CHAPTER 208: CHAPTER 208: GIVING FACE

Two streets away from the Duke Chong’s Mansion.

There stood a five-entry large house.

Usually, the main gate was closed, with only the second gate allowing servants to come and go.

Today, the mansion was unusually noisy.

A group of maids and servants were carrying things into the mansion, but their faces showed no joy of moving, only humiliation and anger.

In the courtyard, maids and servants stood there, not knowing where to go.

There wasn’t a steward present to arrange matters.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the Duchess to plead with the Emperor to step in and force Marquis Dongxiang to return the Duke’s Mansion to them.

However, they all knew the hope was slim.

Marquis Dongxiang was someone who dared to break the Duke’s ribs and often threatened the court ministers in front of the Emperor.

The Emperor couldn’t subdue Marquis Dongxiang.

In the inner courtyard, main hall.

The Old Madam of Duke Chong sat on the Arhat Couch, her face dark enough to drip ink.

"No news yet?!" her voice was edged with aggression.

No one answered her.

Because no one knew.

The Duchess entered the palace, watched by people from the Duke Chong’s Mansion.

They saw with their own eyes her entering the Imperial Study.

But what happened after she entered the Imperial Study, they knew nothing about.

They also knew that Eunuch Fu had taken the imperial decree to the Duke’s Mansion.

But what was written in the decree, they still didn’t know.

The urgency to know was like being teased by a feather on their chest, itchy, yet unable to scratch, driving them mad.

After waiting for another half a tea’s time.

Outside, a Hidden Guard entered, clutching a shoulder wound.

Duke Chong suddenly stood up, his face grim, "Why are you back?!"

"We failed to protect the Old Duke," the Hidden Guard knelt admitting fault.

Third Master urgently asked, "What about the Duchess?"

The Hidden Guard shook his head, "I don’t know."

The Duchess was more concerned about, "What was the Emperor’s decree to Marquis Dongxiang?"

The Hidden Guard looked at the Duchess and said, "The Emperor ordered Marquis Dongxiang to build a wall in the Duke’s Mansion, splitting it in two, with the Old Duke’s residence and the ancestral hall belonging to the Duke Chong’s Mansion."

The Duchess’s face turned ashen.

Is this what they call splitting in two?!

This is like giving alms to a beggar!

Third Master’s face was stiff, he had already imagined the Duchess of Chong going to the palace to plead with the Emperor.

The Emperor with a difficult expression.

The Duchess with no recourse stood kneeling, refusing to rise, using the bedridden Old Duke as a reason to implore the Emperor for help.

The Emperor couldn’t disregard the Old Duke’s life.

But he also couldn’t force Marquis Dongxiang to relinquish the Duke’s Mansion that he held.

Caught in the middle, unable to do anything.

Finally, he came up with this seemingly perfect, but in fact humiliating solution.

"Even with the Duchess stepping forward using father as a shield, this is all we can reclaim, no need to talk about others," Third Master said dejectedly.

Duke Chong clenched his fists tightly.

The Duchess fumed, "If this is all we get back, it’s better to have none of it!"

The Old Duke’s residence was protected by the Emperor for the Duke Chong’s Mansion.

In the future, how could they bear to visit the Old Duke?!

Losing the Duke’s Mansion was already the height of unfilialness.

Failing to take care of the Old Duke further compounded the unfilial act.

Moreover, the Hidden Guard left in the Duke’s Mansion returned injured, and both the Duke and the Duchess fell into that bandit’s hands.

"What about the Duke?" Third Madam asked.

Duke Chong was troubled.

Ignoring it wasn’t an option, and leading people to fight back was impossible.

Marquis Dongxiang couldn’t openly defy the decree, using such methods to force him to bring the Duke back.

"The Emperor’s decree proves the Duke’s importance in the Emperor’s eyes, Marquis Dongxiang wouldn’t dare harm the Old Duke," Third Master said.

"So are we just ignoring it?" Third Madam questioned.

"Let’s discuss it in court tomorrow!" Duke Chong said darkly.

