"Liang Xiao?!"
The father and daughter's pupils contracted sharply, their eyes scanning Liang Xiao with surprise and doubt.
Li Jinyu, who had remained silent, finally spoke, "He is indeed the Marquis of Anguo of the Great Qian, without a doubt. Steward Chen, there's no reason for me to lie to you, is there?"
Upon discovering the familiar face of Li Jinyu present, Steward Chen was startled. He then turned to Liang Xiao with a fawning smile and cupped his fists.
"Marquis of Anguo graces us with his presence, it is our profound oversight not to have welcomed you sooner, truly!"
"As expected of the Young Sage, with a heroic bearing, exuding sage-like demeanor in every gesture!"
Everyone could not help but admire Steward Chen's swift change of expression.
Liang Xiao stated, "I'll get straight to the point. I wish to discuss some business with you, and also to propose marriage on behalf of our eldest senior brother."
Steward Chen was taken aback. "Has the Marquis of Anguo already taken the Sword Saint as his master?"
"Not yet, I am already the Sword Saint's son-in-law. I happen to be passing through Chuzhou and am here to propose marriage for our eldest senior brother on behalf of my father-in-law and mother-in-law." The man spoke calmly, his face already flushed crimson beneath the veil of Jian Qinwan beside him.
Steward Chen furrowed his brow and shook his head, "I am truly sorry, Marquis of Anguo, but this is my family affair!"
"Father..." Chen Xinyue choked out.
Liang Xiao ignored Steward Chen and looked directly at Chen Xinyue. "Miss Chen, I will only ask you one question: Do you still wish to marry our eldest senior brother?"
The sudden question left the father and daughter stunned.
Recovering their senses, Chen Xinyue looked at the serious Liang Xiao, then at the guilty-looking Chen Shaoling and his wife. She turned away and trembled, "I... I do..."
Jian Qinwan's beautiful eyes lit up, Li Hongshu breathed a sigh of relief, and Chen Shaoling bowed his head in shame.
"He refuses to join our family through marriage, so your willingness is irrelevant!"
Steward Chen grew anxious, grabbing Chen Xinyue's hand and earnestly trying to persuade her.
"Father only has you as his daughter. How can he possibly hand over a fortune worth millions, and the network of connections painstakingly built, to someone like a wandering swordsman!"
The same argument made Chen Xinyue shake her head helplessly, and she looked back at Chen Shaoling.
Chen Shaoling took a deep breath and sighed, "Uncle Chen, I cannot join your family through marriage, but... the first child born in the future can remain in the Chen mansion, to ensure your lineage is not broken for now."
"What good is that! The child will still be Chen Shaoling's when they grow up!" Steward Chen immediately became incensed.
Liang Xiao chuckled, "Steward Chen, you, a prominent figure in intelligence, why are you so stubborn on such a trivial matter?"
"Stubborn?" Steward Chen was displeased. "I respect the Marquis of Anguo, but this is a family matter that a young man like the Marquis of Anguo cannot interfere with!"
Liang Xiao said solemnly, "You both share the surname Chen. How can the child not be surnamed Chen, and how can your Chen mansion not continue? Look at your daughter again. You've forced her into this state where she has to set challenges to find a spouse. If this drags on, by the time you are ancient, you won't even see your grandchildren. Will all this wealth and influence vanish into thin air and be burned for you?"
Jian Qinwan couldn't help but retort, "Your daughter is almost thirty and still unmarried, isn't that because you forced her? You thought it would shame you if she married, but isn't this embarrassing enough? You're over seventy and can't even be sure when you'll hold a grandchild, yet you still expect to preserve your face?"
At this moment, Jian Qinwan felt moved to tears.
She finally understood how fortunate and blessed she was to have such parents and master!
They even wanted to give her to the man she loved...
Steward Chen was rendered speechless.
If anyone else had lectured him like this, they would have been beaten and thrown out by the Chen mansion's guards.
But standing before him now was the Marquis of Anguo, a person he absolutely could not offend!
