Grandma Su was completely bewildered, "What woman, Pri Minister, what are you talking about?"
Su Xiang glanced at her coldly, "You don’t even know what happened to your own son? All day long, you just engage in backstabbing with those won in the backyard. You’re useless!"
Grandma Su: "..."
Everyone in the clan knows about Su Xiang’s sharp tongue.
She was stunned for a mont, then turned her gaze to Su Yaoqi, "Little Four, do you have soone you like?"
"No." Su Yaoqi’s tone was straightforward.
Seeing her son like this, Grandma Su had no choice but to turn her gaze back to Su Xiang.
"He dares to say that!" Su Xiang snorted coldly, "Last ti he was dead set on marrying that woman, which led to a lot of trouble. I was suspended by the Emperor. If I don’t find a way back into the court, you’ll all be left to beg in the Northwest wind soon!"
Grandma Su picked up on sothing and pulled Su Xiang aside, lowering her voice, "Since Little Four is so fond of that girl, why not just let him have her?"
Su Xiang glared, "Are you out of your mind?"
After falling hard last ti, Su Yi sent word that the woman might be related to the forr Princess Changping.
Who was Princess Changping? An arch-enemy of the Su Family!
Even if every woman in this world were dead, Little Four could still beco a monk rather than marry a woman with unclear status!
Grandma Su said, "I don’t an really letting him have her. Let’s pretend to agree first, then we’ll get information about that girl from Little Four. By then, whatever action to take is entirely up to you."
Su Xiang squinted his eyes for a mont, considering the idea feasible.
When he looked at Su Yaoqi again, Su Xiang’s attitude took a complete turnaround. Although he didn’t smile, at least his brows weren’t furrowed as tightly.
Having soone bring a chair, Su Xiang sat by Su Yaoqi’s bedside. With this youngest son, he always had patience, "Little Four, do you really like that girl?"
"What girl?" Su Yaoqi turned his face aside, "I hadn’t understood what you’ve been talking about."
Su Xiang huffed, "You dare play dumb with ?"
Su Yaoqi sat up straight, looking at his father, "Are you talking about last ti?"
Su Xiang caught the key point, "Listening to you, it sounds like there’s more than one?"
His face turned as dark as could be.
This rascal, so young, yet so fickle.
Unacceptable, just unacceptable!
"Dad can have several concubines, why can’t I like several girls?" Su Yaoqi stiffened his neck, speaking with conviction.
Seeing Su Xiang’s face turn as dark as the bottom of a pot, Grandma Su quickly interjected, "Little Four, how can you talk like that to your father?"
Being told not to speak, Su Yaoqi lay down and closed his eyes, going back to sleep.
Su Xiang tried hard to suppress his inner fury, "If you really like her, I can invite two matchmakers to the house to arrange your marriage first. Then you can go back to Imperial College and study in peace. Once you’ve completed your studies, we’ll bring her in with a grand procession."
Upon hearing this, Su Yaoqi’s eyelids twitched.
Seeing so hope, Su Xiang pressed on, "I opposed you before, thinking you were too young and hadn’t finished your studies. But since you’re so infatuated with her, to the point that you’re willing to skip Imperial College, if I continue to stop you, who knows what ss you might cause. So I may as well let you do as you please."
The words sounded like a concession, but Su Yaoqi didn’t believe it and turned over, "I’m not interested in marrying her anyway!"
Su Xiang: "What do you an, are you really interested in soone else?"
Su Yaoqi spoke with a hint of defiance, "I won’t marry her anyhow."
"If not her, who then?"
"No one. I want to sleep!"
Having run in circles without learning anything, Su Xiang’s expression wasn’t pleasant, yet he dared not rashly investigate further.
Firstly, although Princess Changping had been demoted to a commoner and sent to Ningzhou, her spies were surely still in the Capital. If he acted rashly and fell again, it would be a disaster.
Secondly, being suspended now made it easy to manipulate him. Surely, Emperor Guangxi would have soone watching him. If he acted ostentatiously and was caught in the act, there would be no hope of reinstatent.
After much thought, Su Xiang decided to do nothing for now. He asked Su Yaoqi a few more questions to make sure Su Yaoqi had long lost interest in that girl before getting up and instructing Grandma Su to keep things in order, ensuring nothing else went wrong.
Just as Su Xiang exited his son’s courtyard, he saw Hao Yun approaching.
Not intending to show any kindness to this incompetent son-in-law, Su Xiang asked, "What are you doing here?"
Hao Yun looked at his father-in-law’s stern face, with a slight smile, "I heard Little Four took a leave from Imperial College to co ho, so I ca to see him."
Su Yaoqi was pampered since childhood, Su Xiang never let him co into contact with anything dirty. Upon hearing Hao Yun’s intentions, he imdiately intervened, "It’s none of your business regarding Little Four, go do what you should be doing."
Hao Yun stood his ground, "Little Four has been out of sorts with his studies lately, maybe he’s found soone he fancies?"
"Nonsense!" Su Xiang scoffed coldly, "He’s so young, how could he have soone he fancies?"
