Ji Yong gazed at the distant carriage, his face gloomy.

  His heart was racing with excitement.

  The young master has never been ignored like this before, and I don't know what method can be used to deal with Mr. Chen?

  However, this Mr. Chen seems to be a person of Miss Duan's family.

  Dong family's fourth miss is also formidable, pretending to be deaf and dumb, she severely beat that Pang Kunbai until he was half dead. The Pang family couldn't even cry out in pain, not to mention they ended up owing Dong family's fourth miss 20,000 taels of silver. If she finds out that the young master had her people beaten, who knows if she'll come looking for him to settle the score?

  Although the young master's personality is strong, every time he meets Miss Duan, it's like fire meeting water. No matter how fierce the flames are, she can douse him with just a few words, leaving him breathless for half a day.

  If Miss Duan and the young master have a dispute, will this little shrimp be affected?

  The young master was pondering painfully when a man who looked like he was in charge hastily walked out from the side door.

  He bowed and said: "Mr. Ji, our young master Hou invites you to have tea in the flower hall."

  Ji Yong nodded proudly at him and walked ahead into the main gate of Jin'ning Marquis's manor with his hands behind his back.

  That official was taken aback and hastily followed, rushing ahead to lead the way.

  The Wei family's flower hall was lush and green, with a purple jasmine tree outside the window as thick as a bowl, blooming vigorously. However, the furnishings inside looked like a young woman who had passed her prime, whose makeup could not conceal her old age.

  Ji Yong licked his lips and sat down in a relatively new armchair.

  The maids brought up tea and refreshments.

  Guan Shi accompanied Jin Ning Hou and walked in.

  After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, the Marquis of Jining chuckled and said: "Mr. Ji is indeed a young man with great accomplishments! I wonder what brings Mr. Ji to see me?" He was warm and affable in his demeanor, smiling benevolently like an elder showing affection towards a younger generation.

  Ji Yong's heart had already turned several times.

  He had originally wanted to use the Duan family's silence to persuade the Wei family to leave behind the token of their engagement with Duan Zhao, and instead negotiate terms with the Duan family. This way, he could achieve his goal of having Zhang Yuanming granted a noble title, while also gaining the moral high ground and allowing the Wei family to gain both fame and fortune. Unexpectedly, he ran into Chen Quanshui at the entrance of the Jining Marquis's estate.

  Others may be deceived by Chen Qu Shui, thinking that he is just a humble accountant in the Duan family, but they can't deceive him - for these two years, he has been used by Duan Zhao, and people from the Duan family, let alone ordering him around, even asking him to help with an idea, with Chen Qu Shui's arrogance, that's impossible.

  He came to the Hou Mansion in Jining, definitely on orders from Duan Zhao to resolve the matter of the token. Although he didn't know how Chen Quanshui had spoken with the Wei family, judging by Chen's expression, it was clear that his goal had been achieved.

  It's completely unnecessary for you to come and see Marquis Ning again.

  He didn't know why, but he was reluctant to leave like this.

  .

  He wondered what Chen Qu had told Hou of Jining. Had the Wei family decided to return the betrothal gifts to the Dou family as he had imagined, and then quietly call off the engagement with Dou Zhao after the storm had passed? Or had they suddenly discovered that Dou Zhao was not only capable but also came with a large dowry, which could completely support this declining ghostly noble family, and changed their minds on the spot, deciding to propose to the Dou family instead? Or was there something else he hadn't thought of that had happened...

  He didn't expect Duan Zhao to send Chen Quanshui to visit the Jining Hou Mansion, so he didn't send anyone to pay attention to the movements in Zhending.

  If he hadn't met Chen Qu Shui today, he would probably still be feeling complacent about having everything under his control.

  He didn't like this feeling of losing control.

  Ji Yong couldn't help but complain in her heart.

