The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

The Zhongjing Marquis's Residence, Hesong Courtyard.

Zhou Ming'an was summoned by his father's men.

Upon entering the room and seeing his father lying on the bed looking somewhat haggard, Zhou Ming'an's heart skipped a beat.

She knew that her father rarely showed his vulnerable side in front of them, and now that he was meeting her while lying on the couch, he must be physically unable to hold on.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Zhou Ming'an even smelled a faint scent of blood in the air.

Zhou Ming'an rushed over and asked anxiously, "Wasn't it just a cold? How did it get so serious?"

"Has the imperial physician been consulted? Was it a prescription from an incompetent doctor? Why hasn't she gotten better after so many days?"

The deputy general, Wu Chenghao, lowered his head and said, "Reporting to Miss, the palace has already sent several groups of imperial physicians to examine the Marquis. It seems that the poison he has been afflicted with will not be cured for some time."

"Poisoning? How did it turn into poisoning again? What's going on?" Zhou Ming'an became more and more panicked as he listened, and quickly looked at his father on the bed.

Zhou Ningchuan was helped to sit up by the servants.

He gave his daughter a reassuring smile, his voice still weak: "Don't be afraid, Father will be alright soon."

"Father……"

Zhou Ming'an was still just a child, and these words not only failed to comfort her, but instead made her cry.

Zhou Ningchuan nodded to his deputy, and Wu Chenghao understood and withdrew.

With only the two of them left in the room, Zhou Ningchuan said, "I have decided to divorce my wife. You no longer need to be afraid of your mother."

Zhou Ming'an was stunned, even forgetting to cry: "Father, does that mean... that Mother really did what happened before?"

Zhou Ningchuan was speechless for a moment, unsure whether he should tell her the truth.

However, the clever girl quickly sensed something unusual in her father's expression.

She thought her father was reluctant to tell her the truth, so the little girl wiped away her tears and sniffed, "Father, please tell me, I can accept it."

Zhou Ningchuan paused for a moment, but ultimately decided not to hide it from her: "That matter wasn't done by your mother. It has been found that it was Cui Shiqian from the Duke of Huguo's family who did it. Because your mother insisted on breaking off the engagement, she angered the other party, so she hired someone to ruin your reputation."

"I have already reported this matter to His Majesty."

It took Zhou Ming'an a while to come to his senses, and he blinked.

It turns out... it wasn't her mother who did it?

"I didn't want to tell you the truth, because if I divorced my wife, you could also sever your mother-daughter relationship with her. However, I don't want to lie to you."

Zhou Ningchuan looked at his youngest daughter with gentle eyes and a softened tone, "You are fourteen years old now, and you should have the right to know the truth."

Zhou Ming'an slowly lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, he looked up and asked, "Even if Mother didn't do this, will Father still divorce her?"

Zhou Ningchuan did not answer the question directly.

Instead, he asked his daughter another unexpected question.

"An'an, do you have someone you like?"

This sudden question left Zhou Ming'an momentarily stunned, and he couldn't help but blush.

"Why is Father suddenly asking this? I... I'm still young. Although I've met a few men at the banquet, I haven't had much contact with them. How could I have someone I like?"

Zhou Ningchuan smiled and said, "Men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they come of age. Although you are young, it is time for you to get engaged. I am afraid that I will have to go back to the Northwest to guard the area after the New Year. I will feel more at ease if I get engaged for you sooner."

"If you don't have someone you love, that's fine. Aren't there plenty of fine men in the capital? I'll select a few for you first, and then you can take a closer look."

Zhou Ming'an was already confused by his father's words.

My father is currently injured and will be stationed in the Northwest again after the New Year.

The first sentence was about divorcing his wife, but the second sentence asked about her marriage.

She could only vaguely follow her father's lead and think, "Is Father in such a hurry to marry me off?"

She didn't understand why her father was in such a hurry, but if he could arrange her marriage, she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

"..." She bit her lip, her tone carrying a hint of secret anticipation, "If we're talking about talented young men in the capital, I do know one."

"Oh? Which company is it? Tell me." Zhou Ningchuan's eyes were full of smiles.

