Chapter 71 Flipping the Table: She Wants to Become a Thorn in Everyone's Heart! ...

She's leaving now; Mrs. Cui will make all the arrangements for her after she leaves.

This trip to Fragrant Hills wasn't actually necessary.

She just wanted to go!

Those aristocratic families always say that she lacks manners and upbringing and is unfit to be the mistress of the house, don't they?

She simply went over and overturned the table to confirm it!

As for Yan Changjun... hehe, she's going to cause trouble too.

She could leave him because of his current predicament, but she didn't really want him to be with someone else. At least... she couldn't accept it so easily. If that were the case, what would all she had done mean?

It's just self-pity.

She doesn't want that!

She wanted him to remember her completely!

Even if she couldn't withstand the pressure from her family in the future and married Cui Wan or another noblewoman, she would still be a thorn between them, a thorn that could never be removed!

She wouldn't let those hypocritical aristocratic families get away with it!

...

When Li Yunru entered the Xiangshan area.

The gathering, which had lasted for five days, was still in full swing, with Yan Ning single-handedly confronting the assembled scholars in the flower hall, silencing the dissenting voices.

However, being outnumbered and outmatched, he did not lose the battle, but his momentum was clearly weakening. Left with no other choice, he had to resort to unconventional methods and hand a letter to each of the invited guests, which turned the tide of the battle.

The members of the noble families turned red with embarrassment upon seeing what he presented to them. He had used his position as the governor of Sizhou to investigate countless secrets, exposing the sordid past that they had almost forgotten.

Even if those matters weren't discussed openly, once they were brought to the forefront, each and every one of them had a greater impact than his marriage to a commoner girl who offered him no support. Everyone was immediately speechless, exchanging bewildered glances without uttering a word.

"It seems you are all quite satisfied with what I just presented, since no one has said anything. In that case, let's adjourn this banquet here. This matter is a family affair of the Yan family, and more importantly, a private matter of my own household. I should resolve it myself, so I won't trouble you all any further."

No one responded; they sat there quietly. Only one person, Xie Liulang, who had not been mentioned for a long time, stood up and spoke for Yan Ning. He said to Yan Langzhu, "Uncle, what Changjun said makes sense. This is a family matter of your Yan family, and it is not appropriate for everyone to say too much. However, since I have been invited here, I am very honored, so I will take the liberty of saying a few more words."

He said, “You all object so much simply because you think the distinction between aristocratic families and commoners is indistinguishable. But once a young woman marries, she follows her husband and becomes a member of the aristocratic family. Why hold onto the past? Emperor Xuan has only been gone for a year, and Lady Liyang is still in mourning. For an aristocratic family to force their husband to remarry is a disregard for human ethics and morality. If this gets out, what will people think? How can such an aristocratic family be considered a model of etiquette and manners in the world?”

That's a polite way of putting it.

He wanted to curse them without being polite. If they valued this so much, they shouldn't have let the two of them get married in the first place. How could they have both?

He and Ding'an were in the same situation back then.

It's all because of greed!

They all appear righteous and full of moral high ground, but who knows what they really are like behind the scenes?

He knew why his family had summoned him to the appointment; they wanted him to see the consequences of going against his family for a woman, and to understand that they were all doing it for his own good.

But he still considered others' feelings and chose to follow his heart.

The Cui family's envoy was displeased upon hearing this, but the letter in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pieces of gold, leaving him speechless.

The Cui and Yan families never had a formal marriage contract; it was just an implicit agreement. Since the matriarch of the Yan family came from the Cui family, it was considered even more natural.

Yan Ning publicly humiliated the Cui family, so they were in the right and naturally took a tough stance. Moreover, they had leverage over him, which made things even more difficult. But now, this letter...

It's so embarrassing!

They never expected that this young man from the Yan family would go to such lengths to refuse a marriage proposal!

At this moment, everyone felt extremely uncomfortable.

Not continuing was an order from Master Cui and Lord Cui, and I would be guilty of dereliction of duty.

However, continuing to fight for it would leave them with no leverage and would only ruin the reputation of the Cui family's daughter.

Unsure of what to do, they could only look to the host of this banquet, Master Yan.

Lord Yan blew on his gray beard, glared at Yan Ning, and temporarily halted the banquet.

"Come with me!" he said coldly.

"Changjun," Lu Wulang said, looking at him with concern.

This person went too far this time; it's no different from betraying the aristocratic family and standing on the opposite side of the entire family.

"It's nothing." Yan Ning patted his hand to reassure him, gave Xie family young master a grateful look, and then followed Yan Langzhu away.

"Treason!"

As soon as he entered the inner room, before he could even sit down, Yan Lang slapped him across the face.

"You think you're the only one who can do that!"

Yan Ning didn't dodge, taking the blow head-on. Her beautiful face stung with pain, but her gaze remained resolute.

He straightened his back, looked at Lord Yan, and said, "Your son dares not."

"Oh!"

"I wouldn't dare, but I think you'd be more than brave!"

If he truly dared not, he wouldn't have used his position to threaten someone with the secrets of a powerful family!

This is not only a slap in the face to the aristocratic families, but also to him!

Lord Yan was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, but Yan Ning remained calm and composed.

The man slowly spoke up and said, "In fact, why did Father have to go through all this trouble? I made it very clear when I was in the ancestral hall that since I married Liyang, I have a responsibility to her and it will not change because of her current status. The Yan family already has many noble ladies as wives, and we don't need another one like me. As for the interests and future that you are worried about, I will bear the consequences of my choices."

