Chapter 775: You Two Are Quite a Match

Gao Ming’s words were reasonable and well-founded.

After Su Chengmin and Gu Taohua got engaged, Lu Yiner couldn’t jeopardize his engagement, and there was no need for him to risk his reputation to plot against Lu Yiner.

Everyone was well aware of the situation.

As a niece of the Lu Family, Lu Yiner, without extraordinary beauty or a strong family background, marrying someone like Gao Ming from the Imperial Guard in Shengjing was already a significant advancement.

Much less if she desired to be the legitimate wife of Su Chengmin?

Su Shihang knew very well about this when he still requested an imperial marriage for the two of them, just as Gu Taohua said, the Su Mansion wanted to use Lu Yiner to control Su Chengmin.

For a woman who posed no threat, it wasn’t worth it for Su Chengmin to use such despicable means to plot against Lu Yiner.

Having her intentions exposed, Lu Yiner cried and explained to Su Shihang, "My lord, I am not suspecting Chengmin without reason, but Chengmin bears a grudge against Yiner and me. As for why he hates us, we must start from when my lord requested an imperial marriage from the Emperor. Chengmin didn’t understand my lord’s good intentions and didn’t tell us in advance that he already had a girl he admired, thus he thought my lord deliberately broke up his relationship, and he bore a grudge that led him to ruin Yin Er’s reputation."

What others thought didn’t matter, the important thing was for Su Shihang to believe her.

Tong Huaqiong admired Lu because even with the facts laid out, she could continue to throw mud at Su Chengmin.

No wonder she was the champion in house struggles against Min Baozhen.

Her words were full of loopholes, betting on whether Su Shihang would stand by her again.

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Su Shihang.

She thought Lu would misjudge this time; between the two women, Su Shihang would choose Lu, but between his son and Lu, he would choose his son.

Even though he gave up on this son during the Crown Prince incident, now this son was a favorite around the Emperor, and the Commander of the Imperial Guard.

A person worth allying with.

Old Mrs. Su couldn’t stand Lu’s continued accusations against Su Chengmin and clapped her hands, saying, "Even now you’re still accusing Chengmin? Your niece isn’t worth Chengmin’s effort; crushing her is like crushing a chicken. I think this man is your niece’s lover, they were caught in an illicit act, and now they are trying to pin the blame on Chengmin."

Old Mrs. Su didn’t hesitate to tie Lu Yiner and Gao Ming together.

At this moment, seeing Gu Taohua next to Mrs. Min, Old Mrs. Su found her much more pleasing.

Lu Yiner teared up; before this, she and Gao Ming were indeed together.

But what about after this?

Surprisingly, Gao Ming didn’t continue to defend himself.

As Su Shihang remained silent, Lu closed her eyes, having lost this round completely.

Mrs. Min sneered.

With Old Mrs. Su taking the lead, she no longer needed to rack her brains to exonerate Su Chengmin.

Although she and Old Mrs. Su were like water and fire, the only thing that temporarily allied them was to clear Su Chengmin from this matter.

"What happened? Gao Ming, why are you here?"

Su Chengmin leisurely walked into Min Baozhen’s courtyard.

Old Mrs. Su felt relieved seeing her grandson and asked, "Where have you been?"

Su Chengmin replied, "Mr. Lu couldn’t hold his liquor, so I took him to the study for some tea to sober up. Just now, Mrs. Lu sent someone to fetch him, and I just saw him out."

The "Mr. Lu" Su Chengmin mentioned was naturally Lu Zhaoyang.

Su Chengmin frowned as he looked at Lu Yiner and Gao Ming and asked, "What’s going on? What are you doing in my mother’s courtyard?"

Lu wanted to tear Su Chengmin apart upon seeing him.

"Great Commander, it’s a good thing you’re here. You must stand up for me; I’ve been plotted against, and my reputation has been ruined. Surely, your heartless stepmother sees my promising future and attractive appearance and schemes to make me marry into the Lu Family. Great Commander, I haven’t married yet, and now with my reputation spoiled, which noble family in Shengjing would want me?"

