If the Fourth Prince wants to marry Yueyao as his principal wife, it’s ungracious for Yueyao not to agree. But if the Fourth Prince wants to marry Yueyao as a consort, what harm in refusal? A consort is merely a concubine. Haven’t many consorts in the Royal Mansions died prematurely? Although Luo Shao didn’t take it seriously, he found the Fourth Prince’s behavior somewhat odd. He simply couldn’t fathom why the Fourth Prince would do this, so he opted to remain an observer. An Zhichen bore a cold smile in his eyes: "What is there to fear?" The Fourth Prince wants to marry and can’t; if he retreats, that’s far too cowardly. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽 Luo Shao nodded; a man stands among heaven and earth, what great things can he achieve if he fears this and that? If An Zhichen were to retreat now, Luo Shao would actually be disappointed: "Alright, once your matters are settled, I will have your sister-in-law propose marriage for you." An Zhichen was stunned: "Will Miss Lian agree?" He was already prepared for a long-term struggle. Now, this statement seems to suggest that Miss Lian had already nodded. Luo Shao laughed: "Zichang hasn’t agreed yet, but there’s already some softening. However, to talk about marriage, we should wait until your matters are resolved first; there shouldn’t be any problem. As it stands, you’re benefiting. This incident also startled her." With Yueyao’s disposition, where would she be willing to be a concubine? Likely she’d prefer to become a nun instead of being a concubine. Upon hearing Yueyao’s softening, An Zhichen somewhat uncertainly said: "Has Miss Lian softened?" An Zhichen never thought he was inferior to others; in fact, An Zhichen considered himself quite excellent. But in front of Yueyao, he indeed had no confidence, especially when Yueyao rejected the Heir to Marquis Yongding, which made An Zhichen all the more uneasy. A smile emerged on Luo Shao’s lips, and he nodded. An Zhichen didn’t expect happiness would come so quickly, his chest suddenly filled with joy and excitement. Luo Shao couldn’t help but pour some cold water over him: "Yueyao only feels you’re a good choice, startled by this incident, but she hasn’t truly taken a liking to you." Luo Shao’s meaning was that Yueyao only considered An Zhichen a good choice and hadn’t developed feelings for him. An Zhichen still had a long way to go to win the beauty’s heart. An Zhichen’s expression softened: "Regardless of the reason, it’s already very good now." Yueyao, after comprehensive consideration, thought he was a good choice and hence softened, which was normal. If someone said Yueyao admired him so much that she was willing to marry him, that would be abnormal. Luo Shao didn’t tease further: "To take a wife, you’ll also need to prepare the house." Given the attitude of Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion and those two women toward An Zhichen, if An Zhichen were to be adopted out, he shouldn’t expect a penny. Though incredible, it’s reality. An Zhichen had already considered this: "A few days ago, I heard a friend say there is a five-entry house in Four Well Alley, and I’m planning to go check it out this afternoon. If it’s good, I plan to buy it and furnish it a bit after the New Year." He had been looking at houses for a while, but none were satisfactory. Luo Shao wasn’t surprised. An Zhichen had been in Haikou for six years; if he hadn’t saved any money, Luo Shao would have thought less of him: "Houses in Four Well Alley are not cheap, are they?" The houses in Four Well Alley were occupied by officials and were very large, at least three-entry, and many were five-entry, so the prices were indeed high. An Zhichen didn’t hide from Luo Shao: "I’ve saved a little bit in Haikou." Four Well Alley was relatively quiet. An Zhichen thought Yueyao shouldn’t like bustling places, so Four Well Alley was optimal. Luo Shao smiled slightly and brought up serious matters: "There’s a position in the Imperial Guards as a Military Commissioner about to open up due to mourning duty, are you interested?" The Imperial Guards were responsible for guarding the Nine Gates of the Capital City, a significant responsibility. The Military Commissioner was a Fourth-Rank position, and being a real vacancy, many had their eyes on it! However, as Luo Shao controlled the Imperial Guards, he naturally prioritized his own people. An Zhichen smiled: "Thank you, cousin." He was currently Fifth Rank, and a transfer to the Imperial Guards as a Military Commissioner would be a promotion. Most importantly, working in the Capital City allowed him to return home not daily, but at least every three to five days, and he had two days of rest monthly. Unlike in the Infantry Camp, where the two days of leave were basically spent traveling back and forth. Luo Shao had initially intended to keep An Zhichen in the Capital City, but there was no suitable vacancy, so he placed him in the Infantry Camp. Luo Shao had other plans for An Zhichen, but it wasn’t appropriate to discuss them now. First, let An Zhichen undergo several years of training. An Zhichen displayed a hint of a smile in the study, but once he left Luo Shao’s study, he resumed his usual expressionless demeanor.