The male supporting character was actually myself.

"We ordinary people just want to live a peaceful and stable life. Li Yexiao has a bad reputation, but he is tough and has guts. Didn't he kill all the bandits a couple of months ago? Only when someone like him leads the army and holds power can we, the people of Yucheng, live a stable life."

"That makes sense. I see that the eldest brother is a weak and bookish fellow. He's good at writing and reciting poetry, but leading troops? Ha! Putting aside whether those military officers would be convinced, could he lead troops to defend against the attacks from the other warlords and bandits around us?"

"In the end, it all comes down to the fact that the Marshal has too few offspring. He only has two sons. If one of them were to kill the other, what would the Marshal do with his only son? Kill him and leave himself without an heir? Ha, if the eldest son were to really die, it would be a huge mess..."

…………

The people in the city were abuzz with discussion, and there were even rumors that Li Dongchen's body had been found floating in the Qiushui River, and that the warlord was going to thoroughly investigate the truth behind his beloved son's death.

"Damn it, what kind of bullshit is this!" Li Tianxing, who was anxiously waiting for news at the Marshal's Mansion, was so angry when his subordinates reported that it was all just rumors circulating in the streets that he slammed his fist on the table and ordered them to investigate who was spreading rumors and slandering his sons.

Jiang Chen gracefully dismounted from his horse, whip in hand, and swiftly entered the house to report: "Father, don't worry. I sent someone to find out that my elder brother went out for tea at Qiushui Shangzhi Tea House this afternoon."

The teahouse owner has questioned him; the older brother said he was enjoying the autumn scenery but seemed to be waiting for someone. Afterwards, he took a ferry towards Qiushui Mountain. I'm following the clues and believe I'll find him soon!

With a heart full of unease and various speculations, Li Tianxing glanced at his youngest son and saw that he was efficient and decisive in his actions and speech. He was methodical and composed, and although he was anxious, he was not without his composure. In this time of panic, he was truly a refreshing sight.

He couldn't help but feel annoyed, thinking that he should have raised his eldest son to be well-rounded in both academics and martial arts.

If Dongchen had any martial arts skills or knew how to wield weapons, I wouldn't be so worried!

Furthermore, looking at the second son's calm expression, could it be that I was wrong and the eldest son's disappearance really had nothing to do with the youngest son? The impulsive second son lacked cunning, wearing his emotions on his sleeve, which made him quite frank. If he were planning such a vicious act, he would definitely leave a trace...

Just as Li Tianxing was lost in thought and feeling anxious, Li, the adjutant he had sent out at noon to gather information, strode into the room and gave him a cryptic look.

"Jiang Chen, seize the clues and investigate quickly, don't delay any longer." He gave his youngest son a few perfunctory words and sent him away, then looked at Lieutenant Li and lowered his voice, "Dong Chen, he..."

Lieutenant Li saluted first, then walked to his side and whispered in his ear, "I was ordered to investigate the rumors about the Zhang family's daughter and the eldest young master. When I was about to return from Qiushui Mountain, I saw the eldest young master and the Zhang family's daughter enter the Zhang family's villa one after the other."

Li Tianxing: (?Д?)ノ

Are you sure you saw it clearly?

"My subordinates deliberately scaled the wall and followed them in, hiding in the artificial hill by the pavilion and saw clearly that the young master and Miss Zhang were undressing and deeply in love. When I returned, I heard that the whole city was looking for the young master. The commander ordered everyone to be withdrawn. At this time, the young master should still be in the villa with Miss Zhang. With such a big commotion, he probably won't be able to get away. It's best to handle this matter discreetly."

Li Tianxing: ヽ(｀Д')ノ︵┻━┻

Damn it! I was worried about your safety and even suspected that the second brother had secretly taken care of you, but you went and slept with the second brother's fiancée!

What a spineless litigator!

The treacherous traitor!

"Someone, send word to lift the city's alert. Stop searching and let the garrison go home and rest!" He was so angry his liver hurt. He stood up and roared outside, "Steward, take some men to Qiushui River and wait. If you see that little brat Li Dongchen, tie him up and bring him back!"

The people in the courtyard had no idea what had happened, but how could they disobey the commander's order?

