Yan Qingxue returned a day later, having spent two days eating, drinking, and having fun in Jincheng, and another day traveling.

The Yan family's stewards searched for a whole day but failed to find the person. It was Yan Qingxue who, along with her maid Xiaoya, voluntarily appeared at the mansion the next day.

She was quite satisfied with the marriage partner she had chosen for herself; the young man seemed a bit dull, but he was actually quite nice.

He's far better than those frivolous playboys.

So, this time she came home to discuss marriage, but the man she was to marry was someone the city lord's wife could not approve of.

Hearing his daughter declare that she wanted to marry a poor boy from an ordinary farming family, he immediately frowned.

"Xiaoxue, what did you say? Say it again." Lady Zhao, the city lord's wife, threw down the blue-and-white porcelain teacup in her hand, her eyes filled with gloom.

Yan Qingxue blinked, and the words she had prepared beforehand immediately began to be performed in front of Zhao Shi. She sniffled pitifully, and tears fell without warning.

Rather than acting, she genuinely felt wronged, wondering why her marriage should be decided by a concubine's daughter.

Her grievances were a genuine expression of her feelings.

"Mother, I have no choice but to do this. I can't possibly marry a merchant, can I? And it was that little slut Yan Linglong who found him the family."

Her father listened to everything she said; whatever she said went.

Now her status is even higher than yours, Mother! Does anyone in the manor respect you now, Mother? Isn't it all that little slut?

If I don't take charge of this marriage myself, I'll be manipulated by her.

I think that in Father's eyes, you are definitely not as important as that little bitch, Mother.

I think my father's mind is made up; he's determined to marry me off to that He family. I don't want to marry the merchant that little slut has arranged for me, so I have no choice but to resort to this drastic measure and find someone to marry myself as soon as possible.

Madam Zhao frowned. "What? I've never heard your father mention the He family to me. When did he ever say he was going to marry you into the He family?"

As long as the merchant family is mentioned, everyone knows which He family it refers to.

Zhao naturally knew that the merchant family He mentioned by Yan Qingxue was the famous wealthy merchant family in Hongcheng.

Yan Qingxue gave a mocking smile.

"Heh, see? It must be that little bitch Yan Linglong who stirred up trouble with Father. Now he's even keeping it from you. Father didn't even discuss such a big matter with you. He just came to me privately and asked me to go with him to pay a visit to the He family."

Father already sent out that invitation a long time ago, and he's probably already received replies. Why don't you go and ask him yourself if I lied to you, Mother?

A dark cloud settled over Zhao's eyes, and she actually set her sights on her daughter. That little brat really needed to be taught a lesson.

If this is true, then that little brat needs to be taught a lesson. The situation in this mansion is really about to change. A mere concubine's daughter dares to bully her, the mistress of the house.

Who gave her such audacity? In any case, she definitely needs to be taught a lesson.

"Whether this is true or false, you can't just marry into a peasant family. Where do you put the face of my city lord's mansion? Where do you put your future prospects?"

Based on your status as the legitimate daughter of the city lord's mansion, you absolutely must marry into a prestigious family to be worthy of your status.

Otherwise, if word got out that I, the legitimate daughter of the city lord, had married into a peasant family, wouldn't that be a laughingstock?

"Ha, isn't marrying into a merchant family a laughing stock? Mother, you should go and have a good talk with Father, and ask him for clarification."

She had just come from her own courtyard, but according to the maid in her courtyard, her father came to the courtyard and, upon learning that she was gone, began to fly into a rage again.

She's not going to run headlong into the fire right now!

I heard that they searched for her outside the mansion all day but couldn't find her. The matter has become such a big fuss, but it hasn't reached Mother's ears yet. It's clear that Father deliberately kept it from Mother, probably because he was afraid she would find out.

Hmph, she's determined to let her mother know.

She also wanted to make it public knowledge, to let everyone see what kind of scoundrel her father was, actually listening to the instigation of a concubine's daughter and marrying her off so casually.

Yan Qingxue sat on Zhao's couch with her legs crossed, eating fruit and cracking melon seeds. Her eyes, which had been brimming with tears just moments before, were now dry in an instant.

Xiao Ya stood behind Yan Qingxue and quietly gave her a thumbs up. Well, her young lady sometimes has a very sharp mind, but she never uses it in the right way.

Unable to sit still, Zhao got up and walked out. She naturally realized that her spies in the mansion had been cut off, and nothing could get to her courtyard. They even kept such a big thing from her. Ha!

Yan Shanxing is getting more and more capable. Doesn't she know who is supporting the City Lord's Mansion to this day? It's because of her maternal family's support. Otherwise, would the City Lord's Mansion be so glorious and prosperous today?

In recent years, she has become too lazy to bother with some trivial matters, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have the ability to overturn the City Lord's Mansion again!

Compared to her maternal family, one of the thirteen prestigious families, what is this city lord's mansion in Green City?

She could make Yan Shanxing kneel down for her with just a flick of her finger!

Yan Shanxing and Yan Linglong were just about to head to Hongcheng. They planned to stay overnight in Hongcheng and then pay a visit to the He family the next morning.

But before they could even leave the mansion, they were blocked in the courtyard by Madam Zhao.

It had been years since Yan Shanxing had seen Zhao treat him with such a cold expression. Looking at that icy face, Yan Shanxing felt uneasy and his heart sank.

Could it be that they found out about Qingxue?

But he had already kept Qingxue's affair with the He family a secret from everyone in the manor and dared not make it public.

Unless Qingxue herself told her mother, but Qingxue hasn't returned to the manor. If she had returned, the servants would have reported to her this morning. How could she still not have any news of returning home?

Yan Shanxing was naturally unaware that Yan Qingxue had detained everyone and tied up the gatekeepers the moment she entered the mansion.

She had long known that her every move was being relayed to her father through the gatekeeper, so she was prepared.

She was away from the manor for several days. During her absence, her father naturally came to her door to discuss the marriage with the He family, which was exactly what she expected.

So when they find out she's gone, they'll definitely send someone to keep an eye on the gates of the mansion. As soon as she enters, someone will definitely report it to my father.