By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 263 Changes

Zuo Mingxuan arrived the next day after receiving the news.

Now married, Zuo Mingxuan has tied her hair up in a traditional Chinese updo and is wearing a light blue gauze dress. Compared to before her marriage, she has lost some of her playfulness but gained more charm.

Of course, he still looked good when he opened his mouth.

She first circled around Pei Rujing, then clicked her tongue and said, "I thought I'd be pregnant before the county princess."

Pei Rujing glanced at her: "Who gave you that confidence?"

"I heard the child kicks people, has Your Highness noticed?"

Zuo Mingxuan looked on with curiosity.

Granny Feng explained, "That will only happen when the month comes, and the county princess is only a month old now."

According to later accounts, it is still just an embryo, without hands and feet, and cannot kick people even if it wanted to.

Zuo Mingxuan nodded to indicate that she understood: "Oh."

Pei Rujing looked at her: "Didn't you go out for a trip with Fang Er? When did you get back?"

Because Fang Sichu was unambitious and held no official position, he had a lot of free time. Not long after marrying Zuo Mingxuan, the couple left the capital for a trip, like wild horses that had broken free, and there was no news of them for several months.

Zuo Mingxuan said, "It's quite a coincidence. I only returned to the capital yesterday and learned that the county princess is pregnant."

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was fate: "Maybe God thinks I'm suited to be the child's godmother."

"impossible!"

Pei Rujing refused without hesitation: "My child only needs one mother, me."

Zuo Mingxuan tried to persuade Pei Rujing: "Wouldn't it be good for him to have another godmother who dotes on him?"

"There will be many people who care about him; he doesn't need you."

Zuo Mingxuan: "...Okay."

Zuo Mingxuan looked around: "Has Lord Wen gone to his shift?"

"Um."

With Granny Feng and Physician Wang in the mansion, Pei Rujing won't get into any trouble. Besides, Pei Rujing is only one month pregnant, and Wen Zongji can't possibly keep an eye on her for nine months. He still has to go on duty when necessary.

"Upon learning that the county princess is pregnant, is Lord Wen overjoyed?"

"Of course I'm happy."

"So, will you two be sleeping in separate rooms from now on?"

Pei Rujing frowned: "Why?"

Zuo Mingxuan raised an eyebrow: "Since you two can't have sex anymore, isn't it too cruel for Lord Wen to be able to look at this beautiful woman but not touch her?"

After getting married, Zuo Mingxuan spoke even less restraint.

"What's the big deal? It's not like he hasn't been through it before."

"You mean when you have your period, Princess? That only lasts a few days, how can that be the same as this?"

"No," Pei Rujing was about to retort, but then she remembered that she and Wen Zongji hadn't consummated their marriage at the beginning and couldn't tell others, so she changed her tone and said, "You don't need to worry about our affairs."

Anyway, Zuo Mingxuan only asked one question and quickly changed the subject: "When I returned to the capital this time, I heard that the Capital Gazette Bureau had set up an intelligence section, and Lord Wen has become the focus of attention in the capital again because of this?"

"I don't care about these things."

Zuo Mingxuan chuckled: "Then let's talk about 'Floating Life Chronicles'. I heard that the sales of its individual issues are excellent, and Floating Life Chronicles is recognized as the number one newspaper in the capital."

Pei Rujing said smugly, "Don't you even know who did it?"

"Sister-in-law—"

As the two were talking, Wen Shuyu walked in.

Seeing that Zuo Mingxuan was also there, she greeted her, "Sister Xuan."

Zuo Mingxuan nodded: "It's been several months since I last saw you. Sister Yu has grown even more beautiful. She has reached marriageable age, so it's time to arrange a marriage."

Wen Shuyu's coming-of-age ceremony has been held. Because of Wen Zongji's influence, her coming-of-age ceremony was quite grand. Madam Jiang invited some women who were on good terms with the Marquis's family, and members of the Mahjong Newspaper who were on good terms with Wen Shuyu also came.

Wen Zongji was still outside at the time, but he had already prepared the coming-of-age ceremony gift and asked Pei Rujing to deliver it to Wen Shuyu on his behalf.

Wen Shuyu blushed slightly and walked to Pei Rujing's side: "I will listen to my mother and sister-in-law."

Pei Rujing happened to want to talk to her: "What kind of man do you like? Why don't you tell me? I can find someone who suits your taste."

Although Wen Shuyu's personality had become more outgoing, she was still easily embarrassed. Upon hearing this, she lowered her head even further.

Zuo Mingxuan laughed: "It seems that Sister Yu is too shy to say it."

Pei Rujing glanced at her: "Not everyone is as shameless as you."

Zuo Mingxuan: "...Princess, that's going too far."

Why did they suddenly start attacking her personally?

Pei Rujing grasped Wen Shuyu's hand: "Your brother means to find someone from a respectable family, someone ambitious, whose family background doesn't have to be great, but who is caring and considerate."

Wen Shuyu said in a deep voice, "Shuyu will listen to his elder brother."

This means agreeing with Wen Zongji's demands.

Pei Rujing smiled and said, "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you according to this requirement."

She was afraid that Wen Shuyu would be too proud and insist on marrying someone from a good family.

Although Wen Shuyu's status in the Marquis's mansion has improved considerably because of Wen Zongji, she is ultimately just the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyong. Marrying into a family with such a high social standing is not necessarily a good thing for her.

Of course, too low is definitely not good either.

At the very least, one must hold an official position.

Having a respectable family background does not mean being poor, and Wen Zongji did not want Wen Shuyu to suffer with someone.

Wen Shuyu originally came to visit Pei Rujing, but as soon as she arrived, Pei Rujing brought up her marriage to Zuo Mingxuan. Wen Shuyu was so shy that she left after a short while.

Zuo Mingxuan sighed, "These girlish thoughts before marriage are a long time ago for us."

Pei Rujing was somewhat speechless: "Judging from your tone, it's as if we're very old."

Zuo Mingxuan lay on the table: "I'm not very old, but I'm no longer innocent. I've only been married for a few months, and I already feel like I'm not naive anymore."

"...You were never innocent, don't try to make yourself look good."

She had been listening attentively to Zuo Mingxuan just moments before, and almost forgot about Zuo Mingxuan's personality.

Zuo Mingxuan looked indignant: "How dare the county princess slander me?!"

Pei Rujing calmly ate a piece of pastry.

……

"Has Madam Fang visited?"

Wen Zongji took off his official robes and asked.

Pei Rujing paused for a moment before realizing that Wen Zongji was talking about Zuo Mingxuan: "Yes, come and talk to me... Zuo San said before that many things changed after we got married, but I didn't really feel it. It was only after hearing how you addressed her that I realized that things have indeed changed."

Because Pei Rujing held the title of Princess Anhe County, even after she married Wen Zongji, both outsiders and members of the Marquis's household still addressed her as Princess Anhe, and no one called her "Madam Wen".

But Zuo Mingxuan is different. After marrying Fang Sichu, she is more than just the eldest daughter of the Zuo family; she is Fang Sichu's wife. In the eyes of outsiders, the title of Mrs. Fang is obviously more important.

Wen Zongji walked to her side: "No matter what you call her, she is still the same person. The name is just a label."

Even in later generations, women would take their husband's surname after marriage, let alone now.