Chapter 584 Everyone has their own thoughts

"Haha, there's no need to be so polite between you and me as father!" Xiao Qinyan laughed happily when he saw his son's attitude softened.

"Where is Lei Jing?" Gu Qianfan asked again. Lei Jing was the guy who caused him to almost lose his life, so Gu Qianfan would naturally not forget him.

"He dared to attack my son, so naturally as a father, I will not let him off easily." Then Xiao Qinyan said with a serious expression:
"Zheng Qingtian's letter of apology implicated no one but Lei Jing!"

"Lei Jing accepted 200,000 strings of cash from Zheng Qingtian. Even if Lei Jing doesn't die this time, he will be punished. Someone will take care of him when the time comes!"

In fact, Xiao Qinyan had no intention of taking action against Lei Jing at the beginning. After all, Lei Jing was a eunuch in the palace.

Not only does he enjoy the trust of the government, he also controls a violent organization like the Imperial City Bureau. If this kind of person cannot be killed in one blow, there will be endless troubles in the future.

But if he cooperates with Lei Jing, the benefits will definitely outweigh the disadvantages, so Xiao Qinyan didn't want to touch him, he just wanted to give Lei Jing a warning and scare him.

But after reading Lin Hao's letter, Xiao Qinyan changed his mind.

In fact, the content of Lin Hao's letter was very simple. It was to ask Xiao Qinyan to severely report Lei Jing and remove Lei Jing from the position of commander of the Imperial City Division.

In exchange, Lin Hao recommended his son Gu Qianfan to become the chief military officer of his Fenwu Camp.

Xiao Qinyan was immediately attracted. Du Yuhou was a fifth-rank official, while Gu Qianfan was only a seventh-rank official at this time, which could be said to be a promotion of three levels in a row.

Of course, what Xiao Qinyan really cared about was not promotion, but getting his son to leave the Imperial City Division, a place of right and wrong, where it was too easy to be criticized.

In fact, with Xiao Qinyan's ability, it is not difficult to transfer Gu Qianfan away from the Imperial City Division, but the problem is that his son will definitely not agree to leave. As for the reason, Xiao Qinyan knows it clearly.

But the action taken by Lord Lin Hao was different. At least even if Gu Qianfan had any resentment in his heart, he could not blame him.

······
Wu'anhou Mansion.

Zhao Pan'er slowly opened her eyes, and what came into her sight was the surprised looks of Song Yinzhang and Sun Sanniang.

"Pan'er, are you awake?"

"Sister Pan'er, are you okay?"

When Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhang saw Zhao Pan'er wake up, they asked her about it with concern.

But at this time Zhao Paner's brain was still a little confused. How did she end up lying on the bed?

She remembered that she seemed to be taking a walk with Lin Hao?
"What's wrong with me?" Zhao Pan'er said weakly.

"Don't mention it now. You fainted suddenly while walking with the Marquis last night!" Sun Sanniang paused and said:

"Your sudden fainting made the Marquis very worried. He stayed by your bedside all night!"

Zhao Pan'er was delighted when she heard this. She looked for Lin Hao with her beautiful eyes, but she didn't see him, so she asked:
"What about the others?"

"Someone from the palace came and called the young master away!" Song Yinzhang said hurriedly.

"Oh~!" Zhao Pan'er felt a little disappointed when she heard that Lin Hao was not there, but she soon cheered up and asked:

"By the way, what day is it today?"

When Sun Sanniang heard Zhao Pan'er ask this, she immediately knew what she was thinking, so she said:
"Don't worry, tomorrow is Grain Rain!"

"And I asked someone about it, and Observer Gao didn't say anything about getting married!"

"But are you sure you still want to go find Ouyang Xu?"

At this time, Sun Sanniang felt that Zhao Pan'er was a little silly. Since she had broken off all ties with Ouyang Xu, the unfaithful man, she should make good use of getting along with Lin Hao, who liked her.

"Of course we have to look for it!" Zhao Paner said solemnly.

"But~!" Sun Sanniang wanted to persuade him, but Zhao Pan'er interrupted her:
"Don't worry, Sanniang. I have given up on Ouyang Xu. The reason I want to find him is just to make things clear to him face to face, and by the way, get back the things I left with him!"

Zhao Pan'er went to see Ouyang Xu not because she wanted to reconcile with him, but because she wanted to get the Night Banquet painting back.

