Chapter 138

Duke Anguo's breathing was off. He looked at Zhan Yue and said, "Where did you learn these words?"

"Is there anything worth learning from such words?" Zhan Yue looked coldly, looking up and down at Duke Anguo, "What is Duke Anguo feeling guilty about?"

Duke Anguo knew that he had shown his cowardice at this moment, which was the most inappropriate thing to do in front of Zhan Yue. However, Zhan Yue's words "I am not a person who likes to force myself" had come from his own mouth before.

When the Yongding Marquis's Mansion fell into decline, Duke Anguo went to the mansion to take Fu Shiyu as his concubine. When the people of the Fu family clamored to drive him out of the mansion, Duke Anguo said the same thing to the brilliant Fu Shiyu, "I am not a person who likes to force things."

At that time, he was high and mighty, and he was proud of his status as a son of a noble family and the eldest son of the emperor. He was sure that Fu Shiyu would be willing to compromise in order to save the Fu family.

But the Fu family's scolding really made him unhappy, so this sentence was obviously deliberately humiliating. He wanted to let the Fu family and the people of the entire capital see clearly that even if he took the initiative to cancel the engagement, even if Fu Shiyu was so stubborn and proud, he had to give in today, and it was Fu Shiyu who took the initiative to bow to him when entering the Anguo Mansion! It was not forced by anyone!

Unexpectedly, thirty years later, the exact same words came back to him from Zhan Yue's mouth.

Duke Anguo said nothing, but his teeth were chattering slightly, and it was unclear whether he was angry or frightened.

Zhan Yue said, "You only have one day to think about it. I will accompany the princess to the palace to see the emperor the day after tomorrow." When mentioning Jiashan, Zhan Yue's tone became slightly more relaxed. He said, "You two should think it over carefully."

After Zhan Yue left, Zhan Tai walked to the side of Duke Anguo, and seeing that Duke Anguo looked absent-minded, he called out "Dad".

Duke Anguo slowly came back to his senses. He let out a long breath and tilted his head to ask, "How long has it been since we held a ritual in our house?"

Zhan Tai casually calculated the years and replied, "I haven't done it since my grandmother passed away."

"Invite the eminent monk from Wuhua Temple tomorrow," said Duke Anguo slowly, "to pray for the souls of the deceased in the mansion."

What ghost?

Zhan Tai didn't understand what was going on, but he could only nod and agree when he heard the Duke of Anguo spoke in a tone that was very respectful. After thinking about it, he couldn't help but ask, "Fourth brother's three requests, what do you think Dad will do?"

Three requirements...

Duke Anguo's thoughts fell into silence again.

Unfortunately, Zhan Yue did not give them much time to think about it. On the evening of the second day, Zhan Tai finished presiding over the ritual at the Anguogong Mansion. He did not even have time to eat, so he got up and hurried to the Princess Mansion. The steward went directly to report to Zhan Yue.

Zhan Yue was having dinner with Jia Shan and Xuan Ge'er. When he heard that it was Zhan Tai who came to visit, he continued to add dishes to Jia Shan without changing his expression.

Seeing that he had no intention of getting up, Jiashan smiled and ordered: "The prince has finally come here, so you don't have to keep him for dinner, but you can give him a pot of tea. Use the white tea that the prince's wife sent him two years ago."

The white tea was a gift from Zhang when Xuan Ge'er held a lottery ceremony a few years ago. White tea is also a treasure among tea leaves, but Zhang's heart has always been dishonest to them, and the tea leaves she selected are of poor quality. Jiashan disliked it so much that he even felt it was not worth giving to reward his servants.

So most of them were thrown away, with only a few boxes left. Jiashan originally planned to find an opportunity to take them to the Anguo Mansion, and give them to a servant of the Anguo Mansion as a reward, so as to annoy Zhang. Unexpectedly, Zhan Tai would come to visit one day, so he had to let him off.

Zhan Yue understood her thoughts and couldn't help but said with a smile: "Why are you so short-sighted?"

Jiashan said: "The jade will be returned intact to Zhao."

Zhan Yue smiled, and after finishing his meal with Jiashan and Xuan Ge'er, he walked slowly towards the main hall.

Zhan Tai was asking for help, so he just held the teacup in his hand and waited patiently. He heard footsteps coming from far away, and seeing that it was Zhan Yue, Zhan Tai stood up quickly.