The noisy citywide search ended abruptly not long after it began, leaving even the soldiers who had ordered the retreat completely bewildered, wondering what their commander was up to.

Jiang Chen overheard Lieutenant Li's detailed account of the gossip through the soul artifact, and a helpless, bitter smile appeared on his face. The original owner of this body was truly pitiful.

He fawned over his fiancée, buying her all sorts of novelties, only to find out she turned around and went to see her ex-lover wearing the dress and perfume he'd given her, and then, incredibly, they couldn't help but make love on the spot.

Jiang Chen was quite impressed with this, as the protagonist, under the guise of so-called true love, really didn't mind anything.

In the original story, she was his brother's wife who had already married into the family. Although he may have already used her before, the original owner didn't know and had no psychological barrier. But Li Dongchen knew that she was his brother's wife, so he didn't have any psychological burden at all.

She even got pregnant as if it were perfectly normal, claiming it was her deceased brother's child, thus establishing herself as a noble person who didn't hold grudges and raised the orphan. If she hadn't gone abroad and could do whatever she wanted, Zhang Ziqiu might have even received a memorial arch for her chastity!

Is this what some people mean by "a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret affair, and a secret affair is not as good as one that cannot be stolen"?

Thinking about this, Jiang Chen, though he couldn't understand it, had a new idea!

"Miss, there's a sudden commotion outside! They say the eldest young master of the Li family has gone missing, and soldiers are searching the whole city for him!" The maid Xiu'er rushed in, and seeing the two still entangled together, she said anxiously, "My dear young master Li, didn't you say anything before leaving? You've caused such a fuss; what if someone finds out?"

Missing?

Li Dongchen was completely bewildered. He had only sneaked out to see his ex-lover, how could he be missing?

He looked up and saw the sun beginning to set, then remembered he had to go to the money exchange, and his face fell.

Sure enough, that kid Li Jiangchen was watching me closely, waiting for me to make a mistake!

He must have gone and snitched on us!

Ha, after not seeing him for several years, my future brother-in-law is indeed a different person now. At least he's not so reckless anymore and has learned the art of playing hard to get.

"What are you afraid of? You can sit in Qiushui Pavilion for a while. I'll take a boat and go directly to the back mountain. We'll just say I got lost while admiring the autumn scenery. It's not a big deal." Li Dongchen waved his hand dismissively. After tidying his clothes to make sure no one would notice any rouge stains, he gracefully left.

Xiuer watched him leave, her face full of worry as she looked at her cheerful, radiant young mistress and whispered, "Didn't you say it was just a brief meeting and a short chat? Why did you need water so soon after saying only a few words? Aren't you worried at all..."

She glanced outside and lowered her voice even further, "What if the eldest young master of the Li family can't bring down the second young master? If you really marry him and the second young master finds out you're not a virgin, wouldn't you be too ashamed to live? Besides, if you two act so recklessly, what if someone dies?"

"As long as Dongchen and I are of one mind, we will definitely be able to become a couple in the end."

Zhang Ziqiu fiddled with her slightly messy hair, looking at her increasingly radiant face in the mirror, nourished by love, and said confidently, "Even if it doesn't work out and I have to marry him, what could that brute Second Young Master know? I can easily fool him!"

As she spoke, she looked down at the delicate lace trim on her dress, her fair right hand touching her lower abdomen with a hopeful expression. "Anyway, there are still two months left. If I can really get pregnant with Dongchen's child, it will be fine. Then I can just say it's Li Jiangchen's child. He loves me so much, he'll be too happy to have any doubts."

If I were to be forced to marry into the family as the second young mistress, I would actually hope to have a child with Dongchen.

At least I have a child with me; he wouldn't abandon me. We live in the same compound and see each other all the time. Li Jiangchen is always out there making friends; we might even rekindle our relationship.

When the maid Xiuer heard her mistress's words, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. "If the master, mistress, or young master knew about this idea, they would definitely beat you to death! Miss, you must never have such shameless thoughts. The most important thing for us women is our chastity and reputation."

