Han Zhan swung his whip. The questioning Princess Shuyang only felt her hand go numb and the whip slipped out of her hand.
"I don't need to explain to you why I did this. Old Wu, take her back. "Han Zhan casually threw the whip on the ground and ordered Han Yi. Gou Liang opened his hand and looked. Seeing that he wasn't injured, he didn't make a fuss.
Han Yi felt very apologetic and apologized, "Big Brother Wei, it's our house's fault for not receiving you well today. I hope you can forgive my younger sister on account of her ignorance."
"Fifth Brother, are you crazy?!"
The princess was stunned. Her two brothers who protected her the most were abandoning her one after another. She was shocked and unable to accept this kind of reversal.
"Don't say another word." Han Yi grabbed her hand and then looked at Gou Liang with even more embarrassment. Gou Liang hooked his lips and smiled slightly, "You don't need to apologize to me. I heard that Zhuge Laosan's birth mother is currently in the manor talking with the Marchioness. You should apologize to her."
"What do you mean by this?"
The princess broke free from Han Yi's hand and angrily asked.
She naturally understood, which was why her reaction was so intense. Gou Liang's words meant that they, as elders, had spoiled her too much. Now that she was thrown into her husband's family to harm others, they should really feel guilty. These words were just short of pointing at her nose and scolding her for having no upbringing. His words overturned everyone in Shuyang Marquessate Mansion. Even Han Yi's expression changed for a moment when he heard this.
"If you don't understand, then forget it. In any case, it has nothing to do with me." Gou Liang said indifferently. Then, he tapped his temple in annoyance, "Speaking of which, although this humble one has heard of the princess's great name, today is the first time I have the honor of seeing the princess's true appearance. This humble one has always had a question. Since this humble one has the honor of meeting you, may I ask the princess to enlighten me? "
"With the princess's noble character and unquestionable integrity, you shouldn't disregard your status and not let me go. What did this humble one do to make the princess condescend to this extent?"
Gou Liang was indeed puzzled by this.
If it was any other girl who had never seen two or three good men in her life, it would be fine. However, Royal Princess Shiyang was different. Not to mention the imperial sons and grandsons she had grown up with, just her older brothers' conditions were very good. With such a high standard in front of her, why did she act like someone who lacked love and got herself into a dead end? With her arrogance, how could she still be so stubborn even after getting herself into such a sorry state?
Although Gou Liang was puzzled, he wasn't very interested. He only asked casually because he met him today.
Unexpectedly, this question spoiled things.
Princess Shuyang felt as if she had been struck by lightning. After a short moment of astonishment, she lost control of herself.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice trembled with anger and pain. "You, you don't want to admit it? Even now, you still refuse to admit it! Bastard, I must have been blind to believe your vows of eternal love. Bastard, you deserve to die! I'm going to kill you, kill you! "
Her entire body trembled as she pulled out a dagger from behind her waist. Her eyes were scarlet red as she charged towards Gou Liang and loudly shouted.
Han Yi was startled for a moment before he hurriedly stopped her. He said in alarm, "Younger Sister, don't be impulsive. Let's talk things out. Tell Fifth Brother what grievances you've suffered. Older Brother will definitely seek justice for you. Calm down first! "
"Seek justice? How? You're all liars, liars … "
She let out two short laughs. As if she couldn't take it anymore, her entire body went soft as she squatted down. She hugged her arms and cried bitterly.
Not to mention Han Yi, even Gou Liang was startled.
He took a step back and asked Han Zhan in a low voice, "This, is this also part of the plot?"
How much hatred did he have with this girl when he was making up the story? Not only did she have a princess syndrome, but her mind was also muddled.
Han Zhan also said in a low voice, "There's a reason for this."
Gou Liang made an 'oh' sound. Looking at his meaningful gaze, it was clear that there was a large pot of melodrama behind this, so Gou Liang decided to wait and see.
Princess Shuyang's crying quickly alerted the people in Shuyang Marquessate Mansion. When Madam Zhang hurriedly sent off her in-laws and rushed over, the six members of the Han Family and Gou Liang were already in the Marquis Of Shuyang's study. The princess had already stopped crying after being comforted by her father. Madam Zhang quickly stepped forward and said, "My child, what's wrong?"
