Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 231 - 215: The Protective Miao King

Chapter 231: Chapter 215: The Protective Miao King

Late at night, Xun Yu summoned Mr. Gongsun and Mr. Yu to his study.

"Forgive me for disturbing the two of you at such a late hour, but I have an urgent matter to discuss."

Mr. Gongsun quickly replied, "Princely Heir, you are too courteous. The two of us serve the Xun Family diligently. Whatever orders you have for us, please speak freely."

Xun Yu hesitated for a moment, then sighed with shame. "Could I ask the two of you to promise me not to inform my father of this matter?"

The two exchanged a puzzled glance.

Xun Yu explained, "It is not something that harms my father, rather... I simply do not want him to be disappointed in me."

Mr. Gongsun chuckled, "Princely Heir, please speak your mind. The two of us will keep this confidential for you."

Xun Yu looked toward Mr. Yu.

Mr. Yu nodded in agreement.

Only then did Xun Yu feel reassured and recount the afternoon’s events in full detail. He did not dare omit a single word; withholding anything might affect their judgment and decisions.

After hearing him out, the two felt as if their vision had gone dark.

Xun Yu lowered his status, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply, "I know I was wrong. I humbly ask for the two of you to guide me!"

Xun Yu was commendable in his treatment of truly competent individuals; he never exhibited the airs of a Young Master.

But this—this was indeed a challenging situation.

Mr. Gongsun said, "Wasn’t there someone else in the carriage at the time?"

Mr. Yu shook his head. "She was merely a maid hired from the coach service. Blaming her is unwise, unwise."

If the Miao King wasn’t foolish, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to deduce that the silver ingot was thrown to him by Xun Yu.

Mr. Gongsun remarked, "From the perspective of the Princely Heir, the actions during the day weren’t overly inappropriate. Bai Yuwei was inside the carriage at the time; an elderly farmer of unknown origin—how could he share a ride with Bai Yuwei? Although the Princely Heir didn’t offer him a ride, he gifted him silver, which could still be considered compassionate."

"The attitude may have appeared dismissive, but it was out of concern. What if he was an assassin? For Bai Yuwei’s safety, it had to be handled this way."

Xun Yu suddenly felt enlightened. "Mr. Gongsun is truly insightful! The Miao King loves his granddaughter dearly; this explanation will surely ease his concerns."

Having realized something, Xun Yu’s worry resurfaced, "I just fear that Lu Yuan might have already uncovered the Miao King’s true identity."

Mr. Gongsun stroked his beard and spoke confidently, "Even if he has discovered it, there’s no need to worry."

Xun Yu eagerly sought clarification, "Mr. Gongsun, what do you mean by this?"

Mr. Gongsun posited, "I believe the Miao King intentionally went to the Governor Mansion."

Xun Yu was startled. "Oh?"

Mr. Gongsun chuckled, "The Miao King once contemplated having his granddaughter marry Lu Yuan, yet Lu Yuan foolishly turned down the proposal. If you were the Miao King, could you swallow such an insult?"

Xun Yu’s gaze became sharp. "The Miao King went to the Governor Mansion... to humiliate Lu Yuan?"

Mr. Gongsun resolutely replied, "Absolutely!"

Xun Yu remained perplexed. "But why disguise himself as an elderly farmer?"

With a meaningful glance, Mr. Gongsun explained, "Boldly reprimanding a junior would undermine the Miao King’s dignity. This way, he can teach Lu Yuan a lesson while leaving Lu Yuan no room to complain!"

Xun Yu murmured in thought, "Is that so?"

Mr. Gongsun smiled, "Didn’t Bai Yuwei say so herself? Her grandfather is fiercely protective; anyone who troubles his grandchildren—forget Lu Yuan—even the Emperor would hear a few choice words from the Miao King."

Xun Yu curled his lips into a smirk. "Lu Yuan, you’ve truly brought this upon yourself. Of all marriages to reject, you rejected one from the Miao King’s family. Even the Supreme Emperor has to show the Miao King some respect. You, the Grand Commander... your tenure is over."

Mr. Yu sank into contemplation. Though Mr. Gongsun’s reasoning was quite credible, something seemed off.

If the Miao King’s intentions were truly this simple to decipher, would he still be the Miao King?

-

Xun Yu slept only two hours before rising.

Though he promised to accompany Bai Yuwei in greeting the Miao King, he resolved to demonstrate his sincerity by arriving at the Governor Mansion to await the Miao King beforehand.

