"Your intuition is correct. I came for you this time. Be ready to face my challenge," Guan Tianyi admitted without hesitation, disliking any underhanded tactics.
"Clatter!" Master Ye was so astonished that the cup in his hand fell to the ground unnoticed. "I wonder in what way I have offended you?" Master Ye's heart sank, and he quickly asked for clarification, hoping to resolve any misunderstanding.
"My fiancée is Jiang Hanyue," Guan Tianyi offered a hint.
Truthfully, upon hearing the name, Master Ye was bewildered. After a moment, he suddenly recalled that his son's original fiancée was indeed the Jiang family's daughter, Jiang Hanyue.
With this thought, he broke into a cold sweat. Fortunately, he hadn't made a fatal move against the Jiang family. He quickly explained, "The engagement was initiated by the Jiang family. I was completely unaware of any dealings between her and you. Had I known, I wouldn't have dared to finalize the marriage without her consent, even with a hundred more lifetimes. Furthermore, when she visited the city and met with me, I immediately canceled the engagement. I implore you to show leniency and raise your hand."
"I am in Ning'an County on a mission. I will not let the Ye, Liu, or Jiang families off the hook. As a man, I cannot guarantee anything else, but if my wife has been wronged, I will certainly seek revenge," Guan Tianyi stated his resolve with a determined gaze.
Giving him no further opportunity to speak, Guan Tianyi summoned the butler and saw him out.
Standing at the entrance of the Guan manor, Master Ye's brow furrowed deeply, sensing the immense difficulty of the situation.
Upon returning home, after much deliberation, he decided to resort to underhanded tactics. He wouldn't have chosen this path if it weren't absolutely necessary, but the other party was clearly hostile, and the matter could not be easily concluded.
A couple of days later, Guan Tianyi was busy until late. By the time he reached his manor gate, it was already dark. As he alighted from his carriage, five or six burly men suddenly rushed out from an unknown location. Two of them subdued the coachman, while the remaining four charged at him menacingly.
Had an ordinary person been standing there today, they would have been thrown into the carriage under the cover of darkness, and the carriage would have driven away before the Guan manor's servants could even react.
However, he was no ordinary person. Since regaining his health, he had been practicing martial arts daily, drawing upon his experiences from a past life. Consequently, the four men met a tragic end. Before they could even comprehend what was happening, they were sent sprawling to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
The two men holding the coachman hostage saw that the situation had turned for the worse and rushed to their companions' aid. As the two men charged forward, Guan Tianyi, with swift, precise, and potent kicks, sent the leading man staggering backward. The man collided with the one behind him, and both fell to the ground together.
The commotion alerted the people of the Guan manor, and several servants rushed out. Seeing their young master unharmed, they quickly went to find ropes.
Before long, the six men were tied up and imprisoned in the Guan manor's woodshed. They were to be delivered to the authorities at dawn.
The magistrate, upon hearing the details of the incident, was incensed that someone dared to harm the prefect's son within his jurisdiction, viewing it as a direct insult. He immediately convened court for a trial.
Initially, the men remained defiant, refusing to speak the truth. However, under the magistrate's torture, they were willing to talk. Yet, even they did not know who the mastermind was.
They were notorious ruffians in the city. A few days prior, a beggar approached them, saying someone wanted to hire them for a big job. Intrigued, they went to the designated location. The client, unwilling to reveal their face, wore a veiled hat even in broad daylight, giving off a somewhat effeminate impression. However, the client offered a thousand taels upfront, promising another two thousand upon completion of the task.
When had these men ever seen such a sum of money? They were immediately tempted.
Although they later learned that their target was the prefect's son, which instilled some fear, they reasoned that it was Ning'an County's territory. If they were careful, they could eliminate him discreetly. Once the money was in hand, they would flee, believing the authorities could do little to them.
What surprised them was that the prefect's son, whom they had heard had been ill for many years and had only recently recovered, was actually deeply skilled. They hadn't even seen how he moved before they were all lying on the ground.
The magistrate immediately imprisoned the men and dispatched people to investigate the surrounding areas. However, the investigation yielded no clues, and each man was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Guan Tianyi was not disappointed by this outcome. If Master Ye could be so easily caught and brought down, he wouldn't have held his position in Ning'an County for so many years, especially with the magistrate harboring ambitions against him.
He had expected a few days of peace after the recent incident, but to his surprise, the Jiang and Liu families paid visits the very next day.
When the Ye family specifically informed Jiang Feng that her daughter was engaged to the prefect's son, she refused to believe it. Her daughter? But the messenger was from the Ye family, so she had to consider it seriously. Perhaps the news was true.
Upon learning that his daughter was to become the prefect's daughter-in-law, Master Liu was initially overjoyed. Although their last meeting had ended unpleasantly, she was, after all, a child of the Liu family, with his blood flowing through her veins. With just a word from her, the Liu family's crisis could undoubtedly be resolved, and they could rise again.
Guan Tianyi did not wish to see them, fearing their persistence and repeated disturbances to his life. Therefore, he decided to meet them once and clarify the situation.
As Jiang Feng and Jiang Yongnian entered the Guan manor, they still found it hard to believe. They had initially thought it was a false rumor, but now that they were being allowed in, it seemed likely the news was true. At this moment, they felt a sense of regret, thinking that if they had known she would have such good fortune, they would have cherished her above all else.
However, regardless of everything, the Jiang family was still her maternal family. If she didn't listen to them, they would accuse her of filial impiety and see if the prefect's family would still want such a daughter-in-law.
Master Liu had never interacted with Wu Caiwei before, only hearing from his wife that she was a well-behaved and obedient girl. Although he had met her only a few times, he could clearly sense that she was a woman with her own mind. However, no matter what, he was still her biological father. He didn't ask for much, only that she offer some protection to the Liu family.
The two families were ushered into the reception hall one after another. After meeting, a sense of awkwardness filled the air. However, thinking of their purpose for coming, they sat down without acknowledging each other.
In reality, Jiang Feng wished to reconcile with Master Liu. After all, within the Jiang family, they were living as dependents, and she had a sister-in-law who disliked her. If she were in the Liu family, it would be her own home, and life would undoubtedly be better than in the Jiang family.
However, since entering, Master Liu hadn't even glanced at her. He was still angry that Jiang Feng had exchanged such a promising daughter.
Guan Tianyi ignored their subtle machinations. After finishing his business, he calmly entered the reception hall.
Although he had heard of the prefect's son's beauty, upon seeing him in person, they could clearly feel the impact on their hearts. They wondered how that wretched girl Jiang Hanyue could have such great fortune.
The few individuals quickly regained their composure and stepped forward to pay their respects, not wanting to fall behind.