Back then, the eldest son of the Li family took your virginity without saying a word, and you were already at a huge disadvantage! At that time, you said that he would definitely marry you, and that it was just a matter of cultivating feelings in advance, which I think is understandable.

He didn't mention you once until he left the country, and now that he's back, he completely disregards your status as his future sister-in-law and is acting so frivolous. Miss, you can't be so foolish and go down a dark path!

Zhang Ziqiu rolled her eyes at her, "What do you know? Our love is real!"

Father, Mother, and Brother don't understand; they've never experienced love. You don't understand either. Love is a captivating thing; once you have it, you're willing to give your life for it.

I love Dongchen. Even if we can't break through the shackles of societal norms, I will still fight for our love and give him a child—the fruit of our love!

"I don't understand love or anything like that. All I know is that you are the second young master's fiancée!" The maid Xiu'er muttered under her breath, her face drawn. "Isn't the second young master good enough to you? Look at your clothes, your shoes, even the hairpins and perfume he sprayed on your head were specially sent by him."

They've been so good to you, and you're actually thinking of getting pregnant with your future brother-in-law's child so he can be your cheap father.

Miss, I think you've been blinded by the sweet talk of the eldest young master of the Li family!

I beg you, please just let it go. If the eldest young master can find a way to get the general to change the engagement, that would be great; if not, then stop seeing him and settle down to live a good life with the second young master in the future.

Although he's a bit rough around the edges, he's still very good to you. The world is in such chaos these days; only by following the second young master, who can lead troops and is willing to fight and kill, can you live a peaceful life…”

Zhang Ziqiu was annoyed by what she heard, so she waved her hand to tell her to shut up.

The maid I bought can't read a single word, yet she's lecturing her mistress. Luckily, I'm soft-hearted and have a good temper, so I don't argue with her. If I had encountered someone with a worse temper, I would have torn her mouth to shreds!

Xiuer sat on the riverbank, sulking, staring blankly at the flowing water and swimming fish.

On the other side, Li Dongchen, who was about to go to the dock to take a boat, was spotted by the servants of the Marshal's Mansion as soon as he appeared on the riverbank. They rushed over and put ropes around his body.

"Hey? What are you all doing? Have you all gone mad?" He was startled, thinking he had encountered robbers and bandits. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were all servants from his manor and immediately shouted with full confidence, "Have you all lost your minds?! You even dare to tie me up?!"

The head servant tugged at the rope with a helpless expression. "Young Master, please bear with us. We are just following orders. The Commander specifically ordered us to tie you up and take you back. If we don't, we'll all be in trouble, given the Commander's temper. If you behave, we'll tie you up lightly. Let's not make things difficult for each other."

"Yes, young master, you just got back and there's this disappearance that's causing panic. Please bear with it for now; we also need to go back and report."

"When you see the Commander later, please don't talk back to him. He's in a bad mood right now..."

A group of servants, busy with both their mouths and hands, quickly bound the elegant Li Dongchen, dressed in a white robe, like a dumpling, and dragged him onto a carriage, then sped back to the commander's mansion.

Many people along the way saw this and immediately started discussing it.

"Wow, just a moment ago they were frantically searching for someone, and now they're being dragged back all tied up. Did they just get rescued from kidnappers?"

"At the very least, they should untie the ropes after rescuing the person, right? What's going on here?"

"Who knows? The Marshal's Mansion has really stirred up quite a fuss this time. Just wait and see, there's bound to be more excitement to come..."

…………

Inside the commander's mansion, Jiang Chen was still pretending to be stupid and pressing his father for an explanation as to why he had suddenly withdrawn his troops. He hadn't even found his elder brother's whereabouts yet, and he was worried that there might be real danger.

Li Tianxing looked at his foolish son, who had already suffered a hidden loss but was unaware of it, and sighed, "Your older brother is fine, he'll be back in a bit. Jiang Chen, I was thinking that you should be getting married in two months, and that Zhang family girl... doesn't suit your father's taste, how about we find someone else?"

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow, looking bewildered. "Didn't you say that Miss Zhang was beautiful and a perfect match for my son? Why did you change your mind just when you were about to prepare for the marriage?"

