Looking at Lin Yan lying unconscious on the ground, Minister Zhuang smiled coldly and kicked him a few times: "Lin Yan is very smart. He has been on guard against my every move, but he never expected that I didn't put the medicine in the water, but smeared it on the teacup. Commander Lei, what are we going to do now?"
"Proceed according to the original plan!" Grand Commandant Lei took a sip of tea, a sharp glint flashing in his unfathomable eyes, and coldly ordered the person outside the door, "Someone, General Lin is drunk. Help him to his guest room to rest!"
After leaving the garden, Shen Lixue walked out while subtly observing the buildings and scenery of the Grand Commandant's mansion. Finding nothing unusual, she noticed groups of maids and servants moving about. Not wanting to wander in recklessly or investigate too closely, she slowly walked out of the Grand Commandant's mansion.
A line of neatly arranged guards walked slowly down the road, solemn and dignified. Shen Lixue assumed they were patrolling guards and paid them no mind. Just as she was about to walk toward the carriage, a tall, slender figure in blue appeared and blocked her way: "Miss Shen!"
"Prince Zhan!" Shen Lixue paused, looked at the guards ahead, and smiled faintly, "Prince Zhan personally led the troops on inspection, it must be hard work!"
"It's my duty." Dongfang Zhan smiled and glanced at the plaque above the gate of the Grand Commandant's Mansion: "Miss Shen is returning to her maternal home with the Prime Minister's wife?" The Grand Commandant's Mansion is Lei's maternal home, which can also be considered Shen Lixue's maternal grandparents' home. It is reasonable for her to come with Lei.
"No!" Shen Lixue shook her head, lowered her voice, and a hint of mockery appeared in her beautiful eyes: "I came to the matchmaking banquet with my cousin Yan!" This matter would get out sooner or later, and she wasn't worried about others finding out.
"A blind date?" Dongfang Zhan raised an eyebrow, his gentle eyes filled with curiosity. "Which young lady are you going on a blind date with?"
"Zhuang Kexin, the daughter of Minister Zhuang!" Mentioning this name, Shen Lixue showed no sympathy, her tone becoming extremely indifferent: "We just finished our meal with Minister Zhuang and Grand Commandant Lei's family, and were preparing to return home. Cousin Yan went to say goodbye..."
"General Lin and Deputy Commander Zhuang are about to compete for the position of commander of the Imperial Guard. They can still have a meal together in peace. They have good character and are very composed..." Dongfang Zhan nodded slightly, full of praise.
Shen Lixue was taken aback: "What did Prince Zhan just say?"
"The Imperial Guard Commander is getting old and has resigned to retire. Among the young talents of Qingyan, the most suitable person for this position, besides your cousin Lin Yan, is Deputy Commander Zhuang Weicheng. Three days later, the two of them will have a martial arts competition in the palace, and the winner will be promoted to the position of Imperial Guard Commander..." Dongfang Zhan looked at Shen Lixue and told her the truth.
Shen Lixue was startled: "Does Cousin Yan know about this?"
Dongfang Zhan shook his head: "I don't know. This matter was decided yesterday morning and hasn't been announced to the public yet. Apart from myself, no more than five people know about it..."
Shen Lixue's cold eyes narrowed instantly, a bad premonition rising in her heart: "Grand Commandant Lei, does Minister Zhuang know about this?"
"Minister Zhuang may not know, but Grand Commandant Lei does. Several ministers strongly recommended Lin Yan for the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards, while a few others thought Zhuang Weicheng was a good candidate. So, Grand Commandant Lei made this suggestion to the Emperor..." Dongfang Zhan paused, then said calmly, "At the latest, this matter will be announced tomorrow..."
Shen Lixue looked up at the sky. The sun was already setting in the west. Looking at the Grand Commandant's mansion, Lin Yan was nowhere to be seen on the long road. "Prince Zhan, you should go ahead and attend to your business. I'll go and urge Cousin Yan!"
Before Dongfang Zhan could answer, Shen Lixue had already turned around and strode into the mansion, her dark eyes flashing with a cold light.
The living room wasn't far from the garden, and I walked very slowly. My cousin Yan had said a lot of goodbyes and should have been back by now. His absence could only mean one thing: something had happened to him!
Today's matchmaking banquet was a trap. When she and Lin Yan entered the Grand Commandant's mansion, they stepped into the trap set by Grand Commandant Lei and Minister Zhuang. No wonder Grand Commandant Lei didn't bother her even though she had seriously injured Lei Cong. Their target was Cousin Yan!
Watching Shen Lixue's slender figure quickly walk away, Dongfang Zhan's lips curled into a strange smile. There's going to be a good show at the Grand Commandant's mansion!
Shen Lixue did not rush to the living room to question the rescuer. Instead, she quietly came to the outside of the living room, opened the window a crack, and peeked inside. In the center of the living room, Grand Commandant Lei and Minister Zhuang were all smiles, drinking and chatting happily: "Grand Commandant Lei, I'd like to toast you!"
"It should be this Grand Commandant and Minister Jingzhuang who congratulates Weicheng on his promotion to Commander of the Imperial Guards..."
Minister Zhuang chuckled, his eyes slightly red, his face full of pride: "My son's promotion is all thanks to Grand Commandant Lei..." If Lin Yan had stayed obediently in Subei as his general, they and he would have kept to themselves. But he actually overestimated himself and came to the capital to seize the position of commander of the Imperial Guard, courting death!
Minister Zhuang's flattery was very practical, which made Grand Commandant Lei overjoyed. Even with his eyes half-closed from drinking, he still didn't forget to be modest: "It was Miss Zhuang who sacrificed herself to make Weicheng possible. This old man dares not take credit..."