"Hmph!" Lord Yan sneered, "You'll have to bear the consequences yourself. Can you handle them?"

He said disdainfully, "Don't forget how you got all that fine silks and satins, luxury cars and horses, your many friends and maids, and your position as the Governor of Sizhou who is in charge of the affairs of the capital. It was all given to you by your family! You have to bear the consequences yourself. Without the Yan family, you will be unable to carry anything on your shoulders or lift anything in your hands. You will be worse off than a poor commoner!"

"Hehe, yes."

Yan Ning also laughed out loud, but his voice was desolate. He looked at Lord Yan and said, "Therefore, I have never disobeyed before."

These fine clothes and magnificent glory are nothing but a kind of shackle.

The man asked sadly, "Father, all these years, have you ever truly cared about what your child really wants, what your children are thinking, what my mother wants, and how she has been living these years since she married you?"

Lord Yan remained silent.

“Father,” he called him affectionately.

Such a tender address caused Yan Langzhu to suddenly raise his head.

Yan Ning said, "Do you remember when I was three years old, I had just started school and was restless and playful. I couldn't sit still and always went to play with my older brother. He had a little white dog that was very beautiful. I liked it very much and my brother gave it to me. But you said that playing with toys was a waste of time and you wouldn't let me keep it."

“It’s been like this all these years. No matter what we like, you always find some reason to refuse. You forbid this and that, always maintaining the airs of a noble family. Over the years, it seems like Mother can’t tolerate us, but in reality, the one who can’t tolerate us is you! You’ve never cared about what we think; all you care about is yourself!”

As he spoke, his voice rose and he became agitated: "Your mother managed all the household affairs for you, dealt with social obligations, acted as your executioner, became the villain among your children, and handled the benefits of your romantic affairs. What did she gain in return? You couldn't see her increasingly haggard face and dull eyes because of you and the family. You only thought it was the frost of time and disliked her aging appearance. You coldly watched your two older brothers and me go from being brothers and sisters in childhood to now being embroiled in infighting over the uncertain position of the Yan family's heir. You never reconciled with your brothers and even secretly fanned the flames, causing us to quarrel constantly, calling it 'raising our minds and hearts'. You watched Ah Sheng, who was only fourteen years old and still a child, being chosen like an object, waiting to be married, and you remained unmoved."

Yan Langzhu's eyes were as dark as ink, and his lips moved as if about to speak, but Yan Ning interrupted him.

"That's only right! As scions of a prominent family, one should prioritize the family and not forget one's responsibilities over such trivial matters!"

"Yes, that's how you've taught me since I was little. Born into a prestigious family, with supreme glory and endless praise, you should prioritize that. Family first, then personal feelings. No, you shouldn't even have personal feelings. All people and things are just tools for the family's profit."

"Since you know this, why do you still go against your parents and clan for the sake of Liyang?"

He glared fiercely at Yan Ning, "Do you know what you're doing?!"

He's gambling with his future and the honor of the Yan family!

"You are abandoning the relatives who raised you, provided you with delicacies and fine clothes, and summoned your friends and servants!"

Yan Ning said, "I know."

He said, "I never thought it would come to this. Father, it is you and the relatives who have been forcing me."

The man paused for a moment, swallowed a few times to moisten his dry throat, and said in a soft but firm tone, "I have been loyal enough in my sacrifice, and I do not want to continue to sacrifice for this, just like my mother."

His mother dedicated her entire life to the Cui and Yan families, and her actions were exemplary. But in the end... what did she gain besides unrealistic praise?

Only the wrinkles around her eyes, etched with the marks of time, and the countless sorrows she harbored, along with the incense burning in the Buddhist hall and the chanting of scriptures, were the lamentations of her struggle.

But she never came out of it, and remained the same, demanding that her children, like everyone else, offer their loyalty to their father and the family.

Everyone was trapped in that cold, lifeless mansion.

He didn't want to continue living like this anymore.

“The path I walked from childhood was planned for me by you and my mother. I was to study and learn to write, learn rules and etiquette, and practice the six arts of a gentleman. I was to do everything perfectly and without making any mistakes. But I never told you that I actually didn’t like studying or those rules. I liked archery and playing the zither, but I didn’t like using them as stepping stones to build a reputation. I would think that was just seeking fame and fortune.”

In aristocratic families, everyone's joys and sorrows are suppressed and not allowed.

Even if everyone is fighting and scrambling, they all have only one goal: to make a profit.

Yan Ning said, "Even so, I still acknowledge you, my family, and everything they have promised me. I will do everything to the best of my ability, to make the Yan family famous and enjoy the highest praise. I think... so many years have been enough. This time, I want to follow my own path."

He said many things he would never have said before, laying bare his heart to others. However, Lord Yan did not listen. He only extracted one message from the many words: his proud eldest son was actually going to betray them and his family for a woman.

That's ridiculous!

People have always placed high hopes on this eldest son, so they turned a blind eye to his past disobedience to Liyang and showed him the utmost leniency...

In hindsight, he had spoiled him too much!

He's so unruly and lacking in self-control; he's completely bewitched!

Lord Yan said sternly, "I'm telling you, it's impossible! Let Liyang enter the door and be included in the Yan family ancestral hall and genealogy, unless I'm dead!"

His chest heaved violently. After a long while, his emotions calmed down a bit. He looked coldly at Yan Ning and asked, "Since you brought up that dog, do you remember what happened to it?"

The Lord of Yan said coldly, "If you remain obstinate and insist on going your own way, that will be the same fate as Liyang!"

Having said that, the man turned and left, telling him to think it over carefully!