******
Chen Qian went to Liushang Pavilion early this morning to wait for An Yuanliang.
He sent a servant to wait in front of An Yuanliang's yamen early in the morning, so that as soon as An Yuanliang left the yamen, he could be invited here immediately.
The rumors had been circulating for several days, and although he had secretly sent people to inquire, he hadn't heard anything from them and was starting to get anxious. He wanted to get some more information from An Yuanliang.
Fortunately, this straightforward Marquis of Nan'an was able to win over An Jiu Niang.
He still remembers clearly how angry he was when he heard the Marquis of Nan'an casually mention that he wanted to marry An Jiu to the eldest son of the Marquis of Dingbei. His face turned pale with anger.
An Yuanliang was already quite drunk at that time, so he didn't notice anything unusual about him.
Chen Qian calmly tossed the crushed wine glass under the table, still managing to act as if nothing had happened, and continued to try and get information out of An Yuanliang.
During his months in the capital, Chen Qian had gained some knowledge of the prominent families there. He knew about the second young master of the Fang family; Fang Yu, the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Dingbei whom he had entrusted to him last time, was Fang Ting's younger brother. Although he was an illegitimate son, he had passed the imperial examinations twice and also became a probationary official, which was a widely praised story.
The ninth daughter of the An family is charming and beautiful, with stunning looks, and is deeply loved by the elders of the family and her elder sister, the wife of the heir of the Prince's Mansion.
This couple is a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
Chen Qian felt that jealousy was burning his eyes red.
Chen Qian originally thought that An Jiu was still young and a concubine's daughter, so her family wouldn't care too much about her marriage. He could slowly get closer to the Marquis of Nan'an, and in time, whether through bribery or by making him pay a hefty price, he would eventually find a way to marry An Jiu.
But before he could even unleash his power, An Jiu was to be betrothed to someone else!
In his haste, he couldn't think of a better way to persuade the Marquis of Nan'an to change his mind. He was merely a low-ranking merchant, and even though Fang Ting wasn't a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations twice, he was still at a great disadvantage in terms of social status.
But from the moment he first saw An Jiu, he knew that this person was his.
He was determined to have her, even if it meant ruining her—a sinister glint flashed in Chen Qian's eyes; he was willing to do anything.
Therefore, he tried every means to spread the rumors to the Dingbei Marquis's Mansion and the Qingxiang Marquis's Mansion. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, he also hoped that the two or three families who were at odds with the Nan'an Marquis's Mansion would secretly spread the rumors as well.
Those self-proclaimed scholars of the Hanlin Academy, who considered themselves to be of the purest character, valued their reputation most.
An Jiu had an affair with her brother-in-law, or perhaps she was just being prepared to be sent as a concubine. Marrying such a wife would probably be a stain that would be attacked by others!
Fang Ting earned his place through sheer hard work and dedication; it wasn't easy for him. Would he risk his future for An Jiu's sake?
He still remembered that time at the Qingxiang Marquis's residence, the way Fang Ting looked at An Jiu with infatuation... Even if Fang Ting was bewitched by An Jiu's beauty, his family probably wouldn't have agreed!
"Nephew Chen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" An Yuanliang's voice rang out behind him.
Chen Qian quickly concealed the sinister and fierce look on his face, replacing it with a gentle and humble smile. He stood up and bowed, saying, "My Lordship."
The food and drinks were already prepared. Chen Qian simply talked about business, using this to lure An Yuanliang into the trap, without mentioning anything related to Tong Anran.
"For this business, as long as Your Excellency helps to smooth things over, I'll just get a share of the profits." Chen Qian adopted the humble demeanor of a junior, respectfully saying, "This is just a trial run; there will be many more deals like this in the future. I'll have to trouble Your Excellency a lot more!"
As he spoke, Chen Qian held up his finger and gestured a number, which made An Yuanliang's heart flutter.
For An Yuanliang, Chen Qian's request was nothing more than a matter of him asking, and he readily agreed.
This was something Chen Qian had deliberately offered him as a reward, so the conversation naturally went very smoothly. Just as the wine was flowing freely and the atmosphere was warm and convivial, Chen Qian feigned concern and asked, "When you came in just now, Your Excellency, I noticed a troubled look on your face. May I ask what troubles you? Is there anything I can do to help?"
An Yuanliang was slightly drunk, and he shook his head. "What's been going on lately? It's been all good news!"
Chen Qian naturally didn't notice anything amiss, but since he wanted to find out about An Jiu, he couldn't ask her directly. He could only try to get An Yuanliang to tell him himself.
Therefore, he still insisted that An Yuanliang should tell him what was bothering him.
An Yuanliang was already quite drunk, but Chen Qian kept pressing him for answers, and he wondered if he had really shown any displeasure.
"There is one thing," An Yuanliang suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He put down his wine glass and smiled, "but it's already been resolved!"
Chen Qian's heart was in his throat. He was a little excited. Could it be that the engagement with the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion had been called off?
“Isn’t my Ninth Sister engaged to the young master of the Marquis of Dingbei’s mansion?” An Yuanliang said, “There have been some bad rumors circulating these past few days, and I was worried that the marriage might fall through.”
Upon hearing his words, Chen Qian's previous joy vanished by more than half. Could there be a twist in the story?
"Not only did the Marquis of Dingbei's family not break off the engagement, but they also sent gifts to reassure us." An Yuanliang had drunk too much and started talking freely. "They said they wouldn't pay attention to those baseless rumors. In just a few days, our two families will officially finalize the marriage."
With a "crack," the thin, white porcelain wine cup that Chen Qian was holding was crushed by his hand.
An Yuanliang didn't see clearly, but seeing that Chen Qian hadn't spoken for a long time and hearing the sound of something breaking, he couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Nephew Chen?"
"I accidentally broke the wine glass just now." Chen Qian casually tossed the wine glass aside, forcing a smile. "In that case, congratulations, Marquis. On the day of your esteemed ninth daughter's wedding, I will certainly be honored to have a share of the celebratory wine."
An Yuanliang didn't detect the coldness in his tone and agreed with a smile. "I'm afraid you might not be able to make it. Jiu Niang is still young, and the marriage will probably have to wait for a while."
Chen Qian smiled and echoed twice.
After that, he relentlessly tried to get An Yuanliang drunk, hoping to extract more information from him. However, An Yuanliang, his father, was quite unreliable and didn't know much either. So Chen Qian simply got An Yuanliang drunk and had him sent back to the Marquis's residence.
I was too careless!
Chen Qian's gaze was icy and fierce, as if it were poisoned.
He shouldn't have been so soft-hearted; he just spread such a harmless rumor... In doing so, he gave Fang Ting an opportunity to show off in front of An Jiu.
Just thinking about how devoted An Jiu would be to Fang Ting from then on, and how An Jiu and Fang Ting would live in harmony and have children together, made Chen Qian furious.
He absolutely will not allow such a thing to happen!
Chen Qian mounted his horse, his face terribly grim.