Time Travel: The Noble Family

Chapter 125: Chapter 55: Ma Peng’s Marriage

Ma Chengteng was momentarily stunned when he heard his old classmate, Lord Zhu, mention matchmaking his son with the legitimate eldest daughter of the Vice Minister of the Central Secretariat from Zhuang Family.

Three seconds later, Ma Chengteng asked, “You mean, the legitimate eldest daughter of Lord Zhuang, the granddaughter of Duke Ning?”

After receiving an affirmative response, Ma Chengteng felt puzzled. Although he really wanted to secure a good marriage for his son, he suspected there was something unusual about the proposal—not out of self-doubt, but because his son really had nothing outstanding. How could he have caught the attention of Lord Zhuang? Nonetheless, he wasn’t going to dismiss such an advantageous match without understanding the situation first. It was still possible that they might indeed strike it lucky.

Lord Zhu replied with a smile, “It’s indeed my nephew’s fortune. It was Lord Zhuang’s legitimate eldest son, who is also the full brother of Eldest Miss Zhuang. He said that during the provincial exams, Peng’er helped him, and through further interactions, he found Peng’er to be honest and reliable, thus he strongly facilitated this marriage.”

Ma Chengpeng thought the reasoning sounded somewhat far-fetched, but he also worried about missing out on such a beneficial match. Lord Zhu seemed to understand this and added with a smile, “Brother Ma can take some time to think it over. There’s no hurry; you can give me your answer tomorrow.”

Ma Chengteng was relieved to hear this, glad he didn’t have to commit immediately. Such a windfall always seemed unsettling, but he also feared regretting a missed opportunity, so having one night to consider was reassuring. On the way back, Ma Chengteng immediately instructed Ma Yuan to investigate both Eldest Miss Zhuang and Eldest Young Master Zhuang. As long as there were no fundamental issues, he would accept the marriage proposal. He also needed to find out if his son truly knew the Eldest Young Master Zhuang.

Ma Chengteng hadn’t paid much attention to his son’s social interactions; it was normal for his son to have his own social circle at his age.

Ma Peng nodded and said, “Yes, during the provincial exams, I saw Brother Changhe fall and was nearly trampled. I was right beside him and instinctively pulled him out of harm’s way, which led to our acquaintance. Father, is there anything inappropriate? Brother Changhe, although younger than me, is a good person.” Ma Peng thought his father was about to meddle in his friendships.

Listening to this, Ma Chengteng felt a weight lift from his heart. The reasons might be strained, but as long as the claims were true, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Of course, he still had to wait for the information Ma Yuan gathered.

Ma Yuan didn’t return until midnight, and he relayed the information to Ma Chengteng: “Old Master, Eldest Miss Zhuang has an impeccable character and competence, and she is beautiful and intelligent, albeit somewhat strong-willed and competitive. Besides that, everything else about her is favorable.”

Ma Chengteng quickly asked, “Is there nothing else?”

Ma Yuan shook his head, “No, Old Master. If we could secure this match for the Eldest Young Master, it would truly be his good fortune.” It wasn’t just the Eldest Young Master’s good fortune but also a boon for the Ma Family. Both the Old Master and the Eldest Young Master were not involved in the family business, so bringing home a capable wife for the Eldest Young Master was optimal. As for Lady Cheng, she was directly overlooked by Ma Yuan.

Ma Chengteng nodded.

Yueyao was tidying up embroidery, and Nanny Deng’s face was bright with joy. It was obvious that there was good news, very good news in fact. Nanny Deng cheerfully said, “Miss, the marriage of your cousin is nearly settled.”

Yueyao was confused, “Mother, didn’t you say before that once cousin passed the imperial examination, the Peng Family would agree to the marriage? The finalization of this marriage is expected, so why such joy?”

Nanny Deng shook her head, “Miss, your cousin isn’t marrying a lady from the Peng Family, but a lady from the Zhuang Family.” Nanny Deng also found this surprising, but clearly, a match with the Zhuang Family was preferable to one with the Peng Family.

Yueyao was shocked, “The Zhuang Family’s lady? Which Zhuang Family?” It must be a suitable match if her uncle agreed, but unfortunately, Yueyao was not very familiar with the families of Capital City.

Nanny Deng said with a smile, “She is the legitimate eldest daughter of Vice Minister Zhuang, from the Ministry of Central Secretariat. Miss, you might not know, but Eldest Miss Zhuang’s mother is the legitimate daughter of Duke Ning and is a full sister to Duke Ning’s Heir. Miss, the Eldest Young Master has indeed found himself a prestigious match.” Regardless of the oddity, it was undeniably a most advantageous match.

Yueyao’s mouth dropped open, “What? Are you talking about the granddaughter of Duke Ning?” The marriage proposal with the Peng Family was already excellent, but now it seemed that they arranged an even better match. It was unbelievably good, making Yueyao feel uneasy. She could not believe that such a windfall could occur.

Nanny Deng’s face was blooming with smiles; Madam had always been worried about the Eldest Young Master, and now that he had passed the examination and been promised such an excellent marriage, how could they not rejoice?