Because she knew that Lin Hao went to Qiantang County this time for the purpose of this night banquet painting, and of course it was also to verify whether Ouyang Xu had really changed his mind. If so, it would allow her to completely give up.

"That's good!" Zhao Pan'er said, Sun Sanniang felt relieved, so she said:

"But we don't know where Ouyang Xu lives. How can we find him in such a big city?"

"Why not wait for the Marquis to come back and ask him to help find out where Ouyang Xu lives?"

"No need to go through so much trouble!" Zhao Pan'er shook her head and said:

"Ouyang Xu is not easy to find, but Gao Guancha is a dignified third-rank official after all, so his family must not be difficult to find, right? I can find Ouyang Xu at Gao's house."

"Yes, Sister Pan'er is really smart!" The ignorant Song Yinzhang was full of admiration.

······
She declined the invitation of Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhang to accompany her, and found out the location of Observer Gao by herself.

Looking at the wealthy family in front of her, Zhao Pan'er was about to knock on the door when suddenly a familiar voice came to her ears:

"Pan'er, why are you here~!"

When Zhao Pan'er turned around, she saw Ouyang Xu, dressed in a green Confucian robe, looking at her with surprise.

Seeing Zhao Pan'er turning around, Ouyang Xu smiled slightly and opened his arms, ready to welcome Zhao Pan'er into his arms.

At the same time, he broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't expect that Zhao Pan'er would find Gao's house. Fortunately, he just wanted to come to Gao's house to find Gao Hui.

Otherwise, if he let Zhao Pan'er enter Gao's house, he would be doomed.

Looking at the status of the Gao family, he thought to himself that he had to take Zhao Pan'er away quickly. He couldn't let anyone from the Gao family see Zhao Pan'er, otherwise his future would be ruined.

However, Ouyang discovered that after seeing him, Zhao Pan'er stood there without moving at all. The expected behavior of a young girl throwing herself into his arms did not appear, and Zhao Pan'er had no intention of cooperating at all.

Ouyang Xu was instantly embarrassed when he saw this, his hands froze in mid-air, neither willing to put them down nor to hold them up.

Of course, as a senior gigolo, Ouyang Xu was extremely shameless. He was embarrassed for a moment before he licked his face and walked quickly towards
Zhao Paner, if you don’t hug me, can I hug you?

Ouyang Xu naturally knew that Zhao Pan'er was angry with him for breaking off the engagement and marrying someone else.

However, Zhao Pan'er knew that I would break off the engagement and marry someone else, but she still traveled thousands of miles from Qiantang County to the capital to find me.

That means Zhao Pan'er still has her own thoughts in her heart, and there is still room for maneuver.

However, to Ouyang Xu's surprise, Zhao Pan'er dodged Ouyang Xu's embrace with lotus steps and warned:

"Tanhua Lang, please respect yourself in public!"

"Pan'er, listen to my explanation!" Ouyang Xu withdrew his hands awkwardly. He was extremely anxious and determined to get Zhao Pan'er away from the gate of Gao's house as soon as possible.

Then he thought of Zhao Pan'er's purpose of coming, most likely for his marriage with her, so he looked at Zhao Pan'er with deep affection and said with a solemn oath:

"Uncle De did everything on his own. I, Ouyang Xu, swear to heaven that I have never thought of breaking off the engagement!"

It seems that Uncle De was the one who acted on his own again. After Ouyang Xu passed the high school entrance examination, he clearly asked Uncle De to go to Qiantang to get back the Tongxin Pei, and then told Pan'er that his marriage would be arranged by his uncles and aunts.

Of course, Ouyang Xu would naturally be willing to let such a beautiful Zhao Pan'er become cheap to other men.

If his plan succeeded, he would just have to wait until he married Miss Gao, and then find an excuse to go back to Qiantang County and marry Zhao Pan'er after some time. This would naturally be the best of both worlds.

As a result, Uncle De deliberately showed off the Gao family's arranged marriage in front of Zhao Pan'er, which caused Zhao Pan'er to come to Tokyo.

What happened? Uncle De screwed it up. He just asked you to find a way to get the Tongxin Pendant back, but didn't this old man use his brain?
He had to tell Zhao Pan'er that he was going to marry another woman. Not only did he fail to get the Tongxin Pendant back, but he also angered Zhao Pan'er. He really did more harm than good.

It's a pity that although Zhao Pan'er is beautiful, she seems insignificant compared with his own rapid rise. He can only let Zhao Pan'er down a little longer.

