“When my father was alive, he often said that the four brothers were all sons of the Xu family. My mother said every day that the wives were like her own daughters. She treated the husbands and wives without any distinction.”
After Zhou finished speaking, seeing that the Duke of Rong's expression had not softened in the slightest, she raised her hand and used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her eye.
Xu Lingqing took two steps forward and stood in front of Old Madam Xu, gazing at her longingly. Then, with a sorrowful expression, she refused to come forward: "What nonsense are you spouting about dividing the family property? Your granddaughter is reluctant to part with her grandmother. It was clearly your third brother who made the mistake. What does it have to do with your granddaughter?"
The tears of this mother and daughter came suddenly, but they fell silently. If you pretended not to see them, they wouldn't bother you.
“I don’t want to separate the family. I am the tenth daughter of the Duke’s mansion, and I do not agree to separate the family.”
Xu Lingwan practically jumped off the stool, looking expectantly at Madam Liu.
She didn't want to be just another Xu family girl; she wanted to be the esteemed tenth daughter of the Rongguo Duke's mansion. Otherwise, with her father and brothers' current official positions, why would those women who used to fawn over her still be willing to follow her?
Liu gritted her teeth and looked in the direction of Master Xu. Seeing her husband hesitate, she looked at her son, but Xu Yunyang had no time to care about her gaze.
Xu Yunyang was pressed to the ground, with no soft padding under his knees, his knees kneeling straight on the cold bluestone floor.
The pain in his knees was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. He never expected that his great cause of helping the emperor rise to power would be thwarted by a girl younger than himself.
Even more perplexing to Xu Yunyang than this was an answer he was fixated on, an answer that had previously been unclear now suddenly magnified before his eyes. From the moment he began giving her gifts, Li Shiyue had been avoiding him, even resorting to such cunning to lure him into doing something wrong, only to be caught red-handed by Xu Yunci.
Was it because he hadn't done enough? He always thought of Li Shiyue when he had something good, so why did he always act like he had committed some terrible crime in her eyes? He was always like this.
Why did the family split up?
Xu Yunyang raised his head, trying to break free from the servants' grip. He glanced around the room as if no one else was there, finally fixing his gaze on Li Shiyue.
The latter remained calm, even sitting beside Madam Xu, without raising his eyes to give him a single glance.
It's always like this, as if Xu Yunyang is some filthy thing that makes people want to vomit at first glance. This kind of thinking is enough to break down the bottom line in Xu Yunyang's heart, and the expression on his face gradually becomes somewhat ferocious.
He suddenly spoke up, raising his head with an arrogant air, which even made the Duke of Rong, who had only ever shown changes in expression, show a hint of displeasure.
But Xu Yunyang acted out of character, seemingly disregarding everyone. He chuckled and stared at Old Madam Xu's gesture of reaching out to protect Li Shiyue behind her.
“Why separate the family? I am the son of the Xu family. My uncle has always taught us brothers that a son should be upright and capable, able to establish a career and manage the family. Now I am going to pursue my own future. Why is that not allowed?”
His gaze shifted to Xu Yunci, who still had that cold look that he hated the most. In terms of appearance, none of the Xu family's sons could be said to be as handsome as Pan An, but none of them were inferior.
In terms of ability, Xu Yunci can assist the Crown Prince, so why can't he assist the Prince of Yan? It's simply a matter of who has the ability. If the Prince of Yan succeeds, within the Xu family, he will be the one who can trample Xu Yunci underfoot.
It's just a Duke's mansion. If things go well, the Prince of Yan promises him the position of Prime Minister, second only to the Emperor. At that point, will Li Shiyue still avoid him? No, even more people will see him.
The Duke of Rongguo had a deep gaze, and his aura of being both scholarly and martial was different from ordinary people. His eyes had more of a murderous air than the elegance of a scholar.
“My lord, you are upright and honorable. I tell you that you can establish a career by following the right path and being a loyal subject to the emperor and guarding the rivers and mountains. As for managing the household, I tell you that you should treat your new wife with love and respect. Only when you and your new wife love and respect each other can the family be harmonious and happy.”
"It's not about urging you to become a rebellious son who opposes the emperor's will!"
"Bang!" As soon as the Duke of Rong finished speaking, he slammed his hand hard on the table, but he was unharmed, while the table shook violently.
Madam Xu sighed, as if her peace and quiet had been disturbed, and leaned closer to Li Shiyue.
"Although you are only twenty, there are still some things you don't understand. If you sincerely admit your mistakes, we can leave this family together. But there are some things you shouldn't keep in mind, such as what you are not entitled to."
These words were loaded with meaning. Holding Li Shiyue's hand, Madam Xu said this without looking at Xu Yunyang, though she really disliked the way Xu Yunyang looked at Li Shiyue.
"Is Grandmother saying that I shouldn't have told my cousin about getting a bride, or that I shouldn't have associated with my own power base?"
Although Xu Yunyang was kneeling in the middle, he tilted his head slightly as he spoke, his chin raised, and obvious disdain was evident in the corners of his eyes.
“My grandmother and uncle often said that although my brother, my brothers and I are cousins, we are all family and should not be separated. But in the end, we are all sons of the Xu family. The person I am engaged to my cousin Yan Yan has not yet been decided. What is wrong with me liking my cousin?”
“It was arranged by my parents and the matchmaker. I asked my mother to inquire with my grandmother about my decision to marry my cousin. What wrong have I done? Why should I be reprimanded?”
"And he, a mere brute who only knows martial arts and follows behind my second brother, is actually worth your trouble. I have never been able to compare with my second brother in any way since I was a child, but I have always been the most outstanding in the family. You only see my second brother. Yes, my second brother is a rare talent, but he is just a brute. Why should he be above me?"
“If my grandmother had agreed to my mother’s request earlier, I would have married my cousin long ago, without all the formalities of marriage. Why would so many things have happened?”
His voice trembled slightly as he almost gritted his teeth to ask the question that had been hidden in his heart for a long time. Even the old lady Xu could see the muscles on his face shaking.
Xu Yunyang looked up, not bothering to hide his gaze, and stared directly at Li Shiyue, his tone softening: "Look, you'd rather choose a brute than look at me. This is all your fault. If my second brother hadn't arrived in time, you wouldn't be sitting here unharmed right now."
He wanted to make a big scene, so that even if they didn't consummate the relationship, people would see that Li Shiyue was having a secret rendezvous with him. That way, for the sake of Li Shiyue's reputation, Old Madam Xu would have no choice but to marry her off to him as her new wife.
Unfortunately, all of this is ruined.
"Even if my cousin hadn't arrived on time today, I still wouldn't have married you."
Li Shiyue finally looked up at Xu Yunyang, but before she could feel happy, Xu Yunyang saw the disgust and hatred in her eyes.
Does she hate him?
Xu Yunyang was stunned, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do because of the hatred in Li Shiyue's eyes.
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