"Gentlemen, continuing this standoff won't solve anything. If you really fight, neither side will come out ahead. Why not go inside first, get to the bottom of this, and then settle it?" Zhuang Qiyang said.
"Very well. Put your weapons away." Tang Wen nodded.
"Everyone, withdraw." Liu Huaijun waved a hand, and the Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion's forces retreated outside the manor.
Before long, the two men entered the main hall, each bringing only a few people. After examining the house and land deeds they presented, Zhuang Qiyang was dumbfounded too.
"Lord Zhuang, are our house and land deeds false?" Liu Huaijun asked.
"No! But neither are the Deputy Marshal's. Moreover, his bear the prince's handwritten approval, witnessed by His Grace the duke," Zhuang Qiyang replied.
"Even if neither is false, there still has to be an order of precedence. Our house and land deeds clearly predate the Deputy Marshal's, so ours must take precedence," Liu Huaijun said.
"As for this matter, I think we must investigate it thoroughly first.
"However, this involves Lord Zhang Zhongyuan, the governor of Haisheng.
"So why don't you both accompany me to see Lord Zhang and ask him about it?" Zhuang Qiyang said.
"Fine, we'll go. Our Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion paid sixty million taels for this manor. We neither stole nor robbed it," Liu Huaijun said.
"All right, let's set off now." Zhuang Qiyang nodded, and the party headed straight for the Governor's Office.
"Teacher, Zhang Zhongyuan is no simple man.
"Once we reach his office, you mustn't contradict him carelessly.
"Otherwise, things will become quite troublesome," Zhuang Qiyang said through Secret Voice Transmission on the way.
"What, can he outrank a prince or a duke?" Tang Wen snorted.
"Although he is the governor of Haisheng, he actually holds another, more important position: