Before Su Fu had even finished speaking, Su Tan flew into a rage and smashed his wine bowl onto the floor. The old Earl braced himself against the table and rose to his feet. The flush of alcohol vanished from his face, replaced by a chilling murderous aura.
He had spent most of his life fighting on battlefields. Nine of his sons and grandsons had died in war, yet he had never feared anyone. The Earl of Yongning Residence might have fallen into decline, but that did not mean just anyone could come and block his front gate.
“That little bastard from the Han Family dares to come to my doorstep and cause trouble?” Su Tan snatched up the walking stick from the corner and stormed toward the door. “I’ll skin him alive myself!”
Shen Hanqiu’s face instantly turned pale. She instinctively shrank back half a step and clutched Su Yuling’s sleeve tightly. Her lips moved several times, but no sound came out.
Lu Yuan rose from his stool and let out a drunken burp. He reached out and stopped Su Tan, saying, “Grandfather-in-law, leave this matter to me.”
Su Tan glared at him. “You? You’re a prince. Why would you get involved with those people from the Han Family?”
“I know Han Gou.” Lu Yuan patted Su Tan on the shoulder, and the force behind it was enough to make the old man freeze for a moment. “We go way back.”
With that, Lu Yuan headed outside. His steps were unsteady, and he swayed from side to side. As he passed through the rear hall doorway, he nearly tripped over the threshold.
Su Tan watched his retreating figure before suddenly breaking into a broad grin. “As expected of my wonderful grandson-in-law! He even knows how to share this old man’s burdens!”
After saying that, he turned toward Shen Hanqiu. “Hanqiu, with my worthy brother handling this, you can put your mind at ease.”
Su Yuling slapped her chopsticks onto the table. “What’s so wonderful about that? He’s drunk himself into that state. What if he gets into a fight outside?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she rose and hurried after Lu Yuan, afraid that he might turn the situation into something far more serious.
Shen Hanqiu was equally worried. After all, one of the people outside was her own father. Thus, she followed Su Yuling out of the rear hall.
“Women always make a fuss over everything!” Su Tan planted his walking stick against the floor and followed them.
Although he had drunk a little too much, if something really happened to the Ninth Prince at the Earl of Yongning Residence, these old bones of his would certainly have a serious mess to deal with.
…
Outside the residence gates, more than a dozen servants dressed in matching short blue-green tunics stood with clubs tucked into their belts, completely blocking the entrance to the Earl of Yongning Residence.
Han Gou sat astride his horse, his round, plump face dark with displeasure. Shen Yilei stood beside Han Gou’s horse with his back bent, his face covered in a fawning smile.
“Young Master Han, please rest assured. I will definitely bring my daughter out today. I absolutely won’t delay the marriage between our two families,” Shen Yilei said in a low, submissive voice.
“What day do you think today is? It’s the day we’re supposed to deliver the betrothal gifts! Where is she?” Han Gou tapped his riding crop against the shaft of his boot, his voice filled with impatience. “Shen Yilei, if you still can’t hand her over today, then forget about the marriage between our families. And as for your transfer to the position of Vice Director in the Ministry of War, you can forget about that too.”
“No, no! Young Master Han, please calm down. Please don’t be angry!” Shen Yilei repeatedly bowed with clasped hands. “My daughter is inside the Earl Residence. I’ll call for them to open the gate right now.”
He turned toward the main gate and began pounding on it. However, even after knocking for quite some time, no one opened the door.
“Open the door! Shen Hanqiu, open this door right now! The Han Family came to deliver the betrothal gifts today, and you’re hiding inside pretending to be dead? If you still refuse to come out, I’ll go in there myself and drag you out!”
Originally, he had hoped to curry favor with the Earl Residence. Yet before the marriage could even take place, his prospective son-in-law had died on the battlefield.
Now, however, he had the chance to ingratiate himself with the son of the Minister of War. There was absolutely no way he would let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
Even if he had to tie that wretched daughter of his up today, he would drag her over himself.
Several Han Family servants standing nearby doubled over with laughter as they watched the spectacle.
Inside the gate, Su Fu was so anxious that he was practically jumping in place. Just as he was about to open the door, a hand reached over from beside him and pushed him aside.
The gate opened from within.
Lu Yuan leaned crookedly against the doorframe, supporting himself against the gate with one hand while holding a wine flask in the other. His eyes were half closed, his face flushed from drinking. His robe was wrinkled, and even his hair crown sat crookedly atop his head.
