The sound of whips cracking came one after another, and horse hooves flew, raising a gray cloud of dust.
A middle-aged man rode up to the Duke of Wei who was standing in the front and asked, "Duke, after returning to the capital, will you go back to the Duke's Mansion first, or go to the palace first?"
"Enter the palace." Duke Weiguo said without hesitation.
He has always been impatient, and now he just wants to solve this matter quickly and prevent any future troubles.
When the group came to a place less than thirty feet away from the city gate, a figure in a royal blue robe suddenly rushed out from the side and blocked the middle of the official road.
"Uncle!" Xu Yan shouted loudly, and almost stood in front of Duke Weiguo, trying to stop him.
The white air coming out of the horse's mouth and nose almost sprayed onto Xu Yan's face. The fishy smell from the horse rushed towards him, making people want to vomit. Xu Yan frowned subconsciously.
Even so, he still smiled and said flatteringly: "Uncle, you have achieved success and returned triumphantly. I came here specially to celebrate your success."
The group led by the Duke of Wei tightened the reins one after another, and the horses neighed, straightened their bodies, and raised their front hooves high.
The horse stopped only two or three feet away from Xu Yan.
The Duke of Wei was riding on a tall and strong black horse. He was covered in dust but in good spirits. He looked down at Xu Yan who was nearby.
Xu Yan looked really bad at the moment.
He had lost a lot of weight, looked haggard, with deep shadows in his eye sockets, and looked haggard, with a look of anxiety in his eyes.
It had only been over half a month since they last met, but Xu Yan looked completely different from the last time they met.
That day, when Xu Yan left the Wei family's manor with his concubine and beloved son, he still had a smug and arrogant look on his face, with an arrogance that showed that the Weiguo Mansion could do nothing to him.
indeed.
There is nothing wrong with a father killing his daughter, and others can only condemn Xu Yan morally at most.
indeed.
When a man keeps a mistress, it is just an extramarital affair.
This world is the most tolerant towards men, but very picky towards women. Once the matter of the mistress gets out, I'm afraid many people will not sympathize with Wei Wan. Instead, they will think that it was because Wei Wan was jealous that Xu Yan had to keep someone outside.
Instead of letting those people laugh at Wei Wan in private for not being able to control men and tolerate others, she might as well cut the Gordian knot and do it ruthlessly.
A murderous and decisive cold light flashed in the sharp eyes of the Duke of Weiguo, and he said coldly: "No need. I still have to go to the palace to report."
“Get out of the way!”
The Duke of Wei was unwilling to waste words and exchanged pleasantries with Xu Yan.
Instead of giving way, Xu Yanfei took another step closer to Duke Weiguo, and he pressed his eyes stiffly, but his smile became more earnest. "Uncle, I heard last night that Sister Yao caught a cold two days ago. I was so worried that I couldn't sleep all night."
"Sister Yao has been weak since she was young. She easily catches colds every year when the seasons change. Last year, she had a high fever for three days and three nights, which worried Wan'er and I a lot."
"As parents, our children are a piece of our flesh that has fallen off our bodies."
Xu Yan looked at the Duke of Weiguo with an affectionate attitude, trying to appeal to his emotions.
After all, he and Wei Wan have a biological daughter, Xu Yao, and their blood relationship is unbreakable.
Xu Yan comforted himself in his heart and said in a gentle voice, "Uncle, I really know I was wrong."
"Yuqing, I will handle it properly and give you an explanation."
"Uncle, let Wan'er and her daughter go back with me."
Xu Yan lowered his posture extremely low, almost kneeling before the Duke of Weiguo.
"Do you know you are wrong?" The Duke of Wei's indifferent voice came from the horse's back. In the backlight, his face seemed to be covered with a layer of shadow.
The black horse under his crotch paced its hooves impatiently and breathed heavily several times.
To be honest, Xu Yan was a little confused by the attitude of the Duke of Wei. He was obviously not as friendly as before, but he also didn't want to kill him with his eyes like he did when he impeached him a few days ago.
Putting aside the myriad thoughts in his mind, Xu Yan looked up at the Duke of Wei and said sincerely, "I was wrong!"
"Wan'er is devoted to me. I shouldn't have a mistress and make her sad."
"Uncle, please let me see Wan'er. I will apologize to her in person."
In Xu Yan's opinion, the Duke of Wei and his wife must have deliberately stopped him from seeing Wei Wan, and Wei Wan might not even know that he had been there.
Duke Weiguo: “…”
Duke Weiguo looked at Xu Yan steadily, his eyes were calm, like a cold, bottomless pool, dark and gloomy. He sighed in his heart: It has come to this, and Xu Yan still thinks this is just a matter of a concubine?
