Chapter 19 Vice Minister of Revenue
The study in the residence of the Vice Minister of Revenue was brightly lit by candlelight.
The desk was piled high with official documents. Xie Ji was rubbing his throbbing temples when he heard a noise at the door. He looked up and saw his wife, Wang Hui, walking in with Xie Rubao, who looked overjoyed.
"master."
Xie Ji hummed in agreement and said gently, "You're back? How was your day at the General's Mansion? Did you cause any trouble for Miss Xie?"
He naturally knew that his daughter had received a generous gift, and while he was grateful, he couldn't help feeling somewhat uneasy.
"Great! Excellent!" Xie Rubao immediately answered, her little face shining. "Sister Sang Ning is so kind! She even treated us to tea, along with the magnolia cakes that Mother made! Sister Sang Ning praised Mother's cooking skills!"
Wang Hui smiled and gave her daughter a reproachful look, then added, "Miss Xie may seem aloof, but she is actually a very sensible and loyal person."
She walked to the desk, massaged Xie Ji's shoulders, and said with genuine admiration, "Today I have truly witnessed it all. His demeanor, his wit in conversation... no wonder he was able to escape unscathed from the flower-viewing banquet at the princess's residence and even make that person suffer a loss."
"Although she spoke to Bao-yatou in a... well, a bit bluntly," she thought of words like "pickled vegetable jar" and "foolish thief," and couldn't help but smile, "I could see the protectiveness in her heart."
Xie Ji listened and nodded repeatedly, stroking his sparse beard: "What you say is absolutely right, Madam. Like father, like daughter, General Xie. This young lady... is no ordinary person. It is Bao'er's good fortune that she treats her so well. However, we are truly humbled by such a generous gift and will need to prepare an even more substantial gift to express our gratitude in person another day."
He pondered what else he could offer in the storeroom that wouldn't seem like he was trying too hard to curry favor.
“Of course, we should express our gratitude.” Wang Hui nodded, but then subtly changed the subject, glancing at Xie Rubao who was trying to sneak back to his own courtyard. Her voice rose a few decibels, “However, sir, before preparing the gifts, shouldn’t you first check if your manhood is still intact?”
"Your lifeline?" Xie Ji didn't react for a moment, then followed Wang Hui's gaze to his daughter.
Xie Rubao stopped in her tracks, her small body stiffened, her eyes began to wander, and her little hands unconsciously went behind her back.
Xie Ji's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition surged through him!
He stood up abruptly and rushed to the display cabinet against the wall, where the base was now empty!
The Xuelang inkstone he had treasured for half his life is gone!
"Xie! Ru! Bao!" Xie Ji turned around abruptly, his voice trembling, his finger pointing shakily at his daughter who was frozen in place, his face flushed with anger, and his mustache almost standing on end.
"You! Where's my inkstone?! Where's my Xuelang inkstone?! Was it you?!"
Xie Rubao shrank back in fright and stammered softly, "Dad... um... Sister Sang Ning likes to write and draw..."
"Rebellious daughter! Rebellious daughter!"
Xie Ji was so angry that he pounded his chest and stamped his feet, pacing around the desk in anguish: "That was passed down from our ancestors! It's an antique from the previous dynasty! It's Xue Lang! My lifeblood! How...how dare you! How dare you steal it and give it away?!"
He pointed at Xie Rubao, his finger trembling violently!
Xie Rubao's eyes instantly reddened, and she looked at her mother with a pitiful expression, pleading for help.
Wang Hui stepped forward, blocking her daughter's path, a smile on her face. Recalling Xie Sangning's expression and words at the time, she imitated Xie Sangning's distinctive tone and slowly said, "The young lady said, 'Since this pickle jar is a token of her affection, it would seem pretentious of me to refuse it.'"
She paused, then continued, "She also said, 'Madam Wang, go back and tell Vice Minister Xie that his manhood is with me, and it's being kept safe. If he really misses it, he can come to my Ruixue Tower to pay his respects anytime.'"
The study was deathly silent.
Xie Ji's mouth was open, and he couldn't close it for a long time.
His mind was buzzing as he repeatedly pondered the words his wife had relayed.
