Zhu Fenxiang was not raised by her parents, but by her grandmother.
The reasons from the past are no longer of practical significance. The reality now facing Zhu Guizhi is that the relationship between her and her daughter is quite tense. If Zhu Guizhi forcibly intervenes, she will almost certainly fail.
"Moreover, it might even cause Fenxiang to rebel, to deliberately oppose me, and more firmly choose Ning Zhuo!" This is a possibility that deeply worries Zhu Guizhi.
Therefore, ever since she first learned of this shocking news, she has been trying hard to suppress this matter and also forcing herself to calm down, searching for a more assured way to solve the current problem.
However, since the news leaked from the Household Affairs Office, many within the family have been paying attention to this matter. Zhu Guizhi knows that this issue must be resolved quickly!
The political situation is forcing her to resolve this issue.
Otherwise, if this becomes a bigger joke, it will be even harder to deal with, and it would cause significant losses to both herself and her faction.
Because Zhu Fenxiang broke the rules and did something wrong. Of course, she might not be able to deeply understand, thinking that this matter is not a big deal.
But this matter is really different!
Zhu Fenxiang is the face of the Zhu family’s Foundation Establishment, and her every move represents the family’s reputation. Her sudden decision to teach the family’s Divine Summoning Technique to an outsider means that she intends to unite with this person.
This could be one of the most significant things in her life.
If they were childhood sweethearts, or if there had been some lead-up, and the entire family had expected it, it would be easier to say.
But now, Zhu Fenxiang suddenly acted this way, making it clear to everyone that her emotions are very intense and that she has easily fallen in love with an outsider. This is a very immature behavior. The family’s Foundation Establishment face should not be so immature!
If she was coerced by an outsider, it would be even more inappropriate to directly teach the family’s Divine Summoning Technique.
Because the Divine Summoning Technique is the foundation on which the Zhu family stands!
Of course, Zhu Fenxiang only taught the first level, and even if it was widely known, it would not shake the Zhu family foundation in the slightest.
But involving politics, the matter can be big or small.
In the small view, it’s a case of being attracted at first sight, young love. But taken in a larger context, it means considering personal feelings or benefits at the expense of the family!
Because this matter can be considered either significant or insignificant, Zhu Guizhi must resolve it quickly.
If she handles it effectively, it can be minimized. If not, and it escalates, it becomes a major issue.
At that time, not only will Zhu Fenxiang be dismissed, but even the entire branch of Zhu Guizhi will not fare well!
Zhu Guizhi paced back and forth, brow furrowed, pondering solutions for a long time. After considering many options and discarding the majority, she finally looked up, sighing deeply, and settled on a final plan of action.
She knows absolutely that she cannot immediately send a Flying Message to question her daughter.
Impulse and anger will not solve the problem.
"I must handle this personally!" She decisively put aside her current affairs, pushed open the door, and set off with a tunneling light, leaving the place.
A moment later, Zhu Guizhi’s figure appeared outside a side hall of the Sect’s Treasure House.
Zhu Guizhi entered the hall and saw He Yong.
He Yong was on duty there, guarding the family’s treasury.
He wore a simple green robe, had a calm demeanor mixed with a bit of cowardice, carefully checking each Jade Slip on the shelf.
Noticing someone’s arrival, he immediately turned around, with a slightly nervous smile, "Guizhi, why have you come?"
He is Zhu Guizhi’s husband and also the father of Zhu Fenxiang.
In the past, he was also among the first batch of genius cultivators emerging from the Xingyun Trial of the Myriad Images Sect. But he was gentle-natured, disliked fighting, and lacked an enterprising spirit.
Over a hundred years passed, and his cultivation level stagnated at the Early Stage Golden Core, with no progress. He merely managed sundries at the treasury, content with his lot. But in Zhu Guizhi’s eyes, he was the embodiment of "incompetence" and "mediocrity."
Zhu Guizhi was too bothered for pleasantries and went straight to the point, "I’m here to collect some treasury treasures, preferably magic artifacts or elixir pills that can nurture the Divine Soul and stabilize the foundation. Fenxiang has found a... favorable match, and according to family rules, as her mother, I have to express my intentions and visit the future ’son-in-law’!"
Upon hearing this, He Yong’s nervous smile faded a bit, he looked carefully at Zhu Guizhi’s expression, hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly: "Guizhi, I too have learned about this. Though I have not seen Ning Zhuo with my own eyes, I’ve heard he is a genius recently emerged within the sect, who took the top spot in the Xingyun Trial and answered the Three Questions of the Heart in Evil Slaying Hall, indicating a righteous disposition."
"Shouldn’t we trust Fenxiang a bit more? She is stubborn, but her judgement is usually excellent. The young man she has chosen is surely someone extraordinary."
"Extraordinary?" Zhu Guizhi, as if hearing the biggest joke, scoffed and cut him off.
Then she pointed a finger at He Yong’s nose, voice laden with long-standing disdain and resentment, "Wasn’t I blind back then too, thinking you were one of the first batch of genius cultivators from Myriad Images Sect, full of potential, and what was the result?"
"Character lacking, no sense of responsibility, on this path of cultivation, no amount of talent can surpass mediocrity! How much burden have you made me bear all these years, how much scorn have I had to endure?"
Her voice rose as her anger grew, "Some people may look brilliant on the outside, appearing full of potential, but on the inside they are just empty shells!"