Chapter 390

“Who is Duke Yuan?”

“Well…”

As Ling Jingxuan’s voice fell, including Yan Shengrui, all the people had all question marks all over their face. Is he from Qing Kingdom? Isn’t he a tongsheng? Although Duke Yuan is not that famous like Duke Zeng, a least he is a well-known hero. Now he asked them who Duke Yuan is? So…speechless…

“Judging from the way you look, it’s like quite a weird thing that I don’t know who Duke Yuan is.”

Seeing that, Ling Jingxuan showed no shame at all. He kept flipping through the original owner’s memories, but still found not a single piece of fragments about this person. Yan Shengrui suddenly recalled his previous situation felt so sorry. So, he grabbed his hand and briefed him the life story of Duke Yuan, and especially emphasized his deep feelings for his wife.

“I see. So that Duke Yuan is also a real man. Why raised such a neither fish nor fowl bastard son?”

After hearing it, Ling Jingxuan also generated some respects to Duke Yuan, someone who he had never seen before. Having been here for nearly half a year, he also knew, in this world, it wasn’t an easy thing even if a man wanted to keep his integrity. Any big and rich families, which man didn’t have three wives and four concubines? They just hadn’t had 72 concubines like the emperor. Duke Yuan only had one woman for his whole life, which was already the only existing miracle. But pity that he was such a failure on educating his kids.

“Duke Yuan actually was doing good. In his mansion, he has expressly stipulated that any offspring of his, whether it’s the wife’s or concubine’s sons, they couldn’t have any concubine before forty. They could only marry a concubine after forty if they still have no sons by the time. I guess his eldest son just lost himself for that woman and failed to control himself. His other brothers all have one wife only.”

Duke Zeng and Duke Yuan were friends, so, he also knew something about them since he had lodged in Duke Zeng’s mansion when he was little.

“To put it bluntly, it’s all due to his lower part.”

Ling Jingxuan rolled his eyes grumpily. He was not a nit-pick person, and never thought to change the polygamy big environment. As long as his man was faithful to him, he didn’t want to care so much. As for Yuan Shaoqi’s background, he had no comment. His mother was pathetic though, since Duke Yuan was such a famous figure, how could his biggest son be a nobody no one had ever heard of? That woman should have known that he had been married, but still been with him. So such a result was already foreseen by her. So nothing to feel sorry for. Seen from his point of view, after all she put her foot in some other’s family first. So his first wife did nothing wrong. If it had been that his man had had an affair outside, maybe he would directly kill her and then castrate Yan Shengrui.

“What are you thinking? I would never make that kind of mistake. Those thoughts in your head would never come true.”

Subtly sensing the slight change of his expression, Yan Shengrui darkened his face, bent his finger and tapped his forehead. Thinking with his butt, he knew that he should have already pictured him into that kind of situation.

“That is not necessarily true. What if someone drugs you? I guess I should work out the antidote against those strong aphrodisiac first, otherwise, what if some day someone comes to me holding a swelling belly? I am not that benevolent like the duke’s biggest son’s wife!”

Rubbing his forehead randomly, Ling Jingxuan turned to give him an evil grin. Yan Shengrui had a twitch at the corner of his mouth, and those three who were kneeling there lowered their heads, trying to hold themselves from laughing out, but all prick-eared, only afraid of missing any word.

“You think I will make the same mistake twice?”

Finally restraining his storms in the head, Yan Shengrui pretended to look serious. Even if he got seduced again, he’d rather castrate himself than cheating on him. Without ‘little Shengrui’, the worst scenario was that it was empty between the legs, but without his chastity, he’d lose his wife and kids.

“Hehe…better not.”

With a sweet and brilliant smile, Ling Jingxuan directly leaned on him, totally ignoring how others would think about it, “Yuan Shaoqi’s identity has been made clear, he should be harmless to us, then how do you plan to dispose him?”

To be honest, aside from the unknown background, he quite valued this Yuan Shaoqi. He was quite sensitive to numbers. He could learn almost anything if he wanted, and he was not a selfish person. This kind of person was most suitable for ‘oppression’.

“That’s it for now. I will personally send a letter to the old duke explaining the situation here, and see if he wants to send someone to take him back or let him stay. As for Yuan Shaoqi, I will bother you to see to it.”

Recently he had been busy with the matter of the quality steel knives thing. Seeing that those all-conquering knives forged one by one, he was more excited and thrilled than anyone else. He totally had no time to care about that at all, as long as he didn’t make trouble for him.

It was getting dark. Ling Jingxuan swept over those three kneeling before them, who were quite observant, no longer taking another peep at their prince, just stood up and left.

“Yi, from tomorrow on, you’ll be responsible for protecting Wen and Wu.”

Bam~

When they pulled open the door and was about to walk out, the voice of Yan ShengRui suddenly was heard. Yan Yi directly flung himself forward. The two little masters are two little devils! Could he apply to change some other punishment? He didn’t want to be tortured like Yan Shan who couldn’t get himself together after quite a few days.

“Big brother, good luck.”

Pulling the door closed and holding him up, Yan Si tried his best to prevent himself from laughing out while patting him on the shoulder with pity. He had long heard that the second little master asked Yan Shan to fly him on and on, after that, he forced him to eat a big basin of noodles. Although they heard the big little master was a bit better, he was also a strong-minded kid. Even the crown princess was afraid of his nagging, let alone them.

