Zhou Mao was initially shocked that Wei Junhang was so clear about what he had done, but later he felt that Wei Junhang's words were like sharp knives stabbing him in the heart.

He wanted to say something to defend himself, but he found that at this moment, no matter how many excuses he made, they seemed so pale and powerless.

Yes, he didn't dare. He didn't even have the courage to admit to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion that he was the one who broke Murong Tao's leg.

Wei Junhang's face was gloomy, and he looked at him with undisguised anger.

He and Zhou Mao were among the first group of ministers to follow Emperor Yuanyou. Although they had no personal relationship, they had cooperated on many official matters. He once admired each other's talents and character. But now...

"You even dared to use the Crown Princess's baby as bait for your own selfish reasons. You are so audacious. Are you too confident in your own abilities, or am I, Wei Junhang, nothing more than a straw bag in your eyes, allowing you to play with me at your will!"

Seeing that he had even found out the secret recipe for having a child, Zhou Mao no longer had the desire to defend himself. Only now did he finally realize that the plan he thought would be foolproof had actually been seen through long ago.

"Since the Duke knows everything, why doesn't he report me directly to His Majesty? Wouldn't that be a better way to vent the anger in your heart?" He murmured after a long while.

Wei Junhang calmed down his anger, poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

"Report you?" He smiled.

"After I reported you, His Majesty severely punished your whole family, and made me never forget you for the rest of my life?"

The eldest son already felt guilty towards Princess Ping. If he knew that the Zhou family was punished because of him, he would probably feel even more guilty. It would be even more difficult for him to get out of the entanglements of the past in this life.

Zhou Mao was stunned, and then he heard the other party slowly say: "I won't tell on you. You can believe that if I want to deal with you now, you will have no power to fight back. In fact, I only need to tell the truth about young General Murong losing his legs to the Marquis of Zhenbei, and the Marquis's Mansion will naturally take action."

"Do you think you can handle the retaliation of the Zhenbei Marquisate by yourself?"

Zhou Mao's face turned even paler, and he looked at him with vigilance.

"What exactly do you want?" Zhou Mao asked hoarsely.

"What do I want? Lord Zhou, I should be the one asking this question. What do you want? Could it be that after all this, you still want to pretend that nothing has happened and continue to be the Lord of Honglu Temple peacefully?"

"Or do you think that everything you do is really unnoticed? Or do you think that the Zhenbei Marquisate is just a bunch of reckless men who can only fight and kill, without any ability to think or judge?"

Zhou Mao curled the corners of his mouth bitterly.

If it was before today, he might have been quite confident in his plan, but now, all his confidence has been shattered. How could he dare to think that the things he arranged were flawless.

"I understand. I will meet Your Majesty tomorrow." He said in a low voice with a choked voice, then took the wine on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

As for the purpose of the audience with His Majesty, he did not say, and Wei Junhang did not ask any further questions.

After drinking several glasses of wine, Zhou Mao's face showed a bit of drunkenness. He said with a smile that sounded like crying: "Duke, I am not as good as you..."

Wei Junhang looked at him silently and said nothing more.

Zhou Mao didn't care. He simply took the wine pot and poured himself a drink, but he said a lot of words in a trembling voice, words that he had been holding in his heart for a long time, words that he had never even told his closest wife.

Wei Junhang did not interrupt him, but just listened to him talk about how hard life was for him as a child in the mansion, how he was suppressed by his stepmother when his talents gradually improved, and even how his biological father ignored him.

Perhaps because he was drunk, he kept talking incoherently, as if the resentment that had accumulated over the years had finally found a way to vent.

"…When Ah Wan was born, I finally stood up straight with pride. No one, whether the Prime Minister or the Empress, could dictate to me. I swore that I would treat her like a treasure and give her the best of everything in my life."

"I know she likes your son. Your son is indeed a promising man..." At this point, his face became a little sad. He wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth casually, looked at Wei Junhang seriously, and asked word by word, "Duke, I just want to know why you don't agree? My Ah Wan is kind and gentle, and is also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Why don't you allow it?"

Finally, he asked the questions that had been buried in his heart for many years.

He didn't understand why his daughter, who was beautiful, gentle, kind, filial to her parents, friendly to her brother, and even sympathetic to the servants in the mansion, could not catch the eye of the Duke of England! Why should she be so rejected?

Wei Junhang didn't expect him to ask such a question, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

However, when he met Zhou Mao's determined eyes, he finally answered: "Your daughter is indeed a good girl, but marriage has always been about the union of two families. Chenglin is the eldest son of our Duke's Mansion, carrying the hopes of my father. His wife will be the headmistress of our Wei family, and the responsibilities on her shoulders will not be any lighter than his."

