Raiders of the Duke and Duchess

Chapter 927: Powerless
Although Mr. Shangguan had clearly expressed in his words, deeds and behavior that he disliked Ning Xiuyuan, Ning Xiuyuan was a thick-skinned man and it was impossible for him to return empty-handed just because of this dislike.

When they arrived at the palace gate, he waved his hand and asked his carriage to go back, regardless of the old man's overt and covert exclusion. Then he slipped into the carriage and invited Shangguan Shou with a smile, "Grandfather, please sit down, please sit down..." While inviting him, he was busy serving tea and water. His familiar and enthusiastic appearance made him seem like the host.

The old man sat upright, his brows slightly restrained and his face serious, with quite the air of a head of the family.

He sat there, not even taking the cup of tea for a long time - the old man couldn't be kind to the piglet who was trying to take his cabbage. He was in a stalemate, and Ji Wuyan knew that the old man was childish. The more she tried to persuade him, the more stubborn he would become, so she could only sit aside and watch.

Ning Xiuyuan, on the other hand, didn't mind being ignored. When the other party didn't take his teacup, he calmly put it down and pushed the snacks on the carriage over. As for the other party's cold face and indifference, he seemed to be completely oblivious to it and just followed the other party to Ji's house, enjoying himself all the way.

The old man was so proud of his status that he could not say anything too unpleasant. As for "not too unpleasant"... the old man could see that the third son of the Ning family was thicker-skinned than the palace wall. He took everything as good words and thanked you after that, like a fool who couldn't tell good from bad. In the end, it was the old man who was very angry and went into the mansion with an ugly face.

Seeing this, Ning Xiuyuan became even more cheerful, like a real fool. His steps became much lighter as he walked into the room, with a proud look on his face, as if saying, "The old man has recognized me."

Ji Wuyan couldn't bear it any longer, so he held his forehead and shook his head, kicked him lightly, and warned him in a low voice, "Be more restrained!"

Master Ning San was no longer stupid. He slowed down his pace and looked at her with his brows lowered. He smiled and took Ji Wuyan's hand. As they walked side by side, he asked softly, "How are you going to respond to Lin Yixia's challenge?"

Since she was talking about business, she subconsciously slowed down her pace. She lowered her head and kicked the stones on the roadside. She curled her lips at an angle where no one could see her, and then said, "He sent the letter of challenge to the Ji family, firstly for the mother Gu, and secondly, for the fifth elder... There must be a proper conclusion between him and me. It is better to set the battlefield in the Ji family than somewhere else..."

The winter rain has become much lighter, and the raindrops hit the oil-paper umbrellas, making crackling sounds.

Ji Wuyan kicked the stones back into the bushes one by one, listening to the sound of rain above his head. He smiled to himself and said, "I have never seen such a proud person. He knew that there was a net set up here just waiting for him to fall into it, but he still chose to come here to end it with me... Being too proud is not a good thing sometimes."

The little girl was still mumbling to herself, looking quite mature for her age, but she was more proud than anyone else. Ning Xiuyuan nodded in agreement, then changed the subject and asked, "Was there really a mother Gu in that little thing just now?"

"Yes." Ji Wuyan did not hide it, "I really ruined his good fortune today. If I hadn't awakened your majesty with acupuncture today, I'm afraid his witchcraft would have been fully developed today, and your majesty would have been controlled by him."

Although the rain was lighter, the sky was still dark. The clouds were hanging overhead, making people feel more depressed and less energetic. Ning Xiuyuan sighed softly, with some understanding and some helplessness, "How dare you deceive the emperor? How can a little girl be so fearless... You got the mother Gu, but your acupuncture really can't cure the Gu in your majesty's body?" Ji Wuyan shook her head and smiled bitterly, "If it was more than a month ago, it would probably be useful. But now your majesty has been ill for too long, and the Gu has already entered his heart... Acupuncture is no longer effective. Today, I used drugs and acupuncture to wake up your majesty, but it's just a last-ditch effort. Even if Lin Yi is not here, your majesty will not live long, you have to be mentally prepared."

She spoke gently, with only a slight expression on her face, as she instructed Ning Xiuyuan.

They all knew that the current emperor could not wait for the other young princes to grow up. Whether they were willing or not, the final fate of the world was already determined. That was another younger and more profound emperor.

Ning Xiuyuan took Ji Wuyan up the stairs, then slowly put away the oil-paper umbrella and said calmly, "I know. The Ningguo Mansion is not made of paper. Although my father has been trying to keep a low profile in recent years to avoid overshadowing his master, after all, it is not easy to deal with a man who has run a business for half a lifetime. Moreover, the court is already turbulent when the old and new emperors take over. Li Yiwei can't move the Ningguo Mansion in a short time... Don't worry."

Ji Wuyan thought about it and felt that these words made some sense. The first priority for Li Yiwei after ascending the throne was to eliminate the remnants of the Bian family. The Ning and Bai families were on good terms, so even if he was wary, he had to put it aside for the time being.

Zi Qiu brought over some tea, and seeing that the two seemed to have something important to talk about, he bent over and retreated.

Ning Xiuyuan picked up the teacup and said, "I heard from my mother when we were having dinner the other day that Brother Chu has been coming to Ningguo Mansion frequently recently. I heard that my second brother is also planning to move the focus of his business to Jiangnan... My father also said that if there is an opportunity in the next few years, my eldest brother will also look for an opportunity to transfer out of Yanjing City. So don't worry, Ningguo Mansion has enough ability to protect itself, you can do whatever you want."

The little girl talked so much in a roundabout way, and Ning Xiuyuan naturally knew what she was worried about. He patted her head to comfort her.

"Okay." Ji Wuyan held the hot tea to warm his hands, squinting his eyes as he watched the drizzle outside the window, his eyes blurred and dazed. After a while, he suddenly pulled the corners of his mouth and smiled. His smile was soft and calm, as if he was in a very good mood.

……

The old man's welcoming banquet was originally supposed to be lively, with a few close friends being invited to toast each other, but His Majesty's health has been getting worse recently, and officials in the court have been very cautious in their interactions with other officials, so everything had to be kept simple.

But even if it was simple, there was still the necessary liveliness. Although the old lady was extremely reluctant, she was reluctant to let Ji Wuyan be caught in a dilemma. She came late at the meal time with a cold face. Before she arrived, a sarcastic voice came first, "Hey... Look, look, who are you welcoming for? I, an old woman, don't have this treatment... But it's true, family members don't need these things."

The implication was that the old man was classified as an "outsider". Nanny Wang shook her head and laughed, then led the people into the yard and bowed to Shangguan Shou.