Xie Lin stumbled out, only to see the backside of Zhou Gu’s horse. He rubbed his eyes and lamented, once again, his incapacity to hold his alcohol.
The innkeeper came out, smiling, and said: "Young Master Xie, Young Master Zhou instructed me to arrange a carriage to take you home."
Xie Lin knew he was in no state to ride, so he nodded, "Hmm."
So, the innkeeper arranged a carriage and helped Xie Lin into it.
Once Xie Lin had boarded the carriage, he asked the innkeeper, "Is Lan Niang from your establishment back in the Capital City?"
The innkeeper nodded, "She had come to the Capital City, but she left not too long ago. She will return after a while."
Xie Lin nodded, not forgetting what he had said earlier, and repeated in a drunken haze, "If anyone causes trouble, don’t hesitate to mention my name."
The innkeeper bowed, "I will remember your words, Young Master Xie. Thank you for your intervention."
Xie Lin muttered a "Hmm", pulled down the carriage’s curtain, and the carriage drove away from the inn.
Zhou Gu swiftly returned to the Duke Residence, dismounting his horse and carrying two jars of wine. Not noticing any light in the old Duke’s study, he headed directly to the Duke’s courtyard.
The old Duke was talking with the eldest Princess Sheng An about rumors from outside, including the matter of Ye Guixue visiting the Capital City with his younger niece from the Nanchu regent’s Residence. He thought the rumors could be ignored as they would fade away soon. As for the slander against the Princess Residence, Su Rong would explain. But Ye Guixue’s visit to the Capital, with its suspicious timing, made one wonder about hidden motives.
Princess Sheng An pondered: "The Ye Family in Nanchu plays a significant role there, being the second most influential behind the Nangong Family. Now that both families are intermarried, I wonder what they’re planning. In recent years, half of the political power in Nanchu has been dominated by the Nangong Family, with the other half being divided between the Ye Family and the royal family. The Ye Family is not known to be staunch royalists, so if they combined forces against Su Rong, it’s a possibility."
The old Duke shook his head, "Everyone vies for the top position. The Nangong Family, ruling for two generations and controlling national affairs, breeds descendants of both genders who are domineering. In comparison, the Ye Family has a much better reputation. If not for the Ye Family’s support, the Nanchu King would not have remained on the throne all these years. This Ye Guixue, favored by the Nanchu King and appointed as a Fourth Rank Minister in the Ministry of Personnel even below the legal age, might be their breakthrough if they plan to dislodge the Nangong Family’s control over Nanchu."
Upon hearing this, Princess Sheng An remarked: "In Nanchu, it is indeed so perilous to face these tigers and leopards."
The old Duke sighed, "This is her choice and her fate. This is why I did not stop her, insisting on her engagement."
Princess Sheng An responded in silence, "In a few days, after the rumors die down, let’s invite her to our house to hear her plans and thoughts. We must help her."
The old Duke nodded, "Of course."
While the old couple was talking, they heard someone announce "The Fourth Young Master is back" and immediately stopped their conversation.
Zhou Gu walked in with two jars of wine, and seeing the old Duke and Princess Sheng An sitting at the table, seemingly getting ready for dinner, he placed two jars of wine on the table and said: "The wine is from the money Xie Lin sent to honor my grandparents."
Observed by the old Duke stroking his beard, he frowned, "You reek of alcohol, boy. How much did you drink?"
Zhou Gu never said how much he had drunk and simply replied, "I’m going home."
If it had been any other day, for a demeanor like this, the old Duke would definitely have reprimanded him, but today he just waved his hand, "Hurry home."
As Zhou Gu turned to leave, he stopped at the doorway, turned back and asked, "What if I refused to let go of the marriage agreement today?"
"I’d break your legs," the old Duke retorted with a creased brow.
Zhou Gu chuckled and left.
The old Duke muttered behind his back, "Ungrateful boy! You’ve grown wings!"
Princess Sheng An gave the old Duke a gentle shove, expressing her displeasure, "Alright, I’ve never seen you so hard on anyone else. You’re always stern and severe with Gu, every time, you never show him a happy face. What does he owe you?"