Xu Yan clenched his fists tightly, his expression revealed a sad look, and his eyes were slightly red. "I have kept the matter of Yao Jie'er's sister in my heart for seven years and never told anyone."
"The child was actually in bad condition right after she was born. Her face was blue and purple, and she was silent. The midwife and the doctor said that she had been trapped in the mother's womb for too long and would definitely not survive."
"I kept it a secret because I was afraid she would be upset."
"That's our flesh and blood. How could I hurt that child? I was angry that day, so I said something without thinking... You can't take what people say when they are angry seriously."
Xu Yan tried hard to appear sincere, but he was still feeling very nervous.
When he was in Zhuangzi, he was convinced that the Duke of Wei could not do anything to him, and the worst outcome would be that he and Wei Wan would divorce or break off their relationship.
However, he did not expect that the Duke of Weiguo would not mention the concubine and Xu Luo at all the next day, but instead impeached him for colluding with bandits.
There was nothing wrong with impeachment. After all, he did not collude with the bandits at all. He just asked someone to pretend to be a robber. He could just say that he was a guard who was expelled from the Marquis' Mansion in the past and was holding a grudge against him. He would just deny to his death that he had anything to do with the matter. However, the emperor actually sent the Duke of Weiguo to suppress the bandits.
It was not until then that Xu Yan began to panic.
They were just small bandits, there was no need for the Duke of Wei to lead troops to suppress them. The Duke of Wei must have some ulterior motive for condescending like this, most likely to frame him, and if there was no evidence, they would fabricate it! It must be so!
Xu Yan tried hard to control the surging emotions in his heart and hid the fear and resentment deep in his eyes.
Having a concubine is just a trivial matter. There are many noble officials and ministers in the capital who keep concubines. It is nothing more than a romantic affair.
If the charge of colluding with bandits is forced upon him, I am afraid that the title of Marquis of Ji'an will be in danger!
Once upon a time, he thought Yuqing was the most important person to him, more important than anything else.
But now...
When he looked at Yu Qing, he still felt the same pity and joy as before. However, when he held her in his arms, the fear buried deep in his heart would soon overwhelm his pity for her.
He was afraid. He was afraid of losing his title, of having nothing, of being despised by others...
He asked himself, could he bear to become a humble commoner for Yuqing?
He can't.
Xu Yan's heart trembled. He adjusted his expression and tone, and admitted his mistake more sincerely: "Uncle, I was young and confused. After Wan'er left, I realized what is most important."
After a pause, he slowly continued: "Sister Yao can't live without a mother."
He spoke the last sentence almost word by word, hinting to Duke Wei that even if Wei Wan divorced him or broke off their relationship with him, she could not take Xu Yao away.
This is the law.
Even if he allowed it, the Xu family would not agree.
He begged, admitted his mistakes, and threatened at times, using both soft and hard tactics.
Duke Weiguo was no fool, and he naturally heard the threat in Xu Yan's tone. An icy sneer appeared at the corner of his lips, and he stood still like a mountain.
He said slowly, "Yes, but if her husband's family is suspected of treason, and she exposes the crime for the sake of justice, the emperor will show mercy."
"Is it?"
As the words fell, the Duke of Wei released an invincible aura from his body, like a mountain pressing down on his head. This was a murderous aura that came from fighting through thick and thin on a battlefield filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Xu Yan couldn't help but shudder, and restrained his pleading, sad and affectionate expressions, and his sinister eyes were fixed on the Duke of Weiguo.
He had no expression on his face, and he seemed to have become a completely different person. He said in an extremely calm and rational tone, "Uncle, I am willing to hand over the Marquis of Ji'an Mansion to Sister Yao to inherit, and let Sister Yao marry a son-in-law."
"What do you think, uncle?"
He spoke even more slowly, with a determination to cut off one's own arm. There was a sharp pain in his heart, which he hid deep in his heart.
This was the decision he made after weighing the pros and cons.
He couldn't let the Marquis of Ji'an lose his title like the Marquis of Dingyuan.
When Xu Yan said this, even the Duke of Wei was shocked.
The guards of the Duke of Wei's Mansion who were around all looked at each other. At that moment, the noisy sounds on the official road seemed to fade away.
Duke Wei looked at Xu Yan deeply.
The current emperor has always respected Emperor Taizu and will most likely agree.
Emperor Taizu proposed gender equality at the beginning of the founding of the country, and women also had the right to inherit titles. However, over the years, those royal nobles would rather adopt their nephews even if they had no descendants, and no one passed the title to their daughters.
This is the biggest bargaining chip that Marquis Ji'an can pay.
Even if Wei Wan returned with her daughter, Xu Yao, a girl who had lost the protection of her father's family and was living in her uncle's house, would not only have a bad future, but she would also be worse off than others in finding a husband.
