Zhou Zhili and the others were stunned.
Yesterday evening and this morning, Xue Ningyuan had met Su Yi twice, both times showing humility and courtesy, without revealing any unusual emotions.
Who could have imagined that he would now denounce Su Yi as arrogant and conceited?
His undisguised disdainful attitude was completely different from his previous self!
Tea Jin furrowed her delicate eyebrows, feeling quite uncomfortable.
She couldn't imagine that the patriarch of one of the top five prestigious families in Gunzhou City could change his demeanor so quickly.
Su Yi paid no attention to these developments, pouring himself a drink and remaining calm as ever.
But this attitude of his made Xue Ningyuan even more confident and fearless. He sighed and shook his head.
"A few days ago, when His Highness and I visited Su Yi together, we found that this young man had no regard for others. Despite his skills, with his character, he would inevitably bring about a disastrous outcome sooner or later."
"But His Highness actually treated him as his right-hand man, thinking that with this arrogant young man, he could determine the outcome of this tea gathering. How laughable!"
Xue Ningyuan's face now carried a thick trace of disdain as he spoke.
"Enough!" Zhou Zhili slammed the documents in front of him, his face darkening.
Xiang Tianqiu and the others couldn't help but laugh.
Prince Liu was still too young. He couldn't handle a few setbacks and lost his composure.
Xiang Tianqiu spoke leisurely, "Your Highness, Patriarch Xue has made his decision. Do you still think it's worth continuing?"
Zhou Zhili gritted his teeth, saying, "Based on these things alone, they're not enough to make me back down!"
Xiang Tianqiu smiled faintly and said, "Kang, it's your turn."
Kang Shanjing, the white-haired old man in the fiery Daoist robe, nodded slightly and glanced at Chang Guke and Qing Qin. He calmly said:
"Junior Brother Chang, Junior Sister Qing, when I left the mountain this time, the Sect Master personally ordered that you two should not get involved in worldly disputes."
As he spoke, he took out a golden scroll from his sleeve and said, "This is the Sect Master's handwritten order. You will understand once you see it."
He flicked his wrist and handed the golden scroll over through the air.
Chang Guke opened it and fell silent instantly.
"Is it truly the Sect Master's order?"
Qing Qin couldn't help but ask, her delicate face changing constantly.
Chang Guke nodded.
Boom!
Zhou Zhili felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His head buzzed, and his vision darkened.
Chang Guke was one of his relied-upon individuals, but he never expected that before he could even take action, he would be stopped by this order!
For a moment, Zhou Zhili stood there in a daze, completely lost.
Undoubtedly, his true identity had been exposed long ago. That's why his prepared trump cards were being targeted and suppressed one by one!
Zheng Tianhe also realized that something was amiss, his face changing rapidly.
Xue Ningyuan had betrayed him!
Chang Guke and Qing Qin were restricted by an order!
These successive blows made anyone's heart tremble.
In the distance, Tea Jin sighed lightly, recalling Su Yi's evaluation of Zhou Zhili yesterday. Zhou Zhili was too inexperienced and simply not a match for those old guys. He was bound to lose.
The unfolding scenes right now were just as expected, weren't they?
However, Tea Jin also remembered what Su Yi had said. With him present at this tea gathering, it would be difficult for Zhou Zhili to lose.
"Use whatever means you have left," Zhou Zhili gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with anger and hatred, his emotions seeming somewhat out of control.
Seeing him in this state, Xiang Tianqiu and the others couldn't help but laugh lightly and shake their heads.
Prince Liu was restless, unable to control even his emotions. He was simply unfit for the situation.
Despite their preparations and numerous trump cards, who could have imagined that Prince Liu would be so vulnerable in the end?
"Patriarch Zheng, the Second Prince has asked me to convey a message to you," Xiang Tianqiu spoke indifferently.
Zheng Tianhe trembled all over. Was it his turn now?
"Speak on behalf of His Excellency," he took a deep breath and spoke coldly.
Xiang Tianqiu's expression turned solemn as he said, "His Majesty has decreed that the relatives of the royal family should not interfere in court affairs, let alone involve themselves in the royal dispute. Have you forgotten, Zheng Tianhe?"
His tone was stern.
Zheng Tianhe shivered, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Strictly speaking, he was only the uncle-in-law of the Sixth Prince and couldn't be considered a true relative of the royal family.
Moreover, there were plenty of instances of relatives meddling in politics within and outside the Great Zhou Empire. They were just conducted in secret.
The current Emperor of Zhou was well aware of this and had always turned a blind eye to it.
However, if today's matter were to be seriously considered, who would let go of this leverage?
As long as the Second Prince personally presented this matter to the Emperor, Zheng Tianhe and the Zheng family behind him would be in big trouble!
The thought made Zheng Tianhe feel despondent, a bitter taste in his mouth.
Previously, he hadn't even considered that the other party would use the excuse of "relatives meddling in politics" to strike.
Xiang Tianqiu's gaze returned to Zhou Zhili, a hint of pity in his words. "Your Highness, I believe you wouldn't want Patriarch Zheng to suffer because of you, right?"
Zhou Zhili's face had turned ashen, and an indescribable sense of shame and defeat surged within him.
"Your Highness, would you like to hear a heartfelt piece of advice from me?" Xiang Tianqiu's gaze held a hint of playfulness.
Seeing that Zhou Zhili remained silent, he sighed lightly. "Your Highness, with your temperament, you're simply not suited for power struggles, and you're certainly no match for the Second Prince. I sincerely advise you to concede now and return to Yujing City, living as a carefree prince who stays out of worldly disputes. Wouldn't that be better?"
