Chapter 17: Their Own Ideals
"Father, mother, the clan members in front have sent news that the wedding procession from the Hou Mansion has already set out."

Cui Ronghe walked into the Cui family's hall and reported.

Although Cui Zongyan had just returned to Beijing from leave, he took leave again to go home for the wedding at the Fu'an Marquis' Mansion.

Cui Ronghe also returned to Beijing and worked for more than two months before taking leave again and returning with his wife.

After all, it’s my younger sister who is getting married.

The person that the Cui family was marrying this time was the eldest son of the king. People in the officialdom were very perceptive and they easily agreed to Cui Zongyan and Cui Ronghe's leave again.

After all, the Cui family can now barely be considered royal relatives, and Jian is in the king's favor.

Of course, we need to maintain good relationships.

"Since the wedding procession from the Hou Mansion has already set out, we must also prepare as soon as possible!"

"Don't worry! I won't be rude!" Cui's mother responded.

In fact, Cui's mother had already taken care of many things without Cui Zongyan's instructions.

The Cui family has married two new daughters-in-law in succession in recent years.

As the mistress of the household, Cui's mother is very familiar with the job.

The servants still remember many of the procedures clearly.

Although the previous two times were to pick up the bride, this time was to send the bride off.

But they are all happy weddings.

No matter how things change, they still remain essentially the same!

"I'm going to go see my sister!"

Cui Ronghe said this when he saw his father and mother busying themselves.

"That's fine! Keep an eye on your sister and don't let anything unexpected happen at this critical moment!"

Cui Zongyan waved his hand, signaling Cui Ronghe to leave, and gave instructions at the same time.

"Okay! Father!"

Cui Ronghe knew what his father was referring to!
Although Cui Shuyun's fall into the water was finally confirmed to be an accident, her younger sister Cui Shuyun also repeatedly emphasized that she did not attempt to commit suicide.

After waking up from falling into a coma, she repeatedly emphasized that she had figured it out.

But Cui Ronghe understood that his father only believed his younger sister's words on the surface.

His attention to his younger sister has not diminished in the slightest.

In fact, not to mention my father, even Cui Rong and myself continue to care about my younger sister.

I'm afraid something unexpected will happen again.

At her age, my little sister is too prone to acting impulsively!
At the beginning, my younger sister was obviously dissatisfied with this marriage.

Not afraid of ten thousand, just in case!

Three books and six rituals.

For more than three months, my mother and my second brother Cui Rongtian have not returned to the capital in order to accompany my younger sister and avoid accidents.

Cui Ronghe came to his younger sister's yard, and after the maid Xiaowei informed him, Cui Ronghe entered Cui Shuyun's boudoir.

Although the Ming Dynasty was not as strict in etiquette and defense as the Song Dynasty, they were all adults after all.

Even if Cui Rong and his biological brother entered Cui Shuyun's boudoir, they needed to inform the maid in advance to avoid seeing something they shouldn't see.

At the same time, it was also to allow my younger sister Cui Shuyun to prepare in advance.

When Cui Ronghe entered his younger sister's bedroom, he found that his brother's sister-in-law Ai Jingxia was also there.

Cui Ronghe was not too surprised by this.

Nodding to Ai Jingxia was considered a greeting!
Cui Ronghe had long learned from the servants in the mansion that his brother's sister-in-law Ai Jingxia and his younger sister Cui Shuyun had been very close in recent months.

"This Ai family, seeing that my little sister is going to marry into the royal family, immediately came over to us!"

Cui Ronghe secretly complained in his heart.

As a scholar, Cui Ronghe despised such flattery.

"Little sister, the wedding procession from the Marquis of Fu'an's residence has already set out!"

Cui Ronghe went straight to the point.

"What? So fast?"

Cui Shuyun was shocked.

Cui Ronghe was stunned by Cui Shuyun’s reaction.

Didn’t my sister Cui Shuyun say that she had figured it out?
Or is it really just a superficial understanding?
But after waking up from the coma, Cui Shuyun remained calm about the marriage.

Even after receiving the marriage proposal from the king and the queen, my younger sister Cui Shuyun did not show any obvious abnormality.

Cui Ronghe was secretly happy that his younger sister had really figured it out!
Why such a big reaction now?
"Little sister, you still don't want to get married?"

Cui Ronghe looked at Cui Shuyun with a complicated expression.

"No, big brother. I'm just simply surprised by the speed of Fu'an Marquis Mansion's actions!"

Looking at Cui Ronghe's complicated expression, Cui Shuyun immediately explained herself.

As siblings, how could Cui Ronghe not see what Cui Shuyun was thinking deep in her heart?

However, Cui Ronghe could not change this marriage.

He tried!
Therefore, Cui Ronghe could only turn a blind eye to Cui Shuyun's innermost thoughts and assume that what Cui Shuyun said was true!
"Little sister! There are many things that you and I cannot change! We can only accept them!"

"Besides, it's impossible for our parents to harm us. The decisions they make are definitely for our own good! Look, wasn't it also decided by our parents that your sister-in-law and I should be together? We are living a good life now!"

Cui Ronghe was silent for a while and could only comfort her in this way.

