The male supporting character was actually myself.

Zhang Ziqiu gently covered his mouth with her slender hand, shook her head, and said in a tearful voice, "Please don't say anymore. Let's cherish this warm embrace after being separated for so long. I've waited for four years, looking forward to it every day. Please don't say those things that cause me so much pain. At least don't say them now. Don't disturb our passionate embrace."

Li Dongchen held her delicate body tightly, burying his face in her dark, shiny hair and greedily inhaling its faint fragrance.

That was the unique, elegant scent of perfume from Country F, making one's heart flutter with spring fever.

"Damn it! Li Dongchen, you scum!" Zhang Mingyuan, hiding in the bushes, saw this scene and punched a tree in anger.

Chapter Four: Hidden Stakes and Incense Burn

Sure enough, it was the two of them...

No! We absolutely cannot let them rekindle their old flame, otherwise what will happen to Li Jiangchen?!

Although the second young master of the Li family is usually hot-tempered and a bit reckless, how can a real man be indecisive and swayed by womanly sentimentality? Overall, he's a good person, especially devoted to his sister—he's incredibly loyal. If he knew…

Zhang Mingyuan was furious.

She hated her younger sister for being shameless, still having an affair with her future brother-in-law despite being Li Jiangchen's fiancée; she also hated Li Dongchen for being irresponsible, wondering if it would have been perfect if he had proposed the marriage back then.

One of them went across the ocean and left without a word, while the other accepted Li Jiangchen's marriage proposal without hesitation. Now they are embracing and kissing each other passionately. Have they never thought about what kind of harm they will bring to other people, the Li family, and the Zhang family?

"Ziqiu, my silly sister!" Zhang Mingyuan was so angry that he trembled and even wanted to step forward to interrupt their shameless rendezvous, but he hesitated after taking a step.

In this situation, my presence would only make the already difficult situation even harder to resolve.

Their practiced actions after such a long separation suggest that they had already...

What should I do? How can I face Li Jiangchen, who has been kept in the dark?

Zhang Mingyuan somehow managed to leave his own villa quietly. He sat on the ferry returning home, his head buzzing. When the second young master of the Li family came to propose marriage, he had privately asked his sister's opinion. If she was unwilling, she could have turned down the marriage at that time.

But she nodded shyly in agreement!

She even considered her sister and brother-in-law's future prospects, and despite the pressure of her parents' opposition, she gave up the promising future of her business and ran to the side of the second young master of the Li family to become his follower, doing everything herself.

Unexpectedly... she actually...

Zhang Mingyuan really didn't know how to explain this to the second young master.

Thinking about it carefully, it's true that Li Jiangchen, as the second son born out of wedlock, had a tough time. He was born without his mother's care and for many years carried the bad reputation of being a mother-killer and was disliked by the warlord. On top of that, there was the eldest legitimate son who always showed off and suppressed him. It's no wonder that the second son was always thinking about vying for favor and gain. He was already not favored, so if he didn't fight for it, wouldn't he have nothing and be bullied at will?

Despite all the struggles, he still has no power. Even his beloved fiancée, with whom he was betrothed through a traditional betrothal ceremony, has a past relationship with his own brother. The second young master's life is truly miserable!

After much deliberation, Zhang Mingyuan decided to put the matter aside for the time being.

At the very least, once I get home tonight, I'll ask my sister what she thinks. If she's willing to back down and stop marrying the second young master, then she'll completely sever ties with the eldest son. As for the debt she owes, I'll have to find another way to secretly compensate the second young master.

If the younger sister still can't forget the eldest brother, she can't make another mistake and let the second young master down. So she has to find a way to ruin this marriage, no matter what. Regardless of whether she can marry the eldest brother successfully, at the very least, she can't let the second young master marry a wife who still has feelings for her brother-in-law.

Otherwise, if everyone lives in the same compound in the future, wouldn't it cause a lot of trouble if we saw each other all the time?

Zhang Mingyuan, preoccupied with his thoughts, sent the letter back and then sat on the opposite bank of the river to continue his pursuit. Time passed slowly, but there was no movement from the villa for a long time.

As the sun began to set, after a heated exchange, Li Dongchen successfully learned from Zhang Ziqiu that during the four years he had been away, his younger brother hadn't changed much, still spending his days playing with cats and dogs and still not winning his father's favor.