"Master Zhou, honestly, do you think your daughter is capable of shouldering the responsibility of being the head wife of a clan?"

Zhou Mao looked at him for a long time and was speechless.

I don't know how much time passed before he lowered his head, smiled slightly, and laughed softly.

"So that's how it is. It's not that it's bad, but that it's not suitable..."

He closed his eyes bitterly, and after an unknown amount of time, he said, "I will leave the capital and never come back in this lifetime. My daughter...even if my daughter has done a thousand wrong things, please, for the sake of His Royal Highness Prince Ping, please don't..."

Wei Junhang shook his head and interrupted him: "Master Zhou, you are worrying too much. Your daughter already has the best amulet in the world. As long as she doesn't commit suicide, no one dares to touch her. What else do you have to worry about?"

Zhou Mao paused for a moment, and then said with a sigh, "Yes, it's the best amulet in the world... What else do I have to worry about?"

He laughed for a while, then drank the wine in the glass again. Then, he looked at Wei Junhang deeply, said nothing more, stood up and left.

As he walked onto the street, a cool breeze blew towards him, blowing away the smell of alcohol on his body and sobering him up from his daze.

He stared blankly at the pedestrians on the street who were hurrying home, and saw not far away a man in coarse cloth holding a little girl of four or five years old with two pigtails. The little girl hugged his neck, with a smile on her face, and was talking to him affectionately. The man's face was full of a loving smile.

He just stared at the two figures, one big and one small, as they walked past him, then walked farther and farther away, until they completely disappeared from his sight.

"Sir, it's time to go back home!" Seeing him standing there motionless, the attendant couldn't help but step forward and reminded him worriedly.

He lowered his eyes for a moment, then whispered, "Go back!"

Wei Junhang stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, watching Zhou Mao get into the sedan chair downstairs, his eyes full of complicated feelings.

"Father..." Suddenly, the voice of his eldest son Wei Chenglin rang out from behind him. He did not turn around, but simply asked, "Did you hear everything?"

"I heard it." Wei Chenglin couldn't tell what he felt in his heart. He felt a little confused, a little disappointed, and a little sad.

"I am an unfilial son and have made my father worry!" He didn't know what to say and spoke in a low voice with his eyes lowered.

Wei Junhang finally turned around and looked at the face in front of him that looked more and more like his deceased father. After a while, he patted his shoulder gently, and then sighed: "It's your fault that you didn't teach me well. There have been so many things in the past. It's also because your father has neglected you a lot over the years. It can't be all your fault!"

Hearing him say this, Wei Chenglin felt even more upset.

"Father, I'm sorry. I was willful back then. I feel guilty about all the years of teaching from my grandfather, my parents, my grandmother, and even more so, the guard Jinling who died innocently because of my selfishness..." He couldn't say any more, and tears welled up in his eyes unknowingly.

Wei Junhang was a little surprised. This was the first time in all these years that his eldest son took the initiative to admit that he had let down the four guards. Perhaps he had already realized his mistakes, but he just couldn't face them calmly.

Now that he has said this, it means that he will have to face his past again from now on.

Wei Chenglin suddenly knelt down, ignoring his attempts to stop him, and kowtowed to him several times. With tears in his eyes, he looked into his eyes and said seriously, "No matter what, I broke my promise and did let Ah Wan down. Lord Zhou holds a grudge against me because of this, but I am not innocent."

"I have already passed the age of twenty, and I am the heir of a prefecture. Logically, I should have taken on the responsibility of carrying on the family line. I also know that my grandmother and mother are worried about my marriage day and night. However, I am now filled with guilt towards Princess Ping. If I marry another woman like this, it would be unfair to her. Therefore, I am brave enough to ask my father to give me another three years, and only after I have completely forgotten the past, can I get married."

Wei Junhang looked at him deeply, without any response. Wei Chenglin couldn't guess what he was thinking, and felt uneasy. He was afraid that he might misunderstand that he was still obsessed with Princess Ping. Just when he was about to say something to explain, Wei Junhang had already bent down and helped him up personally.

"Father promised you!"

These five concise words made his heart calm down immediately. His throat choked and his eyes turned red again.

"Okay, now you've grown taller than your father. Why are you still like when you were a kid, crying at the slightest provocation?" Wei Junhang patted his shoulder in a casual manner.

Wei Chenglin turned his head away and rubbed his eyes, then said in a muffled voice, "When I was a child, I didn't cry for no reason. My grandmother even said that I seldom cried since I was a child."

"Back then, before you came to live with your grandfather, you were even more attached to your mother than Xiang Ge'er is today. You would start crying if you didn't see your mother for a while, and no one could comfort you." Wei Junhang said with a smile.

Is that so? Wei Chenglin's eyes were full of doubt, but seeing that he looked serious, he also half believed it.

