Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Outside the residence of the magistrate of Gaoyang County, the atmosphere was tense. Although the Yunzhou soldiers brought by Huangfu Changshui did not openly carry weapons, each of them had sharp eyes and their hands on the hilts of their swords, guarding the front and back doors of the residence so tightly that a murderous aura permeated the air, causing the people in the distant streets and alleys to turn their heads and dare not approach.

Just then, a burly man dressed in the uniform of the Huangfu family's private soldiers—Tiger—strode up to Huangfu Changshui, who was standing in the courtyard with a sullen face. He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice booming: "My lord! Zhang's advisor is outside requesting an audience!"

Huangfu Changshui frowned and retorted, "What Zhang thief?! That's my son-in-law! You scoundrel, can't you speak properly!" Although he was furious, he still had to maintain the basic relationship and dignity between father-in-law and son-in-law.

Tiger quickly lowered his head: "Your subordinate deserves to die! It's...it's my son-in-law's advisor, Yuan Liang, who requests an audience. My lord, do you wish to see him? I've heard that he's incredibly eloquent and a renowned debater!"

Huangfu Changshui snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping towards the door like lightning: "See him! Why not? I want to see what kind of nonsense he can spout in this situation! How can he possibly defend my daughter's grievances!"

Soon, Yuan Liang, dressed in a blue robe, calmly entered the courtyard. His expression was serene, as if the chilling atmosphere of war surrounding him did not exist. He bowed deeply to Huangfu Changshui, his posture extremely humble.

"Student Yuanliang greets Marquis Yunzhou! May Your Excellency be well!" Huangfu Changshui stood with his hands behind his back, not allowing him to rise, but instead scrutinizing him from above, his voice cold and hard: "You are that Yuanliang? What, are you here as a persuader to convince me to withdraw these troops and pretend nothing happened?"

Yuan Liang maintained his bowed posture, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "Your Excellency is too kind. The Huangfu family and the Zhang family are related by marriage, they are one family. It is only natural for Your Excellency to come and visit your ailing daughter, how can you say that you are 'withdrawing troops'? I have come here only to implore Your Excellency to temporarily quell your anger and not to make such a family matter so tense... If outsiders see this, they will spread rumors of discord between father-in-law and son-in-law, which is not good for Your Excellency, my master, or even Miss Huangfu's reputation."

"Father-in-law and son-in-law?" Huangfu Changshui scoffed, his tone chilling. "Whether they can even remain a father-in-law and son-in-law is still uncertain! It depends on the sincerity of your Zhang family!"

Yuan Liang straightened up, his gaze meeting Huangfu Changshui's sharp eyes with composure: "My lord, this matter concerns matters of great private importance. May I speak privately with you? I have some heartfelt words to say..."

Huangfu Changshui waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No need! If it's something perfectly good to say, why hide it from others? Let's say it right here! Let everyone hear it!"

Seeing this, Yuan Liang knew he couldn't avoid the issue, so he took a deep breath and said loudly, "Since that's the case, I'll speak frankly. It was indeed my master's fault in handling this matter, which has betrayed Miss Huangfu's trust. This is the first mistake." He admitted his mistake first, putting on a very convincing act.

Huangfu Changshui's expression softened slightly, but remained icy.

However, Yuan Liang immediately changed the subject: "However, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on my master! May I ask, Your Excellency, have you ever heard of 'Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants'? My master is not a lustful man; he was concerned about the continuation of the Zhang family line and worried that no one would be left to worship our ancestors after his death. This is the greatest filial piety of a son! Perhaps it was this filial piety that moved Heaven, which granted Miss Dou Ya this opportunity, allowing the Zhang family bloodline to continue. This is the will of Heaven, not something that can be entirely controlled by human effort!"

His words cleverly elevated Zhang Jingwei's actions to the level of "filial piety" and "divine will".

From inside the room, one could faintly hear Huangfu Ling's even more aggrieved and suppressed sobs.

"Insolence!" Tiger roared in fury, drawing half of his waist knife with a clang. Pointing at Yuan Liang, he shouted, "You pedantic scholar, if you dare to use your clever words to exonerate Zhang Jingwei again and offend my young lady's ears, I'll chop you into mincemeat and feed you to the dogs right now!"

Facing the blade so close at hand, Yuan Liang remained unmoved, not even blinking. He simply looked calmly at Huangfu Changshui: "My lord, I am but a scholar with no strength to even kill a chicken. If I die, I die. However, today, my lord has mobilized such a large force, seeking nothing more than an 'explanation,' and expressing his resentment that the Zhang family has conspired to deceive your daughter. But has my lord considered this carefully?"

His gaze shifted to the side room in the inner courtyard, his tone guiding: "That Dou Ya is the only orphan of General Dou, who died for his country! When you adopted her, Your Excellency, it was out of consideration for our camaraderie, treating her as your own daughter, not to enslave her! A few months ago, when you came to Gaoyang, didn't you say in front of everyone that you would treat her as your adopted daughter? How come now that she has a home and the possibility of continuing the bloodline of the Dou and Zhang families, Your Excellency is making things difficult for her, as if she has committed some heinous crime? This... isn't this contradictory, chilling the hearts of both the deceased loyal minister and the living?"

Huangfu Changshui was taken aback by the question, his expression shifting, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. He had indeed always regarded Douya as a junior and had even considered giving her a good home.

