Chapter 109: Arriving Late

The Jining Marquis felt his face flush with anger as he retorted, “Look at Mr. Chen; he seems to be a scholar. How can he believe every rumor? In those years, the children were still young, and our family only had Yugo as our sole heir. Not to mention going to Zhen Ding, even a trip to Xishan made his mother uneasy, which is why we didn’t visit often. Where are the things you mentioned?”

He avoided mentioning the marriage between the Wei and Dou families altogether.

If Chen Qu Shui had any hope regarding the Wei family when he arrived, it had now sunk like a stone, leaving not even a ripple. He no longer needed to feign indifference; his gaze was as sharp as an arrow, cold and piercing. “Marquis, I fear your words are insincere. I have heard that if the He family helps your son-in-law secure the title of heir, you will hand over the engagement token to the He family—our Fifth Master is the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel!”

The Grand Secretary of the Cabinet held only a fifth rank, while the Ministers of the Six Ministries held the second rank. To elevate the status of these Grand Secretaries, they were often appointed as Ministers of the Six Ministries, managing the affairs of their respective departments. However, these Grand Secretaries could not be present in the Six Ministries every day, so the Left Deputy Ministers became the actual administrators.

The granting of noble titles was overseen by the Ministry of Personnel’s Department of Historical Records.

Upon hearing this, the Jining Marquis felt a tremor in his heart and cursed Cai Bi in his mind.

He had claimed that outsiders would never know, yet how did the Dou family’s accountant come to know? If the accountant knew, then Zhang Jiming and Zhang Xuming certainly did as well. Initially, Zhang Jiming and Zhang Xuming had only pretended to be close brothers in front of their father, Zhang Pei. Now, Zhang Yuanming breaking the family’s unspoken rule of keeping family matters private by seeking external help to secure the title of heir would only provide Zhang Jiming and Zhang Xuming with an excuse to openly compete for the title. Even Zhang Pei would have nothing to say about it.

Zhang Jiming had married the niece of the Changxing Marquis, while Zhang Xuming had married the granddaughter of the Ningde Princess. How could the small Jining Marquisate compare?

If this information were to leak, it would be a small matter of losing face for the Jining Marquisate, but if it led to a complete disaster, wouldn’t that be a double loss?

He could only grit his teeth and deny vehemently, “There is no such thing! If Mr. Chen does not believe me, we can confront the He family together!”

You, a dignified marquis, actually want to confront me, an accountant who is like a servant…

Chen Qu Shui felt indignant for Dou Zhao, realizing that she had been engaged to such a family.

He managed to suppress his anger and feigned a calm demeanor, sighing, “I also think it’s impossible. However, everyone speaks with such conviction, detailing even who the He family invited to their residence and what tea was served. How can I not believe it?”

The Jining Marquis struggled to hold back the urge to wipe the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, while Chen Qu Shui shifted his tone, speaking sincerely yet with a hint of apology, “However, I must admit that I did not consider this matter thoroughly. Duke of Jingguo is indeed close to you, but he is still a son-in-law, a son of another family. Can he worship the ancestors of the Wei family? Naturally, you must consider the heir’s well-being. Only when the heir is well can the Jining Marquisate prosper, and your family’s aunt can use her family’s influence to help her husband secure the title of heir—this is a legitimate and honorable arrangement. Even if the two gentlemen from the Zhang family have grievances, they cannot blame anyone else; after all, their wives’ families are not strong enough! Marquis, wouldn’t you agree?”

Indeed! The He family’s desire to assist Zhang Yuanming in securing the title of heir cannot bypass the Dou family. Given the current situation, it would not only earn a reputation for being straightforward and trustworthy but also allow for a legitimate intervention in the Zhang family’s affairs, achieving two goals with one action, which is far less risky than dealing with the He family.

He nodded, “What you say makes sense.”

“It’s not that I am making sense; it’s that you, the marquis, are too close to the situation to see clearly, while we bystanders can see it.” Chen Qu Shui softened his earlier sharpness, speaking humbly, “Have you considered that Duke of Jingguo is astute? If your family’s son-in-law is truly inadequate, why has Duke of Jingguo not yet sought to secure the title of heir?”

He recalled some of the things Dou Zhao had mentioned about Zhang Yuanming and used them to his advantage.

The Jining Marquis felt a stir in his heart.

“If I am not mistaken, Duke of Jingguo must still favor your family’s son-in-law as the heir.” Chen Qu Shui continued to analyze the Jining Marquis, “It’s just that he is hindered by his wife and several sons, unable to find a suitable opportunity. Otherwise, why would he still be dragging this out? If your family’s son-in-law remains passive and does nothing, perhaps the situation will change. But if he forcibly intervenes in Duke of Jingguo’s affairs with the help of outsiders, Duke will certainly not tolerate it. Those relatives will also be dissatisfied, and some may even follow suit, resorting to unscrupulous means to assert their influence. At that point, Duke of Jingguo’s household will be in chaos…”

The Jining Marquis could no longer sit still; he jumped up, exclaiming, “Yes, yes! Duke of Jingguo has often told me that our family’s son-in-law is exceptionally filial. Just this point alone is enough for him to be worthy of the Duke’s heir… It’s just that Madam Yuan often quarrels with the Duke, forcing him to avoid her… If Duke shares the same thoughts as Madam Yuan, Duke of Jingguo would have already established an heir long ago. Why wait until today? If the son-in-law remains inactive but dares to scheme for the title of heir, with the Duke’s temperament, he will certainly not tolerate it…”

From the back of the study, the sound of a woman’s soft weeping could be heard.