A mother knows her daughter best. Even when Wei Xuanming fled the capital, she didn't lose control like this. What kind of grievances did she have to suffer to make her cry like a child?
Madam Zhang's heart felt as if it was being cut by a knife. She hugged her and repeatedly comforted her.
"Mother … kick him out. From now on, I will pretend that I never knew this person."
Princess Shuyang cried in her mother's arms for a while, her voice choked with sobs.
"This …" Madam Zhang looked at her husband with a pleading look in her eyes.
Without waiting for the frowning Marquis Of Shuyang to speak, Gou Liang had already stood up and said, "Uncle, aunt, forgive this nephew for speaking out of turn. This nephew is also at a loss and doesn't know how I have offended the princess. Princess, please tell me frankly. Otherwise, not only will you feel wronged, but won't this Wei's heart also be filled with unspeakable suffering? "
The princess coldly snorted and took out a jade pendant necklace from her pouch, "Wei Xuanming, do you recognize this item?"
Gou Liang was stunned. His slightly widened eyes were slightly startled. In a flash, he understood the whole story.
He sat down and said, "Of course I recognize it. However, I'm very curious as to why this item is in the princess's hands."
The princess saw that he didn't seem to care, and a trace of pain flashed through her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "If you didn't give it to me, how could it be in my hands? Seven years ago, I slipped and fell into the water. It was you who saved me from the water. Because of saving me … our skin touched. Although I was unconscious at the time, I heard one sentence very clearly. You said that you would marry me when I reached marriageable age and left this item as a keepsake. Do you still want to deny it? "
In order to protect Wei Xuanming's reputation and to allow the marriage to proceed smoothly, Princess Shuyang had never told anyone about this matter.
This was the first time her parents and brothers had heard about it. The way they looked at Gou Liang immediately changed.
At that time, when the princess fell in love with Gou Liang for no reason and insisted on it, they unconditionally supported her decision and fought against injustice for her. Now that they knew that there was a reason for this matter and that Gou Liang had broken his promise, how could they accept it?
If it weren't for the fact that Marquis Of Shuyang, Han Zhan, and the other three had misgivings about Gou Liang being the savior of Gou Liang, they would have already beaten Gou Liang up.
Madam Zhang didn't hesitate at all and exploded, "Preposterous! Little Wei, you're going too far — — "
"Aunt …"
"Shut up!" Madam Zhang shouted, "Han Zhan, why are you still sitting there? Why aren't you beating this lecher out of here? My Shuyang Marquessate Mansion doesn't welcome this kind of cultured scum who doesn't dare to admit what he has done! "
"Madam, don't be anxious. Perhaps … there's something else that we don't know."
Marquis Of Shuyang hurriedly tried to appease her.
Madam Zhang was furious, "You old bastard, do you think our daughter will use her reputation to carelessly cling to an outsider? What kind of father are you? When did our Shuyang Marquessate Mansion's children become so afraid of the Wei Family? "
"Madam …"
"Mother, that jade doesn't belong to Wei Xuanming." Han Zhan interrupted his father, who was obviously wavering and trying to restrain his anger. He took out a jade pendant from his chest and said, "His jade is with me."
At first glance, that jade pendant was exactly the same as the one in the princess's hand.
Marquis Of Shuyang was dumbfounded. Princess Shuyang's heart was even more pained. She never thought that the person she had been longing for would fall in love with her brother.
Was there anything more ironic than this?
Marquis Of Shuyang's face was very strange. "This, this is the Xiahou Family's Lovesickness Jade?"
Gou Liang blushed and looked at Han Zhan, saying, "Exactly."
"Then how could it be on Zhan?!" Marquis Of Shuyang glanced at his son, who had put away the jade pendant, and felt his head buzzing. But now was not the time to care about it. He forced himself to calm down and said, "This piece of Lovesickness Jade is not yours. Do you know who it is?"
Although the tone was calm, the eyes looking at Gou Liang were full of needle-like scrutiny.
