Chapter 297 Are you still willing?
Meng Yushan slowly took out a bright yellow folding paper from his bosom.
"His Majesty's oral decree."
He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Those who disobey orders..."
A gust of cold wind blew by, stirring up dust from the ground.
"cut."
The once bustling Zhuque Avenue is now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The color drained from the Duke of England's face in an instant.
Zhao's hand, which was pointing at Meng Yushan, froze in mid-air, trembling like a leaf.
The old lady opened her mouth, making a "hoarse" sound in her throat, but couldn't utter a single word.
How could His Majesty agree to such an absurd request!
No one could understand what had happened in the palace in just a few days that caused His Majesty's attitude to change so drastically!
Meng Yushan didn't care whether they were treated with courtesy or not.
He has achieved his goal.
His granddaughter will not marry outside the family.
Choosing a son-in-law.
Zhou Congxian is just right.
"Let's go."
He casually uttered two words, then turned and strode away.
At a command, the Meng family army marched away in perfect unison, with heavy and powerful steps.
All that remained were those 120 conspicuous "marriage dowry" gifts.
Zhao stared intently at the vermilion boxes by the door, her internal organs churning inside her.
She felt a sweet taste in her throat, and then everything went black.
"lady!"
"Mother!"
Amid gasps of alarm, Zhao's eyes rolled back, and she fell straight backward.
The British Duke's mansion has now become the biggest laughing stock in the entire capital.
This marriage was an enviable arrangement, a bestowal of a wife and a concubine.
Now, he's going to become the live-in son-in-law of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
In just half a day, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.
The storyteller in the teahouse had already turned this incident into a new joke, which drew laughter from the entire audience.
Inside the Duke of England's mansion, however, a gloomy and lifeless atmosphere prevailed.
The servants in the mansion walked on tiptoe, not daring to breathe too loudly, for fear that they might become the punching bag for their masters if they were not careful.
The Duke of England has visited the palace for three consecutive days.
He stood outside the palace gates from dawn till dusk, dressed in heavy court robes, but each time, all he received was a single sentence from the eunuch supervisor.
"His Majesty is busy with state affairs, please return, Your Excellency."
His Majesty refused to see him.
Inside Songhe Hall, precious calming incense burned, yet it could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere in the room.
Old Madam Zhou leaned against the soft pillows, her face ashen and her lips purple.
She completely broke down after that day.
"Cough...cough cough..."
She coughed violently, as if she were about to run out of breath.
"That Meng Yushan... he's trying to control everything!"
"He commands a large army and has established his own faction on the border. Now... now he's even extending his reach into the capital!"
Her voice was hoarse, "What is he doing? He's telling everyone that the Meng family doesn't even need to show respect to the royal family!"
The Duke of England couldn't help but tense up for a moment. "Mother, please keep your voice down. Be careful, the walls may be overhearing."
The old lady's gaze suddenly shifted to the British Duke standing to the side.
"What are you afraid of! You, as the father, can't even stand up for yourself, how can you protect your child!"
"Xian'er is a close minister of the emperor, a pillar of the state personally promoted by His Majesty!"
"Now, he has been humiliated by the Meng family, forced into marrying into the family, and utterly disgraced... How will Xian'er face himself in the future! Will His Majesty still value him?"
These words struck the Duke of England like a heavy hammer blow.
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with horror.
“Mother…” The Duke of England’s voice was extremely hoarse.
The old lady suddenly slammed her cane on the ground, making a dull thud.
"You are Xian'er's biological father! Aren't you usually the most cunning and the best at understanding the Emperor's mind?"
"How come you can't come up with anything at this crucial moment!"
"Is the face and reputation of the Zhou family going to be... ruined just like that?!"
The Duke of England shook his head dejectedly.
"His Majesty simply... refuses to see me."
He seemed to have all his strength drained away in an instant, and slumped into the chair.
"Your son can't understand, he really can't understand... why Your Majesty would do this..."
Could it be that His Majesty has begun to fear Xian'er, whose military achievements are so great that they threaten the emperor?
Or did Meng Yushan say something in front of the emperor that they didn't know about?
An even more terrifying thought swirled in his mind.
"Could it be that His Majesty... has already grown tired of our Zhou family?"
Upon hearing this, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Zhao, who was standing to the side, already had red and swollen eyes from crying. Hearing these words, she was overcome with grief and her tears flowed again.
She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, trying to suppress her sobs, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
"My poor Xian'er..."
The thought of her son made her heart ache as if it were being torn apart.
"After that day, he went to the manor in Dongshan alone, and wouldn't let anyone follow him..."
Zhao's voice choked with sobs, filled with endless tenderness.
"Such a proud person, suffering such a great humiliation, how desolate, how pitiful he must be..."
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She suddenly threw the handkerchief in her hand to the ground, her eyes flashing with venomous resentment.
"My son, a dignified seven-foot-tall man, a hero who protects our country, why should he suffer such injustice!"
"Marrying into another's family? How could the Meng family even come up with that idea!"
"Where will Xian'er's face be after this? Where will the entire Duke of England's mansion's face be?"
Inside Songhe Hall, only suppressed sobs remained.
Outside the capital, there is a ten-mile-long pavilion.
The gentle spring breeze has turned the willows along the official road green.
Unlike the oppressive and dull atmosphere inside the city, this place is full of vibrant life.
Zhou Congxian was dressed in ordinary blue cloth merchant clothes, with a worn-out straw hat pulled low to cover his handsome and extraordinary face.
His usual sharp and imposing aura was completely suppressed at this moment, and he looked like an ordinary businessman.
Meng Shilan, holding Fu'er's hand and Little Fatty Xi's hand, stood by the pavilion.
The wind lifted the hem of her plain-colored skirt and the stray hairs at her temples.
Fu'er tilted her little face up, her phoenix eyes, which looked just like Zhou Congxian's, filled with reluctance.
"Father, are you leaving again?"
Zhou Congxian squatted down and gently stroked his daughter's head, his gaze tender.
"Yes, Father has to take care of something very important."
"Once I'm done, I'll come back to be with Fu'er."
He paused, his gaze passing over his daughter and looking towards the majestic capital city not far away, his voice low and firm.
"Father will be back soon."
"May peace be restored to Dasheng as soon as possible, and may you also have a peaceful and prosperous future."
Meng Shilan listened quietly without saying a word.
She didn't speak until a gust of wind blew by.
Her voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the moment.
"Are you... still willing to accept this?"
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