In Mother Han's eyes, an unfilial son was simply one without a brain.
"The eldest Miss Lin was once betrothed to the Crown Prince. There are plenty of good girls in the capital; why should our family invite such trouble?"
"How is it trouble? At the time Miss Lin fell ill, the General's Manor took the initiative to call off the engagement, and the Emperor even expressed his approval of the General's Manor for doing so."
After the eldest Miss Lin broke her engagement with the Crown Prince—who was then still the Prince of Wei—Cheng Shu, a grandson of the General's Manor's old madam from a different surname, had been promoted from a common guard to a Centurion. This clearly showed the Emperor's attitude toward the General's Manor.
Mother Han remained unmoved. "You only think of the Emperor not minding, but what about the Crown Prince?"
If the Crown Prince were magnanimous, it would be fine, but if he were petty, there was no guarantee he wouldn't look unfavorably upon whoever married Miss Lin.
Even if it were only a possibility, why should the Minister's Manor take such a risk?
"The Crown Prince is a generous man—"
Mother Han did not wish to hear it. "You need not say more. In short, I do not agree."
"Mother—" Han Baocheng's eyes were full of disappointment.
Mother Han looked away, refusing to let her heart soften.
Even if the person betrothed to Miss Lin had been someone else, she might have considered it, but that was the Crown Prince—the future Emperor. If he ever became dissatisfied with the Minister's Manor because of Miss Lin, what would become of the family in the future?
"I understand, Mother. Please rest well." After speaking, Han Baocheng walked out silently.
Watching her son's depressed figure depart, Mother Han let out a deep sigh.
Han Baocheng did not return to his room; instead, he left the Minister's Manor and arranged to drink with Yang Zhe.
Seeing him drink cup after cup, Yang Zhe held up his wine cup and asked, "Brother Han, is something weighing on your mind?"
Han Baocheng set down his cup. The slight buzz of the alcohol did not cloud his mind, but rather gave him courage.
Looking at Yang Zhe's handsome face, he spoke: "Brother Yang, I would like to ask for your help."
"Please speak, Brother Han," Yang Zhe replied in a gentle tone.
Han Baocheng gripped the wine cup on the table. "My family once sought to marry the eldest Miss Lin; you know this."
Yang Zhe nodded.
"She is still unmarried... I still wish to marry her."
Yang Zhe's eyes flickered slightly. "What do you need me to do, Brother Han?"
"I want to ask Brother Yang to test the waters with the Crown Prince to see if he would mind." Steeling himself, Han Baocheng revealed his plan. "If the Crown Prince shows no displeasure, I wish to ask him to find a matchmaker of suitable status to facilitate this marriage."
Han Baocheng placing his final hope in the Crown Prince was not merely an impulsive act.
Back when the Crown Prince was still the Prince of Wei, because Yang Zhe had a close personal friendship with him, Han Baocheng had had considerable contact with the Prince as Yang Zhe's friend. He could tell that the Crown Prince was a generous man.
Pursuing a desired result always carried risks, but knowing the Crown Prince's character, Miss Lin was worth the attempt.
Being timid certainly carried no risk, but he would miss the girl he liked. He did not want to grow old and regret why he hadn't tried harder back then.
"I will ask for you, Brother Han," Yang Zhe agreed immediately.
Han Baocheng raised his glass. "Many thanks, Brother Yang."
Yang Zhe smiled faintly. "Between us, saying such things is being too formal."
Yang Zhe soon found an opportunity to mention the matter to the Crown Prince: "Brother Han is a straightforward man. Back when his family took an interest in Miss Lin and intended to propose, he became devoted to her. Now, seeing that Miss Lin remains unmarried, he wishes to seek her hand, but has faced strong opposition from his family."
Upon hearing Yang Zhe mention Lin Chan, the Crown Prince was momentarily stunned.
It had been a long time since he had heard anyone mention the eldest Miss Lin. Recalling it now, his engagement to her felt as distant as if it had happened in a previous life.