“Ahem…big brother, I will collect your body for you, don’t worry.”

“Haha…”

Yan Shan coughed a bit trying to maintain his calmness. But as his words were out, Yan Si was amused and laughed out. Yan Yi could only throw his dagger eyes at them while gritting his teeth, only wishing that he could dismember them! Where is the so-called ‘we’ll be as close as real blood brothers?’ Is this supposed to be the way they treat their big brother?

The next day, Ling Jingxuan meant to talk to Yuan Shaoqi, but on a second thought, he gave it up. Since the other side was harmless to them, he didn’t have to poke the wound in his heart, as long as he paid extra attention to him and didn’t let him make mistakes. After all he was the duke’s son, he couldn’t let anything happen to him. The other few bookkeepers also mastered the single-entry accounting method now. So Ling Jingxuan directly sent that youngest one Feng to work in the branch of Baiyunge, and could also teach those bookkeepers there. As for Yuan Shaoqi, whether Ling Jinghan could get listed or not, he could no longer work as the bookkeeper, and Shuisheng had to take care of him. So Ling Jingxuan directly asked him to take Ling Jinghan’s position as the general bookkeeper, and told Ling Jinghan to teach him double-entry accounting.

But now, Ling Jingxuan would never know that his overall thinking would send a ‘wolf’ to his younger brother’s side.

It was the list-releasing day three days later. Ling Jingxuan and his two younger brothers all didn’t go to see it in person. Two days earlier, he had said to his younger brothers about the imperial decree thing. In case that people would say they defied the imperial majesty if they missed it, they only asked Song Gengniu to drive to town to see it for them.

“Dad, mom, what are you doing here?”

Knowing it was their son’s big day, the old Wang couple who hadn’t come a long time came early in the morning, followed by the village head and some of the elders of the family. Compared with the old couple, others all looked a bit uneasy. Lady Wang was still mad at the thing last time. Ignoring them, Lady Wang directly supported his parents to go in. Lng Chenglong said helplessly, “Second uncle, elders, what brings you here? Come on in.”

Since they were here, they were their guests. Although they had broken away from the old Ling family, they were still in the family tree. So it was inappropriate not to entertain them. Be it for the face or his son’s reputation, he had no other choice.

“Well, we heard that Jinghan joined the examination for tongsheng in town a few days ago. Today is the list-releasing day, so we come to take a look. Our Jinghan is so outstanding. Even Zhang jurne in the school praised him. I guess he’d definitely be listed.”

Now, whether it was the village head or those elders of the family, no one dare to look down on Ling Chenglong. One could even sense some fawning feeling from the village head’s tone.

“With your blessing, second uncle. I also hope so. Isn’t that Chenggui? You are back?”

Seeing the gentle young man standing behind, Ling Chenglong smiled. Ling Chenggui, Ling Qicai’s youngest son, only eighteen years old and already a tongsheng, who had been studying in town and seldom came back. Maybe because he was even younger than Ling Jingxuan, Ling Chenglong had always taken him as his son.

“Second cousin, long time no see. I heard that Jinghan has gotten a lot better and even took part in the examination. So, I specially came back to check on him.”

Ling Chenggui scratched his head shyly, with that delicate face stained with a bit red blushing. He was sent to town to study since he was little, so he was not quite clear about things at home. Maybe because they were both intellectuals, he and Ling Jinghan were like friends. Every time he came back, he’d bring a lot of books for him. This time after hearing that Ling Jinghan joined the tongsheng exam, he specially asked for a leave to come back to see him.

“Hehe…Jinghan will be very happy. Come on. Take a seat inside. Jingxuan and others are all home.”

Ling Chenglong felt happy and his attitude became a lot warmer. So the village head and others kind of took Ling Chenggui’s advantage and followed behind tremblingly.

Lady Wang who already went in told Ling Jingxuan and others that the village head and some elders came to visit them. Ling Jingxuan was OK with that. As long as they were not here to make trouble, he could ignore them, and Ling Jinghan and Ling Jingpeng already stood on their big brother’s side. As for the little buns, they had already gone to school. Otherwise, how could it be so quiet now?

“Jinghan, look who’s here.”

Before Ling Chenglong stepped in, his voice was heard already. Ling Jingxuan who was chatting with Old Wang turned back suspiciously, then saw that his dad came in dragging a young man about seventeen or eighteen years old, then showed a bit suspicious feeling under his eyes. Seeing that, Ling Jingpeng whispered by his ear, “That is the little son of our second grandpa. He has been studying in town, so you have not much impression of him.”

Hearing that, Ling Jingxuan picked his eyebrows. He knew that Ling Qicai had a little son who was studying in town. He just didn’t expect he was so elegant, and even a bit shy, totally having no gene of the old Ling family at all. With a look, he made one want to ravage him…no, like him. Or put it simply, he gave one the feeling that he was like a little rabbit, that very weak kind.”

“Uncle.”

See Ling Chenggui, Ling Jingyan moved forward to welcome him, but Yuan Shaoqi who was following behind flashed his eyes strangely, kind of annoyingly staring at his hand holding the other side’s arm. And Shuisheng who was closest to him strangely looked at him. He touched his nose and moved away a little bit. Of course, Ling Jingxuan did not notice this weird scene. Otherwise, he’d definitely notice that at this moment, the way Yuan Shaoqi looked at Ling Jinghan was exactly like how Yan Shengrui looked at him, with total possessive and affectionate feeling.