Chapter 123: The Wei State Duke Mansion

In March in Jiangnan, the grass grows and the orioles fly; the spring days are warm, the breeze is gentle, and the bustling spring scenery adorns the entire southern land, making it all the more charming.

Beneath the four-cornered overhanging eaves in the back garden of the Xu Family mansion, Zhang Yunxiu sat at a stone table under a pavilion, wearing a cyan Chengzi Square Scarf and a bean-green long gown.

Xu Ruoxi's face was shy, and she wore a crimson, patterned, moon-white Six-fold Pleated Skirt.

An amber-white Wish-fulfilling Hairpin was inserted in her hair, with a white jade bead dangling from the end of the pin.

Reflected by the sunlight, it emitted a dazzling radiance.

With white teeth and red lips, her demeanor was graceful and varied; her pair of large eyes were as clear as a summer spring, and just one look made the restlessness in one's heart completely dissipate.

Zhang Yunxiu could not help but steal a few more glances; Xu Ruoxi gripped her hands tightly, turned her cheek away, and chided, "What are you looking at?"

"Since I've already come, aren't you going to let me look?" Zhang Yunxiu chuckled, circled around to the front of Xu Ruoxi, sniffed the faint fragrance on her, and looked around to see that the surroundings were quiet and no one was disturbing them.

His courage grew all at once.

He spread his arms and pulled Xu Ruoxi into his embrace.

"Ah?!" Xu Ruoxi's body trembled; she felt her chest blocked by a ball of fire, and the man's scent drifted into her nasal cavity along with the wind.

She jumped in surprise, frantically waving her powder-puff fists to beat on Zhang Yunxiu's chest, and exclaimed, "You—let me go, you let me go, someone will come here in a moment."

"So what if someone comes? I'm holding my own wife; surely others don't get a say?" Zhang Yunxiu pursed his lips and used his large hands to hold the beauty even tighter.

"You—you hooligan," Xu Ruoxi said with a flushed face, chiding softly.

"Say whatever you want, I'm not letting go anyway."

"You big bad egg."

"Right, keep scolding me."

Zhang Yunxiu's mouth curled up, quite enjoying it, and recalling the feelings Xu Ruoxi had revealed in their letters, he couldn't help but tease her, saying, "Ruoxi, who was it that said in their letter for me to hurry to Huating to see her?"

"How is it, now that I'm here, you're going back on your word?"

Xu Ruoxi's body felt hot, and a blush climbed up her snow-white slender neck; she paused, lowered her head, and muttered, "I only told you to come see me, I didn't tell you to get handsy with me."

"Then I'll hold you while I look." Zhang Yunxiu laughed heartily and turned Xu Ruoxi's head toward him.

The two looked at each other, and Xu Ruoxi clearly felt Zhang Yunxiu's scorching breath hitting her cheeks.

Zhang Yunxiu gazed at the beauty's goose-egg-shaped face and her lacquer-like red lips.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.

Xu Ruoxi's ten toes curled into a ball, her palms broke into a sweat, and the sound of a drumming heartbeat echoed beside her eardrums. She slowly closed her eyes and tilted her neck, revealing a look of being ready for him to pluck.

"Yo, brother-in-law, you two are here?"

A crisp sound arose; Zhang Yunxiu and Xu Ruoxi pulled away from each other as if electrocuted, both turning their backs with flushed faces.

Zhang Yunxiu stood with his hands behind his back, looking up to admire the scenery, while Xu Ruoxi pretended to be nonchalant, shaking her arms to boil water and make tea.

At this moment, Zhu Ling swayed her body and walked in with a smile; she turned her eyes to scan the two and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother-in-law, Ruoxi, I hope I haven't come at a bad time."

"Oh, you've come at just the right time." Zhang Yunxiu smiled and pointed to the tea on the table, "This is the Miyun Dragon Tea bestowed by the Emperor; I specifically brought some this time for Ruoxi to taste."

"Oh my, then I'm in for a treat." Zhu Ling smiled and sat directly beside Xu Ruoxi.

Xu Ruoxi was still in the tension from just a moment ago and had not recovered; her hand pouring water for Zhu Ling was trembling.

As the hot water was poured into the teacup, the heat in the Miyun Dragon Tea churned, and the steam, carrying a delicate fragrance, surged violently out of the cup.

Zhu Ling smiled at her sister, picked up the teacup, and gently blew a cold breath.

Then, she tilted her neck and swallowed the Miyun Dragon Tea.

"How is it?" Zhang Yunxiu asked.

"Mm, this Miyun Dragon Tea is truly worthy of being the finest among tribute teas; it is sweet, mellow, and fragrant, with an endless aftertaste." Zhu Ling closed her eyes to savor it for a moment, set down the teacup, and said with a smile.

