In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Zhu Qingyu hadn't expected that the Embroidered Uniform Guards Xie Ze knew would be so helpful. Only a few days after the clothes were sent to Zhang Shen, news came that she could visit him in the Imperial Prison at noon on her day off.

Xie Ze personally went to Qingyi Lane to deliver the message to her, and even explained to her why it was at that time:

"On the day of rest, the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters is also closed. Except for those on duty, no one else is there. Moreover, it is noon, and those on duty also need to take turns to eat. This is the time when there are the fewest people. He can secretly lead you in without attracting attention and give you three-quarters of an hour. After you have seen your husband, he can secretly lead you out."

Zhu Qingyu was truly moved:

"Young Marquis, you are such a kind person. I have no way to repay your great kindness."

He was very pleased to be praised, and while beaming with joy, he pretended to be nonchalant and waved his hand, saying:

"Don't say such things. They're all minor matters. When I was running away from my arranged marriage, I was attacked. If I hadn't met you, I would be meeting the King of Hell by now."

As he spoke, Xie Ze suddenly remembered something, and his smile vanished. His face fell, and he slumped onto the table, weakly saying:

"My lady, I will have to run away from my wedding again in a few days. I won't be in the capital for a long time afterward, so please take good care of yourself."

Remembering how he suddenly stood her up that day, Zhu Qingyu understood and asked:

"So that day, you were being considered by both families and couldn't come out? Why are you running away from the marriage again? Which family's daughter is she? Is she not good enough for you?"

Xie Ze looked conflicted, hesitated, and finally said:

"Miss Wen, the daughter of the Grand Princess and General Wen, Miss Wen, she is very good."

The Grand Princess's daughter?

If that's so good, why are you running away from the wedding?

Zhu Qingyu recalled the curious and excited little girl she encountered when entering the city, who was leaning against the car window, and the other person who should have been inside the car, only reaching out one hand to pull the little girl in.

I wonder if both of them are the daughters of the eldest princess, and which one Xie Zexiang is considering?

Zhu Qingyu asked him:

"If it is the Wen family's daughter, I happened to meet her carriage when I entered the city that day. I found her to be beautiful and lively. She is a perfect match for you in terms of age, family background, and even personality. Since you have met, I presume both families approve of this marriage. You yourself also think she is wonderful. You two are truly a match made in heaven. Such a good marriage is something others would kill for. Why would you run away from the wedding?"

Xie Ze rested his head on the table, looking utterly listless. He wanted to say something, but opened his mouth and then hesitated, unsure how to speak. In the end, he only let out a long sigh and said:

"Alas, Lady Zhu, my heart is broken, you know not my sorrow, you do not understand my pain. The Grand Princess has twin daughters, you say the lively one is the younger sister, I really don't know what to say, in short, I still have to run away from this marriage."

Seeing his conflicted, melancholic, lovesick appearance, Zhu Qingyu couldn't help but think of an unbelievable possibility:

"You said the Wen family girl is very good, but you want to run away from the arranged marriage. You can't possibly be someone whose family arranged a meeting for them, while you yourself have your eye on another one, can you?"

Xie Ze abruptly raised his head, his eyes shining as he looked at Zhu Qingyu, as if he had finally found a kindred spirit. He said excitedly:

"Yes, yes, yes! That's right! My dear wife, you may know many people, but how many are true confidants? You understand me best; you are my soulmate!"

Good heavens, it really is true, it's so melodramatic!

Zhu Qingyu didn't expect that her casual remark would come true. Xie Ze, who had been holding back his bitterness for the past few days with no one to confide in, finally met someone who understood his pain. He couldn't hold back any longer and started pouring out his grievances to Zhu Qingyu.

In short, on the day the two families were looking at each other, both of the Wen family's daughters came to visit. Although they were twins and looked exactly alike to outsiders, Xie Ze took a liking to the quiet and gentle older sister at first glance. However, when he asked his mother that evening, he learned that the two families had actually chosen the lively and cheerful younger sister for Xie Ze.

After a day of pure joy, Xie Ze was struck dumb upon learning the truth. His vision went black, and he nearly died during his tribulation.

