Chapter 141 Inviting a God is Easy, Sending Him Away is Difficult

Although Mingsheng's mind was in turmoil, she had gained a lot of experience from following Ming'er around to take the imperial examinations over the years.

The other party is Hou Jun, Ming Er's biological mother, so going back would naturally bring more benefits than harm.

The Marquis's mansion still holds a title. If Ming Er returns home, he might receive a title in the future, which would definitely be more promising than staying at home.

As for her granddaughter, Mingsheng didn't care about her at all. To put it bluntly, they hadn't spent a single day together, and she didn't even know what she looked like. Mingsheng's feelings for that child were far less deep than his feelings for Ming'er, whom he spent every day with.

“Listen to me, Ming Er, go home with your biological mother,” Ming Sheng advised.

Mingren's mouth moved slightly. Ming'er was her daughter. How could she bear to let her go?

Ming Sheng looked at Ming Er. After all these years, she still understood Ming Er. This child was incredibly devoted to his family.

That's just how stubborn he is.

At this moment, Mingsheng was also afraid that she would become stubborn.

Ming Er looked at her family without saying a word, especially A Zu, who held her arm tightly and whose eyes were filled with tears.

Finally, Ming Er's gaze fell on Ming Yan. "Please go out first. I have something to say to my family."

She emphasized the words "my family" very much.

Mingyan gave her a deep look before going out and sitting in the carriage to wait.

She was certain that Mingyang would not give up the immense wealth and privilege of the Marquis's mansion.

Having a noble family as her backing is far more powerful than having a peasant family as her backing; Mingyang's future career prospects will be bright.

If it weren't for Mingyang's recent surge in popularity, Mingyan wouldn't have been in such a hurry to bring her back to the Marquis's residence.

After Mingyan left, Ming Er turned around and knelt down before his grandmother and mother.

She said that yesterday she heard her mother talking about the past, and that people outside said she looked a lot like the Marquis of Jing'an, so she guessed that this was the case.

"I originally wanted to find a suitable opportunity to tell you, but I didn't expect her to come first," Ming Er said, his head down.

Mingsheng pulled her up, his eyes even redder, "This isn't your fault, why are you blaming yourself?"

“That’s right. The temple was about to collapse, and I made a mistake in my haste. What does it have to do with you? If anyone made a mistake, it was my fault. I blame myself for rushing and saving the wrong child. I blame myself for being careless and not looking carefully enough. You should have been born into an official family and had a better future.” Mingren became more and more heartbroken as he spoke.

She was naturally reluctant to send the child away, but she shared the same thought as Mingsheng: having a mother who was a marquis would be better for Ming'er's future.

Mingsheng held Ming'er's hand and said, "After you go back, we'll move back to live there. Your aunt's house is big enough for us. Even if we can't move there, we still have a house in the county town. We can just go back to the county town and continue running the restaurant."

No one else spoke; they were still finding it hard to accept what had happened.

It turns out that Ming Er is not the biological child of the Ming family.

Mingzhuo wanted to speak, but didn't know what to say.

The others were even more unsure of their stance, and Old Man Ming cried so hard he almost passed out.

Before Ming Er went to school, he was raised by him. Now that he's leaving, how can I not be sad?

The whole family tacitly agreed that Ming Er should strive for a better future.

Over the years, for Ming Er's sake, her family has been blessed with divine protection. They've had enough already; they can't be a burden to Ming Er anymore.

“No, you can’t leave.” Ming Er looked at them. “The Marquis’s mansion is unwilling to return your child, which means they haven’t fully accepted me as their child. You are still my family.”

Mingyan is a dignified Marquis who has been in officialdom for so many years, yet he comes to claim his child like this. To put it bluntly, he still doesn't take Ming Er seriously.

"But……"

Ming Sheng wanted to speak, but was interrupted by Ming Er.

“No buts. This is the mansion that His Majesty the Emperor bestowed upon me, the top scholar. No one can drive you away without my order. Besides, I have now entered the court as an official. Since His Majesty has bestowed this mansion upon me, I cannot stay in the Marquis’s mansion forever.”

Ming Er didn't explain much. Since her family was urging her to go back, she would go back.

This would also make it clear to her family that even though her biological mother was Hou Jun, it wouldn't help her career.

