The Grand Princess

TGP Chapter 32: Marriage Decree

“Having returned to his youth, a beautiful woman appeared in his dreams again.”
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This was an even more difficult and embarrassing situation than keeping him from marrying a wife.

Pei Wenxuan didn’t say anything else anymore. In his mind, he was thinking about how to gracefully declare that he would be defaulting on his debts while saving face.

The woman still looked at him with a smile pasted on her face, but there was a bit of mockery in her eyes.

After a few moments, Pei Wenxuan finally managed to get a grasp on the situation. He was about to speak when he heard someone anxiously shouting from outside: “Eldest Young Master! Eldest Young Master!”

Everyone turned their heads. Pei Wenxuan saw that the person who came running was the servant who stood watch at the gates of the residence. After thinking about it for a moment, he realized that it might be the imperial marriage decree.

The servant was gasping for breath as he stopped in front of Pei Wenxuan and stammered: “The imperial decree…Eldest Young Master…at the doors…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Pei Wenxuan smiled and turned around to walk out the doors.

Only then did the servant woman who came to demand money react. She hastily came forward to ask the servant who had been on watch, “What imperial decree?”

“People from the Imperial Palace have arrived outside,” The servant caught his breath and proceeded to explain, “Everyone must be present in order for the imperial decree to be read. All the Old Masters, Madams, and Young Masters have already gone over there. It seems that something big is about to happen.”

Everyone looked at one another upon hearing this and hurried to the front courtyard to see what was happening with their own eyes.

When Pei Wenxuan arrived at the doors, he found that the rest of the Pei family were already there. Pei Lixian’s eldest son Pei Wende sneered when he saw Pei Wenxuan coming over and mocked him: “I know my Eldest Brother is full of airs and graces, but the officials from the palace have come, and Eldest Brother is still full of it as ever.”

“Wende,” Pei Lixian stood in front of him with his hands tucked away in his sleeves. He slowly opened his eyes and admonished him: “Silence.”

Pei Wenxuan walked over to Pei Lixian and Pei Liwen. He respectfully saluted: “Second Uncle, Third Uncle.”

Then, he turned to look at his mother, Lady Wen, whom he had not seen in a long time: “Mother.”

Lady Wen nodded at him. Her expressions seemed a bit tired. Once everyone in the Pei family had arrived, Pei Lixian came forward and told the eunuch holding the imperial decree: “Gonggong, the members of the Pei family have all gathered here. Please go ahead.”

The eunuch smiled and nodded. Pei Lixian retreated and heard the eunuch’s sonorous announcement: “Kneel—”

Everyone knelt down in unison. The eunuch began to read the decree aloud with the first half praising Pei Wenxuan. Hearing all of these extravagant words of praise like divine flowers arbitrarily falling from the sky, everyone wordlessly looked over at Pei Wenxuan.

Pei Wenxuan’s expressions were calm. By the time the passage, “The Empress Dowager was very pleased to hear the news and went ahead to bestow a marriage decree to Princess Ping Le” was read aloud, everyone came to a sudden realization. As for the servants hiding the background, their eyes widened one after the other, and they felt a bit foolish.

Pei Wenxuan accepted the imperial decree in an unhurried manner. The eunuch looked at him from head to toe before saying: “Princess Ping Le has always been the one His Majesty favors most. Pei gongzi is truly blessed.”