After being reborn, I became the apple of my enemy's eye.

"Lu Shan, stop fooling around."

Zheng Jihua had been suppressing his anger until the very last moment. If Lu Shan continued to make a move, he was prepared to order others to do so.

Lu Mingyuan stepped forward and extended his hand to Zheng Jihua.

"One thing at a time, we still need your help with the food supplies to get us out of our predicament."

Zheng Jihua did not hold his hand.

He's just a guy who climbed back up by relying on him, yet he's acting all high and mighty in front of him.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and steadied himself: "Lu Mingyuan, you should also discipline your unruly sons. Otherwise, if they cause trouble one day, you'll regret it."

Lu Mingyuan laughed instead of getting angry, "Are you really going to argue with such an ignorant child?"

Although Lu Mingyuan appeared to be siding with Zheng Jihua, he was naturally biased towards his own son.

Lu Shan stood up from the side and noticed Yan Yun standing there. He pointed at Yan Yun in surprise and said, "This girl? Isn't she the Miss Zheng from the Third Brother's letter?"

Lu Mingyuan immediately looked at Yan Yun.

His face, which had been stern and somewhat unapproachable, turned into a smile upon seeing Yan Yun. Despite it being their first meeting, he displayed remarkable goodwill.

Lu Mingyuan looked at Yan Yun carefully and said casually, "I've heard of him before, but I didn't expect to see him today. It's a pity."

Yan Yun couldn't immediately understand what Lu Mingyuan meant by "regret".

Zheng Jihua looked at Lu Shan and Lu Mingyuan's gazes toward her daughter and immediately felt disgust.

He glanced at the steward beside him and immediately ordered, "Send the young lady back to the courtyard."

Zheng Jihua walked towards Yan Yun, blocking the view of the father and son with his body. He looked at Yan Yun and said softly, "Ning'er, General Lu and I still have things to discuss. Go back to the backyard and rest for a while. I'll have someone send you some snacks."

The steward immediately came up to help Yan Yun and wanted to take him back to the backyard.

Yan Yun pushed away the steward's hand. She didn't go back. She looked at Zheng Jihua, pointed in the direction of the door, and walked directly out of the hall.

The steward looked at Zheng Jihua, who then ordered, "Quickly send someone to follow Miss."

Lu Shan watched Yan Yun swagger over, and wondered what he was up to.

Yan Yun walked right past him and headed out of the mansion.

Lu Shan was originally going to call her back, but he didn't know her name. Oh well, he only came today because of Lan'er's matter.

His gaze lingered briefly on Yan Yun before turning to Lu Mingyuan.

"Father, we've come about Lan'er's matter."

No one in the Lu family expected that after Lu Lan returned to the General's Mansion from Zheng Yuan, she would say that she had someone she liked.

And her grandmother, of course, didn't know who her beloved was. The deputy general she had chosen hadn't even officially told her yet.

The grandmother could only subtly ask her who her beloved was. Lu Lan, however, said that she would tell her grandmother after someone came to propose marriage.

Propose marriage?

Grandmother was surprised that it happened so quickly, and less than three days later, Zheng Jihua sent a matchmaker to the gate of the Lu residence.

At this time, Lu Lan also told her grandmother that she was getting married to Zheng Jihua, who had come to propose marriage.

Grandmother was in great turmoil.

"Lan'er, do you know what you're saying?"

Lu Lan naturally knew what she was talking about; she wanted her grandmother to agree to her marriage with Zheng Jihua.

Even if it meant becoming a concubine, she was willing to marry him.

For the first time, Grandmother scared away the servants around her.

"Lan'er, come here."

Lu Lan happily stepped forward, thinking that her grandmother had agreed.

The woman raised her hand and slapped her beloved granddaughter.

"The General's family is full of loyal and righteous men, and your father is even a general. Yet you want to become a concubine in the Zheng family?"

"Do you know that Zheng Jihua is about the same age as your father, and your third brother was only able to get engaged to that young lady of the Zheng family because I humbled myself and abandoned him?"

The accusations continued unabated.

Lu Lan, however, did not care.

She told her grandmother that she had secretly pledged her life to Zheng Jihua and would marry no one but him. If her grandmother and the others did not agree, then Lu Lan would die in the general's mansion.

Once upon a time, my gentle and lovely granddaughter has become this aggressive person.

Grandmother shook her head and sighed.

Will you regret it?

Lu Lan smiled and said that this was her own choice, and she naturally wouldn't regret it.

She told her grandmother calmly, as if making an accusation.

"I've had enough of my parents and brother being away fighting all year round. The person I need isn't some famous deputy general, but someone who can stay by my side. Grandmother, I, Lan'er, will not make the wrong choice."

Grandmother covered her face with her hand. "You, go back inside."

Lu Lan's resolute attitude demonstrated her determination to marry Zheng Jihua.

Grandmother sent someone to write a letter and have it delivered to Lu Mingyuan.

Meanwhile, Lu Mingyuan was on his way back to Yuanjing. When he received the letter, he thought he must have misread it. He couldn't believe that Lu Lan actually wanted to marry Zheng Jihua.

The relationship between the two families has become somewhat chaotic. His wife, who was with him, is now staying in the southern border due to illness. Lu Mingyuan is unsure how to decide what his daughter wants.

This matter can only be addressed in a reply; we can discuss it further once he arrives in Yuanjing.

