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Grand Preceptor Zhuang was truly angered by Xiao Liulang, to the point that his anger did not diminish even when he returned home.
"My Lord." The steward brought over a teapot. Having learned the details from the coachman, he advised, "Please cool your temper, My Lord, you are still the Empress Dowager's blood relative in the end. As for Xiao Liulang, he is simply relying on the Empress Dowager’s temporary favor to wield the tiger's might. He will fall into your hands sooner or later, unless he never enters the cabinet."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang gritted his teeth and said, "If that were really the case, then it would have been fine..."
But Empress Dowager was really backing that kid up.
The Steward, who didn’t know the details, simply thought that the Empress Dowager was only being deceived for a while. He continued to persuade, "Please quell your anger. Doesn’t my Lord still have an appointment with Grand Secretary Yuan later? The Gengtie of both has already been taken by the matchmaker. Junwang and the Yuan Family's daughter is a perfect match!"
With that said, Grand Preceptor Zhuang's expression finally eased a little.
Fortunately, the Empress Dowager did not interfere in Heng’er’s marriage.
With this marriage with the Yuan Family, the position of the Zhuang Family in the court would become even more stable!
Grand Preceptor Zhuang took a sip of tea and said, "I remember Grand Secretary Yuan had asked me to bring Heng’er to meet him. You go to Hanlin Academy later and let Heng’er go directly to Brisk Wind Tower after finishing his work."
"Yes!" Replied the steward quickly.
In the State of Zhao, the engagement letter was the first step in the marriage process, and it could only be officially proposed when the two parties' birthdate characters matched. However, Grand Secretary Yuan loved his granddaughter so much that he promised to let her take a look at the other party first. If the appearance of the other party suited her taste, then she would immediately agree to the engagement.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang was quite confident in his grandson's appearance, and wasn’t at all worried that the Yuan Family’s daughter wouldn’t be interested.
Moreover, this engagement mainly depended on Grand Secretary Yuan's opinion. As he saw it, letting his granddaughter take a look was just his last compromise as a grandfather.
Whether she liked the other party or not, Grand Secretary Yuan would still establish this engagement.
However, no one expected that the steward, who went to wait at the Brisk Wind Tower in the evening, would send back news that Grand Secretary Yuan had terminated the engagement!
"What? How could this happen?" Grand Preceptor Zhuang stood up from his chair.
The coachman trembled as he said, "This servant doesn’t know the details either. The steward didn't say much, but it seems... really serious... Would my Lord like to go there in person?"
If the steward didn't explain, it naturally was inconvenient to say. Could it be that something big happened?
Grand Preceptor Zhuang hurriedly made his way to Brisk Wind Tower, and his arrival coincided with Grand Secretary Yuan coming out of Brisk Wind Tower, his face with a cold expression.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang made an official salute and politely greeted, "Grand Secretary Yuan."
"Humph!" Grand Secretary Yuan coldly glared at Grand Preceptor Zhuang, "This official truly didn't expect that the noble Zhuang Family had raised such a vile person with despicable means! This official was mistaken in the past! Grand Preceptor Zhuang, take care of yourself!"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang was utterly confused.
Vile person? Mistaken? What was all this about?
But Grand Secretary Yuan couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore as he stepped past him, got on the carriage, and left.
"Where is Junwang?" Grand Preceptor Zhuang asked with a straight face.
"He's upstairs!" The coachman quickly took Grand Preceptor Zhuang to the second floor.
The second floor had been cleared by the steward, leaving only relevant people.
When Grand Preceptor Zhuang arrived at the designated room, he unexpectedly met someone he couldn't have expected to be there.
"Old Marquis Gu?" Grand Preceptor Zhuang frowned.
Old Marquis had just arrived as well. He came up from the staircase on the other side.
The two didn’t expect to run into each other, and Old Marquis’s expression didn't look too good.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang was about to enter the room, but Old Marquis beat him to it.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang's brow furrowed even tighter.
Forget Grand Secretary Yuan giving him a slap in the face in public, but why was even the retired Old Marquis treating him with such disdain?
Did his position as the powerful Grand Preceptor mean nothing anymore?
Soon, Grand Preceptor Zhuang understood why Old Marquis was acting like this.
Inside the messy room, An Junwang was kneeling on the ground with disheveled clothes. He had a fresh bloodstain on his thigh and a bloody dagger was lying on the ground beside him.
