Considering the emperor's favor for the Marquis of Yongding, he would never have easily taken an action like besieging the Marquis of Yongding's mansion, which might destroy the harmony between the monarch and his subjects, unless he had solid evidence.
Minister Peng sighed, "Prosperity is like brocade, like a raging fire boiling oil. It shines for a moment, but who knows when it will vanish into thin air."
Censor Zhang was dazed and absent-minded for a moment.
Minister Peng, standing beside him, seemed to have read his mind and winked at him playfully. "If I remember correctly, Lord Zhang's eldest son seems to be engaged to the eldest daughter of the Duke of Huguo's mansion?"
Censor Zhang pondered and said, "Indeed...it is true."
Minister Peng said in a gentle voice, "Logically speaking, the blame shouldn't extend to married women."
Censor Zhang paused slightly and fell into a brief silence.
Minister Peng suddenly remembered something and sighed, "Alas, what a pity! Why would the wife of the Duke of Protectorate reconcile with her husband and return home at this time? I heard she's returned to the Jiang family, bringing her three daughters with her. Not long ago, there were rumors that the Yongding Marquisate intended to have the daughters of the Duke change their surnames, completely breaking away from the constraints of the Duke of Protectorate. If that's true, I'm afraid they will all be implicated."
Once a powerful official falls, few escape unscathed, even relatives and friends are rarely spared.
The Zhang family is a noble family. Censor Zhang grew up in the imperial city and was influenced by it. In his childhood, he witnessed the tragic end of a powerful official of the previous dynasty who was even more powerful than the Marquis of Yongding and was liquidated.
The tragic scene of blood flowing like a river, the spring rain lasted for several months, and the soil under the roots of the willow trees still exuded a bloody smell.
Censor Zhang shuddered and slowly walked back to his carriage, "Go back, go back quickly!"
He must go home immediately and discuss this matter with his wife!
…
Inside the Zhang Mansion.
Sitting on a bench was a tall guard with a stern face.
Zhang Dingqian, the eldest son of the Zhang family, was wearing a luxurious azure robe, and his usual elegant and dignified image was gone. At this moment, he was biting a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth, lying casually on the bench, and even resting the back of his head on the guard's broad thighs.
With a smile on his face, he gently lifted the guard's robe and slowly stroked his firm abdomen, his eyes showing an increasingly obsessed look, as if he was stroking a piece of warm and beautiful jade.
The guard's brows were furrowed, his face showing an expression of extreme patience, but he held Zhang Dingqian's scroll carefully in his hands, "Young Master, don't you plan to read the classics?"
Zhang Dingqian spat out a piece of foxtail grass and sighed, as if releasing the helplessness in his heart with his sigh. "With Shuyu by my side, even Yan Ruyu, as described in the book, can't pique my interest. Shuyu, my father has gone to the court today. Why don't you and I test our tenderness in this quiet place?"
He suddenly stood up, hugged the guard intimately, and whispered in his ear, but his hands did not avoid suspicion at all. He directly held Shuyu's slender hand and gently placed it on the jade belt around his waist.
Spring was in full swing, and the air was filled with warmth. Suddenly, a question came from behind the willow tree, breaking the silence:
"Master, why are you back so early?"
Zhang Dingqian and Shuyu were suddenly panicked, and the items in their hands fell to the ground. They bent down anxiously to pick them up.
"What are you doing here?"
Censor Zhang walked around the willow tree and was about to return to his own courtyard when he happened to witness his eldest son and his guards in a panic in the garden. Various jade ornaments of various shapes were scattered on the ground, which were quite conspicuous.
Zhang Dingqian and Shuyu's cheeks flushed pink, their voices raspy, their clothes a bit disheveled from their hastily tidied clothes. Their eyes flickered, as if they were still immersed in the passion of the moment, unable to fully recover.
Zhang Dingqian stood quietly behind Shuyu, the book in his hand accidentally turned upside down. Faced with his father's questions, he felt both stimulated and uneasy.
Shuyu saluted calmly, her expression normal, and she spoke calmly, "Sir, I just had a martial arts exchange with the young master. The young master's martial arts have improved significantly in recent days. If he persists, his internal strength will surely reach a higher level."
Censor Zhang, on his way to meet his wife, was unaware of the subtle ambiguity and strangeness between the two. Upon hearing the guard's report, he nodded in satisfaction, "Well, you two should discuss this carefully. Although Ding Qian will pursue a career as a civil servant, he shouldn't neglect the Six Arts. This way, you'll have a more sustainable and competitive advantage over others in the future imperial examinations."
Zhang Dingqian's cheeks flushed. He felt that Shuyu was still teasing him, which made him feel both irritated and ashamed. However, under his father's sharp gaze, he could only respond solemnly, "As you command."
After Censor Zhang and his entourage left, Shuyu once again held Zhang Dingqian's hands tightly.
But at this moment, Censor Zhang suddenly turned around without any warning, "By the way, Ding Qian, this matter is also related to you, you come over as well."
Zhang Dingqian quickly let go of Shuyu's hand as if struck by lightning, fearing that his father would notice their intimate behavior. In a panic, he did not dare to look back and hurriedly walked towards Zhang Yushi: "As you wish, father."
Although Censor Zhang felt something was amiss, he didn't delve into it. He simply patted his son's shoulder and said earnestly, "The guards in this palace are all skilled. If you wish to challenge them, remember to do so within your capabilities and avoid any harm. You are our only legitimate son, and the future of our family depends on you. We look forward to your achievements."
When Zhang Dingqian heard the words "family continuation", his eyes began to wander involuntarily.
He knew in his heart that the guards in the palace were indeed extremely brave, but he... was unable to take on the responsibility of continuing the family line.
Seeing this, Censor Zhang asked, "Next month is your wedding day with Hao Qingzhi, the daughter of the Duke of Huguo. What do you think of this marriage?"
Zhang Dingqian thought of Hao Qingzhi, but he felt no enthusiasm at all.
However, just as his parents had said, Hao Qingzhi was indeed very suitable to become the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhang family. He had no objection to this marriage and simply said, "My parents' instructions and the matchmaker's words, I will follow my father's arrangements in everything."
In his opinion, this was just a family celebration ceremony and the wedding would be enough.
Censor Zhang asked directly, "What if I want to cancel this marriage?"
Zhang Dingqian shook his head, his tone firm, "It's not appropriate. My son and Miss Hao's wedding is imminent, and Miss Hao has done nothing wrong. If we cancel the engagement now, I'm afraid it will cause public outcry and even create a grudge between us and the Yongding Marquisate."
He asked with a puzzled look on his face, "Why would my father have such a strange idea? Did he hear something from my mother? As a reclusive woman, she only cares about trivial household matters. These don't require my attention."
Ever since the Duke of Protectorate and his wife parted ways, and the Yongding Marquisate and the Duke of Protectorate's House became enemies, the entire capital was plunged into heated discussions.
In the past few days, his mother has been mentioning this matter to him again and again.
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