I think Ziqiu is a wonderful person. She's well-educated, virtuous, and rarely leaves her home—she has the air of a refined young lady. Every time I visit, she says that men and women should be different, and since we're not married yet, she speaks to me through a gauze curtain.

Silly boy, they're just trying to fool you!

Li Tianxing felt even more heartbroken upon hearing this. No matter how much he disliked him, he was still his own son, and he couldn't just stand by and watch him suffer in this regard.

How could that Zhang family girl so easily get involved with the eldest son? She's so promiscuous, she's probably having affairs with other men too. How can our dignified Marshal's Mansion tolerate such a harlot entering the house as the young mistress of the household?!

"I don't think this marriage is suitable." He put on a stern face and made the decision directly: "It's settled then. I'll have someone cancel the engagement in a couple of days. Just tell your father what kind of girl you like. There are plenty of well-bred and pretty girls in Yucheng. We can gather girls of similar age together for a talent show!"

A noble family like the Marshal's Mansion is looking for a second young mistress. Countless families are eager to send their daughters for a match. A man should never put all his eggs in one basket and look for several others. At the very least, he should choose someone who will bring him good fortune! Even if he doesn't like her in the future, he can still bring home all sorts of concubines as he pleases.

Remember this: taking a concubine is like finding a plaything, even one from a brothel is fine; but marrying a wife requires her to be a virtuous and respectable woman!

Chapter Six: Sarcastic and Uncomfortable

"Is the Zhang family girl not proper? I think she's quite nice, so let's not change her?" The plot is developing a bit too fast. Jiang Chen didn't expect that the relationship between Li Dongchen and Zhang Ziqiu would be so unprotected by the protagonist's halo. Before anything even happened, their first secret meeting was already exposed.

Although he was eager to annul the engagement as soon as possible to avoid being cuckolded, he pretended to be reluctant and looked bewildered in order to lay the groundwork for the future.

Li Tianxing's face twitched, thinking to himself, "I've explained it so clearly, how come this silly boy still doesn't understand?"

He said sullenly, "Don't ask so many questions. Anyway, I don't like her! Tomorrow I'll go and have Lieutenant Li cancel the engagement for you. You can't go wrong by listening to your father!"

Jiang Chen's expression changed from confusion to doubt and a bit of grievance. She pretended not to dare to disobey her father and reluctantly agreed.

"Remember what your father said, and never see that Zhang Ziqiu again." Li Tianxing was furious, afraid that his foolish son would agree on the surface but not in his heart and be bewitched by that fickle vixen again. So he patiently instructed, "Her brother Zhang Mingyuan is by your side. I think he is a capable helper and has a good character."

Anyway, he's your attendant, so whether he stays or leaves is up to you. But one thing is certain—from now on, don't rely on him for important matters.

"They are siblings after all, and given their previous engagement, they're bound to do their best to help you. Our manor won't be affected by the annulment of the engagement, but the Zhang family's daughter will definitely lose face, and I'm worried that Zhang Mingyuan might have ulterior motives towards you."

Jiang Chen readily agreed, standing to the side with his hands behind his back, holding a riding whip and a military cap, looking quite dashing.

Li Tianxing sighed inwardly. They were raised by the same father, and the youngest son was such a simpleton! He used to find him unpleasant, but now, comparing them, he actually felt a sense of pity for him.

He didn't know if it was because his youngest son had suddenly grown up and become sensible, or because of the contrast with his older son, who was even more troublesome and despicable. The thought that he only had these two sons, and that his eldest son, on whom he had placed all his hopes, was becoming less and less capable than before, while his youngest son was reckless and lacked shrewdness, made Li Tianxing feel increasingly desolate in his later years.

"drive!"

The general's carriage sped through the streets, startling everyone who scattered to both sides of the road. They then huddled together, pointing and whispering about Li Dongchen, who was bound hand and foot.

"Young Master, please be careful when you see the Commander back at the manor," the steward whispered, gesturing for the servants to bring Li Dongchen, who was bound like a dumpling, into the courtyard.

Li Tianxing sat majestically in the courtyard, holding a teacup and looking furious;

Jiang Chen stood tall and dashing to one side, his cloak billowing in the autumn wind, creating a majestic and awe-inspiring effect.