The Humble Family’s Daughter Has A Spatial Pocket!
Chapter 771 - 689, Calling off the Engagement_1

Chapter 771: Chapter 689, Calling off the Engagement_1

When the military grain was burned, His Majesty was enraged. All officials involved in the grain transport were arrested and taken from their offices.

Moreover, the First Restaurant in Beijing—Baxian Restaurant, owned by the Duke Residence, was surrounded by the Imperial Guards on that very day. All the people, irrespective of gender, were imprisoned.

For this action, all civil and military officials could not help but look sideways in shock and dismay.

Remembering the time when the Duke Residence was surrounded, many officials broke into cold sweat, especially those who were close to the Duke Residence.

None who served as officials in Beijing were fools. With the Emperor not saying a word and seizing the Duke Residence without trial, even an idiot could guess this might be related to the Eighth Prince’s faction.

Imperial Palace.

The Emperor reviewed, with a stern face, the letters and secret messages seized by the Imperial Guards from the Duke Residence.

With the situation still deadlocked at the Northern Frontier, he did not wish to start a purge in Beijing at this time, lest it cause unrest at the Imperial Court.

After all, many of these people held high positions.

But he had not expected that these reckless fools would dare to take such a risk at this time and leak the grain transport route to the Eighth Prince, resulting in the burning of the military grain supply for the troops at the Northern Frontier.

Without food, can the soldiers still fight?

The Emperor read through all the letters, but they did not contain a list of members from the Eighth Prince’s party. He was quite dissatisfied with this.

While he had long had the Jinling Guard watching over Baxian Restaurant, the officials that came and went were too many. In order not to alert them prematurely, they could only identify a few certain members of the Eighth Prince’s faction.

If there was to be a purge, he was determined to make it thorough this time, and he would spare no one linked to the Eighth Prince!

"Duke An is sly and cunning. It’s impossible for him to have left no backup. Search thoroughly. Inspect the Duke Residence, as well as all his aboveboard and clandestine properties. I refuse to believe that nothing will turn up," he commanded.

Wei Qi received the order and departed the grand hall, running into Yang Chenghua and Wu Jingyi, who had come to discuss matters with the Emperor. The three of them clasped their hands in a mutual greeting and quickly parted ways without exchanging a single word.

Yang Chenghua and Wu Jingyi exchanged a glance. The Emperor had even dispatched Wei Qi, which showed how truly furious he was.

Not only the Emperor, but also they themselves felt their hearts bleed at the thought of the burned grain.

Although there had been no particularly severe disasters in the past two years, the north still generally suffered from water shortages, and in the south, many areas would still experience floods during the rainy season. The collected grain was the hard-earned produce of the people, who would have to tighten their belts to make ends meet because of it.

And now it was burned to ashes!

How could it not cause outrage and heartache?

The two entered the grand hall and saw the Emperor, whose face was so grave it seemed as if it could drip water. They bent their backs even more.

"Your Majesty, the soldiers at the border cannot be without grain. Now that the military grain is burned, we must urgently think of a way to replenish it," Wu Jingyi said, bracing himself as he stated his purpose for coming. Then he stood silently, head bowed, daring not to breathe too loudly.

The Emperor was silent and did not speak. After a long pause, he finally asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"

Wu Jingyi did not answer but instead looked towards Yang Chenghua.

Yang Chenghua inwardly sighed, hesitated for a moment, and then said with some difficulty, "I’m afraid we’ll have to levy grain again. It would be best to encourage well-off families to donate grain."

Having no better option, the Emperor agreed, "Let’s proceed with that."

Compared to the previous reluctance during the donation of medicinal materials, the officials were much more cooperative this time in donating grain.

No one dared to cross His Majesty at this juncture, especially after the Ministry of Justice announced that Duke An was the leader in Beijing of the Eighth Prince’s faction, and Baxian Restaurant was one of their bases in the city. Many officials had sleepless nights because of it.

In just a few days, the residences of several high-ranking officials of the second and third rank were surrounded, and the men were imprisoned.

Marquis Yongjia Residence.

