CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 501 HELP

Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

Several people, including Prince NanAn, stopped their horses.

No servant came to greet them, so after dismounting, they tied up their horses by themselves.

After entering the manor and walking a few steps, they finally saw a servant.

Regarding the lax management of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, Prince NanAn and his companions were quite exhausted.

Every time they visited, they worried about being thrown out for trespassing.

"Is Brother Su in the mansion?" the Heir of Marquis Beining asked the servant.

"The Young Master should be in the study," the servant replied.

After answering, the servant walked away.

He completely lacked the instincts of leading the way that servants from other manors had.

Chu Shun and his party headed straight to Su Chong’s study.

Hmm.

No one was in the courtyard.

There was no servant guarding the study either.

Inside the study.

Su Chong was using a dagger to carve wood, focused and serious.

Knock, knock!

The door was knocked.

"Come in," he said without looking up.

Prince NanAn pushed the door open and walked in.

From a distance, the four saw Su Chong carving wood.

A heap of wood shavings was on the floor.

As they walked in, Su Chong said, "Sweep up the wood shavings on the floor."

Prince NanAn’s face turned dark.

He was a dignified Commandery Prince, after all.

Yet, he was asked to sweep wood shavings?

"Where’s the broom?" Prince NanAn asked.

Only then did Su Chong realize it was Prince NanAn.

He was usually quite vigilant.

But in Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, he wasn’t as alert, especially when he was focused on carving wood.

Su Chong looked at them and said, "Weren’t you training your patience? Why did you come to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion?"

"Brother Su, your news is way too out of touch," Chu Shun walked over and said.

Prince NanAn was interested in Su Chong’s wood carving.

Besides the wood shavings on the desk, there were also several wooden strips of the same length, and the whole room was filled with a faint rosewood fragrance.

"Brother Su, have you taken up woodworking as a trade?" Prince NanAn asked curiously.

He admired Dongxiang Marquis Mansion’s spirit of research.

Whenever they were curious about something, they wanted to research it.

Not just Su Chong, but also Young Master Su.

Unlike them, who just thought of buying when they liked something.

The Heir of Marquis Beining looked at the almost finished wood in Su Chong’s hand and asked curiously, "Brother Su, are you making chopsticks?"

Su Chong, "...."

Were they here to insult his craftsmanship?

Though he only roughly shaped it, it was far from chopsticks, wasn’t it?

"Make a pair for me when you’re done," Prince NanAn said.

"...."

"I want some too," the Heir of Marquis Beining said.

Su Chong’s eye twitched.

"Did you come to find me for something?" he asked.

Prince NanAn looked at him and said, "Brother Su, there’s something urgent we need your help with."

"No," Su Chong replied.

"...."

"Brother Su, you’re rejecting without even asking what it is?" Prince NanAn asked.

"From your relaxed expressions, I didn’t sense anything urgent, just trouble," Su Chong said.

"...."

Who, with an urgent matter, would not dash over but instead show such a leisurely demeanor and chat before getting to the point?

Even in trying to persuade someone, Su Chong was worried for them.

Prince NanAn and the others were worried too.

What if Su Chong didn’t help, yet they had already taken the money?

Boasting and then failing to succeed would be embarrassing.

Seeing their worried expressions, Su Chong grew somewhat curious, "Tell me how you’re planning to get me into trouble."

Chu Shun looked at Su Chong and said, "Brother Su, what we have for you isn’t trouble, it’s a blissful haven."

"What blissful haven?" Su Chong asked.

"Princess Fu Yun of Prince Yun Mansion."

Su Chong’s brow furrowed.

His eyes flicked unnoticed over the rosewood on the desk.

"What do you want me to do?" Su Chong asked.

"We hope you’ll step up and win her," Prince NanAn said.

Su Chong, "...."

Su Chong remained silent.

Prince NanAn said, "Today we went fishing at Longshan Lake. The Heir of Duke Chong was entertaining himself with brothel girls on a pleasure boat, and the Empress Dowager is helping him propose to Princess Fu Yun. Prince Yun can’t bear to see Princess Fu Yun jump into the fire pit and asked the four of us for help."

"We all agree that you, Brother Su, should marry Princess Fu Yun."

Prince NanAn tried to convince Su Chong to agree. He said, "Firstly, in the entire Capital, there aren’t many who dare to challenge the Heir of Duke Chong. You’ve confronted him several times."

"Secondly, you’ve saved Princess Fu Yun, publicly held her, and had physical contact; you should take responsibility for her."

"Thirdly, you’re not getting a wife anyway."

Su Chong just frowned listening to the first two points.

But when Prince NanAn mentioned the third point, Su Chong almost coughed up blood.

Chu Shun looked at him and said, "Before, you were the Young Master of Feihu Village, and no lady from a noble family dared to marry you. Now that you’ve restored your identity as the eldest Young Master of Duke Chong’s Mansion and Lieutenant General of the Flying Tiger Army, we thought the threshold of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion would be worn down by matchmakers. Yet, so many days have passed without anyone coming to propose."

Chu Shun and his companions looked as if they were terribly concerned for Su Chong.

Su Chong didn’t feel like talking any longer.

Is it that he can’t get a wife?

No one dares covet him, that’s what it is!

Friends like these are not to be trusted.

"Brother Su, if you don’t say anything, we’ll take it as a yes," Prince NanAn said.

Su Chong’s mouth twitched, "Are you sure Princess Fu Yun wants to marry me?"

"Well...."

Prince NanAn looked toward Chu Shun and the others.

Chu Shun looked at Su Chong and said, "We don’t know if Princess Fu Yun is agreeable, but Prince Yun certainly is."

Su Chong, "....!!!"

Truly.

A rush of old blood surged to his throat, almost spewing out.

He’s supposed to marry Princess Fu Yun, not Prince Yun. Does it matter whether Prince Yun agrees?

"Brother Su, we’ll take it you agreed to help."

Su Chong’s ears turned slightly red as he gave himself a way out, "This matter requires my parents’ approval."

Prince NanAn and his companions’ expressions turned serious.

They were so focused on finding Brother Su, they forgot about the Marquis Dongxiang and the Dongxiang Marquis’s wife.

A marriage, of course, requires parental consent, otherwise, it’s eloping.

They miscalculated.

They felt the three thousand taels they received would be gone.

Prince NanAn and his party walked heavily to find Mrs. Tang to discuss Su Chong marrying Princess Fu Yun.

Mrs. Tang raised an eyebrow slightly, "Chongchong is willing to help?"

Chu Shun and his companions didn’t dare to lie and said truthfully, "Brother Su asked us to consult Aunt and Uncle."

Mrs. Tang slightly raised her eyebrows.

"I have no objection to that," Mrs. Tang said with a smile.

Prince NanAn and his companions were stunned.

"You should go ask the Duchess of Chong," Mrs. Tang said.

Originally, Mrs. Tang and Marquis Dongxiang never intended to force Su Chong on the matter of marriage.

When Su Chong first came to the Capital and was not allowed to return to the mansion, they had already said that he could decide on his own marriage. Even when Su Chong returned, they hadn’t retracted that statement.

Prince NanAn and his companions then went to find the Duchess of Chong.

Hmm.

The Duchess of Chong not only agreed but also handed over the engagement jade that she and the late Heir of Duke Chong had as a token of betrothal for Princess Fu Yun.

On their way out of the courtyard, Prince NanAn and his friends were in shock.

"It would be nice if my mother was half as easygoing."