freenovelworld Chapter 1472 Rest
Chapter 1472 Rest
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
Those who had been trying to bring them together were now completely speechless.
Su Wenyan's face flushed red and then turned pale as he stood there, caught in a dilemma.
The Su family patriarch's face turned even uglier. Being rejected in public was undoubtedly a huge loss of face for the Su family.
Mo Ziyu finally reacted, straightened up from her seat, and spoke in a clear voice with the authority of a young city lord: "I support Aunt Miao! Aunt Miao can do whatever she wants, and no one can force her to marry! Anyone who dares to make things difficult for Aunt Miao with marriage is an enemy of my city lord's mansion and an enemy of my Jingcheng!"
The young man's voice was clear and resonant, each word spoken with conviction.
Everyone then came to their senses.
Yes, the woman before us is someone who single-handedly saved the entire city of Jingcheng; she is not a delicate young lady to be manipulated by others.
She has integrity, ambition, and confidence.
What's wrong with refusing a marriage proposal?
For a moment, no one at the table dared to say another word.
The Su family patriarch's expression changed several times, but he finally suppressed his anger and forced a smile: "Since Miss Zhan has no intention, then it is this old man who has been presumptuous."
Su Wenyan could only bow awkwardly and retreat to his seat in a daze.
A sudden marriage proposal farce was easily resolved by Zhan Miao with a single, effortless sword strike.
After the banquet, the guests left.
Mo Ziyu jogged to catch up with Zhan Miao, looking up at her with admiration: "Aunt Miao, you were amazing just now! No one can marry you off!"
Zhan Miao bent down and gently rubbed the top of his head, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Aunt Miao isn't leaving."
"Wherever Jingcheng is, that's where I am."
The night was gentle, and the lights were dim.
In front of the city lord's mansion, two figures, one tall and one short, stood in the wind.
From now on, no one will dare to underestimate this woman who single-handedly supported the entire city of Jingcheng.
The news of her refusing to marry at the victory celebration banquet spread throughout Jingcheng overnight.
Some praised Zhan Miao for his integrity and indifference to power and wealth; others lamented the Su family's loss of face and self-inflicted humiliation; still others secretly held a grudge against this "disrespect."
Inside the Su family's villa, the atmosphere was so gloomy it was almost dripping with gloom.
The head of the Su family smashed the teacup in his hand, shards flying everywhere.
"So, Zhan Miao! Does he really think that just because he saved Jingcheng, he can disregard the Su family?"
Su Wenyan sat at the lower end of the table, his face pale and ashen. The humiliation of being publicly rejected at the celebration banquet had become a thorn in his heart that he could not remove.
"Father, she only cares about the City Lord's Mansion and that brat Mo Ziyu; she doesn't take our Su family seriously at all. Today, she has made our Su family a laughingstock in the whole city. This grudge cannot be left unresolved!"
A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Su family patriarch.
With Zhou Chongshan dead, he thought he could take over the power in Jingcheng and then, through a marriage alliance with Zhan Miao, rightfully secure his position. Who knew that woman would be so unyielding, refusing to listen to reason, and even publicly humiliating him.
Keeping her around will ultimately be a disaster.
"Isn't she relying on the City Lord's Mansion and the people for support?" The head of the Su family sneered. "Then let's cripple her wings first, and then ruin her reputation. I want her to know that in Jingcheng, no one who doesn't obey the Su family can stand firm!"
The group whispered amongst themselves, and a wicked plan quietly took shape.
Three days later, the Su family held another banquet.
This wasn't a marriage proposal, but rather a banquet hosted by the city's powerful figures and officials under the guise of "appeasing the city's elite families and discussing people's livelihoods." The invitation was delivered directly to Zhan Miao.
Princess Youyi frowned upon seeing this: "It's clearly a trap, Aunt Miao, don't go."
Mo Ziyu also clung tightly to Zhan Miao's sleeve, her little face full of vigilance: "Aunt Miao, the Su family has no good intentions, we're not going! I've ordered them not to hold the banquet!"
