A Cutie Spoiled by Her Seven Uncles-Chapter 568: I’m Not Worthy to be Your Brother
Chapter 568: Chapter 568: I’m Not Worthy to be Your Brother
Dugu Xiao spent the entire journey wondering what kind of person Ji Youze’s third brother truly was. Why did he have so much money? He had subtly tried to inquire about this from Ji Youzhi several times but received no answers. So, when he met Ji Youze, he no longer asked.
However, just because he didn’t ask didn’t mean Ji Youze wasn’t willing to tell him.
"I know what you want to ask. You must have noticed that my third brother always wears a black veil. He’s the mysterious owner of the Bright Moon Pavilion, the one you’ve heard rumors about!"
"PFFT..." Dugu Xiao, who had just spat out his tea, widened his eyes and stared at him intently. "Are you kidding?"
Ji Youze took a sip of his tea. "Do I look like I’m joking?"
"No! But is it okay for you to scheme against your own brother like this?"
"I have no one left to scheme against. Losing this money will indeed cause my third brother some problems, but they will only be temporary. However, if the people of Yunhang don’t have money, then what they will lose are their lives!"
"I know you care about the disaster victims and want to share His Majesty’s worries and help Bai Xin, but Ji Youcheng is, after all, your third... wait... what did you say?"
Dugu Xiao reacted belatedly, taking a while to understand.
"Your third brother is the owner of the Bright Moon Pavilion?"
Ji Youze took a sip of his tea and nodded lightly.
"My heavens! The Bright Moon Pavilion gathers all the wealth under the sky. Its annual profit is rumored to exceed the National Treasury’s tax revenue. Is that true?"
Ji Youze squinted. "So, do you think the money my third brother donated can shake his foundation?"
"Absolutely not!"
Dugu Xiao shook his head vigorously, then became puzzled again. "If this money can’t shake his foundation, why did he faint just from hearing about it?"
"It’s because he’s stingy! Besides, with the natural disaster in Yunhang, he had a whole ship of fabrics capsize. The loss from those fabrics is far greater than the money he donated!"
Dugu Xiao couldn’t help the corner of his mouth from twitching. "He’s already so miserable, yet you still have the heart to plot against him! You two are truly ’good brothers’!"
"And you are my good brother too!" Ji Youze raised his teacup and clinked it against Dugu Xiao’s. Suddenly, the corners of Ji Youze’s mouth lifted.
When Dugu Xiao saw his smile and heard his words, he suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.
"No! I’m not worthy to be your brother!"
"That’s not what you said just now!" Ji Youze looked at him, eyes narrowed.
"Just... just now?"
"Our precious niece is quite formidable, isn’t she!"
Dugu Xiao’s face stiffened.
"I... alright, out with it! What are you planning to use me for?"
"Nothing much. I just hope that at tomorrow’s session in the Imperial Court, your esteemed father will voluntarily donate some money for disaster relief!"
Dugu Xiao’s expression instantly froze.
"Ji Youze! I haven’t offended you, have I? How could you trap me like this?"
"If I wanted to trap you, I wouldn’t have asked you to do it yourself."
Ji Youze put down his teacup. His voice was low. "I’ve heard that in the southwest suburbs, someone has enclosed land to create a hunting ground. Over three hundred commoner households were forced to relocate, losing their fields and homes. The compensation they received was less than fifty percent of the market value!"
Cold sweat broke out on Dugu Xiao’s forehead!
"Ji Youze, you can’t just say things like that! If what you’re saying is true, that’s an offense punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan!"
Ji Youze didn’t speak again. Dugu Xiao was no fool; he was surely capable of verifying whether his words were true.
The Emperor was also aware of the situation with the western suburban hunting ground; it was just that the opportune moment to bring it to light hadn’t arrived yet. Furthermore, both the Dugu and Ji Families were founding meritorious families of the nation. The difference between the two was that the Ji Family had wisely retreated from the political forefront, and Old General Ji had passed away prematurely. The Dugu family, however, continued to maneuver for power within the Imperial Court. Moreover, having been conferred the title of Earl, the Emperor wouldn’t pursue minor transgressions committed by them!
