"Tell your guards to stop showing up at the General’s Manor for no reason. I’d hate for them to be dealt with as thieves one day."

"I’m the one who paid to have your backyard built! That means half of the General’s Manor is mine." Old Gu had remodeled the house precisely so he could have a place for himself in the General’s Manor.

"..."

"What are you playing at, Xiang Minghou? You goaded the Emperor into assigning the Zhan family work just to keep us from seeing our granddaughter, didn’t you?" For the past two days, Lady Zhan had been brought into the Imperial Palace to help the Noble Consort arrange a birthday banquet.

Forget helping—she fell ill the moment she entered the palace, so worried about her granddaughter that she couldn’t eat or drink.

The Noble Consort had no choice but to ask the Emperor to send her out of the palace early this morning.

"General Xiang, that’s the Zhan family’s granddaughter! What right do you have to keep us from seeing her?" Zhan Yi had also been run off his feet these past few days.

"By the simple fact that I am the one who has claimed her," Xiang Minghou stated, full of confidence.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Lady Zhan and Zhan Yi both shot a fierce glare at their son. If it weren’t for him, claiming their granddaughter wouldn’t be this difficult.

"It wasn’t that I refused to acknowledge her. I just felt there were too many complications involved." Zhan Chi had long been kicking himself over it.

"Too many complications?" Xiang Minghou snorted. "Hah. Be honest with yourself. Even if there were no complications, would you really have acknowledged her then? All of this is nothing but excuses now."

Zhan Chi didn’t refute him. ’He was right. Back then, even if she was his, he probably wouldn’t have been very pleasant to a little child he had just met.’

"I know I did wrong, but I regret it now. Can’t I even try to make amends?"

’He knew he was wrong.’

"General Xiang, if the Zhan family had known about this back then, I would have brought the child home myself." Tears welled in Lady Zhan’s eyes. It was all her rascal son’s fault for making such a mess of things.

Xiang Minghou knew what kind of person Lady Zhan was, but when it came to the child, he wouldn’t back down for anyone.

"Alright, there’s no need for further argument," Qian Fu said, having heard enough to understand the situation.

Only then did Zhan Chi notice Qian Fu, his gaze instantly turning wary.

"Brother Zhan, Lady Zhan, there is no need for this. The child does not belong to your Zhan family. She belongs to my Qian family." Qian Fu figured they were only fighting so hard because they all assumed the child belonged to the Zhan family.

’In that case, it would be better to tell them the truth and put their notions to rest.’

"..."

"..."

Everyone in the hall was suddenly struck speechless, their eyes fixed on Qian Fu.

The expression on Old Gu’s face was particularly rich. ’How did she suddenly become one of the Qians?’

Qian Fu smiled elegantly. "It has already been confirmed. A few days ago, my son and the child met by chance. As it happens, their blood merged, proving their connection. That is why I have come today to discuss the matter with General Xiang. A child of the Qian family must be brought back to be raised by the Qian family."

"The Qian family dared to perform a blood-linking test on my daughter behind my back?" Xiang Minghou was seething, wishing he could cut Qian Fanji down on the spot.

"N-No... impossible. I don’t believe you. You’re lying," Zhan Chi sputtered in denial.

’The little chubster clearly belongs to the Zhan family.’

"That’s right, I don’t believe it! How could she possibly belong to the Qian family? Zhan Chi clearly said it was just him and Xiang Minghou. What does this have to do with your Qian family?" Zhan Yi was not yet aware of the matter involving four people.

"The child looks exactly like my eldest daughter. How could she belong to the Qian family?" Lady Zhan refused to believe it either. ’They say a niece takes after her paternal aunt,’ she thought. ’It can’t be wrong.’

"The fact is the fact. If you don’t believe me, we can call the little one here and our four families can get to the bottom of this face-to-face," said Qian Fu.

"What four families? Which four families?" Zhan Yi was baffled.

Old Gu was baffled too. ’How can one child be connected to four families?’

’There are three families here now. Who’s the fourth?’

"Grand Chancellor Qian, please see yourself out." Xiang Minghou was already trying to kick them out.