"Mr. Xu, Miss Qixi, as far as I know, you and Mr. Xu have visited Mr. Lin and Miss Sun Youwei twice before. Is that correct?" Ye Shengyuan suddenly stood up, loudly asking, knowing that if he couldn’t overturn this result today, his plans would go down the drain.
"Yes, that’s true."
"Then Mr. Xu and Miss Xu do not deny that you were acquainted with them before this?" Ye Shengyuan continued to ask.
"Correct."
"In such a difficult dicine identification, among so many present, my son was the top scorer in this year’s physician examination, and he could only identify ten types, getting two wrong. No others are better than my son, so I suspect this woman cheated!" Ye Shengyuan pointed at Sun Youwei and said.
Sun Youwei turned pale with shock, but Lin Miao imdiately ca behind her, gently supporting her shoulder, giving her a look that said, "Don’t worry, I’ve got everything covered."
"Ye Shengyuan, are you saying I conspired with Miss Sun Youwei to deceive everyone?" Xu An had a bad temper when he was young, and today’s sudden proposal by Ye Shengyuan at the banquet was already quite rude.
And now they are accusing the Xu Family of colluding with others to cheat; how can this be tolerated?
"I wouldn’t dare. What I’m saying is that this woman might have sneaked out while everyone was not paying attention and saw Miss Qixi grinding dicine powder!" Ye Shengyuan, being a generation younger than Xu An.
"Nonsense! Little Seven was grinding dicine powder in the dicine room; besides , there was no third person present. Do you think just because I’m old, I’m too blind to notice anyone approaching?" Xu An said angrily, "What kind of person is your son, Ye Xizhao? Everyone in Dongshan City knows. He dreams of marrying our Little Seven!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Shengyuan’s face turned extrely grim.
"Report to the Patriarch, just now when Miss Qixi went to the dicine room, Miss Sun Youwei and Mr. Lin did leave the banquet hall for a while!" At this mont, a mber of the Xu Family suddenly joined in to report.
The Xu Family’s internal discord, with soone jumping out to support Ye Shengyuan.
Now that’s collusion!
Truly this is insidious and shaless.
Lin Miao frowned slightly; he had indeed left the banquet hall with his senior sister, but at that ti his senior sister had an urgent need, and he accompanied her for convenience.
They were also accompanied by a maid, and besides the ti his senior sister was in the restroom, they did not separate.
"Junior Brother..." Sun Youwei, having never experienced such a scene, was suddenly frightened and sowhat at a loss, further regretting and lanting that she shouldn’t have shown off by participating in the dicine identification contest.
Upon hearing this, Xu Zheng’s face instantly turned dark, the Xu Family mbers had been bribed, and the elbow turned outward, cooperating with outsiders to harm their family.
The dicine room was in the backyard, while guests were in the front yard. How could one get past the checkpoints to reach the backyard?
This guy’s report entirely avoided the main issue, misleading everyone to believe this was a conspiracy to deceive them.
Clearly, this dicine identification contest was not only involving Miss Xu’s marriage but also the tradition of whether the Xu Family’s Qi Observation Skill would be passed on.
The Xu Family mbers did not want the Qi Observation Skill to be passed on, while Ye Shengyuan hoped to marry into the Xu Family, wanting his son Ye Xizhao to marry Miss Xu.
This was likely aid at the Qi Observation Skill too.
Sun Youwei was falsely accused and naturally was urgent, her face flushed, just about to speak in her defense but was stopped by Lin Miao.
Now is not the ti for defense; it would only draw fire away from Miss Xu and trap oneself in a "prove innocence" snare.
At this mont, saying nothing was better than speaking.
They were guests invited by the Xu Family; even if they did see Miss Xu grinding dicine powder, so what? Without being caught red-handed, there is no evidence to prove they cheated.
If soone dared to falsely accuse them, he would dare to go to the governnt office tomorrow to sound the drum and seek justice.
