Liang Yuchuan suddenly rushed in from outside the door. Four years older than Liang Yuzhou, he was elegant and handsome.
He grabbed the old duke's arm and pleaded earnestly, "Second brother is young and hot - tempered. It's not the first time he's talked back. The imperial doctor said your liver fire is strong. Don't ruin your health over such a trivial matter!"
Looking at the sensible and filial Liang Yuchuan, the old duke thought of his gentle and understanding late wife, his long - cherished love.
Liang Yuchuan resembled his late wife about seventy percent, and his gentle and kind nature was just like hers.
The old duke's anger subsided a little. He flipped his long robe and sat upright on the chair, fixing his sharp, hawk - like eyes on Liang Yuzhou.
The anger between his eyebrows had not completely faded. It seemed as if he would whip his son at any moment.
Liang Yuchuan handed the old duke a cup of throat - moistening tea and casually took the whip from his hand.
In the old duke's eyes, this was the elder brother protecting the younger one, afraid that his brother would be beaten again.
Liang Yuchuan patted Liang Yuzhou on the shoulder and exhorted him earnestly, "Second brother, you've gone too far these days. You should understand father's good intentions and think about the future of the Duke's Mansion."
Liang Yuchuan's words were completely from the old duke's perspective and hit the nail on the head.
Unlike Liang Yuzhou, who only knew how to talk back and make him angry!
The anger that had just subsided flared up again.
The old duke put down the teacup heavily and said in a commanding tone, "I've already given my word to the Princess. Prepare the betrothal gifts tomorrow!"
"Father, you've always had a reputation of being upright in the court. Why are you so obsequious to the Princess? Has she got something on you, so you're sacrificing your son's marriage to save yourself?"
Previously, the Duke's Mansion and the Princess had kept their distance.
When the County Princess Jiahe got too close to the Princess, the old duke would warn her.
Now, he had changed his attitude and was forcing Liang Yuzhou to fawn on the Princess.
The old duke was enraged by these words. He snatched the whip and lashed it hard at Liang Yuzhou.
Liang Yuchuan pretended to block it, and the whip hit his palm.
"Ouch—"
With a suppressed cry of pain, the old duke immediately put down the whip and scolded with a straight face, "You're still protecting him!"
But his tone had softened.
Seeing the faint swelling on Liang Yuchuan's palm, he quickly ordered the maid, "Hurry up and get the swelling - reducing and stasis - removing powder!"
The old lady saw the old duke's partiality clearly. Although she was angry with Liang Yuzhou, seeing his whip marks, she still felt sorry for him.
"Come on. Your son has your stubborn temper. Even if you beat him to death, what good will it do?"
The old duke carefully examined Liang Yuchuan's palm, ordered the maid to apply the medicine, and then glared at Liang Yuzhou with a dark face.
He looked imposing, but there was a hint of guilt in his eyes.
The Princess was extremely powerful and had discovered some of the truth behind Song Hengyi's sacrifice that year. She had been blackmailing and bribing the old duke.
On the surface, the Princess and the Crown Prince had a harmonious relationship as aunt and nephew, but in fact, the Crown Prince had already started secretly eliminating the Princess's party members.
The seventh - rank official who reported Yu Jingnian for corruption and bribery that year was the Crown Prince's spy in the Ministry of Works.
The Crown Prince was young and ambitious. Once he ascended the throne, he would never allow the Princess to hold power in the court.
The Princess had feared the Crown Prince for a long time and was willing to do anything to win over various forces in the court.
The struggle for power was always a fight to the death.
The old duke clearly realized that once he took the wrong side, it would be a disaster for the Duke's Mansion.
The Duke's Mansion had always adopted a neutral strategy to avoid taking sides.
He held a quarter of the military power in the country. The Princess wanted to win him over and forced him with the truth of the bloody battle at Pingsha Pass that year. He had no choice but to comply.
If that incident were exposed, the century - old glory of the Duke's Mansion would disappear.
Song Wanchu would even regard the Liang family as enemies!
To keep this secret forever, no matter how much the old duke disliked Yu Huiyan, he had to grit his teeth and let Liang Yuzhou marry her.
"Come on, come on. How old is Zhou'er? You're still beating him like he's a child. People will laugh at you!"
The old lady tried to calm things down. "Chuan'er, go back with your father and persuade him properly!"
The old duke had vented his anger and whipped Liang Yuzhou, but this stubborn son still refused to agree to the marriage. He felt extremely frustrated.
Liang Yuzhou looked at him fearlessly, his eyes as deep as the sea. The old duke couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt again, as if he had been seen through.
"Father, let's go back." Liang Yuchuan said softly. He bowed to the old lady and then supported the old duke to leave.
Finally, the room fell silent.
The old lady was also filled with anger and had an urge to slap someone.
But when she raised her hand and saw the whip marks on Liang Yuzhou's neck, she couldn't bear to do it.
"You, you!" The old lady was frustrated with him and scolded softly, "Since you don't want to marry Yu Huiyan, it means you still care about Wanchu. Then why do you make her suffer so much? Aren't you afraid that she'll really leave?"
She had promised Wanchu not to tell anyone about the concubine - dismissal letter.
But she couldn't help but hint to Liang Yuzhou.
As long as Liang Yuzhou could recognize his own feelings, there was still a chance for them to reconcile.
"The imperial edict of the betrothal wasn't requested by her. You've known that all along, right?"
The old lady didn't expect him to ask this question.
Wasn't it a sign of Wanchu's good character that she didn't take advantage of her favor?
What on earth was he so obsessed about?
"Yes, I requested the imperial edict. But that's not the point. Wanchu has married you and treated you sincerely. That's not a reason for you to make her suffer!"
Liang Yuzhou thought of the letter hidden under Song Wanchu's pillow and sneered coldly, "Sincerely? It seems that she didn't really want to marry me."
"Nonsense! If she didn't want to marry you, why would Wanchu have endured all these years?"
"Who knows." Liang Yuzhou said sarcastically.
The old lady frowned.
Liang Yuzhou had grown up by her side since childhood. The old lady thought she knew this grandson's temper and character very well.
Based on this understanding, the old lady was sure that he must have special feelings for Wanchu.
But now, when it came to Wanchu and her sincere feelings for him, he was so cold and even disdainful.
She suddenly felt that she had never really understood Liang Yuzhou's mind.
His shallow and foolish mother and strict and partial father had, to a certain extent, shaped his paranoid, arrogant, sensitive, and suspicious character.
He was least good at sharing his feelings.
It was extremely difficult to get him to open up, but the old lady still had a glimmer of hope for him and Wanchu.
"Zhou'er, have you heard something and misunderstood Wanchu?"
It was just a tentative question without much confidence, but Liang Yuzhou's eyes turned deep and cold.
"I heard your conversation with her three years ago."
The old lady's pupils dilated, and her heart tightened.
Does he know that Wanchu once had a sweetheart?