Ji Yong looked at the receding carriage with a gloomy face.

Zishang's heart was beating fast.

Young Master has never been ignored like this in his life, and he doesn't know how he can punish Mr. Chen?

However, this Mr. Chen seems to be the fourth lady of the Dou family.

The fourth daughter of the Dou family was also very powerful. She pretended to be deaf and dumb and beat Pang Kunbai half to death. Pang Kunbai couldn't cry out in pain, and in the end he had to pay the fourth daughter of the Dou family 20,000 taels of silver. If she knew that the young master had killed her people, I wonder if she would come to settle the score with the young master?

Although the young master had a strong personality, every time he met the fourth lady of the Dou family, it was like fire meeting water. No matter how fierce the fire was, she could chill the young master to the bone with just a few words, leaving him unable to breathe for a long time.

If the fourth young lady of the Dou family had a dispute with the young master, would it affect a little shrimp like him?

Just as Zishang was pondering in agony, a man who looked like a manager hurried out from the side door.

He saluted towards Ji Yong and said, "Master Ji, our Lord Hou invites you to the flower hall to serve tea."

Ji Yong nodded at him arrogantly, put his hands behind his back, and was the first to enter the gate of Jining Marquis' Mansion.

The manager was startled, and hurriedly caught up with him, leading the way in front of him.

The Wei family's flower room is full of greenery. Outside the window, redbud flowers with trunks as thick as bowls are in full bloom. However, the furnishings in the house are like those of a young woman who has passed her prime. No matter how much makeup she puts on, it cannot hide her old age.

Ji Yong curled his lips and picked a new-looking armchair to sit on.

The maids served tea and snacks.

The steward came in with Marquis Jining.

After they greeted each other and sat down according to their status, Marquis Jining laughed and said, "Ji Juren is really successful at a young age! I wonder what Ji Juren wants to talk to me about?" He was friendly and had a gentle smile, like an elder who was caring for his juniors.

Ji Yong's mind was already spinning.

He originally wanted to use the silence of the Dou family to persuade the Wei family to leave the token of engagement with Dou Zhao and negotiate terms with the Dou family. This way, he could achieve the goal of asking for the title of crown prince for Zhang Yuanming and gain a moral advantage, allowing the Wei family to gain both fame and fortune. Unexpectedly, he met Chen Qushui at the gate of Jining Marquis's mansion.

Others might be fooled by Chen Qushui, thinking that he was just an unknown accountant in the Dou family, but they could not hide it from him - in the past two years, he had been used by Dou Zhao. The people of the Dou family could not even order him around, and even if they wanted to ask him for help with some ideas, it would be impossible with Chen Qushui's arrogance.

He came to Jining Marquis's Mansion, and he must have been ordered by Dou Zhao to solve the token issue. Although he didn't know how Chen Qushui talked to the Wei family, looking at Chen Qushui's expression, with his ability, he had obviously achieved his goal.

There is absolutely no need for me to come and see Marquis Jining again.

But for some reason, he was unwilling to leave like this.

He was even unwilling to go home and wait for news from the spies to come in so suddenly.

He wanted to know what Chen Qushui had said to Jining Marquis? Did the Wei family decide to return the token to the Dou family as he imagined, and then quietly cancel the marriage with Dou Zhao when the storm had passed? Or did they suddenly find that Dou Zhao was not only capable, but also had a large dowry, which could fully support this poor ghost marquis family, and change their minds temporarily and decide to propose marriage to the Dou family? Or, something else happened that he had not expected...

Just like he never thought that Dou Zhao would send Chen Qushui to visit the Jining Marquis' Mansion, so he did not send anyone to pay attention to the developments in Zhending.

If he hadn't met Chen Qushui today, he would probably still be feeling complacent about having everything under his control?

He really didn't like the feeling of being out of control.

Ji Yong couldn't help but complain in her heart.

Shouldn't Dou Zhao be sitting at home quietly waiting for him to sort this out for her? Why did she jump out without saying a word, ruining his plans and arrangements, and catching him off guard, nearly causing him to fall...

He hasn't encountered anything like this in years!

Why would she do this?

Aren't they from the same camp?

He had said before that he would help her solve this problem. Did she not believe that she had the ability to do so? Or did she not take his words to heart at all?

All these messy things made Ji Yong feel restless and irritable, and of course he had no good face towards Marquis Jining.

He said calmly, "I just ran into Mr. Chen, the accountant of the Dou family, at the gate of your mansion. He has been taking care of the fourth daughter of the Dou family in Zhending. He suddenly appeared in Kyoto. I guess it was for the marriage between your mansion and the fourth daughter of the Dou family. I also heard that your mansion was going to exchange the engagement token with the He family for the title of the Prince of Jingguo, so I came to visit the Marquis. I want to know whether the Marquis is going to return the token to the Dou family or give it to the He family..."

Marquis Jining's face turned dark instantly.

Whether the Wei family is going to return the token to the Dou family or give it to the He family is none of his business!

I was only kind enough to entertain him because he was a descendant of the Ji family, but he, on the other hand, opened a dyeing shop after I gave him some favor. He was so young but he was already prying into other people's privacy. He had talent but no morals. Even if he won the top spot in the imperial examination, he could only struggle in the officialdom and become a poor Hanlin.

"Isn't Master Ji too lenient?" Marquis Jining picked up the teacup without any hesitation, and the servant in the room shouted "Show the guest out".

Ji Yong would naturally not wait until someone came to stop him.

