bookcurios Chapter 176 Family Meeting
Chapter 176 Family Meeting
"Uncle, are you going back to the Duke's mansion?" Su Yue asked timidly. She was really afraid of her uncle.
On the way back, Su Yue and Su Nian'an were almost completely silent, afraid of being noticed by their uncle.
Inside the carriage, the Duke's voice could be heard repeatedly asking Su Yinyin questions. Su Yinyin was like an encyclopedia, answering all of the Duke's doubts.
Upon hearing Su Yue's question, the Duke replied, "When we return to the Su residence, your aunt and cousin are staying there with your maternal grandmother. They were afraid you might sneak in." He then gave what he considered a kind smile.
Upon hearing this, Su Yue was startled. Her aunt and cousin had arrived?
Su Nian'an's expression also changed slightly. The two looked at each other and saw the unease in each other's eyes.
Su Yinyin could tell what the two women were thinking from their eyes. Their uncle and cousin were martial artists who had led troops in battle for many years, and their aura of killing was very strong, which made the two sisters, who had been raised in the countryside since childhood, extremely afraid.
Su Yinyin gently held their hands, giving them a comforting look. The Duke saw this but remained silent, silently pondering the relationship between the children.
Upon arriving at the Su residence, just as we entered the villa, we heard a burst of hearty laughter.
The Duke, however, was like a country bumpkin visiting a grand garden. He looked left and right, touching things with his left hand and then his right, touching them incessantly!
Everything in the villa was so new and exciting. Su Yue and Su Nian'an were used to the Duke's curious attitude. They remembered how clueless they had been when they first met him.
Su Yinyin turned her head and saw the Duke looking like this, so she gently called out, "Uncle, Grandmother and Aunt are waiting for you!"
The Duke snapped out of his daze and quickly walked to Su Yinyin's side. "Yinyin, how do you manage to keep your house so warm in such a cold winter?"
"How about you build one for your maternal grandmother at the Duke's mansion, and another for me and your aunt?"
Su Yinyin glanced at the Duke, smiled without saying a word, and walked to the old lady's side, sitting down: "Grandmother, Aunt, Cousin!"
"Greetings, Grandmother; greetings, Aunt; and Cousin," Su Yue and Su Nian'an bowed. Grandmother smiled and beckoned them over.
The two became happy and at ease when facing the old lady and the Duchess.
Especially the Duchess. Although the two women hadn't known the Duchess for long, the maternal love she exuded was something they had never experienced since childhood.
Especially for Su Yue, her life was truly unbearable. The two of them naturally sat down on the sofa opposite each other.
At this moment, the Duchess spoke up with a smile: "I'm happy to see someone acting like they've never seen the world before."
The Duchess was secretly pleased with herself. When she first arrived, the old lady and her daughter had teased her in the same way. Now it was her turn to tease her.
The Duke wasn't annoyed and laughed, "What do you know? This is called a thirst for knowledge." Everyone laughed. Su Yue and Su Nian'an also relaxed.
At this moment, the cousin suddenly spoke up: "If any of you cousins bully you in the future, just tell your cousin."
Su Yue and Su Nian'an quickly shook their heads. Su Yinyin said, "Don't worry, cousin, no one can bully us for now. If anyone does, you'll have to step in."
In the main hall of the Marquis's residence, the clansmen sat. The Marquis looked at his clansmen, who were whispering amongst themselves, with a grim expression.
The old lady slammed her hand on the table. "Silence! I have gathered you all here today to discuss an important matter."
Everyone fell silent. The old lady continued, "I've been away from the capital for over a decade, and I never imagined the Marquis's mansion would decline so drastically."
"I'm sure you all know what happened today, right? Su Jianguo's name and actions are both improper. And now that my eldest grandson has returned, the position of heir should be returned to its rightful owner. What do you all think?" Upon hearing this, the clansmen began to whisper among themselves.
One of the clansmen stepped forward and said cautiously, "Madam, although Su Jianguo's background is illegitimate, he has managed the affairs of the Marquis's mansion for many years. If the position of heir is changed easily, it may cause trouble."
The old lady snorted coldly, "This Marquis's mansion originally belonged to my son. Now that my grandson has returned, it is only right that he inherits the position of heir. You all know what happened back then, so let's not bring up the matter of management again."
At this moment, Su Jianguo, who had been silent all along, sneered, "Grandmother, even if you force your eldest grandson to take the throne, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win over the people. The Marquis's mansion is not ruled by you alone. Besides, I am also your own grandson, why are you being so aggressive?"
The old lady looked at him with piercing eyes, "Su Jianguo, don't think that no one knows what you've done all these years. I have already found evidence of your embezzlement and suppression of dissidents. If you know what's good for you, step down on your own and you can still save some face."
Su Jianguo's expression changed, his eyes flickering uncertainly. Then, he looked at the Marquis, who knew his mother's thoughts. But how could she so easily change her mind after loving someone for so many years?
“Mother, the position of heir apparent belongs to the founding of the nation, and no one can change that.”
Su Yao (Su Yi) sneered, "Is that so? Have you all heard about the dirty things Su Jianguo has done?"
Upon hearing this, Su Jianguo immediately retorted, "Don't you dare make false accusations!"
Su Yao (Su Yi) calmly took out a stack of papers. "This is the evidence. It records in detail every single account of your embezzlement, as well as the process of framing the loyal servants in the manor." The clansmen were shocked when they saw this and all crowded forward to take a look.
Upon seeing the evidence, the Marquis turned deathly pale. The old lady glared at him, "Look at what your beloved son has done! How long are you going to protect him?"
Su Jianguo was still unwilling to give up, pointing at Su Yao (Su Yi) and saying, "These must be forgeries. He just wants to take my position as heir." However, after the clansmen saw the evidence, most of them had already sided with Su Yi.
Su Yao (Su Yi) then said, “Uncles, Su Jianguo has committed many evils and is not a good choice for heir.”
Su Jianguo was furious: "Who do you think you are, daring to criticize me, the young master, today? Everyone, he, I don't know where he came from, is neither good at literature nor martial arts. His appearance is pleasing to the eye, but can his appearance lead the Marquis's Mansion to glory?" The other clansmen were in an uproar upon hearing this.
Su Yi was not angry, but smiled calmly, "Su Jianguo, as for martial arts, I have been learning from famous masters since I was a child. The fact that I dealt with the bandits I encountered on my way back to the country is proof of that."
"As for my thesis, I am well-versed in literature and have considerable knowledge of the principles of governing a country and managing a family." With that, he drew his sword from his waist, twirled it a few times, and the sword's aura caused the teacups on the table to shake. Everyone was astonished.
Su Jianguo was speechless for a moment. Seeing this, the Marquis hurriedly said, "Even so, it is unreasonable and illogical for you to suddenly return and take away the position of heir apparent."
The old lady stood up and said loudly, "What's wrong with that? This is what he deserves. Besides, Su Jianguo is morally flawed and unfit for such a great responsibility."
At this moment, a respected elder of the clan slowly spoke up: "The old lady is right. Su Yi is the eldest grandson, and his character and talent are both excellent. The position of heir should rightfully be returned to him. However, Su Jianguo has managed the Marquis's mansion for many years, and we cannot completely ignore him. Why not give him some property and have him move out of the Marquis's mansion?" Everyone agreed.
“The important thing now is how to explain this to His Majesty,” one of the highly respected figures objected.