Ji Yong watched the departing carriage, his expression darkening.

Zi Shang felt anxious.

His master had never been so openly disregarded before, and he wondered how to deal with this Mr. Chen. However, it seemed that Mr. Chen was associated with the Fourth Miss of the Dou family.

The Fourth Miss of the Dou family was formidable; she had once silenced and nearly beaten the arrogant Pang Kunbai to a pulp, leaving the Pang family unable to complain and ultimately forcing them to pay the Dou family two thousand taels of silver. If she found out that her associate had been dealt with, would she seek revenge on his master?

Although his master was strong-willed, he turned into water when faced with the Fourth Miss of the Dou family. No matter how fierce his temper, her few words could douse his fire, leaving him feeling deflated for a long time.

If a conflict arose between the Fourth Miss and his master, would he, a mere shrimp, be caught in the crossfire?

As Zi Shang pondered this, a steward hurriedly emerged from the side door.

He bowed to Ji Yong, saying, “Mr. Ji, our marquis requests your presence in the flower hall for tea.”

Ji Yong nodded haughtily, hands behind his back, and strode into the Jining Marquisate.

The steward was taken aback but quickly followed, leading the way.

The flower hall of the Wei family was lush with greenery, with thick branches of blooming bauhinia outside, vibrant and full of life. However, the interior decor resembled a faded matron, with layers of makeup unable to conceal its age and wear.

Ji Yong curled his lip in disdain and chose a relatively new grandmaster chair to sit down.

The maids served tea and snacks.

The steward accompanied the Jining Marquis as he entered.

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, the Jining Marquis chuckled, “Mr. Ji, you are truly a young man of accomplishment! I wonder what brings you to see me?”

Ji Yong’s mind was racing.

He had initially intended to use the Dou family’s silence to persuade the Wei family to return the engagement token from his past arrangement with Dou Zhao, negotiating terms with the Dou family. This would not only help Zhang Yuanming secure the title of heir but also allow the Wei family to gain both reputation and profit. However, he hadn’t expected to encounter Chen Qu Shui at the entrance of the Jining Marquisate.

Others might be fooled by Chen Qu Shui, thinking he was just an obscure accountant from the Dou family, but Ji Yong was not deceived—he had been under Dou Zhao’s employ for the past two years. The Dou family wouldn’t dare to command him, let alone ask for his advice; with Chen Qu Shui’s pride, that was impossible.

His visit to the Jining Marquisate was undoubtedly on Dou Zhao’s orders to resolve the matter of the engagement token. Although he didn’t know what Chen Qu Shui had discussed with the Wei family, judging by Chen Qu Shui’s expression, he had achieved his goal.

There was no longer any need for him to meet the Jining Marquis.

Yet, for some reason, he felt reluctant to leave just like that.

He didn’t want to return home and wait for news from his spies; he wanted to know what Chen Qu Shui had said to the Jining Marquis. Would the Wei family decide to return the token to the Dou family, as he imagined, and quietly withdraw from the engagement with Dou Zhao once the storm had passed? Or had they suddenly realized that Dou Zhao was not only capable but also brought a substantial dowry that could support the declining marquisate, leading them to change their minds and propose to the Dou family? Or was there something else he hadn’t considered…

It was as if he had never anticipated that Dou Zhao would send Chen Qu Shui to visit the Jining Marquisate, and thus he hadn’t dispatched anyone to monitor the situation in Zhen Ding.

If he hadn’t encountered Chen Qu Shui today, he might still be smugly believing that everything was under his control.

He disliked this feeling of losing control.

Ji Yong couldn’t help but complain inwardly.

Wasn’t Dou Zhao supposed to patiently wait at home for him to resolve this matter? Why had she suddenly appeared, disrupting all his plans and catching him off guard, nearly causing him to stumble?

He hadn’t faced such a situation in many years!

Why was she doing this?

Weren’t they on the same side?

He had assured her that he would resolve this matter. Did she not believe in his capabilities? Or had she simply disregarded his words?

These chaotic thoughts made Ji Yong feel restless, and naturally, he had no good feelings toward the Jining Marquis.

He said coolly, “I just encountered Mr. Chen, the accountant from the Dou family, at your gate. He has always taken care of the Fourth Miss of the Dou family in Zhen Ding. His sudden appearance in the capital must be related to the marriage between your family and the Fourth Miss. I also heard that your family intends to exchange the engagement token from that time for the title of heir to the Duke of Jingguo with the He family. Therefore, I came to inquire whether you plan to return the token to the Dou family or hand it over to the He family…”

The Jining Marquis’s face darkened instantly.

Whether the Wei family planned to return the token to the Dou family or give it to the He family was none of his business!

He had only been kind enough to host Ji Yong because he was a member of the Ji family. Yet here was Ji Yong, taking liberties and prying into private matters, showing a lack of decorum for someone so young. Even if he had achieved the highest honors, he would only struggle in the bureaucratic world as a poor scholar.

“Mr. Ji, are you meddling too much?” The Jining Marquis said bluntly, lifting his teacup, while a servant in the room loudly announced, “Please escort the guest out.”

Ji Yong naturally wouldn’t wait for someone to chase him away.

