The Challenge of a Farmhouse Son-in-Law-Chapter 1652 - 1655: Prime Minister Zhang Begs Him
"This is her own fault. Hasn’t Minister Zhang taught her not to harbor malicious intentions? Now she’s just proving that harming others ultimately harms herself!" Gu Shuisheng exclaimed with deep emotion. He owed Minister Zhang, but there were countless ways to repay such a debt, and he didn’t wish to be tangled with Miss Zhang in any manner.
"If this hadn’t happened, I would have certainly stopped her. But it has already occurred—what can I do? I can’t just watch her walk to her death! Shuisheng, I can only tell them that it was my doing, and its purpose was to bring you two together. Therefore, Shiyu can only marry you! I have never begged anyone in this lifetime, but consider this an old man’s plea to you!"
Minister Zhang was both hateful and pitiful, hateful for using force and favors to compel him, and pitiful for a father who humbly pleaded for mercy for his erring daughter from a former beggar.
Gu Shuisheng was filled with grief and indignation, detesting both coercion and manipulation as much as anything, and now he faced both.
He shook his head sorrowfully, saying, "It’s not about whether I’m willing or not. How can two people who annoy each other possibly marry? Minister Zhang, you know why Miss Zhang chose me, right? It’s because she despises me. She also detests Princess Ning, so she seeks to eliminate both of us at once in one fell swoop."
The physically and mentally exhausted Minister Zhang lifted his head to look earnestly at Gu Shuisheng, finally seeing a glimmer of hope.
He hurriedly said, "It doesn’t matter, as long as you agree, it’s fine. Shiyu must pay some price for what she’s done wrong. I will explain this to her, and she will agree."
Gu Shuisheng closed his eyes, reflecting on the burdens of debt he’d accumulated since becoming Gu Shuisheng, and reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Alright, consider it a repayment for recognizing my talent."
Without Minister Zhang, the new Top Scholar of this cohort wouldn’t have been Gu Shuisheng.
Without Minister Zhang, after Gu Wu’s death, he would have probably continued wandering alone!
Forget it, let it be a form of repaying the favor!
...
Minister Zhang and Gu Shuisheng returned to the room where Zhang Shiyu had just regained consciousness. Remembering the muddled events and seeing the person standing before her, she was so furious she wished she could stab him with a knife.
Would her pristine reputation as Zhang Shiyu be ruined in the hands of this person?
He, apart from Gu Youyou, was the person she loathed most.
Despite having hands and feet and some talents, he lived as a lazy beggar!
Utterly humiliating the very essence of being a scholar.
"You, did you conspire with Gu Youyou against me? Father, this person destroyed your daughter’s honor, you must kill him!" Zhang Shiyu’s face was already tear-stained, and her eyes red and swollen to a frightening extent.
Yet Minister Zhang did not comfort her like a loving father but stood aloofly aside, saying in a low voice to Jin Zijin, "Prince Ning, Princess Ning, this matter was arranged by me alone and has nothing to do with my daughter."
Jin Zijin raised a cold eyebrow, saying, "Are you sure you want to take responsibility for this matter, Minister Zhang? If it was your doing, then the entire Zhang Residence..."
Zhang Shiyu was also frightened. If her father were to take the blame, then... no...
Zhang Shiyu hurriedly said, "No, Father, you can’t..."
"Silence!" Minister Zhang loudly interrupted her and turned to Jin Zijin, saying, "Prince Ning, you may have some misunderstanding about me. I didn’t intend to harm the Princess. It was out of desperation with my unfilial daughter that I thought of such a plan to have her married off."
"What?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
Upon hearing such an inexplicable statement from Minister Zhang, not only were Gu Youyou and Jin Zijin confused, but everyone present, except for Gu Shuisheng who knew what Minister Zhang intended to say, was left bewildered.