"Father knows him; he's my sister-in-law's younger brother, named Liu Muyuan."

Zhou Ningchuan raised an eyebrow: "It's him?"

"I heard you were in danger. He was the one who rushed into the woods to save you that day. He has some courage, but I don't know what kind of person he really is."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ming'an quickly replied, "He is a very good person and extremely intelligent. He is only fifteen years old this year, yet he has already passed the imperial examination and earned the title of Juren."

"Judging from your tone, you seem to really like him."

Zhou Ming'an blushed and bit his lip, remaining silent.

Zhou Ningchuan laughed and said, "There's nothing to be shy about. Since you like him, I'll go and learn more about this Liu Muyuan. If he's really good, your father will make the decision for you."

"Father, please stop talking about me. You're still sick. Why are you bringing this up? I want to stay with you for a few more years." Zhou Ming'an quickly changed the subject, ashamed to mention his marriage again.

The father and daughter spoke for a while longer, and then Zhou Ningchuan started coughing.

Seeing this, Zhou Ming'an quickly stood up and said, "Father, please rest well. I'll go back now."

Zhou Ningchuan nodded and watched his daughter leave.

Only after his daughter's figure disappeared into the distance did he lean wearily against the couch and exhale a long breath.

He had never been so ill before.

With no antidote yet found, he must prepare for the worst.

If he doesn't make it through this, he must make sure his children have a way out.

His eldest son is already married and has established his own career, so he doesn't need to worry about him too much.

The second son is, after all, a man. Before he left, he paved the way for the second son, so there was no need to worry.

Only this youngest daughter, the one he cared about most and couldn't let go of.

If he leaves, who will take care of his youngest daughter? Our country is open-minded and it is possible to establish a household with daughters, but the daughter is still too young and does not meet the standards for establishing a household with daughters.

He is still alive and still wields some influence in the capital.

After he leaves, how many people will remember him and take care of his daughter?

After much deliberation, Zhou Ningchuan had no choice but to make plans early and arrange a good marriage for his daughter.

The social standing doesn't need to be too high, as long as the family background is clean, and there are no powerful or domineering elders.

Zhou Ningchuan naturally knew about the Liu family.

He also knew that in the incident of his daughter's danger, the Cui family of the Duke of Huguo's mansion and the second wife of the Liu family, Wang, had colluded, and he certainly couldn't stand such a family tradition.

But Liu Muyuan does sound like a good candidate.

If An'an really liked him, he would use his connections to pave the way for Liu Muyuan.

After An'an marries into the family, although she won't become extremely wealthy or powerful, she can still live a peaceful and comfortable life without worrying about food or clothing. This is the best way he can think of for his daughter.

Thinking of this, he called his deputy general Wu Chenghao in last and arranged for someone to investigate Liu Muyuan. On the other hand, he sent someone to deliver his intention to divorce his wife to the emperor in the palace.

The emperor was superstitious and had many concerns about the divination performed by the Imperial Observatory. On the day the emperor returned to the capital, the emperor tested his intentions, hoping that he would divorce his wife or get a divorce as soon as possible.

If a husband and wife can separate, they will not be at odds with each other.

Therefore, once he reveals his willingness to divorce his wife, the emperor will definitely agree.

After doing all this, a weight was finally lifted from his heart, and he fell into a deep sleep.

He slept for half a day.

In the afternoon, Zhou Ming'an and his second brother came to pay their respects again, only to be told by Chu Yuan'er that their father was in critical condition and had not woken up since parting with Zhou Ming'an that morning.

Zhou Shixu only just learned of his father's poisoning, and after a long pause, he finally asked, "Why didn't Father tell us sooner? Such a serious matter..."

Chu Yuan'er couldn't hide her worry. She sighed softly, "Now that things have come to this, I don't think I can hide it from you anymore. The Marquis, Shi Li, and I all know about this, but the Marquis was afraid that you would harbor resentment towards the Old Madam, so he kept it a secret."

"The Marquis's request to divorce his wife has already been sent to the palace, and I think you all know that."

"Actually, the reason why the Marquis is in such a serious condition is because he is being afflicted by the fate of the Old Madam."