At seventeen, he wasn’t actually that young; many young lords of noble families were already married at that age. However, this Su family scion was raised so tenderly that even at sixteen or seventeen, he was still naïve, like a child.
Before the Su family faced any issues, Hao Yun had already used Su Xiang’s connections to secure a position at the Ministry of Justice, but unexpectedly, not long after taking office, he was forced to suspend his duties.
At that ti, whether in the capital or assigned elsewhere, any Su family mber in official positions was brought down.
Hao Yun himself had no power, influence, or background. Becoming a son-in-law in a prestigious family ant he would always have to act according to others’ whims. Even if he felt wronged, he couldn’t tell anyone, and when seeing his father-in-law, he still had to greet him with a smile.
"Father-in-law probably doesn’t know who that woman is, right?" After Hao Yun spoke, he deliberately glanced at Su Xiang.
Su Xiang furrowed his brows, "Could it be that you know her?"
"I know her, but not well."
"Quickly tell , who exactly is that woman?" Just the thought of her bringing unprecedented disaster upon the Su family made Su Xiang want to personally tear her apart!
"As it turns out, it’s not soone else, but Song Wei’s wife, Mrs. Wen."
If you calculate carefully, the root cause of the Su family’s misfortune was not Su Yaoqi, but his wife Su Yu.
If it wasn’t for that woman’s desire to take revenge on Song Wei and her framing of Su Yaoqi, the subsequent events wouldn’t have happened.
Now that Su Xiang was suspended, and Su Yu realized the trouble she caused, she had been learning the rules these days, staying in her own courtyard all the ti, not daring to show up in the main courtyard.
"What did you say? Song Wei’s wife?"
Su Xiang seed to have heard the biggest joke of his life, "If you dare utter one false word, don’t think I won’t kill you?"
Hao Yun smiled lightly, "I t the Song Wei couple when I was in Ningzhou, and I wouldn’t dare fabricate such a story lightly."
"Song Wei, Song Wei, always Song Wei!"
Su Xiang was furious. He thought he was ruthless enough, but never imagined there was soone even more ruthless; to deal with their family, they even brought won into the conspiracy.
Hao Yun saw from Su Xiang’s expression that he misunderstood, but he didn’t intend to explain.
First, the sins Su Yu committed couldn’t be exposed; otherwise, both of them would be dood.
Secondly, letting Su Xiang believe it was all a sche by Song Wei would be even better. Without having to lift a finger, Su Xiang would seek revenge for him.
After organizing his thoughts, Hao Yun said, "Father-in-law, be careful when dealing with Song Wei. Not only is he sharp-tongued, but his thods are also formidable. Think about it: Little Four reaching a marriageable age and finding soone he fancies is normal, but with Song Wei’s manipulation, not only did you lose soone, but you also lost your position. This shows how scheming and capable he is, not soone easily dealt with."
Clearly, it was Su Yu’s twisted mind, unable to obtain Song Wei, that led her to plot to separate Song Wei and Wen Wan, bringing Su Yaoqi into the trap.
However, according to Hao Yun, it turned into Song Wei bringing out Mrs. Wen to confuse Su Yaoqi, tempting Su Xiang to get angry and dispatch people to investigate. Then Song Wei supposedly collaborated with Princess Changping to completely thwart those sent by Su Xiang.
Actually, Hao Yun’s "reasoning" had many logical gaps, but he carefully avoided them, focusing on the points that could divert Su Xiang’s attention and exaggerated them.
At first, Su Xiang didn’t quite believe it, but hearing Hao Yun’s detailed account, he couldn’t help but fall into contemplation.
Hao Yun made his point and didn’t plan to stay for his father-in-law to ask further questions, so he found an excuse to slip away first.
When Su Xiang cursed, he was free with his words, but when considering problems, he was not impulsive. He didn’t imdiately have soone investigate Wen Wan’s background, but planned to send soone to the Lu family to invite Su Yi.
Su Yi had once said that the girl Little Four fancied might be related to the previous Princess Changping in terms of identity, and he had to clarify this matter first.
After returning to his room, Su Xiang issued his orders.
Not long after, a carriage arrived outside the gate of the Lu Family Old Mansion.
Sitting in the carriage was an experienced old maid from the Su family mansion. She stepped forward and handed over a note, saying she needed to see Grandma Lu.
When the gatekeeper heard soone from the Su family was here, they didn’t delay and quickly reported inside.
At that ti, Lu Pingzhou, Su Yi, and Aunt Wen were sitting in the front hall discussing Qiao’s marriage.
Upon hearing the gatekeeper report that soone from the Su family was here to see Grandma,
Su Yi instinctively glanced at the man beside her.
Sure enough, she t Lu Pingzhou’s vaguely smiling eyes.
Su Yi initially wanted to say she wouldn’t see them, but feared sothing serious had happened at her maiden family, so she could only say to Lu Pingzhou, "Sir, you continue with the discussion, I’ll go deal with them."
Lu Pingzhou didn’t stop her, but as she stood up, he casually said, "Grandma Lu’s na bears the Lu family na, already in her fifties. You must weigh the importance well yourself, lest you get no benefits from either side, losing both face and dignity, and failing to preserve your late reputation!"
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