He swept a lazy glance over the people outside and muttered, “What are you shouting for? It’s the middle of the day. You’re making a damn racket.”
Shen Yilei had been kicking the gate with all his strength. When it suddenly opened and an unfamiliar young man appeared before him, reeking of alcohol and looking utterly disheveled, his anger immediately surged.
“Who the hell are you?” Shen Yilei looked Lu Yuan up and down before snapping, “This is a matter between the Shen Family and the Han Family. What the hell does it have to do with you? Get out of the way!”
Lu Yuan’s wine flask stopped just before reaching his lips. “Were you just cursing at me?”
“So what if I was?” Shen Yilei stepped closer, practically spraying spittle into Lu Yuan’s face. “Where did a bastard like you crawl out from? You dare cause trouble at the Earl of Yongning Residence? Who the hell do you think you are?”
Lu Yuan stared at him silently for a couple of seconds. Then, ever so slowly, he turned his head toward Han Gou.
Han Gou had originally been sitting proudly atop his horse, putting on the airs of an arrogant young master. However, the instant Lu Yuan turned toward him and their eyes met, Han Gou’s pupils abruptly contracted.
It was as though an invisible hand had seized him by the throat. The gloomy expression on his face instantly transformed into sheer terror.
He knew that face.
Ninth Prince Lu Yuan.
They had even visited brothels together and called for women in the past.
But that had been then.
Now they had encountered each other outside the Earl of Yongning Residence. One was about to become the Su Family’s grandson-in-law, while the other had come to deliver betrothal gifts in an attempt to claim Shen Hanqiu.
Han Gou practically tumbled off his horse in his haste to dismount.
He rushed over to Shen Yilei and slapped him across the face without hesitation.
Smack!
Shen Yilei’s head snapped sideways, and half his face immediately began to swell. Clutching his cheek, he stared wide-eyed at Han Gou, completely unable to understand what had just happened.
“Are your damned eyes blind?” Han Gou roared in a suppressed voice that trembled despite his efforts to control it. “This is the current Ninth Prince! Who gave you the nerve to shout and cause a scene in front of His Highness the Ninth Prince?”
The moment Shen Yilei learned Lu Yuan’s identity, his legs nearly gave out beneath him.
“Your… Your Highness the Ninth Prince?”
With a thud, Shen Yilei dropped to his knees.
“Your Highness, please forgive me! Please forgive me! This lowly one didn’t know Your Highness was here and offended you. I deserve death! I deserve death!”
As he begged, he repeatedly slapped himself across the face. The sharp smacks rang out one after another, making everyone nearby feel as though their own cheeks were beginning to hurt.
Lu Yuan lowered his gaze toward him. “You’re Shen Yilei?”
“Yes, yes! This lowly one is Shen Yilei.”
Shen Yilei pressed his forehead against the ground, not daring to raise his head.
Lu Yuan lifted his foot and kicked him squarely in the shoulder without the slightest courtesy. “Miss Shen is virtuous and kind. How did she end up with a bastard like you for a father?”
The kick sent Shen Yilei tumbling backward before he landed heavily on the ground. It took him quite some time to scramble back up and kneel again, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Lu Yuan no longer spared him another glance. Instead, he turned toward Han Gou. “And what are you doing here?”
Han Gou bent at the waist, his hands hanging obediently at his sides. His demeanor had become so respectful that he seemed like an entirely different person.
“Your Highness, I came to deliver betrothal gifts to the Shen Family. Miss Shen Hanqiu and I have a marriage agreement, and today is the day the betrothal gifts are supposed to be delivered.”
He continued respectfully, “However, Miss Shen came to the Earl Residence and refused to return home, so I had no choice but to accompany Official Shen here to bring her back.”
As he finished speaking, a trace of contempt and disgust flashed through his eyes before disappearing just as quickly.
In Han Gou’s eyes, Lu Yuan was nothing more than a useless good-for-nothing. If it were not for the need to drag Lu Yuan completely into the mire and turn him into a publicly recognized wastrel, Han Gou would never have bothered wasting his time or energy on someone like him.
Lu Yuan placed his wine flask on the doorframe and gave Han Gou a cold sneer.
“Marry Shen Hanqiu?”
He stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of Han Gou, then tilted his head and stared at him.
“You think you’re worthy?”