The group looked at each other and agreed that Ming Er was right. This was a residence bestowed by the emperor, so Ming Er should naturally live in his own home.

Finally, Mingsheng made the decision, "Alright, then we won't leave. As long as you don't kick us out, we won't leave."

Ming Er was relieved. Old Man Ming packed Ming Er's things, and when he heard that she would come back, he took out her things again, only packing a few clothes and handing them to Ming Er.

"Um, take care of yourself."

"I will."

Ming Er carried the package and took a few steps, then turned back to look at his family. "Wait for me, I'll be back soon."

Upon hearing the commotion, Mingyan sat up straight, waiting for Mingyang to get into the carriage.

With her eyes closed, she wanted to give Mingyang a hard time, as she felt that her own daughter seemed to have no manners.

We didn't have it before, but we can't do without it in the future.

Their Marquis's Mansion is no ordinary family. Since Mingyang has chosen to return to the Marquis's Mansion, he cannot do anything that would bring shame to the mansion.

But after waiting for a long time, Mingyang still didn't come up. Mingyan frowned and opened his eyes, but he still couldn't see Mingyang in the carriage.

Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he lifted the carriage curtain and looked over.

She saw Mingyang riding a horse, raising an eyebrow at her.

Mingyan met Mingyang's gaze and awkwardly looked away.

He looked at Mingyang's horse with a somewhat shocked expression.

As a military commander, she knew the different kinds of horses all too well; Ming Er's horse was a rare and excellent steed.

Even the cheapest horse like that would cost over a thousand taels, which Mingyang's current family situation probably can't afford.

"Where did you get your horse?" Mingyan couldn't help but ask.

"Bestowed by my mentor."

This answer surprised Mingyan quite a bit.

Who is your teacher?

Even if I told you, you wouldn't know him.

“You…” Mingyan didn’t expect Mingyang to be so disrespectful to her.

Taking a deep breath, Mingyan finally spoke, "Mingyang, I am your biological mother. I hope you know some manners, instead of talking to me like this."

Ming Er looked at her and couldn't help but sneer, "You know you're my own mother, yet you have the nerve to talk to me about rules? My lack of manners is all thanks to my mother, who is a person without manners."

"Mingyang! What kind of attitude is this?"

"I'll respond to your attitude the same way? So what if you're the Marquis of Jing'an? You think you're so great? You're not wrong for bailing out the wrong child? Do you care about me, the top scholar in both civil and military affairs, or about your bloodline? A dignified marquis like you doesn't even know the basic rules, coming to my door like this to demand your child back?"

Mingyang's barrage of questions left Mingyan speechless.

"Are you blaming me?" Mingyan said incredulously.

Ming Er scoffed, "Shouldn't I resent this? You just accept it back like that, did you really consider me even a little bit? Or is it that a dignified Marquis like you doesn't care about ordinary people like my family, and thinks that just because they raised me, I should be grateful?"

Mingyan opened his mouth, but Ming Er said, "Aren't you leaving? Aren't you afraid I'll make a scene and disgrace your Jing'an Marquis's mansion?"

Only then did Mingyan notice that a group of people had gathered nearby. Her expression was not good as she lowered the curtain and ordered, "Return to the manor."

Ming Er followed beside the carriage, unconcerned about the stares and whispers from others.

Mingyan insisted on taking her back, and judging from Mingyan's attitude, Ming Er guessed that things would not be peaceful for her at the Jing'an Marquis's residence.

However, it's easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away. Hopefully, they won't be crying and begging her to leave when the time comes.

Inside the carriage, Mingyan glanced at the curtain beside him but ultimately did not lift it to look at Mingyang.

At first glance, Mingyang's series of questions to her sounded like he was accusing her. But after calming down and thinking about it carefully, she didn't feel accused at all; it was as if he was talking about something very ordinary.

Finding out that Mingyang could achieve such success even in a rural family made her very gratified, as he had not disgraced their Jing'an Marquis's mansion.

He's too young, so he needs to be suppressed to prevent him from forgetting who he is later.

Ming Er, riding on horseback, was not idle either.

She was chatting with Ms. Xiang.

"Go back then, it's not a big deal. Back at the Marquis's residence, you can always go home. Ming Er, you can't change your background, but the female tutor doesn't want you to suffer because of it."

“Madam, I’m not the kind of person who would wrong myself.”

