Not long after, Hao Ren showed up in person.
He had no good feelings towards these imperial censors and was blunt in his words: "What important matter does Madam Zhang have that requires us to wait until our Duke appears in person before we speak?"
Madam Zhang immediately produced the engagement letter the two families had exchanged that year and said firmly, "I request that my son Zhang Dingqian's engagement with Hao Qingzhi, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Huguo's mansion, be annulled. My Zhang family has always been a noble family, and there is no way we would marry the daughter of a divorced woman!"
Thinking that Hao Qingzhi's wedding date is next month, Hao Ren couldn't help but be shocked.
Although he felt somewhat gloating, he did not have any good feelings towards the Zhang family. After all, this relative had been standing idly by while the censors impeached him these days.
Hao Ren's face darkened, and his tone was cold: "Mrs. Zhang may have chosen the wrong person. Hao Qingzhi's marriage is not something that my prince can decide."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang's expression suddenly changed, her anxiety evident in her words. "As the old saying goes, 'Parents' orders, matchmaker's words'—this is the unchanging principle of marriage in our country. Since the Duke is Miss Hao's biological father, how can he not have the right to decide her lifelong affairs?"
In the current situation, the Yongding Marquisate was too busy to provide shelter for Jiang Shu and Hao Qingzhi. Hao Ren had the undisputed right to decide Hao Qingzhi's marriage.
Hao Ren paced the hall with his hands behind his back. He glanced at Madam Zhang and said coldly, "Because the Duke has made up his mind to expel those three rebellious daughters from the Hao family!"
When these words were spoken, even someone as calm as Xia Zhiyu was shocked.
Could he give up the love and care he had nurtured for over a decade so easily? Her cousin was even more determined than she had imagined. She secretly resolved to hold on to the power and status she held.
Mrs. Zhang and Zhang Dingqian were also shocked by Hao Ren's decisive words and were speechless.
They knew Hao Ren's character very well. His marriage with Jiang Shu had just been dissolved, but now he could be so decisive that he could even give up the father-daughter relationship. It was obvious that he had made up his mind to draw a clear line with the Yongding Marquis Mansion.
Zhang Dingqian, who had originally intended to persuade his mother to stop, chose to remain silent. Forget it, let his mother do as she pleased.
Madam Zhang was extremely anxious and emotional. "How can this be possible? How can there be an overnight feud between father and daughter? My young ladies, no matter what, are all blood relatives of the Duke. The Yongding Marquis's Mansion is in trouble now. If the Duke were to expel them at this time, wouldn't that be tantamount to cutting off their escape route and putting them to death?"
Hao Ren has always been indifferent to the fate of those frivolous girls. His heart is only concerned with Jiang Yuyao, the destined phoenix girl who can help him rise to the top in the future.
Hao Ren's expression was as cold as ice, with a hint of sarcasm on his lips: "If Madam Zhang is truly worried, she might as well take that rebellious girl into the mansion as soon as possible. Perhaps this can buy her a glimmer of hope."
Mrs. Zhang was speechless for a moment.
She knew that the blame should not extend to her unmarried daughter, but how could she let her son marry the daughter of a criminal? Her son was the eldest son who was to inherit the family business and bring honor to the family!
Moreover, she was also indifferent to Hao Qingzhi's life or death. The purpose of her trip was just to cancel the engagement!
Madam Zhang then tried to negotiate, saying, "Your Majesty, the Duke is well aware of the current situation. We, the Zhang family, are simply seeking to protect ourselves. Your Majesty, why don't you do me a favor and dissolve this engagement with the Zhang family first, and then expel your unworthy daughters from the family. That way, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Hao Ren sat upright in the chair, his fingers sliding gently along the edge of the teacup, in silence.
Mrs. Zhang was very smart. When she saw that he did not refuse immediately, she understood that there was room for negotiation. She guessed that Hao Ren was just waiting for the right bargaining chip!
The Duke of Huguo's mansion was now in ruins, a desolate scene. What was the most scarce commodity? Money! The silver, gleaming with a cold light, was the nectar they desperately needed.
"Regarding the cancellation of the engagement, it is indeed a bad practice of our Zhang family. If the Duke can facilitate this good thing, our Zhang family is willing to offer tens of thousands of pure silver as compensation." Mrs. Zhang secretly cursed Hao Ren in her heart for selling his daughter for fame, but she still maintained a humble and kind smile on her face.
Hao Ren raised his eyelids slightly, inwardly mocking the Zhang family, who boasted of their noble character, yet possessed considerable financial resources, easily able to come up with ten thousand taels of silver. Meanwhile, his own Duke's Mansion was struggling to even scrape together a thousand taels of silver!
Hao Ren stretched out two slender fingers, "Twenty thousand taels."
Mrs. Zhang did not expect Hao Ren to be so shameless. She secretly cursed him for being so greedy that he even dared to bargain!
"Although our Zhang family is gentle, we are not pushovers. If the Duke isn't sincere, we can always turn to Jiang Shu for discussion. While our reputation might be slightly damaged, who would remember these old stories after so long?"
Mrs. Zhang acted as if she was leaving angrily.
This scene made Hao Ren panic. He was in urgent need of money to maintain the daily expenses of the Duke's Mansion. He couldn't let this God of Wealth leave him like this!
"If Madam Zhang is willing to pay twenty thousand taels of silver, my general will announce to the public that the responsibility for breaking off the engagement between the two families lies entirely with Hao Qingzhi. It was my Hao family who concealed the truth about Hao Qingzhi's serious illness and infertility. This way, even if the Zhang family proposes to break off the engagement at this critical moment, there won't be much criticism from the outside world."
A sinister glint flashed across Hao Ren's eyes. This plan would not only allow him to pocket the huge sum of money, but would also make Jiang Shu regret and suffer immensely.
Mrs. Zhang suddenly stopped, exchanged a meaningful look with Zhang Dingqian beside her, and then turned her gaze to Hao Ren again.
The two men looked at Hao Ren with disdain and contempt. They had never imagined that this usually righteous man could be such a despicable and shameless hypocrite.
However, this condition is beneficial to them, and they are not in a position to criticize it too much.
For Mrs. Zhang, although she felt distressed to pay an extra ten thousand taels of silver, if she could completely shift the responsibility of breaking off the engagement to the woman, it would also be helpful for Zhang Dingqian in future marriage discussions.
Madam Zhang nodded slightly and said resolutely, "Okay, it's settled!"
Mrs. Zhang acted quickly and immediately sent her personal maid to get the banknotes.
After Hao Ren took the banknotes, he carefully counted them and stuffed all the money into his own pocket, leaving nothing for Xia Zhiyu. He and Madam Zhang completed all the formalities of breaking off the engagement neatly.
The two families then simultaneously announced the news and reasons for the cancellation of the engagement.
The officials who learned of the news kept it a secret among each other, but they all knew in their hearts that the truth behind it was ultimately related to the Yongding Marquis' Mansion.
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