Yue Lin subconsciously rubbed his face, "Now I finally understand why my grandfather and the others were so worried that Marquis Xie would offend the Third Prince."
This person's actions were too unscrupulous. The Fifth Prince's status was worthless in her eyes. She always acted according to her own will, and she wouldn't hesitate to act even against the Fifth Prince.
The Fifth Prince was so tormented that he had no temper left. He didn't dare to get angry with Xie Jiang for being toyed with like this. One couldn't help but wonder what he had experienced in Xie Jiang's hands.
Xu Shuo pondered Xie Jiang's psychology, "Perhaps in Marquis Xie's eyes, the Fifth Prince is just like Xu Hengyi and Lu Yuqing, merely mud ducks. Do mud ducks have different grades?"
If the Fifth Prince was a mud duck, then the Third Prince was also just a...
Who would worry about offending a mud duck?
This was indeed insulting to the Third Prince, but Marquis Xie's attitude was precisely like this.
Yue Lin sighed, "Fortunately, Marquis Xie respects Prime Minister Xun and has been staying quietly in the mansion these past few days, with no intention of going out. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have been able to stop her."
Xu Shuo thought Yue Lin was being too optimistic, "Is there a possibility that Marquis Xie is simply too lazy to go out these days?"
Yue Lin: "..."
Seeing the Fifth Prince, who had been hit on the leg by a bamboo pole, suddenly lose his balance and kneel in the mud facing Xie Jiang, Yue Lin covered his eyes.
He saw nothing.
The Fifth Prince did not kneel to Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang actually didn't dodge, and just let the Fifth Prince... Wasn't she afraid of being exterminated?
"Xu Shuo, Yue Lin."
Xie Jiang suddenly called out their names directly.
Xu Shuo inexplicably felt like he was being stared at by wolves and tigers, and the hairs on his back stood on end.
"You two have been watching from the shore for so long. Do you also think they are unreliable and plan to contribute to the lotus root banquet at noon? Three grown men, utterly useless, are almost burying themselves while digging mud."
"No, no, no, no..." Xu Shuo refused without hesitation, his hands waving so fast they were a blur. "We were just passing by. We'll go back to continue our studies. There are still a few questions we haven't figured out, and we must diligently study them. We dare not delay any further. The lotus root matter is hard work for the four of you, but we are truly unable to help."
As he spoke, he quickly added, "We don't necessarily have to eat lotus roots at noon. Anything will do."
"Thank you, Marquis Xie, and the three of you. Thank you." Yue Lin respectfully cupped his hands in salute.
Xu Shuo and Yue Lin didn't dare to linger, and fled as if their feet were greased.
"Xie Jiang, who are you calling useless!" Who are you insulting!
"You couldn't even restrain an 'ou' (lotus root), do you think you can restrain a chicken?"
Only when they could no longer hear the voices behind them did the two slow down and breathe a sigh of relief.
"Is Marquis Xie doing this on purpose?"
"Does she look like she's doing it unintentionally?"
"I mean, is Marquis Xie unhappy with us? We come to the Marquis's mansion to block her every day. Is she taking out her anger by toying with those three like this?"
"It's not to the point of venting anger. We can't stop whatever Marquis Xie wants to do. If Marquis Xie doesn't want to deal with us, she just pretends we don't exist. It's true that she's deliberately toying with them, but it's probably just out of boredom and done casually."
"Can the three of them still eat the lotus root banquet at noon?" Yue Lin casually pulled off his trouser leg that was caught on a tree branch, feeling fortunate. It was wise that he and Xu Shuo chose to stay in Yilan Pavilion to study and learn, and didn't go near Xie Jiang with them.
Recalling the image of Lu Yuqing's face falling into the mud, Xu Shuo reasonably suspected that the three of them had already eaten enough mud.
There was no lotus root banquet at noon.
The three people who enthusiastically went to the lake to dig for lotus roots were busy rolling around in the mud pit. After a morning, they didn't have much to show for it.
Among the rich dishes on the table, there was only one lotus root and pork rib soup and one refreshing lotus root slices.
Lu Yuqing and Xia Zeshi tacitly ignored these two dishes.
Xu Hengyi felt, why?