The old Duke countered, "Can he be compared to others? As the eldest grandson, Shoucheng is mature, but the other two are barely passable. I don’t demand much from them. Just him, with a god-given intellect, failing to cultivate it properly would be such a waste."
Princess Sheng An was upset, "I can’t be bothered with you anymore."
She grabbed the two jars of wine on the table. "These two are mine, you’re not allowed to drink a single one."
The old Duke hastily protested, "My my, with your low tolerance for alcohol, don’t waste good wine."
Princess Sheng An ignored him and ordered the servants to put away the wine. "Take them all away. Don’t let this old thing drink the wine brought back by my dear son-in-law. If he’s capable, he should go buy his own."
The old Duke glared.
Princess Sheng An flared up, "Do not dare to glare at me. There is no logic to criticism and enjoyment at the same time."
The old Duke could only watch helplessly as his wine was taken away.
In the evening, the Crown Prince’s Residence was also discussing Su Rong.
Yan Li asked the Crown Prince’s wife, "A few days ago, you mentioned inviting Duanhua to bring Su Rong to our residence, but we haven’t received a response. Do you think it’s because they’ve been planning for the dissolution of the marriage?"
The Crown Prince’s wife shook her head, "I’m not sure. Should I send another invitation tomorrow?"
Yan Li nodded, "Do so, we need to probe their intentions. Now that Su Xu has become the Inspector of Jiangzhou and has, through Zhou Gu, joined forces with the Eastern Palace. It would only make sense for them to honor the marriage agreement with the Duke’s Residence. It’s beyond belief that Su Rong would seek to dissolve Zhou Gu’s marriage. After investigation, there were no leads, only that Su Rong feels incompatible with Zhou Gu."
The Crown Prince’s wife agreed, "Leave it to me. If I send out another invitation tomorrow and Duanhua still declines, I’ll personally visit them."
Yan Li nodded in agreement, "Alright."
He patted his wife’s hand, "The exam went smoothly this time. The Crown Prince has been on his guard, not allowing me and my second brother to disrupt it. But Father is both pleased and threatened by the Crown Prince." He chuckled, "The Crown Prince dare not make a mistake, and Father awaits his failure. My second brother and I will seize our chance."
The Crown Prince’s wife comforted him gently, "Your Highness, take your time. There’s still plenty of time. The Emperor’s reign is not ending anytime soon. We can slowly wear down the Crown Prince."
"Exactly, let’s see who outlasts whom." Yan Li gnashed his teeth, "He is bound to make a mistake sooner or later."
The news also reached the palace. During the Emperor’s break from reviewing official documents, Chief Eunuch Yu An reported the dissolution of the marriage proposal by Su Rong.
The Emperor was also surprised, "You said that Su Xu’s illegitimate daughter, by herself, terminated Zhou Gu’s marriage proposal?"
Eunuch Yu nodded, "That’s right. The news is all over the city. I’ve sent someone to confirm it, and it turns out to be true."
The Emperor found it interesting, "What’s the reason?"
"She said she is not worthy and that their personalities don’t match."
The Emperor found this rather acceptable, "Ah, indeed so. The Su family is of humble background, a mismatch for the noble Duke residence. It’s like an ant climbing a tree, or a rabbit trying to pluck peaches. Undoing the engagement shows the Su family’s self-awareness."
Eunuch Yu took a glance at the Emperor, then cautiously reminded him, "However, it remains unclear how the original engagement was agreed upon. Both the Duke Residence and the Su family in Jiangzhou remain tight-lipped. The cancellation of the engagement is now a fact, but I suspect there’s more to it than meets the eye. The current rumor is that Princess Qingping put pressure on Su Rong from the Su family, to cancel this highly sought-after marriage."
The Emperor put down his brush upon hearing this, "What about Su Rong? Is she still staying in the Princess’s residence?"
Eunuch Yu nodded, "Yes, there’s going to be a banquet at the Princess’s residence tonight to celebrate Su Rong’s cancellation of the marriage. They’ve even hired dancers. It’s quite lively."
Hearing this, the Emperor laughed, "This Qingping, the rumors claim she’s the one who sabotaged the marriage proposal for Zhou Gu, and she’s not even trying to hide it. Never mind, as long as it doesn’t affect the court, let her have her fun."
Yu An laughed along and nodded in agreement.
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