Wei Junhang smiled quietly, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the door, ready to go home.

Wei Chenglin hurriedly followed, and when they went down the stairs, he subconsciously reached out to support him.

Wei Junhang just glanced at him and didn't say anything.

The next day, Emperor Yuanyou suddenly issued an edict, demoting Zhou Mao, the Minister of Honglu Temple, to the eighth rank as the magistrate of Xiyanchengkengshan County, and ordered him to leave Beijing to take up the post.

He was demoted from a fourth-rank official in the imperial court to an eighth-rank county magistrate, a demotion of several levels, the first such demotion since the founding of the country.

When the imperial edict was announced, all the court officials were shocked. They discussed privately what kind of mistake had this cunning man who had always been aware of current affairs and could even escape such a serious crime as treason committed to anger the emperor, who directly kicked him out of the capital and kicked him to Kengshan County, where even the newly-appointed Jinshi candidates were unwilling to go.

Although the banditry in Xiyan was wiped out thanks to the efforts of Wei Chenglin, the former garrison commander of Xiyan, the place had suffered from banditry for many years and had long been in ruins, and was in need of reconstruction.

And Kengshan County was the place that suffered the most from banditry in the entire Xiyan area, and now it is also the poorest place. Being a county magistrate there is almost the same as being a commander without any troops.

Today, it has become a place that officials consider "ghost-stricken".

At this time, Zhou Mao bowed respectfully to receive the order, and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, I accept the order and thank you!"

After saying the last word, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Starting from the eighth grade and ending at the eighth grade, after traveling half a lifetime, I finally returned to the starting point.

Does he blame? Does he hate? But who can he blame or hate?

When the news reached Prince Ping's mansion, Zhou Wanning's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice: "Why? Why is it like this? How could Daddy, how could he..."

Prince Ping was also puzzled. His father-in-law had always been trusted by the emperor. Even when the Zhou residence was involved in treason, the emperor never suspected him. Why was he so...

Seeing Zhou Wanning's worried look, he could only temporarily put aside his suspicions and gently advised: "Don't worry, father-in-law has always been a man with his own ideas. I think there must be some reason this time."

Zhou Wanning wiped away her tears, but her heart was filled with bitterness.

What she feared most was her father's strong opinions, especially when he said to her "take care of yourself" that day. Every time she thought of it, she felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.

Now that she was demoted and transferred, she was afraid that it was not His Majesty's intention, but her father's initiative!

King Ping was distressed to see her crying, and was about to comfort her when a maid came in and reported, "Lord Zhou is here and wants to see Your Highness."

King Ping felt relieved: "Father-in-law has come at the right time. I can ask him a question."

Zhou Wanning's heart tightened and she subconsciously grabbed the handkerchief. Her face turned pale and she seemed to want to say something but stopped.

She really wanted to follow King Ping to see her father, but her legs just wouldn't move.

She was afraid to see the pain and disappointment on her father's face again, and even more afraid to hear him say such cruel words again.

"Princess, won't you come with me to meet my father-in-law?" Seeing her sitting there motionless, Prince Ping took a few steps and then stopped again, turned around and asked in confusion.

"No, I, I won't go. You, you go quickly, don't keep daddy waiting for too long." Zhou Wanning forced a smile and stammered.

King Ping was puzzled by her reaction, but he did not want to ask any more questions, so he just said, "I'll be back soon," and left.

When he arrived at the main hall, he saw Zhou Mao sitting upright on a chair with a calm expression, as if he didn't care at all about being demoted.

He paused for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and said, "Father-in-law!"

"Your Highness!" Zhou Mao stood up.

The father-in-law and the son-in-law sat down next to each other. King Ping wanted to ask him about his appointment as the magistrate of Kengshan County, but when he met his deep and complex eyes, he couldn't ask those questions for some reason.

Zhou Mao stared at him for a long time, feeling bitter.

After all, the son-in-law was the most innocent of all, and his daughter had let him down in the end.

He suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to King Ping, which frightened King Ping so much that he jumped up from his chair and quickly moved away.

"My dear father-in-law, what are you doing? Please stand up quickly! I can't bear it!" He tried to help him in a panic, but Zhou Mao insisted on bowing to him.

"I will never come back, so I leave my daughter to Your Highness. If she makes any mistakes in the future, Your Highness, please do not abandon her completely for my sake, but at least give her a place to stay."

"I will definitely tie a grass ring to repay your highness's kindness!"

After saying this, he once again bowed respectfully to King Ping. King Ping was so panicked that he tried to help him up immediately, but he did not expect that the other party was doing it on his own will. He could not help him up and could only watch him bow to him once again.

