Chapter 727: Chapter 706: Extra 2: Everyone Loves Tang Zhaozhao (Part 7) (6,300 Words)

Tang Zhaozhao shook her head: "You’re wrong, they really agreed. Just tonight, Father, Mother, and Brother all nodded. We’ll be holding the engagement banquet in three days."

Upon hearing this, Tao Hai was momentarily stunned.

"You... how could you both be so quick? Tang Zhaozhao, how can you be so heartless to me?"

"Weren’t things fine when we were in Lin State?"

Tang Zhaozhao glared at Tao Hai, her voice growing cold.

"Don’t mention Lin State to me, Tao Hai. And don’t say I’m heartless. Haven’t you also started discussing marriage?"

At this point, Tang Zhaozhao let out a cold laugh.

"Enough, why am I even telling you this? I don’t care anyway."

However, Tao Hai’s eyebrows furrowed as he pinpointed the issue.

He stepped closer to Tang Zhaozhao, a smile on his face.

"Zhaozhao, I adore you, and I’m not discussing marriage with anyone else. The person I’ve wanted to marry since I was a child is you."

As soon as he said this, Tang Zhaozhao let out a light laugh but didn’t say anything further.

The more Tao Hai professed his feelings, the worse the impression he left in Tang Zhaozhao’s mind and eyes.

In Tang Zhaozhao’s eyes, Tao Hai was nothing but a liar.

She had inquired about it from others, who also said that Tao Hai was indeed discussing marriage with the Grand Secretary’s daughter, but it was quite hidden, known by few.

And now, having discussed marriage with someone else, he comes back to her, professing affection, treating her like a fool.

It’s also disrespectful to the person he’s discussing marriage with.

Tang Zhaozhao said, "Go back, or I’ll call someone."

Tao Hai saw the unwelcoming expression on Tang Zhaozhao’s face and knew she might have some misunderstandings about him.

Just as he was about to speak, someone emerged from the corner.

"Tao Hai, you, an outsider, trespassing into the princess’s chambers, how do you plea?"

Tao Hai frowned: "What business is it of yours?"

Chu Mu replied, "Tang Zhaozhao is my fiancée."

Tao Hai looked at Tang Zhaozhao, but she turned her head away, unwilling to communicate at all.

Tao Hai knew that he wouldn’t be able to say anything to Tang Zhaozhao now, as Chu Mu wouldn’t allow it, and Tang Zhaozhao wouldn’t listen.

He decided to postpone any conversation to another time.

Yet in the following days, the people in the princess’s quarters guarded against him as if he were a thief, making him increasingly aware of something fishy.

Moreover, he discovered a lot of unfamiliar personnel in the princess’s quarter who didn’t belong to Tang Zhaozhao or the Great Tang.

Although they were dressed in guard uniforms, they were not familiar faces to Tao Hai.

More importantly, these individuals were highly skilled in martial arts; Tao Hai couldn’t believe they weren’t up to something lurking in the princess’s quarters.

So he began to investigate Chu Mu.

At the engagement banquet.

Chu Mu and Tang Zhaozhao exchanged smiles, and after a series of complicated formalities, they offered tea to each other’s elders.

When Chu Mu offered tea to Pei Shu’er, she examined him carefully, then nodded with a smile.

"From now on, take good care of Zhaozhao. We have raised her to be somewhat spoiled, and she may show a little temper, but essentially, she’s good."

As for Tang Zan, he found Chu Mu increasingly displeasing.

When Chu Mu changed how he addressed him to ’Father,’ Tang Zan snorted coldly. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Just then, a sudden turn of events occurred when Tao Hai entered with others.

Tang Zan frowned, and Tang Chong’s expression darkened.

Tao Hai said, "Emperor, Empress, Supreme Emperor, Empress Dowager, this engagement cannot proceed."

Tang Zan’s eyes brightened, Tang Chong sat upright, and Pei Shu’er maintained her light smile.

"Oh? Why do you say so?"

Then Tao Hai presented several pieces of evidence, and the elders examined them one by one; their expressions gradually changed, and their gaze toward Chu Mu was no longer as friendly as before.

Tao Hai said, "This is why Chu Mu and Tang Zhaozhao cannot get engaged, because Chu Mu harbors wolfish ambitions, intending to abduct Zhaozhao."

Chu Mu replied, "That’s nonsense! My feelings for Zhaozhao are completely sincere."

Tang Zhaozhao glanced at Tao Hai, not even bothering to speak to him.

Tao Hai was choked up, then said, "Zhaozhao, why won’t you believe me?"

Tang Zhaozhao replied, "How can I trust you?"

Chu Mu and his associates had been whispering stories about Tao Hai into her ears these past few days, eroding any trust she had in him.

Pei Shu’er watched Tang Zhaozhao’s reaction and couldn’t help but smile.

"Zhaozhao, this is another lesson from your mother. Don’t be too trusting of others, but also don’t always doubt people. Your channels for gathering information are still too limited."