Next to him, Gu Jinyu was curled up while wrapped in a quilt, shivering and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Beast!"
Old Marquis came forward and beat An Junwang with a whip, causing his untidy clothes to tear and his chest to bleed.
"Stop!" Grand Preceptor Zhuang shouted angrily.
However, Old Marquis didn’t stop and gave An Junwang another lash of the whip. An Junwang knew some martial skills, but he was far from being an expert. Within a few strokes of Old Marquis’s whip, An Junwang was on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood!
"Gu Chao, stop!" Grand Preceptor Zhuang rushed over and stood in front of An Junwang, looking furiously at Old Marquis, "Are you trying to kill someone at the foot of the Emperor? If you have something to say, say it properly!"
Old Marquis trembled all over as he said, "Say it properly? Your good grandson has defiled the reputation of my Marquis Estate's daughter. If someone did the same to your Zhuang Family's daughter, would you be so calm?"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang looked at the half-dead An Junwang and the crying girl wrapped tightly in a quilt. He clenched his fists and asked the steward, "What happened here?"
The incident started when An Junwang went here for the appointment.
After he finished his official duties, he went to the Brisk Wind Tower with the steward of the Zhuang Family to wait for the Yuan Family's people in a reserved room.
Grand Secretary Yuan met a cabinet official downstairs of the Brisk Wind Tower and chatted with him for a few moments, then Yuan Baolin went upstairs alone.
Who would have thought that An Junwang would send his servant away in order to drug Yuan Baolin? However, Yuan Baolin managed to escape from the window, while An Junwang, who was also affected by the drug, dragged the unfortunate Gu Family’s daughter who happened to pass by the door inside, and… assaulted her.
Even though he only touched her without taking away her chastity, it was enough to destroy the reputation and innocence of a young lady.
This was what ‘misfortune does not come singly’ meant.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang seriously suspected that he forgot to check the divination almanac before leaving the house today, or else how could everything go wrong in one day?
"There must be something fishy about all this!" Grand Preceptor Zhuang believed in his grandson's character. "Heng’er wouldn't do such a thing!"
Old Marquis shouted indignantly, "He's your grandson, of course, you're going to be on his side! But I can see it with my own eyes. My Marquis Estate's good daughter was defiled by your Zhuang Family's little beast!"
Whether or not Old Marquis cared about Gu Jinyu was one thing, but it was another matter when someone bullied the Marquis Ding'an Estate. Besides, even if it wasn't Gu Jinyu who suffered today, but another innocent young lady, he would still beat An Junwang with his whip.
Such detestable behavior!
Old Marquis simply couldn't swallow this breath.
Even Grand Preceptor Zhuang couldn't either.
A perfectly good marriage alliance had been ruined just like this, not to mention they also offended Grand Secretary Yuan and got entangled with the Marquis Ding'an Estate at the same time.
He tried to suppress his anger, cupped his hands and bowed to Old Marquis, saying humbly, "Please calm down, Old Marquis. Give this official some time to investigate the truth behind this. No matter what the truth is, this official will give the Marquis Ding'an Estate an explanation!"
After Old Marquis took Gu Jinyu away, the steward helped An Junwang sit on a chair and tore off a piece of his clothing to bandage his injured leg.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang's eyes almost burst into flames, his fists clenched and his forehead bulged with veins. "Steward, where were you when Junwang was in trouble? How did you let Heng’er be alone with the Yuan Family's daughter?"
The steward trembled.
An Junwang's face was pale, and his bloodless lips slightly parted, "I told the steward to go to the kitchen and urged them to serve food. It's not his fault."
"Is that so?" Grand Preceptor Zhuang's sharp gaze fell on the steward's face.
The steward lowered his head in guilt.
He wasn't sent away by An Junwang, but by someone else.
But he couldn't say who that person was.
He had promised An Junwang.
He gave An Junwang a subtle glance. An Junwang had lost too much blood and was on the verge of collapsing. He used what little strength he had left to say, "It's my fault. I saw that Young Miss Yuan had no interest in me, so I came up with this plan to force her to marry me."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang didn't believe him. "Then where did you get the drug? Don't tell me they are selling it here at Brisk Wind Tower!" It was impossible for him to buy the drug after knowing her mind, and then drugged her. There was simply not enough time!
An Junwang weakly replied, "I bought it in advance, just in case."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang flew into a rage, "Zhuang Yuheng!"
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