He usually just coasted along in the army, and after four years he didn't gain any real power. He just used various excuses to ask for money to buy some novelties to please the woman he had slept with.

Upon hearing the news, Li Dongchen felt very relaxed.

Although I got a bit of a setback from that guy when I got back today, it's nothing serious. It's just that I haven't gotten used to the power struggles of being away from home for so many years and I don't think things through before acting.

Li Jiangchen wouldn't be so kind as to push the financial power into his hands, but what good ideas could that uneducated pig brain of his come up with? It was probably a bad idea given to him by his future brother-in-law Zhang Mingyuan. In that case, I'd like to see what kind of trouble they can cause!

When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it; we'll counter every move. How could a top student who has returned from studying abroad be no match for two mediocre cobblers?

"Dongchen, let's go and ask the old man to change the engagement!" Zhang Ziqiu, her eyes full of affection, hugged him from behind and said softly, "I don't want to marry Li Jiangchen! I really had no choice but to leave when you left back then. I'm too old to stay unmarried and be laughed at as an old maid."

When he proposed, I thought that marrying him would allow me to enter the Li family.

When you come back in the future, at least we'll still have a chance to meet. We're not married yet, so there's still time! Dongchen, for our free and passionate love, let's give it our all, okay?

Li Dongchen, who was fastening the button around his neck, was stunned upon hearing this.

An engagement that's already been arranged, and he's going to his father to break it off and then ask to marry her again? What a joke!

Not to mention that this would cause a public feud with the second son and be disliked and hated by his father, which is not worth it. Even if it is for the sake of marrying his beloved Ruan Xiangqin, he absolutely cannot marry this casual woman into the family!

Ha, Zhang Ziqiu, you undressed so soon after we met, and now that you're engaged, you're still so promiscuous. Who knows if you've had any uncontrollable encounters with other men during the four years I was away?

Besides, your fiancé is that bastard Li Jiangchen. With his ignorant and reckless nature, how can you two, who are so passionately in love, possibly behave yourselves?

Without ever having physical intimacy, how can you talk about him with such a tone of voice, as if you know him so well?

She felt disdain, but at this moment she still had a great use for him—she needed an inside man to bring down her younger brother, and Zhang Ziqiu was the most suitable candidate. Even if there were some things she didn't know, her older brother Zhang Mingyuan, who was by Li Jiangchen's side, would definitely know. It would be easier to find out by asking her.

Therefore, Li Dongchen replied vaguely, "Not now. I've been away from home for several years and just returned, so it's inevitable that I'm not so close to my father. Li Jiangchen is riding high right now, so I need to wait a while before I can find an opportunity to bring this up with my father."

"Then...please don't delay too long, I have to get married in two more months!" Zhang Ziqiu felt both relieved and worried, and hugged him even tighter.

She was glad that her sweetheart had returned before the wedding; although it was difficult, there was still a glimmer of hope for the marriage.

The worry stems from the fact that her beloved has been away for many years and she feels isolated and helpless. Her own wise and brave older brother is determined to stay by Li Jiangchen's side and work together with him. What if Dongchen can't defeat Li Jiangchen?

"Alright, I've been out for quite a while and I need to hurry to the bank. If I delay any longer, Li Jiangchen will find something to complain about me again." Li Dongchen patted her hand gently and said, "I'm not leaving again now that I'm back. We have plenty of time to meet, there's no rush."

Zhang Ziqiu pressed her face against his back and rubbed against him again and again, reluctantly letting go and saying considerately, "You don't have anyone capable by your side. In the future... come see me often, and I will get information about Li Jiangchen from my brother and give it to you. As long as we defeat him, we can be together legitimately!"

Li Dongchen was still thinking of finding an opportunity to probe her and find out about Li Jiangchen, but he didn't expect her to bring it up on her own initiative.

He turned and hugged Zhang Ziqiu tenderly, saying, "Aqiu, you are so understanding! Just one thing, when you ask your brother for information, be careful not to let him find out anything."

"Don't worry, my brother won't take it to heart. He often brings up Li Jiangchen's affairs with me, probably because he thinks I want to know more since we're engaged. That way, I'll keep an eye out for you in the future! You, you remember to keep in touch, and we can meet up often..." Zhang Ziqiu nestled her head shyly into her lover's arms.

