When Marquis Pingxi found out, he was worried and saddened, and he also had a lot of resentment towards Marquis Yongning. It was Marquis Yongning who came to his door and insisted that his son marry his granddaughter. Now, it was clearly because of his third son, but his son had to take the blame for his father-in-law. Why should he?
Marquis Pingxi was in a bad mood. After entering the house, Madam Chen sent someone to guard the second gate. When she saw Marquis Pingxi return, she pulled him over and invited him to the backyard.
Marquis Pingxi didn't want to go, but then he thought that since his eldest son had been adopted out and his youngest son would inherit his title in the future, it wouldn't be good if the youngest son was really too incompetent. So he couldn't let his youngest son stay at home and be taught by Madam Chen no longer.
Knowing that Zheng Boyun would be going to Jiangnan Academy in two days, Marquis Pingxi went to Zheng Boyun's courtyard first to see how his luggage was packed.
Zheng Boyun hadn't expected his father to be so determined to send him to study in Jiangnan. He was actually quite reluctant to leave life in the capital, where he would boat on the lake with his friends, accompanied by beautiful and gentle musicians playing the zither, and even have understanding musicians playing drinking games with him. Zheng Boyun had inquired about those academies, and they had very strict rules. Some even prohibited servants from entering. Not only did students have to study hard, but they also had to manage their own lives. Just thinking about such a life made Zheng Boyun somewhat afraid.
Upon seeing Marquis Pingxi enter, Zheng Boyun shrank back in fright, causing Marquis Pingxi to frown repeatedly. Remembering his purpose, he patiently asked, "You will be setting off in two days. Have you packed your luggage?"
Zheng Boyun nodded and said, "Father, everything is ready."
Marquis Pingxi nodded when he saw that many things in the room had been put away. He said, "Go to your grandmother's place more often these next two days and have a good talk with her. It will be a long time before you come back after you leave."
Zheng Boyun mustered his courage and said softly, "Father, there's the Imperial Academy in the capital, and some other academies nearby are also quite famous. Wouldn't it be better to live closer to home?"
Marquis Pingxi sneered twice and said, "Do you think I sent you to the Jiangnan Academy? It's because it's far from home, so you can study in peace there. Boyun, you're already a teenager. Staying at home all the time, guarding the women in the inner quarters, what future can you have?"
Marquis Pingxi narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice sharp and stern. Zheng Boyun trembled with fear. Marquis Pingxi sneered inwardly, but said aloud, "This family will eventually be handed over to you. If you are capable and protect this family business, I will have the face to meet our ancestors, and you will have the face to meet our ancestors too. If you are not capable, even if the family is built up, it will be in vain. Zheng Boyun, you have lived with your mother since you were a child. Have you ever seen any proud men? None of them are like you, revolving around women, thinking about mixing perfumes or making rouge all day long. You are going to be a marquis, not a rouge shop owner."
Zheng Boyun stood before the Marquis of Pingxi, trembling with fear. The Marquis of Pingxi turned and walked out. When he reached the door, he turned back to Zheng Boyun and said, "You should just go and study. No one can take away the suffering you have to endure, and you can suffer all the torments you have to bear. Next year, you will take the preliminary examination for the imperial examination. If you fail, you will see how I deal with you."
Zheng Boyun watched the Marquis of Pingxi's retreating figure, tears welling up in his eyes. However, a servant boy who was attending to him whispered after the Marquis of Pingxi had left the courtyard, "Young master, we should listen to the Marquis and go to study. It won't do you any good to anger the Marquis."
Zheng Boyun's original servants had long been dealt with by the Marquis of Pingxi, and a few more were transferred to him later. These servants were to accompany Zheng Boyun to study in Jiangnan.
Zheng Boyun wiped his tears with his sleeve, nodded, and slowly walked to the study to continue tidying up his things.
Marquis Pingxi walked to the second gate, thought for a moment, and then turned and went to Madam Zheng's courtyard.
At this moment, the Marquis of Pingxi came over, and Old Madam Zheng was a little surprised, asking him if there was anything wrong.
After the Marquis of Pingxi explained the situation, Madam Zheng thought for a long time and said, "Yuan-ge'er has the Marquis of Yongning on his side, so you can rest assured. Their family is always reliable. Find some time to go to their house and see how they have arranged things for Yuan-ge'er. If there is anything our family can do to help, just agree to it."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Pingxi said with some difficulty, "Mother, I haven't been in the court for so many years. What if I can't do what they say?"
Madam Zheng sighed and said, "They are all reasonable people, how could they make things difficult for you? Just go ahead with confidence. When Yuan-ge'er rises up in the future, it will always be good for our family. Don't be stingy, you must agree to what you should agree to."
Marquis Pingxi nodded repeatedly. When Madam Zheng saw this, she pondered for a long time and said, "Yun-ge'er's mother wants to see you again. I hope you will not agree to her request. Yun-ge'er is a kind-hearted child. It will not be good for his character if he continues to grow up under the care of women. He should be given a chance to grow up on his own. Moreover, I heard that Wu Tanhua is now stationed at Jiangnan Academy. With him here, given the relationship between our two families, he will surely take good care of him."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Pingxi asked, "Mother, did you recommend Jiangnan Academy to your son because of Wu Tanhua?"
Madam Zheng nodded and said, "That's true. You know the heir of the Yongning Marquis's mansion and his fourth master. They were able to pass the imperial examinations because of Wu Tanhua. Our family doesn't need to rely on academic achievements to secure a future for our children. But Yun-ge can't stay at home like before. If he stays there any longer, he might really bring a terrible disaster to our family."
The Marquis of Pingxi listened attentively to his mother's admonition with his head bowed. He had always thought that being nagged by his elders was something hard to bear, but today, he felt at ease having an elder like his mother by his side, nagging him for the sake of the family's children and the future of the Marquis's mansion.
After leaving Madam Zheng's courtyard, Marquis Pingxi did not go to Madam Chen's courtyard. Instead, he told the servants, "Go to Madam's courtyard and tell her what I said. Ask her to help Yun-ge'er pack his things properly. It's Yun-ge'er's first time going out, and he has no experience. He needs an elder to guide him on what to bring and what not to bring."
Upon hearing the message from the servant, Madam Chen was so angry that she smashed her teacup on the spot. Marquis Pingxi, however, did not care and actually went to the Marquis Yongning's residence at a certain time.
Upon hearing about Zheng Boyuan's appointment, Xu Zhi immediately rushed to her parents' home. When she arrived and saw Xu Rao, she repeatedly asked what had happened. Back at Yanmen Pass, they insisted on sending him south to suppress the Japanese pirates. He had finally achieved some success, and now they were sending him to some godforsaken place. Xu Zhi had heard from Shen Mingwan that Wuzhou was a barren place, close to the Great Yan border, where crops didn't grow very well. Many soldiers' families were now stationed there, accompanying their husbands to guard the border while also farming the land, which could be considered a form of land reclamation.
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