A Clash of Gods - Chapter 46

Chapter 46 The Engagement
Apparently, Gu Qinghan showed little respect to the Marquis of Martial Arts. A hint of anger crawled on to the Marquis’s brow, while he started to feel a little scrupulous in front of Gu Qinghan. He said, “I came here to see the Dowager on the matter of the engagement. Since the Dowager is not available now, I would like you to send a message for me.”

“I heard what you just said, Your Excellency. I’m not sure if I understood it right,” Gu Qinghan casually said, “The marriage contract between our families was settled while two old marquises were still alive. Barring accidents, your family and ours will start to prepare for the wedding in the next spring. After all, the engagement has been settled for more than ten years.”

“Prepare?” The Marquis of Martial Arts said with a sneer, “Now that Qi Jing has…has passed away, Qi Ning has to observe mourning for three years. Even if there is a wedding, it has to be held three years later.”

“We can wait,” Gu Qinghan said, “Since the engagement was made by the old marquis, we already regard Zixuan as the wife of the earl in the Mansion of the Marquis of Honor. After three years, the mourning period will be completed, and we will definitely arrange the wedding for Zixuan in the most honorific manner.”

The Marquis of Martial Arts lifted one hand and said, “Wait a minute. Do you mean that we have to wait for three years just because you said so? You can wait that long, but do you think we have no problem waiting?”

“Is that so?” Gu Qinghan said with a smile, “Your Excellency, do you mean that three years will be a long time so you can’t wait?”

The Marquis of Martial Arts stood up with hands at his back, and said, “Since we are talking in this way, I would be frank with you. The engagement was made by the two old marquises in the past. I didn’t agree with it at that time, but I wasn’t able to say it out loud, considering the friendship of the older generation.”

“So Your Excellency didn’t want this engagement,” Gu Qinghan casually said with a half-smile, “During the past years, Your Excellency has mentioned this engagement in front of the General for many times. You said we should hold the wedding as soon as possible, so for the whole time, we thought that Your Excellency would go along with this engagement.”

Embarrassment showed on the Marquis’s face, but he carried on, “That was because I wanted to get over with it as soon as possible. Otherwise I would be bothered with this matter, thinking about it all the time.” After a brief pause, he went on and said, “It’s known to those people who know me well, that I don’t like troubles. Now that I am faced with a huge trouble, of course I would like to solve it sooner.”

“So what is your solution, Your Excellency?”

“As you just mentioned, I would like to break the engagement,” The Marquis of Martial Arts said, “As Qi Ning is going to observe mourning, and we don’t have time waiting, why not just break the engagement of our families. That’s good for all of us.” The Marquis darted a look at Yang Ning and said, “The earl of yours, is not a good match for Zixuan.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Your Excellency.” Harshness showed on the beautiful face of Gu Qinghan. “The engagement was settled while two old marquises were still alive. From then on, people in the Mansion of the Marquis of Honor never even thought about anther choice, and we dared not to disobey the original order of the old marquises. Both the old Marquis of Honor and the old Marquis of Martial Arts valued their words very much. I really can’t see why this unbreakable engagement is about to be broken.”

“Time has changed. Changes could be done to this engagement, even if it was made by old marquises.” The Marquis of Martial Arts glanced at Yang Ning and said with a sneer, “At the time when the old marquis made this engagement with you, he didn’t know that such a blockhead would be raised in the Mansion of the Marquis of Honor. If he had known it, he definitely wouldn’t agree with this engagement.”

Gu Qinghan raised the corner of her eyes, and said in a cold voice, “Your Excellency, you are a noble man. Do you think it is beneath your dignity to make such impolite comments? Ning is simple and innocent, so what do you dislike about him, Your Excellency?”

The Marquis of Martial Arts laughed out in a bizarre way, then said, “Simple and innocent? Do you really think I don’t know anything about him?” He lifted one hand to point at Yang Ning, then said in a cold voice, “It’s said that you often hang out with a bunch of playboys, paying frequent visits to the Qinhuai River. Is that true? I also heard that you always made a fool of yourself in public, and now everyone in the capital knows that the Qi Family has raised you, a big fool, always making a laughingstock of yourself. Isn’t it the truth?”

Gu Qinghan said angrily, “Please show some respect, Your Excellency. Ning is just trusting, but he is not evil in nature. How could you…!”

“No need to explain,” The Marquis of Martial Arts interrupted and said, “Many people in the capital know about the engagement between our families. Due to this engagement, people have been laughing at the family of mine behind our back. All because of…!” The Marquis of Martial Arts stepped forward, almost poking on Yang Ning’s nose. “All because of this playboy, the fame of my family got smeared too. The wedding is not held yet, but we have already gotten involved in trouble. If Zixuan really gets married with him, how could we, the family of the Marquis of Martial Arts, keep on living in the capital?”

Gu Qinghan sneered and said, “Your Excellency, at the time when the old marquis of yours was in trouble, the old Marquis of Honor was never afraid of getting involved. He stepped forward offering a helping hand. Because he offered persisting help during tough times, the engagement was made between our families. Now, hearing rumors from evil ones, you, the Marquis of Martial Arts, insist on breaking the engagement. I don’t know what the old marquises would say if they got to know about this situation.”

“I’m just protecting the future of the Su Family,” The Marquis of Martial Arts said in a flat voice, “All these years, I haven’t heard about such a thing as an earl getting kidnapped for no reason. So incompetent. If Zixuan really gets married with him, I would worry that Zixuan might become a widow someday…!”