She was delighted that her beloved understood her and agreed to Li Jiangchen's marriage proposal, and was even willing to work hard so that the two of them could stay together forever.

That way, she could rest assured. Her brother was Li Jiangchen's most trusted right-hand man. As long as she could find an opportunity to bring down Li Jiangchen, who was engaged to her, she could change the engagement and marry the person she loved, and live a happy life in peace and contentment!

While the two were still reluctantly parting, the manager of the money exchange, who had been bribed by Jiang Chen, was already urging the head manager to come to the mansion to find someone.

"The young master didn't go to the money exchange?" The butler frowned upon hearing this.

The two young masters of the Marshal's mansion have been fierce rivals since childhood. Now that the eldest young master has returned from studying abroad, he is favored by the Marshal, who even wants to entrust him with the management of the finances. The second young master, who is clueless and reckless, is bound to be like a black-eyed chicken waiting to cause trouble.

He patted his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache. Such a good opportunity, and the eldest young master was still not up to par. It was already past mid-afternoon and he hadn't shown up at all. If the second young master had something on him, that would be terrible.

"The commander has just finished his afternoon nap, so... why don't you wait a little longer?" The steward really didn't want to blow things out of proportion, otherwise the manor would be in chaos again.

The head manager of the bank was a withered old man in his fifties. He pushed up his small round glasses and looked sharp and serious. "Is the eldest young master at home? The commander sent someone to tell me that the eldest young master was in charge of the bank's affairs and that he would arrive after lunch. But now the sun is already setting and there is still no sign of him. If this delays the important affairs of the bank, I cannot bear the responsibility."

A large pot was thrown at him, and the butler choked immediately.

At the same time, he was also a little worried. Not long after lunch, the young master slipped out through the back door and hadn't come back or gone to the bank. Could he have been kidnapped by bad guys?

Although Yucheng is the commander's territory, the army's morale has been low and the world has been in chaos in the past two years. There's no guarantee that some fools won't try to pull off a big heist. In addition, the second young master is eyeing the situation covetously. He's the kind of guy who will do anything if he gets carried away. If he wants to give the eldest young master a hard time, he might just have someone tie him up!

"Then please come with me to see the commander-in-chief." The steward became more and more worried, fearing that something might have happened to the young master since he hadn't been seen for so long, and hurriedly invited the head steward into the mansion.

Li Tianxing was beaming with delight as he looked at the pair of jade ruyi scepters on the table, while two elegantly dressed concubines behind him massaged his shoulders and back; Jiang Chen, dressed in a standard military uniform and looking dashing, stood to the side with a faint smile on his face.

The debt collection show that I had tailored for the protagonist Li Dongchen according to the script had to be staged tonight, so I spent a lot of money to bribe the manager of the bank to make sure that the young master went to the Ruan family's Qinya Manor to collect the debt today.

However, after secretly slipping out the back door, Li Dongchen didn't go to the money exchange at all. He had previously received a report from Zhang Mingyuan that he was loitering around the Qiushui River. Jiang Chen guessed that the guy was probably trying to seduce his ex-lover Zhang Ziqiu. It would be best if he could contact her and let Zhang Mingyuan see him; even if he couldn't, the fact that he wasted time not going to the money exchange would only make his plan progress more smoothly.

Therefore, he speculated on the timing. The manager was stirring up trouble with the head manager of the bank. Given the head manager's meticulous and cautious attitude, he was very likely to come to the marshal's mansion to find someone. He only needed to slightly change his strategy and add fuel to the fire!

So Jiang Chen took a pair of fine jade ruyi from the original owner's savings and sent them to the old man.

"You little rascal, you've learned to make your old man happy, always coming up with all these fancy things!" Li Tianxing said angrily, but his smile deepened as he waved his hand, indicating, "Put them away, they are, after all, a token of my affection."

Jiang Chen smiled with a smug expression, "I knew you would like these jade ruyi scepters at first glance, so I bought them at a high price and sent them over by fast horse. What do you think of my taste now?"

Faced with his youngest son's open and eager attempt to curry favor, Li Tianxing looked at him with a rare expression of affection and nodded. "Don't let your father's rough appearance fool you; I have a fondness for beautiful and elegant jade pieces. I really like this pair of ruyi scepters you gave me. Now, tell me, what reward do you want?"

"Look at what you're saying. Your son just wants to do his filial duty. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. There's no need for any reward."

