I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 265 Proposal
Shen Jiahui saw through Gu Xuan's stubbornness and was about to tease her again when Shen Jiawen coughed lightly to interrupt his sister.

"Alright, try this pastry," Shen Jiawen added a piece for his sister, and then naturally put a piece on Gu Xuan's plate as well. "This pastry is soft and delicious, sweet but not greasy, and goes perfectly with pre-rain Longjing tea."

Shen Jiahui took a bite and exclaimed, "This tastes just like Xuan'er's birthday cake!"

Gu Xuan rolled her eyes at her best friend. "What else could it be? Tang Zhao did it, of course."

Ever since making a birthday cake for Gu Xuan, Tang Zhao seemed to have unlocked his full potential, developing many strangely shaped desserts and naming them cakes.

Two weeks later, a freshly baked cake shop opened its doors.

Shen Jiawen smiled and said, "Miss Qi is right. These are the little cakes I bought from the cake shop."

"My brother is stingy," Shen Jiahui complained. "He knows that Xuan'er and I both love cake, but he only bought this little bit. How is that enough?"

"It's good enough that we have something to eat," Shen Jiawen said helplessly. "I ordered this cake from the cake shop three days in advance. If I had gone to buy it on the day of the sale, I wouldn't have been able to get a number."

Since the cake shop opened, it has become incredibly popular, with long queues forming outside every day, and if you arrive late, you simply can't buy any.

Fortunately, he was working under the princess, which allowed him to shamelessly ask her for a spot to cut in line. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to book a spot even for half a month, let alone three days.

"Wow! That's way too much!" Shen Jiahui exclaimed, quickly eating a small cake to calm her nerves.

Gu Xuan also silently sped up her eating of cake.

When only one small cake remained on the plate, Shen Jiahui and Gu Xuan looked at each other at the same time, and then simultaneously picked up the cake.

Gu Xuan said, "Let go!"

"Let go!" Shen Jiahui said, "This was bought by my older brother!"

"This was made by my fifth sister-in-law!" Gu Xuan insisted. "Let go of her hand now, or I'll send you to Lanzhou for a free medical clinic later this month!"

"You're abusing public resources for personal revenge!"

"Hehehe!" Gu Xuan said smugly, "That's right, I was just abusing my public office to settle personal scores, so what if you hit me!"

General Shen Jiahui: "If you dare to do it, I'll tell the princess!"

Gu Xuan choked, "You!"

After watching the commotion for a while, Shen Jiawen stepped forward to make the decision, "Jiahui, let go."

Shen Jiahui objected, "Big brother!"

Shen Jiawen said sternly, "Seventh Miss is a guest, you must not be rude!"

Shen Jiahui reluctantly put down her chopsticks, watching Gu Xuan devour the small cake in one bite, and glared resentfully at her brother.

eccentric!

Shen Jiawen ignored his sister's gaze and watched Gu Xuan finish eating with a smile. He then thoughtfully poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her, saying, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Gu Xuan took the tea, drank a sip, and then thanked her with a smile.

Shen Jiahui glanced at her shrewd, fox-like older brother, then at her sweet, silly best friend, and the scales in her heart swayed for a long time. In the end, her brother's happiness prevailed, so she quietly shrank into a chair to be a background figure and not disturb the two of them talking.

In the detached courtyard of Prince Xuan's mansion, Consort Qin was selecting fabrics and making new clothes for Gu Fu. "Your birthday is in ten days. This is something your mother worked hard to get from your father. You must make your mother proud and win over the eldest son of the Shen family!"

Gu Fu refused, "Mother, the eldest son of the Shen family might not even look at me."

"How could I possibly look down on you?" Consort Qin said unhappily. "Although you are born out of wedlock, you are still a daughter of the Prince's Mansion, of royal blood! What right does Shen Jiawen, a mere subject, have to look down on you?"

Gu Fu lowered her head and remained silent. "Mother knows that my son has never liked to compete with others, but this concerns your entire life. Shen Jiawen is outstanding in every way. Why don't you hurry up and win over such a good husband? Be careful that someone else doesn't benefit from him!"

Just look at Bai Rouyin. If she had married Gu Ci earlier, what chance would Tang Zhao have had?

Gu Fu asked, "But what if Young Master Shen doesn't like his daughter?"

"Then you must find a way to make him like you!" Consort Qin instructed her daughter. "No matter what method you use, if it really doesn't work, you two should get married first, and then cultivate your feelings after marriage!"

"Mother!" Gu Fu frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Is this something a mother would say?
"What's wrong? Look at Tang Zhao and Gu Ci, they got married first, and now they're getting along quite well!"

It's just that Gu Fu's status was too low to get Emperor Pingyuan to grant her a marriage; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Gu Fu fell completely silent.

April 12th is Gu Fu's birthday.

Early in the morning, Gu Fu was woken up by Consort Qin. She took a bath, changed into clothes carefully selected by Consort Qin, and styled her hair into a beautiful flying bun, adorned with gemstone hair ornaments, which made Gu Fu look exceptionally beautiful and elegant.

Consort Qin was satisfied with what she saw. When the time was almost up, she took her daughter's hand and went to the banquet.

Consort Qin looked around and after a long while, she spotted Madam Shen and pulled Gu Fu to greet her.

Madam Shen looked amazed. "Eighth Miss looks absolutely stunning today. I can't take my eyes off her."

Gu Fu bowed her head and said, "Thank you for your praise, Madam."

Seeing that her daughter was unwilling to say more, Consort Qin had no choice but to talk to Madam Shen herself.

"I remember your son is twenty-five this year, isn't he?"

Madam Shen sighed, "That's right, it's worrying. He's over twenty and still not married. I'm afraid I'll never get to drink tea with his wife in this lifetime."

Consort Qin's eyes lit up. "I wonder what kind of daughter-in-law Madam desires?"

"What's the use of wanting what I want? The child will like it anyway." Madam Shen gave Consort Qin a deep look. "Some things require fate."

Consort Qin felt she understood, and immediately smiled even more brightly, "You're right, matters between children do indeed require fate, and I think the Shen family and the Gu family are destined to be together!"

Gu Fu couldn't stand it and kept tugging at her mother's sleeve.

Madam Shen smiled happily, "Then I'll accept the Consort's auspicious words!"

That evening, Consort Qin said to Gu Fu with a happy expression, "It seems the Shen family also has that intention!"

Gu Fu took off her heavy dress and let out a long sigh of relief. "Mother, please don't mention it again. I'm so embarrassed today."

"What's there to be ashamed of?" Consort Qin gently pushed her daughter's forehead. "These things need to be explained clearly, otherwise, if there's a misunderstanding, it could be disastrous!"

"You wait and see, I bet the Shen family will be here to propose marriage within half a month!"

Consort Qin guessed correctly. Ten days later, Madam Shen, accompanied by a matchmaker, personally came to propose marriage.

However, the person proposed to was not Gu Fu, but Gu Xuan.

"Say that again? Who did Madam Shen propose to?"

The maid who was sent to gather information trembled and after a long while said, "It's the Seventh Miss."

"Impossible, impossible!" Consort Qin shook her head in disbelief. "How could it not be my Fu'er? How could the Shen family possibly be interested in that wild girl Gu Xuan?"