Chapter 590: He Wouldn’t Dare, I Can Summon Wind and Rain

Chapter 590: Chapter 590: He Wouldn’t Dare, I Can Summon Wind and Rain

After a brief moment of shock, a feverish joy ignited in Mo Lingwei’s sharp eyes.

"Of course, I’m willing."

It was as if he’d been struck dizzy by an immense wave of joy.

Right in front of Xie Suzhi and the others, Mo Lingwei swept Shen Ningning up and spun her around once.

The Black Wolf King immediately leaped off the stool and pounced, rising up to swat Mo Lingwei on the head with its paws.

Shen Ningning couldn’t stop laughing. "Put me down first! I’m not finished talking!"

Mo Lingwei quickly set her down.

Then, he turned to the dumbfounded Xie Suzhi and the others, declaring resolutely, "Uncle Xie, please accept my bow. Once I return, I will inform my father of this matter and arrange for the Ministry of Rites to make a formal proposal."

"Wait!" Shen Ningning cut in. "There’s no rush. Father said he’s taking me to travel the world. I think it won’t be too late to get engaged after I return."

Mo Lingwei hesitated.

It wasn’t that he disapproved, but he worried that delays could lead to complications.

’I waited so long for her to finally agree. What if she comes back from her travels and changes her mind?’

Seeing that there was still room for negotiation, the shocked expression on Xie Suzhi’s face eased slightly.

"Crown Prince, let’s not trouble the Emperor with this for now. It will be time enough to discuss it after I bring my daughter back to the Capital City."

Mo Lingwei thought for a moment, then said decisively, "I’ll travel with you."

"What?" Xie Ming’an could no longer sit still.

Xu Jingxi, standing to the side, gently shook his head. "Your Highness, you are the Crown Prince. With the Emperor currently unwell, most of the court’s affairs rely on your decisions. If you were to go off traveling, who would manage the government?"

Mo Lingwei subconsciously looked toward Xie Suzhi.

Xie Suzhi immediately cupped his hands. "The Emperor has already approved my resignation and retirement, Crown Prince. The new Prime Minister will not take office for another six months."

The implication was that Mo Lingwei could only rely on himself.

Mo Lingwei furrowed his brows, thinking hard. ’Are there any other veteran officials in the court I can rely on?’

’Grand Tutor Ye? He’s too old. I’m afraid such tedious government affairs would work him to death.’

Mo Lingwei then looked at Xu Jingxi.

Xu Jingxi’s expression changed. "Crown Prince, I do not yet hold an official post."

’I haven’t even taken the imperial examinations, and he wants me to do such an arduous job?’

Shen Ningning couldn’t help but laugh. She said to Mo Lingwei, "You’re not going anywhere. I wasn’t planning on taking you with me, anyway."

"Why not? If you take me, the travel guards, accommodations, entertainment... it’ll all be on me."

"After I get married, there will be plenty of time to spend with you, but the time I have to spend with my father and family will become less. So, brother, you have to be good, all right? Just stay in the Capital City and help Uncle Emperor with the affairs of the state." As she spoke, Shen Ningning stood on her tiptoes, reaching out to pat Mo Lingwei’s head.

He instinctively bent over, lowering his head. Shen Ningning stroked it twice. To outsiders, it really looked like she was soothing a small animal.

Xie Mingxu and the others watched, their hearts sinking.

The Black Wolf King let out a derisive snort.

Though others saw it as improper behavior, Mo Lingwei was completely taken with it.

He thought for a moment and felt that what Shen Ningning said was very reasonable. As unwilling as he was, he could only nod.

"Alright," he said, his sharp eyes dark. "But before you leave the Capital City, why don’t we hold the engagement ceremony first?"

For the Imperial Family to take a wife, the procedures were complex and numerous.

For the engagement alone, Shen Ningning would first have to submit her "Eight Characters" to the Astronomical Bureau for them to assess their marital compatibility. This step alone would take at least over ten days.

Only if their birth characters were deemed compatible could they proceed to the next step: the presentation of betrothal gifts.