"Oh? Did the sun rise in the west today?" Li Tianxing put down his teacup, glanced out the window, and looked at him incredulously. "My silly little son has become quite the smooth talker. Tsk tsk, that's quite a surprise! Since it cost a fortune to buy, your father will naturally give you a proper reward for your filial piety..."

Before he could finish speaking, the steward led the head manager of the money exchange in, looking nervous and hurried in.

"Dongchen hasn't returned since he left? Nor has he gone to the bank?" Li Tianxing's expression immediately turned serious after hearing the two reports. "When did he leave? Did he have anyone with him?"

The steward hurriedly replied, "The people at the back gate said they saw the young master leave shortly after lunch, around two o'clock. He was alone when he left, without any servants. I went to the young master's courtyard to ask, and when the steward asked him where he was going, he only said he was going for a walk and didn't let anyone follow him."

"Damn it!" Jiang Chen slammed his right fist into his palm and shouted, "Big brother is too careless about safety! I've gone to suppress the bandits outside the city twice recently. He, the young master of the Marshal's Mansion, goes out without even a servant. What if he runs into some villains with ulterior motives? That would be troublesome!"

Li Tianxing also became nervous upon hearing this.

The butler stole a glance at the second young master. He was naturally not a concern; it was a miracle he didn't kidnap or extort others. The eldest young master, however, was a different story. He was a pampered scholar, completely incapable of fighting. What if…

He thought to himself, "You'd better keep your voice down and stop shouting. If something really happens to the young master, you'll be the prime suspect!"

Even if we pin it on Hu Zi now, the commander won't easily believe it. Hopefully, it really wasn't you, otherwise you'll definitely be in for a rough time.

The butler immediately thought of another possibility—if the second young master were ruthless and ordered the eldest young master to be killed and his body dumped in the wilderness, then there would be no way to prove anything, and the commander-in-chief would only have him as his sole heir. The commander-in-chief's mansion might really fall into the hands of the second young master.

"What are you all standing there for? Quickly send someone to look for them!" Li Tianxing also subconsciously glanced at his youngest son.

Over the years, the two brothers have been fighting each other openly and secretly, and they have done a lot of outrageous things. He was worried that one of them would kill him, and if he was left with only one son, would he be able to bring himself to kill him too?

Therefore, they secretly sent many people to keep an eye on them. The reason for sending the eldest son abroad was to protect the two sons. Who would have thought that after a few years of laxity, something would happen as soon as the eldest son returned!

"Give the order: put the entire city on high alert and mobilize all the elites of the Li family army. We must find my brother's whereabouts! Anyone who dares to touch a hair on my brother's head, I, Li Yexiao, will exterminate their entire clan!" Jiang Chen joined in the commotion with full confidence. He wanted to add fuel to the fire and make the situation as big as possible!

Even if the morale of the troops was low, they were still an army that had fought in battles. When the commander-in-chief gave the order, the elite troops were mobilized and the whole city became tense.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, many people in the inner city knew that the eldest young master of the Li family had disappeared!

This was a major event in Yucheng. In no time, the news spread like wildfire throughout the city, and various rumors began to spread more and more intensely under Jiang Chen's hints and indulgence.

Chapter Five: What do you know? This is called love!

"The eldest son of the Li family has just returned from studying abroad. He is truly a refined and handsome man, it's such a pity!"

"Who says otherwise! The second son of the Li family is ruthless enough to not even spare his own brother."

"Sigh, there are even cases of poor families where two sons fight to the death over a dilapidated house, let alone the Marshal's Mansion? If someone inherits it, it's a mountain of gold and silver. Who wouldn't be envious?"

"No matter what, the eldest son is the legitimate heir and must be the successor to the Grand Marshal. This is a rule left by our ancestors."

"So for the second son, the eldest son must die! The Marshal's Mansion only has one son left, who cares whether he is born of the legitimate wife or a concubine?"

"That's not quite right. I think the Marshal's Mansion is different from ordinary families. It can't be judged solely on whether the son is legitimate or illegitimate; it has to be based on individual ability and competence! Although the second son's reputation isn't great, he's still better than a mere scholar, isn't he?"

"As the saying goes, a kind heart cannot lead an army, and a righteous heart cannot manage finances. The second son is indeed more suitable to lead troops than the eldest son."