"What? You've never thought about breaking off the engagement?" Zhao Pan'er was stunned after hearing Ouyang Xu's words.

But for some reason, although she should have been happy to hear the news, she didn't feel happy at all. Instead, she felt a little unwilling.

"Of course I haven't thought about it!" Ouyang Xu said sincerely:

"In the past three years, I have seen and remembered all your efforts for me. How could I, Ouyang Xu, be such an ungrateful person?"

"Uncle De~!" Zhao Pan'er calmed down. Although Lin Hao was a marquis, he had been flirting with Song Yinzhang for a while, and he probably wouldn't marry her as his first wife.

Thinking of this, Zhao Pan'er felt that if Ouyang Xu could marry her as his wife, that would be the best outcome.

But Zhao Pan'er had some doubts in her heart. Would Ouyang Xu really marry her?

"This is a long story!" Ouyang Xu glanced at the gate of Gao's mansion calmly, and then said:
"This is not the place to talk. Let's go somewhere else and I'll explain it to you slowly!"

"Okay then!" Zhao Pan'er agreed.

"Huh~!" Ouyang Xu breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Zhao Pan'er's agreement. At the same time, his heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled back into his stomach.

In fact, Ouyang Xu was almost nervous to death at this moment, and his back was wet with sweat.

The Gao family is a wealthy and powerful family with countless visitors on weekdays. Ouyang Xu often comes to visit the Gao family, so the doorman and others here all recognize him.

It would be terrible if a visitor came now and the doorman saw him being intimate with a woman outside Gao's house.

Then Zhao Pan'er got on Ou's carriage, and not far away was Sun Sanniang who looked anxious. At this moment, she thought of something and trotted back to the Hou Mansion.

······
The second floor of Qingming Tea House.

"Please sit down!" Ouyang Xu said with a warm face:

"This teahouse tastes pretty good. The customs in the north and south are very different. Come and taste the flavor of this Beijing-style tea today!"

Looking at the tea master next to her making tea in a pretentious manner and Ouyang Xu with a frivolous smile, Zhao Pan'er's heart had calmed down a little.

Zhao Pan'er immediately thought that Ouyang Xu took her away from Gao's house for some other purpose. She felt like she was being tricked!
So he said with a rather cold expression:
"As a tea shop owner, I'm tired of drinking tea every day. Let's talk about business first."

"Okay, let's talk about business first!" Ouyang Xu agreed.

Then his brain started working quickly, trying to come up with a statement in a short period of time that could temporarily stabilize Zhao Paner's situation.

To be honest, Ouyang Xu was completely unprepared for Zhao Pan'er's appearance.

If he hadn't been free today and wanted to find Miss Gao to improve their relationship, he wouldn't even have known that Zhao Pan'er, the time bomb, had come to Beijing.

Seeing Ouyang Xu silent, Zhao Paner could not help but urge:

"You are talking!"

"What do you think about our wedding at the end of the year?" Ouyang Xu said after thinking for a while.

"End of the year?" A light flashed in Zhao Pan'er's eyes, and she felt a little suspicious, wondering if Ouyang Xu was lying to her again.

You have to know that the eighty taels of gold from Uncle De were not fake. If Ouyang Xu had not ordered the cancellation of the engagement, how could Uncle De have come back with eighty taels of gold.

Zhao Pan'er, who is so smart, immediately became alert. She wanted to test what Ouyang Xu meant.

So Zhao Paner smiled happily and said:

"Okay! But I think half a year is too long. For example, if I start writing the three books and six rites now, I have bought a property in Suzhou, and you should also invite someone to come to propose marriage as soon as possible!"

Ouyang Xu felt that he had underestimated Zhao Pan'er, and even more so her determination to marry him as soon as possible.

But Ouyang Xu thought about it and realized that he was the third place in the imperial examination chosen by the current emperor and had a bright future.

Given Zhao Paner's background, being able to marry me is truly a blessing that she has earned over several lifetimes. Shouldn't she seize the opportunity?

In that case, I might as well tell her the truth, otherwise I'll be exposed immediately.

I think since Zhao Pan'er is so eager to marry me, she would gladly accept it even if she was asked to be a concubine.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Xu once again showed his affectionate look and said:

"Pan'er~!"

"Hmm?" Zhao Pan'er looked at Ouyang Xu, but looking at Ouyang Xu's affectionate look, Zhao Pan'er felt uncomfortable for some reason.

