Chapter 540 - 540: The Sun Family's Conspiracy

"I see. All right, then."

Zhao Wenxiang knew this matter couldn't be rushed. He smiled. "Do you need a date? How about you take Wan'Er with you?"

"Huh?" Jiang Xinghai was stunned.

Zhao Wan'Er immediately clutched her stomach. "Grandpa, my stomach hurts so much! I need to go lie down."

"You brat, you're still going to pretend in front of me?" Zhao Wenxiang glared at Zhao Wan'Er.

"Grandpa, you know how it is for women... there are a few days every month that are painful. Surely you understand that, Grandpa? How could I be faking it?" Zhao Wan'Er said, looking aggrieved as tears welled up in her eyes.

Zhao Wenxiang's old face flushed. "All right, fine."

'He couldn't very well check if his granddaughter was really in pain, could he?'

"Miss Wan'Er, I am quite skilled in medicine. I could help ease your pain," Jiang Xinghai offered.

"No, no, no..." Zhao Wan'Er frantically waved her hands, making a show of crouching on the ground.

"Then I'll take my leave."

Jiang Xinghai smiled knowingly and turned to Zhao Wenxiang. "Elder Zhao..."

"From now on, just call me Grandpa. That wouldn't be an insult to you, would it?" Zhao Wenxiang said with a playfully stern smile.

"Not at all, not at all! Grandpa, I really must be going."

Jiang Xinghai was genuinely grateful to Zhao Wenxiang. Besides, he was an old friend of his late grandfather, so calling him 'Grandpa' felt perfectly natural.

"Go on. Do what you have to do, and don't hold back."

Zhao Wenxiang was well aware of the current situation in Shanhe Province and understood why Jiang Xinghai and his group were there.

His words gave Jiang Xinghai and the others all the confidence they needed.

After Jiang Xinghai and his two companions left, the benevolent expression on Zhao Wenxiang's face remained. He turned to look at Zhao Wan'Er.

"Alright, stop pretending. Get up and have a seat."

"Grandpa~~"

Zhao Wan'Er gave a sly smile. Suddenly free of her "illness," she cheerfully sat down on the stone stool.

"It's your first time meeting Jiang Xinghai, so it's perfectly normal that you don't have a favorable impression of each other yet. But why were you in such a rush to refuse?" Zhao Wenxiang asked in a low voice.

"If you want me to marry him solely for the future benefit of our Zhao Family, Grandpa, then I am willing."

Zhao Wan'Er's expression grew serious as well. "But if it's just for the sake of marrying me off to someone, then I'm not willing."

"For the Zhao Family, you're willing to sacrifice yourself?" Zhao Wenxiang asked again.

"I am." Zhao Wan'Er nodded.

Zhao Wenxiang tilted his head back and laughed. "Silly girl. I wouldn't be able to bear that."

"But then what did you mean by telling me to marry Jiang Xinghai, Grandpa?" Zhao Wan'Er pouted, her face a mask of confusion.

After all, this was all so sudden.

If they had discussed it beforehand and she understood the gravity of the situation, she might have agreed.

"Until today, I had no idea any descendants of the Jiang Family were still alive, much less that Jiang Xinghai would be among my visitors..." Zhao Wenxiang began to explain slowly. "Now, he has reclaimed what belongs to the Jiang Family. I see great potential in him, so I wanted to find a good match for you, to secure your future."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Grandpa. I promise I'll try to get to know him first, all right?" Zhao Wan'Er said, shaking Zhao Wenxiang's arm and smiling sweetly.

"That would be for the best, of course."

Zhao Wenxiang raised an eyebrow with a smile. "However, he's still bound by a marriage contract to the Ye Family. Whether you two can actually end up together remains to be seen."

"You're not suggesting I should break up his engagement, are you, Grandpa?" Zhao Wan'Er grimaced. She would never stoop to something like that.

Zhao Wenxiang shook his head. "Of course not. If Jiang Xinghai can form an alliance with the Ye Family through marriage, it will only benefit the Jiang Family. As an old friend of their family, I naturally hope to see the Jiang Family rebuilt and make a comeback."

"So, you're just worried the Ye Family might call off the engagement, right? And then I can seize the opportunity?" Zhao Wan'Er asked quietly.

"If that happens, you must seize the opportunity. But if the two of them fall for each other at first sight, you are not to interfere." Zhao Wenxiang grew increasingly serious, as if the burden of rebuilding the Jiang Family rested on his shoulders as well.

"Don't worry, Grandpa. Of course I wouldn't interfere." Zhao Wan'Er never held out hope for things like love at first sight anyway.

"Old Fu, get the car ready."

At that, Zhao Wenxiang slowly began to walk outside.

"Are you going out, Grandpa? Where to? I'll come with you." Zhao Wan'Er followed after him.

"Your stomach is hurting so much, how could you possibly see Jiang Xinghai again?" Zhao Wenxiang waved a hand dismissively, his back still to her. "Stay home and focus on your cultivation. In time, you'll need to return to your parents in the Imperial City."

...

「At the same time.」

After leaving, Jiang Xinghai and his two companions headed straight for the Yu Family's residence.

The banquet at noon was now less than twenty minutes away.

"Divine Doctor Jiang, the Sun Family is holding their banquet at the Wanjia Hotel—it's the same hotel where we agreed to meet! This means our gathering and their banquet will inevitably clash. It's obviously a plot by the Sun Family!" Yu Zhuo suddenly realized, his face clouding over with worry.

Jiang Xinghai gave a smirk. "Indeed it is."

The Wanjia Hotel was the one right across from the Gathering Talent Tower.

This worked out rather well. The Yu, Feng, and Yan families whom Jiang Xinghai had invited could not only have their gathering, but he could also look after Shen Lingxue while attending the Sun Family's banquet.

The Sun Family's reasoning was simple and direct.

They wanted to lure Jiang Xinghai out and take revenge for Sun Jiaping's death.