The Three-Year Pact

"Ye Fan?" Su Hong was a bit bewildered. "Who is he?"

"Has Second Uncle forgotten? He once made a three-year pact with you."

"A three-year pact?" Su Hong was even more confused. Who made a three-year pact with him? And what was this pact about?

However, reminded by Su Li, he quickly realized and said, "So it's that guy!"

He vaguely remembered that it was a young man, dressed shabbily, yet always carrying an arrogant demeanor as if he were the greatest in the world. Just by catching a distant glimpse of his second niece, Su Xiu, at the market, he dared to come to their door to propose marriage.

Su Hong was not stupid; how could he offer up his pampered second niece to such a destitute boy? He immediately told the boy to leave.

But this boy, with an arrogance from who knows where, actually dared to make a three-year pact right to his face, saying he would definitely return in three years to seek justice.

This incident had made him quite angry back then, but he only treated Ye Fan as an ignorant young man who didn't know his place, and never took it to heart.

Now...

Su Li suddenly brought up this Ye Fan.

What, had this Ye Fan actually made something of himself?

Was he now an existence capable of wrestling with the Great General?

Impossible. With his shabby and destitute appearance, and having no background whatsoever, he was destined to fade into the ordinary crowd!

"What does that Ye Fan do now?"

Su Li shook her head. "Second Uncle, Li'er doesn't know. Since we parted ways back then, Li'er has never seen him again."

"You haven't seen him, yet you trust him so much?"

Su Li quickly replied, "It's mainly because Second Sister often told me that young master Ye Fan was born extraordinary, and given time, he would be no ordinary man."

"She also said that even if she poked a hole in the sky, Brother Ye Fan would be able to patch it up for her."

"Since Second Sister is so certain and confident, I suppose Brother Ye Fan must be extraordinary, so..."

Su Hong grew furious. "With your Second Sister's brain, if she were even a little bit normal, would she be hanging from the city gate tower right now?"

"And you still believe her?"

"Are you afraid that our Su family isn't collapsing fast enough?"

"But..." Su Li said somewhat timidly, "The way Second Sister talks about Brother Ye Fan is just so confident, I can't help but believe her..."

"Say no more!" Su Hong was agitated. If he really entrusted the fate of the Su family to that destitute, impoverished, and absolutely penniless Ye Fan, then he would be the one with a sick brain.

Very sick!

He outright cut off Su Li's suggestion, pondering in his mind if there was any other way to break this deadlock. The only thing he could think of now was that his eldest niece, Su Jin, might be able to help.

But he knew that Su Jin's status before the Great General was not high. Asking his eldest niece Su Jin to plead with the Great General might just end up sacrificing her as well.

It was simply not a good idea.

"What should we do?"

He was burning with anxiety, thinking for a long time but finding no solution.

Beside him, Su Li suddenly revealed a look of determination on her face and said, "Second Uncle, how about I marry the Great General in Second Sister's place?"

"You?"

Su Hong was stunned for a moment. He had never considered it from this angle, mainly because of Su Li's status; she was born to a mistress.

Neither legitimate nor the eldest.

It would be difficult for her to represent the entire Su family.

If Su Li were to marry the Great General, he could naturally control and fully support it within Cloud Ridge City, but the clan members scattered across the Northern Frontier might not be willing to give their full support.

After all, if Great General Ren Tianye married a concubine's daughter from their Su family, it would mean he didn't fully recognize the Su family. Naturally, they wouldn't bet all their treasures on Great General Ren Tianye.

They would definitely still rely on the legitimate daughters and sons of the Su family to seek refuge with other factions in these chaotic times, thereby supporting other powers, which was a way of not putting all their eggs in one basket.

But if it were a legitimate daughter, the situation would be completely different.

With Su Hong mediating, the clan members would throw all their resources to the Great General, risking everything for a gamble.

"Yes, Second Uncle, I will marry the Great General."

"Li'er knows that Li'er has a lowly status and originally wouldn't dare to climb the high branch of the Great General. But right now, to save Second Sister and to save the Su family, Li'er wants to try!"

Su Hong fell silent.

Su Li was right; the current situation had vastly exceeded their expectations. Su Xiu's reckless actions had already caused their Su family to lose the Great General's favor.

They had to show even more sufficient sincerity.

Letting Su Li marry him—although the clan members certainly wouldn't fully support it—if he went all out, tried hard to persuade them, and even dealt with the disobedient ones in the clan, it might not fail to achieve a very good result.

More importantly...

He had no choice.

His mind immediately made up, he said, "What lowly status? You were also raised in the First Lady's room since childhood; you can originally be considered a legitimate daughter."

"As long as you are willing, my Su Manor will certainly follow the standards of a legitimate daughter and marry you off to the Great General in a grand and glorious manner."

Su Li bowed. "Second Uncle, I am willing!"

Her large eyes were clear, and her expression was gentle and innocent, which made Su Hong slightly taken aback. From childhood to adulthood, neither his eldest niece nor his second niece ever gave him peace of mind. Only this third niece was well-behaved and obedient, never stepping out of line, and was even cautious and careful in everything she did.

It was just that she didn't have a good birth; otherwise, she should have been the most recognized person in their Su Manor.

Thinking this, he actually felt a bit of guilt towards Su Li in his heart, and said, "Li'er, it's all Second Uncle's fault. If I had just let you go when the Great General came to propose marriage back then, regardless of everything, it would have been fine."

"How would our Su family have ended up in this current situation?"

"Even if we try our best to make amends, the crack will always exist and can never be erased."

"The Su Manor originally only needed to exert ten points of effort to gain endless wealth for future generations. Now... I'm afraid even if the Su Manor exerts twelve points of effort, our status will be deadlocked."

Pausing, he sighed, "However, a pity is a pity, but it is still better than having the entire Su Manor wiped out."

"Second Uncle is very happy that you have this intention."

"This is not the place to talk. Let's go back and talk."

Bringing Su Li back to the Su Manor, Su Hong had already begun to seriously consider how to arrange things so that Great General Ren Tianye would not mind the Su Manor's previous reckless actions.

But before he could think this matter through, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The matter with his second niece, Su Xiu, had made him overly paranoid. Now that he was going to offer up his third niece, he had better make sure this third niece didn't have any flaws either, or else their Su Manor would be completely finished.

He hurriedly called Su Li over again.

He asked, "Li'er, Second Uncle asks you, are you truly sincere about marrying the Great General this time?"

"Do you have the slightest dissatisfaction?"

"Can you really accept it? Or are you just forced by the circumstances and actually harbor resentment towards the Great General?"

Su Li obediently knelt on the ground, her expression sincere. "Second Uncle, Li'er is genuinely and sincerely willing to marry the Great General. If the Great General does not disdain me, after Li'er marries him, I will certainly take care of the Great General day and night, and will definitely not let him worry about household matters!"

...