"My Lord Father-in-law, what you said is too serious. Wan Ning is my wife, my princess consort. I respect and love her enough, so how could I hate her?" King Ping sighed, feeling a little uneasy in his heart.

What does it mean to go there and never come back? Could it be that this journey is dangerous, or even life-threatening?

In fact, he also asked this question.

Zhou Mao took a breath, then said calmly: "Kengshan County is in ruins and needs to be rebuilt. How can we see the results in the short term? I am afraid it will take ten or eight years. I am already forty years old. Birth, aging, illness and death are human nature. How can I be sure of the future?"

After hearing his explanation, King Ping finally understood, and then smiled and said, "My father-in-law is in his prime and will live a long life. It is indeed too early to worry about this."

Zhou Mao smiled and didn't explain any further.

"I have something else to attend to, so I won't bother you, Your Highness."

Seeing that he was about to leave, King Ping hurriedly tried to stop him: "Father, why don't you go see Wan Ning? She just learned that you are leaving the capital and she is very worried."

Zhou Mao lowered his eyelids, frowned a little, and said slowly: "Gone..."

Having said that, he turned and strode away.

King Ping frowned and stared at his departing back.

What happened to my father-in-law?

He was not a fool, he would not fail to notice that Zhou Mao was strange. How could a man who loved his daughter so much know that his daughter was worried about him and yet not go to see her?

Zhou Wanning, who had been waiting for him anxiously in the house, saw him come back, looked behind him, but did not see Zhou Mao, and his eyes dimmed.

Is Daddy still irritating her? When he arrived at the palace, he refused to even see her.

"My father-in-law...has some urgent matters and cannot stay long. But before he left, he asked me to take good care of you." King Ping scratched his ears and tried to explain.

Zhou Wanning looked lonely. He slowly sat back, lowered his head and said nothing.

No matter how urgent it is, there should be no time to even meet him. Dad must still be worried about me.

She suddenly felt confused. Her father refused to see her. What about her mother? What about her two brothers? Were they also worried about her?

Is she really wrong?

"Princess..." Prince Ping hesitated for a long time, but finally he mustered up the courage to sit next to her. He wanted to hold her hand to comfort her, but he was afraid of making her unhappy. After some hesitation, he just sat there obediently.

Zhou Wanning turned around and stared at him in a daze.

The man in front of her was her husband. She couldn't say she liked him very much, but she didn't hate him either. After all, no one could really hate someone who was really good to them.

It's a pity that he showed up too late.

Seeing that she was just looking at him quietly and her expression was not as cold as before, King Ping was delighted and could not help but secretly sit closer to her.

"Actually, you don't have to worry. My father-in-law must have made up his mind. The emperor has praised his talents many times, so that's probably why he let him go to Xiyan." He cleared his throat and advised more gently.

"Why did you marry me back then? Was it because you saved me once?" Zhou Wanning asked suddenly.

King Ping was stunned, as if he had not expected her to ask such a question, but he was also somewhat excited in his heart, for this was the first time she asked about the affairs between them since they got married.

He scratched his ear again, and after a long while he whispered, "No, it's not because of that. If I didn't like her, how could I marry her just because I saved her?"

Seeing that she seemed unconvinced, he quickly continued, "Actually, actually, before that time, I, I had already seen you."

His handsome face flushed slightly, but he still mustered up the courage to say, "The Empress passed away that year. It was not the current Empress, but the former Empress Zhou. You, you came to the palace to congratulate her. I, I saw you from a distance in Fengkun Palace."

His voice became lower and lower, until it was almost like a whisper, but Zhou Wanning could still hear it clearly.

She was stunned. Going to the palace to congratulate her aunt on her birthday? That was several years ago. How old was she then?

Looking at his slightly red ears, her heart softened for some reason. She was about to say a few words when she heard Concubine Kong Ce's words.

"Your Highness is here with my sister..."

Her face suddenly darkened, and she stood up coldly and went into the inner room.

King Ping had sensed her sudden softening attitude, and thought the couple could use this opportunity to mend their relationship, but he never expected that when the time came, they would fail.

Looking at Concubine Kong Ce who was walking in, dressed gorgeously, a hint of disgust flashed across his face.

This woman is truly abominable! Besides using her mother to put pressure on me from time to time, what else does she do?

Dignified and gentle? Generous and decent? It's a joke!

***

However, it is said that the Grand Princess was discussing with Shen Xinyan the girls they both liked, and planned to choose the best one and send someone to marry her as the eldest grandson's wife.

Wei Junhang happened to come in at this moment, and the two of them quickly called him forward again, intending to ask for his opinion.

When Wei Junhang heard this, the smile on his face gradually faded. He paused, sighed and said, "Chenglin's marriage should be postponed for a few more years!"