The Marquis of Pingxi entered the Marquis of Pingxi's residence with a pale face and unsteady steps.
Even after he sat down in his study, and the maidservant served him hot tea, the Marquis of Pingxi drank two cups of hot tea in a row. He could still feel the strength of the Marquis of Yongning's hand as he patted his shoulder before leaving.
It was at this moment that Marquis Pingxi realized that in the capital, having a title did not guarantee that others would look up to you. Without ability and confidence, even with the title of Marquis, you would only become fish on someone else's chopping board.
Thinking of what Marquis Yongning had told him, Marquis Pingxi felt a sudden toothache.
Marquis Pingxi had no great ambitions. Back then, the Marquis Pingxi's family had produced several generals who were skilled in battle, but unfortunately, they either died on the battlefield or died young from the wounds they sustained there. Marquis Pingxi's grandmother forcibly took him from the Marquis Pingxi's hands and refused to let him go to the battlefield. The old Marquis Pingxi's wife said that this grandson she left behind was to leave an heir for the Zheng family and not let the Zheng family line die out.
Marquis Pingxi grew up with his grandmother and was surrounded by female elders, which fostered his easygoing and complacent nature. He didn't aspire to achieve great things; he only wanted to be a wealthy and idle man. Because of this, when Marquis Pingxi was appointed as the heir apparent, the old Marquis Pingxi insisted on taking him to the battlefield. After returning, Marquis Pingxi decided never to go to the battlefield again and would definitely remain a wealthy and idle man.
Marquis Pingxi sat in his study, deep in thought.
First of all, there's the Xu family's daughter. Since the Third Prince has taken a liking to her, if I were to fabricate a reason for the Xu family's daughter to marry Zheng Boyuan immediately, I would inevitably offend the Third Prince. The Third Prince is the most popular candidate. If I offend him, will I still have a good life after he ascends the throne?
However, if he did not follow the wishes of Marquis Yongning, he would not have a good life now. Although Marquis Pingxi was not a good person, his position made him realize that Marquis Yongning had secretly helped him a lot. This was all due to the good karma that his second uncle had created for him back then. Although Boyuan was his eldest son, he had been adopted by his second uncle and was considered his second uncle's grandson.
Marquis Pingxi drank two cups of tea and paced around his study for half a day. Seeing that it was getting late, he remembered that he had told his wife that he would have dinner with her before he left home that morning.
Marquis Pingxi sighed and walked towards the backyard with his hands behind his back.
Dozens of lanterns have been lit along the way to the vast Pingxi Marquis's mansion, casting shadowy shadows on the path leading to the backyard.
Marquis Pingxi was in a state of distress and had no idea what to do. He couldn't tell anyone about this, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
As he passed by the old lady's courtyard, Marquis Pingxi couldn't help but stop and look. He saw that the old lady's courtyard, which belonged to his mother, had a few red lanterns lit up. The courtyard was lush with flowers and trees, but it looked somewhat desolate in the hazy night.
Marquis Pingxi stood at the gate of the courtyard, thinking of his mother.
The old lady of the Pingxi Marquis's mansion was a person with a very weak presence, while the old Pingxi Marquis's wife was a very strong person. Otherwise, she would not have been able to snatch the Pingxi Marquis from the old Pingxi Marquis's hands and raise him in the backyard by her side.
Marquis Pingxi had a rather vague impression of his mother. In his memory, his mother was a gentle and unassuming person who did not compete or fight. Marquis Pingxi could not remember when he last came to his mother's courtyard to pay his respects.
It seemed that he had encountered a matter he couldn't decide, and the Marquis of Pingxi particularly wanted to talk to someone. The Marquis of Pingxi was not an ambitious person. Other marquises might have one or two advisors by their side, but the Marquis of Pingxi was not interested in politics. In addition, he only had a title and no other official position, so he didn't keep any advisors in his mansion. When he encountered a problem, he didn't know who to consult. Most importantly, the Marquis of Pingxi didn't dare to tell ordinary people about this matter. He didn't even want to let his wife know. If the Third Prince's people found out that he was involved in the marriage of the Xu family girl, who knows how they would treat his family.
Marquis Pingxi was well aware of his own abilities; he was essentially a wealthy and idle man who might be invited to poetry gatherings or banquets, but he doubted anyone would seek him out for anything else. If his family were to be suppressed by a prince, it was unlikely that anyone would risk coming to his aid.
Marquis Pingxi stepped into the old lady's courtyard and walked all the way to the main house without encountering a single servant. Looking at the somewhat desolate courtyard, Marquis Pingxi knew very well that this was because he did not value his mother very much. Not only did his wife, Madam Chen, look down on her mother-in-law, but even the servants in the mansion did not pay much attention to the person who was originally the most honored in the mansion.
Marquis Pingxi grew up in this wealthy family, so he naturally understood the principle of treating people differently based on their status.
Marquis Pingxi felt that he had lived a terrible life for the past few decades. Now that he was in trouble, he looked around in bewilderment and found that there was no one who could help him.
He lifted the curtain and entered the inner room. The room was filled with the scent of sandalwood. It was a fragrant aroma. Marquis Pingxi knew that there was a small Buddhist shrine in his mother's courtyard. The old lady usually stayed in seclusion and chanted Buddhist prayers in this small shrine.
Right at the entrance to the main house is a slightly dilapidated carved rosewood eight-panel screen. Turning past the screen leads to the main room, where two glass lampshades sit on a small table in the corner.
The left side is a side hall, and the right side is a bedroom, each separated by a beaded curtain.
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