"Has Miss Lin recovered from her illness?"
"I heard she has recovered well."
"That is good." The Crown Prince smiled with relief. "Miss Lin is a good girl. If she could be joined in marriage with Baocheng, it would be a good thing."
"Unfortunately, his family does not agree."
"Because she was once betrothed to me?" The Crown Prince understood the crux of the matter without needing to think. He sighed, "Speaking of which, I have always felt uneasy about breaking the engagement while Miss Lin was gravely ill. If she were to miss a good marriage because of me, I would feel even more unsettled."
He had felt some regret when breaking the engagement with Miss Lin, but if Yang Zhe hadn't mentioned it today, he wouldn't have even checked on her condition for months. If he were to feel unpleasant simply because Miss Lin was discussing marriage with another, how would he be any different from that certain elder brother?
Thinking of this, the Crown Prince developed the idea of playing matchmaker for Han Baocheng and Miss Lin.
If all the noble houses held the same view as the Han family of the Minister's Manor, resulting in no one daring to propose to Miss Lin, wouldn't people always keep thinking of him?
Such a situation was uncomfortable just to imagine.
The Crown Prince quickly came up with a plan: "How about this? I will have my teacher ask Minister Han for his thoughts. If both the Han and Lin families are interested, I will let my teacher act as the matchmaker."
The teacher the Crown Prince mentioned was originally the Professor of the Administrative Office of the Prince's Mansion, named Chen Fuli. The Crown Prince had always treated him with the respect due to a teacher. With his status, appearing as a matchmaker would undoubtedly carry great weight and clearly signal the Crown Prince's intent.
When Han Baocheng heard this news from Yang Zhe, he could not contain his excitement. "The Crown Prince really said that?"
Yang Zhe pulled his sleeve out of Han Baocheng's tight grip and laughed. "In a matter like this, would the Crown Prince lie to you?"
"Many thanks, Brother Yang!" Han Baocheng bowed deeply.
"It is the Crown Prince's benevolence; I did little." Yang Zhe avoided the bow and reminded him, "Brother Han had best give your grandfather a heads-up first."
"Yes, I will go tell Grandfather right now. I'll treat Brother Yang to a proper feast another day."
Han Baocheng bid farewell to Yang Zhe and hurried to Taoran Pavilion to buy a roasted chicken, carrying it back to the Minister's Manor.
It happened to be a day of rest, a rare time when Minister Han was at home.
"Grandfather, your grandson has brought you some snacks for your wine," Han Baocheng said with a smile, placing the oil-paper-wrapped roasted chicken on the table.
He had a handsome appearance with large eyes and thick brows; his smile was very pleasing to elders. Looking at his beaming eldest grandson, Minister Han couldn't help but curl his lips. "Roasted chicken from Taoran Pavilion? Baocheng still knows how to care for his grandfather. Come, let us have a few drinks."
The grandfather and grandson ate the roasted chicken and drank a bit of wine, adding a plate of fragrant fried peanuts.
Seeing the timing was right, Han Baocheng gave a cheeky grin. "Grandfather, the Crown Prince wants to match me with Miss Lin. What do you think?"
"Pfft—" Minister Han sprayed a mouthful of wine and glared at his grandson. "What did you say?"
"The Crown Prince suddenly felt that Miss Lin and I are a well-matched pair of talent and beauty, and he wants to facilitate it—"
"Drinking a few cups and talking nonsense. Go, go, go, get back to your room immediately." Minister Han didn't believe a word of it and shooed his grandson away like a fly.
The next day after leaving the office, Minister Han encountered Chen Fuli.
"Lord Chen is inviting me for drinks?" Although Minister Han found it unexpected, he didn't show it on his face. "That is wonderful; I was just worrying that I had no drinking companions."
Although Chen Fuli's official rank was not high, he had tutored the Crown Prince and naturally could not be offended.
Wait, the Crown Prince?
Looking at the smiling face of Chen Fuli, Minister Han suddenly remembered what his grandson had said.
(End of Chapter)