Xu Zengshou understood all this and suddenly said, "Brother, have there been some unrest among our martial arts families these days?"

Xu Huizu looked at his younger brother with a serious expression. "Oh? Where did you hear these rumors?"

"We figured it out ourselves, and we felt that something was wrong," Xu Zengshou said frankly. "If we were to talk about the previous capital inspection, some people did try to smooth things over with members of the imperial family and military families. His Highness Prince Wu is still staying in his residence and doesn't want to come out, and the Duke of Kaiguo is nowhere to be seen. Even the Duke of Cao has been disciplining some military families these days."

Looking at Xu Huizu, Xu Zengshou said, "It's only right that we military families don't meddle in the affairs of civil officials, just as civil officials shouldn't covet our military families. It's best if we keep our distance and don't interfere with each other. But things are different now; we military families are too cautious."

It's not just that the military elites are too cautious; it's simply that the leading military elites seem to know something. Therefore, they are strict with themselves and with some of their close associates.

Those military officers who weren't warned, or those who were intentionally distanced, might be the ones facing misfortune. They weren't necessarily abandoned; they were likely already embroiled in trouble from which they couldn't escape.

Xu Huizu looked at his younger brother and simply said, "Don't make wild guesses. Just do your job well. The Kaiping King's lineage has one duke and two marquises. Our Xu family cannot afford to lose face. Right now, the only thing that's wrong with you is your family background."

Xu Zengshou immediately felt some pressure, as the three Chang brothers all held titles. Some said the Chang brothers were like tigers and dogs, their titles a legacy of the Prince of Kaiping and the Emperor's favor, but didn't that also mean the Chang brothers were willing to risk their lives?

Even his own elder brothers, the eldest brother has led troops into battle many times over the years, and the second brother risked losing one hand to earn a noble title.

If the Xu family wants to have three noble titles, then Xu Zengshou will probably have to work hard to achieve it!