Over the years, the number of young masters from esteemed families coming to propose marriage had been so great they threatened to wear out the Hong Family's threshold. They included the legitimate sons of the other two great families and the sons of Court officials. Yet, if Hong Qingzhu expressed even the slightest dissatisfaction, Hong Shixian would never force the issue and would reject them all. As a result, she remained unmarried.
The Hong Family Grand Elder had originally assumed that even if the Patriarch intended to form a marriage alliance with Yang Jing, he would choose one of his many daughters born of concubines. After all, such alliances were inherently driven by the family's interests.
But he had never imagined that the Patriarch would be willing to betroth his most beloved legitimate daughter, Hong Qingzhu. The importance placed on this union far surpassed any ordinary familial calculation.
