The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Quickly, keep stirring things up and tell the old man the importance of eliminating the root of the problem. Make him deal with the woman and her family who are causing trouble, and then we'll have some peace and quiet!"

After listening, Li Tianxing frowned deeply, and after thinking for a long time, he slammed his hand on the table and made a decision. "Pass down my order: starting today, Dongchen is to stay at home to recover from his injuries. He is not allowed to go anywhere or see anyone. I will hurry up and find him a good girl to get married as soon as possible. Having a virtuous wife at home can at least ensure that the family's reputation is upheld."

After you get married, you'll personally watch him become an apprentice at a money exchange, running around every day learning how to do business until he's exhausted. I don't believe he'll still be able to flirt with disreputable women then!

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Li saluted in response.

After hearing this, the fluffy dumpling rolled its eyes and couldn't help but twitch its lips. "Grandpa, could you please look in the mirror? You're a warlord! You started as a bandit! Can't you at least look like a gangster?"

"You, your way of handling this problem is absolutely terrible, I'm telling you! It's infuriating! What a great opportunity, what a pity..."

Just as Li Tianxing and his adjutant Li finished their private meeting, rumors quietly began to circulate in the nearby Yucheng Red-light District.

"Hey, have you heard? Zhang Ziqiu, the beautiful young lady of the Zhang family who is famous throughout Yucheng, and Li Dongchen, the eldest son of the Marshal's Mansion, had a secret rendezvous at the Zhang family's villa this afternoon. Tsk tsk tsk... they were like a match made in heaven!"

"Tch~ You're so out of the loop, you've only heard this much? I heard the whole story at Qingyue Tower... Hehehe, I must say, those girls were really good at describing things. If I didn't have too much money, I would have been tempted to call a girl over to try out those new styles!"

"What style? Tell me quickly, let's learn some new skills from this young master who studied abroad!"

"Oh, isn't Zhang Ziqiu a sheltered young lady who never leaves her home? Li Yexiao couldn't even hold her hand. Wasn't the last time he vented his anger by riding horses in the city because Zhang Ziqiu wouldn't give him face and wouldn't accompany him on a boat trip alone? Is this news true or false? Or is someone making it up on purpose?"

"Of course it's true! Everyone on the boats on the Qiushui River heard it. The words coming out of that little mouth were fucking hilarious!"

"Ha, that's more than just exciting. I heard from the two old men who sell wine that his flirtatious charm is even more intense than the girls in Ruihua Brothel. By the way, the reason why the Marshal's Mansion was searching everywhere for the eldest young master at the beginning, saying that he had gone missing, was because he sneaked out to meet Zhang Ziqiu and caused a mess. Otherwise, why would he have been tied up and brought back to the Marshal's Mansion later?"

"Wasn't Zhang Ziqiu engaged to the second young master of the Marshal's Mansion? How come she's hanging out with the eldest brother again? Could you have mistaken her for someone else? It would be more believable if it were Li Yexiao and his fiancée."

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense like that. It's good that the Commander-in-Chief has killed less since he got older. Is Li Yexiao someone to be trifled with? Be careful he doesn't cut out his tongue if he hears you gossiping!"

"Come on, I don't know where this rumor came from that Li Yexiao is ruthless and commits all kinds of evil. I've never seen him kill or set fires. Has anyone seen him with their own eyes?"

"Get out of the way and stop interrupting. Someone tell me quickly what exactly Zhang Ziqiu was yelling about?"

"I heard it from the opium den's waiter. He was calling someone 'brother' like that. It's either Li Yexiao or the boss, Li Dongchen! Even the boatman heard Zhang Ziqiu calling Dongchen 'brother,' how could it be fake..."

…………

The words "Marshal's Mansion," "Zhang Ziqiu, hailed as a beauty rarely seen in Yucheng's five thousand years," and "future brother-in-law" are all hot topics in Yucheng's nightlife, which lacks entertainment and gossip.

So the news spread like wildfire, and before long, the message that Long Er had spread was embellished and spread throughout the city.

"Tsk tsk, so the second young master of the Li family is really pitiful. You know, the eldest young master is really something. There are so many beautiful and charming girls in all the brothels in Yucheng, why does he have to fixate on his younger brother's fiancée?"