Chen Qu Shui pretended not to hear.

The Jining Marquis bowed to Chen Qu Shui, saying, “Thank you, sir! Your kindness is beyond words.”

“Marquis, you flatter me.” Chen Qu Shui returned the bow, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.

Located in the heart of the capital, the Nanjunfang, adjacent to the Six Ministries, the Hanlin Academy, and the Zhan Shi Fu, appeared quite ordinary from the outside, with its pink walls and gray tiles, featuring two black lacquered doors. However, upon entering, one would find a sprawling residence occupying a third of Yuhua Hutong, with three paths, three rooms, and five courtyards.

In the fragrant study of magnolia flowers in the southeast corner of the Ji residence, Ji Yong gazed at the note in his hand, a smile creeping onto his face, curving into a pleasant arc.

Exchanging the title of heir to Duke of Jingguo for the engagement token with Dou Zhao.

Not bad.

He instructed his servant, “Take my name card; we’re going to the Jining Marquisate.”

Zi Shang, rarely seeing Ji Yong so happy, boldly asked, “What are we going to the Jining Marquisate for? We’re not familiar with those noble families…”

Ji Yong immediately turned cold, shooting him a glare.

Zi Shang shivered in fear, not daring to say another word. He hurriedly called for a maid to assist Ji Yong in changing clothes, then went to Ji Yong’s study to fetch a name card, arranging for a carriage while accompanying Ji Yong out the door.

On the way, they encountered several young men dressed as scholars.

Seeing Ji Yong, they quickly made way for him.

Ji Yong didn’t even lift his eyelids, ignoring them as he walked past.

Zi Shang recognized that the leader was the Young Master Min from the Twelve Lords’ family, while the others were unfamiliar, likely classmates of Young Master Min from the Imperial Academy.

He smiled at Young Master Min as a greeting, only to hear someone in the group mutter discontentedly, “Is this the young scholar who has achieved success? He seems a bit too arrogant, doesn’t he? Although our knowledge may not match him, it doesn’t mean we won’t have our day to shine…”

Zi Shang heard Young Master Min laugh, “You misunderstand, Brother Jie Yuan. My cousin is not arrogant; he is simply ‘focused solely on reading the classics, oblivious to worldly affairs,’ and doesn’t understand these social nuances. Even if you are meeting him for the first time, or if you’ve known him for a long time, he might not remember what you look like. Because of this, he has caused quite a few misunderstandings; our family has grown accustomed to it. If you spend enough time with him, you’ll understand; he has never been good at recognizing people since he was little…”

Fortunately, they encountered Young Master Min. If it had been Young Master Yu, not only would he not have helped explain, but he might have even stirred up trouble for Ji Yong.

Zi Shang hurried to catch up with Ji Yong as they exited the gate, intending to say a few good words about Young Master Min, but he saw a black lacquered carriage wrapped in blue cloth stop in front of them.

The person who stepped down from the carriage was Ji Yong’s father, Ji Qi.

In his forties, he wore a scarlet official robe adorned with cloud and goose patterns, signifying his fourth rank. He was handsome, with a gentle demeanor that exuded elegance.

Ji Qi smiled and asked his son, “Jing Ming, where are you off to?”

Without blinking, Ji Yong replied, “I’m going to Yubao Pavilion to see if there are any good inkstones.”

“Do you have enough money?”

Ji Yong ignored him and directly boarded the carriage.

Zi Shang hurriedly answered, “Yes, yes! We have enough!”

Ji Qi didn’t take offense, nodding as he reminded them to “be careful.”

Zi Shang nodded repeatedly, quickly bowing to Ji Qi before climbing into the carriage.

Ji Qi watched as their carriage drove out of Daijiao Hutong before entering the gate.

The Jining Marquisate was located in Yumingfang in the west of the city, where the Yan’an Marquisate, Changxing Marquisate, and Xingguo Duke’s residence were also situated. Many founding heroes of the current dynasty established their residences there, which led the people of the capital to jokingly refer to Yumingfang as “Noble Wealth Alley.”

Ji Yong encountered Chen Qu Shui, who had just exited the Jining Marquisate, at the entrance.

He was quite surprised.

Chen Qu Shui was equally astonished and stepped forward to bow to Ji Yong.

Ji Yong asked, “What brings you here? Where is the Fourth Miss?”

Chen Qu Shui smiled, “The Fourth Miss is in Zhen Ding; she sent me to the Jining Marquisate to handle some matters.”

Ji Yong frowned, pulling Chen Qu Shui aside to speak, “What did the Fourth Miss send you to do?”

Chen Qu Shui smiled politely but did not answer.

Ji Yong’s mind conjured Dou Zhao’s calm and almost wise face, and he felt an ominous premonition.

He snorted coldly, “Don’t think I can’t find out. Just tell me; it will save me some effort.”

Chen Qu Shui smiled politely, “I am merely fulfilling a request; please don’t make it difficult for me, Mr. Ji.”

Ji Yong scoffed, “I didn’t expect the Fujian Governor Zhang Kai to be spineless, but his aides are loyal and brave.”

The Fujian Governor Zhang Kai had fled the city during the pirate attacks on Fuzhou, only to be executed by the Fujian General—Duke Dingguo Jiang Meisun—who displayed his head on the city wall for three days, known throughout the court and the people.

Chen Qu Shui’s expression changed drastically, his demeanor turning icy. “Then I can only trouble Mr. Ji to inquire for himself.” With that, he flicked his sleeve and boarded a nearby carriage, rolling away.