"Wait a moment!"
Grace stepped forward to block the way. "Since the General is here, there's no rush. Now that everyone is present, let's clarify everything here to avoid any difficulties in gathering evidence later."
Xu An replied softly, "Su Jie'er, you are a young lady. Today's commotion is already large enough. It's better to discuss such matters behind closed doors to avoid public embarrassment." He then gave a sidelong glance at the guards, signaling them to drag Xu Chong away.
"The Marquis has arrived!"
At this moment, a guard rushed in, followed by a thunderous roar from outside. "Who dares to leave?!"
Xu An's heart skipped a beat. Turning his head, he saw the Marquis of Qingyun striding in with a grim expression. While Xu An's arrival had been met with some murmurs, the marquis's presence immediately silenced everyone.
Well, almost everyone.
"Father!" Grace ran towards the marquis with a cry, "Xu Chong bullied me!"
Xu Chong, being a man, and Grace, being a woman, made Xu Chong the obvious offender in the marquis's eyes, especially given that he had started the whole mess. The marquis had entered in a fury but was taken aback by Grace's tearful plea—who could withstand a fierce woman acting coy? He froze on the spot.
"Marquis!" Xu An hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
The marquis pulled Grace to his side. "Xu An! It was you who proposed the marriage initially, wasn't it? I didn't force you, did I? You claimed to sincerely wish to marry my daughter and promised to treat her well, didn't you?
"Then what is this? You say nice things, but your real plan is to take my daughter and mistreat her? We haven't even finalized the engagement, and Xu Chong is already declaring he'll take concubines once married, and that she can't complain, or she'll be branded as jealous and cast aside. Is my daughter so easy to bully? Do you think so little of me, Zhao Ke?"
Xu An's scalp tingled.
"Marquis, please calm down! I'm not fully aware of the details yet. Please allow me to take this to a quieter place to clarify matters."
"Clarify what? Xu Chong made his declarations in public without caring for appearances. Now you want privacy to give me an explanation? Is this a rule you set, Xu An? Your Xu family cares about face, but my Zhao family doesn't?"
"That's not what I meant!"
Xu An had no way to explain clearly. He gritted his teeth and kicked Xu Chong furiously. "You fool! Su Jie'er is like a precious flower, your future wife! How could you insult her? She hasn't even married in, and you're already doing this? Kneel and apologize to the marquis!"
"No need!" The marquis interrupted. "If he's setting rules before the engagement, what hope do I have for his treatment of my daughter after marriage? My daughter will not be disrespected by your family. If Xu Chong's previous words are any indication, he's a shameless scoundrel. Your family's behavior is despicable, and we want no part of it!"
"Marquis!..."
The marquis ignored him and left with Grace in tow.
Calling off the engagement was a minor issue; offending the Marquis of Qingyun was significant. Xu An hurriedly chased after them, but the marquis had already led his people far away.
---
Grace was pushed into a carriage by the marquis. Watching him drive with a stern face, her head buzzed as if in a dream.
She had only come out to enjoy a spectacle, but it turned into her being directly involved and inadvertently breaking off the engagement. She was still in a daze, but Yun Xiangyi and Hua Xiangrong seemed unfazed. It appeared this was a common occurrence, and had she not caused such a scene, they might have found it unusual.
Back at the mansion, the marquis's face remained stern. Grace expected a closed-door scolding session. After all, she had intentionally provoked the situation, causing trouble and embarrassing her father.
She obediently followed him to the main hall, prepared to take whatever punishment came her way. Successfully ridding herself of Xu Chong made any scolding worthwhile.
Upon entering, she was about to admit fault when the marquis suddenly turned to her. "I called off the engagement. Are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied?" That sounded like sarcasm! Grace understood and quickly adopted a submissive demeanor. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have caused trouble. I await your punishment."
The marquis sat down, eyes on her. "The Xu family proposed the engagement. I thought they were overreaching, but later decided a family like theirs might treat you better, fearing me and your brother. I didn't expect their arrogance. If you were unhappy, you could have spoken up. This matter won't just end here."
Grace could hardly believe what she was hearing. Wasn't she supposed to be punished?
She blinked in confusion. "You don't blame me?"
"No." The marquis replied, "Tell me what happened."
Grace, realizing she was off the hook, recounted the events honestly.
The marquis was surprised by her questioning of Xu Chong and more so by her strategy to expose him. "You thought of all this?"
Grace hesitated, and the marquis lowered his head, sighing. "You once asked if I understood you. You were right; I haven't paid attention to your growth. Had you not sent someone to inform me, I wouldn't have known your grievances with Xu Chong. I was too hasty."
Grace quickly interjected, "It wasn't just that..."
"Enough. Leave it to me. You can return to your room."
"...Yes."
Grace glanced at her father's somber face for a few seconds before lowering her head and exiting the room.