When Marquis Jining picked up the teacup, he stood up and said coldly before the servant shouted "Show me away": "My family and the Dou family are in-laws. Thanks to the second lady of the Dou family for looking up to me, she let me stay at the Dou family to celebrate the New Year this year. And seeing that I was going back to Kyoto to reunite with my father, she was afraid that the uncles of the Dou family would let the fourth daughter of the Dou family suffer any grievances, so she specially entrusted me to pay close attention to the movements in Kyoto. If the uncles of the Dou family are unable to do so, and the elders in the family are keeping it a secret from her, she asked me to tell you quietly that if you leave the token at the Wei family now, she will be willing to buy it back at a high price after the storm has passed..."

Before he could finish his words, Marquis Jining's throat seemed to be blocked. He was stunned and could not utter a word for a long time, but he was thinking rapidly in his mind.

He really looked down upon Miss Dou Si, the "eldest widowed daughter" of the Dou family. If he followed what Ji Juren said and exchanged the token for a large sum of money, the Wei family would be able to get rid of the current predicament immediately, and that would be With money to help the servants in the palace find good jobs for his son, the Wei family will soon be revitalized. It's just my daughter... If I follow what Mr. Chen said, I have to marry the fourth lady of the Dou family. Although I can get a dowry and help my daughter, she will be controlled by others... What a dilemma!

If only there was a way to have the best of both worlds.

The thought flashed through his mind and he felt something in his heart.

Why rush to make a decision?

Now the He family wants the jade pendant, the Dou family wants the jade pendant, and even the second wife of the Dou family has her own plans behind her son's back. As the saying goes, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Why doesn't he wait and put it off? Maybe he can sell it for a better price!

I just don't know if the Ji family is really related to the Dou family. I have to find out more.

Having made up his mind, Marquis Jining became more spirited.

Ji Yong knew what he was planning at first glance. A trace of contempt flashed through his mind, and he suddenly felt sad for Dou Zhao.

Her mother told her what a lousy marriage it was!

If I marry her, I'll still have a way to survive!

No matter what, Dou Zhao cannot be allowed to marry in!

Ji Yong secretly made up his mind and listened to the pretentious words of Marquis Jining: "Our Wei family followed Emperor Taizong in his campaigns and won a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Although we are not talented, we have never forgotten the merits of our ancestors and dare not do anything that would dishonor them. Since the Dou family has exchanged tokens with our family, how can this marriage be changed at will..."

While he was talking eloquently, the steward who had brought Ji Yong in earlier appeared at the door of the flower hall with his head poked.

Marquis Jining frowned slightly, stopped talking, and said unhappily, "What is it?"

The steward hurriedly walked in with his head lowered and bowed, saying, "My Lord, the eldest aunt is back..."

Marquis Jining was stunned.

The steward whispered something into Marquis Jining's ear.

Ji Yong disdained to eavesdrop, but Zi Shang pricked up his ears and heard everything clearly.

"I don't know who told my eldest aunt that you decided to leave the jade pendant behind. My eldest aunt came back crying, holding her child, saying that she couldn't live any longer. My wife and my eldest aunt were crying bitterly, and they refused to listen to anyone's advice. The prince was watching from the side and asked me to come to you quickly, saying that if you didn't go, my wife and my eldest aunt would cry themselves to death..."

Marquis Jining loved his wife and two children very much.

And now that something like this has happened, I should explain it to my daughter.

He could no longer sit still, and hurriedly said a few polite words to Ji Yong, then served tea to see the guest off again.

Ji Yong didn't say much, just stood up and left the flower hall.

Marquis Jining hurried to the inner courtyard.

Zishang told Ji Yong what he had just heard.

Ji Yong said, "I will wait for you in the carriage. You can go with Jining Hou to have a look. I saw that he was a coward. I was afraid that his daughter would cry and make a fuss, so I changed my mind."

Zishang opened his mouth wide: "Go, go to the inner house..."

"What are you afraid of?" Ji Yong glanced at him with contempt. "The Jining Marquis's Mansion is so big, and they are struggling to make ends meet. It is impossible for them to have enough servants to take care of the courtyard. You can enter the inner courtyard smoothly by bypassing the main courtyards. Even if you are recognized, you can say that I have something to do with the Marquis. As a result, you didn't meet anyone along the way and walked there in a daze..."

What else could Zi Shang say? He followed Ji Yong's instructions and secretly followed Marquis Jining into the inner courtyard.

As expected, we didn't meet many people on the road, and we saw some remote houses covered with weeds, which looked very desolate.

The young master was right again.

He muttered as he reached the main courtyard unhindered and climbed in from the backyard.

The maids and old women were standing under the corridor of the main house. He leaned against the back window to listen. The voice of Marquis Jining came from time to time: "... I am responsible for your brother, so I can't just abandon you... You must listen to me on this matter, I will do you no harm..."

Zishang turned back quietly, and ran into trouble at the Chuihua Gate - an old woman stopped him and said, "What do you do? Why haven't I seen you before?"

"I'm the sweeper of the outer courtyard." Zishang said quickly, "I just saw that there was no one in front of the hanging flower gate, so I wandered around here."

"Why is there no one here?" the old woman was puzzled.

Zi Shang had already run out in a flash, shouting "I want to go back to duty," and left the Jining Marquis's Mansion.

Ji Yong asked him, "What's wrong?"

Zishang repeated to Ji Yong everything he had heard.

Ji Yong nodded and asked Zi Shang: "Which restaurant in Kyoto is the best? I want to treat He Yu to a drink!"