  Dong Zhao shouldn't have just sat at home waiting for him to fix things for her, should she? How did she suddenly jump out and mess up all his arrangements and deployments without a word? She even caught him off guard and almost made him fall over...

  It's been many years since he last encountered something like this!

  Why is she like this?

  Aren't they in the same camp?

  He had said it before, this matter would help her solve it. Did she not believe that she had the ability? Or did she simply not take his words to heart?

  These messy things made Ji Yong's heart float and irritate, and of course, there was no good color for the Marquis of Jining.

  He said faintly, "I just met Mr. Chen, the accountant of the Duan family, at the entrance of your mansion. He has always been taking care of the fourth young lady of the Duan family in Zhending and suddenly appeared in Kyoto. Presumably it was for the marriage between your mansion and the fourth young lady of the Duan family last year. I also heard that your mansion is preparing to exchange the token of engagement with the He family for the title of Duke Jingguo, so I came to visit you, Lord Hou, to ask whether you are going to return the token to the Duan family or give it to the He family..."

  The face of Marquis Ning turned dark in an instant.

  The Wei family is preparing to return the letter to the Duan family or hand it over to the He family. What does it have to do with him!

  He only treated him kindly because he was a member of the Ji family, but he took advantage of it and started to get arrogant. At such a young age, he already knows how to flatter people, talented but without morals, even if he became a top scholar, he would only struggle as a poor official in the bureaucratic sea.

  "Is Duke Ji being too broad-minded?" The Marquis of Jining put down his teacup without any courtesy and loudly shouted "See the guest off".

  Ji Yong naturally wouldn't wait for someone to come and drive him away.

  Jining Hou stood up as soon as he picked up the tea cup, and before Jining Hou shouted "send off" two words, he coldly said: "My family and Duan's family are originally relatives by marriage. Thanks to the second lady of the Duan family for looking down on me, I stayed at the Duan family this year to celebrate the New Year. Seeing that I want to return to Kyoto to reunite with my father, I am afraid that the several uncles of the Duan family will let the fourth miss of the Duan family suffer, and specially entrust me to pay attention to the movements in Kyoto. If the several uncles of the Duan family are not capable, and the elders in the family hide it from her without letting her know, I was told to quietly tell you that if you leave the token at the Wei family at this time, after the wind has passed, she is willing to buy it back with a lot of money..."

  Before he could finish speaking, the Duke of Jining's throat seemed to be blocked, and he stared blankly for half a day without saying a word. However, in his heart, he quickly calculated.

  He indeed looked down on the Dou family's "widow's eldest daughter", Miss Douruo. If they followed Mr. Ji's words and exchanged gifts for a large sum of silver, the Wei family would immediately be able to get out of their current predicament. They would also have enough silver to bribe the palace eunuchs to secure a good position for his son, and the Wei family would quickly rise again. But as for his daughter... If they followed Mr. Chen's words, she would have to marry Miss Douruo from the Dou family. Although they could get a large dowry and help their daughter, in the end, they would still be controlled by others... It was truly a difficult decision!

  It would be great if there was a perfect solution.

  An idea flashed through his mind and he was moved.

  Why rush into making a decision?

  Now the He family wants that jade pendant, the Duan family wants it too, and even the second wife of the Duan family has her own plans behind her son's back. As the saying goes, "Haste makes waste." Why doesn't he wait a bit longer, drag it out and see if he can get an even better price?

  I'm not sure if this Ji family is really related to the Dou family by marriage, I need to ask around carefully.

  Made up his mind. The Marquis of Jin Ning's spirit was lifted.

  Ji Yong knew at a glance what he was up to and felt a flash of disdain in his heart, suddenly feeling sorry for Duan Zhao.

  Her mother was all telling her about some broken family affair!

  If she marries into this family, she'll still have a way to survive!

  No matter what, we can't let Du Zhao marry into our family!

