Jiaojiao is getting married, and the male leads fall for her and fight over her.

Chapter 100 The eldest brother pushes the woman to the younger brother

"I've been staying at the Marquis's residence for so long, and not only has my maternal grandmother treated me well, but the other elders have also been extremely kind to me. I have nothing to repay them with, so I'd like to go to Dajue Temple to pray for everyone in the Marquis's residence. I'll be staying there for about half a month. Is that alright, maternal grandmother?" Shen Shuyi looked at the old lady earnestly.

The old lady couldn't bear to refuse. Besides, praying for blessings was Yi-jie's way of showing filial piety, which was a good thing.

"I'm worried about you going to Dajue Temple alone. I'll send a few old women and maids to escort you." The old lady quickly made her decision.

Shen Shuyi had no objection; she also felt that safety was the most important thing.

Furthermore, she went to Dajue Temple to avoid running into the male protagonists; meeting the other members of the Marquis's mansion was still acceptable.

"I will follow my grandmother's arrangements," Shen Shuyi replied obediently.

After returning to Fusang Courtyard, Shen Shuyi began to pack some clothes to change into.

Although A-Jian didn't understand why her young lady wanted to stay at Dajue Temple for half a month, she didn't ask any questions and followed Shen Shuyi's instructions.

That day, Fusangin and his two servants were busy packing their belongings, preparing to set off for Daikakuji Temple early the next morning, without intending to disturb anyone else.

Inside the East Garden, Pei Dongzhou tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Qingzhu knew what had happened that afternoon. Although he wasn't there at the time, he had overheard Miss Shen proposing to the young master.

When he heard this, he felt that Miss Shen was still up to her old tricks and was still eyeing the young master. Before, she only had designs on the young master's body, but now she was even eyeing the position of the young master's wife. Her ambition was growing bigger and bigger.

Fortunately, the young master didn't like Miss Shen and didn't accept this absurd marriage proposal.

He felt that if he saw Miss Shen again in the future, he should stop her outside the East Garden to prevent her from doing such a presumptuous thing again.

The young master is tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Could it be because he feels guilty for rejecting Miss Shen?

Pei Dongzhou stared blankly at the top of the tent.

He felt that his cousin Shen was being too abrupt, actually asking him to marry her. He had told her this more than once, and each time she said she had listened, but then she would forget it completely the next day.

Although he tried to phrase his words tactfully, he was still worried about hurting the girl's self-esteem.

When she came to see him at the East Garden today, she dressed up specially, and she had been hesitant and stammering before she made things clear.

She must have known it was absurd, but she still mustered the courage to speak up. He and she were on different paths, and he was right to reject her.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, Qingzhu's voice rang out from outside the tent: "Since Your Highness can't sleep, would you like to practice your sword for a while?"

Pei Dongzhou had no intention of practicing swordsmanship, but he still got up and practiced for half an hour.

As it turned out, even though he practiced swordsmanship and expended a lot of energy, he still couldn't fall asleep.

The next day he was not in good spirits. When he returned to the Marquis's residence after his shift, Granny Sun came and said that his mother wanted him to go to Jufutang.

After a brief, intimate conversation, Madam Zhang finally got to the point: "You're always busy at the yamen, so this matter of finding a spouse has been delayed. This time, I've found you a fine young lady from a prominent family, Miss He Ruoxi, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Chu. Miss He is one of the most beautiful women in the capital, exceptionally talented, and the He family is also the Empress Dowager's maternal family. If you and Miss He take a liking to each other, we can arrange a marriage between our families, which would be a great help to you in the future. You must seize this opportunity." Pei Dongzhou's mind flashed with Shen Shuyi's face, and he seemed somewhat reluctant to meet her: "I have many affairs at the yamen; I'm afraid I won't be able to find the time."

“Then we’ll go and see them when you’re on your day off. There’s no rush,” Zhang replied quickly.

Pei Dongzhou simply pushed Pei Nanzhou forward: "There may not be any time off recently. I think Nanzhou and Miss He, whom my mother mentioned, are a good match. Since Nanzhou is also in the process of getting married, why don't we let Nanzhou and Miss He meet?"

Madam Zhang looked helplessly at her most proud son: "Are you sure you want to push such a good marriage onto Nanzhou? Besides, it should be your turn to arrange the marriage before it's Nanzhou's turn. I've met that Miss He; she's truly a celestial being, a perfect match for you. If you can marry a virtuous wife, she will be a great help to you in the future..."

“Nanzhou is also outstanding, and that Miss He seems to be a better match for him. In our family, there aren’t so many rules, and it’s normal for whoever proposes first.” Pei Dongzhou smiled gently. “Mother doesn’t think that Nanzhou is not as good as me and is not worthy of that Miss He.”

Madam Zhang chuckled: "You are all my sons, and I value them all. But you are the heir of the Marquis's mansion, and you will inherit this vast family business in the future. I should naturally choose a suitable marriage for you."

Pei Dongzhou was momentarily lost in thought: "Really? Why must a wife be of equal social standing? Shouldn't personal preference be the most important thing? Mother...does she like Father?"

Zhang was stunned for a moment before saying, "You're already so old, what's with all this talk about liking or disliking?"

Does it matter whether she likes him or not? She used to like him too, but after seeing the Marquis's women one after another, she gave up on those feelings and focused her attention on the children.

"Don't tell me you have a woman you admire?" Zhang suddenly wondered.

Pei Dongzhou was slightly taken aback, and after a moment replied, "That's not true."

Madam Zhang gave Pei Dongzhou a deep look: "If you have a woman you like, you might as well tell your mother which family's daughter she is. Perhaps your mother can give you some advice."

“Mother is overthinking it.” Pei Dongzhou said, then stood up. “Let Nanzhou handle the matchmaking. I’m really too busy to deal with it lately.”

Zhang wanted to say something more, but he had already walked away quickly.

She looked at Madam Sun and said, "Do you think he has someone he likes? Last time we asked him to find someone, he agreed readily, but today he's making excuses and even asked Nanzhou to go and find someone."

Madam Sun felt the same way, but the young master was always calm and composed, and it was hard to imagine that he would be moved by emotions.

After that, Mother Sun invited Pei Nanzhou to Jufutang.

When Pei Nanzhou heard that it was the young master Pei who had pushed the matter of the fortune telling onto him, his expression turned slightly serious.

"If you agree, I will arrange for Miss He to be your matchmaker," Zhang said when Pei Nanzhou remained silent.

Pei Nanzhou suddenly realized that it was normal to look at each other, but for some reason, Shen Shuyi's face suddenly flashed before his eyes.

“Since Miss He originally intended to meet my elder brother, it doesn’t seem right to pass the buck to me. Marriage is a matter of lifelong happiness, there’s no need to rush. Even if my elder brother is busy, he will have time off. Why don’t we wait until he has time off and let him go to meet the women?” Pei Nanzhou replied slowly.

Zhang didn't expect Pei Nanzhou to also decline the marriage proposal. She frowned and said, "Dong-ge'er is busy, so why are you refusing?"

“I don’t want to choose a partner that my older brother doesn’t want,” Pei Nanzhou replied directly.

(End of this chapter)