Zhan Yue glanced at the teacup in Zhan Tai's hand, walked to the main seat and sat down without looking away. He said calmly: "Since the prince has come to visit, I believe he has made up his mind."

Zhan Tai didn't waste any more words and said directly, "Yes."

Zhan Yue raised his eyes, picked up a cup of tea, put it to his mouth and blew gently, waiting patiently for Zhan Tai to speak.

Zhan Tai said: "Dad agreed to the first request yesterday. As for the second one..."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his lapel: "This is the divorce agreement written by my father himself. Prince Consort can take a look at it."

Soon someone took the letter from Zhan Tai and presented it to Zhan Yue. Zhan Yue read it carefully and put the divorce letter into the pocket of his lapel and kept it away safely.

Zhan Tai said: "We can complete the first two requests as promised, but the last one..."

He started talking, but seeing that Zhan Yue still had no intention of giving in, he had no choice but to say, "If you want to move your mother's tomb back to the Fu family, the Anguo Mansion will have no objection, but Dad is our father after all, and he at least raised you..."

Zhan Yue sneered faintly, with sarcasm in the corners of his lips.

This sarcasm made it difficult for Zhan Tai to say the rest of his words. He paused for a moment and asked carefully, "Can we light three incense sticks in front of the grave instead?"

"What do you think of my place, my Lord?" Zhan Yue's face was calm and his tone was merciless. "If you want to bargain, I'm afraid you've gone the wrong way."

Zhan Tai knew that today's mission would be difficult. Seeing Zhan Yue's reaction, he was not annoyed. He maintained a calm voice and said, "I dare not bargain with the prince consort. But since Fu was once a concubine of the Duke's Mansion, it is unreasonable for my father to kowtow to her. It is the same whether she is alive or dead."

Fearing that Zhan Yue would be unhappy, Zhan Tai took a step forward and bowed: "But she is my elder, so it doesn't matter if I am shorter than her. There is a saying that the son should pay for the debts of his father. In the past, the maidservant in the mansion was disrespectful to Mrs. Fu. When Mrs. Fu's grave is moved back to the Fu Mansion, my husband and I will kowtow to her three times on behalf of my father. What do you think of this, my husband?"

Zhan Tai put on enough airs this time, and was truly polite and measured in his actions. Compared to the day before, his Qi-cultivation skills had really improved a lot.

I have to say that Duke Anguo has put in some real effort in educating him over the years.

Zhan Yue's face was calm, and he politely replied, "If it is according to the prince's intention that the son should pay the father's debt, then there is almost no need for the prince to do anything. I can just kowtow three times in front of the grave. Isn't that the easiest thing?"

Zhan Tai's eyes darkened slightly, but seeing that Zhan Yue was not as ruthless as before, he asked in a friendly manner, "Then how can we do better according to the Prince Consort's wishes?"

"How can you be so forgetful, my prince?" Zhan Yue said calmly, "I have already expressed my feelings to you. Do I need to repeat them again and again?"

"Does your Majesty mean that there is no room for maneuver at all?" Zhan Tai finally couldn't hold back and said with a slightly cold tone, "Even though you and your mother have been wronged in the mansion, the Anguo Mansion has saved the last breath of heirs for the Fu family!"

"Really?" Zhan Yue nodded slightly, "It was originally kept by the Anguo Mansion."

He spoke in a sinister tone, and Zhan Tai couldn't help but look gloomy. The words that he had kept in his heart for many years came out all at once, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube. He said, "Why do you think you became a Jinwu Guard? If there was no Duke's Mansion, how could you be where you are today!"

"Zhan Yanqing, you wouldn't have forgotten your last name after becoming the consort of a royal consort, would you?" Zhan Tai's face turned stern. He was usually gentle and refined, but this was the first time he showed such a sly look. "The Duke's Mansion has done nothing to let you down."

"If you really don't want to help, then we'll fight to the death. Do you think that if Ying'er is convicted of treason, you and your son will be left out of the list of people to be executed? The princess is a princess, but her husbands are always available."

"It's a good thing that Ying'er is now a useless man," Zhan Tai said with a lingering hatred, gritting his teeth, "We should thank the Prince Consort for showing mercy."

"No trouble." Zhan Yue was not angry. He just glanced at his angry look and said calmly, "As an uncle, I have to take some responsibility to teach you."

"You!" Zhan Tai was almost speechless due to his understatement.

