Chapter 9: A Formal Proposal
Su Tong hurriedly climbed into the carriage, repeatedly urging the driver to speed home.
In the entire Liangzhou, only Su Tong knew the true identity of Xu Mu.
The marriage between Xu Mu and Su Hanwei was a tremendous stroke of luck for the Su family.
Having finally secured such a valuable alliance, there was no way it could be allowed to fall apart inexplicably.
“Su Hanwei!”
Fuming with anger, Su Tong strode into Su Hanwei’s small courtyard.
As soon as he saw her, Su Tong’s eyes blazed with fury as he demanded, “You’ve divorced Mu’er? Such a significant matter, and you dared to keep it from me?”
Su Hanwei had long wanted to tell her grandfather but didn’t know how to begin.
Though divorce by mutual consent was possible, in this era, divorce brought great shame upon a woman’s reputation.
Su Hanwei’s divorce from Xu Mu would disgrace the entire Su household.
“Grandfather, how did you find out?” Su Hanwei asked in a low voice.
She had never seen her grandfather so furious and felt a pang of guilt.
“Mu’er told me himself!”
At these words, Su Hanwei’s temper flared immediately.
“That good-for-nothing actually went to you to complain about me! Did he think that would make me submit?”
Before she could finish, Su Tong’s raised hand intimidated her.
Yet despite the hesitation, he struck her hard.
He simply could not hold back any longer.
“You unfilial daughter! Dare to act and then refuse to take responsibility? If I hadn’t confronted Mu’er today, were you planning to hide this from me forever?
No wonder there have been rumors of you getting close to Liang Shucheng; I thought they were just gossip, but it turns out to be true! You must have upset Mu’er!”
Su Tong had always known that Su Hanwei and Liang Shucheng were fond of each other.
However, Su Tong disliked Liang Shucheng, believing that despite his harmless appearance, he was a scheming scoundrel.
Slapped and enraged, Su Hanwei snapped back.
“Xu Mu and I were always mismatched, and there was never any love between us!
He was even jealous of Brother Shucheng and struck the ailing Shucheng in front of me!
He’s a petty, narrow-minded man! He wanted to pressure me through you into apologizing!
He even had a maid publicly beat me!
And the divorce—he proposed it! He threatened me that if I didn’t sign, he would send me away!
I am your own granddaughter—when have I ever suffered such humiliation?
If anyone is at fault, it’s not me! I never wanted to marry him; it was you, Grandfather, who forced me into this!
I’m the one who suffered, so why should I bear all the consequences?”
Su Hanwei’s passionate defense left Su Tong’s face flushing red and pale in turn, his heart aching deeply.
Indeed, Xu Mu and Su Hanwei were ill-matched.
Su Hanwei could have soared like a phoenix, bringing the Su family to greater heights.
But due to her willfulness, she had utterly ruined the family’s future.
Xu Mu was an exceptional young man—both in temperament and appearance.
His filial piety towards his mother was unparalleled.
In contrast, Su Hanwei’s disloyal and unfilial behavior made her utterly unworthy of Xu Mu.
He should never have entertained such a match, lest this sorry state of affairs arise.
Clutching his chest, Su Tong staggered a few steps.
“You, you, you unfilial daughter... cough, cough...”
The surge of anger nearly caused Su Tong to faint.
Seeing this, Su Hanwei quickly stepped forward to support him.
“Grandfather, please don’t be angry. I’m just explaining, not trying to upset you,” she said anxiously.
She helped him sit down and gently stroked his back to ease his breath.
But Su Tong grew even angrier.
What kind of explanation was this?
Concealing a divorce from him was hardly reasonable.
Just then, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Liang Shucheng strode into the courtyard with a confident smile, dressed impeccably, exuding the vigor of youth.
He had recently made a fortune using a money-laundering scheme devised by Li Baofu, acquiring 20,000 taels of silver from Liangzhou’s elite. He charged a 15% fee, pocketing 3,000 taels!
He was no longer the same as before.
Now favored by wealthy families, Liangzhou’s governor had even promised him an official post. Once he passed the provincial exam, he would assume office.
He was wealthy and well-connected; passing the exam was a mere formality.
Marrying Su Hanwei, the governor’s granddaughter, would pave a smooth path for his official career.
Su Tong, still seething, nearly blacked out upon seeing Liang Shucheng.
“You—you’re here?”
“Your Excellency, I humbly salute you. I, though unworthy, have privately pledged myself to Hanwei. Today I come to formally propose marriage. This 500 taels of silver is my betrothal gift; I hope Your Excellency will kindly accept it.”
Liang Shucheng clasped one hand behind his back and gestured with the other.
Several men carried in a chest wrapped in red silk and placed it before Su Tong.
Seeing Liang Shucheng’s confident demeanor, Su Hanwei’s face lit with admiration.
At this critical moment, Brother Shucheng truly stepped up to save the day.
That good-for-nothing Xu Mu was nowhere to be found—how could he compare to Brother Shucheng?
“Five hundred taels! What generosity! I work myself to death for a year and don’t earn that much!”
Even for Su Tong, 500 taels was a fortune.
As a fourth-rank official, his annual salary was barely a hundred taels.
Liang Shucheng’s lavish gift left Su Tong wondering how he had obtained such funds.
But Liang Shucheng assumed Su Tong was being sarcastic, thinking the gift too small.
“This 500 taels is just a token of my sincerity. I will dutifully care for Grandfather from now on. I’m about to take the imperial exams; once I become an official, with my talent and ability, I will surely help you rise even higher.”
Liang Shucheng brimmed with confidence about his future.
He believed that winning Su Hanwei’s hand was like striking gold.
Yet Su Tong’s conviction about Liang Shucheng’s true nature only deepened.
What kind of man shamelessly boasted in front of him about helping him advance?
As if Su Tong were the one gaining from Liang Shucheng!
He glanced at Su Hanwei, whose face shone with unhidden admiration.
This unfilial daughter was truly blind—forsaking a good man like Xu Mu for such a scoundrel?