Chapter 142: Sharing the News

Chapter 142

Sharing the News

Nie Shuang thought that Second Brother would stay quiet, but after sitting there, red-faced for a while, he finally spoke softly.

"Sister-in-law, could you please not tell her yet? I want to be the one to tell her myself. It’s just, right now, I’m not sure if she likes someone else. I plan to investigate a little more before making any moves."

Nie Shuang secretly rolled her eyes. Investigate? Second Brother was as calm as ice, while the princess burned like fire. What a pair they make!

"Second Brother, when did you start liking her? Haven’t you only met her a few times?"

Besides, every time they met, it was mostly Princess An Le staring at him. Song Ren hardly had any chance to even glance at her.

"I don’t know either. At first, I didn’t even realize she was a princess. I just thought she was different. When she spoke, everything sounded so cute. Didn’t you feel that way, Sister-in-law?"

As he spoke, Song Ren blushed even more and lowered his head, showing only his red ears.

Nie Shuang pretended to question him with slight disapproval.

"Second Brother, are you sure about this? She’s a princess, no matter how beautiful she is, she’s also very headstrong. Besides, if you become an imperial son-in-law, you won’t be able to take any high positions in court. You’re a young man with a bright future ahead. Aren’t you afraid you’ll miss out on a great career and opportunities?"

Song Ren paused to think before responding.

"But without her, I feel like marrying anyone else wouldn’t make a difference. Sister-in-law, the future is uncertain. The princess may not even like me, and His Majesty may not approve of the marriage. But I won’t stop liking her just because of that. I haven’t even started yet, so why should I worry so much? Besides, my ambition isn’t about gaining great power over others. I just want to be happy every day with the person I love. That’s all."

Nie Shuang couldn’t argue with him. Everyone’s goals in life were different. Some sought fame and power, while others pursued wealth. If Song Ren’s choice was to follow his heart and live a happy life, then who could say he was wrong?

"I understand now. Don’t worry, Second Brother, I won’t say anything to the princess."

"Sister-in-law..."

Song Ren rubbed his hands nervously, and Nie Shuang raised her eyebrows.

"What is it?"

"If you’re going to see the princess, could I come along and see her too?"

"..."

Nie Shuang rolled her eyes. The last time they ran into Song Ren at Tianfu Restaurant, Princess An Le made a similar strange request, saying that having Song Ren there helped her appetite. She even asked Nie Shuang to bring him along more often.

If she hadn’t kept an eye on both of them the whole time, she might’ve thought they were plotting together...

Although she knew Song Ren’s request wasn’t necessary anymore, she nodded in agreement. These two were just too in sync! Perhaps it was her who was worrying too much!

The next day, when Song Ren returned from the department office, he was surprised to see a royal carriage from the palace parked outside. He felt a rush of joy—could Princess An Le have come to visit his sister-in-law today? If so, he could pretend to run into her by accident. As he was about to call for a servant to ask where his sister-in-law was, a maid, who seemed to have been waiting for a while, stepped forward and reported,

"Second Young Master, Young Furen has invited you to the main hall."

Just thinking about seeing her brought a smile to his face. As Song Ren stepped into the hall, he composed himself, respectfully greeted Princess An Le before turning to greet his sister-in-law. Princess An Le did not invite him to sit but instead stood up and positioned herself directly in front of him, looking up at him intently.

Nie Shuang raised a hand to her forehead.

She’s doing it again... This young princess was incredibly bold. Meanwhile, Song Ren’s face turned red, and he lowered his eyes, not daring to meet hers. Only after she had satisfied her gaze did the princess finally speak.

"Did you know, Second Young Master, that the Xi Region wants to send their princess to marry General Song as part of a diplomatic alliance?"

Song Ren was stunned. He looked at the princess, seeking an explanation, and saw only her sincere, serious eyes. Nie Shuang was hearing this for the first time as well, causing her to raise her hand to cover her mouth, finally understanding the true reason behind the sudden marriage proposal.

"But my father knows well that Sister Nie is my dear friend, and if he were to approve this marriage, I would never agree. So, he decided to have the princess from the Xi Region marry you instead."

At first, Song Ren secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but upon hearing the end of her sentence, his eyes flickered, and his brow furrowed.

"Are you willing to marry her?"

An Le asked in her usual bright tone, seemingly unbothered by the situation, her eyes wide and fixed on him. Song Ren, locking eyes with her, didn’t need much time to think.

"I am not willing. Please, Your Highness, tell His Majesty to choose a more suitable match than me."

Song Ren’s normally gentle voice now had a tinge of coldness. Had she come here just to inform him that her father intended to marry him off to someone else? She didn’t seem to care at all. It was as if he had misread everything on his own, leaving his gaze tinged with disappointment. An Le couldn’t explain why, but for a fleeting moment, his expression made her heart ache. But she quickly brushed it off. Upon hearing his rejection, she laughed lightly.

"I thought the same. You wouldn’t suit her at all, which is why I’ve asked Father to give you to me instead..."

At these words, Song Ren was utterly flabbergasted. His eyes widened, and he stared at the princess like a fool. Seeing his reaction, An Le waved her hand dismissively.

"No need to be so polite, no need. Second Young Master, you must feel very lucky, don’t you? I couldn’t stand by and let you marry a stranger, so I volunteered to help. You’re far too delicate to handle a princess from such a barbaric land. If I didn’t step in, you’d end up as nothing more than her property."

Princess An Le teased, making light of the situation as if marrying him was no big deal. In the span of just a short conversation over tea, Song Ren’s face shifted from disappointment to surprise, and finally, to joy. In the end, he smiled gently at An Le and knelt to bow.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. I will never forget this favor. Song Ren is willing to serve you as a horse or ox for life."

"A horse or ox? Why would you need to be a horse or ox?"

An Le frowned as she asked in confusion.

"His Majesty has already granted me to Your Highness. Song Ren will gladly serve you to the best of my ability, even giving my life for you, Your Highness."

Song Ren spoke while still kneeling before the princess. Nie Shuang couldn’t help but twitch her lips in amusement. It was the most amusing marriage proposal she had ever witnessed. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, silently laughing as her shoulders shook. The princess caught sight of Sister Nie’s reaction and turned red with embarrassment.

"Stand up at once! Talking about being a servant, or a horse or ox! Is being my husband such a terrible fate?!"

An Le stood with her one hand on her hip, pointing her finger at him in frustration. This man was really hopeless, making her lose face in front of Sister Nie. Did he not understand her simple words? Even her father understood without her having to say much. The princess stomped her foot and glared at Song Ren, her eyes wide with indignation. The young man wasn’t sure if he had heard her wrong—had she just said husband? Confused, he stood up slowly. He couldn’t possibly imagine that the Emperor would bestow him, of all people, with a marriage to the most favored princess. After all, he hadn’t even begun courting her.

Seeing that things might get more confusing if she didn’t step in, Nie Shuang decided to help clarify the situation. She stood up, clasped her hands respectfully to her Second Brother, and spoke:

"Congratulations, Your Highness, the imperial son-in-law."With that, Nie Shuang quickly walked away, but not before catching a glimpse of Song Ren’s face turning a bright shade of pink out of the corner of her eye.