I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Su Yuling's hand was clenched tightly.

She didn't look at Lu Yuan or Shen Hanqiu, but stared at the ground as if she had bitten her teeth and swallowed them.

Han family!

Su Yuling squeezed out two words, her voice heavy.

"My fifth brother died in battle in the southwest. Before his body could be transported to the capital, Han Gou from the Han family came to propose marriage."

When she looked up, her eyes were full of resentment.

"The Han family and Han Zheng, the Minister of War, are from the same family, but they are not considered a prominent family in the capital."

"But after my fifth brother passed away, the Earl's mansion changed. My grandfather was getting old, and there were no other male members in the family to support the noble family."

"Those who once addressed each other as brothers in the imperial court now avoid each other."

Shen Hanqiu lowered his head and remained silent, his fingers twirling around on his sleeve until they turned blue.

Upon hearing this, a face appeared in Lu Yuan's mind.

He has a round, chubby face, small eyes, a perpetually red nose, and his face is full of fat when he smiles.

Han Gou.

He knows this person.

We used to go to brothels together quite often.

That kid gets boastful when he's drunk, bragging about how his father is in the imperial court and how he'll become a great general someday.

He couldn't even ride a horse properly; once he fell off and knocked out two of his front teeth.

Is something like this even worth Shen Hanqiu's concern?

Lu Yuan glanced at Shen Hanqiu.

This girl was pretty and clean-cut, but she married someone like Han Gou. It's like throwing an orchid into a dung heap.

Lu Yuan asked, "What is Lord Shen's attitude?"

Su Yuling sneered.

What kind of attitude is that? They can't wait to marry their daughter off so they can climb the social ladder by marrying into the Han family.

Shen Hanqiu's shoulders twitched, and his mouth moved, but no sound came out.

Su Tan slammed his cane to the ground, causing the teacups on the coffee table to bounce.

Cold Autumn, you should stay at the Earl's residence and not go anywhere else.

The old man's voice was loud, and he was quite robust. He said, "I'd like to see who's bold enough to dare to pressure you!" If the Han family isn't afraid of death, then come on over! My knife isn't even rusty yet!

Shen Hanqiu raised her head, her eyes red, and bowed to Su Tanfu.

"I appreciate Grandpa's kindness."

She spoke in a very soft voice, with a slightly nasal tone.

"But the Han family is not easy to deal with. Han Zheng is in charge of the Ministry of War. If he takes his anger out on the Earl's Mansion, then the Su family will be even less able to withstand any storms."

After saying that, Su Tan's expression turned very unpleasant.

He opened his mouth to retort, but the words got stuck in his throat.

The Su family can no longer withstand the storms.

The Earl's mansion, which was bought with the lives of nine people, no longer holds the prestige of a third-rank marquis among the powerful and influential in the capital.

Shen Hanqiu turned to leave.

"Leave this to me."

Lu Yuan's voice came from the door frame.

All eyes were on him.

Su Tan frowned, Su Yuling pursed her lips, and Shen Hanqiu looked completely bewildered.

Lu Yuan sat up from the door frame and clapped his hands.

"Leave the Han family's affairs to me. I guarantee he will never bother Miss Shen again."

The scene fell silent immediately.

Su Tan held his teacup without moving. Zhao and Li exchanged a glance, and Su Yuling's lips curled down slightly.

Shen Hanqiu took a deep breath and then said softly, "I am very grateful for Your Highness's kindness. But this matter cannot be resolved by fighting..."

What she meant was that he was a prince who had neither power nor status.

How can you contend with the family of the Minister of War?

Su Tan put down her cup, looked at Lu Yuan, and seemed to want to say something but didn't.

Finally, he said, "I thank Your Highness for your kindness on behalf of Han Qiu. However, the affairs of the Han family are very complicated and cannot be resolved in a day or two."

Even Su Yuling didn't speak up.

She lowered her eyelids, her fingers unconsciously touching a scar on her wrist, not feeling that Lu Yuan was capable of doing this.

Lu Yuan stood there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He had frightened the emperor in the Qian Yuan Hall, but now that it was his wife's turn, no one believed him.

