When Jiang Yucheng saw his usually well-behaved second daughter walking into the hall hand in hand with her nominal eldest son-in-law, he was so angry he almost choked.
His royal dream!
It all fell apart just like that.
What terrible things has he done to deserve this?!
One scandal after another was about to emerge in the mansion, leaving him no time to catch his breath.
"Do you two have no shame at all? Let go of her right now!"
"Prince An, Ruzhu is young and doesn't understand things. Don't you understand?"
An Yuanxiu was not afraid of Shang Yu at all. Instead, he pulled Jiang Ruzhu and walked up to him before letting go of her hand and bowing.
"Uncle Jiang, Ruzhu and I are in love and have long since vowed to grow old together."
"I implore Uncle Jiang to grant Yuanxiu's request to cancel his engagement with Miss Jiang and instead propose marriage to Ruzhu."
Jiang Yucheng was so angry that he no longer cared whether he was the heir of a duke, and slammed his hand on the table.
"An Yuanxiu, do you think the girls in my Minister's mansion are cabbages that you can pick and choose from, and change or throw away as you please?"
"This is absolutely unacceptable. You should return immediately and never mention this matter again."
If outsiders knew about this, wouldn't they say that Jiang Yucheng deliberately sent his two daughters to the Duke's mansion to choose at will in order to curry favor with the powerful?
Isn't this just rubbing Jiang Yucheng's old face in the ground?
An Yuanxiu was unwilling to give up, so he cupped his hands and continued to persuade him: "Uncle Jiang, please calm down. I had no such intention."
"However, marriage also requires mutual affection. I admire Ruzhu and want to marry her, not your eldest daughter."
"If you were to force Jiang Luoxue into marriage, we would only end up as a miserable couple. It's better to annul the engagement now; it's better for her."
"In that case, shouldn't I, Jiang Luoxue, thank Young Master An?"
Just as Jiang Yuanxiu finished speaking, a voice as clear as a nightingale's song came from outside, and upon closer listening, it carried a strong sense of sarcasm.
An Yuanxiu looked in the direction of the voice and saw a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old walking gracefully towards him. She wore a white gauze dress and a light blue soft silk sash around her waist, which made her slender waist appear as if it could be grasped in one hand. Her dark hair was gently tied up and a peony hairpin was inserted diagonally, making her skin appear as clear as jade. Her simple attire was still incredibly beautiful.
This... is his wooden-doll-like fiancée!!
How did things become so different?
An Yuanxiu was shocked.
He had only met Jiang Luoxue a few times, and every time he saw her, she would lower her head and act timidly, not daring to say a word, which made him feel disgusted.
Even after meeting her several times, he still couldn't get a clear look at her face.
Therefore, he has always disliked Jiang Luoxue, his fiancée, and felt that she was not presentable at all.
In An Yuanxiu's heart, Jiang Luoxue was not even as good as one of Jiang Ruzhu's fingers.
But the person in front of him amazed him.
Her former petty and stingy manner has completely disappeared.
On her cool and beautiful oval face, a pair of bright eyes shone, making one unable to resist looking at her a second time.
Jiang Ruzhu, who was originally quite pretty, suddenly looked ordinary compared to the person in front of her.
One is a girl from a modest family, the other is a celestial being with a cool and aloof air.
There's absolutely no comparison!
Who can understand how amazed he felt at that moment!
If he had known earlier that his fiancée was so beautiful, he would never have been attracted to Jiang Ruzhu and committed adultery with her.
As early as when Jiang Luoxue came of age, he would have married her off in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.
Ye Xuanchen noticed that An Yuanxiu was staring intently at Jiang Luoxue, his eyes burning with desire.
He frowned slightly and subtly took two steps forward to block his view.
Meeting Ye Xuanchen's cold gaze, An Yuanxiu finally came to his senses. When he saw that the person in front of him was the General of the Cavalry, he was first taken aback, wondering why this influential figure in the court would be here.
Coming to his senses, he quickly bowed and said, "An Yuanxiu greets General Ye!"
His attitude was even more respectful than when he had bowed to Jiang Yucheng earlier.
Ye Xuanchen simply waved his hand and asked, "Is Prince An here at the Jiang residence to annul the engagement with Miss Jiang?"
"this...!"
An Yuanxiu looked over Ye Xuanchen's shoulder at his beautiful and aloof fiancée, and immediately hesitated again.
He had originally intended to break off the engagement, but after seeing Jiang Luoxue's appearance, he suddenly felt a little reluctant.
After all, women who are this beautiful are rare, and it would be a real shame for him to let go.
Seeing his reaction, Ye Xuanchen couldn't help but sneer: "Didn't Prince An just now swear that he and Miss Jiang were in love? Why are you hesitating now?"
"Could it be that you've changed your mind again and no longer want to marry Miss Jiang?"
"Brother Yuanxiu!"
Jiang Ruzhu's face turned pale instantly, and she became extremely anxious. She reached out and gently tugged at her lover's clothes.
An Yuanxiu quickly comforted her, "Don't worry, Zhu'er, I will definitely marry you."
Ye Xuanchen immediately seized on his words, his tone aggressive.
"So, Prince An has decided to break off the engagement with Miss Jiang?"
If it were before, An Yuanxiu would definitely have said yes.
But now that he has taken a liking to Jiang Luoxue, he naturally doesn't want to agree.
After thinking for a moment, he began to practice Tai Chi with a smile.
"General Ye is joking. My engagement with Miss Jiang was arranged by my grandmother and the former Madam Jiang. How can a junior like me break the agreement so easily? This matter must be discussed with the elders in the family before it can be considered valid."
An Yuanxiu's words were ambiguous; he neither agreed to annul the engagement nor said he wouldn't.
Pushing all the work onto the elders makes him seem like he's very sentimental.
It was as if he wasn't the one who had confidently vowed to break off the engagement.
Several words flashed through Jiang Luoxue's and Ye Xuanchen's minds at the same time.
Shameless! Unscrupulous!
After hearing his words, Jiang Ruzhu opened her beautiful eyes wide in disbelief and asked pitifully, "Brother Yuanxiu, do you still remember what you said on the way here?"
An Yuanxiu's eyes flickered, and he lowered his head to comfort her: "Of course I remember, but Ruzhu... your father is right, my marriage with Miss Jiang was arranged by my grandmother, and now if I want to break off the engagement, I need the consent of my elders."
"But don't worry, I will marry you no matter what."
While making excuses, An Yuanxiu was secretly relieved that Uncle Jiang did not agree to annul the engagement, leaving room for the matter to be resolved.
At worst, he can just marry both of them.
"Brother Yuanxiu, but I can't wait any longer!" Jiang Ruzhu's expression became somewhat anxious.
Her belly was about to grow big, and if people found out she was pregnant out of wedlock, she would either be sent to a temple or hanged with a white silk ribbon.
She doesn't want to choose either of these!
Seeing her unpleasant expression, An Yuanxiu frowned: "Ruzhu, please listen to me and don't make things difficult for me, okay?"