Chapter 425: Chapter 425

"The heir of the Duke of Wei? So this is your target family?"

Curiously watching the young man who was clearly utterly captivated by the plant before him, then looking back at its own host who was leisurely preparing tea and was evidently in a rather good mood, the system couldn't help but ask in puzzlement.

Although the cheap brother-in-law had invited quite a few friends this time, the most eye-catching among them was clearly this man.

The man before them wore a moon-white brocade robe, held an ivory-bone fan, had a slender and tall build, and his features were also refined and handsome. There seemed to be faint images of green bamboo on his sleeves, and his hair was simply tied up with a single jade hairpin.

He looked like a rather handsome gentleman, if one ignored his noticeably overly pale complexion and the occasional light cough.

"Ah, a sickly beauty?"

"Host, you actually type?"

But as soon as the words left its mouth, thinking of its host's temperament, the system itself was the first to veto the idea.

It seems the family situation is probably quite satisfactory?

He's clearly afraid of mistreating his precious son.

That makes sense, the system couldn't help but mutter to itself.

Unlike the clearly declining Changping Earl's Manor, the Duke of Wei in his early years was brave and skilled in battle, having achieved many military merits on the frontier.

Otherwise, he couldn't have maintained the position of Duke to this day. Even considering the Duke's early achievements, the title passed down probably wouldn't be downgraded too severely.

Even if it couldn't be inherited at the same rank, it would at least be a Marquisate.

With such a huge, tempting prize right there, and his own precious son being a fragile thing that might topple over in a strong wind, if he really brought in a stepmother, forget about smoothly marrying and having children, his precious son's bones would probably be cold within a couple of years.

After all, he was the only child left by his childhood sweetheart and cousin.

"Not gonna lie, this Duke of Wei is quite considerate!"

An Ning couldn't help but laugh. Considerate, indeed! To be able to navigate the perilous officialdom with such ease, it would be strange if he truly had no schemes at all.

It all depends on whether he cares enough.

The system nodded secretly. That's true.

But just by looking at the situation in the inner household, it understood why its host chose this one.

No mother-in-law, no stepmother, that's truly fantastic!

Yes, fiddling with the tea set in her hands, An Ning rarely nodded in agreement.

The reason for choosing this one, the power and influence of the Duke's household was only one factor. The most important thing was this inner household environment: no mother-in-law above, no legitimate younger sisters-in-law below. Apart from the precious heir son born to his dear cousin, the few illegitimate sons below were usually not in this old Duke's eyes.

With these conditions, even if the power and status were a few grades lower, it would still be her first choice.

As for the future cheap husband's health condition, looking like he might not live much longer, this point might make many young maidens in the capital hesitate, but for her, it was actually the least concerning and least important thing.

Just as Third Sister said, if it were truly perfect in every way, it definitely wouldn't be their turn, right?

"And being frail and sickly isn't without its benefits!" An Ning couldn't help but stroke her chin:

Not only would it be peaceful, but even if there were no illegitimate children in the future, the blame wouldn't easily fall on her head.

If the cheap husband in the future truly didn't suit her wishes, him falling gravely ill and not recovering would be even less likely to arouse suspicion.

Not yet aware of its host's dangerous thoughts, the system nodded subconsciously:

"That's true too. Apart from flowers and plants, and an appreciation for refined elegance, this heir doesn't seem to have any other bad habits."

Afraid of harming his health, even at eighteen, his personal life is still quite clean.

Although this also has to do with the temporary lack of a mistress in the inner household.

"Host, did you already have plans for this? Is that why you started learning this two years ago?"

The system wore an expression that said 'as expected of you', planning so far ahead.

Alright, the system really can't take a compliment! She rolled her eyes at it in exasperation:

"No matter when, having a solid skill to establish oneself is obviously particularly necessary."

Especially when one is clearly in a disadvantaged position...

The facts were indeed so. In the following days, while An Ning was still leisurely tending to her flowers, occasionally bickering with her Third Sister. Lady Jiang, who had received news from her eldest daughter, was visibly stunned for a moment:

"Are the flowers Little Five cultivates really that precious?"

Although An Ning had been fiddling with these things for quite some time now, earlier, just as Eldest Sister said, no one in the household paid it any mind. Apart from her frequent failures early on, everyone just treated it as a child's whimsical play.

As time passed, even the First Madam stopped inquiring.

"Exactly, Mother, you have no idea. Because of this, my husband has actually managed to make quite a few connections recently."

The Eldest Young Lady's tone couldn't help but carry some excitement.

After all, literary pursuits were especially revered in this dynasty. Even among the children of nobility and officials, quite a few enjoyed dabbling in refined elegance.

A single pot of rare black chrysanthemums worth a fortune was enough to attract many who loved this art. Han Xu himself was also sociable and skilled in interactions, so it wasn't surprising he could use this to build connections.

Thus, upon returning this time, the gifts he brought back for his sister-in-law were all rare treasures that the Eldest Young Lady Zhou had meticulously selected for a long time. Among them was even an extremely valuable set of hair ornaments that her mother-in-law had specifically sent before their departure.

Seeing the evident happiness mixed with a confident, earnest look in her daughter's eyes, Lady Jiang finally completely dropped her suspicion.

"I never expected Little Five to have such talent."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the First Madam immediately became happy.

The art of gardening and flower cultivation naturally fell under refined elegance. Even a craftsman, if they truly reached the pinnacle, could be called a master. How much more so for a proper young lady of noble birth.

Forget about the economic value for a moment. Just the connections one could make through this were the truly immeasurable value here.

Especially the literary circles that people of their noble status usually found difficult to penetrate.

"Little Five, that child, has indeed been clever and responsive since she was little," the First Madam said with a happy expression.

In her heart, she was thinking that it seemed she needed to add a few more pages to Little Five's dowry list. And with this development, the families she had been considering earlier were no longer suitable.

"Exactly!" Still unaware of the various considerations in her mother's mind, the Eldest Young Lady Zhou couldn't help but smile broadly as she reminisced:

"Mother, you have no idea. When we three sisters stood together as children, even the butterflies in the garden would uniquely love to flutter around Fifth Sister!"

Seeing her , Lady Jiang couldn't help but laugh:

"Alright, alright, I know you sisters are close. Now that you're back, those two are probably waiting eagerly..."