Chapter 264 A Granted Marriage?
At noon, it was the busiest time in Yunjing City. Regular drinkers of the Linli Building were crowded. Its business was much more popular than when it started.
“Sir, come in, please!”
“Here, sir. What would you like today?”
“…”
While Yin Xuetong and Mei Ruohan were accounting by the table, suddenly the light became darker in the entrance. They looked at the door at the same time. They were amazed by that man’s dress.
Fang Yuan?
How could he come to the main gate without disguising himself?
“What’s up?” Yin Xuetong felt something wrong. She called out Qu Qingning at once.
“Oh, sir. Come here, please!”
Qu Qingning pretended to be enthusiastic and guided Fang Yuan, who looked gloomy, to go upstairs. They didn’t make others perceive something unusual.
In the room, Qu Qingning poured tea for Fang Yuan and asked, “Didn’t you go to see the agent of the royal family? Why are you abruptly coming here? You got the clue about the Wanjian Sect, did you?”
Fang Yuan inhaled slightly and calmed down, “There is no clue about the Wanjian Sect. But Dongfang He sent another big news that Dongfang Xiao was about to grant a marriage.”
Qu Qingning was confused and asked, “To grant a marriage? For whom?”
He was stunned for a moment and then looked at Fang Yuan with a surprised face, “Maybe…”
Qu Qingning stared at Fang Yuan, who gave tacit consent to it, and then became anxious. He paced up and down and said, “How could it be…?! I go to find Su Li right now!”
After a while, Su Li came to the Linli Building and heard Fang Yuan’s words. She said with eyebrow moving, “You mean that Dongfang Xiao will grant a marriage for me?”
“Right!”
Fang Yuan couldn’t hide his concern and anxiety. He explained, “According to what Dongfang He said, Dongfang Xiao will let you get married with Ma Jintian for the profit of the Dongfang Family. The imperial edict may be prepared during these days.”
“How can Ma Jintian match you? Dongfang Xiao doesn’t have the power to decide who you should marry!”
Finally Fang Yuan became so angry that his serious face turned red slightly.
However, Su Li was peaceful. She said, “This is not as simple as you thought. Dongfang Xiao is scheming. He must have some purposes. I need time to think about it.”
“Su Li…”
Fang Yuan wanted to say something. Su Li turned around and said indifferently, “You are distracted. You need to have a rest.”
Fang Yuan was trembled as if he was poured by cold water. His eyes became clear and bright a little bit, but he looked at Su Li with complex feelings.
Why?
It was a big thing deciding your happiness in your future life. However, you were not worried at all.
Hadn’t you ever think about your life?
You never thought about…me…
“You… have a good rest.”
Fang Yuan said only a simple sentence with concern, even if he wanted to say many words. Then he left the attic. Su Li was in thought, so she did not see the view of his lonely back.
The room got quiet. Su Li stroked her wrist and looked serious.
If she could master enough skills at this moment, she would not be so pa.s.sive.
However, the fate seemed to always oppose her.
Dongfang Xiao suddenly made the decision. It could be a coincidence, but there must be a certainty in the coincidence.
“Dad’s power should make that old guy fear…”
Su Li squinted. Though the personal picked troops of Dongfang Rui were excellent, they were lesser than the Royal Guards’. What Dongfang Xiao feared was the Yunge Sect, which appeared suddenly.
It was because that old guy was not familiar with the arrangement of the Yunge Sect that he feared.
Thinking about this, Su Li was in relief. She could imagine how angry Dongfang Rui would be when the imperial edict was announced. Maybe he would revolt with his soldiers.
But once it was that case, Dongfang Xiao would use his imperial power to kill Dongfang Rui.
She resolutely wouldn’t let it happen.
“Ma Family was always the biggest lackey of the Dongfang Family. So, Dongfang Xiao chooses Ma Jintian. If I marry Ma Jintian, dad will have scruples and can just follow Dongfang Xiao. Then Dongfang Xiao can uproot all the barriers for his sons.”
Surviving from death, Su Li knew the situation of Yunjing City more than any other one.
Therefore, she knew that the Lord Rui’s Mansion, the Linli Building and the Yinmo Cult couldn’t act rashly. In the previous life, the Yinmo Cult developed longer than now, and it was more powerful, but it finally failed. If she couldn’t the reason, she couldn’t act rashly.