As the local power in Chuzhou, Steward Chen relied on his network and connections, and the primary source of these connections was the martial artists who revered him.
Which of those martial artists didn't praise Liang Xiao to the skies?
If word spread through the martial world that he had offended the Marquis of Anguo, Liang Xiao, his business would likely suffer a significant decline!
Zhuo Xun watched the entire scene unfold, not daring to speak, but tears welled up in her eyes.
Her feelings at this moment were similar to Jian Qinwan's.
"Steward Chen, isn't it also an honorable thing for your daughter to marry the Sword Saint's eldest disciple? It would even elevate your status in the martial world!" Liang Xiao smiled.
"It is, it is, it's just that the Chen mansion's assets..." Steward Chen still looked pained.
Everyone was left speechless by this stubborn old man.
Liang Xiao said sternly, "I have a suggestion. Let your daughter marry our eldest senior brother openly. The wedding can be held in Chuzhou. Since my father-in-law and mother-in-law cannot attend, you will be the sole chief officiant during the ceremonies. According to what our eldest senior brother and his wife say, after they are married, the first child born will remain in the Chen mansion to be your grandchild, and you can enjoy the bliss of family without worrying about your lineage ending."
Li Hongshu added, "If subsequent children are boys, you could also keep a few of them in the Chen mansion..."
Chen Shaoling, standing by, was speechless, while Chen Xinyue blushed crimson with shame.
A few?
Steward Chen pondered.
Liang Xiao continued, "These grandchildren will be with you, and you will nurture them. They will naturally develop some affection for you and obediently inherit your family business, won't they? Isn't it enjoyable to be a rich man? A prominent figure in the martial world like you lacks such confidence? Given your current relationship with your daughter, after you're gone, won't the assets still belong to her? Can you control matters after your death?"
A drop of cold sweat appeared on Steward Chen's forehead.
After his death, his daughter might want to reunite with Chen Shaoling, and he would have to "resentfully watch from the grave"?
The thought alone was agonizing!
Seeing the sweat on Steward Chen's forehead, Liang Xiao smiled again, "Instead of being in this stalemate, where no one is happy, why not fulfill their desires and make everyone happy? Isn't a son-in-law who is a reputable chivalrous hero more reliable than someone your daughter finds through random challenges? At the very least, after you're gone, your children, grandchildren, and son-in-law will sincerely burn paper for you."
Steward Chen gasped and looked at Chen Shaoling, his face filled with indecision. "Can you truly let your children become part of my Chen family, rather than having them take the family business back to be your children?"
"If I were greedy, my senior sister would have expelled me from Tianshan long ago!" Chen Shaoling chuckled dryly, his old face blushing again.
He seemed to have already been symbolically expelled from Tianshan, but Mu Xueqin was helping them assist their precious junior sister.
Now that Liang Xiao had confirmed his relationship with their junior sister, they could return to Tianshan with peace of mind!
After a moment of hesitation, Steward Chen closed his eyes and sighed, "Marquis of Anguo, please rest here for a moment. Let my daughter entertain you while I return to consider this carefully..."
After Steward Chen left, everyone applauded. Chen Xinyue was too embarrassed to speak.
"Will this work?" Zhuo Xun asked weakly.
"It must work!" Liang Xiao nodded.
"It's still the Marquis of Anguo who is useful, able to convince a prominent figure like Steward Chen!" Li Hongshu sighed with emotion.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Liang Xiao smiled wryly. "What convinced him wasn't my eloquence, but my power in his eyes. Those without power, no matter how loud they shout, will be ignored. Those with power, even if they speak softly, will be heard clearly. Clever words are no match for authority."
Everyone fell into thought, marveling.
Chen Xinyue was filled with surprise. Looking at the young man before her, she felt admiration and gratitude, bowing deeply to Liang Xiao.
Only a quarter of an hour later, Steward Chen scurried back.
"Marquis of Anguo, first tell me, what business do you wish to conduct with me? Do you want us to offend the Spring Return Sect?"