"Indeed, the Emperor only bestowed two jin upon me in total." Zhang Yunxiu smiled and chimed in.

"Brother-in-law, this top-grade Miyun Dragon Tea only has an annual production of one hundred jin. That you could be allotted two jin shows just how much the Emperor trusts you." Zhu Ling replied with a chuckle, not forgetting to flatter Zhang Yunxiu while she was at it.

Zhang Yunxiu did not want to waste time with her here and only asked, "Sister-in-law, what business do you have with me?"

"It's not... it's not that I have business, I was just passing by and saw you two in the garden, so I came in to take a look." Zhu Ling waved her hands repeatedly, then suddenly straightened her face and teased, "What, can't I come see you two if there's no business?"

"Oh, since sister-in-law has no business, then Yunxiu is a bit tired and will go down to rest first."

As Zhang Yunxiu spoke, he turned to leave, and Zhu Ling hurriedly shouted at the top of her lungs, "Brother-in-law, stay your step; I really do have a small matter for you to handle."

Xu Ruoxi, who was to the side with her head bowed, suddenly interrupted, "Sister-in-law, he only arrived today; he must be tired.

Let's talk about whatever it is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is fine too; it's just that the Young Duke of the Wei State Duke Mansion, Xu Weizhi, happens to be in Huating and wants to see you, brother-in-law." Zhu Ling covered her mouth and smiled, speaking generously, "I wonder when you will have time, brother-in-law?"

Before Zhang Yunxiu could speak, Xu Ruoxi grew anxious and asked, "Sister-in-law, our family and the Wei State Duke Mansion have nothing to do with each other, so why would the Young Duke of the Wei State Duke Mansion come to Huating?"

"This Huating isn't our family's; people can come if they want to." Zhu Ling glared at her silly sister and teased with a bit of playfulness, "Ruoxi, you are being too overbearing; you won't even allow people to come to Huating?"

"Could it be that from now on, anyone passing through Huating has to seek your permission?"

"Sister-in-law..." Xu Ruoxi chided with a flushed face.

She naturally knew that the people from the Wei State Duke Mansion coming to their door must have a request.

She hadn't wanted to get involved in this matter before, but she hadn't expected those people to still be unwilling to give up and to have set their sights on her sister-in-law instead.

She looked up and glanced at Zhang Yunxiu, seeing that he was expressionless.

Xu Ruoxi's body tensed, her heart rising to her throat, fearing that he would look down on her status.

After weighing the pros and cons in his heart, Zhang Yunxiu suddenly grinned and said, "Since it is the Young Duke of the Wei State Duke Mansion, it is only right to meet him. Let's do this: I will meet them tomorrow." "Oh, good, then I will go make the arrangements." Zhu Ling smiled, swayed her waist, and turned to leave, joking, "You two continue, you two continue; I'll go tell the other ladies not to come over here and disturb your elegant mood."

As soon as her voice fell, Zhu Ling moved as if she were stepping on wind-fire wheels and quickly disappeared from sight.

Zhang Yunxiu still wanted to continue where they left off, but Xu Ruoxi moved her lotus steps, timidly retreating several paces, and chided, "It's all your fault, you big hooligan; now that sister-in-law knows, she will definitely make fun of me when she goes back."

"Let her laugh; since I didn't get to kiss you just now, let me kiss you." Zhang Yunxiu was shameless, taking a step forward to embrace the beauty.

"You—don't come over, I'll do it myself," Xu Ruoxi hummed with a trembling voice.

"Do it yourself?"

Zhang Yunxiu was stunned; before he could react, Xu Ruoxi swept up like a wild goose and flashed before him.

Then, she closed her eyes tightly, stood on tiptoe, and lightly pecked Zhang Yunxiu on the cheek. Zhang Yunxiu only felt a moist sensation on his cheek and subconsciously wrapped his arms around her.

Xu Ruoxi had been prepared and retreated rapidly.

Zhang Yunxiu embraced empty air, and just as he wanted to launch an offensive, Xu Ruoxi gave a sly smile, turned, and ran, leaving only a faint voice behind: "Alright, you've taken enough advantage for today."

"Sigh." Zhang Yunxiu looked dejected.

He had originally wanted to give this little girl a French kiss and suck on her hard.

Unexpectedly, this little girl had also learned to be sharp now.

Smiling and shaking his head, Zhang Yunxiu sat back down in his original spot and began to enjoy the scenery alone.

His mind couldn't help but think about the affairs of the Wei State Duke Mansion.