Zhang Ziqiu is no pushover either. Either don't agree to Second Master Li's proposal or just wait to enter the family as the second young mistress. She's greedy and can't keep up with anyone's desires. Now that she's been caught and the news is spreading everywhere, how can Li Yexiao tolerate this?

The commander-in-chief would never allow a mere Zhang family to tarnish the reputation of his mansion; that entire family of over a dozen people would likely be implicated and killed.

"Who says otherwise? It's a pity the Zhang family gave birth to such a shameless daughter. They're going to be dragged down to death! In this world, it's good enough to be alive. I don't understand what Zhang Ziqiu is thinking, still staying in her own villa... Everyone else is thinking about how to stay safe, but she's deliberately walking into the line of fire."

"Maybe he was forced by the eldest son of the Li family. I heard he's not a good person either. He set fire to Qinya Manor and burned Ruan Fannan to death. Although Ruan Fannan was indeed hated, the fact that he could kill him so easily shows that the eldest son of the Li family is also a ruthless person."

"If Zhang Ziqiu was forced into this situation, it's understandable. But damn it, don't shout so loudly! The boatmen can hear you. It's not just about losing face; it's about losing the lives of your entire family of over ten people!"

"That's a secret rendezvous, and anyone with a brain wouldn't shout it out so loudly."

I think Zhang Ziqiu was forced to disturb the boatman on the river!

You think about it, the eldest son of the Li family just came back from studying abroad. I've heard of those "foreign beauties," they call them "open-minded." Tsk tsk, tall, strong, and loud—they're definitely more exciting than someone who's silent. Was Li Dongchen spoiled while he was abroad? Hehehe…”

…………

Several waiters at Junyoulai Restaurant were huddled together at the door, whispering about the hottest gossip. Zhang Mingyuan, who had just come downstairs after arranging for his brothers to eat and drink well and preparing to rush home to deal with his sister's secret meeting with Li Dongchen, overheard all their laughter and chatter.

He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and stood at the top of the stairs with his head buzzing.

The hotel staff were talking about... their own girl and Li Dongchen?! How did they know?

Could it be that someone else, besides myself and Lieutenant Li, witnessed this?

The embellished descriptions can be ignored, since there will inevitably be some errors as the story is passed around. The main point is how this matter was exposed in the first place!

"What are you talking about?" Zhang Mingyuan was stunned for a few seconds and hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

He needed to know immediately where the rumors came from, to what extent they had spread, and whether there was any possibility of salvaging the situation.

"Master Zhang..." The waiters turned around and saw him, but they all hesitated and dared not utter a word. It was the waiter who was responsible for serving them who mustered up his courage and advised, "Master Zhang, you should hurry home and take your whole family and run away! Take advantage of the fact that it's late and the Marshal's Mansion hasn't heard any noise yet, and run as far as you can!"

The news that your young lady, Zhang Ziqiu, was having a secret rendezvous with the eldest son of the Li family at the villa has gone viral throughout the city. Even if it was false, the widespread rumors have made it seem true. This matter... sigh, you'd better just accept your bad luck and run away!

Zhang Mingyuan's mind went completely blank as he looked at the young men in front of him.

The news has spread throughout Yucheng! What should we do?

If the rumors are false, the Zhang family has acted uprightly and has nothing to fear from the Marshal's Mansion's questioning.

Aside from some embellished details, the whole process was indeed real!

The most crucial point is that not only did he see it, but Lieutenant Li was definitely present as well. Otherwise, the Marshal wouldn't have been so well-informed about Li Dongchen's situation, nor would he have ordered the Second Young Master to annul the engagement without any reason.

The image of the second young master, who was kept in the dark, flashed through his mind. If the second young master, who doted on Ziqiu and wholeheartedly protected her, knew, what would he do?

For a fleeting moment, Zhang Mingyuan wanted to go home immediately, disregard everything, and take his entire family away from Yucheng, as far as possible. But then he thought of the second young master. No matter how reckless he might be, the second young master had always been incredibly good to him; that trust alone made it impossible for him to leave without saying goodbye…

After hesitating for a few seconds, Zhang Mingyuan went out, mounted his horse, and galloped away into the distance.