Why shouldn't they eat the lotus roots they had worked so hard to dig all morning? Xu Hengyi picked up a bowl of lotus root and pork rib soup and stuffed it into his mouth.
He didn't know if it was his imagination or if the lotus roots weren't washed clean.
A faint smell of mud lingered in his throat.
"Ugh—"
Xu Hengyi pushed the lotus root and pork rib soup in front of him far away.
"Ugh—"
Hearing the commotion, Lu Yuqing was stimulated and also covered his mouth and gagged.
Xie Jiang felt that today's lotus root soup tasted exceptionally delicious. After drinking a small bowl, she helped herself to another.
"Are you pregnant?"
"You're the one who's pregnant, ugh—"
Lu Yuqing never wanted to eat lotus roots again in his life. Just looking at lotus roots made his mouth taste like mud.
~
The next day, only Xu Shuo and Yue Lin came to visit. Xu Hengyi and the other two claimed to be ill and at home. Were they so exhausted that they were on the verge of death but still not allowed to rest? That scoundrel Xie Jiang was clearly making fun of them! Who knew what other tricks awaited them!
Inhumane!
"We must let Xie Jiang taste the bitterness of losing our company!" Early in the morning, on the way to pay respects to Madam Xu Tai, Xu Hengyi said through gritted teeth to Yishan and Yishui.
Yishan and Yishui exchanged glances, wanting to speak but hesitating.
~
"There seem to be an unusual number of visitors today."
The Xie family of Nanhai Marquisate is a new noble in Dayu. It's normal for some people to try their luck, and there will never be a shortage of those who want to take shortcuts.
When Xu Shuo and Yue Lin arrived at Nanhai Marquisate in the early morning, they found that the number of people waiting to pay their respects outside the Marquisate was several times more than usual.
Xu Shuo suddenly thought of something and looked at Yue Lin, who was riding beside him on horseback, wanting to confirm his guess.
Yue Lin nodded.
He had indeed heard some rumors.
These people outside the Nanhai Marquisate had probably also received the news through various channels.
The four prefectures of Nanyang were officially incorporated into the territory of Dayu, and the rewards granted to the Xie family by Dayu had also been decided.
There were rumors that the Xie family would be enfeoffed as kings.
Both Xu Shuo and Yue Lin felt this speculation was very reasonable. Anyone who handed over four prefectures of land deserved to be enfeoffed as a king.
Moreover, it was said that the lands of the four prefectures of Nanyang were very prosperous, and the Xie family did not resort to seeking refuge with Dayu out of desperation.
The Xie family was purely loyal to the Central Plains and willingly submitted to Dayu.
Many people scoffed at this statement.
They believed that the prosperity and wealth of the four prefectures of Nanyang were exaggerated by the Xie family's shamelessness, solely to extort more benefits from Dayu.
The four prefectures of Nanyang must have been very decadent and struggling to survive, or surrounded by powerful enemies and precarious, thus needing the might of the great Dayu to support them.
Even a three-year-old child knew that submitting to others versus ascending to royal power themselves, which was more desirable.
As soon as the two sat down in Yilan Pavilion, took out even more homework than yesterday, and were about to focus solely on studying the classics, they heard that an imperial edict had arrived.
As expected, the head of the Xie family, Xie Tangqing, was enfeoffed as the King of Nanyang.
Xie Jiang had already been made the Marquis of Nanhai and received many rewards this time.
The three envoys from Lan Yong, Xie Taihong, He Zhifei, and Su Yang, also received official positions and rewards.
Xie Jiang did not show her face all day. Xu Shuo and Yue Lin wanted to congratulate Xie Jiang, but they couldn't see her.
When they finished dinner and were preparing to leave, they originally went to Green Courtyard to greet Xie Jiang, but heard that Xie Jiang was busy and gave up.
As Tian Kangtai escorted the two out, Xu Shuo casually asked a question. Tian Kangtai then carefully said a few words.
Yue Lin was somewhat surprised, "I remember the glass factory was only completed a few months ago, and now it's already preparing for expansion?"
Tian Kangtai maintained his usual amiable demeanor, "The factory has come up with some new things."
"Is it the glass lamps?"
Xu Shuo thought of the dim light these past few days and the bright light placed on their desks.