"Well! Brother, don't worry! I really have figured it out!"

Cui Shuyun agreed silently.

……

a long time!

After Cui Ronghe's earnest persuasion, he finally decided to leave.

"Xiao Wei, please send Big Brother off for me!"

Cui Shuyun let out a long sigh and gave orders a little impatiently.

It was the first time that Cui Shuyun knew that her elder brother Cui Ronghe was so eloquent.

"Okay! Miss!"

"Master, please!"

Xiaowei answered and bowed to lead the way.

Um~
"Little sister, after you marry into the Marquis's Mansion, you must distinguish between good and evil. Don't be blinded by temporary flattery and do things that will make your loved ones sad and your enemies happy!"

Before leaving, Cui Ronghe glanced at Ai Jingxia and warned Cui Shuyun in a meaningful way.

"Second sister-in-law, don't be angry! My eldest brother..."

After Cui Ronghe left the room, Cui Shuyun immediately turned around and apologized to her second sister-in-law Ai Jingxia.

"Really, brother, you shouldn't betray your sister like this!" Cui Shuyun wailed in her heart.

"It's okay! And your elder brother is right! You must keep a low profile after you marry into the Marquis' Mansion! Don't get swept up in the turmoil of the Marquis' Mansion!"

Ai Jingxia said calmly.

When in the capital, Ai Jingxia had suffered countless sarcasms, both overt and covert. Cui Ronghe's sarcasm was not enough to make Ai Jingxia angry.

"What's the matter? Second sister-in-law, is the Fu'an Marquis' Mansion dangerous?"

Cui Shuyun asked curiously.

To be honest, for various reasons, Cui Shuyun has never really learned about Fu'an Marquis Mansion and Fu'an Marquis in detail!

Before this, Cui Zongyan held a low official position and worked in a local position, so he had no contact with the princes of the Ming Dynasty.

Later, Cui Zongyan became an official in Beijing, but he was only a fourth-rank official.

Although she was the child of an official family, Cui Shuyun believed that she could not get in touch with the royal family and had never gotten to know the royal family members in detail.

At most, Cui Shuyun knew a little more about the current king, queen, and crown prince.

As for the other princes and grandchildren, there were so many of them that Cui Shuyun couldn't even remember all their names.

Moreover, when Cui Zongyan came to Beijing to serve as an official, he had already been conferred the title of Marquis of Fu'an.

"Marquis Fu'an is the third son of the current emperor and the eldest son of the queen. He is deeply loved by the current emperor and the queen, and was granted the fertile land of Xuzhou. There was once a rumor that the queen wanted to persuade the king to reinstate the crown prince and let Marquis Fu'an take the throne..."

Having said that, Ai Jingxia looked at Cui Shuyun meaningfully.

"The fight for succession!"

Cui Shuyun is not stupid, she has read a lot of history books!
I immediately understood the unspoken meaning of my second sister-in-law Ai Jingxia's words.

"So what about now? Marquis Fu'an will be crowned queen..."

Cui Shuyun asked nervously.

"In recent years, with the title of Marquis of Fu'an being conferred, and the Crown Prince not having done anything wrong, the voices calling for a new Crown Prince have become smaller!"

Ai Jingxia told the news she knew.

"That's good, that's good!"

Cui Shuyun let out a long sigh.

With her small body, she doesn't want to be involved in the dangerous and unpredictable struggle for the throne.

Throughout history, there were many princes, nobles, and wealthy families who met with tragic end because of the fight for succession.

Cui Shuyun just wanted to live a good life, repay her parents for raising her, and see the beautiful scenery that her second sister-in-law described... then her life would be worthwhile!
"You! Others all want wealth and glory! They all want their men to climb to the top, and their wives are honored by their husbands! But you are just the opposite! Not only do you not want to marry into the Fu'an Marquis's mansion, but even if you have to marry Fu'an Marquis, you don't want Fu'an Marquis to take over the throne..."

Ai Jingxia smiled and tapped Cui Shuyun's forehead.

"I have never had any big ambitions! When I was little, I thought I could live a free life and repay my parents for their kindness in raising me! Later, I found out about marriage... Now, I just want to live peacefully, visit the strange mountains, the Dead Sea, and the towering snow-capped mountains that you mentioned, and experience this vast world. When my parents are old, I will serve them for a hundred years, and then my life will be complete and I can be buried in the ground!"

Cui Shuyun expressed her ideal in life.

"It's good to have ideals! But eight out of ten things in life are not as we wish, so how can we expect everything to go as we wish?"

"Besides, people's ideals change. Right now, your ideal is to live in peace, see the world, and serve your parents until they live a hundred years! But who knows, maybe your ideal will change again in the future?"

"Just like me! My original ideal was to become the strongest soul cultivator and make soul cultivation a well-known discipline! However... later my ideal became to see the beautiful mountains and rivers and live a carefree life! But the final reality was... I married into your Cui family!"

There was a hint of loneliness in Ai Jingxia's tone.

It seems that some of its edges have been smoothed out by reality!
Infected by Ai Jingxia's emotions, Cui Shuyun fell silent for a moment.

(End of this chapter)