye nodded.
Li Xingmao smiled, "For this matter, you need to speak with my parents, they are the decision-makers."
Lou Chengye blushingly said, "I hope Brother will accompany me."
Li Xingmao laughed, "Of course."
He led Lou Chengye to the North Courtyard Main House, and Li Xingsheng saw them heading over, knowing the matter had been settled, he immediately went to the school to invite Prince Luling.
Just as Lou Chengye walked into the North Courtyard Main House, Prince Luling arrived.
"Uncle Li, Aunt Li," Lou Chengye paid respects to Prince Luling and his wife, "I wish to marry Miss Li, and hope the elders will grant this."
Prince Luling looked at him, "Chengye, have you seriously considered this? Marriage is not child’s play; once decided, it’s a lifelong commitment."
Princess Consort Luling also said, "We do not insist, but you must think carefully."
Arranging Lou Chengye and the Second Princess’s marriage required more caution than the other two daughters.
Mu Yuanxiu and Li Yuzhu grew up together, which needed no worry; they could marry at any time.
Pei Shenyan genuinely loves the Great Princess, which also required no concern.
Only Lou Chengye, because he hadn’t interacted before, Prince Luling and his wife had to repeatedly question him.
Afraid that Lou Chengye made a rash decision.
It’s a hurried marriage, but also cannot be taken lightly.
Lou Chengye knelt on the ground, "Chengye thought about it all last night; as long as Uncle and Aunt Li don’t mind, and if Miss Li respects Chengye, he will never regret it."
The Princess Consort Luling looked at Prince Luling, "My lord?"
Prince Luling stepped forward to help Lou Chengye up, "Stand up first, our family has agreed, however, this matter still requires notifying your parents to come."
Lou Chengye hesitated, notify his parents? What if they disagree?
Yet if I don’t notify my parents, it seems insincere about the marriage.
If I notify them, who should be sent with the message?
These questions put him in a difficult spot.
The Li family father and son noticed his worry, Prince Luling nodded towards Li Xingmao.
Li Xingmao then said, "Chengye, is it that you cannot find someone to send the message? Isn’t Lixing’s attendant Qin Hu a good choice? He should know the way to your home, right?"
What Li Xingmao said reminded Lou Chengye.
Right, I can ask Qin Hu to send the message.
Considering his own identity, Qin Hu knows about it, sending Qin Hu to deliver the message back to Zhen An Prefecture is the most suitable choice. As for whether anyone from the family will come...
Whatever, whether they come or not.
If no one from home comes, I just won’t go back.
Lou Chengye said, "Yes, I almost forgot about Qin Hu, I’ll immediately write a letter for him to send back, riding swiftly, it will arrive in a few days."
Prince Luling added, "Because a master has divined the birth dates of the three sisters, the marriage should best occur by the end of the year; if postponed to the next year, there will be a bloody calamity. We have no choice but to marry off all three daughters at once, and the date is set for the twentieth of this month."
Today is the eighth, leaving twelve days till the twentieth.
Lou Chengye said, "Alright, I’ll write down the date."
After discussing, Lou Chengye went to the forecourt’s wing room to find Qin Hu.
Li Lixing had already told Qin Hu about Lou Chengye’s secret identity, instructing Qin Hu not to disclose the matter of Prefect Lou.
Qin Hu did not understand Lou Chengye’s thoughts but just did what his young master instructed.
"Fifth Young Master Lou." Qin Hu greeted Lou Chengye with a salute.
Lou Chengye glanced outside, closed the door, pushed Qin Hu into the room, and whispered, "Quickly help me deliver a letter to my father, as fast as possible."
Qin Hu smiled, "Fifth Young Master, give me the letter, I will definitely deliver it with the utmost speed."
Lou Chengye found paper and pen in the room, thought for a while, wrote a letter, sealed it, and gave it to Qin Hu, "Ride immediately, I’ll explain to Lixing about you helping me deliver the letter."
Lou Chengye and Li Lixing were close, practically inseparable, and over the past few years, Qin Hu had attended to these brothers not infrequently. He took the letter, tucked it into his chest, put on a cloak and hat for wind and snow protection, mounted Li Lixing’s great horse, and galloped swiftly towards Zhen An Prefecture.
.
Regardless of whether Prefect Lou agrees or not, the banquet arrangements must be finalized, there are still the other two daughters.
If worse comes to worst, we can let the Second Princess and Lou Chengye bow later at the ceremony.
After Lou Chengye’s matter was settled, Prince Luling instructed Li Xingmao to start preparing the banquet arrangements.
Li Xingmao rode Chai Eying’s mule to the Li Zheng’s house, telling the village chief that he wished to ask him to be the matchmaker and witness.
The village chief was both surprised and excited, "Don’t worry, Brother Li, your family is having a happy event, my whole family will come to help."
Li Xingmao smiled and thanked him, "Many thanks to Uncle Li Zheng for your assistance."
"No need for thanks, hahaha." The village chief laughed heartily.
. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Qin Hu, riding swiftly with the letter, arrived at Zhen An Prefecture by the third evening.
Being a distant relative of the County Magistrate, he previously often followed by Li Lixing’s side as a guard, so the servants of Prefect Lou’s house recognized him, and hearing he had come with a letter from Lou Chengye, the gatekeeper enthusiastically welcomed him in, "Oh my, Fifth Young Master is with you there? The lord and lady are so worried, they’ve sent people everywhere to find him."
Qin Hu thought to himself, why are you all so anxious? Your young master is living happily, about to become a groom.
He followed the servant into the house to see Prefect Lou.
The fifth son was missing again, and after searching for half a month, he still wasn’t found. Prefect Lou was so angry he hadn’t slept well, and without even reading the letter, he first scolded Lou Chengye thoroughly.
After opening the letter, Prefect Lou was stunned.
The fifth son is getting a wife?
That’s good news!
No matter whose daughter she is, it’s over when he’s married.
Prefect Lou was no longer angry, put away the letter, and asked Qin Hu what kind of family the Li family was.
Qin Hu didn’t know the Li family’s situation; only County Magistrate Li was aware of the Li family’s true identity, the County Magistrate’s Wife, Li Lixing, and others were all unaware.
Qin Hu only said, "They are distant relatives of our lord, he is a teacher with some prestige in the village."
"So, it’s a village teacher’s daughter, her status is... passable." Prefect Lou did not oppose it.
He let Qin Hu go to rest, called for his eldest son, and instructed the eldest son and daughter-in-law to attend the fifth son’s wedding.
Though it’s his son getting married, it’s in a foreign land; for a dignified prefect to attend a wedding banquet in another area would be a loss of status, thus sending his eldest son and daughter-in-law to represent him and his wife was understandable.
