Chapter 363 - 361: Quite Good at Caring for His Wife (First Update)

Chapter 363: Chapter 361: Quite Good at Caring for His Wife (First Update)

Xiao Yi secretly glanced at Xiao He, pretending not to hear and sat beside Xu Jing, took an orange from the table, peeled it, and placed it in front of Xu Jing.

Xiao Muyu immediately glared at Xiao He, "You still know you’re older than Yi’er. Yi’er’s children could already go fetch soy sauce, yet you still refuse to start a family. Aren’t you ashamed?"

Hearing this, Xu Jing couldn’t help but look at Xiao He.

When Zhao Shao Hua visited her a few days ago, she said she privately inquired about Song Erniang’s thoughts, but Song Erniang still insisted she had no desire to marry Xiao He.

Song Erniang was also a stubborn person, willing to wait years without marrying for Xiao Yi in the past, and now she wasn’t willing to just marry Xiao He.

Zhao Shao Hua was also helpless, as Song Erniang would not relent, even forcing Xiao He to propose would be to no avail.

Meanwhile, Madam Song and Lady Sun had become increasingly close, and if these two dragged on like this, by the year’s end, Madam Song and Lady Sun might exchange the birthdates of their children.

Xiao He just gave a faint smile, clearly unwilling to say more on the subject.

Xiao Muyu, however, was increasingly frustrated, shaking her head and saying, "I don’t expect you to find a wife as capable as Jing like Yi’er did, but you can’t be completely indifferent!

Forget it, forget it, I’ve been saying these words for years, even if you’re not tired of hearing them, I am.

Ah Jing, I heard a few days ago when you went to Jingyuan Temple to investigate a case, you were attacked by bandits. Has the background of those bandits been found out yet?"

Upon hearing Xiao Muyu mention this topic, Xu Jing couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Yi.

After capturing a few of the attackers in black that day, Xiao Yi’s people easily uncovered their backgrounds; they came from all walks of life! Some were ordinary scholars, some hunters from the mountains, some martial arts masters, and even spear masters from the escort agency.

After knowing this matter, Xu Jing was surprised and couldn’t help but sigh. No wonder the attackers that day were so uneven in skills, Cheng Xiao even thought those who were poor at fighting among the first attackers were just pretending, but they really weren’t meant for combat!

More surprising was the reason for their attack on Xu Jing—they were all people who had purchased Cold Food Powder from Wang Family’s secret network, knowing Xiao Yi was ordered to completely eradicate this network, they lost their rationality, thinking to retaliate against Xiao Yi by attacking Xu Jing.

These people spread across different places and unknown to each other couldn’t have known each other suddenly or organized such a coordinated attack without prompting. Through interrogation, it was found that there was a leader among them who had gathered them together and instigated this action, with the whole plan made by him. His identity surprised both Xu Jing and Xiao Yi—it turned out to be a manager specifically handling external procurement for the Wang Family.

Upon knowing who the leader was, Xu Jing and Xiao Yi felt a tightness in their chests, having a bad premonition.

Sure enough, once the Wang Family learned of this matter, they rushed into the palace to plead with the Empress Dowager Wang, claiming their Wang Family had always been clear-cut and upright, never dabbled in such destructive dealings. It was all just that manager using their family’s name to cause chaos outside.

Now knowing their source of wealth was about to be cut off, the manager jumped at desperation and turned his hand to Xiao Yi’s wife.

The Wang Family had never admitted to secretly doing business with Cold Food Powder, and they used this incident to completely distance themselves from the matter, pinning everything on that manager.

Empress Dowager Wang immediately played along, as the Holy Emperor was still in morning court, they blocked the entrance of Taihe Palace with people. As soon as the Holy Emperor came out, they knelt at Taihe Palace gate, with Great Chu always being centered on filial piety, the Holy Emperor couldn’t withstand the Empress Dowager Wang’s pleading, immediately stepping forward to help her up, and Duke Qiao took the opportunity to present the manager, pleading their family’s grievance again, saying that they only just then knew the main culprit was this manager, but admitted they failed to manage and voluntarily proposed to forfeit one year of wages as the Family Head.

Duke Qiao said so, and the manager admitted everything was his own fault, unrelated to the Wang Family, making it clear to all that the manager was undoubtedly a scapegoat pushed out by the Wang Family, but what could anyone do about the Wang Family?

The Wang Family clearly severed this source of wealth to protect their reputation.

Xiao Yi briefly stated the situation to Xiao Muyu, who was quite shocked, having heard of the Wang Family pleading for justice at Taihe Palace, but did not know that the attackers on Xu Jing were related to the Wang Family!

She frowned and clicked her tongue, "The Wang Family is one of the four major families in Great Chu, enjoying supreme honor, yet why meddle with such things? Isn’t it ruining their reputation just for a few copper coins?"

For these noble families, reputation often outweighs wealth.

Xiao He chuckled lightly, saying, "Nowadays, the Wang Family doesn’t have the capacity to treat money like dirt, even the most glorious family needs capable descendants to support the family name. Among the current generation of the Wang Family, there isn’t one who can uphold the vast enterprise of the Wang Family. The current Princely Heir of Duke Qiao is even a good-for-nothing indulgent in pleasure, spending money lavishly all day, barely holding a real position in the army through family connections, but is often negligent.

The most presentable in the Wang Family now is Wang Qilang, but even he, a Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, has poorer investigative skills than my cousin-in-law. If Wang Qilang had some good reputation before, after confronting my cousin-in-law several times, he would be too embarrassed to go out."

The family consisting of a group who only squander without doing proper things, it isn’t surprising Wang Family took the risks to engage in such business transactions.

Moreover, the younger generation of Wang Family being nurtured like this shows the Wang Family’s family style has long decayed.

Eating an orange, Xu Jing blinked at the words but didn’t expect the matter could relate to her.

Seeing she liked eating oranges, Xiao Yi peeled another one carefully and placed it in front of her, saying softly, "I don’t care what the Wang Family’s reasons are, they had no business targeting Jing."

As he spoke, a flicker of coldness flashed quietly in his eyes.

Even though he temporarily couldn’t touch the people of the Wang Family now, there’s a long time ahead, he would naturally make them pay for their actions.

Xiao Muyu laughed watching Xiao Yi, saying, "I didn’t expect you had quite a way of cherishing your wife."

As she said that, she looked at the sky, stood up, and said, "It’s getting late, I’ll go to the kitchen to see how tonight’s supper preparation is going. Our family is rarely this lively, so the supper indeed needs to be more sumptuous. Chang Xiao, do you want to come to the kitchen with Great-aunt?"

Xiao Huai’an immediately smiled broadly and said, "Sure! I want to see what delicious food there is!"

Xiao Muyu was immediately amused, her eyes squinting into slits, "Oh my, you little glutton, whatever you want to eat, Great-aunt will make for you."

After the big one and the little one left, the courtyard suddenly had only Xiao Yi, Xiao He, and Xu Jing remaining.

Xiao He took a sip of hot tea, then suddenly glanced at Xiao Yi, saying, "It seems the force behind Prince Xing isn’t the Wang Family."

The force behind Prince Xing had been dormant for so many years, with thoughts so deep and methods so sophisticated, far beyond what the Wang Family could achieve nowadays.