The Romance of the West Chamber: The Bells are Ringing

The corners of Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's mouth turned up slightly, revealing a hint of confidence. Du Que and Zhang Sheng stood respectfully in front of her, staring at her majesty.

Mrs. Cui finally broke the silence, her voice clear and gentle: "Zhang Sheng, although your plan is good, marrying a daughter is not a trivial matter. At the beginning, I promised to marry my daughter to someone who can fight off the traitors, but in my opinion, now It is the general who defeats the rebels." She pointed at Du Que gently with her finger.

Du Que responded with a smile: "Mrs. Cui Xiangguo, you are right. It was indeed my army that retreated the traitors. But please don't forget, madam, that this was done under the command of my sworn brother."

Mrs. Cui nodded gently, her eyes locked on Du Que's face: "General, Elder Farben and I also saw that it was Zhang Sheng who commanded the army to retreat from the enemy. But let me ask you, if the general was not around, Zhang Sheng would Can you command this army alone?"

Du Que was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile: "Madam is right, although Zhang Sheng has extraordinary resourcefulness and courage, he is still young and really needs my help."

Mrs. Cui smiled slightly, and her tone was slightly sarcastic: "Commanding the army is a sacred right. It was given to you personally by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. General, aren't you afraid of handing over this right to Zhang Sheng casually and without reason?" Have you been tipped off to the court? This is a serious crime. Please don’t talk about it casually in the future. Don’t worry, I will definitely keep it a secret for you.”

Du Que and Zhang Sheng looked at each other, and Mrs. Cui's words were full of threats. She seemed to be reminding Du Que that the right to command the army could not be handed over casually.

Du Que responded with a smile: "Madam Mingjing, it is true. Commanding the army is an extremely important task and cannot be handled lightly. We just hope to contribute a small amount to the safety of the Tang Dynasty. As for the rest, we will naturally be careful. deal with."

Zhang Sheng also added: "Yes, Mrs. Cui, our original intention is to deal with those bandits together and contribute a small amount to the peace of the country. As for the marriage, I only hope that Mrs. Cui Xiangguo can give more thought to this matter."

Mrs. Cui smiled slightly, looked at the two of them, and said nothing.

Qintong stood aside, quietly watching the backs of Du Que and Zhang Sheng. A complex emotion surged in his heart, and he was both admired and angry at Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's performance.

"Mrs. Cui Xiangguo, you are worthy of being a member of the noble family. She turned the situation around with just a few words, but put the two of them at a disadvantage." Qintong sighed secretly, he was well aware of Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's skills. Although her words seemed tactful on the surface, they were actually unbearable for Du Que and Zhang Sheng.

Zhang Sheng stood upright and said solemnly: "Madam, please betroth Yingying to me as a bride. I will do my best to protect you and live up to your expectations."

Mrs. Cui Xiangguo frowned slightly, and her bright eyes were thinking about how to respond. She knew that this marriage proposal was not a trivial matter. It was related to both her daughter's future and her family's reputation.

"Zhang Sheng," she said slowly, "my Cui family is aware of your talent and magnanimity. But after all, my Cui Yingying has an ordinary appearance, average talent, no prostitution, and a bad temper. Zhang Since you are so talented, I am afraid that my Cui Yingying is not good enough for you and will humiliate you, which would be bad."

Zhang Sheng was slightly stunned. He thought that coming to propose marriage this time would go smoothly. After all, he had already contributed a lot to the Cui family. He didn't expect Mrs. Cui Xiangguo to say this.

"Madam, I will do my best to make Cui Yingying happy. I truly love her and am willing to give everything for her." Zhang Sheng said with sincerity.

Mrs. Cui Xiangguo sighed, her expression still unclear: "Zhang Sheng, I know you are a good person. You have to understand that you are the pride of your family. I don't want Yingying to humiliate your family."

Du Que was also silent on the sidelines. He knew that this was a game of power. Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's words were vague, but she did not clearly refuse. He secretly observed the changes in Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's expression, trying to guess her true thoughts.

Zhang Sheng, on the other hand, was filled with indignation. He felt that his sincerity was being questioned, and the dissatisfaction in his heart gradually accumulated. He emphasized again: "Madam, I can swear that I will cherish Cui Yingying for the rest of my life and will not let her be harmed in any way."

Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's expression was still vague, and she shook her head: "Sheng Zhang, although love is important, the honor of the family cannot be ignored. I need time to consider all this, and I hope you can understand."

This answer made Zhang Sheng more and more anxious, and he felt impatient of being delayed. However, he also knew that getting angry at this moment would not help, so he could only respect Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's decision and wait silently.

Du Que saw Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's ambiguous attitude and secretly wondered if this old thief had other plans. Perhaps she was waiting for more favorable conditions to appear. This power struggle is not over, it has just entered a new stage.

Mrs. Cui Xiangguo continued to maintain a mysterious expression, unwilling to make a clear commitment, and at the same time she did not clearly say her rejection. She knows that she has a certain right to speak, and hopes to use it to achieve the ultimate goal, whether it is the honor of the family or the happiness of her daughter. None of this is settled yet, and Mrs. Choi Sang-guk will continue to play the leading role in this power game.

Qintong stood aside, staring intently at Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's expression and behavior, his inner dissatisfaction and anxiety clearly revealed on his face.

Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's delay and ambiguous answers made Qintong feel depressed. He thought that this marriage proposal would be smooth sailing, but he didn't expect to encounter so many twists and turns.

Qintong thought to himself: "This Mrs. Cui Xiangguo is too difficult to get along with."

Qintong looked at Zhang Sheng and Du Que and thought: "It will not be easy for these two people in this conspiracy. To deal with the various changes of Mrs. Cui Xiangguo, it requires superb wisdom and calmness. Although their plan There may have been some pushback, but they don't seem to have lost confidence."

Qintong saw a trace of anxiety on Zhang Sheng's face, but he still maintained his demeanor and did not show any impatience. Du Que's eyes were bright and he seemed to be carefully observing Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's every move.

Qintong understood that the two of them were ready to give everything in this conspiracy. They will not give up easily, but will persist to the end and strive for the final victory.

Zhang Sheng stood next to Du Que, watching all this, worried. He knows that now the critical moment has arrived, and Mrs. Cui Xiangguo's response will directly affect his future destiny.

"Brother Du, why don't you have some feast first." Zhang Sheng suggested, hoping to gain more time to think about countermeasures.

Du Que hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head and rejected Zhang Sheng's kindness with a smile. He knew that now was not the time to enjoy the delicious food. What was at stake was too important to be careless in the slightest.

"Brother Xian, I have decided not to have any more feasts. I want to go back to the military camp and prepare for the next action." Du Que said decisively.

Zhang Sheng frowned. He knew that Du Que was expressing his attitude, but he also understood Du Que's worries. The jury is still out on all this, and the rush for quick success could make it all go to waste.

"Okay, brother, I respect your decision." Zhang Sheng took a deep breath and said.

Du Que nodded, and he turned around to leave, but suddenly, he stopped again and turned to face Zhang Sheng.

"My dear brother, Mrs. Cui Xiangguo is a smart person. You should listen to her more." Du Que seemed to remind Zhang Sheng in a serious way, but he looked at Mrs. Cui Xiangguo, obviously with deep meaning.

Mrs. Cui Xiangguo smiled slightly, with a hint of teasing in her smile. "Since the general has military affairs, I don't force him to keep the general. I will thank the general for his rescue efforts in the future!"