When everyone saw that Yuan Shang came with ill intentions, the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "I came to the Zhen family for something, but I ran into Master Xianfu. Is it a coincidence or did he come here specially?"
The two people who were still calling each other brothers the day before were now calling each other so distant. Both sides had lost patience with this matter and didn't want to pretend anymore.
Yuan Shang laughed and said, "Of course I came here specially."
After hearing this, Yuan Xi pretended to be surprised and said, "I didn't expect that Master Xianfu would be so concerned about my marriage. I am really touched."
Yuan Shang's face turned cold, and he said, "Master Xianyi is still a member of my Yuan family. I am afraid that you will suffer losses and be deceived by the Zhen family, so I came here to remind you."
Yuan Xi was surprised and asked, "Oh?"
"I don't know what the Zhen family lied to me about?"
Yuan Shang looked around at everyone and lowered his voice and said, "Why don't we find a place where I can talk to Master Xianyi in detail."
After hearing this, Yuan Xi said decisively: "No need. The Yuan family does things openly and honestly. Is there anything that cannot be said in front of others?"
Yuan Shang's face froze. He thought to himself that he had found Yuan Xi's weak spot. Yuan Xi would surely surrender after seeing this, and he would be able to control Youzhou in the future!
Now it seems that Yuan Xi doesn't even want to talk to me!
Yuan Shang sneered. Yuan Xi didn't know what trump card he held!
Zhen Mi hid behind the window, listening to the sounds coming from the yard, and beads of sweat seeped out of the palms of her hands.
Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang are at loggerheads with each other, and they will definitely not give up easily this time!
Thinking about how her marriage was ruined several times by Yuan Shang, Zhen Mi was so angry that she wanted to climb up the small building and throw a stone to smash Yuan Shang's head.
Seeing Yuan Xi's reckless look, Yuan Shang made up his mind, took a step sideways, pulled the middle-aged man behind him, and said to Zhang: "Madam, do you recognize this man?"
How could Zhang not recognize him? She said, "This is my distant relative from Wuji County. In terms of seniority, he is my nephew."
The Zhongshan Zhen family is descended from Zhen Han, the Grand Tutor of the Han Dynasty. They have been officials of the rank of 2,000 stone for generations. Today, the most prominent line is Zhen Yi. His original wife, Zhang, had three sons and five daughters.
But later, Zhen Yi's two sons died young, leaving only Zhen Yao and several young children as male descendants of the Zhen family.
On the contrary, in Zhen's hometown Wuji, there are some descendants of the side branches, but their family conditions are far inferior to Zhen Yi's branch, so they often need support, and the two sides are peaceful.
The middle-aged man in front of him is also a descendant of one of the Zhen family, and his name is Zhen Fang.
Zhen Fang had been helped by Zhang before, so when he saw Zhang, he subconsciously took two steps forward and bowed, "Greetings, Madam."
Just as Zhang was about to speak, Yuan Shang said, "Zhen Fang, your etiquette is wrong. Madam Zhang should bow to you now."
Zhang asked in confusion, "Why?"
Yuan Shang was very proud, "Because the position of the hereditary official of the Zhen family has been vacant for a long time, I think Zhen Fang is good, so I submitted a petition to the Han court to recommend him to inherit this position."
When these words came out, Zhang's face turned pale and she said, "Let Master Xianfu know. This should belong to my son Zhenyao in the future."
Yuan Shang shook his head and said, "No, all these positions should be held by people with virtue. Besides, Zhen Yao is just a descendant of the Zhen family. It doesn't make sense that he should be the one to hold the position."
Zhang was furious and asked, "Does Master Xianfu really not want the Zhen family and the Yuan family to marry?"
Yuan Shang laughed and said, "No, I just recommended Zhen Fang because I think he is a capable person."
After hearing this, Zhen Fang immediately smiled and said, "Thank you very much for your kindness, sir. I will definitely work like a slave to repay you in the future."
Zhang cursed inwardly. She knew Zhen Fang's background. The family he belonged to had long been in poverty. He had never even read a few books and usually made a living by fooling around. If it weren't for the support from the Zhen family, he would have starved to death countless times.
Yuan Xi had been watching Yuan Shang's performance and said, "It's not impossible for Youzhou to get a mere 2,000-stone official position."
"If Master Xianfu thinks that the Zhen family cares about this official position, does that mean he is looking down on the Zhen family?"
Zhang said, "Master Xianyi is right."
She is now on the same boat with Yuan Xi, and there is no way she can change her mind even if Yuan Shang is so aggressive.
Yuan Shang became more and more proud. "The official position of 2,000 stones is indeed nothing, but for the Zhen family's hereditary position, it has a special meaning."
"Now that Zhen Fang has inherited the position, and with the recommendation of the Jizhou nobles, he is the head of the Zhen family!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was in an uproar.
Yuan Shang is such a sinister man. By recommending Zhen Fang to be the head of the Zhen family, he can legitimately intervene in the affairs of the Zhen family!
The head of the family is the patriarch of the clan and has the power to make decisions on all matters big and small in the clan!
Seeing Yuan Shangzhen's smug look, Zhang gritted her teeth and said, "Even if he is the head of the family, he cannot interfere with the marriage of my branch without a legitimate reason!"
Yuan Shang laughed: "Of course there is a legitimate reason!"
"The girl from the Zhen family is not virtuous!"
"Many people in Ye City have witnessed her flirting with strange men. This can be said to be a disgrace to the family!"
He turned to Yuan Xi, "Master Xianyi, how is it?"
"Anything else you want to say?"
He thought that the one who was pulling with Zhen Mi must be Yuan Xi. If he admitted it, it would be equivalent to damaging his own reputation!