Lu Shan, who was standing to the side, was furious when he saw the contents of the letter. He knew who Zheng Jihua was, so he snatched the letter and left the group.

Before Lu Mingyuan could subdue him, he let Lu Shan leave. Lu Mingyuan arranged for his entourage to follow, and Lu Shan followed closely behind.

Lu Mingyuan stopped Lu Shan from going to Zheng Yuan, since the elders were still at the mansion, and Lu Shan had to go back to the General's Mansion with him first.

Lu Shan was taken back to the General's Mansion by Lu Mingyuan. Lu Mingyuan looked at his mother and told her about his wife. The woman did not show much sadness on her face. She had been dragging it out for so many years, and she had gone to the Southern Border to take care of Lu Mingyuan despite her poor health. She had worked so hard all these years.

Lu Mingyuan said he wouldn't tell Lu Yan and Lu Lan the news first, because he was afraid they would worry.

His return to Yuanjing this time was not for Lu Lan's sake, but as her father, he still had to step in and make decisions regarding Lu Lan's matter.

Lu Lan knew her father had returned and came back immediately. Although she was happy to see her father who had not returned for a long time, Lu Mingyuan was not someone she was very close to, so their relationship was somewhat lukewarm.

"father."

Although Lu Mingyuan wanted to say more to Lu Lan, the words stuck in his throat: "Have you thought it through? Do you really want to marry Zheng Jihua?"

Lu Lan said she had already made up her mind.

She wanted to marry him, to marry someone completely different from her father.

Although Lu Mingyuan felt a dull pain in his heart, he knew that she had made a decision when he saw the stubborn light in his daughter's eyes.

"I need to talk to your grandmother. You should go back now."

Lu Lan avoided the topic.

Someone else is coming.

"General, people from the palace have arrived."

The eunuch who came to deliver the message entered the main hall and informed Lu Mingyuan of the emperor's decree, which required him to go to the palace first.

When Lu Mingyuan came out of the palace, he learned that Lu Shan had gone to Zheng Yuan.

Lu Mingyuan then arrived at Zheng Jihua's residence.

This happened at the general's residence.

To Yan Yun's surprise, there were more people who admired Lu Mingyuan than she had imagined.

Back at the academy, Yan Zhihe recalled that General Lu Mingyuan was someone they all admired.

When Yan Yun arrived at the gate, he saw a crowd of people gathered outside to watch.

Yan Yun had never seen such a scene since arriving in the capital.

As soon as she appeared, people surrounded her.

The last time I saw so many people was in Changgu City, when they were crowding around the city lord, begging for food because they had run out.

Now, these people are all carrying various things, waiting for Lu Mingyuan.

Zheng Jihua's servants came out to stop them, preventing them from barging in.

Those people shouted excitedly, "Let us go see General Lu and give this to him for us."

Those guys were holding all sorts of food and other things in their hands.

He whispered instructions to Yan Yun.

"Miss, please stay with us, or we'll get separated."

Yan Yun is not Lu Mingyuan, so naturally those people won't focus their attention on her.

However, there will still be some gossipy people.

"So that's the Zheng family's daughter. But why is she out here? Shouldn't she be staying in the courtyard?"

In the eyes of these people, the young ladies from wealthy and powerful families mostly stayed in their courtyards and never went out.

Yan Yun looked at those gazes and recalled the days before.

When she was still Yan Yun, busy hanging clothes to dry in the backyard for Zheng Jihua, she immediately panicked and tried to run away when she encountered a man.

At that time, there was no man in the backyard. Yan Yun simply opened the door and asked the old man who delivered firewood to bring the firewood that he could not move into the yard.

Zheng Jihua then made Yan Yun kneel on the ground.

He responded with harsh words.

"What? You think my crippled husband is a disgrace to you? So you're planning to keep a lover behind my back?"

Yan Yun naturally felt wronged. She couldn't possibly have such an absurd idea. That person had only come to deliver firewood and left without staying.

Yan Yunhe not only didn't speak to him, but that man was even older than his own father, so he couldn't possibly do that.

Zheng Jihua felt that Yan Yun was just making excuses.

"What if a muscular man came? Would you be interested?"

Yan Yun explained, "Of course not."

Zheng Jihua, however, still blamed Yan Yun for not being a proper woman and for wanting to have an affair with a man.

No matter how much Yan Yun pleaded and explained, Zheng Jihua still felt that Yan Yun was that kind of woman.

After that, Yan Yun, like Yu Zhi, would cover her face whenever she saw a man.

So many people are watching me now?

She stopped hiding and dodging. A servant beside her said, "Miss, why don't you go back to the manor first? After General Lu leaves, these people in front of the gate will naturally disperse. Then you can go out of the manor."

Yan Yun refused. She wanted to leave. Did these guys dare to do anything to her?

Yan Yun walked straight out of the mansion, but the carriage that the steward had ordered to be prepared could not come over because of the crowd blocking the way.

Yan Yun prepared to squeeze through the crowd to go to the bookstore that Zheng Jihua had bought for her.

Most of the people blocking the entrance to Zhengyuan were there for Gu Lumingyuan.

Naturally, some of the people from the academy were among them.

Among them was Yan Zhihe.

He and the people around him said to Yan Zhihe, "This young lady from the Zheng family is really out of line. She doesn't feel ashamed at all for showing her face in public all day long."