When he reached the Governor Mansion, dawn had yet to break.

He thought he would have to wait for a while, but before long, he saw an elderly farmer cursing and storming out of a side gate.

It was the same elderly farmer from the previous day, complete with an identical straw hat in his hand.

Xun Yu hurriedly stepped down from his carriage and rounded a corner to catch up with him. "This junior, Xun Yu, greets the Miao King!"

The Miao King turned around, furrowing his brows and giving him a glance.

Xun Yu took out the greeting gift Bai Qingchen had given him—an intricately crafted silver sheathed dagger from Miaojiang.

"I am a friend of Bai Qingchen and have come specifically to greet the Miao King."

The Miao King accepted the dagger and weighed it in his hand. "Indeed, this belongs to my grandson."

Xun Yu’s heart lifted in joy, and he immediately bowed deeply. "This junior was disrespectful yesterday; I beseech the Miao King’s forgiveness!"

The Miao King asked, "What disrespect?"

Xun Yu recited the explanation prepared by Mr. Gongsun.

"Oh, so it was you people." The Miao King handed the dagger back to him, entirely indifferent, "You were merely looking out for Wei’er."

Relieved, Xun Yu carefully tucked the dagger into his sleeve and tentatively asked, "Was your night at the Governor Mansion... alright?"

He wanted to know if the Miao King had truly confronted Lu Yuan.

The Miao King waved dismissively, as if unwilling to discuss it. "That boy infuriates me just by existing!"

Xun Yu’s expression flickered. "You mean... Lu Yuan?"

The Miao King asked, "You know him too?"

Xun Yu chuckled lightly. "This isn’t the place for conversation. You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? There’s a nearby inn that serves excellent lamb soup. Would the Miao King honor me by trying it?"

The two went to an old and renowned inn.

Xun Yu reserved a private room on the second floor.

The Miao King waved his hand grandly, "Ten bowls of lamb soup!"

Xun Yu was momentarily dazed.

"Ah, I forgot about you," the Miao King added. "Eleven bowls!"

Xun Yu wasn’t begrudging the cost, but the sheer appetite was astonishing.

After several steaming bowls of lamb soup, the Miao King radiated satisfaction. "Tell me about this Lu Yuan—what kind of person is he?"

Xun Yu lowered his head with a sigh. "How is this junior supposed to describe him?"

The Miao King pressed, "Speak the truth!"

Xun Yu explained gravely, "He was originally an orphan wandering the streets. Later, he was taken in by the Prime Minister’s Mansion—Prime Minister being my father."

The Miao King gestured for him to continue, "Go on."

Xun Yu spoke sincerely, "My father saw his plight and rescued him from near death, giving him work as a stable boy. He knew how to gain my father’s favor, so my father allowed him to serve as my Attendant Student. I studied alongside him, writing and reading, even apprenticing under the Sacrificial Officer—I treated him as a brother."

The Miao King remarked, "So it’s true he was a servant in your household."

Xun Yu froze, furrowing his brows slightly. "He was never mistreated by my family."

The Miao King tugged at his sleeve. "Ten years as a servant—strictly speaking, not mistreatment, but certainly torment."

Xun Yu looked at the Miao King in confusion, unable to understand why he seemed to be siding with Lu Yuan.

Setting down his chopsticks, the Miao King declared, "I’m full. Thank you for the meal and for telling me about that boy. Otherwise, I’d have thought the rumors were just scare-mongering."

The Miao King pulled out a clean handkerchief and gently wiped his mouth, meticulously folding it afterward. "I heard that one winter, you punished him to kneel in the snow only because your teacher praised his handwriting as better than yours."

He carefully tucked the folded handkerchief into his coat, his gaze falling on Xun Yu’s jade-like, flawless hands. "Such beautiful hands—how could anyone abuse them?"

The more Xun Yu listened, the more bewildered—and alarmed—he became.

The Miao King stowed the handkerchief, then, in a sudden motion, grabbed a chopstick and viciously stabbed it toward Xun Yu’s hand!

Xun Yu’s expression turned livid. "Miao King—"

The chopstick embedded itself between his fingers and pierced deeply into the table. Cold sweat broke out across Xun Yu’s back.

The Miao King patted his shoulder and laughed heartily, "Just scaring you. I’ll be off now!"

Still shaken, Xun Yu followed the Miao King out.

But the door slammed shut before him!

Outside, the Miao King’s laughter turned icy:

"Beat him. Tell the Prime Minister that the Miaojiang’s greeting gift has arrived."

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