The next morning, just as Shi Lan got out of bed, Zhu'er came to report that the Shi clan chief, who had visited the day before, had returned with his entourage and asked if she wanted to see him.
Shi Lan had no interest in dealing with the original owner's past and simply pushed the person to Yue Zhan's side.
Shi Lan knew Yue Zhan's attitude towards her; with him blocking her way, the Shi family had no chance of taking her back.
The Shi family did not reappear after that, so Shi Lan put the matter aside and began to ponder the Turkic sneak attack.
The Turks were supposed to launch their attack in a few days, but the plan has changed. Liu Weng is dead, and it's unknown whether the Turks are aware of this. If they are not, then they are definitely still preparing for war, waiting on the edge of Suyab or Kashgar to seize an opportunity to advance towards the Protectorate.
Yue Zhan has been reorganizing the defenses and other military affairs here for the past few days and is preparing to set off for Shule, which is closer to the border. When Shi Jialuo learned of Yue Zhan's plans, he rushed over overnight, accompanied by his cousin Shi Jiami.
Looking at the middle-aged man who bore a five or six-point resemblance to Shi Lan and possessed a refined and scholarly air, Yue Zhan raised an eyebrow knowingly.
He ordered the soldiers to serve tea, and without further ado, he went straight to the point: "Clan Chief Shi, if your purpose in coming here is to take Lan Niang away, then I advise you not to mention it."
Shi Jialuo gave an awkward laugh. Nowadays, most people would exchange pleasantries before getting down to business. Yue Zhan's bluntness could be described as straightforward, but it was also rude and disrespectful. However, since they needed his help and were at a disadvantage, they had no choice but to accept it, no matter how impolite Yue Zhan was.
"You flatter me, Grand Commander," Shi Jiami, who was sitting upright to the side, bowed slightly and said, "We are extremely grateful to the Grand Commander for rescuing Little Nineteen from her predicament. However, Little Nineteen is, after all, a legitimate daughter of the Shi family. It would be inappropriate for her to follow us without any clear connection..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yue Zhan's expression changed. "What's wrong with it? Is it shameful for Lan Niang to be with me?"
Shi Jiami was a scholar, somewhat pedantic. When Yue Zhan interrupted him like that, his expression immediately changed, and he was about to rebuke him angrily. Shi Jialuo knew his cousin's temper well, and seeing his expression, he knew that he would definitely say something unpleasant. He quickly stopped him and said, "Please forgive me, Grand Commander. My cousin doesn't know how to speak properly. Please don't take it to heart."
Yue Zhan was on a mission and did not want to have a falling out with the Shi family. However, since Shi Lan was involved, he had to be tough. Now that Shi Jialuo had smoothed things over, he was unwilling to delve into it. In any case, he had made up his mind that no matter what the two said, they would not take Shi Lan away.
Shi Jialu glared at Shi Jiami until he lowered his head, then turned to Yue Zhan with a smile, "I heard that the Grand Commander is about to set off. I am deeply grateful for the Grand Commander's hard work, so I have specially ordered a banquet to be prepared. I hope that the Grand Commander will do me the honor of attending the banquet tomorrow with Lan Niang and others."
Yue Zhan stared at him intently, remaining silent.
Could this old fox be planning to secretly detain Lan Niang under the guise of a banquet at the mansion?
Yue Zhan considered the consequences of causing a scene at the Shi residence.
Shi Jialuo seemed to know his thoughts and said with a smile, "The banquet is set up at Qunyinglou. If the Grand Commander is not at ease, he can set up a large number of troops to prevent villains from causing trouble."
Qunyinglou is a place to drink tea. Because of its open location, it also has some pavilions and waterside terraces, making it a good place to enjoy the scenery.
Yue Zhan smiled when he heard him say he was going there.
Now that things have come to this point, wouldn't refusing to agree be a sign of weakness? Wouldn't that dampen the morale that had just been boosted? Besides, who has Yue Zhan ever been afraid of? Even if all these people were tied together, they wouldn't be a match for him.
Yue Zhan laughed loudly, "Alright, since it is the clan leader's kind invitation, then I will accept it without hesitation. I will bring Lan Niang to the banquet shortly."
Shi Jialuo smiled, stood up, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave. Shi Jiami puffed out his cheeks, but refused to bow to Yue Zhan, and simply followed Shi Jialuo away.
Yue Zhan wasn't angry. Come to think of it, he might indeed be a blood relative of Shi Lan's body. He won the heart of the beauty without the consent of her parents, so it was no big deal to suffer a little.
That night, Shi Lan was getting drowsy and trying to fall asleep. The herbal soup prescribed by Han Nushi had a calming effect, and Shi Lan felt sleepy every time she drank it. Yue Zhan was thinking about the banquet the next day. Although he had confidence in Shi Lan, he still couldn't help but want to confirm, "Lan Niang, if these people are really your long-lost relatives, what will you do? Go back with them?"
Shi Lan buried her head in the quilt, lazily rubbing against it, feeling how smooth and comfortable it was. "So what? I'm already a servant in your household. According to the law, as long as you don't agree, they can't do anything about it."
Yue Zhan nodded, pondered for a moment, and then realized that this wasn't what he meant to ask. But when he turned his head, he saw Shi Lan, who had already fallen asleep. Her fair face, even breathing, and soft, tender lips were pouting, making her look very cute.
Yue Zhan smiled and gently touched her soft lips. He looked up at the roof ridge, pondering whether or not to issue Shi Lan the document to be a servant. If she was, she would be confined to a lowly status for life, and it would be impossible for her to live a long and respectable life with him.
Yue Zhan rolled his eyes and thought for a moment. Perhaps having a family wouldn't be bad. At least he could formally ask the matchmaker to perform the traditional marriage ceremony and have her marry into the family in a grand and lively manner. In the future, she would be a proper second-rank lady in the mansion, and even after she passed away, she would be buried with him.
Yue Zhan thought about it more and more and felt it was a good idea. He made up his mind and closed his eyes.
The next morning, Yue Zhan finished his military duties early and rushed back to urge Shi Lan to get ready.
Shi Lan originally planned to go to Qunyinglou with Yue Zhan to deal with him, but seeing how enthusiastic he was, she had no choice but to redo her makeup, draw her eyebrows and eyes, put on floral decorations, and even change into a flowing and gorgeous ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).
As noon approached, Shi Lan followed Yue Zhan to Qunyinglou. As soon as they entered, they saw Shi Jialuo bringing Shi Jiami over.
Shi Jialuo was relatively alright; although her emotions were unstable, her expression remained quite natural. However, Shi Jiami's eyes immediately reddened upon seeing Shi Lan, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Shi Lan frowned slightly. When she saw Shi Jiami, her heart was stirred. She seemed to be very close to him. Shi Lan cursed inwardly. If she really cared, how could she let someone kidnap her young daughter?
Shi Jialuo tugged at her cousin and stepped aside to let the two of them in.
Yue Zhan had been thinking about this last night, and now he was being polite to Shi Jialuo. The two of them politely deferred to each other as they entered together.
Shi Jiami walked behind, glancing at Shi Lan from time to time, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how.
Shi Lan took a light breath, turned to him and gave him a kind smile. Seeing his immediate excitement, she sighed inwardly.
Well, they were the original owner's family after all; blood is thicker than water. No matter how angry you are, you can't erase that fact. (To be continued.)
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