Upon hearing Qingxing's words, Jiang Shuwan was taken aback. Before she could think further, she felt a gaze directed at her from the other side, and she turned her head to look.
The heavy rain obscured everything, making it impossible to see anything.
The pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Liu Yunyan, dressed in a soft and elegant manner, pointed to two mandarin ducks in the water feature and spoke to Pei Yanzhi.
"cousin."
Noticing that Pei Yanzhi was lost in thought, Liu Yunyan followed his gaze.
The rain was heavy, and she couldn't see clearly, but some people, even if you can't see them clearly, you can still tell who they are just by looking at their silhouette.
"Cousin, should we call your wife to come and take shelter from the rain?"
She spoke softly, without a trace of jealousy in her tone.
Have you thought carefully about what I just told you?
Pei Yanzhi did not answer; he brought up another topic.
"I've thought it through. If we want to protect our family business from being taken over by other branches, we need to adopt a son into my father's family. Don't worry, cousin, I already have someone in mind."
"In that case, give me the names as soon as possible, and I will send my trusted men to handle it. With the Marquis's mansion backing them up, they will certainly not dare to cause trouble. However, they will have to share some gold and silver with them. I will also speak to the old lady."
"Thank you, cousin. But sister-in-law... the rain is too heavy right now, so let's call her over. This pavilion is big."
"Need not."
Immediately, a surge of pleasure welled up in Liu Yunyan's heart.
On the other side, Qingxing also craned her neck to look in that direction.
"Miss, has the young master seen us? Shall we go over there?"
The little girl rolled up her sleeves and tried to walk over there.
"It's just the two of us, a man and a woman, and I'm only thinking about Miss Biao's reputation."
"..."
What a convenient excuse, all for Miss Biao!
You're such a clever little devil.
Jiang Shuwan held her down, and just then Xiao Tao came over with an umbrella. She pulled Qingxing along and ran around the yard with the umbrella.
"Go away, disturbing their love is a sin against heaven."
With a loud "boom," a clap of thunder sounded in the sky, but it was unclear who it struck.
Jiang Shuwan went back to her room and stayed home again. That evening, Pei Yanzhi still didn't come over for dinner.
The boy was reading inside when the torrential rain outside gradually stopped.
"Your Highness, the Marquis has arrived."
Wen Yuanhou, who had just finished his shift, walked in a few steps and picked up a cup of tea from the table.
"I heard that the Crown Prince and the First Prince sent people to invite you to admire the flowers today, but you refused."
"Yes, I have always heeded Father's teachings and have not been involved in factional strife."
"Very well, His Majesty's kindness to the Marquis's family is as deep as the sea, and the loyalty of a subject is as heavy as a mountain. We are only loyal to His Majesty. Since His Majesty has not established a true heir apparent, we can only be loyal to His Majesty and must not have any connection with any prince. However, the eldest prince and the crown prince are very powerful, and perhaps the heir apparent will be one of them. You can refuse their recruitment, but don't be too harsh in your tone."
"Father, rest assured, I also know the principle of leaving room for maneuver in everything."
"I trust you to do things."
The old marquis nodded and left.
The courtyard returned to tranquility, and in this tranquility, a young official wearing a straw hat walked in.
He was dressed casually today, walking furtively, but he relaxed once he entered the courtyard.
"Your house is so big, I almost got lost."
“Every brick and tile of the Marquis’s mansion was supervised by the Imperial Household Department. I don’t believe you don’t have a layout plan of the Marquis’s mansion.”
"Haha, you're really hard to get along with. No wonder the Crown Prince and the First Prince both failed to get anywhere with you. By the way, shouldn't you bow to me? Although we were classmates, I'm now a high-ranking official of the fourth rank, while you, a commoner, are just sitting here to greet me?"
"Drawing water from the spring, seeing off the guests..."
"Hey, hey, I was wrong, I was wrong, okay?"
The man begged for mercy, and only after Pei Yanzhi let him go did he sit opposite him and ask anxiously, "Are you really going to take the exam this year? If you ask me, you should have taken it a long time ago. I really don't know what you're thinking. You passed the county-level exam at the age of ten and have been overshadowing me for so many years. I passed the provincial-level exam and became an official long ago, but you've been delaying taking the exam."
"You have no idea what those powerful brothers in the capital are saying about you behind your back. And our old rivals from school are always mocking you behind your back, saying you have an empty reputation, that you only passed the imperial examination by sheer luck, and that you are afraid of failing the exam, which is why you are delaying your exam."
"They also said that your outstanding academic performance at the Imperial Academy over the past few years was due to the Grand Master of Ceremonies' behind-the-scenes manipulation."
"Tsk tsk tsk, I'm almost starting to believe it."
"No, why don't you react at all after I've said all this?"
Seeing that Pei Yanzhi remained unmoved despite all his words, the newcomer grew angry.
"And why don't you feel any remorse towards me at all?"
“Back when we were at the Imperial College, you were first in every round of the Muslim Tournament, and I was second. People said you were all talk and no action, and what did I become because you always overshadowed me? Let me tell you, I’m currently looking for a wife. If I can’t find a good one, I’ll hold you responsible.”
Pei Yanzhi snorted lightly, "If you can't find a good wife, that's because you're incompetent. What does it have to do with me?"
"you--"
"Besides, how could I possibly succeed? My father commands the Imperial Guards, my grandmother's family is headed by the Grand Secretary, who is second only to the Emperor, and my elder sister is married into the Liu family, a noble household. The Marquis's mansion is thriving and prosperous. Even if I were to enter officialdom, His Majesty would not give me an important position."
"Ah, indeed, who can blame them when the Marquis's mansion wields such immense power?"
Yao Zhijie clicked his tongue a few times, his face full of envy, jealousy and hatred. "We were classmates after all, so why don't you give our Yao family some support? I won't mind. No matter what resources your Marquis's mansion can't handle, just show me a little bit."
"Is the Yao family so easily satisfied?" Pei Yanzhi glanced at him. The young man held a teacup, his fingers as smooth as jade, each one distinct.
"Heh heh, poverty makes people lose their ambition, huh? So, you want to enter officialdom now? With your talent, the autumn and spring examinations are just a formality. But will His Majesty really use you?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi paused for a moment before saying, "Father said that it is not yet September, but His Majesty feels cold. The imperial physicians have no way to treat it and can only tell him to rest and recuperate. His Majesty's health is not good, and the eldest prince and the crown prince are fighting each other to the death. If His Majesty has a prince he values, it is time to build a trusted team for him."
"You cunning old fox, no wonder you chose this year to face the consequences, you've been waiting for this day all along. Ten years on end, you've really kept your composure. But you summoned me here today, could it be that you've taken a fancy to the prince born to my aunt? If so, I'll get cocky. With your help, our Yao family will also fight for that position..."
"I heard that Madam Yao is hosting a banquet at home today?"
"!" Yao Zhijie's face darkened instantly. He was so angry that he glared at Yao Zhijie. "How can you not even give me a chance to dream? Although the Yao family doesn't dare to covet that position, what's wrong with letting me say a few more words?"
After saying that, his eyes lit up. "Why are you bringing this up out of the blue? My family did indeed host a banquet today to entertain many ladies, including your beautiful first wife."
"So, you called me here to ask about her!"
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