I fought back after reselling my engagement

A trace of sadness flashed across Su Shao's face, and he said to the people outside: "Wait outside, don't let anyone get close."

"Yes——" the servant and the boy who came with him responded at the same time.

Su Shao calmed down and said, "Father, is it my second sister who asked the emperor not to easily grant Su Su a marriage?"

Su Jingzhai interrupted him, "She has been gone for ten years."

"After so many things happened back then, my second sister's greatest wish in life was that Su Su could grow up safely. But Zhen Yuan didn't know Su Su's life story, and the emperor couldn't possibly guess it."

"Do you really think Zhen Yuan didn't know?" Su Jingzhai snorted. "If he didn't know, why would he allow a concubine to ride on your second sister's head? If he didn't know, he wouldn't want to use the mother and daughter of the Yu family to kill Su Su. He guessed that Su Su was not his child. No man can tolerate raising a daughter for others..."

"What does the emperor mean? He knew that Susu and the fifth prince were siblings, but he still let the fifth prince do whatever he wanted and ruin Susu's reputation. If he hadn't come to her house several times to pester her, how could Concubine Wan plot against my second sister in order to win her favor? How could my second sister be forced to marry Zhen Yuan?"

"Shao'er, the dead cannot be resurrected, so let go of the past."

"A man of his stature dares to act but not to take responsibility. So what if he is the Supreme? He is not only sorry for Second Sister, but also for Su Su!"

"Shao'er, the reason why the Su family still has a peaceful life today is all because of your second sister. The emperor has been on the throne for eighteen years, and the princes have grown up. He transferred me to Hunan Province just to keep us away from the princes' fighting. His promise to your second sister has never changed."

Others may not understand, but Su Jingzhai understands all the reasons behind it.

He was transferred out of the capital in order to protect them and their son, as he did not want them to get involved in the fight among the princes.

"He ruined my second sister's life. Susu is coming of age today, and the Fifth Prince made such a fuss. Susu's reputation is completely ruined."

"Not letting Susu return to the royal family was your second sister's last wish. Once the fifth prince makes a scene, no one will doubt Susu's origins."

"Others don't doubt it, but what does he mean by 'being asked by an old friend' when he asked Lu Yan to say that? In his heart, he actually wants to recognize Su Su. He turned a blind eye to the grievances and bullying that Su Su suffered in the Zhen family. Is he qualified to be a father?"

"Shao'er, he won't recognize Susu, and Susu can't know the grudges of the previous generation. In Susu's heart: Wan'er is a loyal and excellent mother."

"My second sister's life was so pitiful..."

"Wan'er's character is too soft and weak. Susu is not the same as her. On the surface, Susu's character looks like your second sister, but deep down, she is very much like the Empress Gaozu. She compiled the gifts from various families into a book and asked Lu Yan to present it to the emperor for me. She was afraid that the censors and officials would impeach the Su family and use the coming of age to make money. She kept the ones who could not be moved, and she presented the bulk of the money."

"Father can guess that Susu is doing this for the Su family, so how could I not know? Because of this, Susu is well-behaved and sensible, and I feel even more distressed. The Fifth Prince doesn't know the truth, so how could Concubine Zhou not know? Concubine Zhou is a close friend of the Second Sister. If it weren't for the Second Sister's conspiracy to marry into the Zhen family, how could it be her turn? She knelt down and asked the Emperor to grant the marriage, but the Emperor did not agree. She should have guessed the inside story. And she let the Fifth Prince go to Yueyang Mansion to make a scene and damage Susu's reputation?"

In the study, the hiding female guard Shi Jian heard this and knew very well that Princess Jiarou was not some princess of a different surname, but was of the royal dragon bloodline and the daughter of the current emperor.

And what happened in the capital more than a decade ago? Only the Su family, the emperor and others know.

Concubine Zhou Shufei and Su Wan were old friends. Originally, it was Su Wan who should have married into the palace, but later it became Concubine Zhou Shufei.

Su Jingzhai said: "Don't mention the past anymore. Your second sister passed away ten years ago. Let's forget the past with her." He took out a letter from a small drawer on his desk and a piece of tribute paper from it. When he unfolded it, he saw an imperial seal on it with the words "Wen Jiang" written on it.

"The Emperor's calligraphy? He was the one who chose Susu's calligraphy!"

Wen Jiang, with the Chinese character "Jiang", is the only one in the royal family who has been given the name Wen Jiang since the founding of the Qi Dynasty. She is the eldest daughter of Emperor Taizu of Qi, Princess Zhenguo, with the Chinese character Hui Jiang. Although she is a girl, she fought on the battlefield like a man and made great military achievements that are no less than those of a great man. She is also the only royal lady with a Chinese character since the founding of the Qi Dynasty.

During the Holy Week, "Jiang" was used to describe the princesses of kings and noble ladies, such as Qi Jiang, Qin Jiang, etc. "Jiang" is a respectful title, and only the princesses of a country can be called so.

Su Jingzhai said: "The name came out through my mouth, and he was the one who actually chose it. He always had your second sister in his heart, and even more so Wen Jiang."

Su Shao looked at the paper and saw that the word "Wen Jiang" was written in Lishu script, which showed how serious and thoughtful he was when he decided on this word.

Su Shao said, "Father, are you using the names of my elder and second brothers to give Wen Jiang a coming-of-age gift?"

"Your second sister never forgave them until her death. When they came to Wen Jiang, they showed their goodwill. The gifts were prepared by your eldest and second brothers, not given on their behalf by your father to save face."

It is unknown whether Su Gang and Su Jin felt guilty or regretful about what happened back then. But the gift they sent to Zhen Su on her coming of age ceremony was a token of their love as uncles.

"They were unsure before, but the emperor conferred Wen Jiang the title of county lady and princess, and granted her the fief of Mu. Has he acknowledged Wen Jiang's status in his heart?"

"Shao'er, Wen Jiang shouldn't live in resentment."

"What my eldest brother, second brother, and eldest sister did back then was not something that a human could do. If it weren't for them, my second sister would not have died of depression; if it weren't for them, Wen Jiang would not have lost her mother at a young age..."

Su Jingzhai brought his young son and his family to Hunan Province to take up the post, but Zhen Su lived a cautious and difficult life in the Zhen family. His second sister lived a miserable life. It was also because of his second sister that Emperor Dezhi wanted to protect them father and son.

"It's been so many years, and you still can't let it go?"

"Of course I can't. They schemed against my second sister first, and then they wanted to scheme against me. They rush to get anything that's good, and they're willing to do anything shameless or dishonest."

Su Jingzhai frowned slightly, "I know you don't want Wulang to marry the girl from the Xie family. The Xie family only said that they would be engaged to the son of the third branch of the Su family in the capital, but they didn't specify which one..."

Su Shao said: "Wulang is the eldest son, I don't want him to be wronged. The Xie family has been in decline for many years, and the girls in the family can no longer support themselves. I hope that my children can find someone they like and marry."

The brothers Su Gang and Su Jin were unwilling to marry into their uncle's family again, so why should their sons suffer such injustice?

Xiao Xie was the only legitimate child in the family. Su Shao's maternal grandmother had damaged her family foundation when she gave birth to Xiao Xie, and she only had Xiao Xie as her daughter. Although Su Shao had several uncles, they were all illegitimate children, and they were not close to him or Xiao Xie.

Su Gang and Su Jin's uncles were brothers from the Xie family.

Now that the Hedong Xie family is in decline, they want to find another relative, but they cannot curry favor with the first and second wives of the Su family, so they shamelessly force their son to marry a girl from the Xie family.