"How's it going? Have you spent all the money? Have you arranged for the brothers to eat, drink, and have fun?" Jiang Chen was quite surprised when he saw Zhang Mingyuan push open the door to the dance hall's private room.

According to his plan, the other party should have received the news and gone home to escape with his family. He even asked Long Er to wait outside the city and secretly send him some travel expenses. He never expected that the other party would come to find him.

Did they not hear any rumors?

It seems that Long Er is inefficient...

"Second Master!" Zhang Mingyuan knelt down and kowtowed loudly as soon as he entered the door. Jiang Chen, who was still confused about the situation, hurriedly got up to help him up. "Brother, what are you doing? Get up quickly, we brothers can talk this out!"

Zhang Mingyuan knelt upright, refusing to be helped up. He took a deep breath and said, "Second Master, it is our Zhang family that has wronged you. I kneel here because I feel guilty and don't know how to express it."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that the original owner's future brother-in-law was not playing by the rules, but his loyalty was quite commendable.

He knew exactly what kind of person the original owner was, yet he still chose to come and tell her the truth, which truly showed his courage, resourcefulness, and sense of responsibility.

"Today, Second Master said that the Commander-in-Chief suddenly brought up the matter of you breaking off your engagement with my sister. Actually..."

Zhang Mingyuan was so ashamed that his face turned red and purple. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out the most embarrassing sentence, "Actually, I know the reason - this afternoon I followed the boss and saw him and Ziqiu in my villa with my own eyes... Second Master, I was also frightened and didn't know how to explain it to you."

I was planning to go home tonight and force Ziqiu to tell me the truth before making any further plans, but somehow the news got out, and now the whole city is full of gossip…”

"Those two?!" Jiang Chen feigned anger, slamming his fist on the table, making the teacups and teapot rattle loudly.

Zhang Mingyuan kowtowed again and pleaded bitterly, "Second Master, I know that Ziqiu is to blame for everything. She shouldn't have been engaged to you and still entangled with the eldest brother. But my family and I were kept in the dark and knew nothing about it!"

If I had known there was a connection between the two of them, I would never have agreed to let Ziqiu accept the marriage proposal.

After our engagement, I quit my job at the trading company and stayed by Second Master's side, wholeheartedly planning for him. I beg Second Master to spare the rest of the Zhang family, considering that I've worked hard even if I haven't achieved anything significant.

Ziqiu is not young anymore; she should bear the consequences of her own mistakes!

I beg you, Second Master, to have mercy and spare the Zhang family, which consists of more than a dozen members. I promise they will leave Yucheng and the General's territory as quickly as possible and never return. My life, Zhang Mingyuan's life, is at your disposal, Second Master.

"Treat me like a beast of burden; kill me to vent your anger, whatever it takes, as long as it calms Second Master's rage and relieves his displeasure, Zhang Mingyuan will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Having been put on this front, Jiang Chen had no choice but to continue.

He sat in the luxurious velvet high-backed chair for a long time without replying. Just when Zhang Mingyuan thought that pleading was useless and the Zhang family was about to suffer the wrath of the Marshal's Mansion and be completely wiped out, Jiang Chen changed his plans at the last minute and sighed, "Brother, get up, you don't need to kneel like this. We brothers have known each other for quite a while, and you know what kind of person I am."

One should take responsibility for one's actions; there is absolutely no reason to implicate innocent people.

Even if Zhang Ziqiu did something to wrong me, I will not hold a grudge against others because of it, especially since you have worked hard and made great contributions by my side. How can I confuse the two?

A forced marriage is never sweet. If Zhang Ziqiu doesn't want to break off the engagement, then so be it. Why make it this far? Now the whole city knows. I can let it go and even back out voluntarily, but my father…”

Chapter Fourteen: Playing by the Rules

How to preserve the dignity of the Marshal's Mansion must be carefully considered.

Li Tianxing was, after all, a powerful warlord, and he wasn't senile or relinquishing power.