Zhou Zhili's cheeks twitched as he fiercely smashed the documents in front of him with his fist. His eyes turned red, and he spoke slowly and firmly, "What if I refuse to concede?"
"Do you really not see the current situation, Your Highness? Or perhaps, do you believe, as Lord Xue said, that Su Yi can help you turn the tide?" Xiang Tianqiu chuckled.
"Why not?" Zhou Zhili gritted his teeth.
In reality, after being repeatedly struck by setbacks, he felt utterly defeated within, relying solely on his determination to keep going.
He even doubted whether Su Yi's intervention could make any difference at this point.
"In that case, let me completely dispel that thought from Your Highness's mind!" Xiang Tianqiu said, his gaze shifting to the elegant middle-aged man beside him, who held a feather fan. He laughed out loud and introduced him to everyone, "Allow me to introduce this gentleman to you all. He is Yue Changyuan, currently serving as an executive in the Su family in Yujing City, known as the 'Jade-faced Blade Master.'"
"Brother Yue is extraordinary indeed, with a cultivation at the peak of the Grandmaster realm. Thirteen years ago, he achieved the second place in the Great Zhou Empire's 'Spring Examination for Martial Arts' as the 'Second Scholar,' and was personally summoned by His Majesty!" Xiang Tianqiu's words shocked the entire room.
The Su family in Yujing City!
It was a formidable force that dominated the top position in the Great Zhou Empire, its power influencing the court's situation.
Although Yue Changyuan was not a member of the Su family, his role as an executive in the Su family and his illustrious past made him someone not to be underestimated.
At this moment, Zhou Zhili, filled with a mix of shame and frustration, couldn't help but be stunned. How did the Su family in Yujing City get involved?
Wait!
Su family?
Immediately, Zhou Zhili suddenly realized something and turned his head to look at Su Yi.
Almost simultaneously, the other prominent figures in the room seemed to have grasped the situation, and their gazes shifted towards Su Yi not far away.
Their expressions were filled with astonishment.
Even Tea Jin was momentarily stunned. Young Master's surname is also Su... Could it be...
The atmosphere in the room grew eerie and silent.
Finally, Su Yi, lying in the wicker chair, responded faintly, turning his head slightly to look at the elegant middle-aged man holding the feather fan. He calmly asked, "Are you here for me?"
Yue Changyuan sat there, waving the feather fan, and sighed deeply. "Third Young Master, if it weren't for the Second Prince personally sending someone to our Su family to gather information, we would never have believed that in just over a year, you would undergo such a tremendous change."
Third Young Master?!
Except for Xiang Tianqiu, everyone else in the room almost couldn't believe their ears and stood there dumbfounded.
Zhou Zhili wished he could slap himself twice. Why had he never thought about the possible connection between Su Yi and the Su family in Yujing City, knowing that his surname was Su?
Zheng Tianhe, Mu Zhongting, and Chang Guoke also wore expressions of astonishment and bewilderment.
It was truly unimaginable.
After all, who could have thought that a member of the Su family in Yujing City would become an abandoned disciple of the Qinghe Sword Academy? How could he end up as a son-in-law in a remote small town?
"This..." Yu Baiting couldn't help but have a drastic change in his complexion. The Third Young Master of the Su family in Yujing City? This kid still held such a prestigious and revered status?
Even Tea Jin was dumbfounded.
She thought she understood Su Yi the best, but only now did she suddenly realize that what she knew was just the tip of the iceberg.
Seeing the shocked expressions of everyone, Xiang Tianqiu suddenly shook his head and smiled, saying, "Everyone, it is true that Su Yi is the Third Young Master of the Su family in Yujing City, but he is also the most despised and pitiable person in the Su family."
Pitiable?
The crowd became even more puzzled, completely at a loss.
"To be honest with you all, the matter concerning the Third Young Master is regarded as a great shame and has been concealed within our Su family. So much so that almost no one outside knows anything about him," Yue Changyuan sighed lightly. "Speaking of it, I find it difficult to speak, but at this moment, I don't mind saying a few more words."
Everyone couldn't help but listen attentively.
Su Yi calmly looked at the other party, unaffected by the revelations.
He had no intention of stopping them, wanting to see how he had been perceived by the Su family over the years.
Yue Changyuan sat there with a leisurely demeanor, gently waving the feather fan, and said with a nostalgic tone, "Let me put it this way: in our Su family, the name Su Yi is taboo. No one wants to mention him. In fact, the majority of people would rather not have him as a member of our family."
The expressions of the crowd became subtly nuanced.
Yu Baiting, who had been trembling inside, gradually relaxed and looked at Su Yi with a hint of playful curiosity in his eyes.
So... he is a despised individual.
"Our family patriarch considers him a traitorous son, someone who committed unforgivable acts. If it weren't for the blood ties, he would have been dealt with according to justice," Yue Changyuan sighed lightly. "As for the reasons, they involve some ** past events within our Su family. It's better not to bring them up."
"Just remember this: Su Yi is indeed a member of our Su family, but as far as we're concerned, he is dead, and no one in our Su family cares about him!"
By the end of his words, Yue Changyuan's voice had become indifferent and cold.
Yu Baiting and the others completely relaxed, and their gazes towards Su Yi changed, carrying a mixture of pity and a trace of disdain.
So, this kid truly was a pitiful abandoned soul by the Su family!