"What do you think, uncle?" Xu Yan said, striking while the iron is hot, and continued to increase the stakes, "I can also guarantee to 'dispose' of Yuqing and Xu Luo, and never let them get in the way of Wan'er again."
When he said the word "disposal", his tone was cold and merciless. He did not call for fighting or killing, but anyone could understand the hidden meaning in his words: Yuqing and Xu Luo, mother and son, would not survive.
"As long as my uncle agrees, I will go to the palace immediately and ask the emperor to confer the title of Crown Prince on Sister Yao."
After finishing speaking, Xu Yan stopped talking and continued to look up at Duke Weiguo, waiting for him to make a decision.
The two men's eyes met in mid-air, staring at each other, as if they were engaging in a silent duel.
Time seemed to stop at this moment.
The Duke of Weiguo looked at Xu Yan with eyes that became increasingly deep, as if he was considering something, as if he had doubts, and as if he was weighing the pros and cons.
After a long silence, Duke Wei narrowed his eyes, which were slightly droopy due to old age, and said, as if he had finally made a decision: "Xu Yan, you and I will come to the palace together."
Hearing this, Xu Yan opened his eyes slightly, and his back, which had been as tense as a bowstring, relaxed. He let out a long sigh of relief.
He made a gesture, and his servant came over leading his mount.
Xu Yan quickly climbed onto the horse and said to the Duke of Wei with a nonchalant smile, "Uncle, let's go."
His face showed the same warm smile as before, as if there had never been any discord between them.
The two of them walked into the west city gate side by side, followed closely by the personal guards of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion. At first glance, the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious.
Wei Jiaoniang in the tea shop was completely stunned. If Feng Yang hadn't been by her side, she would probably have wanted to rush forward without restraint.
Wei Jiaoniang frowned, scratching her head anxiously, and muttered, "What did Xu Yan say to grandfather?"
She had long since stopped recognizing her great-uncle Xu Yan, so she addressed him by his name without any courtesy.
Wei Jiaoniang stretched her neck to look, her eyes almost emitting fire as she watched Duke Weiguo, Xu Yan and his party walk past the tea shop.
The servant she brought with her was a smart one. He went to ask the Duke of Weiguo's personal guards for some information. After a while, he returned to the teahouse and roughly recounted the conversation between the Duke of Weiguo and Xu Yan.
Wei Jiaoniang opened her mouth slightly, as if struck by lightning. She opened and closed her mouth for a long time without saying a word. Her expression seemed to be saying, Grandfather won't agree, right? !
Gu Yanfei just glanced at the top of Xu Yan's head lightly, then looked away, his eyes calm and he drank his tea.
"Heh." A sarcastic low laugh escaped Feng Yang's lips.
Wei Jiaoniang's eyes lit up, and she keenly saw some clues from Fengyang's smile, and hurriedly asked, "Did you see anything?"
Without waiting for Feng Yang to answer, she continued, "Grandfather won't be moved by this mere marquis, right?"
The little girl stared at Fengyang with bright eyes.
"A mere marquis?" Feng Yang laughed. At this moment, the seemingly kind old woman had a little more sharpness and vigor in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows. Even the waiter in the teahouse couldn't help but look in Feng Yang's direction.
Feng Yang put down the teacup in his hand and asked in a testing tone: "Let me ask you, how many marquises are there in the Great Jing Dynasty now?"
Wei Jiaoniang answered without thinking: "When Emperor Taizu founded the country, he conferred titles on four dukes and twenty-eight marquises, and then three... No, the four marquises were stripped of their titles."
While speaking, Wei Jiaoniang turned her head and gave Gu Yanfei a complicated look. The fourth marquis whose title was stripped was the Gu family.
Feng Yang asked again: "How did these titles come about?"
Wei Jiaoniang answered obediently, like a student being asked a question by a teacher: "They are all meritorious officials who helped Emperor Taizu to establish the country."
"The first Jining Marquis Lan Huayun originally served under my great-great-grandfather Wei Ding. My great-great-grandfather appreciated him and recommended him to Emperor Taizu. Lan Huayun fought many battles and made great contributions, rising step by step. Later, he went north to defeat Qi and pacify the northwest. He made great contributions and was named Jining Marquis."
"Xu Bing, the first Marquis of Ji'an, was originally one of the leaders of the White Turban Army. However, there were constant internal conflicts in the White Turban Army camp. Xu Bing left the White Turban Army in anger and led an army of 100,000 to Emperor Taizu. He resolutely handed over the 100,000 troops to show his loyalty. With his loyalty, Emperor Taizu was able to defeat the King of Nanyang and take over Yuzhou."
Wei Jiaoniang was also very excited when talking about this exciting history.
