Phoenix Rising

074

"What?!"

The same question echoed all around the room, as everyone stared at Zhenghuan in disbelief, Zi-ning included. Had she heard him wrong? Even while she knew that he had skin as thick as cow's hide, she could not comprehend how he could have said something so incredulous in front of everyone, including his own adoptive mother.

"Zhenghuan-ge, you are joking right?" Enling asked, her eyes having widened in the shape of saucers.

"Zhenghuan, what are you saying? Marriage is not something that should be taken so lightly," Lady Du chided, looking equally taken aback by this statement.

"If I wasn't being serious, then I wouldn't be saying it," Zhenghuan replied calmly. He turned and looked straight at her, and she instinctively averted her gaze. Addressing Lady Du once more, he said, "I would have preferred to have raised this on a different occasion, but since it has come to this, then I suppose there's no harm in making my intentions clear now. I intend to propose marriage to Zi-ning, so if I would appreciate if you could help to make the necessary arrangements. If the General and yourself are unable to make the journey to the capital, then we could get Lady Li to assist with making the betrothal request to Minister Han."

"You can't do that!" Enling shot out of her chair, rushing to Zhenghuan's side. "You can't marry a girl like her, Cousin! She was kidnapped by bandits. She's not clean!"

Zhenghuan shot her a frosty glare, forcing Enling to back two steps away. "I was the one who found Zi-ning, so I am perfectly clear what happened and what didn't happen. If you are to spread such awful rumours again, then don't blame me for taking you to task, Enling."

"Zhenghuan... Do you mean that? Do you really mean to marry Zi-ning?" This time, the question came from Yu Zixi, whose clenched fists were trembling upon her lap.

"I'm sure we can discuss this further," Lady Du interrupted, wringing her silk handkerchief worriedly. "So much has happened in the span of a morning. I think everyone needs to take some time to calm themselves down and think things through, then we can talk about this some more when the General returns. There's no need to rush into any hasty decisions. Zixi, why don't you head home first and get some rest? There's nothing to worry about, nothing will change about the engagement between our families."

Zi-ning wanted nothing more than to dig a hole in the ground and bury her head in it. Even if he wanted to defend her against Enling's accusations, surely there was no need to go to such extremes? It was impossible for him to truly intend to marry her... right? A memory floated to mind, of how Zhenghuan had made this same joke on their way back from the River Immortal's valley. He had admitted that he hadn't been serious then.

"I never agreed to that engagement," Zhenghuan said. He stood up and turned to Zixi, then he bowed. "Zixi, I should have made this clear to everyone earlier on, instead of letting this misunderstanding continue on, and for that I apologise. I know that there has been an informal agreement on this engagement between the two families, but this is not my intention. You deserve someone who can give you happiness, Zixi, and that person is not me."

Zixi stared at him in seeming shock, tears starting to well up in her eyes. Then, she got up and fled, running out of the hall.

"Zhenghuan!" Lady Du raised her voice, her face reddening with anger and embarrassment. "You will go and apologise to Zixi at once! How could you say those things? Don't you know that the entire town already knows that Zixi is betrothed to you? If you cancel the engagement, how do you expect her to live? Her reputation and marriage prospects will be ruined!"

"You can't cancel an engagement that did not exist in the first place," Zhenghuan retorted. "Haven't I I've already said this to you several times? That I have no intention to marry Zixi? And I don't see how this will affect Zixi's reputation in any way, given that there was never any written agreement to this engagement, nor has there ever been anything disreputable take place between Zixi and myself."