Madam Dong was arranging the dowry for Dong Yuanyao. After returning to Beijing from Zhongzhou, the family had arranged an engagement for their daughter to Luo Hongyuan, the legitimate young son of the Marquis of Wei nation.

Actually, Madam Dong was not very satisfied with this marriage. Luo Hongyuan was somewhat impetuous, and her daughter was stubborn. If any skirmishes arose after the marriage, neither of them was the type to back down. How could they get along in daily life?

Alas...

Madam Dong was still worried about Dong Yuanyao’s marital arrangements when the nanny, the butler by old Madam Dong’s side, came over: "Second Madam, the Madam from the Marquis Yongjia’s Residence has arrived. She’s currently in the old madam’s room, saying she has matters to discuss."

Madam Dong frowned. Because the military provisions had been burned and the An Guo Marquis Residence had been ransacked, the noble families had now tacitly agreed to close their doors and refuse guests. Why would Madam Luo come at this time?

"Go and tell Yuanyao to change her clothes and go to the old madam’s courtyard to receive the guest."

After giving instructions to her maid, Madam Dong made her way to old Madam Dong’s place.

On the other hand, when Dong Yuanyao heard the news that the Madam from Marquis Yongjia’s Residence had come, she just hummed indifferently, still focused on embroidering her purse.

"Miss, come back to embroider later, we shouldn’t keep Madam Luo waiting," the maid urged anxiously.

Dong Yuanyao ignored her, finishing the last stitch before she stopped, then slowly got up: "Let’s go."

The senior maid intervened: "Miss, you should still change into clothes suitable for receiving guests."

Dong Yuanyao looked down at her attire: "I think this is quite fine. Didn’t you say it’s not good to keep someone waiting? If I change clothes now, the guests might already have left."

With that, she took the lead and stepped out of the room.

The maids had no choice but to quickly follow her.

Just as Dong Yuanyao arrived at the entrance to old Madam Dong’s courtyard, she saw the Madam from Marquis Yongjia’s Residence leading a group of maids and nannies, briskly walking out.

Upon seeing Dong Yuanyao, the Madam from Marquis Yongjia paused for a moment, then left quickly without a word.

Dong Yuanyao furrowed her brow and stepped into the courtyard then saw her mother standing at the door, eyes red and seething with anger.

It didn’t take long for Dong Yuanyao to find out what had happened.

She had been repudiated by Marquis Yongjia’s Residence!

Dong Yuanyao was stunned for a moment, looking at her irate mother and grandmother. Yet in her heart, she felt no shame or humiliation, but instead, a secret sense of relief.

She didn’t have to marry this year after all!

That very night, the whole Dong Family knew about the repudiation by the Marquis Yongjia’s Residence. Besides feeling sympathy for Dong Yuanyao, they were filled with confusion.

Why did Marquis Yongjia’s Residence repudiate the marriage?

Dong Yuanxuan glanced at his father, his expression a bit somber.

The Princely Heir of Marquis Yongjia’s Residence was the Commander for the Beijing Imperial Guards, well-informed. Could it be that they had received some information?

Dong Jiancheng also thought of this, recalling the families implicated recently by the An Guo case and promptly looked toward the Marquis and the Princely Heir: "Father, older brother, our family doesn’t have much contact with the An Guo Marquis Residence, right?"

The old Marquis shook his head affirmatively: "Of course not, I don’t even visit the Baxian Restaurant often."

Dong Jiancheng breathed a sigh of relief, yet before he could fully relax, upon seeing his half-brother’s evasive gaze, his apprehension rose again.

"Older brother, you haven’t...?"

Before he finished speaking, Dong Jianye hastily interrupted: "Of course, I haven’t either."

Seeing him behave like this, the unease in the hearts of Dong Jiancheng and Dong Yuanxuan intensified.

The next day, the bad premonition of the father and son came true.

The Marquis Yongjia’s Residence was surrounded by soldiers!

All the men of the Dong Family were taken away, and the women were ordered not to set foot outside of the Dong Residence.

This threw the Dong Residence into chaos.