"She...she really said that?" Xie Ji's voice was a little dry, his anger largely extinguished by this sudden turn of events.
“Absolutely true.” Wang Hui nodded, and seeing her husband’s expression, she finally couldn’t help but burst out laughing and took his arm.
“Master, just accept it. Miss Xie appreciates the gift of Bao’er as a pledge of loyalty. Didn’t you see the way Miss Xie looked at Bao’er back then? Although she was cursing Bao’er as a fool, there was a smile in her eyes.”
She lowered her voice, her tone becoming serious, tinged with barely suppressed excitement: "Moreover, sir, think about what Miss meant by those words? She's clearly telling us that Bao'er... from now on, she, Xie Sangning, will protect her! She, Xie Sangning, has accepted Bao'er's simple and honest feelings!"
Wang Hui's words struck Xie Ji's heart like a thunderbolt.
He suddenly looked up at his wife, then at his daughter who was still standing beside him with red eyes and a bewildered expression.
Is Xie Sangning protecting Xie Rubao?
In the entire city of Jinling, who doesn't know the infamous reputation of this eldest daughter of the Xie family?
She is more arrogant and extravagant than a princess, has a sharp tongue and is vindictive; she even dares to slap the second princess in public!
She acts recklessly, yet her background is terrifyingly powerful; her father is the Duke of Zhenguo, who holds significant military power and is about to return in triumph!
She said she would protect someone... then in the entire city of Jinling, who would dare to lay a finger on that person?
An extremely complex emotion instantly welled up in Xie Ji's heart.
It was a sense of security he had never experienced before.
Xie Ji was a cautious and conscientious civil official who had served as the Vice Minister of Revenue for half his life. He was not a high-ranking or powerful official, nor was he a particularly important figure in the court. He didn't even dare to resist when his eldest daughter was persecuted.
He was well aware of the treacherous nature of officialdom and always adhered to the principle of self-preservation, trying his best not to offend anyone, especially not those truly powerful and influential people.
He carefully protected his family, especially his youngest daughter, fearing that the same mistake would happen again.
But now... his silly daughter has accidentally traded an inkstone for the strongest backer in the entire city of Jinling?
A powerful backer that even the emperor has to be wary of?
This means that from now on, as long as Xie Sangning acknowledges Xie Rubao, then in the entire elite circle of Jinling City, anyone who wants to touch Xie Ji's daughter will have to think twice before trying to withstand the wrath of that Miss Xie!
This protection is something that even if he, as a father, spent half his life being cautious and careful, he might not be able to obtain!
Now, it has been stolen by her daughter in such a ridiculous way?
Xie Ji stood there, his face displaying a fascinating array of expressions.
Shock, disbelief, and a mixture of relief, elation, and lingering fear...
A mix of emotions left him momentarily at a loss for how to react.
He finally let out a long, long sigh.
He slumped back into the armchair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest, his eyes vacant, muttering to himself, "Snow Wave Inkstone... my Snow Wave Inkstone..."
After a long while, he sighed heavily again, with a hint of relief that even he himself didn't realize.
He rubbed his temples and said to Xie Rubao in a complicated tone, "Bao'er...you...you must be more careful with your words and actions in front of Miss Xie from now on! Don't cause any more trouble! Do you hear me? Don't let...her good intentions go to waste."
The last few words were spoken with solemnity.
Although Xie Rubao didn't quite understand her father's complicated thoughts, when she heard that he would no longer pursue the matter of the inkstone and would even tell her to visit Sister Sang Ning more often, she immediately stopped crying and smiled, nodding vigorously: "Yes! Dad, I understand! I will definitely listen to Sister Sang Ning from now on!"
Wang Hui couldn't help but chuckle and gently nudged her daughter: "Alright, go back to your yard now, don't make your father worry about his manhood here."
Xie Rubao felt as if he had been granted a pardon and flew away like a happy little bird.
Only the couple remained in the study.
Wang Hui walked behind Xie Ji and gently massaged his temples.
Xie Ji closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and spoke after a long while: "Hui Niang, do you think our Bao'er is just a fool with good fortune?"
The furrowed brows finally relaxed slowly.
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