Xu Chong initially opposed the marriage proposal, but being young and inexperienced, his opinions were dismissed.
"General! General Xu!"
Xu An, holding his tea, had just taken a sip when he heard the panicked voice of a yamen runner approaching quickly.
Startled, he spilled some tea on his hand. "What's the matter?"
"General Xu! Your son is fighting at a teahouse!"
Xu An froze. "With whom?"
"With the marquis's daughter, Miss Su!"
Grace?!
His future daughter-in-law was fighting with his son?!
Xu An jumped up as if scalded by boiling water. "Where? Show me the way!"
---
The Marquis of Qingyun finished reporting his results from the Ministry of Revenue to the emperor, who then brought up a new topic. "I've heard rumors on the streets about the Shi En case. Many are concerned about it. Also, there's talk of your daughter being frequently summoned by the empress dowager. I don't see why this is being widely discussed."
The marquis sensed the emperor's suspicion that he had been gossiping and clarified, "I have never mentioned this outside. When the Ministry of Works officer Yang Mei speculated about it, I firmly refuted him."
The emperor nodded. "What about your daughter?"
"Su Jie'er doesn't care about such matters. She leads a lively and colorful life and wouldn't have any interest in this."
The emperor was about to respond when he noticed Si Xi peering in from the doorway. "What is it?"
Si Xi bowed and entered. "Your Majesty, someone from the Marquis of Qingyun's residence is here. Miss Su and General Xu An's son, Xu Chong, are fighting. They seek the marquis's guidance."
The marquis nearly fell from his seat.
"What caused the fight?"
"Apparently, Xu Chong was fighting someone else, and somehow, he began speaking about Miss Su. He declared his genuine desire to marry her in front of many people. Coincidentally, Miss Su was at the teahouse. She asked Xu Chong if he had ever met her. He said no. She then asked how he could claim genuine affection without meeting her, questioning his sincerity. Xu Chong couldn't answer and ended up saying she would be expected to bear children for the Xu family and couldn't expect him to be faithful, claiming it would be her duty to accept concubines. Miss Su got angry, and they started fighting. Her guards even joined in."
The marquis was speechless. He looked at the emperor, who had paused fanning himself and raised an eyebrow. "The governor did not deceive me; your daughter's life is indeed colorful."
The marquis's face turned beet red.
The emperor, contemplating, asked, "Is Xu Chong not your prospective son-in-law?"
This was truly airing dirty laundry. The elders of both families had hoped for the match, but now the young ones were fighting in public. What a disgrace!
The marquis, bracing himself, replied, "It's not finalized. Both sides were just considering it."
The emperor nodded and pointed outside. "You should go before things escalate."
The marquis quickly expressed his gratitude and left the palace.
The emperor, standing up with his fan, noticed the Ministry of Revenue document left behind. He instructed Si Xi, "The governor forgot this document. Catch up and deliver it to him."
Si Xi took the document and was about to leave when the emperor called him back. "You might not catch him. Take it to the teahouse where the fight is, then go to Madam Chen's and check on the task I assigned her."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
---
The teahouse was in utter chaos after the multi-sided brawl. Xu Chong, besieged, had completely lost his composure.
His earlier statements, though true to his beliefs, were intended to humiliate Grace publicly. He thought any sensible woman would be enraged by such treatment and demand the engagement be canceled.
Grace, however, not only resisted but physically fought back. His plan had backfired.
Grace, now standing on a chair, sleeves rolled up, watched the fight. She knew Xu Chong had tried to provoke her into calling off the engagement. If she wanted to marry him, crying and complaining would be the dignified choice. But who would want to marry such a person?
He was shameless, dragging her down and forcing her to request a breakup? No way. If the engagement was to be broken, it wouldn't be clean for anyone.
"General Xu is here! Stop fighting!"
Hearing the shout from outside, Grace jumped down, adjusted her clothes, and stood confidently at the entrance. As Xu An, clad in his official uniform, strode in, she greeted him. "General, I'm Grace. You've come just in time. Your son Xu Chong has some grievances with me. Please, judge fairly."
Facing such a scene, Grace should have felt intimidated, but having faced the Empress Dowager and the Marquis, she was well-prepared. Xu An, surveying the mess, focused on finding Xu Chong amidst the wreckage, noticing Grace's confident demeanor.
He saw his son, bleeding from the mouth, being held back by Grace's guards and Fang Qu. Xu An trembled, feeling more helpless than he ever had on the battlefield.
Without further ado, he pointed at Xu Chong. "Take him back to the manor!"
"Father!" Xu Chong straightened up in shock. "It wasn't me, I didn't—"
Xu An silenced him with a slap. "Take him away!"