He sighed again; then leaning forward and staring at Chen Rong, he slowly said, “Ah Rong, you love Wang Qilang enough to be willing to die for him. Such love is strong enough to move Heaven and Earth.”
He stroked his beard, smiling affectionately. “I’ve asked you over to tell you that I have sent a marriage proposal to the Wang estate.”
Chen Rong whipped her head up.
Chen Yuan smiled beatifically upon receiving her attention. “Luckily Wang Yi of the Lang’ya branch is also here in Nan’yang. I’ve asked my people to let him know about your story, so that the Wang clan can use the bridal ceremony to bring you into their family as an honored concubine.”
At this juncture, he proudly looked at Chen Rong as if he were a benefactor who had bestowed a favor upon her. “Ah Rong, considering your background, it is a blessing of several lifetimes to be able to reach the heights of the Wang House in Lang’ya. After you join Wang Hong’s household, I’m sure you’ll return to Jiankang with them. By then, you’ll need to abide by the virtues of a married woman and conduct yourself with propriety; you must not offend people in the Wang estate. But you can rest assured that your third brother and I will both help you. No matter what happens, know that we are on your side!”
He suddenly sighed and murmured: “Wang Hong currently does not have any wife or concubines. Wouldn’t it be great if you can conceive his child? He would be Lang’ya Wang Qi’s first-born!”
Wistfulness filled his eyes. It was as if Chen Rong’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy, her condemnation by the world, or her inability to thereafter live with dignity in the Wang estate had each been of little significance to him; as if so long as she had the child, there was more he could gain and more he could demand from the Wang House of Lang’ya.