No matter what happens, don't be afraid, I'm always here for you.

Ming Er didn't have any special feelings towards Ming Yan, his biological mother. It was only when he learned that she looked down on his family that Ming Er felt anger.

This person is far too arrogant.

Upon arriving at the Marquis's residence, Mingyan glanced at Mingyang, who had dismounted, and said, "You did very well."

Ming Er looked up at her and nodded. "Lord Ming, it's because my family taught me well. You should thank them even more."

Mingyan suppressed her anger and said, "I am your mother. You should call me mother and speak to me more politely."

Ming Er ignored her and changed the subject, "What do you plan to do with the other one?"

The word "dispose of" displeased Mingyan greatly.

However, he still had some patience for Ming Er. "The Marquis's mansion will tell the outside world that I gave birth to twins and accidentally lost one. I remember that you were born first. You are older than Ming Xi, so she will call you 'elder sister' from now on."

Ming Er looked at her sarcastically, "Did you inform her of your decision? Did you stop her from going home, or did she insist on staying? If it's the latter, I don't have a sister who doesn't even recognize her own parents."

"Shut up!"

Ming Er looked at her and said, word by word, defiantly, "I... refuse!"

The top scholar's residence wasn't too far from the Marquis's residence. The people of the Marquis of Jing'an's residence knew the news early on, and they knew that Mingyan was going to pick up the person, but they didn't know what the outcome would be.

The doorman watched the two arguing and hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should step forward.

"Mingyang, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?"

Ming Er cracked his knuckles. "You were the one who started this mess with me."

Mingyan strode angrily into the mansion. The people who came to greet Mingyan stopped in their tracks when they saw Mingyang walking slowly behind him. They didn't know what to do for a moment.

Everyone knew that Mingyang was the most popular scholar and military scholar these days, and the glorious scene of his parade through the streets was still fresh in their minds.

Mingxi looked at Ming Er with complicated emotions. She never expected that she and Ming Yang were actually switched at birth.

Compared to Mingyang, the top scholar in both civil and military affairs, she didn't seem to have much of an advantage. But thinking that her family would all side with her in the future, Mingxi raised her chin again.

My mother isn't someone who cares about blood ties. As long as I'm good enough, my relationship with my family over the years is something Mingyang can't compare to.

Ming Er stood with his hands behind his back, clearly distinguishing himself from the people of the Jing'an Marquis's residence, as if he were a guest.

"What, aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Let's go inside first and talk," Mingyan said in a deep voice.

She realized that Mingyang was not someone who could be easily manipulated, and that if she spoke at the door, she might only make things worse.

Mingyan kept telling herself that Mingyang was her own son, otherwise she wouldn't have tolerated him so much.

Ming Er followed them inside. Once in the front hall, he found a seat and sat down, raising his chin. "Now, let them introduce themselves," he said.

"Don't you have any manners?" Mingyan roared.

She began to doubt whether bringing Mingyang back was the right or wrong thing to do.

“My rules are for His Majesty the Emperor. If you’re not satisfied, go and talk to His Majesty.”

Mingyan was rendered speechless, and naturally she couldn't compare herself to His Majesty the Emperor.

Ming Er was clearly setting a trap for her. If she said anything treasonous and it reached His Majesty's ears, it would be seen as an attempt to sow discord between her and His Majesty.

Mingyan finally managed to suppress her temper and pointed to the man beside her, "This is your father."

Ming Er looked over and saw that the man was very handsome, but when he looked at her, his handsome brows furrowed and his eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

And disgust.

Ming Er clearly saw that the person who disliked her was indeed coming for her.

"Is it the one who gave birth to me? You didn't even switch partners. Lord Hou is truly loyal. No wonder you took me back but didn't return the other woman's daughter?"

Mingyan gritted his teeth, "Shut up, is that something you should be saying?"

"My mouth is my own body, I can say what I want to say, what can you do to shut me up?"

"Mingyang!" Mingyan thought that Mingyang was really infuriating.

I don't know how someone could say so many things that make people feel uncomfortable.

Liu Sanlang quickly patted Mingyan's back, "My wife, don't be angry. It's not worth getting sick from it."

When she looked at Ming Er again, she didn't even bother to hide the disgust in her eyes.

Ming Er only glanced at him, his gaze not lingering on him for long.

"What about the others? Tell me all of them."

