Marquis Pingxi looked around and realized that the interior was not simple. The items on the antique shelf were genuine in his eyes, and the scrolls hanging on the wall were also made by famous artists of the time. Marquis Pingxi was a man of refined tastes and had a great love for antiques and calligraphy and painting. He was quite knowledgeable about them. Now it seemed that this little-known place was not a simple place at all.
Thinking of this, Marquis Pingxi couldn't help but take it seriously. He began to wonder what Marquis Yongning wanted to do by inviting him here.
Marquis Pingxi and Marquis Yongning would meet in the capital in the past, but they would only exchange greetings and salutations. They were not close friends.
Although Marquis Pingxi was not a particularly shrewd or capable person, he still had some basic awareness. However, the two families usually had no interaction, let alone any dirty secrets between them. Thinking of this, Marquis Pingxi felt a sense of relief.
While Marquis Pingxi was racking his brains trying to figure out why Marquis Yongning had suddenly summoned him, Marquis Yongning was drinking tea in another room. When he felt it was about time, he got up, straightened his clothes, and headed to the private room where Marquis Pingxi was.
Upon seeing Marquis Yongning, Marquis Pingxi quickly bowed. Marquis Yongning smiled and said, "Marquis Pingxi, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat."
After Lord Yongning entered, he was followed by several shop assistants carrying food boxes and wine pots. The assistants worked busily without any panic, placing the dishes from the food boxes one by one on the table. After filling the wine cups in front of Lord Pingxi and Lord Yongning, the group bowed to Lord Yongning and quietly withdrew.
Marquis Pingxi, left standing there, pondered for a long time, now just wanting to know why Marquis Yongning had suddenly summoned him here. After taking his seat, he said, "Lord Xu, please tell me, what brings you here?"
Marquis Yongning poured a cup of tea for Marquis Pingxi and said with a smile, "I invited you here today because I have a favor to ask of you."
Marquis Pingxi was increasingly confused. He had no official duties, only a title. As for how he could help Marquis Yongning, he felt he couldn't. Therefore, Marquis Pingxi was completely relaxed, because he thought that what Marquis Yongning asked for shouldn't be anything difficult.
With this in mind, Marquis Pingxi calmed down and said with a smile, "Whatever you ask for, I will do my best to help you."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Yongning laughed heartily twice, slammed his hand on the table, and said, "Brother, you're so generous! Come, let's drink this cup first."
Marquis Pingxi had no choice but to pick up his wine cup and drink it all in one gulp.
The wine was aged and had a mellow flavor. After drinking it, Marquis Pingxi felt a surge of heat running down from the top of his head, a feeling of indescribable comfort.
Marquis Yongning picked up his chopsticks and said, "Eat, eat! I know you love Huaiyang cuisine, so I specially arranged for it to be made. Try it and see how it tastes."
The old lady of the Pingxi Marquis's mansion was from Huaiyang and loved the food from her hometown. The Pingxi Marquis was raised by his grandmother from a young age and naturally grew up eating Huaiyang cuisine.
Marquis Pingxi took a bite and instinctively felt that it was very authentic. People are often like this; after drinking and eating, they feel much more relaxed when they start talking.
After eating a few bites of food, Marquis Pingxi put down his chopsticks and said, "I hope Your Excellency will tell me what you wish to ask."
Marquis Yongning put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and said, "Brother, this matter is related to your eldest son."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Pingxi asked, "Are you referring to my eldest son, who was adopted by my second uncle?"
Marquis Yongning nodded and said, "That's right."
The Marquis of Pingxi looked rather displeased and said, "Since my son has already been adopted out, he is no longer a member of my family, and I cannot make decisions about his affairs."
After hearing this, Marquis Yongning chuckled and said, "Yes, you have given the child away, but can you deny that he is not your child? You can't. When you need someone to take care of you in the future, when you need that child to help you, can the child stand idly by? He can't. Since it's all for the sake of reputation, can you sever the blood relationship between you and your son? No."
Marquis Pingxi said, "My lord, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that this child has always been very opinionated. Even if I wanted to help you, he's now carrying the name of my second uncle's descendant, so I can't make the decision myself."
Marquis Yongning nodded and said, "I don't need you to go find him for anything. I need you to give me a reason to let that boy marry our Ninth Girl."
Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi looked surprised and suspicious. After thinking for a long time, he cautiously asked, "My lord, may I ask if there is any hidden story behind this?"
Upon hearing this, Marquis Yongning nodded and said, "That's right. Although you gave your child to your second uncle, you two are still related. This matter is said to be because of the child you gave away, but in reality, it's because he is a child of your Zheng family. My ninth daughter has caught the eye of the Third Prince, who wants to bring her into the mansion as a concubine. However, a few years ago, your former wife and my third daughter-in-law arranged a marriage between your child and the ninth daughter. In order to put an end to the Third Prince's thoughts, I decided to let your child marry my ninth daughter."
Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi turned green. If a prince was involved, then it was no small matter.
Marquis Yongning sneered and said, "If it weren't for the fact that your second uncle's family has no elders, I wouldn't have come here. Don't even think about making excuses; you can't make excuses anyway. Although your family still has a title, you don't have an imperial edict. The imperial edict in your family belongs to your second uncle. Am I lying about that?"
Marquis Pingxi was surprised that Marquis Yongning knew about such a secret matter in his residence. He looked at Marquis Yongning with some fear. Marquis Yongning said, "Back on the battlefield, your second uncle took good care of me. At that time, your second uncle was worried that you would be bullied after you grew up, so he repeatedly told me to take good care of you when I returned to the capital. Tell me yourself, over the years, have there been any people who secretly helped you solve the difficulties you encountered?"
Upon hearing this, Marquis Pingxi looked at Marquis Yongning in surprise. Marquis Yongning said, "On the battlefield, a word is as good as gold. Since I have promised your second uncle's request, I must keep it. Rest assured, I will continue to take care of you in the future."
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