"This … This younger generation can't make a conclusion. Please ask Uncle to ask my Shifu to come to the mansion and identify it himself."
Gou Liang said cautiously.
However, Marquis Of Shuyang already had a rough guess in his heart. His expression suddenly became more complicated. He looked at his daughter worriedly. He raised his voice and asked the housekeeper outside to go to the Xiahou Mansion in person to invite General Xiahou to come over.
The tears in Princess Shuyang's eyes stopped. She looked back and forth between her father, eldest brother and Gou Liang several times in confusion. She choked and said, "Father, what is Lovesickness Jade? Is it … Is his jade not a pair with this piece? "
Marquis Of Shuyang looked embarrassed. He hesitated for a long time and said, "I only know that there is only one piece of Lovesickness Jade in the Xiahou Family, and it is given to the sweetheart."
As soon as these words came out, Mrs. Zhang and the three Han Yi brothers finally understood why Han Zhan looked like that after taking out the jade pendant Gou Liang gave him. At this time, they also felt that the world was spinning. They looked at Han Zhan and Gou Liang and were speechless, but then a more serious question came out.
If the jade pendant in Princess Shuyang's hand didn't belong to Gou Liang, then who did it belong to?
It was Mrs. Zhang who asked, "Son, why do you think this jade pendant belongs to Wei Xuanming? The person who gave you the jade pendant, didn't he tell you his family name? "
"He did, but, but I didn't hear it clearly. I only remember that he seemed to say that his name was Chang Ning."
This was Wei Xuanming's courtesy name. Princess Shuyang clenched her fingers and recalled the vague memory of that year. She only felt cold in her heart.
After she was rescued that year, the person who saved her had an urgent matter to attend to. He only told her his identity and said that he would come to marry her when she was of marriageable age. At that time, she wasn't clear-headed and was sent to the carriage by that person. Afterwards, she specifically asked around and found out that the carriage that sent her to the medical clinic was the Wei Family's carriage. In the Wei Family, only Wei Xuanming met the requirements of being her savior.
Since then, she intentionally or unintentionally paid attention to Wei Xuanming's news and quietly waited for him to fulfill his promise. When she was about to be of marriageable age, Wei Xuanming passed the imperial examination and won the imperial examination. She was pleasantly surprised.
She thought that the time was ripe, but she accidentally heard that the Emperor intended for her beloved husband to marry her. That was why she went to the Emperor and asked for his favor. That was also why there were so many twists and turns after that.
But now, Gou Liang told her that the token of love had nothing to do with him.
It was her wishful thinking that she recognized the wrong person.
She remembered it for so many years, hoped for it for so many years, resented it for so many years, and hurt it for so many years. In the end, it was actually … just a misunderstanding?
If it wasn't Gou Liang, then who was that person?
Why … did he let her down like this?
The princess's eyes were filled with panic as she blankly looked at her mother. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't say anything.
Zhang shi's heart was in great pain. She endured the pain and hugged her, saying, "My daughter, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid."
Han Yi and the other two's eyes were red, but they were wooden and didn't know how to comfort the mother and daughter who were hugging and crying. They looked at their father and then at their eldest brother, hoping that they could make a decision. But the two of them were silent, and their faces were cold.
Marquis Of Shuyang glanced at his eldest son. The latter nodded, clearly thinking the same thing as him. He felt a splitting headache.
The Xiahou Family, known as Chang Ning, and someone who had betrayed the eighth young lady's heart. There was indeed someone in the Xiahou Family who met these conditions.
The youngest son of the Xiahou Family who was the same age as Han Zhan, Xiahou Rui, also known as Changling. Seven years ago … he died on the battlefield.
*
General Xiahou took the yearning jade and carefully touched it. Even the old battle general who bled but didn't cry was in tears at this time.
"I didn't expect that after so many years, I could still see what my child left behind."
He sighed softly, and a trace of sadness flashed through his aged eyes.
Marquis Shuyang clenched his fists and sighed, "Is it really … that child's?"
General Xiahou had heard the whole story from his old friend. He couldn't bear to look at the commandery princess and nodded.
