Chapter 563: He Ying’s Confidence (2)
The matriarch hesitated after listening to her daughter’s words, but she recalled her son’s letter and what her grandson had purposely told her. Thus, she bore with the pain and shook her head, “Miss Ying, it’s not that Mother doesn’t want to agree, but I’m not the one who can make a decision regarding this matter. Your elder brother sent a letter back saying that Erlang will be the one to decide his own marriage. Furthermore, your sister-in-law’s health is better now. Erlang is her son, so we have to seek her opinion for this too.”
Furthermore, He Erlang had already informed Matriarch He at the beginning of the year that he had a girl whom he liked and that he would be getting married this year.
Back then, she had been the one who had requested the Empress Dowager to bestow a marriage for He Sanlang. Count Jing’an had sent a letter from Mingzhou to express his rage over that. Thus, the old matriarch didn’t dare to arbitrarily make decisions over Erlang’s marriage now.
Count Jing’an was also her son. Though she wanted to pamper her daughter, her son and grandsons were the ones who would inherit the family assets. They were equally important to her.
Since both sides were dear to her, it wasn’t easy for Matriarch He to speak for one over the other.
Since her mother had already said so, He Ying understood that it would be difficult to persuade her mother right now.
She decided to give up for now and changed the topic.
Matriarch He was inwardly relieved when she noticed that her daughter dropped the matter. The smile returned to her face and she happily chatted about other things.
Neither of them took notice of Pan Nianzhen, who was beside them. Her head was bowed, so that her bangs covered her face.
Under the cover of her fringe, she breathed a long sigh of relief, while slightly loosening the tight grip on the handkerchief in her hand.
She didn’t like strong and burly men like Second Cousin. She preferred beautiful men like Third Cousin and Scholar Xiao.
Her heart had actually relaxed since the talk about her marriage with Second Cousin hadn’t succeeded.
As long as Chu Lian remained childless, she trusted that she would definitely become Third Cousin’s woman.
Pan Nianzhen subconsciously clenched her fists as she was filled with confidence.
When He Ying left Qingxi Hall’s parlour with her daughter, her eyes narrowed slightly.
She had already decided to have her daughter marry He Erlang. If the proper way didn’t work, then she would have to try alternative methods.
He Ying quickly pulled her daughter back to their room in Qingxi Hall.
She ordered all the maidservants to leave, and had someone trustworthy guard the door. When it was just the two of them in the room, He Ying tugged on her daughter’s arm and sternly asked, “Miss Zhen, tell Mother the truth, are you willing to stay in House Jing’an?”
Although Eldest Madam was idiotic and her personality was greedy and selfish, she truly doted on her only daughter, Pan Nianzhen, with all her heart.
She didn’t have a son, so she needed her daughter to take care of her in her old age!
Pan Nianzhen raised her head to look at her mother, hesitating to speak.
He Ying was getting impatient, “I’m asking you a question! Why are you still hesitating in front of your mother? If you don’t agree, I won’t force you.”
Pan Nianzhen thought about the handsome He Changdi with his refined bearing and his cold temperament. His deep eyes were always impenetrable, carrying an attractive sense of mysteriousness. With that thought, her cheeks instantly flushed. She summoned up her courage and nodded.
“Mother, I understand my own status, so I don’t dare to have any improper desires regarding House Jing’an.” Although Pan Nianzhen usually kept very quiet, she was actually a very manipulative person.
A classic example of ‘a dog that bites won’t bark.’
She had triggered her mother’s competitive nature with just a few words.
He Ying had always believed that House Jing’an owed her a lot. Thus, as long as her daughter was willing to marry into House Jing’an, there was nothing impossible about it to her.
She patted the back of Pan Nianzhen’s hand, “Miss Zhen, if you want to marry into House Jing’an, then I have my ways to make it happen. You’re my daughter, so keep in mind, you’re just as good as any of those royal princesses and honoured ladies.”
