Hong Yingrong watched Mother Han leave, and a wave of annoyance surged in her heart.

At that time, her husband Xue Yonghuai kept Liang Fushan in his mansion to study and teach him out of a promise he made to his deceased colleague.

As everyone knows, the two mistresses of the Liang family at that time were not Liang Fushan's biological grandmother and mother, so only the child himself could deeply understand the ups and downs in his heart.

During his years of studying in the Marquis' Mansion, Liang Fushan remained tenacious and hardworking, and was deeply admired by Xue Yonghuai.

His character and knowledge were even better than those of Xue Yuanchu and Xue Zhongfu at that time.

This is indeed the case. Liang Fushan was extremely talented. While Xue Yuanchu and Xue Zhongfu only achieved the level of Juren, he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi.

Faced with such an outstanding young talent, Hong Yingrong would not let him go easily. While others were busy "catching a son-in-law under the list", their mansion was even closer and had the upper hand.

At that time, Hong Yingrong had tried to test the feelings of the old marquis Xue Yonghuai.

The old marquis revealed a secret to her: in a letter written before his death, Liang Qiyuan, the head of the Liang family, not only expressed his concern that the women in his family might not be able to properly educate Liang Fushan, and hoped that Xue Yonghuai could lend a hand, but also specifically mentioned Liang Fushan's marriage.

Liang Qiyuan hoped that Xue Yonghuai could give some thought to Liang Fushan's marriage in the future.

This naturally indicates that Liang Fushan's marriage has not yet been settled.

Xue Yonghuai witnessed the entire process of Liang Fushan's growth from a weak boy to a successful man, so he intended to promote the marriage between Liang Fushan and his daughter Xue Huichun.

This was due to his own selfish motives, but also because he had the support of the Marquis' Mansion, the two female mistresses of the Liang family, surnamed Zhang, no longer dared to bully Liang Fushan.

Everything is moving in a good direction, especially the affection between the two children.

What is more worth mentioning is that during his days studying in the Marquis' Mansion, Liang Fushan was very law-abiding and never overstepped the boundaries, which made his mother Han, who was in charge of taking care of him at the time, praise him endlessly.

But just three days after Liang Fushan passed the imperial examination and moved back to the Liang Mansion, Xue Yonghuai came to visit and planned to propose marriage directly. However, in the end, the old marquis came back with a heavy face and unilaterally announced that the previously mentioned marriage was invalid.

He strictly ordered everyone in the mansion to keep the matter secret, and anyone who dared to reveal a word would be beaten to death.

In the days that followed, Xue Huichun often cried and asked her father Xue Yonghuai about the reasons behind certain things. However, no matter how she begged or asked, Xue Yonghuai remained tight-lipped and refused to reveal a single word.

This made Xue Huichun feel helpless and frustrated, and her heart was filled with confusion and puzzlement.

At the same time, Liang Fushan was exiled as the magistrate of Qingzhou County. The Zhangs of the Liang family hurriedly arranged a marriage for him, and then he went directly to his post with his new wife.

However, the wedding was held in an extremely low-key manner, and no guests were even invited to a banquet. This was quite unusual in the capital and caused a lot of talk.

What is even more strange is that the bride Liang Fushan married was also from the Zhang family of Ning'an Earl, which can't help but remind people of the various disputes between the Liang and Zhang families in the past.

People in the capital began to whisper and talk.

Some people say that the Zhang family is so shameless that they actually use a house full of Zhang family daughters to seize the Liang family's property.

This rumor spread quickly in the capital, adding a bit of mystery to the marriage.

Mother Han walked to the gate, where two women in luxurious clothes were still waiting.

The woman at the head had gray hair on her temples, but her face looked quite mean. She was none other than Zhang, the famous lady of the Liang family.

The woman following behind her was middle-aged, slightly plump, and had a seemingly gentle and kind face, but there was always a vague smile on her lips, which revealed an indescribable sense of incongruity. This person was Zhang from the Liang family.

Mother Han walked up to the two Zhangs, bowed respectfully, and then said calmly, "Madams, I'm truly sorry. My old lady has been unwell these past few days and is recuperating, so it's inconvenient for her to see guests. I hope you will understand and visit again another day."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang frowned slightly, a look of displeasure appearing on her face. She had obviously not expected such an outcome, but due to her status and etiquette, she did not directly attack.

Little Zhang smiled slightly and said kindly, "Mother, we are here today to discuss something important. I wonder if the old lady would be so kind as to let us in for a while. We promise not to disturb your rest."

Mother Han sneered in her heart, but shook her head calmly.

"Madams, it's not that I won't let you in. It's simply that the old lady has given the order. She needs to rest for the next few days and won't be able to see any guests. Please forgive me. I hope you will come visit me again another day when the old lady has recovered."

After hearing this, Mrs. Zhang's face turned even uglier. She gave Mother Han a deep look, then said coldly, "If that's the case, we won't bother you any more. However, please tell the old lady that our Liang family's visit this time is not without purpose. Some things still need to be discussed in person."

After saying this, she turned and left, followed closely by Xiao Zhang. The two of them boarded the carriage and soon disappeared from the sight of the Xingyuan Marquis's residence.

Mother Han watched them leave and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She knew the two Zhang ladies' visit was definitely not simple, but fortunately, the old lady had been prepared and gave them a cold reception.

Back in Xiangyun Hall, Mother Han reported the situation in detail to Hong Yingrong. After listening to it, Hong Yingrong just nodded lightly, indicating that she understood.

She knew in her heart that the Liang family's sudden visit must be related to the old events of the past.

But no matter what, she would no longer let those past disputes affect the Marquis' Mansion or even her daughter Xue Huichun's current life.

…

In the border military camp, Commander Xue Yuanchu held a letter from Nurhadu with a frown on his face.

This letter was not delivered secretly, but was delivered openly by an envoy sent by the Western Rong people. This move was obviously to avoid any suspicion of private collusion.

In the spacious tent, Xue Yuanchu unfolded the letter. The brief words on it revealed an important message - there might be turmoil within the Western Rong royal court, and the military camp needed to be more vigilant to prevent any accidents.

At this moment, Deputy General Wang Zishan rushed over after hearing the news.

He had always been highly wary of any contact between Xue Yuanchu and the Western Rong people, and this time was no exception. He strode into the tent with a sullen look on his face, clearly coming to call for an explanation.

Centurion Yu Heng happened to see this scene outside the tent. He knew Xue Yuanchu very well and believed that there was nothing wrong between him and the Western Rong people.

But Wang Zishan is stubborn, arrogant and reckless. If the misunderstanding deepens, it may cause unnecessary trouble.

So he followed in without hesitation, ready to rescue Xue Yuanchu if necessary.

"Secretary Xue, how dare you secretly communicate with the Xirong people!"

Wang Zishan shouted sternly as he entered the tent.