Yuan Liang pressed his advantage, his voice low yet carrying a strange persuasive power: "My lord, what I am arguing about now is not the logic of right and wrong, but rather the will of Heaven! It is Heaven's will that this child be born. And you, my lord, are destined to be this child's grandfather. The Huangfu family and the Zhang family, whether through Miss Ling'er or through the bloodline in Miss Dou Ya's womb, this marriage bond is already deeply intertwined and unbreakable! This is the will of Heaven that cannot be defied!"

Huangfu Changshui's anger seemed to be slightly swayed by this "divine will" argument, but being a veteran of the battlefield, he immediately grasped the crux of the matter. He pointed at Zhang Liu, who stood guard at the entrance of the side courtyard, clutching a black memorial tablet in his arms, inscribed with "The Spirit Tablet of My Late Father, Zhang Lian," like a guardian deity, and at the Zhang family guards and secret agents who, though not armed, were alert and subtly forming a battle formation. He roared, "Let's put the child's matter aside for now! But look at this! Look at the attitude of your Zhang family! That Zhang Liu, holding my elder brother's memorial tablet, is blocking the entrance, and those guards are all brandishing their knives, ready to resist! Is this Zhang Jingwei's attitude towards my Huangfu family? Is this his explanation to me?!"

Yuan Liang immediately bowed, his tone extremely sincere: "My lord, please understand! This is absolutely not the Zhang family's attitude towards the Huangfu family! What Sixth Uncle is holding in his arms is the spirit tablet of my late lord! At this moment, he is acting as an old servant of the Zhang family, risking his life to protect the only remaining bloodline of the Zhang family! This is the deepest and most tragic loyalty an old servant can show to his former master and his family! My lord, you are also a commander, you should know how sincere your subordinates' hearts are in protecting their master and how loyal they are in upholding their principles! If you interpret this as hostility from the Zhang family, that is a real misunderstanding, and it is truly regrettable! If you put yourself in his shoes and see it as a tragic act of a loyal servant protecting his master and safeguarding the family line, wouldn't you feel... a little more at ease?"

Huangfu Changshui remained silent for a moment; Yuan Liang's words had indeed touched him to some extent. Zhang Liu holding Zhang Lian's memorial tablet carried a completely different meaning—it represented the most solemn and inviolable protection within a family. But looking towards the inner room, remembering his daughter's pale face and aggrieved tears, his heart hardened again. His voice was low, filled with a father's heartache: "No matter how eloquently you speak, I, Huangfu Changshui, am a rough man, I don't understand so many grand principles! I only know that my precious daughter has suffered a great injustice in your Zhang family! Her health was already poor, and now she's so angry she's vomited blood and fainted! How will this be settled?!"

Yuan Liang immediately declared, his tone resolute: "My lord! I swear to heaven that no matter how this matter is handled, Miss Huangfu will always be my master Zhang's legal wife, and the unshakeable mistress of the Zhang family! No one can change this, and my master will never have such a thought! If I break this oath, may I be punished by heaven and earth!"

Tiger, standing to the side, couldn't help but spit out: "Pah! What good is an oath from a mere advisor like you!"

Ignoring Hu Zi's rudeness, Yuan Liang fixed his gaze on Huangfu Changshui and laid out the final stakes: "My lord, I am but a humble student. But please consider this: my master is still on his way home. If your troops continue to besiege this place until dawn, this matter will surely spread throughout the city, causing a great uproar and becoming common knowledge. Is this... truly the outcome you desire, my lord? To make your daughter the talk of the town? To let the family feud between the Huangfu and Zhang families become the laughingstock of Gaoyang? My lord, please reconsider!"

Huangfu Changshui's face was grim as he weighed the pros and cons. Yuan Liang's words struck at his weak points. He was furious, but he had to consider his daughter's reputation and the family's honor even more. After a long silence, he suddenly waved his hand, as if making a decision:

"Good! Yuanliang, you do have some courage and eloquence! Withdrawing the troops... fine! But I have conditions!"

Yuan Liang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but remained respectful on the surface: "Please speak, Your Excellency. I am all ears."

Huangfu Changshui's gaze was sharp as he said, word by word, "Dou girl, she can no longer stay in your Zhang family! I must take her back to the Marquis of Yunzhou's residence immediately! Don't worry, for General Dou's sake, I will settle her in the Marquis's residence and take good care of her. I will not mistreat her in the slightest and will ensure her safe delivery."

He paused, his tone resolute and unwavering, yet also tinged with a stubborn determination to secure his daughter's final dignity: "However, any child she gives birth to, regardless of gender, must bear the surname Dou! They must carry on the Dou family line! They will have no further connection with your Zhang family! This is my final bottom line!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liang bowed almost without hesitation and replied, "Your Excellency is wise and considerate of your former subordinates, for which I am deeply grateful! This matter concerns the continuation of General Dou's bloodline and is of great significance. I will go and discuss this with my sixth uncle immediately, and I will do my utmost to facilitate this matter!"

Huangfu Changshui ordered Hu Zi beside him, "Hu Zi! You go with him! Make sure Dou Yatou gets on the carriage safely and returns to Yunzhou!"

Tiger clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell: "Your subordinate obeys!"

Yuan Liang bowed to Huangfu Changshui again, then turned and walked with Hu Zi toward the side courtyard where Zhang Liu's memorial tablet was heavily "protected" by numerous guards.