...

The next day.

When Marquis Dongxiang attended court, none of the civil and military officials dared to speak to him.

Afraid that once Marquis Dongxiang opened his mouth, he could choke them to death with his words.

Seeing Duke Chong equally speechless.

Originally, with good intentions, but ended up betraying Duke Chong, siding with Marquis Dongxiang’s Mansion.

Unappreciated on both sides, a person caught in an awkward position.

Previously in court, everyone would chat a bit, but today it was unprecedentedly silent.

They waited and waited, until the Emperor arrived for court.

The Emperor glanced sidelong at Marquis Dongxiang, "I see you were early today."

Marquis Dongxiang smiled, "Emperor, your subject wasn’t deliberately late before, it’s just that the mansion you bestowed was too far from the Imperial Palace, while the new Dongxiang Marquis Mansion that my son won back is closer, rising at the same hour, I can even arrive earlier."

The Emperor, "..."

"By the way, last night I was forced to move out of the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion into the new residence. Although the new mansion has everything, it still feels lacking."

"..."

Was he starting to ask for rewards?

The Emperor’s lips twitched.

But then Marquis Dongxiang changed his tone and said, "So I picked a good day to hold a housewarming banquet, I wrote an invitation this morning, hoping the Emperor would honor us with your presence."

Marquis Dongxiang presented the invitation to the Emperor.

The Emperor, "..."

Not only was he not late, but he also had time to write an invitation.

The Emperor regretted saying that extra word.

He would rather Marquis Dongxiang asked for rewards than have to attend a housewarming banquet.

Eunuch Fu, with a strained smile, received the invitation and presented it to the Emperor.

Marquis Dongxiang’s gaze swept over the officials, "Previously when holding a housewarming banquet, everyone was unfamiliar, and no one graced me by visiting my mansion to drink the housewarming wine, if this time you do not come, then it’s my failure as a Marquis, lacking camaraderie."

The officials, "..."

This was a barefaced threat.

If you attend the banquet, it shows camaraderie, and you won’t be targeted.

If you don’t go, it means you look down on Marquis Dongxiang, openly opposing him.

He was blatantly forcing them to rub salt in Duke Chong’s wounds.

The ministers didn’t dare look at Duke Chong’s face.

The cold and angry aura emitted from Duke Chong was enough to make them shiver.

"Is no one willing to honor me?" Marquis Dongxiang asked.

Wherever his gaze landed, the ministers could not help but tremble.

"We would be honored."

"We’ll certainly honor you."

Just like that, they succumbed to his tyrannical power.

Duke Chong’s temples throbbed with veins.

Marquis Dongxiang was very satisfied.

He looked at the Emperor.

The Emperor was very angry, is this what he meant by temporarily accepting the decree?

If he didn’t accept the invitation, would he not build the wall, not care about the Old Duke’s life?

This bandit didn’t know when to stop.

He was now not stable in his position, yet he brazenly tore faces with Duke Chong, it was too reckless.

The Emperor placed the invitation down and said, "It’s the first time a minister has invited me with an invitation card, so I’ll give you this face."

Marquis Dongxiang gave thanks.

After expressing thanks, he said, "Emperor, the decree you gave me, I have already complied with, the wall has been completed, but with only a wall separating the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion and Duke Chong’s Mansion, my mansion has many secrets, with the hidden guards from Duke Chong’s Mansion next door, I’m not very assured."

The Emperor, "..."

The officials, "..."

A bandit has secrets?

He was really trying to flatter himself!

Is someone going to steal his Qingyun Mountain robbery manual?

The Emperor rubbed his brow.

Didn’t want to talk to someone so thick-skinned.

He’d rather have Marquis Dongxiang ask for a reward than eat that housewarming banquet.

"Old Duke is unwell, no one is watching over him, what if something happens to him?"

"...!!!"

Does he feel sorry for that wall?!

...!!!

"I came up with a solution that kills two birds with one stone, after thinking about it all night."

"What solution?" the Emperor asked.

End result.