Chapter 3200: Spent Her Days Embroidering and Daydreaming About Love

No matter how unwilling Gu Fanlu was to return, his delicate and frail body was eventually carried back to Marquis Xuanping’s residence.

Ning Shu stood in the pavilion, watching the weakened Gu Fanlu from a distance.

She didn’t approach him. There was no need to show off or act superior. It would only make him suspicious.

And if Gu Fanlu became suspicious, it would in turn arouse Zhuo Cheran’s suspicions.

She was just an ordinary woman of the inner courtyard, who never stepped outside and spent her days embroidering and daydreaming about love.

“Miss, the young master must not mind the trouble of being dragged back and forth like that, huh? How could he possibly recover like this?” Lianqiao, the straightforward girl, asked whatever was on her mind.

Ning Shu replied, “It’s just to get him out for a bit, breathe some fresh air… and then, miraculously, he’ll be cured.”

All over Lianqiao’s face: ???

Ning Shu returned to her courtyard and picked up her embroidery. She was stitching the character for ‘longevity.’ In a little while, it would be the old madame’s 60th birthday.

“Miss, Sister Shucui from the madame’s side is here. She says the madame wants to see you.”

Ning Shu put down her embroidery, rolled her neck, and asked, “Did Shucui say anything else?”

“She said the marquis is there too.”

Ning Shu composed herself and followed Shucui to the courtyard of Madame Rongguo.

As soon as she entered, she felt the tension in the air. Marquis Xuanping sat there, drinking tea with a dark expression.

Madame Rongguo looked helpless.

Ning Shu bowed. “Father, what has happened?”

The madame let out a barely audible sigh. Her gaze was filled with love and helplessness as she looked at Ning Shu.

The marquis set his teacup down on the table with a thud and spoke directly. “The betrothal between our family and Prince Xin’s must be broken.”

Ning Shu’s expression didn’t change. “This daughter will follow Father’s wishes.”

The marquis’ expression softened slightly. “Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“Whatever Father does is for the good of our household,” Ning Shu said calmly.

“Starting today, you’re to fall gravely ill. Then I’ll have a reason to call off the betrothal.”

Madame Rongguo finally spoke. “Marquis, why must she be stricken with a deadly illness? That’s too cruel to Zhuru. Who would dare marry her in the future?

“Why not consult a revered monk and say the couple’s birth charts are incompatible?

“When we first matched the charts, they said it was a heaven-sent union. Now we say they’re incompatible? Do you take people for fools? And how am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty?”

Marquis Xuanping had a headache. He genuinely didn’t understand what he had done to offend Zhuo Cheran so much that the man wouldn’t let it go.

He had scraped together three million taels and twenty thousand bushels of grain, yet Zhuo Cheran still wasn’t satisfied. He went to the emperor and claimed that the disaster in Hanyang was so severe that a revolt had already broken out.

The emperor, who had always favored Zhuo Cheran, believed him and thought the resources offered were too meager.

Marquis Xuanping really wanted to curse out loud.

At this point, he no longer wanted to marry his daughter off into that mess.

Of course, whether the marriage happened or not, his daughter would be the one who suffered.

Madame Rongguo’s heart ached for her daughter. She was the legitimate-born daughter of the Marquis Xuanping’s household.

She had been raised with care, taught poetry, music, etiquette, and propriety. Now, after all that effort, she was to be humiliated like this?

This wasn’t just a slap in the face for the marquis’ household, but also to hers. She was her daughter, after all.

“What do you think?” the marquis asked. Seeing that Ning Shu wasn’t crying or throwing a tantrum, he felt a little guilty.

Ning Shu bowed again. “I follow your will, Father. You’re only breaking off the marriage because you care for me. I understand that.”

If she were to marry into that household, she would be caught in a lose-lose situation. If the marquis’ household fell, Su Zhuru would be left to wallow in a life of fleeting pleasures and hollow songs. Her heart would be in ruins, and she’d be worn down and battered by the world.

MTL Editor: Ran

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.