Anyway, tonight Officer Pei Jian was present, as well as many guests, including Benefit People Pharmacy, Sansheng Hall, and the Su Family, top families from Dongshan City.
Had he not visited Officer Pei’s residence for a banquet last night, he might not have been confident, but now, he had the backing.
"Miss Sun, no explanation?" Ye Shengyuan sneered, approaching Lin Miao and Sun Youwei, forcing a question.
"Excuse , Patriarch Ye, is this the Ye Family?" Lin Miao’s face was calm, no waves as he counter-asked.
"You..."
"Boy, when Patriarch Ye asks you a question, you dare not answer?" Soone, not knowing whether they were bootlicking or trying to please Ye Shengyuan, slamd the table, angrily pointing at Lin Miao and scolding.
"And who might you be?" Lin Miao gave the person a big eye roll, then shut his mouth, not speaking.
"Today, unless the Xu Family Patriarch or Miss Xu asks the question, I will respond; others are not qualified." Lin Miao slowly spoke.
"Young man, you’re quite arrogant!"
"Yes, why don’t you be arrogant and see if Patriarch Ye gives you that opportunity?" Lin Miao coldly glanced at the person.
With capability, one can be arrogant; without qualification, arrogance is a path to death.
"Mr. Lin, my father asked you a question, and you dare not respond?" Ye Xizhao ca charging in, his eyes filled with ferocity.
Ye Xizhao’s performance at the banquet tonight was witnessed by many guests, who couldn’t help but shake their heads. Having talent but no virtue, such a person becoming the top scorer in this year’s physician examination is truly ironic!
"Who might your father be?"
"My father is the Ye Family Patriarch..."
"I thought your father was the Xu Family Patriarch, so soon joined them as a son-in-law, questioning on behalf of your father!" Lin Miao quipped.
"Haha..."
"Mr. Lin, you have gone too far!" Ye Xizhao was so enraged that he was on the verge of striking Lin Miao, but was slapped heavily by his father Ye Shengyuan, leaving him dazed.
Disgraceful fool.
He never imagined that his own son would behave in such a manner; tonight, Ye Shengyuan thoroughly lost face.
"Mr. Lin certainly has a sharp tongue, Ye acknowledges."
"You’re too kind. Patriarch Ye should mind his son more often; his mouth is likely to bring trouble upon you one day."
"You wretched fool, let’s go!" Having the conversation reach this point, if Ye Shengyuan kept stirring up trouble, it would only make him a laughingstock.
This Ye Xizhao probably took too much "Ease Powder," Lin Miao could sll it on him...
The fiasco of accusing Sun Youwei of "cheating" was finally over.
She had rely gone to the bathroom, and there was no evidence to suggest Sun Youwei had accessed the Xu Family’s pharmacy. Relying on guesswork and imagination alone could effortlessly ruin a person’s reputation.
Such things were commonplace in his past life—online scribbles, chasing shadows, quotations taken out of context, ruining individuals was exceedingly common.
Because inadvertently, one falls into a "prove your innocence" dilemma.
If you’re innocent, why the need to prove your innocence? It’s a paradox!
"Senior Sister, let’s leave!" Lin Miao firmly held Sun Youwei’s hand, heading towards the flowers hall’s exit; there was no reason for them to stay.
"Mr. Lin, wait!" Xu Zheng hastily called out.
"Patriarch Xu, what is the matter?"
"Mr. Lin, your Senior Sister Miss Sun Youwei answered all the herbs in my daughter’s dicine pouch correctly. According to the Xu Family’s promise, Miss Sun Youwei can stay and learn our Qi Observation Skill. What is your view, Mr. Lin?" Xu Zheng inquired.
A public promise cannot be denied; otherwise, the Xu Family’s reputation would be in ruins.
"Senior Sister, do you want to learn the Qi Observation Skill?" Lin Miao asked Sun Youwei.