Xie Ze became increasingly sorrowful as he spoke, and when his grief became uncontrollable, he suddenly stood up:

"No, I have to leave now. What if things go wrong and both sides agree on something? How am I supposed to face her then?"

He was so easily swayed by rumors that Zhu Qingyu called him back:

"Is Sister Wen engaged? If not, could you talk to the elders in your family? Perhaps you can still try to persuade her?"

At this point, Xie Ze became even more grief-stricken:

"Pretend I didn't ask. Do you know why I'm being considered for a marriage with my younger sister? It's because the Grand Princess wants to marry my older sister to my cousin from the Gu family. I have no chance now."

Of all the cousins ​​Xie Ze mentioned, Zhu Qingyu only knew one: Gu Zhao.

People's joys and sorrows are different. When Gu Zhao was going to marry Xie Ze's beloved, Xie Ze was naturally heartbroken, but Zhu Qingyu found it difficult to empathize with him at first.

The thought that Gu Zhao was going to get married, and to the daughter of the Grand Princess, a noble lady among noble ladies, made Zhu Qingyu feel a long sense of relief.

A girl from the Wen family, whose family background is even higher than that of the Duke's mansion, would never tolerate Gu Zhao having a confidante outside. Gu Zhao will probably take the initiative to cut off contact with her in the future.

However, for Gu Zhao, if he were to marry a girl from the Wen family, he would most likely be marrying into the Wen family's social standing. Whether he marries the older sister or the younger sister, it wouldn't really make much difference to him.

So Zhu Qingyu gave Xie Ze some advice:

"As long as you're not engaged, there's still a chance to change things up. Why don't you go ask again? You have to fight for yourself, right?"

Zhu Qingyu's original intention was for Xie Ze to ask the elders in his family, and privately inquire with the Grand Princess, to see if a replacement could be found.

Ask privately, keep it within a small circle. Even if it doesn't work out, the news will only stay between the two families' elders, preventing any further trouble.

Xie Ze misunderstood and ran away:

"Yes, I need to go to the Gu residence and ask if they're engaged yet."

Like a gust of wind, Xie Ze rode off on his beloved little donkey, and Zhu Qingyu couldn't catch up.

An hour later, Xie Ze, who had left in a rash manner, returned in a flurry of activity.

Seeing the joy on his face, Zhu Qingyu asked:

"Is this good news?"

Of course there's good news!

Xie Ze was so happy that he forgot all about the proper boundaries between men and women. As soon as he entered the room, he grabbed Zhu Qingyu's hand and shook it wildly, laughing loudly to the sky:

"Madam Zhu, you are truly my lucky star, my savior! Hahahaha! I made a mistake before, a mistake, a mistake! My cousin Gu was looking at the Zhuang family's daughter, not Miss Wen! Hahahahaha!"

Zhu Qingyu was initially confused as he shook her hand, but when she heard the name "Zhuang Family Girl," she felt that the surname sounded familiar.

In the past few days, in order to find a suitable person who could speak on behalf of Zhang Shen in front of the Emperor, she spent a large sum of money to buy a copy of the imperial register from a clerk in the Ministry of Personnel.

In modern times, the official register was equivalent to a personnel roster, recording the names, official positions, ranks, and addresses of officials at all levels in the imperial court.

By looking at the address, one can easily judge a person's economic situation by how close the official lives to the palace.

The girl who could be considered by Gu Zhao must be at least a fifth-rank official or higher. If she remembered correctly, there was only one person with the surname Zhuang among officials of the fifth rank or higher: Lord Zhuang, the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs.

The Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs was in charge of two things: receiving memorials from both inside and outside the court, which meant managing memorials for the emperor; and handling sealed appeals from the people, which meant managing appeals from the common people against injustices. He was a close confidant of the emperor.

Lord Zhuang's residence is much farther from the palace than her current one. Does he have the financial resources to prepare a dowry for his daughter's marriage to the Duke's mansion?

The landlord must be short of money to hold a wedding, right?

Zhu Qingyu looked at the elated Xie Ze and smiled just as brightly as he did:

"Young Marquis, congratulations! You are my lucky star, my savior!"