“So, how to figure it out?”
Su Li was thinking of the method attentively. She couldn’t marry Ma Jintian to let Dongfang Xiao prevail.
“If Ma Jintian dies…”
When the idea occurred in her mind, she gave it up quickly. It didn’t matter if Ma Jintian died because he was not the only choice. Dongfang Xiao could change Ma Jintian to Wu Jin, or any other youth whose family was not threatening to him.
“Killing Ma Jintian doesn’t work. There is only the other way.”
Su Li’s eyes s.h.i.+ned. n.o.body knew what she was planning to do.
After a while, Su Li left the Linli Building. Fang Yuan wanted to follow her but failed.
The night was in silence. There was no news from the Imperial Palace on the next day.
After Fang Yuan waited anxiously for a long time, he finally received the order of Su Li. He opened the letter and felt in relief. Then he acted with his men.
A rumor in Yunjing City was increasingly popular.
“Have you heard it? Master Ma, Childe Ma of the Ma Mansion, is impotent.”
“Ah!”
“Really?!”
“Certainly! I heard from prost.i.tutes of the brothel that Master Ma indulged in carnal pleasure without restraint. Now he has erectile problems.”
“Gee. Those masters really don’t know to control themselves. Ma Jintian is under eighteen years old, right?”
“Yes!”
“…”
At the beginning, there were only a few people talking about this thing. Later the “secret” was known by everybody in the Yunjing City. Some even said it was because Ma Jintian had s.e.x with over ten women one night.
Some even said they saw Ma Jintian was in rage, so the rumor was true!
Finally, Ma Jintian’s father, Ma De, heard the rumor. He blamed Ma Jintian seriously, but Ma Jintian didn’t know why.
“Dad, you know my temper. I’m not like Ling Li. I never did that thing!” Ma Jintian was so angry and shouted, “The rumor is fake. There must be someone trying to slander me on purpose!”
However, Ma De thought that his son might be ashamed into anger. He stared at his son seriously and said, “Jintian, is what you said true?”
Ma Jintian was so angry since his father still suspect him. He said helplessly, “Absolutely! I promise that my every word is true!”
“Alright, I believe in you.” Ma De waved his hand and said, “You can go now. I’ll deal with this matter.”
“Yes, dad.”
Ma Jintian went away, and his face was so ferocious that he wanted to kill that rumor-maker in slice.
“Don’t let me find you!”
Ma Jintian abused while leaving. He was so angry.
Seeing his son going away, Ma De became gloomy.
What a coincidence!
The imperial edict was going to be announced, and Jintian met this matter. If the emperor misunderstood Ma Family’s loyalty, it would be so bad.
He asked Ma Jintian for many times just now. And Jintian’s att.i.tude made sense. Either Jintian was wrongly accused, or he was unwilling to get married with Su Li!
Ma De sighed deeply and sat down.
No matter which reason it was, Ma Family’s credit would drop down in Dongfang Xiao’s heart.
“Butler, prepare the carriage! I will go the Imperial Palace.”
Ma De changed his clothes and hurried on. Even if his son would not be granted the marriage, he needed to apologize to Dongfang Xiao. Otherwise, based on the suspicion of Dongfang Xiao, the Ma Family would be in a difficult situation.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study.
Dongfang Xiao paced and suddenly laughed. He said, “That is to say, the rumor of Ma Jintian was over Yunjing City. My imperial edict can’t be uses, is it?”
Eunuch Feng knelt quickly and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. This matter may be a coincidence.”
“A coincidence?!”
Dongfang Xiao sneered and said, “I wished. Otherwise…”
Eunuch Feng was shocked and kowtowed quickly, “Your Majesty, I am loyal to you. I didn’t tell anyone about the granted marriage except Master Ma!”
“If you divulged it, you wouldn’t talk with me here.”
Eunuch Feng trembled and didn’t say any word.
“A good-for-nothing!”
Dongfang Xiao scolded. He swung his sleeve and turned around with a gloomy face.
At this time, another eunuch standing outside the study said, “Your Majesty, Master Ma wants to visit you.”
“Speak of the devil. What a coincidence. Ho-ho…”
Dongfang Xiao said indifferently, which made Eunuch Feng shudder.