The moment the plaque appeared, another loud voice rang out.
"Grand Chancellor Du Yuheng of Dali has arrived!"
One sound fell, and another sound rang out.
"General Mu Junxian of the Great Li Wuwei Army has arrived!"
"General Gui Pingheng, the Great General Who Conquers the East, has arrived!"
"Minister of War Lu Chen has arrived!"
"Minister of Revenue Gao Yongchang has arrived!"
"Commander Shen Congwu of the Imperial Guards has arrived!"
"Li Jiuxuan, the Chief of the Imperial City Guard of Dali, has arrived!"
......
Each sound signifies the arrival of one of the most powerful and influential figures in the Great Li Dynasty!
This is the power and connections that the title "Duke of Zhenguo" represents!
What does it mean to be second only to the emperor? This moment perfectly exemplifies it!
"Congratulations to the Duke of Zhenguo on reopening his residence!"
Congratulations echoed one after another.
Mu Zian was also somewhat stunned.
He never imagined that reopening the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would cause such a commotion.
"I am deeply honored to receive your congratulations today! I only hope that in the future we can work together to uphold justice and protect our Great Li for thousands of years!"
Amidst the congratulatory voices, a long, thin voice rang out.
"The Ninth Princess has arrived!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A rapid drumbeat sounded, and the civil and military officials who came to offer their congratulations spontaneously made way for them.
The next moment, two palace maids appeared carrying a white veil, and behind the veil was a beautiful figure dressed in brocade palace attire.
The visitor was none other than Princess Xiao Xiuning of Dali.
Xiao Xiuning was not only the emperor's most beloved princess, but her talent was also renowned throughout the capital.
In the capital, a single piece of calligraphy by Xiao Xiuning can sell for 100,000 taels of silver, and it is even more priceless. Countless princes, nobles, and wealthy young men yearn to own a copy of her calligraphy.
Xiao Xiuning's appearance immediately brought the atmosphere to its peak!
The fact that all the civil and military officials came to offer their congratulations was due to their private relationship with the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
The Ninth Princess's arrival to offer congratulations represents the royal family's attitude!
Looking at the woman before him, who was as beautiful as a fairy, Mu Zian was slightly stunned.
With skin as smooth as cream and a waist as slender as a willow, standing beneath the white gauze, she appeared like snow gathered in the moonlight.
Fortunately, it was just a momentary lapse in concentration, and Mu Zian quickly came to his senses.
"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Highness the Ninth Princess."
Xiao Baiwei replied with a smile beneath the thin veil.
"Congratulations on the reopening of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Your Highness. I have come to offer my congratulations today and have prepared some small gifts for you to accept."
"The arrival of the Ninth Princess today is an honor to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion! We would like to invite Your Highness to enter the mansion for a chat, so that I may express my hospitality as the host."
Suddenly, the once deserted Duke Zhenguo Mansion became lively again.
The current prime minister, the minister of six ministries, the general of four expeditions, the commander of the imperial guards, and a favored princess!
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, in its most magnificent form, announces to the world: I'm back!
Meanwhile, inside the Lu family mansion, Lu's grandmother was trembling with fear.
"Have you found out everything? Have all the officials in the court really gone?"
Lu Ming's face was extremely pale, and he replied in a slightly trembling voice.
"Great-grandmother! Not only that, His Majesty's most beloved Ninth Princess, the chief civil official, the Grand Chancellor, and the chief military general, General Wuwei, have all arrived!"
At this moment, Lu Ming felt his breathing becoming rapid, and his forehead was covered in a dense layer of cold sweat.
Any one of these people could crush the Lu family a hundred times over with a flick of their finger!
What's more, all these people are gathered here today at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, even more so than when people gather for court.
What an incredibly powerful force this is!
At this moment, only one sentence echoed in Lu Ming's mind!
If you don't enter officialdom, seeing me is like a frog in a well looking at the moon in the sky! If you do enter officialdom, seeing me is like a grain of sand floating in the blue sky!
That's exactly how Lu Ming feels right now.
Grandmother Lu felt extremely irritable at this moment!
This magnificent scene should have been shared by the Lu family as well!
Now, however, he can only huddle in this small house like a stray dog.
This disparity is simply devastating.
"Where is Lu Yunxue? Where is she? Tell her to come see me!"
Grandmother Lu slammed her hand on the table and shouted.
A moment later, Lu Yunxue, looking exhausted, appeared in front of her grandmother.
Seeing her grandmother's angry expression, Lu Yunxue was somewhat confused.
What happened to Grandma?
Seeing this, Lu Ming said irritably.
"Sister, do you know that Mu Zi'an has reopened the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"
Lu Yunxue didn't seem to care at all when she heard this.
"So what if it reopens? What can we do about it?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Grandmother Lu raised her voice several decibels.
"Do you know how glorious the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was today? The current prime minister, the mighty general, the ministers of the six ministries, and even Her Highness the Ninth Princess personally came to offer their congratulations!"
Lu Yunxue was somewhat shocked upon hearing this, but her expression returned to normal the next moment.
"It's just a matter of social obligations, why should Grandmother take it so seriously? Mu Zian is nothing but a spoiled brat. What good would it do if he inherited the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion? As the saying goes, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight."
"How could Mu Zian, an incompetent man, possibly protect such a vast family business? Does Grandmother really think that all those court officials were genuinely there to offer their congratulations? They were just there to laugh at him. The more arrogant he is today, the more pathetic he will be tomorrow."
"Furthermore, her ostentatious display today, with all the officials in the court offering their congratulations, is tantamount to forming cliques and engaging in favoritism. Does Grandmother believe that His Majesty will turn a blind eye to this?"
“This Mu Zi’an is already courting death! Fortunately, my Lu family broke ties with him quickly, otherwise, if His Majesty had investigated, we would have been hard-pressed to escape punishment.”
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com