Fengyang raised his hand to signal Wei Jiaoniang not to continue, and continued in a calm voice: "Taizu set the rules back then, no one can be conferred a title without military merit, and no title can be granted without special permission."
"A mere marquis?" Feng Yang repeated these four words again and looked at Wei Jiaoniang with raised eyebrows.
Her tone was always neither light nor heavy, but rather calm, yet it naturally revealed an aura of majesty without even being angry, which inspired awe.
Wei Jiaoniang showed a hint of shame on her face. She lowered her eyes slightly, too embarrassed to look directly at Fengyang.
She is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion and enjoys the glory brought by the title of the Duke's Mansion. Others can say this, but she cannot.
Feng Yang added meaningfully: "The title is the foundation of the nobility."
In particular, allowing women to inherit the title was something that Emperor Taizu wanted to achieve throughout his life but was unable to do so.
There were some ripples in Fengyang's eyes, and she remembered some words that Taizu had said to her many years ago when he was still alive.
Wei Jiaoniang bit her cherry lips slightly, feeling extremely anxious.
The title is so important, grandpa won’t really compromise, right?
She stretched her neck and looked in the direction where Duke Weiguo and the others had left, until the figure in front of her disappeared among the passers-by.
She was a little fidgety and didn't even notice that Fengyang had poured her some tea. She absentmindedly drank the barley tea in her cup.
Fengyang curled his lips in amusement and clapped his hands twice.
“Pah.”
Soon, a secret guard of the princess's mansion, about 25 or 26 years old and wearing an ordinary green robe, walked out from the alley next to him and went straight to Fengyang to wait for orders.
Feng Yang simply ordered: "Follow him and go into the palace to take a look."
The secret guard received the order and rode a brown horse to chase after the Duke of Wei and his men.
Fengyang also watched Wei Jiaoniang grow up. The Duke of Weiguo's Mansion has always been close to the royal family. To her, Wei Jiaoniang is just like Chu Yi, and is also a junior of her own family.
Feng Yang laughed heartily and said, "Why are you in such a hurry, my dear? Your temper is just like your grandmother's when she was young."
"That's not right. Your grandmother learned to act pretentiously after she beat your father, uncle and other brothers. Sometimes, when she gets angry, she still behaves like you now."
Fengyang couldn't help laughing.
Gu Yanfei also started to chuckle, as she was remembering how impetuous the wife of the Duke of Weiguo in Tianyin Pavilion had been.
Wei Jiaoniang had calmed down by now, and said coquettishly, "No way, my father and mother both said that my temper is much better than my grandmother's."
"My grandfather told me that my grandmother put a knife to my grandfather's neck and asked him to marry her."
Wei Jiaoniang was laughing so hard that Fengyang laughed even more, and deep wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.
"Don't listen to your grandfather's bragging. When he was young, he was also a scoundrel, not good at literature or martial arts. He even lost a fight to your grandmother. Now, someone put a knife to his neck."
Talking about these past events, Fengyang couldn't help but smile from the corners of his eyes.
So this is what my grandfather is like! Wei Jiaoniang listened with great interest, and wished Fengyang would say more, so she asked, "And then?"
"Go ask your grandparents." Fengyang stopped talking about this topic and drank some tea to moisten his throat.
She had been paying attention to Gu Yanfei's expression out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that the little girl remained calm, she secretly praised her in her heart: Although this girl has had a rough fate, she is more clever than Jiao Niang.
Feng Yang showed a friendly smile on his face and asked, "Gu family girl, I heard that you once learned something from a Taoist priest?"
Gu Yanfei nodded in agreement without saying anything more.
"Do people who study Taoism believe that people have souls?" Feng Yang stared at Gu Yanfei's eyes like cold stars and asked softly, one hand on the table holding the teacup casually, and the other hand under the table.
Gu Yanfei nodded again: "After death, people will enter reincarnation."
"Is it possible that some people cannot enter reincarnation?" Feng Yang continued to ask, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Yes." Gu Yanfei uttered a word softly, thinking of her grandmother.
After a pause, Gu Yanfei continued, "If a damaged soul is imprisoned by someone and cannot enter reincarnation, over time, the soul will be scattered."
Her voice was clear and cold, as chilly as autumn water.
Wei Jiaoniang looked at Gu Yanfei, then at Fengyang, not understanding why they started talking about this topic.
Feng Yang kept asking, "Then how do we know if a person's soul is damaged?"
"I can see that," Gu Yanfei said, raising his hand and pointing at his eyes, "People like you..."
She looked at Fengyang's eyes, which were clear and bright, as if they could penetrate through her inside and out to the depths of her soul, and as if they could see through her fate.
Feng Yang: “…”
Gu Yanfei stopped talking, knowing in his heart that Fengyang’s life was coming to an end.
(End of this chapter)
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