Governor Guo invited Yan Zhigao into the Guo Residence, along with several Imperial Censors from the Ducha Courtyard. Once they entered the residence, they did not mention the incident that had just occurred at the front gate. Instead, they talked about some inconsequential topics, and the atmosphere was pleasant, with everyone in good spirits and laughter.
It wasn’t appropriate for Governor Guo to raise the subject proactively, as doing so might appear to be using his power to intimidate others.
Yan Zhigao did not want to bring it up either. Ever since the arrival of the Li Family, the Yan Family had been thrown into chaos. Just thinking about the pointing fingers and whispered gossip the Yan Family had endured over the past two months, he couldn’t help but have reservations about the Guo Family.
If it weren’t for considering the fact that the Guo Family was Xiao Yeyang’s maternal family, and that it would not be good for the two families to become too estranged, he truly did not want to come to the Guo Residence to ease the situation when he first received the message. Now that he had taken the initiative to disperse the crowd, he had already given considerable face to the Guo Family.
The several Imperial Censors from the Ducha Courtyard sipped their tea quietly, showing no intention of mediating the situation.
After a short while, Yan Zhigao and the Imperial Censors took their leave.
It was only then that Governor Guo, with a stern face, went to the back courtyard.
At this moment, Madam Guo was in a fury in the backyard, "How dare the Yan Family blatantly scheme against the Guo Family? They couldn’t possibly think that by getting close to Yeyang, they could disregard the Guo Family, could they?"
Guo Xueming tried to calm her down, "Mother, please calm down. The deed is done, and anger won’t help. What’s urgent now is to think of a way to salvage the reputation of the Guo Family."
For an aristocratic family, reputation is of utmost importance. If the Guo Family’s reputation were to be ruined at the hands of mother, grandfather and the others would certainly be displeased with her.
Madam Guo gradually calmed down and, after pondering for a moment, instructed the managing nanny, "Go to the streets immediately and spread the news about the eldest miss of the Yan Family seducing Yeyang. I want everyone to know that it was the Yan Family who was shameless first. As Yeyang’s maternal aunt, of course I cannot turn a blind eye."
"Are you determined to escalate this issue to the point of no return?"
Governor Guo entered with a face full of anger, his eyes filled with profound disappointment as he looked at Madam Guo.
Feeling guilty under his gaze, Madam Guo still retorted defiantly, "Today’s affair was obviously premeditated by the Yan Family. They have made our Guo Family lose such face in Ningmen Prefecture; surely we can’t simply swallow this humiliation?"
Governor Guo suppressed his anger, "Why would the Yan Family do this? Isn’t it because you sought others first to smear their reputation?" he said, his face a mask of painful disappointment, "Why do you always like to engage in these sinister schemes?"
Hearing this, Madam Guo also became enraged, "Me, engaging in sinister schemes? You think I enjoy this? In Beijing, because of your precious sister, our house may be publicly known as the Duke Residence, but which family doesn’t mock us behind our backs? If I weren’t a bit cunning, we would have been chewed up and spat out long ago."
"After coming to Zhongzhou, I too wanted to live peacefully. You know why I brought Xueming here, and it was father who suggested arranging a marriage between Xueming and Yeyang, not me. Now that I know someone is trying to ensnare Yeyang, what do you expect me to do? I can only remove obstacles for my daughter."
"If you, as her father, had properly done your duty and had clarified things with Yeyang earlier, setting the marriage in stone, would I, as the Duchess, need to go against a mere fourth-rank official’s family?"
Hearing this, Governor Guo’s anger began to wane, but he still said, "Haven’t I told you before, the matter of Yeyang and Xueming can’t be rushed. This marriage isn’t something we can decide on by ourselves; it requires the Emperor’s and Prince Ping’s approval. What’s the point of rushing to confront the Yan Family now?"
"Plus, the Yan Family has truly helped me. By turning around and targeting them now, isn’t that intentionally making us look ungrateful?"
"And another thing, Yeyang has a deep relationship with the Yan Family. Now you want to ruin the reputation of the Yan Family’s eldest miss, isn’t that deliberately provoking Yeyang’s displeasure?"
Madam Guo glared, "Are we just supposed to watch as the eldest miss of the Yan Family seduces Yeyang?"
Governor Guo fell silent for a while, "Even if Yeyang likes the eldest miss of the Yan Family, it’s not a big deal. With the Yan Family’s status, the eldest miss could at most become a concubine in the future. Is it worth risking the Guo Family’s reputation for a concubine?"
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