Amur felt a little wronged. "Cousin, I didn't intend to ruin Miss Qi's reputation. I just wanted to play with her."
"In Da Feng, it's customary for boys and girls over seven to not sit together. Although Miss Qi hasn't reached her coming-of-age ceremony, she's at an age where she needs to be mindful. It's not like your homeland where boys and girls of any age can play together," Zhao Qingcheng patiently explained.
"Then can I marry her?" Amur asked after a moment of silence. "I want to marry a woman like my mother."
Zhao Qingcheng's mouth fell slightly open. He was almost twenty and not yet betrothed. If he recalled correctly, his younger cousin was only thirteen this year, and he was already eager to find a wife?
"Your marriage is not something I can decide. Your uncle and the Emperor must both agree," Zhao Qingcheng said after some thought. He decided he needed to speak with his parents immediately upon returning, so they could inform his maternal grandfather! His younger cousin had grown up in a foreign land, where their customs favored directness, and even bride-snatching was considered acceptable. However, these methods wouldn't work in Da Feng. If they didn't make plans early, and he impulsively went to her home or attempted to forcibly take her, it would lead to quite a commotion.
"Then I will tell my uncle when I return," Amur said after considering it.
"You've only met Miss Qi once, haven't you?" Zhao Qingcheng asked.
"Yes, she returned the dagger my mother gave me. I think she's very good," Amur said earnestly. "She has a good temperament, unlike my cousins!"
Thinking of his sisters at home, Zhao Qingcheng didn't see anything wrong with them. They were all gentle and virtuous, embodying the demeanor of young ladies from prominent families. Why did he find them unsatisfactory?
"If you say that, your cousins will surely be hurt if they hear it. They treat you very well, making clothes and shoes for you, and speaking to you gently. Didn't you say you wanted a wife like your aunt? I think their temperaments are very much like your aunt's." Zhao Qingcheng still had some impression of his aunt; he remembered her as a gentle woman.
Amur shook his head. "My cousins are nothing like my mother."
So, that Miss Qi was like his aunt?
Zhao Qingcheng didn't know what to say to his young cousin at that moment, only feeling that although he was young, his mind was quite set.
"Why aren't you walking?" Zhao Qingcheng asked, surprised when he had walked a few steps and Amur hadn't moved.
"I want to wait for Madam Gu to come out," Amur said.
"That's not proper," Zhao Qingcheng felt his head throb. Had all his explanations been in vain?
"Madam Gu is already married, and I am younger than her." The implication was that he wouldn't harm Qi Zhenzhen's reputation.
"But I am older!" Zhao Qingcheng said.
"Then Cousin can go back first. I'll wait here by myself," Amur said after thinking. "Don't worry, I'm very familiar with the way home and won't get lost."
Was this about getting lost? Amur's build was much sturdier than Da Feng boys of the same age. He looked like a boy of fifteen or sixteen, which was inappropriate.
"Madam Gu has already agreed to have her brother send you an invitation to visit the Marquis of Changping's mansion another day. You just need to wait for Qi Yi's invitation. If you pester her like this, it will displease Madam Gu," Zhao Qingcheng advised earnestly.
Amur felt that Da Feng's rules were too numerous. This wasn't allowed, and that wasn't allowed, which was vexing. However, he also knew that Zhao Qingcheng's words were for his own good, so he obediently returned with Zhao Qingcheng.
In Prince Rui's Mansion.
After Amur's incident, more people came to speak with Qi Zhenzhen. Amur had appeared very familiar with Qi Zhenzhen. Although he was a foreigner, he carried half the bloodline of Da Feng's imperial family. Whether it was the Emperor or Prince Jing's mansion, out of consideration for the deceased princess who had married abroad, they would naturally treat her descendants well. Therefore, Amur would have a bright future. Those who befriended him, they couldn't afford to neglect. Furthermore, Princess Rui Ning from Prince Rui's mansion was also very close to this Qi Zhenzhen. And she was now the wife of the heir of the Duke of Protectorate. Befriending such a person was always wise.