If the secret rendezvous hadn't been brought to light, then breaking off the engagement and finding another opportunity to deal with the Zhang family wouldn't have been a big problem. But now that the whole city knows about it, and one woman has implicated two young masters of the Marshal's mansion, where will the Marshal's face be?

"I know the Marshal will not let this go easily," Zhang Mingyuan said breathlessly. "So I beg you, Second Master, to plead for the lives of the Zhang family, more than a dozen people. If you can spare our lives, my brother and I will submit to the Marshal's command!"

Jiang Chen sighed heavily, thinking to himself, "If you had just told me earlier, I wouldn't have let Long Er spread the news."

Things are not that simple now.

“Brother, think about it carefully. Now that the Marshal’s Mansion is under pressure, it’s no longer a problem that our two families can solve.” He frowned slightly and waved his hand, saying, “If we do as you say, let the Zhang family escape far away and leave Zhang Ziqiu and you to bear the consequences, wouldn’t that just confirm the rumors?”

Until crucial evidence is presented, everything is just a rumor.

If the Marshal's Mansion makes any move, wouldn't that be an admission of guilt without being asked?

When something like this happens, ordinary families lose all face and dignity. How could a prestigious military commander's mansion allow such a shameful incident to become a reality?

My father would definitely not deal with the Zhang family openly, as that would only make the Marshal's Mansion lose face; but he would never let the Zhang family go, especially since it involved the eldest son, who was his precious treasure, how could he let outsiders laugh at him?

"If we want the Zhang family to weather this storm safely, we'll probably have to take some risks and find another way."

Zhang Mingyuan's head was buzzing. A huge thunderbolt was hanging over his head, ready to explode at any moment. He had no mind to think about how his Second Master, who was always brainless and relied on recklessness, had suddenly changed his mind and started to pay attention to strategic analysis.

"Then, what does Second Master mean..."

"I'm going back to the Marshal's Mansion right now to discuss with my father about facilitating the marriage between my eldest son and Zhang Ziqiu!"

Zhang Mingyuan: (?Д?)ノ

Huh? What did Second Master say?

To arrange a marriage between the eldest brother and Ziqiu? What's going on here?!

"Second Master, are you...are you serious?" He was completely dumbfounded. The Second Young Master didn't fly into a rage and yell at the eldest brother to shoot him, nor did he resent Zhang Ziqiu. Instead, he started to act unconventionally...

Perhaps he went insane from the shock?

Jiang Chen slapped his thigh and gritted his teeth, saying, "Of course I'm serious! If we want to save Zi Qiu's life, and the lives of over a dozen people in your Zhang family, there's no other way but to arrange their marriage. Although..."

He remained silent for a few seconds, then let out a long breath, shook his head, and said with a bitter smile, "Although Ziqiu betrayed me, I still can't bring myself to hate her. Let's save your whole family's lives and prevent the Marshal's Mansion from being gossiped about before we talk about anything else."

Zhang Mingyuan's heart was pounding wildly, yet he inexplicably felt a glimmer of hope for the Second Young Master, who had quickly calmed down. He asked in a low voice, "So, what does the Second Young Master plan to do?"

"We'll split into two groups. Now is the most crucial time. We must ensure that both of them succeed. If either of them fails, we won't be able to avoid this bombshell." Jiang Chen thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Listen to me, you go home right now. No matter what method you use, you must make Zhang Ziqiu insist that the secret meeting at the villa was forced upon her by Li Dongchen."

So, I'll go back to the Marshal's Mansion to find my father and pin the blame on Li Dongchen!

Everyone sticks to the same story, insisting that it was the eldest brother who threatened and coerced Zhang Ziqiu, thus absolving your family of any guilt. Then I will suggest that the Marshal's Mansion send out wedding invitations first thing tomorrow morning, explaining that the one who was engaged to Miss Zhang was the eldest son, Li Dongchen, but his schedule for studying was too tight to wait for the auspicious day for the engagement, so I was the one to complete the engagement ceremony on behalf of my elder brother.

Now that the elder brother has returned from his studies, he will naturally marry his beloved. The Marshal's Mansion will issue wedding invitations to declare their relationship. At the same time, those in the city with ulterior motives who spread rumors must be thoroughly investigated and dealt with without leniency.