Chapter 162 My Lord, You Absolutely Must Not

After the carriage stopped, Yun Zhao was the first to run out of it.

Seeing the carriage stop in front of the Yuan residence, he was taken aback.

Hmm? Why are you at the Yuan residence?

She feigned excitement and exclaimed, "Wow!"

"What a big door! Uncle Xu's house is so grand!"

Upon hearing her words, the people inside the carriage hurriedly leaned out of the carriage.

But on the gate plaque, the words "Yuan Mansion" were written in a bold and unreserved manner.

Xu Jiajie dismounted and extended an invitation.

"Please, everyone."

Madam Xu and her daughter Xu Qingshi exchanged a glance, both unsure of what to do.

However, since the military advisor personally greeted them as they disembarked from the carriage, they naturally couldn't stay in the carriage indefinitely.

As the group disembarked from the carriage and watched the others leave, Old Madam Xu couldn't help but ask a question.

"Lord Xu, is this the residence of Prefect Xu of Yangzhou, Lord Yuan?"

"Yes, Prefect Yuan wishes to see you all. Please follow me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Jiajie turned around and walked towards the door, giving them no chance to back out.

Yun Zhao finally realized that something was wrong.

Although Xu Jiajie came to repay a debt of gratitude, from the moment they met, he was extremely polite to the Xu family in both tone and action.

He made every effort to repay the debt of gratitude.

Yun Zhao had always felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Now she understands where the problem lies.

He talked about repaying a debt of gratitude, but from beginning to end, he never gave the Xu family a choice.

Whether they take her away directly or let them meet Prefect Yuan directly.

The governor of a prefecture, who was unwilling to even meet with the escorting officials, suddenly demanded to see them when his home was burglarized.

Even Xu Qingshi noticed something was wrong.

"Mother, why does Prefect Yuan want to see us?"

Xu Qingshi felt that something was wrong, and all the excitement in her heart subsided.

"Could it be that he and your brother are old acquaintances?"

Madam Xu's understanding is superficial.

Her son was originally the son of a great general, and a prefect of a lower state. It's quite possible that he wanted to curry favor with the general's family back then!

The group of people, each with their own thoughts, entered the Yuan residence.

Yun Zhao pretended to be curious and looked around with great interest.

Seeing her touching and fiddling with everything, Old Madam Xu couldn't help but scold her: "Don't run around like that, you're disgracing the Xu family!"

"Grandma, where is this?"

Yun Zhao turned around, blinked, and asked with a sincere expression.

Xu Jiajie glanced at her, then looked at the officials following behind him.

The person behind him nodded slightly and stepped forward to pull Yun Zhao back.

"This is the residence of Prefect Xu of Yangzhou. Do not wander around."

Yun Zhao smiled at the official, "Uncle, don't worry, Zhao Zhao won't run around~"

Faced with such an adorable child, the officer's fierce expression softened.

"Okay, then you'll stay with your grandmother obediently, okay?"

"Okay, thank you, Uncle!"

After saying that, Yun Zhao took off running with her short legs to Old Madam Xu's side.

She looked like a well-behaved child, took Old Madam Xu's hand, and looked up at her with her little head tilted back.

"Grandma~"

She smiled sweetly, but that only annoyed Old Madam Xu even more.

Old Madam Xu abruptly shook off her hand.

Yun Zhao fell backward.

"Ouch, it hurts so much!"

Madam Xu was taken aback.

She didn't use much force at all! What is this brat trying to do?

Xu Jiajie paused in his forward steps, looking at the person behind him with increasing dissatisfaction.

"Lord Yuan is still waiting. I wonder how long you gentlemen intend to drag this out?"

Yun Zhao immediately fell to the ground and rolled around.

"Waaaaah, it hurts so much, Grandma hit me so hard!"

The children's noisy voices were so jarring that everyone felt their temples throbbing.

"What are you doing? I knew I shouldn't have brought you! Get up!"

Xu Qingshi had a terrible headache and quickly scolded her.

Wu Lianzhen's son was also awakened by the noise and started crying along with Yun Zhao.

For a moment, the entire courtyard was filled with the sounds of children crying.

"Registrar, what should we do?"

The officials had never dealt with children before, and they were immediately at their wits' end.

Xu Jiajie said in a deep voice, "Men, take this child away!"

"Take him...take him where?"

The officials looked distressed, as if they were afraid of being asked to comfort the children.

"Just take some food or something to appease her!"

Xu Jiajie's forehead throbbed.

The officials had no choice but to step forward and appease Yun Zhao.

"Little one, shall I take you to find something delicious to eat?"

Upon hearing that there was something delicious to eat, Yun Zhao finally stopped crying and making a fuss.

"real?"

"certainly!"

Yun Zhao immediately stopped crying and started laughing.

"Okay, okay, Zhao Zhao wants to eat something delicious!"

She got up from the ground and happily followed the officials away.

Without Yun Zhao "entertaining" him, Xu Zhiqian was gradually calmed down by his mother.

Seeing Xu Jiajie's unpleasant expression, Old Madam Xu quickly smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, the child is just being ignorant!"

Xu Jiajie gave them a disapproving look and warned, "Don't do this again when you see Lord Yuan later!"

"Yes, yes, we understand!"

The group had no choice but to bow and scrape before him.

As Xu Jiajie left again, Xu Qingshi muttered with some dissatisfaction, "Look at him like that..."

I think my brother shouldn't have helped that ungrateful wretch in the first place. And now he's repaying a debt of gratitude? Who repays a debt with such arrogance!

Madam Xu quickly covered her daughter's mouth.

"Keep your voice down! We still need him to give us some benefits and money!"

Hearing her mother's words, Xu Qingshi finally shut her mouth in dissatisfaction.

For the sake of the money, she forgave his rudeness!

Upon arriving at the main hall, Xu Jiajie told them to wait outside while he went inside.

Yuan Shuchang was discussing matters with his officials when they saw him enter, and they all stopped.

"My lord, the Xu family and their entourage have been brought here."

"How was it? Did you ask anything on the way?"

"They kept their mouths shut and didn't get anything out of us. The clerk didn't know anything about Xu Yiyuan."

Xu Jiajie shook his head and replied.

"Whether they don't know or are pretending not to know, we'll find out by torture."

A handsome man with a mole on his nose, standing beside Yuan Shuchang, suddenly spoke.

Xu Jiajie hurriedly said, "Sir, you mustn't! When we came out, the escorting officers even gave us a document."

They were to be given the official documents to be completed today and released safely. They were to be punished in the state capital without any basis.

"I'm afraid the Dali Temple won't be able to justify this, and it might alert the enemy."

The handsome man smiled at him, a hint of sarcasm in his expression: "What, Lord Xu, are you trying to protect your benefactor's family?"

Xu Jiajie frowned slightly and looked up at him: "What do you mean by this, young master?"

Xu has received great favors from adults and always puts them first. When has he ever had any selfish thoughts?

Yuan Shuchang raised his hand to stop the handsome man from speaking.

"Jiajie has been by my side for two years now. I trust him to do things right."

The mother and daughter from the Xu family may genuinely be unaware of the situation, but Xu Yiyuan's wife...

After sharing a bed for so many years, how could he really be completely unaware? Let's have a separate interrogation; no need for torture.

Doesn't she have a son? These women who stay at home only need to be scared a little; they'll confess everything.