Marrying the General with a Sincere Heart

Su Hong nodded.

Su Li's behavior and performance were very much to his liking. This was exactly how a normal woman should act.

Normally, this would have been enough.

However, the shadow cast by Su Xiu was simply too deep.

It forced him to be cautious, and then even more cautious.

He asked, "If you marry him, what kind of betrothal gifts do you plan to ask the Great General for?"

Su Li quickly replied, "The Great General is a chosen son of heaven. When taking a wife, he should seek a match of equal status. If he were to give betrothal gifts, even the lowest tier should go to the daughter of a humble scholar or a descendant of loyal martyrs. Although our Su family is prominent in the Northern Frontier, we are ultimately just a merchant family, and I am merely a concubine's daughter. How could I dare to expect any betrothal gifts?"

"As long as the Great General is willing to send a sedan chair to bring me to his manor, I will be completely satisfied."

"Then..." Su Hong asked again, "If after you are married, the Great General does something to upset you, what will you do?"

Su Li said with trepidation, "The Great General is swamped with military duties and handles countless affairs every day. He is a man meant for great things. How could I dare let my petty emotions delay the Great General?"

"The Great General would never make me angry."

"It would only be due to my own oversight that I might upset the Great General."

"If I truly am so careless as to upset the Great General, I will carry thorny branches on my bare back to plead for punishment and beg for his forgiveness. Afterward, I will discipline myself even more strictly, ensuring that the Great General is never distracted by me in the slightest."

Su Hong nodded and said, "What if you and the Great General divorce? At that time, what would you want from the Great General?"

Su Li became even more terrified. "Second Uncle, since I have married the Great General, whether as a wife or a concubine, I am his person. How could I ever dare to divorce him?"

"If one day the Great General feels that I have grown old and my beauty has faded, and he no longer favors me and wishes to divorce, I would absolutely not dare to pester him. How could I even speak of taking his belongings?"

Su Hong let out a long breath.

Very good, very good. She was indeed the most obedient and sensible daughter of the Su family.

But he still asked, "If your maid's golden hairpin goes missing, what would you do?"

Su Li looked surprised. "Naturally, I would help her look for it. If it truly cannot be found, I am willing to buy her another one."

"But what if that golden hairpin appeared in the hands of the Great General?"

"If the Great General, busy as he is, was willing to spend his time helping my maid find her golden hairpin, I would only be endlessly grateful and serve him with all my heart."

"You wouldn't suspect that the Great General stole your maid's golden hairpin?"

Su Li jumped in fright. "Second Uncle, what nonsense are you saying? Even if the Great General does not own the wealth of the four seas, he possesses Cloud Ridge City and holds immense power and high status. Why would he steal a tiny golden hairpin? Isn't that an insult to the Great General?"

Su Hong let out a long breath, feeling an unparalleled sense of relief in his heart.

He felt completely at ease!

If he had known it would be like this, he should have let Su Li marry him no matter what!

If Su Li had been the one to marry him, how could there have been so much chaotic and disastrous trouble?

However, he decided to add one final layer of insurance.

He said to Su Li, "Li'er, do you dare to swear upon your birth mother's spirit tablet regarding everything you just said?"

Su Li was born of a concubine, but according to the rules, she was raised in his eldest sister-in-law's quarters from a young age and recognized his eldest sister-in-law as her mother. In reality, however, Su Li's biological mother was the concubine Su Hong was referring to.

Generally speaking, the bond between a concubine-born daughter and her birth mother was exceptionally strong, and Su Li was especially close to hers.

Swearing before her birth mother's spirit tablet would undoubtedly guarantee her sincerity.

"I dare!"

Soon, they arrived at the Su family's ancestral hall. Under the incense, candles, and spirit tablets, Su Li knelt on the ground and solemnly raised her hand to swear. "If I, Su Li, am fortunate enough to marry the Great General, I shall never violate the following vows!"

"After marriage, I will wash the Great General's clothes, maintain his armor, and warm his wine while waiting for his return to the camp."

"I will definitely manage the trivial matters of the manor with clarity."

"If the Great General returns in triumph, I will personally prepare a celebration banquet."

"If the Great General is weary, I will soothe his worries under the lamp and watch over him as he falls asleep!"

"If the Great General leads troops into battle, I will strictly manage the servants and never let him be troubled by domestic affairs."

"If enemy forces attack, I will wield a blade to protect the courtyard and wait for the Great General's return."

"If I break this oath, may heaven strike me down with lightning!"

Su Hong emotionally helped Su Li up. "Li'er, knowing you have such dedication brings your Second Uncle great, great comfort!"

"You just rest in the manor. Second Uncle will definitely handle the rest of the matters for you."

"The Great General is benevolent. If he is willing to accept you, he certainly will not let you marry into his manor in a shabby manner. There will surely be tall horses and a grand procession stretching for miles to welcome you. You can put your heart at ease."

"Second Uncle will go take care of this right now!"

After giving his instructions, Su Hong immediately left the Su manor and headed for the General's Manor to find Ren Tianye.

Now that his mind was settled, he felt an indescribable surge of energy in his body. Sweeping away his previous despondency, even his footsteps became much lighter.

He soon arrived outside the General's Manor.

Several personal guards immediately stopped him. "Who goes there? How dare you trespass at the General's Manor?"

"This humble one would not dare," Su Hong quickly said. "I am Su Hong of the Su family. I have come specifically to seek an audience with the Great General. Please be so kind as to announce my arrival."

"The Great General is busy with many affairs. Where would he find the time to see you? Step back immediately!"

Su Hong suddenly felt a blockage in his chest.

Previously, he could practically come to this General's Manor whenever he pleased. The guards would always announce him immediately, and no matter how busy the Great General was, he would make time to see him.

But now, all those special privileges had vanished in the blink of an eye.

However, Su Hong was resolute by nature and did not give up. He bowed and offered an apologetic smile. "Good sirs, I know the Great General is busy with official duties. Therefore, could you please announce that I wish to see Deputy General Wang Ming?"

The guards merely glanced at him and ignored him completely.

This caused Su Hong's heart to sink even deeper into the abyss.

It seemed that after this incident, it would be difficult for the relationship between the Su family and the Great General to ever return to how it used to be.

Thinking about it, it made sense. He, Su Hong, might not mind the Great General going on a killing spree in their Su manor, but the Great General might not believe that he truly did not mind. Once a crack appeared in the hearts of men, repairing it was harder than ascending to the heavens.

But he had to do his best to mend it.

When others are the chopping block and the knife, and you are the fish and the meat, his Su family had no choice.

He simply stood outside the gates and waited. It was a full two hours later before he saw Deputy General Wang Ming come out for a shift change, and he hurried over to greet him.

"General Wang Ming, it is me, it is me!"

Deputy General Wang Ming looked over, his gaze revealing deep disappointment and disillusionment, which quickly shifted into cold indifference. "Who are you? I do not know you."

"General Wang Ming, it is my fault. It is the Su family's fault. I only hope that you will be magnanimous and give me one more chance."

"I... I wish to find the Great General to discuss some matters regarding the Su family's finances."

"Donating money, is it?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"The merchants of Cloud Ridge City are all already donating money beneath the city gate tower. If you have the intention, just go line up. I do not have the authority to open a back door for you."

Wang Ming's voice fell coldly. After speaking, he turned and walked away, leaving Su Hong with an immovable, unyielding figure from behind.

...