"Girl, it's the Xiahou Family's fault for this, but please believe that my child didn't mean to betray you. Before he died on the battlefield, he sent a letter home, saying that he had given the yearning jade to a girl and that the family didn't need to arrange a marriage for him. You are a good girl, but he didn't have the fortune … "
"He, he died?"
The commandery princess looked stupefied. She was so shocked and in so much pain that she couldn't shed a tear.
The commandery princess couldn't accept this result. She shook her head and said, "It shouldn't be like this. It shouldn't be like this … If it was him, why did he give me the carriage of the Wei Family? I, I thought …"
Gou Liang said, "According to what the commandery princess said, it was seven years ago when the third senior fellow apprentice was ordered to leave the capital. The next day was my sixteenth birthday. Therefore, the third senior fellow apprentice specially went to my home and personally gave me the birthday gift. At that time, his entourage accidentally walked into the trap I set and was injured. I sent the carriage to send them away. I didn't expect that this parting would be the separation of heaven and man. "
General Xiahou clenched the yearning jade in his hand and thought of many past events. He closed his eyes and said, "If it was seven years ago, this matter had nothing to do with my child. Originally, I treated him like my own son, so I gave him the yearning jade that only the legitimate son of the Xiahou Family could wear when he turned eighteen … Now that I think about it, it's all my fault. That year, I fought with his grandfather to decide on this child's courtesy name and arranged for him to be of the Xiahou Family's generation. However, you misunderstood for no reason. "
Chang Ning, Chang Ling. The difference of one character was like heaven and earth.
The commandery princess didn't know how to react. So it wasn't that he betrayed him, but that he … died.
And she was infatuated with the wrong person.
It was really ridiculous.
Madam Zhang supported her with heartache and apologized to General Xiahou, "Uncle, I'll take this child back first. She … can't bear it for a while. Please forgive her rudeness."
General Xiahou waved his hand, indicating that it was okay.
The commandery princess followed her mother's steps and walked two steps before she regained her senses. She stood up and said, "Master Xia Marquis, this jade … can you return it to me? Since he gave it to me, there's no reason for him to take it back, right? "
General Xiahou knew that she was about to get married and hesitated for a moment. However, thinking that this was a debt left by his son, he couldn't make a decision on his own. Therefore, he handed the jade to the commandery princess.
The commandery princess thanked him and stroked the jade that she had touched all year round. After a long time, she whispered, "Then, can I go to his grave to take a look? No matter what, I owe him my life. I owe him my whole life. "
Madam Zhang was startled. She was afraid that the commandery princess would disappoint a good marriage and have to take care of a memorial tablet.
General Xiahou also didn't want to burden this young girl, so he said, "You can pay your respects, but there's no need to do anything else. I think that my son's spirit in heaven also wishes for you to be happy. "
The commandery princess was stunned for a moment before she knelt down and kowtowed to him three times. "Thank you for your help."
Madam Zhang helped her up. Her heart ached.
When they passed by Gou Liang, the commandery princess stopped and said, "These years … I'm very sorry."
"It's fine. Please restrain your grief. "
Other than that, Gou Liang didn't know what else to say.
The commandery princess didn't have the energy to care about him. She hurriedly left the place, as if she was trying to escape the truth that made her suffocate.
After the mother and daughter left, the study became even more silent. The few people looked at each other, speechless. They never thought that the unresolved grudge between Shuyang Marquessate Mansion and the Wei Family over the years was actually a muddled lawsuit. However, compared to Gou Liang, the result was even more thorny and complicated than before.
Originally, the young commandery princess had already spent five years walking out of Wei Xuanming's shadow and began to accept a new marriage. Although she was still angry, she wanted to teach the heartless man a lesson so that she could face the future with her head held high and chest puffed out. She was still that spoiled girl who was as beautiful as the sun.
But now, what should they do with their treasures?
After all, it was easy to forget a living person, but to forget a dead person … was too difficult.
After Marquis Of Shui Yang calmed down for a moment, he sent his three sons out.
Then, as if settling accounts, he coldly stared at Han Zhan and said, "Just now, you said that the Wei Family brat gave you his lovesick jade?"