It was the first time that Ming Xi and Ming Yu came to the Lu family home. Ming Yu, who was held in Lu Xiangzhi's arms, looked left and right. Although it was smaller than the palace, it was her first time here.
"Little uncle, why don't I see little aunt?" Ming Yu asked curiously.
"What little aunt?" Lu Xiangzhi didn't understand what this meant for a moment and walked to the upper room with Ming Yu in his arms.
Ming Xi said from behind, "Mother said that little uncle will soon have a little aunt."
Lu Xiangzhi understood what it meant. He coughed softly, "Next time, there will be a little aunt."
"When is the next time?" Ming Yu asked.
"Well, after the new year …" Lu Xiangzhi went to the Su family yesterday and saw his future wife. She looked very lovely, delicate and gentle. He wanted to go again today, but he was afraid of offending the beauty. If he had known, he would have gotten married earlier.
Ming Yu wanted to ask again, but she was interrupted by a voice.
"Third uncle, Xiangzhi." A tall figure came from the other side. The man's handsome and gentle face was similar to Lu Xiangzhi's. His eyes fell on Ming Yu's face, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.
Ming Yu looked like Ye Zhen, so naturally, he could see her identity at a glance.
"Second brother." Lu Xiangzhi called with a smile, "Why are you here?"
Lu Shiming nodded gently, looking at his nephew who had become a handsome man after not seeing him for many years.
"Mother is here with third aunt. I came to take her back to the house." Lu Tingzhi came in front of them and took his eyes away from Mingyu's face. He came to pick up Mrs. Liu. He knew better than anyone else what kind of person his mother was. She won't be grateful to his Third Uncle for letting them stay in their house. Instead, she will think that it's what she should do. Maybe she will make excessive demands to his Third Aunt.
At the mention of Mrs Liu, Lu Xiangzhi's face became light. "It just so happens that we are going to the upper room. Let's go in together."
Lu Shiming said to Lu Tingzhi, "Tingzhi, this is His Royal Highness and Princess."
"This commoner greets Your Royal Highness and Princess." Lu Tingzhi cupped his hands and bowed. He dared not expect Yao Yao to still be willing to treat him as her second brother. Now, he was just returning to his hometown. When he found a house, he would move out. It would be even better if he could buy the original mansion of the Lu family.
Ming Xi glanced at him, "We're family, no need to be so polite."
When Lu Tingzhi heard Ming Xi's words, he looked at him in astonishment. The little prince looked to be not even five years old, but he already exuded a natural noble and dignified aura.
"Are you also an uncle?" Ming Yu saw that Lu Tingzhi was good-looking, and she was quite fond of him.
How could he be an uncle?
"Mingyu, he's my second brother. You should call him uncle," Lu Xiangzhi said in a low voice.
"Second Uncle." Ming Yu called out sweetly.
Lu Tingzhi's heart throbbed when he heard her call him uncle. He clenched his fists to suppress his excitement. "Princess, thank you for your kindness."
"Let's go to the upper room first." Lu Shiming looked at Lu Tingzhi's hands, then led Mingxi to the upper room.
Liu-shi came to find Pei-shi early in the morning. She did not come to chat about family matters, nor to express her gratitude, but to ask Pei-shi to tell Lu Shiming to find an official position for Lu Tingzhi in the imperial court.
"… When Tingzhi was in Qi, he was a fifth-grade official. He can't possibly be nothing after coming to Jin, right? Third Uncle is already a cabinet minister, and I heard that your son is a fourth-grade official. Your third branch used to be nothing, and didn't you have to rely on the first branch to support you? Now that you've gotten lucky, shouldn't you know how to be grateful?" Liu-shi straightened her back and sat down on the armchair, holding a teacup in her hand. Her posture looked as if she was here to collect a debt, not to ask for help.
Pei-shi thought of herself as a good-tempered person. Hearing these words, she sighed in relief. Their third branch had gotten where they were today because of their own efforts. If not for Liu-shi, her master would have long entered the imperial court as an official. How could he have gone to the border city for so many years, and she still had the nerve to ask for credit?
"Eldest Sao, I know that Tingzhi is not a mediocre person, but you've just returned to the capital. You should rest for a few days. Perhaps Tingzhi has his own plans. As elders, we should not interfere in the affairs of the younger generation." Pei-shi patiently advised.
"Since he's not your son, there's naturally no need to worry." Liu-shi's voice was sharp. She was not a person of high birth. She only had a son who had once become a marquis, so she treated herself as a madam of a prestigious family. Her bashful attitude did not have the slightest trace of nobility. "We're just asking you to find excuses for small matters. If you're letting us stay just for face, then there's no need, we can't afford it."
Pei-shi looked at her with a slightly cold gaze. "Letting you stay at home is not for face, but for the sake of the old furen. His third uncle and I both like him, so naturally, we're worried about his future. Eldest Sao does not need to bring this up at this time."
Liu-shi was both resentful and jealous of Pei-shi. If the third branch had not returned from the border city, their first branch would not have fallen, and Shuang 'er would not have had his title abandoned. What the third branch enjoyed now should have been theirs, and Pei-shi's current position should have been hers.
What she and Pei-shi asked for was not even comparable to what they owed her.
"Don't talk about the old furen. If you want to say sorry to the old furen, then it's you." Liu-shi snorted in a sharp voice.
Pei-shi smiled. "Could it be that we let the Lu family be confiscated?"
"Then aren't they all your adopted daughters!" Liu-shi's resentment gushed out.
"What about the daughters I raised?" Lu Shiming walked in with large strides, his refined face was as gloomy as water. He respected Liu-shi as his eldest sister-in-law, but that did not mean that he would allow her to unscrupulously ask for things that she should not ask for.
Not to mention that she dared to talk about Yaoyao.
Liu-shi turned to glare angrily at Lu Shiming. Her originally arrogant attitude was somewhat restrained, especially when she saw Lu Tingzhi standing by the door with an ugly expression. She pursed her lips. "Did I say something wrong?"
Lu Tingzhi felt embarrassed. He knew that his mother was being unreasonable, but he did not expect her to go this far. It was simply … making him unable to show his face.
"Third Aunt." He bowed his head and stepped forward to bow to Pei-shi. "My mother's knowledge is shallow. I hope you will not take her words to heart."
Liu-shi stood up abruptly. "I'm doing this for your own good, and you still dislike me?"
Pei-shi looked at her sensible nephew and felt pity for him. "It's alright, Third Aunt understands."
"Maternal grandmother!" Ming Yu did not know Liu-shi and was not interested in her existence. She got down from Lu Xiangzhi's arms and ran towards Pei-shi.
Seeing her little granddaughter and grandson, Pei-shi's unhappiness disappeared. A gentle and loving smile appeared on her face. "Hey, my little darling, come and give maternal grandmother a hug."
When Mrs. Liu heard Ming Yu calling her grandmother, her face became gloomy and ugly. Seeing Ming Yu running past her, she tried to pretend to faint to stop Ming Yu.
Lu Tingzhi could tell what his mother was trying to do. He shot forward and grabbed Liu-shi's arm.
At the same time, Yan Xiaoliu also moved. It was unknown when he had flashed to Ming Yu's side, but he looked coldly at Liu-shi.
...
(Nine-headed Bird Academy)
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