“Enough!” Gu Qinghan shouted harshly in her sweet voice, “You are out of the line.”

The Marquis of Martial Arts immediately felt embarrassed. Apparently, he also thought that the comments he had made were excessively mean, so he coughed and said, “Anyhow, I am in charge of the Mansion of the Marquis of Martial Arts. Zixuan is the apple of my eye, so I will make the decision when it comes to her marriage. There will be no wedding without my approval.”

Yang Ning had been standing by from the beginning, without saying a word. He saw that the Marquis of Martial Arts, though being a noble man, didn’t show any manners of a noble family in the way he talked and acted. The only thing noble about him is his gorgeous attire. Besides, he had been making abrupt and offensive comments. If he changed the way he dressed, he would look like an unreasonable bully making a big scene.

At this moment, Steward Qiu was still reverently standing on the side, with his mouth shut. Gu Qinghan was trying to appease her temper, but she was clearly angry, showing shortness of the breath and flushing of her fleshy breast. Then she stopped frowning and said with a sneer, “Now that you have said things like this, I will also be frank with you.”

The Marquis of Martial Arts said with his head slightly tilted, “The purpose of my visit today is to make things clear. If you have something to say, just say it out loud.”

“Great,” Gu Qinghan lowered her head and said, “You ought to know that the friendship of the two old marquises was not the only reason why they made this engagement at that time. They made such a decision after in-depth consideration. I only have one question for you. Is your decision of breaking the engagement based on deliberateness?”

“That’s for sure.” The Marquis of Martial Arts answered immediately.

Gu Qinghan had collected herself, and she said, “In this case, we have nothing more to say. However, as to breaking the engagement, we shall get the approval of the Dowager. If she agrees with breaking the engagement, we won’t be pushy on this matter.”

The Marquis of Martial Arts said, “I can spare you several days to think this through, but I don’t think you need think. Now that I am determined on breaking the engagement, there is no need for you to be stubborn. Otherwise, it will be embarrassing for both of the families.

“Take it easy, Your Excellency. People of the Qi Family never force anyone to do anything,” Gu Qinghan said in a cold voice, “Steward Qiu, see off the guest!”

The Marquis of Martial Arts was briefly stunned. However, seeing the pretty face of Gu Qinghan had turned grim, he made a sneer before he flapped his sleeves and stepped out of the door.

Steward Qiu followed the Marquis of Martial Arts, seeing him went out of the gate. Only after the Marquis of Martial Arts left, did Gu Qinghan sneer at the back of him, saying, “So stupid!”

Yang Ning went to the side of Gu Qinghan, and said gently, “Third Auntie, we have a marriage contract with his family?”

“Ning, don’t be bothered with this. There are many good girls. After breaking the engagement with the Su Family, I will find you a better match.” Gu Qinghan was clearly still angry, as she said, “It’s said that the lady of the Su Family is spoiled and capricious, and it is not easy to get along with her. Since the engagement was settled by the old marquis, we couldn’t disobey his order, so it is not necessarily a bad thing that the Marquis of Martial Arts came here today to break the engagement.”

“Father’s funeral is not held yet, and the Marquis of Martial Arts came here to break the engagement at this time. He was out of line,” Yang Ning frowned and said, “Acting in this way, he showed no respect to the family of the Marquis of Honor.”

Gu Qinghan turned and looked at Yang Ning, gently saying, “Ning, when it comes to dignity, don’t care about the opinions of others. People will treat us with dignity as long as we make great efforts. While the old marquis and your father were still alive, they were all pillars of the Southern Chu State, and everyone showed respect to the family of the Marquis of Honor. When the day comes, you will achieve remarkable accomplishments, by then, our family will still be respectable to everyone.

Yang Ning nodded, while thinking to himself “I really shouldn’t care about whether the family of the Marquis of Honor will be respectable. I am just a fake earl, and I may run away someday if I have a chance.”

However, he knew that the Mansion of the Marquis of Honor was faced with both internal and external enemies at the time.

The death of Qi Jing had broken the backbone of the family of the Marquis of Honor. Apparently, the Third Elder Lord had a preference for Qi Yu, a baseborn. The situation of internal fight in this family could be seen at one glance.

As to the Marquis of Martial Arts paying visit in person today, trying to break the engagement, it must be somehow related to the internal fighting.

As Gu Qinghan was pondering over the situation, two men arrived in hurry. The one in front was Duan Canghai. He looked grim, followed by Qi Feng.

“Third Lady, something went wrong in the capital.” Duan Canghai said in a low voice before he stepped into the room.

Gu Qinghan frowned and asked, “What’s it?”

Qi Feng stepped forward and made a fist and palm salute. He said with a stern look, “Third Lady, Your Excellency, they are rotating the defending force for the capital. The Black Sword Camp, which was stationed in Stone City, was suddenly sent into the capital last night, replacing the force for all the gates of the capital. Royal Guard Camp, which was originally defending the gates, was sent out of the capital, and now it is stationed at the north of the capital, fifteen li away.”

“What?” Gu Qinghan’s pretty face turned pale, and she said, “Black Sword Camp is in the capital?”

Duan Canghai said with a grim look, “Now the Imperial City is locked down. No one is allowed going in or out. Qi Feng went on the street, and he has just witnessed that the policemen of Capital Bureau were patrolling the city. They almost turned out in full force, and the yamen runners could be seen everywhere on the street. Third Lady, it seems that…that something has really happened in the palace.”