Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

Entering the palace?

That's absolutely unacceptable!

Qin Shaoyuan quickly said, "No, really not. Yunting, you're too excited. Our two families will be related by marriage from now on, so we're all one family, in the same boat."

He was implying to Xie Yunting that if the Qin family's reputation suffered, Xie Yunting would also be implicated, since the marriage was an imperial decree and could not be revoked.

Xie Yunting retorted, "Today, I refuse to believe you can control me!"

Xie Yunting waved his hand, and Shuanzi followed closely behind.

Seeing that Xie Yunting was really about to enter the palace, Qin Shaoyuan hurriedly chased after him, but his old arms and legs made it impossible for him to catch up with Xie Yunting.

By the time he harnessed the carriage and entered the palace, Xie Yunting had already arrived at the palace gate.

As soon as Qin Shaoyuan arrived outside the main hall, he heard from the eunuch that General Xie had already gone in and been crying for a while.

His heart skipped a beat, and his scalp tingled.

Getting involved with Xie Yunting is truly bad luck for the Qin family.

Qin Shaoyuan braced himself and went in. As soon as he stood up, the official made him kneel down.

His knees buckled, and Qin Shaoyuan knelt heavily on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to grant me this marriage. I dare not accept such a marriage. As I have said, this marriage is a decree from Your Majesty, and I am only grateful. As for whom the Qin family chooses to marry, I will be eternally grateful." Xie Yunting sobbed, making himself sound particularly sympathetic. "I know that Lord Qin looks down on my background. If it weren't for the alertness of the centurion beside me today, I might have woken up in some maid's or servant's bed."

Xie Yunting wailed, "Your Majesty, please do justice for this humble subject! Though I am a man, a man must also value his reputation!"

The official looked at him angrily, "Qin Shaoyuan, what do you have to say?"

"Your Majesty, this humble subject has no such wish!" Qin Shaoyuan replied. "This humble subject was merely inquiring with good intentions about which granddaughter General Xie has taken a fancy to. Marriage is an important matter, and it is also important that the younger generation be mutually satisfied, wouldn't you say?"

"Don't give me that. The imperial physician examined Xie Yunting. If you hadn't drugged him, would Xie Yunting have drugged himself?" The Emperor was furious. "Is it because you're unhappy with my bestowal of this marriage?"

"Your Majesty, I don't have any!"

"Why propose a remarriage if there is no reason?" The Emperor had long disliked these pedantic old ministers. He had wanted to launch a northern expedition to recover lost territory several times, but they had obstructed him at every turn. This was a momentous event that would go down in history.

A single question left Qin Shaoyuan speechless.

But he will absolutely not admit to drugging him, otherwise, if the charge is confirmed, he will be the next Qian Jin.

"Your Majesty, I truly do not know. Perhaps the servants made a mistake with the wine, for I myself drank some of it." Qin Shaoyuan said, his forehead pressed against the ground.

Xie Yunting retorted, "Would the people serving your Qin family be so careless?" He chuckled twice, clearly not believing it.

Qin Shaoyuan insisted that he had not drugged the patient.

Xie Yunting said the evidence was conclusive, "Why don't you let me search the Qin family's residence? We're bound to find something!"

Upon hearing that his home would be searched, Qin Shaoyuan was terrified, his face turning deathly pale. "No! This humble subject has worked diligently all these years and has never made a mistake. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on me, please don't!"

The emperor wanted to punish Qin Shaoyuan, but Qin Shaoyuan had a faction of followers who supported him. It would be difficult for the powerful families to accept a slap in the face to Qin Shaoyuan.

After some thought, the Emperor decided to demote Qin Shaoyuan and order the Qin family to compensate Xie Yunting. "Minister Xie, is that acceptable now?"

"Governor Qin's actions are so reckless that I dare not marry him. Otherwise, if the Qin family's daughter marries into the family with resentment, she might stab me in the middle of the night, and I wouldn't even know how I died." Xie Yunting also knelt down, begging the Emperor to cancel the arranged marriage.

He had been waiting for this opportunity.

Only when the Qin family is cornered and resorts to desperate measures can he obtain leverage against them.

These words put the official in a difficult position.

Canceling the arranged marriage would not only bring shame to the Qin family, but would also affect the face of the emperor.

It was only now that Qin Shaoyuan understood Xie Yunting's scheme. It turned out that Xie Yunting had been waiting for him to make a move all along, and Xie Yunting had never intended to form a marriage alliance with the Qin family.

"No, if the Emperor cancels the arranged marriage, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the royal family?" Qin Shaoyuan hurriedly said. "Besides, our granddaughters are innocent. If the marriage is canceled, how will they face others in the future?"

"What's the big deal? You have many nephews, one for each of them is fine, don't you think, Lord Qin?" Xie Yunting's words were pointed, which made Qin Shaoyuan break out in a cold sweat.

Could it be that Xie Yunting knows that San Yatou has feelings for someone else?

Qin Shaoyuan choked on his words, fearing that Xie Yunting really knew Sanya's thoughts. If Xie Yunting revealed them, all the women in the Qin family would be ruined.

Seeing that Qin Shaoyuan had quieted down, Xie Yunting kowtowed again, "I beg Your Majesty to rescind the marriage decree. I know Your Majesty is thinking of me, but I have a feud with the Qin family, and I will have to avoid them in the future. How can we agree to a marriage?"

The hall fell silent.

After a while, Xie Yunting said again, "With the country not yet recovered, I have no intention of starting a family." He once again bowed his forehead to the ground, "I beg Your Majesty to withdraw the bestowed marriage."

"Minister Xie, have you thought it through?" the Emperor asked.

Xie Yunting said he understood it very well.

"If that's the case, then so be it." The official's words sent a chill down Qin Shaoyuan's spine.

When the two walked out of the palace gate, it was already dark.

The dim lantern light couldn't illuminate the two people's faces clearly, but Qin Shaoyuan knew that Xie Yunting's wicked scheme had succeeded and he was extremely happy.

"Xie Yunting, are you satisfied now?" Qin Shaoyuan's lips trembled as he spoke. "You schemed against my whole family like this? Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

"Who is scheming against whom?" Xie Yunting retorted. "If you hadn't been greedy, would things have turned out this way? Lord Qin, one cannot have it all. If you are not as capable as others, you must accept your fate."

Xie Yunting was overjoyed at achieving his goal. He rode his horse back to his residence, humming a tune, and immediately pulled Cui Zeyu and Shuanzi to drink and celebrate.

Cui Zeyu was also happy for Xie Yunting. The Qin family girl was not a good match, and Xie Yunting deserved better.

The three drank until midnight and slept soundly. When Cui Zeyu woke up the next day, Xie Yunting and Shuanzi were still asleep.

He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. He had just finished washing up when the steward told him that the Duke of Dingguo had come again.

"Your master hasn't woken up yet. Bring me a basin of cold water. I'm going to see the Duke of Dingguo today." Cui Zeyu's gaze was firm. He washed his face and walked heavily to the front hall.

The father and son hadn't seen each other for over a decade.

As Cui Zeyu stepped over the threshold, he saw the white-haired man in the hall and narrowed his eyes.

As if sensing something, the Duke of Dingguo turned around and, upon seeing the person he had longed for day and night, blurted out excitedly, "You...you are my Peng'er?"