Since Shen Ningning was going to be traveling, it was reasonable to submit her birth characters first.

At the same time, she would also have to accompany Mo Lingwei to present their birth characters before the ancestral tablets of the previous emperors in the Imperial Ancestral Hall.

If the formal birth character cards were not damaged or lost within seven days, they could then be handed over to the Astronomical Bureau.

Shen Ningning didn’t think Mo Lingwei’s request was unreasonable.

Since she had decided to marry him, it was only right for her to cooperate with such procedures.

Just as she was about to agree, Xie Suzhi abruptly stood up. "Wait, Ningning. You just wait."

With a complex look in his eyes, he glanced at Mo Lingwei before his gaze finally settled on his own daughter.

"Come with Father for a moment." Xie Suzhi called Shen Ningning over to the side hall behind the screen.

While the father and daughter were speaking alone, Grandma Qin, who had been smiling warmly without saying a word, finally spoke. "Xiao Mo, come sit. There are pastries and tea here. Eat while you wait."

"Thank you, Grandma." The address came naturally to Mo Lingwei.

He had just sat down when he felt several icy gazes sizing him up.

From left to right, they belonged to Xie Mingxu, Xie Ming’an, and the Black Wolf King.

The gazes from Second Master Xie and Xu Jingxi were still somewhat friendly, but they also held a hint of distance.

’It seems the one I want to marry is truly the Xie family’s treasured darling.’

Recalling Xie Suzhi’s attitude last time, Mo Lingwei glanced worriedly toward the area behind the screen.

’Will Xie Suzhi persuade Shen Ningning to change her mind?’

Behind the screen, Xie Suzhi was indeed giving Shen Ningning his advice on the matter.

"I think you’re being too hasty. Even if you genuinely want to marry him right now, there’s no need to rush. Why not travel for a while and make your decision when you return? By then, you might have had a change of heart and no longer wish to marry the Crown Prince."

Shen Ningning gave a soft, helpless laugh. "Father, I like my brother. I’m not going to fall for someone else."

"That’s not necessarily true," Xie Suzhi quickly retorted, deliberately putting on a stern face. But the look he gave Shen Ningning was still filled with a father’s loving concern.

He was still afraid his daughter would suffer if she married into the Imperial Palace.

’A man’s heart is like glass—utterly unreliable.’

’He professes his love now, but perhaps after some time, his heart will change.’

’By then, I’ll be old. What will happen to my daughter? Will I just have to let others bully her?’

Shen Ningning said with a smile, "Father, if it were someone else, would you truly be willing to let me marry?"

Xie Suzhi was silent for a moment. "At least find someone your brothers can keep in check. You want to marry the Crown Prince. If he mistreats you in the future, how can we help you get justice?"

"If he bullies me, I’ll get justice for myself. Father, I don’t have the kind of personality that just accepts being wronged. If he becomes heartless, I’ll leave him."

Shen Ningning said it lightly, having clearly considered this issue long ago.

But how could Xie Suzhi possibly be at ease?

He advised her earnestly, hoping only that she would wait a little longer.

Unexpectedly, after listening in silence for a long while, Shen Ningning suddenly asked a question.

"Father, back when you asked for Mother’s hand in marriage, did you also make a vow like this? You said you would be good to her for your entire life, and you truly kept that promise. If Mother had been like me back then, afraid you’d have a change of heart later and rejected you because of it, would you have felt it was a great pity?"

This time, it was Xie Suzhi’s turn to be stunned.

He abruptly flicked his sleeves and turned away, hiding the look of longing for his wife in his eyes. His tone was a little stubborn. "My situation back then was different from yours."

"How was it different? Back then, you were already beginning to distinguish yourself in the court, while Mother was a poor girl with no background, who was even being bullied by the Qi Family."

"Your mother was formidable back then. She could summon the wind and rain. If I had betrayed her, I might have been drowned by a great flood the moment I stepped outside."

Shen Ningning put her hands on her hips, full of righteous confidence. "I can do that too! If he betrays me, I’ll strike him dead with a bolt of lightning!"