The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 309
The large desk was quickly replaced, now more than twice its original size. Xu Wan supervised the rearrangement, placing Zong Zhao's belongings on it while leaving a considerable empty space.
After some thought, she added her own painting scrolls, calligraphy tools, and a few frequently read books to one corner of the desk.
Since they were now sharing the space, it was only fair to split it evenly—there was no reason for one person to yield entirely to the other.
Xu Wan nodded in satisfaction, gradually adapting to their shared life.
The entire Marquis Manor buzzed with activity following Zong Zhao’s appointment as General of the Western Garrison. Though the Emperor had bestowed a grand General’s residence upon him, Zong Zhao declined to move. As a result, the Old Marchioness led a thorough cleaning of the manor, even debating whether to replace the main gate’s plaque.
This sparked another round of bickering between the old couple, with Xu Wan chiming in with placating "Yes, yes" and "Of course," though her efforts proved futile.
"Change it, change it! Our Zhao is now a general. Don’t you remember how imposing Luo Jingfeng looked when he became a general? Keeping our Marquis plaque would make us seem petty in comparison," the Old Marchioness declared triumphantly, already inspecting materials for the new sign.
The Old Marquis huffed, his beard quivering. "And where would the Marquis plaque go? Our family holds a noble title! If Zhao refuses to move to the General’s residence, must you also erase my rank? This is outrageous! Clearly, you only care about Zhao—such favoritism!"
"Favoritism? He’s your son too! Are you saying you don’t love him? Do you want him to move out?" The Old Marchioness fired back without pause. "What kind of father are you? Our son has been named a general—shouldn’t you be burning incense at the ancestral hall to thank our forebears? Instead, you cling to your title. Fine, let’s hang the Marquis plaque in our courtyard so you can gaze at it all day!"
The Old Marquis turned red with indignation. "Who in their right mind hangs a noble family’s plaque in their courtyard? We’d be the laughingstock of the capital!"
The Old Marchioness waved him off. "You set the trend. Others will follow. Someone has to take the first step."
The Old Marquis fell silent.
Vaguely, he recalled her saying the same when Zong Zhao brought Jin Cheng home to register him as the legitimate heir.
What was this?
The "First Step in Embarrassment," with him leading every charge?
Outmatched in the argument, the Old Marquis seized his lifeline. "Let Xu Wan decide how to handle the plaque!"
Confident, the Old Marchioness agreed. "Fine. Xu Wan, tell us—am I in the right?"
Xu Wan swallowed, scrambling for a diplomatic response to appease both elders.
She suggested, "Many generals were honored this time—the Great General of Pacifying the West was even named Duke of State Protection. Perhaps Father and Mother could observe how the Duke’s household handles their plaques?"
The Old Marquis and Old Marchioness exchanged glances and nodded. "A sound idea."
Thus, the spirited Old Marchioness dispatched servants to investigate how Luo Jingfeng’s family arranged their plaques, intending to follow suit.
Luo Jingfeng, too, had kept his residence, simply replacing his general’s plaque with "Duke of State Protection’s Manor"—swift and decisive.
Victorious, the Old Marchioness promptly ordered the Marquis plaque swapped for "General of the Western Garrison’s Manor." With a satisfied sigh, she remarked, "Seeing these grand characters, I feel my back straighten. Let’s see who dares exclude me from their banquets now."
The Old Marquis: "..."
Wife, that dig was aimed at me, wasn’t it?
But she wasn’t wrong. In the past, the Old Marquis held little real authority, and her merchant background made her an outsider among the capital’s elite. Social invitations rarely came her way.
Xu Wan’s arrival had eased things slightly—her lineage as the Minister’s Mansion’s daughter earned some respect from noble ladies.
Now, with Zong Zhao’s ascension to general, both his wife and mother basked in newfound prestige—especially his mother.
No longer dismissed as a "lowly merchant’s daughter who married above her station," she was now revered as the mother of the General of the Western Garrison.
Marquis Manor’s Elite Class.
Shen Yibai teased, "The general’s son—Little General Jin Cheng?"
Wei Xinglu shoved him aside. "What ‘little general’? Jin Cheng can’t even hold a horse stance. On the battlefield, he’d be stuck in the tent strategizing."
The taunted little demon pounded the table. "What’s wrong with strategizing? Zhuge Liang was remembered for millennia!"
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Wei Xinglu grinned. "Yeah, but he wasn’t a general."
He Zheng raised his hand. "Who cares? We’re scholars! We’ll ace the imperial exams, become high-ranking officials, and serve as pillars of the state—just like Zhuge Liang!"
"Now that’s ambition!" The little demon clapped enthusiastically.
As the boys bickered, their study session was interrupted by the sudden entrance of a towering figure—wildly arrogant and radiating authority.
The arrogant and domineering face of Luo Jingfeng appeared as he questioned the little troublemaker: "Didn't you just say yesterday that you’d start training as soon as you got back? Or was that just empty talk?"
The moment the boys saw him, they were scared out of their wits.
"Ah!!! Luo Jingfeng!!!" He Zheng screamed the loudest.
Minister He, afraid of offending Luo Jingfeng, had tricked He Zheng into returning home and locked him up. Though he eventually escaped, he ended up cutting ties with his family.
Because of this, He Zheng had a deep-seated fear of Luo Jingfeng. The moment he saw him, he leaped behind Zong Jincheng in terror, trembling like a frightened quail.
Hearing the scream, Wei Xinglu instinctively jumped up too: "Ah! A ghost! Why is Luo Jingfeng here?! Am I seeing things?!"
"Luo Jingfeng? Luo Jingfeng? Luo Jingfeng!" Shen Yibai wore a dazed expression, muttering to himself as he spun in circles, until Zong Jincheng smacked him back to reality.
The little troublemaker gritted his teeth. "Stop spinning, you idiot."
Shen Yibai wailed, "Why is Luo Jingfeng here? Is he going to wipe out our hideout?!"
He Zheng and Zong Wenxiu quickly covered his reckless mouth before Shen Yibai got himself killed.
The boys huddled together, craning their necks to peek outside, only to find the courtyard empty—even Buyan was gone. Inside, the five private tutors who had been supervising their studies were already kneeling obediently on the floor.
Luo Jingfeng… Luo Jingfeng… That was Luo Jingfeng!
Though his rank wasn’t as high as the Crown Prince’s, the Crown Prince was gentle and approachable. Luo Jingfeng, on the other hand, had a reputation so fearsome it could make children cry at night. The tutors didn’t dare utter a single word, terrified that their heads might end up flying toward the sun.
Zong Jincheng shielded his brothers, glaring at the notorious villain. "What are you doing here? You’re not welcome in my home."
He Zheng turned to him in stunned silence.
Brother… have you lost your mind?
That’s Luo Jingfeng! How dare you speak to him like that? Do you have a death wish?
