February, the third year of Kangding.
In Tokyo City, in the residence of the General Protector of the Nation.
The trees in Rongliyuan are as white as jade and exude a faint fragrance.
The pear blossom petals on the ground of the hexagonal pavilion sparkle against the Jingzhen white porcelain tea set on the round table.
A man in dark tights stood with his hands behind his back, his back to the white porcelain tea set. He stood as straight as a pine tree, with a slender body and a strong physique. His long hair was tied into a bun with a black jade hair crown, and there was a thin layer of callus on his open palms. He exuded an air of fortitude, and his exact age was hard to tell.
He admired the snow-white pear blossoms in front of him, with a faint smile on his lips.
A moment later, a middle-aged man came hurriedly. He was of medium height, neither fat nor thin, and was wearing a smoky gray cloth.
This middle-aged man is the manager of the General Protector's Mansion, and his name is Wujing.
Wujing stopped in front of the hexagonal pavilion and said to the man in the tight-fitting clothes inside, "General, the eldest daughter of the Hua family has arrived and is now in the lobby."
The man in tight clothes turned around, smiled slightly, and said, "The flowers are coming so fast, faster than I expected."
The man in tight clothes is named Ye Shiheng, with the courtesy name Zhongping. He holds the rank of general and is honored by the current emperor with the title of "Protector of the Country".
He was born with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was extraordinary and heroic. His short black beard highlighted his maturity and stability.
Although he is over 40, he looks like he is 35 or 36.
Wu Jing said, "General, the eldest daughter of the Hua family said she has something to discuss with you. I see that the eldest daughter of the Hua family looks serious, and it doesn't seem like it's a big deal."
Ye Shiheng said: "You don't have to go with me. I will go to the main hall to see her alone."
Wujing said, "Yes, Madam Dugu has allocated money and made a purchase order. I have to arrange for people to do the shopping. I will go get busy now."
After Wujing had left Rongliyuan, Ye Shiheng went to the main hall. He walked quickly and soon arrived at the main hall.
As soon as he arrived at the main hall, Ye Shiheng saw a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old standing there.
The girl was wearing a royal blue floral short cardigan, a lotus-colored cross-collared short shirt, a bamboo green long skirt, and a half-worn cloth bag on her shoulder. Her black hair was wrapped in a brown headscarf, with two strands of black hair hanging down, and a plum blossom wooden hairpin in her hair.
Her face is delicate and clean, and her almond-shaped eyes are bright and clear.
Although she was born into a merchant family, she was not dressed in fine clothes and looked like a rustic country girl.
The girl's name was Hua Fushu. Her father, Hua Mingqian, and Ye Shiheng were sworn brothers. When she was a child, the elders of both families had arranged her marriage to the second son of the Ye family.
Ye Shiheng walked into the main hall. The girl watched him approach step by step. Her face was calm, but her heart was uneasy and panicked.
Ye Shiheng sat down on a pearwood chair to the left of the first seat, pointed to the second seat on the left, and said to the girl, "Hua'er, sit down."
Hua Fushu faced Ye Shiheng, his palms brimming with sweat. He lowered his head slightly and saluted, "Fushu greets General Ye."
Ye Shiheng said, "Please sit down, my dear niece."
Hua Fushu said thank you before sitting down in the second seat on the left.
Ye Shiheng called the maid over, removed the tea from the tea table, and replaced it with a new one. The maid replaced the tea and then left as ordered.
Ye Shiheng picked up the teacup on the table and said, "Hua'er, have some tea."
Hua Fushu didn't offer any tea. Her hands tightly grasped the straps of her cloth bag, her feet unconsciously pressed together, and she felt a little nervous. "Uncle, Uncle, I'm here alone for one thing."
Ye Shiheng took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Have some tea first, there's no rush."
Hua Fushu looked at Ye Shiheng. No matter how urgent the matter was, there was no time for tea, so she took a few sips of tea. Ye Shiheng asked about her parents, and Hua Fushu said, "My father and mother are doing well. I always think of my uncle and aunt."
"I'm relieved that my brother and his wife are doing well." Ye Shiheng smiled and asked, "Hua'er, do you miss our Ze Lin?"
"No, no..." Hua Fushu waved his hands repeatedly and blurted out, "Uncle, I'm here to cancel the engagement."
The story of her engagement with the Ye family started eighteen years ago, not long after she was born. One day, her parents took her, who was just one month old, to visit the Ye family.
Ye Shiheng's second son, Ye Zelin, saw the adorable little girl in her cradle and said to his father, Ye Shiheng, "Daddy, I love this little sister!"
Ye Shiheng asked Fang’s three-year-old son, “When your little sister grows up, can she be your wife?”
His son actually said, okay.
So, these two unscrupulous pairs of parents decided her marriage to Ye Zelin because of a child's words.
Two years ago, just after she turned 18, the elders of the two families started discussing her marriage with Ye Zelin. Fortunately, her younger sister tipped her off, and she packed her bags and ran away from home overnight, hiding for two years.
Ten days ago, Hua Fushu, who was learning from her master in Meixijian, received a letter from her father and was tricked into going back home. When she got home, her father told her that Uncle Ye was going to bring his son south to marry her.
Hua Fushu thought that hiding forever was not a solution, and the only solution was to break off the engagement. So, before her uncle from the Ye family left for the south, she packed her things overnight and headed north with her personal maid, Hua Sanqiao, to ask the Ye family to break off the engagement.
The reason why she broke off the engagement was not because she looked down on Ye Zelin, but because she didn't want to be constrained and she had more important things to do.
She arrived in Kyoto and closed the city, staying at the Yuelai Inn. She and Sanqiao inquired for a few days and found out some information, saying that the second son of the Ye family often hung out in brothels and red-light districts.
After hearing the bad rumors about the second son of the Ye family, she became more determined to break off the engagement.
General Ye Shiheng placed the tea on the table and said only two words in a very firm tone: "I will not retreat!" Then he added, "I will not retreat even if your father comes!"
Hua Fushu thought Ye Shiheng had misunderstood, so he explained, "Uncle Ye, I unilaterally proposed to cancel the engagement. It was my own fault and it won't have any adverse effects on your son."
General Ye was very persistent and said two more words, "No retreat!"
Hua Fushu respected Ye Shiheng very much. He was not only the father of her fiancé, but also her father's sworn brother. Apart from her engagement with Ye Zelin, she also respectfully called Ye Shiheng uncle.
She explained the reason for canceling the engagement in detail, "Uncle Ye, your family is a noble family, while Fushu comes from a merchant family, which is considered the lowest class. The difference in status between our two families is huge. Fushu doesn't know how to behave and marry into your family, which would only bring shame to you. Second brother is a woman of great wealth, while Fushu is a commoner. She is truly unworthy of Second brother. Second brother deserves a better woman. Let's cancel the engagement today, okay?"
Hua Fushu tried to persuade him in every possible way, and said everything he had prepared, but General Ye still said two words: I will not retreat!
No retreat!
Still not retreating!
Hua Fushu stood up and said angrily: "If you don't retreat, I will ask your son to retreat!" Then he stormed out of the Ye family.
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