Chen Qian's "understanding" words pleased An Yuanliang, and at this moment he already felt that it was really true.
"In that case, to avoid future regrets, why don't you help me settle things first, Lord Marquis? We can exchange betrothal gifts, set a date for the betrothal, and then we can bring the betrothal gifts over and get things done. If the Crown Princess sees that we are truly sincere, she probably won't object."
“As you know, I am the eldest son of my family, so naturally I must return to Yangzhou to get married. Didn’t you say last time that Ninth Miss also grew up in Yangzhou?” Chen Qian said respectfully, “This is truly fate.”
He actually wanted to persuade An Yuanliang to secretly send An Ran to Yangzhou to marry, without telling San Niang or the other women in the family!
After all, An Ran grew up in Yangzhou, so it's not unreasonable for her to go back to Yangzhou.
An Yuanliang's expression shifted slightly.
Seeing that things were going well, Chen Qian added fuel to the fire, promising even more treasures and money. In addition to these, he also said he would give almost half a street of shops in Baoding Prefecture directly to An Yuanliang.
The temptation of being able to freely dispose of this money was too great, and An Yuanliang was tempted.
Anyway, by this time, Jiu Niang's reputation was already ruined. Even if Princess Yunyang promoted her and San Niang protected her, and they managed to marry her off to a high-ranking concubine's son, how much benefit would that bring to the family? It was far less straightforward than what Chen Qian offered.
Besides, he was also thinking of Jiu Niang's best interests.
High-ranking families have strict rules. Even if one day the rumors are proven to be false, so what? The rumors have already spread throughout the capital, and people only want to believe what they want to believe. Jiu Niang will certainly be unable to hold her head high, and her days among her sisters-in-law will surely be difficult.
It would be better to marry Chen Qian, who, although a merchant, is extremely wealthy and has a small household.
He did this for Jiu Niang's own good.
An Yuanliang had almost already agreed with Chen Qian's suggestion in his heart.
Chen Qian had long seen through An Yuanliang's temperament, and he further emphasized An Yuanliang's "unquestionable" status at home and the "respectful and filial" daughter of the Crown Princess, which finally convinced An Yuanliang to make the final decision.
He then forced An Yuanliang to drink several more cups of yellow wine.
"What a wonderful idea, my dear nephew!" In the midst of the wine's flow, An Yuanliang nodded with great enthusiasm: "But let me make this clear from the start, I only agreed because you are truly sincere in your proposal. If you ever dare to betray Ninth Sister in the future, I will not stand for it."
Chen Qian repeatedly assured that he would treat An Ran with utmost care from now on.
"Father-in-law, rest assured, your son-in-law will certainly not mistreat Miss Jiu!"
An Yuanliang smiled with satisfaction.
The father-in-law and son-in-law chatted happily. In the end, Chen Qian was pleased that the task was completed and couldn't help but drink a few more cups.
Two hours passed before the two finally left the restaurant.
This was the first time Chen Qian had ever left in a sedan chair.
An Yuanliang, also drunk, rode in a sedan chair back to the Marquis's residence. He specifically instructed the sedan chair bearers to enter the outer study directly through the side gate so that his wife would not know.
Before he could savor the moment any longer, his family members suddenly arrived.
"My lord, the Emperor has issued a decree to bestow a marriage upon us! He has betrothed our ninth daughter to the Marquis of Pingyuan!"
An Yuanliang sobered up considerably immediately.
The imperial edict had not yet been issued, and they only had a general idea of what was going on.
Anjiu?
An Yuanliang didn't show much joy on his face. He had just agreed to Chen Qian's offer to marry An Jiu to him! Chen Qian had promised him so many benefits, what was he going to do!
"Did you hear that clearly? Are you sure it was Ninth Miss? Not Sixth Miss, Seventh Miss, or the others?" An Yuanliang's face turned pale, and he asked hurriedly, "Is it really her? Speak up!"
When he asked the question so urgently, the messenger was unsure of what to do.
"It seems...it looks like..."
An Yuanliang was furious. "Useless thing! You can't even speak clearly! Go back to the manor!"
Upon hearing this, the sedan chair bearers hurriedly carried the sedan chair back to the Marquis's residence.
The Marquis of Nan'an's residence.
When the imperial decree of marriage was issued, the Marquis's mansion was already in an uproar.
Sixth Sister and Tenth Sister were at most filled with turbulent emotions, but they managed to maintain their composure on the surface. Seventh Sister, however, was furious.
"You've really specified that you're going to bestow a marriage upon An Ran and the Marquis of Pingyuan?" Seventh Sister's face had turned ferocious as she grabbed the messenger maid and asked with almost fierce and sharp words, "Are you sure it's not a marriage between the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion and the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion?"
If that's the case, there's still room for maneuver!
"This servant...this servant is not quite sure..." This maidservant served in Concubine Li's room. Concubine Li heard the news from Madam Zhao and sent a message to her daughter, telling her to be prepared in advance so that she wouldn't be caught off guard.
Her stammering manner reignited Qi Niang's anger.
Seventh Sister swung the teacup at her, staining the maid's white silk dress with tea, and the teacup hit her hard.
She didn't dare to dodge and had no choice but to endure it.
"Useless trash! Get out!"
Seventh Sister roared in fury.
She still couldn't accept that An Jiuniang, whose reputation was already ruined, could be betrothed to the Marquis of Pingyuan!
When An Jiu first returned, she was stunningly beautiful and caught the eye of Third Sister. She was once considered the most likely of the four sisters to marry the Marquis of Pingyuan. However, after An Jiu was sent to the Prince Yi's residence, they all believed that it was impossible for her to marry the Marquis of Pingyuan.
Later, she was betrothed to Fang Ting, which threatened the marriage prospects of Liu Niang and Qi Niang, since the two older sisters had to marry first. This inevitably led to a hasty situation, and for a time, Qi Niang and Liu Niang were almost at each other's throats.
When the rumors about An Ran's infamy spread like wildfire, the two breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of joy.