However, the situation that Yuan Shang had expected, that Yuan Xi would surrender, did not occur.
On the contrary, Yuan Xi showed a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth and said, "That's it?"
Yuan Shang had a bad feeling in his heart and hurriedly said, "Master Xianyi, don't forget that it is not allowed for a girl from the Zhen family to meet with a man before marriage, even if he is her future husband!"
"This is against etiquette. Even if Master Xianyi can accept it, my Yuan family cannot accept it!"
Yuan Xi said coldly: "Xianfu, the envoy didn't say so. Can you make the decision for him?"
"The master of the family is the envoy, not you!"
Yuan Shang did not expect Yuan Xi to be so tough, and he said angrily: "Although I am not the head of the Yuan family, Zhen Fang is the head of the Zhen family!"
"He can decide the affairs of the Zhen family!"
After hearing this, Zhen Fang said quickly, "I will obey your orders, sir."
Zhang shouted from the side, "Zhen Fang, how have you survived all these years with the help of the Zhen family? Don't you know it?"
"Why else would you still be standing here?"
Zhen Fang shrank back in fear. Yuan Shang snorted coldly. Zhen Fang then regained his composure and shouted, "I am the head of the family now. I have the final say!"
"As long as it's the marriage of the Zhen family, I can take care of it!"
The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
When Yuan Shang saw the complicated expressions on Yuan Xi and Zhang's faces, he suddenly felt nervous. Did he miss something?
What went wrong?
Impossible!
Zhang said slowly, "My daughter is no longer a member of the Zhen family."
Yuan Shang was startled and blurted out, "Did you get married secretly?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
He suddenly seemed to have figured something out, and laughed, "I understand, Xianyi, you have married the girl from the Zhen family ahead of time without telling your father!"
"But you are wrong. You were adopted yesterday, so he must have been married before!"
"At that time, my father was still your father. Without your parents' permission, your marriage is against etiquette and is completely invalid!"
"I will tell my father about your situation and let him administer justice!"
After hearing this, Yuan Xi said calmly, "Who said I got married secretly?"
"I came here today to discuss the matter of marriage."
"But not the Zhen girl."
When these words were spoken, Yuan Shang was stunned, and all the people who were unaware of the situation were also stunned.
Yuan Shang asked in a hoarse voice: "What do you mean?"
Zhang said, "Let Master Xianfu know that the bride that Master Xianyi is going to marry was indeed a daughter of my Zhen family."
"But just as Master Xianfu said, this girl brought disgrace to our Zhen family, so she was expelled long ago."
Yuan Shang:? ? ?
He slowly came to his senses and his face turned pale.
A heroic act?
So cruel?
So what?
He said in disbelief: "How is it possible!"
"I've never heard of such a thing!"
"That's ridiculous!"
Zhang took out a piece of silk book from her sleeve, which stated the whole story, as well as the signatures of the parties involved and notarized by several nobles.
Yuan Shang looked at the string of names carefully and thought to himself, what a weird thing! There was even Yuan Tan's signature among them!
That's right, how could big brother give up this opportunity to attack me!
The key point is that I did this, but in the end Yuan Xi outwitted me. If the news that even this plan failed gets out, I will lose all my face!
But Yuan Shang really didn't understand, he didn't comprehend!
He said to Zhang: "The Zhen family is a great family of scholars, don't they want a good reputation?"
"Why not leave a way out?
Zhang sighed and said, "I can't bear it either, but you are so aggressive."
The meaning of her words was very clear. Yuan Shang was a ruthless person and in the end everyone was forced to fall out.
Yuan Shang turned to Yuan Xi and asked, "What about you? Are you going to meet a woman who was kicked out of the family?"
"You don't want fame anymore?"
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "For some people in the Yuan family, reputation is indeed very important."
"But what does it mean to me?"
"Of course I have to do what I promised."
Zhen Mi was in mixed feelings behind the window. When she heard the conversation between Yuan Xi and Zhang, she simply couldn't accept it.
But when Yuan Xi told her the worst outcome, Zhang was the first to waver. If what Yuan Xi said was true, not only would the Zhen family be completely ruined, but Zhen Mi would also not have a good ending.
Now it seems that Yuan Xi had predicted everything!
Yuan Shang still did not give up and said to Zhen Fang: "Yes, there is also the Zhen family's property!"
"You are the clan leader, you can dispose of the Zhen family's property!"
"If you are."
Zhang said, "The Zhen family is just an empty shell now."
"Some time ago, the Zhen family encountered an accident while transporting Master Xianyi's property, and all of it was lost. The Zhen family has sold all of their property to compensate for the loss."
She saw very clearly that she could not protect the Zhen family's property, so she might as well go with the flow and do a favor.
Yuan Shang couldn't help but take a few steps back, his head buzzing.
Why can you do it so thoroughly?
Yuan Xi thought to himself that this was the difference between having been on the battlefield and not having been on the battlefield.
People like Yuan Shang, who stays in Yecheng and engages in petty calculations, will never understand the truth unless they fight a few battles.
If you are going to do something, you have to do it to the end. How can you hold back when facing an enemy who is fighting for your life?
Yuan Shang said to Yuan Xi in a hoarse voice: "You want to marry an orphan girl who was kicked out of her family and has no one to take her in?"
Yuan Xi touched his head and said, "Not really."
"Bian Rang's widow, Lady Huan, felt sorry for the girl from the Zhen family and took her in as her adopted daughter."
"From now on, my marriage has nothing to do with the Zhen family. It is a matter with the Bian family."
"Brother Zhen Fang, the head of the family, is a little late."
Yuan Shang was completely stunned.
Yuan Xi thought to himself, if I hadn't expected that a bastard like you would mess things up, why would I have gone through so much trouble and gone through so much trouble.