Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Chapter 40 Betrothal

He Yanxi rushed back to the Prince's mansion in a great hurry and immediately began preparing the betrothal gifts. He generously took out all the rare and precious treasures he had collected over the years, as if he were emptying his entire fortune. Seeing this, the steward, Lan Feng, Lan Yu, and others rushed to help. Lan Yu joked, "Your Highness, are you going to empty out all the treasures in our mansion? Won't we even have money for food later?" Steward Fu Bo smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, His Highness knows what he's doing and won't let you go hungry." Everyone worked together diligently, filling the entire mansion with a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze caressed their faces—a truly perfect day. He Yanxi, carrying lavish betrothal gifts, led a large entourage to the Duke's mansion. Along the way, they attracted the attention of countless passersby. From afar, they could see a large crowd surging towards the Duke's mansion, whispering and discussing amongst themselves. "Which family's young master is so wealthy, sending so many valuable gifts?" someone asked curiously. "Don't you all know? Yesterday, the Emperor issued an imperial decree, betrothing the fourth young lady of the Duke's mansion to the Prince of Zhenbei as his principal wife! I think most of these betrothal gifts are going to the Duke's mansion," another person interjected. Upon hearing this, everyone was amazed, filled with envy for the woman who was about to become the Prince of Zhenbei's wife.

Not long after, He Yanxi arrived at the gates of the Duke's mansion. At that moment, the steward came to announce that Qin Yaoyao's mother had led a large entourage to the front courtyard. As they stepped through the gate, they were greeted by a mountain of betrothal gifts, so much so that the entrance was completely blocked, and many of the betrothal gifts were forced to stand outside because they couldn't squeeze into the courtyard. Upon seeing Qin Yaoyao's family, He Yanxi quickly went forward to greet them and said to Qin Yaoyao's mother, "Auntie, these are the betrothal gifts I brought. Please take a look." Qin Yaoyao's mother examined them and then replied, "Yes, you must be tired from your journey. Please sit down and rest for a while." As soon as she finished speaking, she gestured for the steward to count the gifts, while she led the others inside to enjoy tea and relax. He Yanxi also had the steward participate in the counting. When Butler Xu received the gift list, he was utterly astonished—he had never expected such a generous betrothal gift, each item a rare and priceless treasure! Without a moment's hesitation, Butler Xu hurriedly began checking the list with Uncle Fu. By the time Butler Xu had finished all the checks, a full two hours had passed.

Uncle Fu's face beamed with joy as he smiled at his mother, saying, "Madam, I've finished checking this list!" He then handed the list to his mother. However, she didn't reach for it, but instead softly replied, "Oh, in that case, Yao'er can keep this list safe. After all, this is her betrothal gift!"

Qin Yaoyao was overjoyed upon hearing this. She carefully accepted the gift list, her eyes sparkling with happiness. At that moment, the crowd gathered at the door began to murmur amongst themselves. Someone exclaimed, "Hey, did you see that just now? Those items in the boxes are all rare treasures we've never seen before! The Prince is truly generous!" Immediately, another chimed in, "Yes, this Fourth Miss is truly a blessed person. You know how many men would give up everything to win a woman's heart? The Prince's actions show just how much he loves the Fourth Miss!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. A chorus of praise and envy filled the air, creating a lively and bustling scene. Qin Yaoyao stood quietly to the side, listening to the surrounding chatter, her heart filled with sweetness and contentment. She knew this affection was hard-won and secretly resolved to cherish everything she had.