Shen Lixue closed the window and quickly left; she already knew where Lin Yan was.
In the guest room, Zhuang Kexin was preparing to rest when the door was suddenly pushed open. Two servants helped a young man in, followed by Madam Zhuang and Zhuang Weicheng.
"What are you doing?" Zhuang Kexin asked in surprise, but stopped abruptly when she saw the young man's face clearly: "Lin Yan!"
"That's him!" The servant helped Lin Yan to Zhuang Kexin's bed and quickly left. Zhuang Weicheng stepped forward and punched the unconscious Lin Yan hard, his bloodshot eyes flashing with madness: "You actually dared to hurt me, dared to hurt me..."
From childhood to adulthood, he has always been the most outstanding among his peers, especially in archery. He can hit a target from a hundred paces away, and no one can match him. This hateful Lin Yan not only broke his archery skills, but also shot him and seriously injured him. How hateful!
Lin Yan was pale, his brows were furrowed, and he coughed a few times but did not wake up. A trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Zhuang Kexin glared at Zhuang Weicheng unhappily: "Brother, this is my room. If you kill him, we'll all be in trouble!"
"He got off too easy!" Zhuang Weicheng stopped, but unwilling to give up, he kicked Lin Yan hard again, causing Lin Yan's slender body to fall towards Zhuang Kexin.
The man's distinctive scent of sunshine and fresh grass wafted over, causing Zhuang Kexin's heart to race. She asked in a trembling voice, "Mother, brother, what are you trying to do?"
"Of course, I'm finding you a good husband!" Zhuang Weicheng replied casually.
Zhuang Kexin scoffed and bluntly exposed Zhuang Weicheng's lie: "You ruined Lin Yan's reputation just to seize the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard. You could have just picked any woman, why did you have to choose me? I'm your own sister!"
"It's precisely because you're my own sister that I'm letting you act in this play!" Zhuang Weicheng replied proudly, looking at Madam Zhuang.
Madam Zhuang understood, stepped forward, gently put her arm around Zhuang Kexin's shoulder, and sighed, "Kexin, the doctor diagnosed that your leg can't recover. I'm going to find you a good husband to take care of you for the rest of your life. Your father and I have carefully considered him. Lin Yan is of good character, and his martial arts and knowledge are excellent. He's definitely a good match for you. Lin Yan's parents are far away in Subei. If he marries you, he will settle in the capital, and you won't need to serve your in-laws..."
"Marrying me off like this will make me unable to hold my head up for the rest of my life, and you still say it's for my own good?" Zhuang Kexin looked at Madam Zhuang with mockery in her eyes. If you're going to side with your son, there's no need to ruin your daughter and son-in-law.
"Zhuang Kexin, look at yourself now, you're a cripple. How long can you hide your broken leg? In the whole capital, which young master would be willing to marry a cripple as his wife?" Madam Zhuang's words were too gentle and not very convincing. Zhuang Weicheng was very impatient and took matters into his own hands to persuade Zhuang Kexin.
"Even if a young master from a prestigious family takes a liking to you and marries you as his principal wife, with your current health, can you control your mother-in-law? Can you manage your husband's concubines and mistresses?"
Zhuang Kexin lowered her head and remained silent, her small hands clenched into fists. Even her mother-in-law from a prestigious family was difficult to serve; she was already struggling to take care of herself, so how could she possibly intimidate others?
“Lin Yan’s family is in Subei. He is all alone in the capital, with no connections or relatives. If you marry him, you won’t have to deal with your in-laws. With me and my parents watching over you, he would never dare to bully you!” Seeing that Zhuang Kexin’s attitude had softened, Zhuang Weicheng quickly pressed his advantage.
"I can marry him openly and legitimately, why must I do it this way?" Zhuang Kexin muttered to herself. Reputation is the most important thing for a girl, and she didn't want to destroy it with her own hands.
Zhuang Weicheng scoffed: "Lin Yan is handsome and skilled in martial arts. In addition, he is the grandson of the Duke of Wu. There are plenty of noble ladies in the capital who are eager to marry him. Do you think he would look at a cripple like you? Or do you think that men as outstanding as Lin Yan are everywhere and you can find them all over the place?"
Speaking of Lin Yan's martial arts skills, Zhuang Weicheng was furious. The injuries on his shoulder and arm were all thanks to Lin Yan. Because he wanted to frame Lin Yan, he couldn't leave him with too many serious injuries. Otherwise, he would have beaten Lin Yan half to death long ago.
Zhuang Kexin's beautiful face instantly darkened. She had been unwilling to believe it, but she had to admit that her legs were crippled. She could no longer run and jump like before and would have to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She hated it most when people mentioned the word "crippled" in front of her, but her own brother was so unrestrained and used the word "crippled" to mock his own sister every day.
"Even if you try every possible way to get him to marry you, you'll be marrying above your station. With your crippled body, if he takes a concubine or a bunch of mistresses, no one will say a word against him. But if you lose your virginity to him, he will ruin your innocence. You'll be marrying below your station. If he dares to disrespect you, everyone will condemn him..." Zhuang Weicheng analyzed the reasoning, patiently persuading him.
Zhuang Kexin lowered her head and remained silent, but her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. Her brother was right; that was indeed the case!
Seeing Zhuang Kexin's fluctuating expression, Madam Zhuang sighed again: "We are all your family, we would never harm you. There are plenty of good-for-nothing young men on the streets who ride horses and walk birds. You could just marry any good-for-nothing, and with your brother watching over you, they wouldn't dare to mistreat you. But we hope you marry an excellent man and live a better life..."