Sun Youwei had already felt apprehensive; she wasn’t very interested in the Qi Observation Skill. She rely wanted to prove to her Junior Brother that she was not just a damsel in distress.
Seeing her gently shake her head,
Lin Miao understood her desire, and promptly responded, "Patriarch Xu, my Senior Sister participated in the herb identification contest rely to assist Miss Qixi. She is not interested in the Xu Family’s Qi Observation Skill. We must decline the offer, and we won’t accept it!"
"Assisting Qixi..." Xu Zheng paused montarily but quickly comprehended the situation. Without Sun Youwei, the first place in tonight’s herb identification would have been Ye Xizhao. Then, Ye Shengyuan would have brought up the marriage alliance, making it difficult for Xu Zheng.
Xu Qixi did not want to marry Ye Xizhao; this much he knew as her father. However, many in the Xu Family supported the idea; after all, it wouldn’t be their own daughter getting married. Xu Qixi marrying into the Ye Family would benefit them.
If Xu Qixi didn’t marry Ye Xizhao, she wasn’t prioritizing family interests, which was considered a grave sin!
Simply put, it was a group of selfish parasites.
Refusing the Xu Family’s Qi Observation Skill was astonishing to the guests present. If it were them, probably none would reject such an offer, even if conditions were attached.
However, these young people rejected it very straightforwardly, without any hesitation.
"Mr. Xie, let’s go ho." Helping his Senior Sister into their carriage, Lin Miao instructed Mr. Xie.
"Boss, why did you co out first while others are still inside?"
"If we are unwelco here, should we linger only to be kicked out eventually?"
"True, with your gift worth eight hundred coins, if I were them, I’d probably have kicked you out sooner," Mr. Xie chuckled while driving the carriage away.
With Lin Miao and Sun Youwei leaving, the birthday feast neared its conclusion. Guests gradually bid farewell, and soon, the flower hall was almost empty of guests.
As Patriarch, Xu Zheng still needed to see the guests off one by one, leaving only mbers of the Xu Family.
"Today, Ye Shengyuan was clearly attempting to use Little Seven’s birthday feast to force our Xu Family to agree to an arranged marriage. It was far too excessive!"
"What’s wrong with an arranged marriage with the Ye Family? With their help, the Xu Family’s Baoan Hall’s status in Dongshan City would be secured!"
"But we shouldn’t trade Little Seven’s happiness for it!"
"Little Seven is our Xu Family’s daughter; it’s only right for her to make sacrifices for the family. Besides, won eventually have to marry; Ye Xizhao is grood to be the Ye Family’s successor. Should Little Seven marry over, once Ye Shengyuan passes, she’d be the matriarch, what’s bad about that?"
Once the guests left, several Xu brothers began arguing, splitting into two factions: one supporting the Xu and Ye Family marriage alliance, the other opposing it.
The opposition did not hold much sway.
"The Lianzhou Su Family isn’t bad either; Mr. Su’s mother even ca personally. The Su Family is Lianzhou’s richest. If we could gain their support, we could expand Baoan Hall’s operations in Lianzhou..."
"There’s also Mr. Zhong’s descendant, Zhong Yu. I think he’s not bad either. We don’t necessarily have to choose Ye Xizhao; didn’t you see his behavior tonight—a hoodlum, no less?"
"Enough of this! Aren’t we humiliated enough tonight?" Patriarch Xu Zheng finally erupted. A birthday feast that intended to showcase the Xu Family’s strength resulted in such disgrace.
Even exposing the Xu Family’s internal conflicts to outsiders, left him, as the patriarch, utterly exhausted.
"Don’t think I don’t know what’s on your minds; I’ve made up my mind—Little Seven’s marriage is her choice. Whoever she wants to marry, she can marry; if she doesn’t wish to marry, I’ll support her for life!" Finished speaking, Xu Zheng turned to leave.
The Xu brothers and elders were left dumbfounded.
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