Although Xu Jingui still didn't understand what was going on, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Lord Marquis, thank you, Lord Marquis."
At this moment, a servant brought the land deed, and Marquis Ningyuan gave the servant a look, signaling him to give the land deed directly to Xu Jingui.
"Xu Jingui, this is a house next to my mansion. From now on, you will live there. As for money, don't expect me to give you any more." His words were tinged with disdain.
If he hadn't thought that Xu Jingui could become a powerful tool to bring down Xu Yuehuai in the future, he would have definitely twisted the heads off this father and son.
Xu Jingui, who had just been grateful, panicked when he heard that Marquis Ningyuan would not give him any more money.
He immediately said, "My lord, how can you not give us money? Isn't this just letting us starve to death?"
Although Xu Jingui had just received a house from the Marquis of Ningyuan, he became anxious upon hearing that there was no money, completely forgetting the previous benefits.
"Did I give you money so you'd keep gambling?" Marquis Ningyuan's face also turned ugly.
However, he did leave Xu Jingui a way out. He said to the servants beside him, "Go and prepare some necessary clothing and food for him. In the future, whenever it is the manor's shopping day, buy a batch for them as well. Once Xu Mingzhi's salary comes down, you don't need to worry about it anymore."
Xu Jingui looked incredulous, but quickly recovered from his shock. He immediately flattered Marquis Ningyuan: "My lord, you are like a second parent to me. I will do anything for you, even go through fire and water."
As he expressed his determination, he thought to himself that as long as he could get close to Marquis Ningyuan, he would be close to making a name for himself.
"Heh, what? Isn't this the time when you said I was going to starve you all to death?" Marquis Ningyuan said sarcastically.
Xu Jingui was a shameless man to begin with, and even though Ningyuan Hou was being sarcastic and sarcastic, he just ignored it. There really wasn't a good way to deal with someone like him who didn't like gossip.
“It’s better to starve to death than to lose everything gambling, or to win money only to be manipulated by others. Your Excellency has a much longer-term vision than I do, which is short-sighted,” he said with a quick glance.
Marquis Ningyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had heard Xu Jingui's flattering words countless times, to the point that his ears were calloused. So, he waved his hand in annoyance and ordered his men to throw him out.
"My lord, I'm ready to go through fire and water for you..." Xu Jingui's words were gradually carried away by the crowd, and only then did his brows slowly relax a little.
...
"Bang!" As the door slammed shut in Xu Jingui's eyes, he immediately dropped his fawning attitude, spat lightly at the plaque above his head, and then shook his head as he went to find Xu Mingzhi.
"Dad, is what you're saying true?" Xu Mingzhi jumped up excitedly when he heard Xu Jingui mention a big house and immediately followed Xu Jingui to check it out.
“Of course it’s true. When has your father ever lied to you?” Xu Jingui rolled his eyes and said.
As the two talked, they walked a distance further, and then a large mansion appeared in front of them.
"Well? Dad didn't lie to you, did he?" Both of them were stunned. Xu Jingui was the first to react. He nudged Xu Mingzhi, who was also stunned, and said.
"Father, may I go in and take a look?" Xu Mingzhi swallowed hard and asked. He never imagined that he would one day live in such a big house.
"Of course, this will be the Xu residence from now on, the Xu of Xu Mingzhi!" Xu Jingui laughed and said loudly.
"It's also Xu Jingui's Xu!" Xu Mingzhi shouted loudly.
The two walked into the house laughing, their eyes darting around at the various furnishings. They seemed to see a bright future beckoning them, something they had never even dreamed of before. They had no idea that Cui Rou and Xu Yuehuai were here.
...
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Zhenguo waved to Xu Yuehuai several times before she came to her senses. Looking at the Duchess of Zhenguo in front of her, she asked curiously, "Godmother, when did you arrive? Why didn't you call me?"
"I've been here for ages, calling you the whole time. But what are you thinking about?" The Duchess of Zhenguo scolded her, tapping her nose lightly, but her eyes were full of affection.
"I was just thinking about random things for a while. Godmother, please sit down. I'll go pour you some tea." Xu Yuehuai scratched her head and smiled, then went to pour her some tea.
She returned shortly afterward, handed the teacup to the Duchess of Zhenguo, and said, "Godmother, please have some tea."
The Duchess of Zhenguo took the teacup, but did not make a drinking motion. Instead, she placed it directly on the table. She had been worried about Xu Yuehuai, but after coming over, she found that Xu Yuehuai was doing quite well. While Xu Yuehuai was pouring tea, she thought about it carefully and decided that she should tell her about Xu Jingui.
"Yuehuai, your godmother has come to tell you something..."
The Duchess of Zhenguo explained to Xu Yuehuai in detail how Xu Jingui had come to demand Cui Rou back. She had expected Xu Yuehuai to react at least somewhat, but she remained silent, which was completely different from her usual personality.
“Godmother, this matter is not important now. What is important is that Xu Mingzhi must not be allowed to become an official.” Xu Yuehuai lowered her head and thought for a while before saying to the Duchess of Zhenguo. She knew that even if she got him back, it would be of no use. She had to address the root cause to solve the problem.
"Don't worry about that. Your godfather has already come up with a plan, and we'll know the outcome by tomorrow at the latest." The Duchess of Zhenguo looked at Xu Yuehuai, who had finally stopped acting impulsively, and her eyes showed a hint of approval.
The following day, in the imperial court, the emperor summoned all three top-ranking candidates from this major campaign to the palace.
“The three of you are pillars of the nation. It takes ten years to grow a tree but a hundred years to cultivate a person. It is a blessing for our country and our people to have you.”
He first praised the three men highly, and then promised them all sorts of benefits. After all, these three were all pillars of society, and if they were not properly won over, it would be a huge loss if they defected to another country.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." After the three expressed their gratitude, the Emperor prepared to dismiss them.
The Duke of Zhenguo seized the opportunity and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I quite like these younger generation members. May I take the exam for them? After all, the future of the Great Liang may depend on these young people."
His words were directed at Xu Mingzhi.
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