Xu Mingzhi felt a little flustered when he saw the Duke of Zhenguo suddenly standing in front of him.
He dared to act arrogantly towards Tie Xiong because he was the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination and held an official position, which naturally gave him a higher status than a mere brute. However, the Duke of Zhenguo was someone who could stand on equal footing with the Marquis of Ningyuan, and he was too busy trying to curry favor with him...
Therefore, he immediately put on a fawning expression: "The Duke is here..."
"Why are you so angry? Logically speaking, we are still family. Don't let these petty people instigate you. Tianxiang Restaurant was opened by Xu Yuehuai himself. It's normal for me, as his younger brother, to get a share of the profits."
"Besides, I've only just become an official, and it takes money to bribe people. If it weren't for Tianxianglou's support, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to afford to eat."
"I still have my parents to support."
The Duke of Zhenguo rolled his eyes at him, completely ignoring his words: "Glib talker."
Xu Mingzhi took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to hit someone, and said, "It is only natural for children to be filial to their parents. Even if Xu Yuehuai is a married daughter, she should still be entitled to these things. I take care of my parents every day. Can't I even ask her to contribute some money?"
His words gradually became more agitated.
If he weren't facing the Duke of Zhenguo, he would have already started smashing things.
"As the younger brother, it's perfectly understandable that you want some benefits..." the Duke of Zhenguo suddenly said.
Upon hearing this, Xu Mingzhi immediately smiled and prepared to break through the encirclement to enter Tianxiang Tower, but he was still firmly suppressed by Tie Xiong.
Just then, the Duke of Zhenguo said his next words: "But you're not A-Yue's biological brother, so why are you here at Tianxiang Restaurant to get a share of the pie?"
"Xu Mingzhi, your shamelessness is a bit too much." He said, and snorted coldly again.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How can I not be her biological brother?" A flash of panic crossed Xu Mingzhi's eyes. "She was born of my mother, how can I not be!"
"Ha, your family is really interesting. Your mother just said that A-Yue is not their biological daughter, and now you say she is. What will it be tomorrow?" The Duke of Zhenguo scrutinized him with cold eyes.
Xu Mingzhi had only recently entered officialdom, and facing his gaze, he nearly wet himself in fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.
The Duke of Zhenguo was already used to such scoundrels, so he was naturally not afraid of them now.
"Xu Mingzhi, don't think that just because His Majesty has restored your title of second-place scholar, you're truly talented. Soon the Hanlin Academy will be re-compiling its books, and you newly admitted scholars will naturally have to help. At that time, your abilities will no longer be able to be concealed." He sneered. "Right now, instead of wasting your time trying to get benefits from Tianxiang Tower, you should hurry up and learn to read. Don't end up being illiterate and becoming a laughingstock."
Upon hearing this, Xu Mingzhi couldn't help but gasp.
He thought that once he became an official, he could rest easy, but he never expected that there would be all sorts of problems, which he could not bear.
He was about to go back to read when he suddenly remembered Marquis Ningyuan.
If I can't get my hands on Tianxiang Tower today, I'm afraid Marquis Ningyuan will snap my neck first.
He was caught in a dilemma.
Cui Rou didn't want to interrupt, but seeing her son surrounded by enemies, she couldn't hold back any longer.
She knelt directly before the Duke of Zhenguo, humbly pleading, "Your Excellency, although I am not A-Yue's biological mother, I raised her for a time, which can be considered a favor. Please be merciful and spare my life."
"Don't worry, as long as we get through this difficult time, we will definitely not make things difficult for A-Yue again."
As she spoke, she tightly gripped the hem of the Duke of Zhenguo's robe.
In the past, the Duke of Zhenguo would have softened and agreed, but this time, he saw Cui Rou's true colors and immediately withdrew his foot.
“This Tianxiang Pavilion isn’t just run by A-Yue. There are also Miss Zhou Wan and Miss San Niang. Although you raised A-Yue, you also sold her. We’ve taken care of you for quite a while now, buying medicine and seeing doctors. It’s probably already exceeded the money you spent raising A-Yue. So don’t think about asking for any more money.” As he spoke, he looked at his men and said, “Old Dog Liu, throw them out.”
"Also, keep a close watch on the entrance to Tianxiang Tower and absolutely do not allow them to come here again."
As soon as the Duke of Zhenguo finished speaking, Old Dog Liu immediately did as he was told.
That being said, the reason he had people guarding the entrance of Tianxiang Tower was not just to prevent the Xu family from causing trouble, but more so because of Qi Guze.
Qi Guze's current status is awkward. Even if the Emperor knows about this matter, he cannot show his face casually. However, Tianxiang Tower is frequented by people, and it is hard to guarantee that someone will recognize him.
Besides, things happened so suddenly today. If Qi Guze hadn't notified him in time, Tianxianglou and the fried chicken shop would probably be in real trouble now.
After resolving matters here, he went upstairs for a private talk with Qi Guze, and did not return to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion until dark.
...
Xu Yuehuai followed Babao to Consort Shen's palace, where she saw Consort De washing her hands with pearl powder.
Such extravagant living made her shake her head.
Xu Yuehuai didn't say much, but went up and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Noble Lady Shen."
"Princess, you are truly hard to invite. I have sent people to invite you several times, but Consort Jia refused to let you go. What got into you today that you actually agreed to come?" Shen Yitang said with a hint of arrogance.
Xu Yuehuai didn't wait for her to get up before sitting down on a chair nearby and said indifferently, "I wonder what brings you here, esteemed guest?"
"I was specially invited by His Majesty to come to the palace to take care of Consort Jia, so it's not appropriate for me to leave for too long. If Your Highness has nothing else to attend to, I will take my leave now." With that, she prepared to get up and take her leave.
Shen Yitang immediately frowned and slammed her hand on the table: "Xu Yuehuai, I invited you here today because I think highly of you. Don't be so stubborn!"
"It's a pity that I don't need your esteemed opinion," Xu Yuehuai said indifferently.
She and Shen Yitang had never met before, and they were practically keeping to themselves. But this person showed her a sour face as soon as she arrived, which even the most good-natured person couldn't tolerate.
She was going to leave immediately.
Seeing that the person was really about to leave, Shen Yitang realized that she had been putting on airs and quickly toned it down, saying, "Princess Heyue, please wait a moment. I invited you here today because there is something I want to discuss."
Xu Yuehuai raised an eyebrow.
"I know you've offended Marquis Ningyuan, the Prime Minister's residence, and Consort Min. You're now besieged on all sides. If you rely on Consort Jia, you might not even know how you died. You'd be better off cooperating with me," she continued.
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