  Ji Yong secretly made up her mind in her heart, listening to the Duke of Jining say with a pretentious tone: "Our Wei family followed Emperor Taizong on his southern and northern expeditions, and that's how we earned our place in the Temple of Heaven. Although our descendants are not talented, we have never forgotten the merits of our ancestors and do not dare to do anything that would shame them. Since the Duan family has exchanged gifts with us, can this marriage be changed just like that..."

  Just as he was speaking eloquently, the steward who had led Ji Yong in earlier appeared at the entrance of the flower hall, looking around cautiously.

  Marquis Ning's brow furrowed slightly, and he cut off the topic. He said displeased: "What is it?"

  The steward walked in with a busy and humble expression, nodding his head and bowing: "Your Lordship... The young mistress has returned..."

  Marquis Ning was taken aback.

  That official went over and whispered something in the ear of the Marquis of Jinan.

  Ji Yong didn't intend to eavesdrop, but his son leaned in and listened carefully.

  "I don't know who told Eldest Aunt that you decided to keep the jade pendant, but she came back crying with her child in her arms, saying she couldn't live like this. The mistress and Eldest Aunt were hugging each other and wailing, refusing to listen to anyone's consolation. Young Master was watching from the side. He told me to hurry and find you, saying that if you don't go now, the mistress and Eldest Aunt will cry themselves to death..."

  The Marquis of Jin'ning was very fond of his wife and their two children.

  And now something like this has happened. I should also take the time to properly explain things to my daughter.

  He suddenly couldn't sit still, hastily exchanged a few polite words with Ji Yong, and once again poured tea to see off the guest.

  Ji Yong didn't say much more and stood up to leave the flower hall.

  Marquis Ning hastily went into the inner courtyard.

  Zi Shang immediately told Ji Yong what he had just heard.

  Ji Yong said, "I'll wait for you in the carriage. You follow Jin Ning Hou to take a look. I think he's just a weakling, and I'm afraid that if his daughter cries and makes a fuss, he'll change his mind again."

  "Go, go inside the house..."

  "What are you afraid of?" Ji Yong looked at him with disdain, "The Hou Mansion is so big, they can't even afford to pay their servants' wages on time. It's impossible for them to have enough maids to take care of the courtyard. As long as you avoid the main courtyards, you can easily enter the inner courtyard. Even if someone recognizes you, just say I sent you to find the Hou Ye, and in fact, you didn't meet anyone on the way, and you arrived there in a daze..."

  Zi Shang could say nothing more and followed Ji Yong's orders, secretly tailing Jin Ning Hou into the inner courtyard.

  As expected, I didn't meet anyone on the road, and saw some remote houses with wild grass growing in profusion, looking very desolate.

  The young master was right again.

  He muttered to himself and went straight to the main courtyard, entering from the back yard.

  The maids and the old woman were standing under the veranda of the main house, he stuck to the back window to listen, and the voice of the Marquis of Jining came over intermittently: "......the palm and back of the hand are all flesh, I take care of your younger brother, and it's not possible to abandon you......listen to me on this matter, it's definitely right......I can still harm you......"

  The son quietly turned back and encountered trouble at the gate with hanging flowers - an old woman blocked him: "What are you doing? I've never seen you before?"

  "I'm a sweeper from outside the temple." Zi Shang quickly replied, "I just saw that there was no one in front of the Weihua Gate, so I came here to take a look around."

  "How can there be no one?" The old woman was puzzled.

  The child had already run out in a puff of smoke, shouting "I want to go back on duty", and left the Jin'ning Marquis's manor.

  "What's wrong?" Ji Yong asked him.

  The child recited what he had heard word for word to Ji Yong.

  Ji Yong nodded and asked Zi Shang: "What is the best wine house in Kyoto? I want to invite He Yun to drink!"

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  Sisters and brothers, today is the third watch of the night! The third watch!

  I finally wrote it out!

  And also revised 108 chapters...

  Seeking praise, seeking pink tickets...~~~~~

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