"Pan'er, listen to me!" Ouyang Xu gathered his emotions for a moment, then said solemnly:
"Although I am the third place scholar selected by the current emperor, I am still a commoner. I must meet the emperor before I can be officially granted an official position."

"That's why I have to let you down. I will definitely give you a luxurious and grand wedding in the future~!"

Hearing this, Zhao Pan'er frowned tightly, because Ouyang Xu didn't hear the intention of his words among all the words he said.

Also, when it comes to discussing marriage, she is actually a little hesitant. After all, Lord Lin Hao doesn't have a wife, let alone a concubine.

Although she knew that she was a little delusional, she really didn't want to marry Ouyang Xu now. But in order to test Ouyang Xu's true intentions, she took the risk today.

"Ouyang~!" Zhao Pan'er was about to say something, but was interrupted by Ouyang Xu:

"Pan'er, please stop talking and listen to me, okay?"

"Okay, you tell me!" Zhao Pan'er also wanted to know what Ouyang Xu thought.

Ouyang Xu took a deep breath and then said:
"Now is my critical moment, so I'll have to inconvenience you temporarily, Pan'er."

"Half a year after I marry the Gao family lady, my appointment will basically be finalized. I will definitely marry you then!"

Zhao Pan'er stared at Ouyang Xu with wide eyes. It seemed that Ouyang Xu had gone through so much trouble and said so much nonsense, but in the end, he still didn't want to marry her.

But for some reason, after hearing Ouyang Xu's words, Zhao Pan'er was not angry. Instead, she felt as if she was carrying a heavy burden.

"What?" Zhao Pan'er wanted to confirm it again, so she asked:
"So, if I understand correctly, you mean to change the marriage to taking a concubine, right?"

"I know I've wronged you, but you've always been virtuous~!"

Ouyang Xu wanted to defend himself, and even wanted to morally blackmail him, but Zhao Pan'er didn't want to listen to his nonsense and interrupted him directly:
"Don't say these useless things. I just want to ask you if you want to change your wife to a concubine."

"Yes, that's what I meant. But I had no choice. Observer Gao is in a high position of power. His words can almost determine my future and fate. So I can't and dare not offend him!"

At this point, Ouyang Xu said affectionately:
"Pan'er, you are the most considerate person. You will definitely understand me, right?"

Under Ouyang Xu's expectant gaze, Zhao Pan'er smiled.

This smile was as bright as blooming flowers. At this moment, Ouyang Xu couldn't help but recall a line from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow: "When she glances back and smiles, she is so charming that all the beauties in the harem pale in comparison."

For a moment, Ouyang Xu was a little dazed.

However, when Ouyang Xu thought about how such a beautiful woman would become his concubine in the future, his heart was filled with excitement again.

"Of course, of course I can understand!" A bright smile bloomed on Zhao Pan'er's fair face.

Because it was you, Ouyang Xu, who broke off the engagement first, not Zhao Pan'er who fell in love with someone else.

"Really?" Ouyang Xu was overjoyed, and then said excitedly:

"Pan'er, it's great that you can understand me. I knew you would understand me."

He was about to take action, but Zhao Pan'er dodged him with disdain. Then he said with a sense of loss:
"Of course I can understand you, but can you understand that if I really don't care whether I am your legal wife or not, why do you think I will be your concubine?"

"Since I, Zhao Pan'er, can only be a concubine and have no chance of becoming the wife of the top scholar, why don't I become a concubine of someone with more power?"

Then Zhao Pan'er calmed down and said coldly:
"So, I can only wish Mr. Ouyang a prosperous career in the future!"

"Zhao Paner, what do you mean~!" Ouyang Xu's face suddenly changed when he heard that.

He naturally understood what Zhao Pan'er meant. If Zhao Pan'er was willing to be someone else's concubine, with her talent, there were countless powerful people who would want to marry her.

There is a saying that goes, men become bad when they have money, and women become rich when they become bad. If Zhao Pan'er really loses face, she will become the concubine of some powerful and influential person.

Thinking of Zhao Pan'er's cold words just now, which meant that his own career would inevitably be hindered in the future, Ouyang Xu shuddered at the thought.

"Pan'er, listen to me~!" Ouyang Xu wanted to say something, but Zhao Pan'er interrupted him directly.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Zhao Paner said coldly.

(End of this chapter)