The Wei State Duke Mansion had guarded Nanjing for generations and were the descendants of the founding Duke, Xu Da.

As the right-hand man of Hongwu Great Emperor, Xu Da was deeply trusted by the Emperor, and his eldest daughter even married the Chengzu as Empress.

Later, during Chengzu's Jingnan campaign, Xu Da's eldest son, the Wei Duke Xu Huizu, chose to stand on the side of the Jianwen Emperor.

Xu Da's third son, Xu Zengshou, however, chose to bet on the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di.

Xu Huizu put righteousness above family and personally sent his own brother to his death.

After Chengzu's Jingnan campaign succeeded, Xu Huizu was placed under house arrest, and Xu Zengshou, as a meritorious official of the Jingnan campaign, was enfeoffed as the Ding State Duke. Zhu Di, mindful of the Empress and Xu Da, did not abolish the title of the Wei State Duke Mansion.

Thus, the line of the Wei State Duke had the saying of "two dukes in one family."

Among all the nobles of the Great Ming, apart from the line of the British Duke Zhang Yu, no one could surpass them.

With such a behemoth in Jiangnan coming to his door, Zhang Yunxiu could not be negligent. But he also could not appear too eager; the more anxious one is at the negotiating table, the more miserably they tend to lose.

He had to grasp the degree of tension, neither letting the people of the Wei State Duke Mansion feel he was eager, nor letting them feel he was indifferent.

After thinking this through, Zhang Yunxiu grinned and slowly walked out of the small pavilion.

The next day, at the end of the Chen hour.

Inside the Xu Family main hall.

Xu Yuanchun was dressed neatly and sat smiling in the main seat. On his left, Zhang Yunxiu sat in an armchair, calm and composed, without joy or sorrow.

Glancing at Zhang Yunxiu, Xu Yuanchun smiled and explained: "Brother-in-law, when I was in Nanjing, I had met the Young Duke of the Wei State Duke Mansion, Xu Weizhi, a few times.

His face is like jade, he is elegant and polite, and he is definitely not the type of playboy; you can rest assured about this."

"Ha, how could someone my brother associates with be a playboy?" Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile on his face, not caring at all.

"The people from the Wei State Duke Mansion this time are in quite a bit of trouble." Xu Yuanchun nodded, first giving Zhang Yunxiu a heads-up.

"What trouble?" Zhang Yunxiu asked.

"The Ritual Section Supervising Secretary of Nanjing, Wang He, impeached the father and son of the Xu Family, saying the two of them solicited prostitutes."

Soliciting prostitutes—what kind of big deal is that?

If soliciting prostitutes counted as a matter, wouldn't the officials of Nanjing be investigated until nothing was left? Zhang Yunxiu was completely confused, his face full of doubt.

"The father and son went to solicit prostitutes together, and they did it so openly that they were caught and impeached. Right now, the Grand Secretary is rectifying the administration, and they happened to run into the muzzle of the gun; the imperial court wants to make an example of them."

Seeing Zhang Yunxiu's confusion, Xu Yuanchun gave an awkward smile and lowered his voice to say.

Hiss. Good heavens, they even went to solicit prostitutes together.

The brothers really know how to play.

They didn't pick the same one, did they?

"This is something that violates human ethics and moral principles, and the imperial court is currently rectifying this trend. I'm afraid it won't be easy for me to intervene." After knowing the ins and outs of the matter, Zhang Yunxiu responded in a low voice with a troubled look.

"Brother-in-law, you are being modest. These two didn't commit some heinous crime; as long as the Grand Secretary suppresses this matter, the Young Duke will surely have a great reward." As Xu Yuanchun spoke, his eyes shot out a ray of light.

This was exactly what Zhang Yunxiu was waiting for.

In fact, this matter could be big or small.

Some things don't weigh four taels when not on the scale, but once on the scale, even a thousand catties can't hold them down.

"I am not after whatever reward from the State Duke Mansion, but this matter is indeed a bit tricky. After I return to the capital, I will go and discuss it with my father before making a decision."

Zhang Yunxiu did not commit to anything; he could not let Xu Yuanchun feel that this matter was too easy.

Xu Yuanchun was also an old fox; how could he not understand these ways? He just cupped his hands and said: "Brother-in-law, rest assured, as long as you are willing to help, whether the matter succeeds or not, that person in the Wei State Duke Mansion will definitely owe you this favor."

Just as they were speaking, someone suddenly came to report that the Young Duke of the Wei State Duke Mansion had arrived.

"Look, the person involved is here." Xu Yuanchun pointed outside with a smile, signaling Zhang Yunxiu to stay seated while he went out to welcome him personally.

(End of chapter)