“Lady Wang, did the Marquis’s residence go to the Li family to propose marriage?”

Lady Wang was rendered speechless by the question and couldn’t help but look toward Yang Houcheng.

Yang Houcheng found these women’s gazes inexplicably strange and said with a cheerful smile, “Lady Wang probably doesn’t know. It was Marquis Jing’an himself who personally engaged a matchmaker to go to the Li family to propose marriage for Tingquan.”

“Tingquan?” Lady Wang’s eyes suddenly widened as she exclaimed, “You mean our residence’s second young master?”

Yang Houcheng nodded and said loudly, “That’s right, Marquis Guanjun.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent enough to hear a pin drop, while exclamations rang out from outside the hall: “That’s impossible!”

Jiang Shiran strode in, her eyes fixed intently on Yang Houcheng, “Say that again.”

Yang Houcheng felt quite annoyed with this domineering Miss Jiang and said neither warmly nor coldly, “I can say it as many times as you want. The one who wants to marry Third Miss Li is Marquis Guanjun, who is the person Miss Jiang and Miss Du called ‘unable to get on the stage.'”

“You’re lying!” Jiang Shiran blurted out, her mind already blank.

How could it possibly be Marquis Guanjun who went to propose marriage to the Li family? Third Miss Li was just the daughter of a minor Hanlin Academy editor!

In the warm spring-like room, Du Feixue, wrapped in her cloak, felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet. She stepped back half a step, looking at Yang Houcheng’s confident expression and Jiang Shiran’s shocked face, already at a loss for words.

How could Marquis Guanjun possibly fancy Third Miss Li? This was simply the most ridiculous thing in the world!

“Young Master Yang, you haven’t made a mistake, have you?” one lady asked tentatively.

Yang Houcheng grinned, “How could I make a mistake? Tingquan and I are childhood friends. After Marquis Jing’an discussed this matter with him, he told us about it.”

“Marquis Guanjun agreed?” the ladies couldn’t help but ask in unison.

Yang Houcheng looked puzzled. “Why wouldn’t he agree? Tingquan is already in his twenties. Getting married and having children is perfectly normal.”

Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing, who was still in shock, couldn’t help but twitch her lips.

She wanted to beat this little beast to death. When Marquis Guanjun, in his twenties, wanted to marry and have children, that was normal, but when she, at her advanced age, arranged blind date banquets for him, this little beast would rather die than live!

The ladies felt even more like hitting someone.

Was the point that Marquis Guanjun was old and wanted to marry and have children? The point was why he would agree to seek marriage with Third Miss Li!

“But why would Marquis Jing’an seek to marry Third Miss Li from the Li family?” someone finally asked.

Another person couldn’t help but follow up, “I remember Third Miss Li’s father is a Hanlin Academy editor, right?”

It wasn’t that the Hanlin Academy editor wasn’t good. In Great Liang, Hanlin Academy editors were extremely prestigious, known as future prime ministers, but how many could enter the inner cabinet?

Of course, most importantly, there was Third Miss Li’s terrible reputation. Did Marquis Jing’an’s residence not care at all?

Yang Houcheng smiled, “Of course it’s because Third Miss Li is good enough, so Marquis Jing’an doesn’t care about family background and wants to take her as a daughter-in-law for his son. What other reason could there be? Surely no one held a knife to Marquis Jing’an’s throat and forced him to engage a matchmaker to propose marriage to the Li family?”

This crude reasoning was sound, and everyone was at a loss for words.

Yang Houcheng added another sentence, “It’s just a pity that the Li family didn’t agree.”

The ladies felt as if ten thousand arrows had pierced their hearts, suffering a critical hit.

Yang Houcheng smiled with satisfaction.

Very good, the task Tingquan had entrusted to him was completed.

Lady Wang, wife of the heir of Marquis Jing’an, forced herself to remain calm and said to Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing, “Old Madam, my mother-in-law has been devoted to Buddhist practices recently, and there are too many matters, big and small, in the residence. I just remembered there are still things I haven’t finished handling, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing understood perfectly well why Lady Wang, wife of the heir of Marquis Jing’an, was leaving and naturally didn’t try to detain her.

Seeing Lady Wang leave, the other ladies, disturbed by the news that Marquis Jing’an’s residence had proposed marriage to the Li family only to be rejected, lost their interest in staying and bid farewell to Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing one after another.

The disguised matchmaking banquet thus came to a hasty end.

Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing felt deeply frustrated and still had to muster the energy to deal with Lady Zhu of Count Guchang, who was preparing to stand up for her daughter.

When no one was paying attention, Yang Houcheng whispered a warning to Du Feixue, “Zhu Zizhe and I are best friends.”

Did she think he was stupid? He and Zizhe were having a pleasant walk by the lake when Miss Du brought her friends over, clearly intending to take the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Zizhe.

She was improper, yet she spoke of Miss Li in such a way. He had truly learned what it meant to be lenient with oneself and strict with others.

Du Feixue felt her heart bleeding with anger, but had no choice but to tell Lady Zhu of Count Guchang, “Mother, I was quite panicked at the time and don’t remember very clearly. Now that I think about it, I probably accidentally tripped. Young Master Yang didn’t do it on purpose.”

That despicable, shameless bastard threatened her with her cousin!

Seeing Du Feixue relent, Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing felt a weight lift from her heart and said kindly, “Fortunately, Miss Du remembered. I said my little beast, though worthless, isn’t the kind of child without proper boundaries. But the most important thing is that Miss Du’s health is fine. Don’t you think so, Lady Zhu?”

Du Feixue felt extremely aggrieved and could only lower her head to hide the anger in her eyes. In Lady Zhu of Count Guchang’s eyes, this instead became evidence of her daughter’s guilty conscience.

Lady Zhu felt utterly embarrassed, forcibly declined the generous gifts that Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing had ordered maids to present, and hurriedly left with Du Feixue.

After everyone had left completely, looking at the empty hall, Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing raised her walking stick to strike Yang Houcheng, “Little beast, are you satisfied now? Now, all the wives and ladies in the capital know you have a violent temper and kick young ladies into lakes at the slightest disagreement. I wonder which family will dare to marry their daughter to you in the future!”

Yang Houcheng moved closer, letting Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing hit him while grinning, “Grandmother, calm down, calm down. Your grandson didn’t want this to happen either.”

It was just that upon hearing such ugly words, his foot couldn’t help itself for a moment.

Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing hit him twice but ultimately couldn’t bear to continue, angrily striking the floor with her walking stick, “You’ll be the death of me sooner or later!”

Yang Houcheng reached out his large hands to embrace his old grandmother, “Don’t be angry, Grandmother. You must live to be a hundred. Your grandson will marry a particularly good granddaughter-in-law for you in the future, and let you hold great-grandchildren.”

Hearing her precious grandson’s words, Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing’s anger had already subsided by more than half. She pursed her lips and said, “If you just don’t cause trouble, I’ll thank heaven and earth.”

After soothing his grandmother, Yang Houcheng quietly slipped away to Chunfeng Tavern.

Facing Chi Can and Zhu Yàn’s half-smiling expressions, he reached out to punch each of them and grumbled, “Good heavens, I finally escaped disaster.”

Chi Can mocked, “You’ve also become famous throughout the capital.”

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, and Shao Mingyuan in blue robes pushed open the door. Seeing all three of his good friends there, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift.

Yang Houcheng rushed over, “Tingquan, you have to compensate me for damages to my reputation. For the sake of your Miss Li, I went all out today and even kicked a young lady into the lake.”

Shao Mingyuan chuckled softly, “Uh, just for me?”