Zhan Miao gently patted the boy's hand, his gaze falling on the invitation, and smiled faintly.
“If I don’t go, they will spread rumors everywhere, saying that I am afraid of them, that I am arrogant and do not cooperate with the powerful families.”
"Besides, I want to see what tricks they can pull."
She's no longer the type to passively take a beating.
Since the Su family refuses to give up, let's eliminate the hidden danger completely once and for all.
In the evening, Zhan Miao went to the Su residence alone as promised.
She was still dressed in a neat blue robe, with few guards, leaving only two trusted confidants outside the mansion to meet her. Her posture was upright, and her steps were composed, as if she were attending a casual banquet rather than a treacherous trap.
Inside the Su residence, the lights were dazzling and guests were gathered in large numbers.
All eyes were on her from the very beginning. Some were curious, some were watching the spectacle, some were gloating, and some were secretly worried.
The head of the Su family and Su Wenyan personally came out to greet them, their faces plastered with fake smiles, as if the embarrassment of being rejected in public that day had never happened.
"It is truly a blessing for the Su family and Jingcheng that Miss Zhan would grace us with her presence."
Zhan Miao nodded slightly, his tone neither warm nor cold: "Mr. Su, you're too kind."
After taking their seats and drinking several rounds of wine, they were seated.
The head of the Su family suddenly raised his cup and said loudly, "Gentlemen, the purpose of this banquet today is twofold: first, to apologize to Miss Zhan for the abruptness at the victory celebration banquet that day; and second, to discuss the reconstruction of the western city and the replenishment of medicine and food supplies. Miss Zhan is both wise and brave, and we would appreciate your guidance."
Everyone echoed this sentiment.
Zhan Miao remained expressionless, a cold smile playing on his lips.
The guidance was feigned; the test was real.
Sure enough, the next moment, Su Wenyan stood up and presented an exquisite wooden box with both hands.
“Miss Zhan, I was impolite that day. This small gift is just to express my apology. I hope you will accept it.”
Zhan Miao raised an eyebrow: "Young Master Su, there's no need for that. The past is the past."
“If you don’t accept it, it means you’re still blaming me.” Su Wenyan insisted on stepping forward and stuffing the box into her hands. “Please take a look, and if you don’t like it, you can return it.”
Now that things have come to this, everyone's attention is focused on it.
Zhan Miao slowly opened the wooden box.
Inside was not gold or silver jewelry, but a pure white jade pendant with a warm and lustrous texture, clearly of considerable value.
But the moment the box was opened—
A very faint, very unique fragrance quietly spread out.
Zhan Miao's expression changed slightly.
She recognized the scent.
It was the mind-controlling incense that Zhou Chongshan used to make people dizzy and easy to manipulate. It was mild in nature, colorless and odorless. It was mixed in with the jade pendant and slowly released, so it was impossible to detect for a while.
What a fine family, the Su family.
The gift-giving was a pretense; the real purpose was poisoning.
They wanted to make her lose her composure, become confused, and talk nonsense in front of everyone, thus destroying the prestige and public support she had painstakingly built up over the past few days.
Zhan Miao understood, but remained expressionless, as if he hadn't noticed anything at all, and gently closed the box.
"The jade pendant is beautiful, thank you, Young Master Su."
She spoke calmly, casually placing the jade pendant beside her, as if she truly accepted this "apology."
Su Wenyan was overjoyed and exchanged a triumphant look with the head of the Su family.
The show is about to begin.
A few moments later.
The head of the Su family suddenly spoke, his tone "concerned": "Miss Zhan, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"
Everyone immediately looked over.
Zhan Miao lowered his eyes slightly, leaned back in his chair, and frowned slightly, as if he was indeed feeling a little dizzy.
Su Wenyan immediately stepped forward with feigned concern: "Is Miss Zhan drunk? Should we help you to the side hall to rest?"