The reason Ji Youze gave Dugu Xiao this reminder was largely due to the bond of brotherhood they shared from their youth. Additionally, the current disaster situation truly required these established Noble Families and veteran officials to take the lead.
Dugu Xiao left without saying goodbye to Ji Youze. He first inspected the defensive arrangements at Qixia Temple, then headed to the western suburban hunting ground with three of his trusted subordinates.
Only after sunset did he return to the Pingnan Earl’s Mansion. When he left the Earl’s Mansion again, the sky had already begun to darken.
His trusted subordinate ed to him, "The Earl smashed everything in his Study and ordered the Heir to kneel in the Ancestral Hall to reflect! The Earl’s wife was crying hysterically and threatening to hang herself. The Earl declared that if she truly wished to die, he would grant her wish, and even had someone send her a white silk sash!"
Dugu Xiao remained expressionless. He intervened in these troublesome affairs not out of any deep affection for the Earl’s Mansion, but because he wasn’t ready to die yet!
After the trusted subordinate finished speaking and paused for a moment, seeing that Dugu Xiao had nothing further to say, he silently handed him an envelope.
"The Eighth Prince had someone deliver this. He instructed that it should only be given to you after dark!"
「In the Imperial Palace.」
Xiaosuisui was having dinner with her adoptive father, His Majesty. For Xiaosuisui, rules like ’not taking food more than three times’ were merely for show. She ate whatever she wanted, however she wanted. One or two chopsticks’ worth was like a light rain to her; she simply tilted the serving bowl and poured food directly onto her small plate.
"Eat slowly," His Majesty said, his brow furrowed deeply as he observed her table manners. "There are only the two of us eating; your adoptive father won’t fight you for food! Hadn’t I specifically sent a Nanny to the Ji Mansion to teach this little Girl etiquette? Why are her table manners so..."
"I know my adoptive father, Your Majesty, wouldn’t fight with Suisui for food, but Suisui is really, really hungry! Suisui hasn’t eaten all day and is so, so famished!"
Hearing this, His Majesty’s brows furrowed even tighter. "You haven’t eaten all day?" He quickly placed a large chicken drumstick into his precious daughter’s bowl, then personally spoon-fed her a bowl of soup, one small spoonful at a time.
Eunuch Ling, standing by the table with serving chopsticks in hand, was utterly discomposed, as if buffeted by the wind.
Your Majesty, this servant is the one who’s supposed to serve the Master food! Why are you taking over this servant’s duties?
As Xiaosuisui’s "MUNCH, MUNCH..." sounds emerged from her mouth, His Majesty, seeing her stuffed cheeks, said with concern, "Eat slowly. Eating too quickly is bad for your stomach. Here, drink some soup to help it settle!"
His Majesty personally fed his precious daughter half a bowl of soup. Only when he saw her eating speed slow down did he ask, "Why didn’t you eat anything all day? Didn’t your Seventh Uncle and Third Auntie give you anything to eat?"
Xiaosuisui had been brought to the Palace by Ji Youzhi and Zhu Xiuxiu. However, after arriving, they both became occupied with their own tasks, leaving Xiaosuisui alone in the Palace. The young Emperor, after bringing her into the Imperial Study and doting on her for a short while, became busy with court affairs, issuing various orders. Xiaosuisui stayed in the Imperial Study, reading various books, and lost track of time until it grew dark. If Eunuch Ling hadn’t reminded them it was time for dinner, His Majesty would have continued working!
"Phew... Finally, I’m full!" Xiaosuisui put her bowl down on the table, picked up a chicken bone, and shouted, "Xiaobai! Bone time!"
Hearing this, His Majesty couldn’t stop his eyebrows and nose from twitching. "My dear daughter, Xiaobai is a rabbit, not a dog. Rabbits don’t eat bones!"
Chapter 568: I’m Not Worthy to be Your Brother
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