As the Jining Marquis lifted his teacup, Ji Yong stood up, and before the servant could shout “escort the guest out,” he coldly said, “My family and the Dou family are originally related by marriage. Thanks to the Second Matron of the Dou family’s kindness, I spent the New Year with them this year. Now that I am returning to the capital to reunite with my father, I fear that the Dou family’s uncles might cause the Fourth Miss to suffer. They specifically entrusted me to keep an eye on the happenings in the capital. If the Dou family’s uncles are unable to help, and the elders at home conceal this from her, they asked me to quietly inform you. If you keep the token with the Wei family at this time, once the storm passes, she is willing to pay a hefty sum to buy it back…”

Before he could finish, the Jining Marquis seemed to choke on his words, staring blankly for a moment, while his mind raced with calculations.

He indeed looked down on the Dou family’s “widowed daughter,” the Fourth Miss. If what Ji Yong said was true, exchanging the token for a large sum of silver would allow the Wei family to immediately escape their current predicament. They could then use the money to bribe the palace eunuchs to secure a good position for their son, and the Wei family would soon thrive again. However, marrying off his daughter… If he followed Mr. Chen’s words, he would have to marry the Fourth Miss of the Dou family. Although he would gain a dowry and support for his daughter, he would ultimately be at the mercy of others… It was truly a dilemma!

If only there were a way to have it both ways.

A thought flashed through his mind.

Why rush to make a decision?

Now the He family wanted the jade pendant, the Dou family wanted it, and even the Second Matron of the Dou family had her plans behind her son’s back. As the saying goes, “Haste makes waste.” Why not wait a bit longer, drag it out, and see if he could sell it for an even better price?

He just needed to find out if the Ji family was truly related to the Dou family; he needed to investigate thoroughly.

With his mind made up, the Jining Marquis felt invigorated.

Ji Yong could tell what he was plotting and felt a flicker of disdain, suddenly feeling sorry for Dou Zhao.

Her mother had told her about such a terrible marriage!

If she married into that family, would she even have a way to survive?

No matter what, he couldn’t let Dou Zhao marry into that family!

Ji Yong silently resolved in his heart, listening as the Jining Marquis pretentiously declared, “Our Wei family has fought alongside Emperor Taizong in battles, earning our place in the ancestral temple. Although our descendants may be lacking, we have never forgotten our ancestors’ merits and would never do anything to disgrace them. Since the Dou family exchanged tokens with us, how can this marriage be changed so easily…”

As he spoke passionately, the steward who had previously led Ji Yong in peeked around the door of the flower hall.

The Jining Marquis frowned, cutting off the conversation, and said irritably, “What is it?”

The steward hurriedly entered, bowing and scraping, “Marquis, the eldest lady has returned…”

The Jining Marquis was taken aback.

The steward leaned in and whispered something in the Jining Marquis’s ear.

Ji Yong disdainfully pretended not to listen, but Zi Shang strained to hear and understand everything.

“Someone must have informed the eldest lady that you decided to keep the jade pendant. She returned crying, saying she couldn’t go on living. The madam is currently weeping with the eldest lady, and no one can persuade them. The heir is watching from the side and asked me to hurry and find you. He said if you don’t go soon, the madam and the eldest lady will cry until they can’t breathe…”

The Jining Marquis was very fond of his wife and children.

With such a turn of events, he should explain things to his daughter properly.

He immediately felt restless, hurriedly exchanging a few polite words with Ji Yong before again offering tea and escorting him out.

Ji Yong said nothing more and rose to leave the flower hall.

The Jining Marquis rushed to the inner courtyard.

Zi Shang relayed what he had just heard to Ji Yong.

Ji Yong said, “I’ll wait for you in the carriage. Follow the Jining Marquis and see what he does. I can tell he’s a soft-hearted man, easily swayed by his daughter’s tears and tantrums, and might change his mind.”

Zi Shang’s mouth dropped open. “Go, go to the inner courtyard…”

“What are you afraid of?” Ji Yong shot him a disdainful glance. “The Jining Marquisate is so large, and they’re currently struggling even with their daily needs. They can’t possibly have enough servants to manage the courtyard. Just avoid the main courtyards, and you’ll be able to slip into the inner courtyard smoothly. Even if someone recognizes you, just say you have business with the Marquis. If you don’t run into anyone, you’ll wander around and end up there…”

Zi Shang had nothing more to say. He followed Ji Yong’s instructions and stealthily trailed the Jining Marquis into the inner courtyard.

On the way, he indeed encountered no one and saw some remote courtyards overgrown with weeds, looking quite desolate.

Ji Yong had been right.

He muttered to himself and made his way to the main courtyard, climbing in from the back.

Maids and matrons stood under the eaves of the main house, and he pressed himself against the back window to listen. The Jining Marquis’s voice came through intermittently: “…Both your brother and sister are my flesh and blood. I can’t neglect you while caring for your brother… You must listen to me on this matter; it will be fine… I wouldn’t harm you…”

Zi Shang quietly retreated, but as he reached the drooping flower gate, he ran into trouble—a matron blocked his way. “What are you doing here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“I’m from the outer courtyard, sweeping the grounds,” Zi Shang quickly improvised. “I saw no one in front of the drooping flower gate, so I was just hanging around.”

“How could there be no one?” The matron was puzzled.

Zi Shang took the opportunity to dash out, shouting, “I need to return to my post!” as he exited the Jining Marquisate.

Ji Yong asked him, “What happened?”

Zi Shang recounted everything he had heard in detail.

Ji Yong nodded and asked Zi Shang, “Which tavern in the capital is the best? I want to invite He Yu for a drink!”