Fine.

He didn't explain much, he just grinned at Shen Hanqiu.

"Don't worry, Miss Shen, I know what I'm doing."

Shen Hanqiu didn't reply, but bowed to Su Tan again before heading out.

Su Tan tried to stop him but failed, so he simply ordered Su Fu to prepare a clean room in the backyard. He also said that the old hen was already stewing and the osmanthus wine had been opened, and no one was allowed to leave.

These words were spoken to Shen Hanqiu, and also to Lu Yuan.

The dining table was set up in the back hall.

The so-called back hall was really just a long table made of a few planks of wood, most of the paint on the tabletop had peeled off. The food, however, was quite substantial: a stewed hen, two plates of green vegetables, a plate of braised beef, and a pot of osmanthus wine.

Su Tan sat in the main seat, Lu Yuan was arranged to his right, Su Yuling sat opposite him, and Shen Hanqiu sat next to Su Yuling.

Zhao and Li busied themselves serving rice and dishes, and once they were done, they stood aside, refusing to sit at the table.

Su Tan picked up his wine bowl and glanced at Lu Yuan.

"Your Highness, I am not good with words. I will remember what you said on behalf of Yu Ling today. This bowl of wine is for you."

Lu Yuan picked up his bowl, clinked it against his, and downed it in one gulp.

The osmanthus wine is sweet when you drink it, with a mild aftereffect, but it warms your stomach.

Su Tan downed his bowl in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and was about to pour himself a second bowl.

Lu Yuan held down the wine jar, filled the old man's cup, and poured himself a bowl as well.

After finishing two bowls, Su Tan became more talkative.

"Your Highness, you said you don't want to compete for that position?"

"In no mood."

Lu Yuan, munching on a chicken leg, mumbled, "Being an emperor is exhausting, like a donkey working from dawn till dusk, and you still have to watch out for your son stabbing you in the back. What's the point?"

Su Tan stared at him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly reached out and slammed his hand on the table.

"Well said!"

The old man's tongue was already quite large, and his face was flushed.

"I have seen three emperors in my life, and none of them were comfortable."

"When your father was conquering the world, he didn't sleep for three days and three nights, and his armor was full of lice. And after he sat on the dragon throne? He was even more exhausted."

"He was reviewing memorials until late at night every day, and he was constantly arguing with his ministers."

Su Tan reached out and put his arm around Lu Yuan's shoulder. His arm was so thick that it tilted Lu Yuan to one side.

"Little Jiu, I'm on the same wavelength as you!"

Lu Yuan didn't struggle even though he was being held, and he picked up his wine bowl and touched it to Su Tan's bowl.

"My lord, since we get along so well, don't call me Ninth Prince, just call me brother!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuling became extremely anxious, nearly dropping her chopsticks.

"They're from different generations!"

Lu Yuan looked at her with an innocent expression.

"What's wrong with the generational difference? I get along well with the Earl, so what's wrong with calling him 'elder brother'?"

Su Yuling opened her mouth to retort, but Lu Yuan had already turned to look at Su Tan with a smile on his face.

"Lord, I'll call you elder brother, and you can call me grandson-in-law. Let's address each other separately and not interfere with each other's relationship."

Su Tan was under the influence of alcohol, and it took him a couple of breaths to come to his senses.

"Haha, no...no problem!"

As he spoke, Su Tan downed another bowl of wine.

Then he patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder and began to tell him about his wartime experiences when he was young.

As he talked, he started bragging, saying that he had single-handedly chopped off the heads of countless enemy soldiers back in the day.

Lu Yuan listened and nodded, occasionally interjecting with "Big Brother is awesome!" which made Su Tan beam with joy.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Su Fu ran in from the courtyard gate, panting heavily, and even lost one of his shoes.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

Su Tan's wine bowl stopped at his lips.

"What's the panic?"

Su Fu bent over and gasped for breath, his face deathly pale.

"The manor... the gates are surrounded! There are more than a dozen people, the leader says he's the young master of the Han family, and... and Lord Shen too!"