"Great Commander, I came to the Su Mansion with you to attend Old Mrs. Su’s birthday banquet, thinking it was to show filial piety, but instead, I lost my reputation. How sad would my mother be if she knew? With my reputation ruined, no one will be willing to marry me, and she won’t have any grandchildren!"

"Great Commander, so much time has passed, and they argue back and forth without giving me justice. While Lord Su can analyze matters eloquently in court, there’s nothing said about my reputation. I have no choice but to turn to you; you’re part of the Su Family, and I lost my reputation in the Su Mansion, so you must stand up for me."

Seeing Su Chengmin, Gao Ming seized his chance and began narrating his grievances in detail.

Su Shihang, who was mentioned, looked very displeased.

Old Mrs. Su interrupted Gao Ming’s grievances, "How is my grandson supposed to stand up for you? It wasn’t my grandson who cost you your reputation. You wish to marry, and Lu Yiner wants to wed; I think you two are well-suited, you might as well get together."

Young men are thin-skinned when it comes to such matters. Losing reputation is losing reputation; what does a grown man have to worry about?

Worrying that no noble lady would be willing to marry him.

Given his status in the Imperial Guard, girls from small families would be eager to wed him.

Once he stepped out of the Su Family’s door, if he didn’t acknowledge it, Lu and Lu Yiner couldn’t do anything to him.

His prospects for marrying and having children wouldn’t be affected at all.

His status wasn’t even enough for the Imperial Censor to investigate him.

According to Old Mrs. Su, Lu Yiner wasn’t even fit for the Imperial Guard; she was only fit to marry a hunter or farmer from the village.

If Gao Ming were to not agree to marry her, taking her as a concubine would be considered elevating her status.

But as long as Lu Yiner didn’t cling to Su Chengmin, it didn’t matter to her whom she married.

Lu Yiner trembled at Old Mrs. Su’s words. Gao Ming was merely an ordinary soldier in the Imperial Guard, lacking the grandeur of a Great Commander like her cousin. If she married Gao Ming, she wouldn’t even have the invitation to grand family banquets like today’s, and she’d be forever shut out of Shengjing’s noblewomen’s social circles.

Moreover, with Gao Ming’s current status, he couldn’t help elevate her parents and brother.

After enduring so many grievances following her aunt over the years, she could only marry an ordinary member of the Imperial Guard.

She indeed felt resentful.

But other than this, she couldn’t think of a better way out.

Gao Ming, hearing Old Mrs. Su’s words, kept silent, as if he agreed with her suggestion.

Mrs. Min lifted her eyelids slightly.

Gao Ming was someone she watched grow up.

She understood Gao Ming very well; he wasn’t eager to extricate himself from this situation and instead kept harping on his ruined reputation and lack of a fiancée, clearly aiming for the Su Mansion to take responsibility.

Having the Su Mansion take responsibility would naturally mean marrying Lu Yiner.

Gao Ming’s intentions towards Lu Yiner weren’t lost on her.

Frankly speaking, Mrs. Min didn’t like the Lu Family, but that didn’t mean she’d vent her anger on innocent people from the Lu Family. However, Lu Yiner was not innocent in this matter; whether by coercion or volition, she and Lu plotted against Su Chengmin together.

They didn’t succeed in their plot now, but if they had, the engagement between Su Chengmin and Gu Taohua would have been over, and she’d have to grudgingly accept Lu Yiner into their home.

Girls with a disposition like Lu Yiner’s didn’t deserve someone like Gao Ming.

Even if she married Gao Ming, given Lu Yiner’s ambition, she was bound to cause trouble in the future.

But she was just an outsider and had no say in Gao Ming’s decisions.

Now that Su Chengmin had been cleared of blame, the rest should be handled privately within the family.