"I am Mingxi. We've met before, so I don't think I need to introduce myself further," Mingxi said.

Ming Er's gaze swept past her and landed on the boy beside her. From the moment he saw her, this boy had been glaring at her, his rejection of her blatantly obvious.

"Speak up, are you mute?"

The boy glared at Ming Er even more fiercely, "You're the one who's mute."

Mingxi quickly shielded her behind her, saying, "This is my younger brother, Mingyu. Mingyang, he's still young and spoiled by the family. He doesn't know any better, so please don't hold it against a child like him."

The boy said, "I don't want this older sister. I only have one older sister, Mingxi. Get her out of my house."

While speaking, she held Mingxi's hand tightly.

Mingxi patted his hand with a smile and gently scolded, "Little brother, this is also your sister."

He then pointed to the girl beside him and said, "This is my younger sister, Mingtong."

Mingtong snorted heavily at Ming Er, her face full of disgust. She covered her nose and said, "I don't want this older sister either. Mother is really something, bringing all sorts of people into the house."

After saying that, he hid behind Liu Sanlang and made a face at Ming Er.

"Are there any others? Serving the emperor? Surely a dignified marquis wouldn't only have this one man?"

"No," Mingyan said through gritted teeth.

Ming Er clicked his tongue twice, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Mingyan asked, frowning.

Ming Er ignored her until he had finished laughing, then pointed at a group of people and said, "Hou Jun, look at your family members. How dare you say I have no manners? Who in your family is well-mannered? If you're going to say something like that again, you should take a look in the mirror first."

After laughing, Ming Er stood up from his chair. "If I had known your family was so unruly, I wouldn't have worried when I came. I hate the constraints of rules the most. From now on, I can do whatever I want in this mansion."

Mingyan stared at Mingyang with a livid expression.

"By the way, where do I live? You're not going to bring me back here and make me sleep on the streets, are you?"

Ming Er glanced outside. "I don't mind sleeping on the streets. I can live anywhere. But now that I've recognized my biological mother, things are different. When I sleep on the streets, I'll have to put up a sign next to me that says, 'The biological daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an who was switched at birth.' What does the Marquis think?"

Mingyan was about to speak when Mingxi stopped him. Then Mingxi looked at Mingyang and said, "When Mother left, she instructed that your courtyard be prepared. Let me take you there."

"Thank you very much." Ming Er cupped his hands in thanks to Ming Xi.

Just as they were about to leave, Ming Er stopped and said, "In order to ensure that the household prepares more meat dishes such as roast chicken and braised pork hock, I can't stand vegetarian food. Please tell the kitchen. If I don't eat well, I don't know what absurd things I might do."

After saying that, Ming Er followed Ming Xi away.

Her courtyard was right next to Mingxi's courtyard.

They look similar on the outside, but there are still some differences inside.

Ming Er glanced at it, pretending not to know.

"It's getting late. You should rest for a while. Someone will come to let you know when it's time for dinner."

Seeing Mingxi about to leave, Ming Er looked at her retreating figure and asked, "Aren't you planning to go home?"

Mingxi didn't even turn her head. "It was my mother who decided to keep me."

"If you want to leave, they can't stop you; it's just that you don't want to leave."

Mingxi turned to look at her, a smile on her lips, but her gaze was icy. "People strive for higher positions, water flows downhill. Mingyang, you are already the top scholar in both civil and military affairs, someone favored by His Majesty the Emperor. Now, haven't you chosen the Marquis's mansion as your backer?"

Ming Er looked at her, then lowered his eyes and looked at the teapot on the table. "My return may not be a good thing for you."

Mingxi ignored her, taking it as just an excuse she made up for herself, and turned to leave.

Dinner was eaten together at home.

Ming Er ate as much as she wanted. Her eating manners were not elegant, but they were not vulgar either; she just ate a lot.

Mingyu, clutching her handkerchief, muttered sarcastically, "Eating so much, just like a pig."

“Exactly, like they’ve never eaten, like beggars,” Mingtong chimed in.

Although they spoke softly, their voices were just loud enough for everyone to hear.

The others, however, said nothing.

Ming Er looked around, put down his chopsticks, got up and walked behind Ming Yu and Ming Tong. He grabbed their hair and forced them to look up at him.

"What are you doing?" Mingyan shouted angrily.