Chapter 880 -s 886–887: Zhao Yushu’s Younger Brother, Cabinet

The First Year of Zhenghe, early October.

Western River Land.

The Chai Family was considered one of the top families in Ming River County, located in the Western River Land. Although it was not as prestigious as the Liang, Wu, or Xiao families, nor even comparable to the Ning Family to which Ning Wan belonged, it was still much larger than the Yi, Li, and Wang families in Pingting County back then.

The head of the Chai Family, Chai Jing, was also a Fifth-Grade Martial Artist, regarded as a strong figure in Ming River County.

By late autumn, in the southeastern corner of the backyard of the Chai Residence, the leaves of the Phoenix Tree had turned yellow. As a clear breeze blew by, the dry leaves rustled to the ground, carpeting the entire courtyard.

Chai Jing had many sons but only one daughter, Chai Ling, whom he cherished very dearly.

At this moment, Chai Ling was sitting on a stone bench under the Phoenix Tree, sipping fragrant tea and reading scriptures. At the age of sixteen, she had a graceful appearance with her eyebrows exuding a gentle and tranquil scholarly aura, giving people a feeling of refined elegance.

Suddenly, Chai Ling looked up, seeing a man in a brocade robe, about fifty years old, step into the courtyard. Chai Ling stood up with a smile, "Father, you’re here."

Chai Jing nodded, then sighed, "Ling’Er, that lad from the Zhao family has come looking for you again."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Chai Ling’s face vanished, replaced by an expression of unmistakable disdain. She walked forward, holding onto Chai Jing’s arm, "Father, didn’t you tell him to bring a betrothal gift of two hundred thousand taels before coming back? Why is he here again? He has no sense at all..."

"He said his parents have already gone to raise the money and hoped we could give him some time."

"What? He actually went to do it, wasn’t he supposed to be discouraged? This person has latched onto our Chai Family." Chai Ling’s expression of disdain deepened, then she spoke coldly, "Father, can’t we just refuse outright?"

"Ah, Ling’Er, you were the one who fancied that Zhao kid in the first place, and I asked the matchmaker to arrange this marriage for you, and now you want me to cancel it? Once a marriage is set, it’s not easy to cancel." Chai Jing frowned.

"Father, I liked him before because his sister was the Empress of the Great Song, but now that the Great Song no longer exists, and his sister is no longer the Empress, how embarrassing would it be for me to still marry him given how impoverished the Zhao family is? My friends would mock me."

The reason Chai Ling noticed Zhao Yushu’s brother, Zhao Yao, was because, as the cherished daughter of the Chai Family, she often attended poetry and tea gatherings in Ming River County, where she interacted with the sons and daughters from various noble families and made some friends.

Most of these friends had engagement agreements, with partners who were either wealthy or noble, which incited Chai Ling’s competitive spirit. She thought, no matter how noble those people were, could they be nobler than the Royal Family?

After some inquiries, she learned about Zhao Yao and orchestrated several "chance encounters," successfully making Zhao Yao fall for her.

In the end, what Chai Ling valued was Zhao Yao’s identity as a member of the Royal Family.

Now that Zhao Yao was no longer part of it, Chai Ling naturally lost interest.

"A joke? You understand being a joke. The engagement between the Chai and Zhao Families was witnessed by several families in Ming River County. Now that the Zhao Family has lost its Royal Family status, if the Chai Family goes to annul the marriage, wouldn’t that make us look opportunistic? Where would face lie then?" Chai Jing said.

"Well... I don’t care if you don’t want me to marry him, then... than I won’t live anymore," Chai Ling argued stubbornly.

"Ling’Er, you..." Chai Jing felt quite annoyed, but he couldn’t bear to scold or hit his only daughter. Helplessly, he sighed, "Fine, fine, I’ll let you make a fuss this time, but not again."

"Thank you, Father, I knew you were the best," Chai Ling smiled.

"Someone, call in the Zhao family lad," Chai Jing said to those outside the room.

Someone answered from outside.

"Father will go to the main hall to explain to the Zhao family lad," Chai Jing said.

"Father, I’ll go with you."

...

Chai Family’s Main Hall.

Zhao Yao stood with a nervous expression. Although there were chairs nearby, and the servants of the Chai Family had invited him to sit and wait, Zhao Yao dared not, looking very restrained.

However, his mood was quite excited.

Recently, he hadn’t even been able to enter the main gate of the Chai Family Residence, and Chai Ling wouldn’t see him.

For this reason, he was even angry with his sister, believing that it was because of her that things had turned out this way.

The reason he hadn’t gone with his parents to the Capital to fetch his sister wasn’t because of this engagement, but because he was sulking with his parents and his sister, who was far away in the Capital.

After his parents left, Zhao Yao practically visited the Chai Family every day looking for Chai Ling, because Chai Ling once told him, "I want your attitude."

So Zhao Yao intended to move Chai Ling with his persistence, making her feel that he truly loved her.

Now, he felt that Chai Ling was touched, which is why he could come in.

"I knew Ling’Er had feelings for me in her heart," Zhao Yao silently encouraged himself.

At that moment, he heard footsteps coming from outside. When he turned to look and recognized the person coming, he joyfully said, "Uncle Chai, where is Ling’Er?"

Chai Jing’s expression momentarily stiffened, forcing a smile, "Little Yao, have a seat first. Uncle Chai needs to talk to you."

Saying this, he personally took Zhao Yao’s hand and invited him to sit.

This action by Chai Jing made Zhao Yao even more excited. He thought Uncle Chai had been moved by him and would no longer stop him from seeing Ling’Er.

However, once he sat down, Chai Jing’s following words sent him from heaven into hell.

"Uncle Chai, you... you want to cancel the engagement. Why? Ling’Er and I truly love each other..."