Zhan Yue said: "Since the prince thinks the title of the Duke's Mansion is so useful, and since the prince thinks that anyone with the surname Zhan can become a Jinwu Guard, then why bother to come to my house?"

"Your Highness can go back home and wait for good news," Zhan Yue's eyes turned cold, and he looked intimidating without even getting angry. "Let's see if my son and I will be on the list of people to be exterminated in the Duke's Mansion after the morning court tomorrow!"

As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere became quiet for a moment, with only Zhan Tai's heavy breathing still coming one after another.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Zhan Yue asked, "Should I ask someone to ask you to leave?"

Zhan Tai said nothing.

Zhan Yue said: "Show him away!"

"...Wait." Zhan Tai's voice paused.

His tone was gloomy: "Does the Prince Consort really want to be so heartless?"

"It's me who is heartless now," Zhan Yue smiled and said nonchalantly, "Prince, have you figured it out?"

"It was Zhan Shaoying who brought people into Changchun Temple and threatened my wife and children. If it weren't for the loyalty of my guards, what would have happened to the princess now?" Zhan Yue's eyes were sharp, and his pair of inky pupils concealed a lot of storms.

"It's true that Ying-ge did something wrong," Zhan Tai said patiently, "but the princess has the Bodhisattva's blessing, so isn't everything safe and sound now?"

"Oh?" At this moment, Zhan Yue was really angry and laughed. His eyes were cold, "What a complete and intact one."

"Prince, I have good news for you. I have changed my mind."

Seeing Zhan Tai looking at him hopefully, Zhan Yue raised his eyelids and said coldly, "Except for the three heads of the Duke. After you and the Crown Prince's wife have finished buckling three heads in front of my mother's grave, buckle three more heads in front of the princess."

Zhan Tai's eyes were red with anger: "Zhan Yanqing!"

"So that the prince and the lady know," Zhan Yue's lips curved indifferently and lazily, "There are no Bodhisattvas in this world. Your son was able to survive after being deposed because the princess blessed him."

"You either kowtow or die," Zhan Yue said, "there is no room for maneuver. I don't want to waste my words on you anymore."

"Choose now." Zhan Yue issued an ultimatum.

Zhan Tai clenched his fists, his chest began to heave violently, but his feet seemed to be rooted and never moved.

Zhan Yue stared at him: "It seems that the prince has made up his mind."

"In that case, you can kowtow to the three of them today." Zhan Yue quickly asked someone to invite Jiashan.

Jiashan had just coaxed Xuan'er to sleep and was about to come over to check on them when he saw Zhan Tai standing motionless in the main hall. He then winked at Zhan Yue - what happened?

Zhan Yue helped her to the main seat without changing his expression, and said with a smile: "It's nothing, I just encountered an interesting thing, please come and listen."

Jiashan was puzzled. Although she knew the three requests made by Zhan Yue the day before, she had no idea what Zhan Tai was going to do.

Zhan Yue said slowly: "Prince, you can start now." After that, he stood aside and signaled Jiashan not to move.

Zhan Tai closed his eyes, lifted up his robe, and knelt heavily on the ground.

Jiashan was startled, but seeing that Zhan Yue's calm expression still showed anger, he realized that Zhan Tai must have said something to anger him, and it might be related to him, so he didn't say anything.

"Dong", "Dong", "Dong", Zhan Tai kowtowed three times in a row, his eyes were red, and he said nothing.

After the three chimes were over, Jiashan took the initiative to speak, "I am the king and you are the subject. It is only natural for you to kowtow to me, and it is not considered that the prince consort is deliberately humiliating you."

"The Prince Consort has always been kind, you must have done something to annoy him." Jiashan said, "Now that you have finished these three kowtows, I can take the initiative to ask the Prince Consort to forgive your mistake today."

Zhan Tai gritted his teeth and looked at the "Mercy" duo, and had to say: "Your Highness, please be lenient."

"But you are you, and Duke Anguo is Duke Anguo. You cannot bear his mistakes." Jiashan said, "I can explain Zhan Shaoying's treason, but the prince must fulfill his promise."

"Daintree, bring me some paper and pen."

"Please write down everything the prince promised, so that you won't be confused later."

Jiashan finished speaking in one breath and handed the pen to Zhantai. When Zhantai finished writing the last word, his eyes became hot and his joints creaked. He tried his best to hold back all his emotions and finally said goodbye and left the princess's mansion.