First-rank palace maid Su Jixiang

Chapter 231 You Can Think About It for Half a Day

Wang was in a panic, "That won't do, old man. Our sons can't not come back. They have families to support! If they don't come back, what shall we do?"

"What do you think we should do? You ask that bastard to exchange your other sons?" Nangong Tian was annoyed by Wang's questioning and shouted, "Am I not in a hurry? Aren't they my sons? Don't you know what the situation is now? Forget it! Let's wait and see!"

Nangong Rui walked out of his home in a daze.

He didn't know where to borrow money.

But as long as he doesn't stay in that suffocating home, he can go anywhere!

The people at home had completely chilled his heart.

He also considered the issues Su Jixiang mentioned very thoroughly.

But he was afraid that he could not let Zhao Xiuwan be the manager of a restaurant.

He would go and ask the general to allow him to stay in the army. Even if he didn't need military status or military pay, and just wanted a meal, he would work for the army, do anything, and kill the enemy. He would use his actions to forgive his sins.

When he was in charge of the defense of the entire Mangcheng, his family colluded with grain merchants to steal military rations. He knew about it and tried to stop it, but he was blinded by greed at that time. He stopped it once, but did not stop it the second and third time... In the past three years, although he did not go home to live, he could see that his family was living more and more luxuriously, and more and more like a wealthy family.

This is all the money they cheated from the Black Tiger Army.

He indulged his family and committed an unforgivable crime himself.

Fortunately, his attitude was still firm at the beginning, so although the food his family exchanged was old rice, it was not moldy or rotten.

But a mistake is a mistake.

Wei Ling left him some dignity, but he couldn't leave any for himself...

If he had not indulged them again and again, how could his brother have the courage to replace his badge, take his seal, and even let outsiders into Mangcheng?

If a foreign enemy were let in, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Nangong Rui, our lady wants to see you." Just as Nangong Rui was walking aimlessly on the street with his mind in a mess, a figure appeared in front of him.

Nangong Rui suddenly realized that he had been wandering outside like a ghost for a very long time, so long that his feet were frozen and painful.

"Who are you? Who is your wife?" Nangong Rui came back to his senses and asked with a frown.

"My name is Wei Feng." Wei Feng said, "My wife is the general's wife."

Nangong Rui was suddenly alerted and followed Wei Feng to the back door of Zuixianlou.

"Mr. Nangong." A graceful figure walked out from the back door.

Nangong Rui looked carefully and found that it was indeed Su Jixiang.

"Hello, ma'am." He bowed quickly.

"Okay, I won't say anything else." Su Jixiang looked at Nangong Rui, "Have you encountered a problem again?"

"How did Madam know that?" Nangong Rui was shocked and looked at Su Jixiang in astonishment.

Su Jixiang smiled faintly, "Don't ask me how I know. I just want to ask whether you are or not."

"Yes." Nangong Rui lowered his head, not daring to look at Su Jixiang.

Su Jixiang's beautiful eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, which made him feel ashamed.

"Are you willing to sell yourself to the General's Mansion for fifteen years?" Su Jixiang asked.

"Ah?" Nangong Rui looked up in confusion.

"Fifty taels of silver a year," Su Jixiang said. "After fifteen years, you will be free. I can pay you the silver in one lump sum."

Nangong Rui's pupils shrank slightly and he looked at Su Jixiang in shock.

"I don't have much time." Su Jixiang didn't want to say anything more to him, but just said slowly, "I'll give you half a day to think about it. If you are willing, go to the general's mansion to find me. If you are not willing, just pretend I never said anything."

After saying that, Su Jixiang turned around and went back to the courtyard of Zuixianlou without looking back.

Wei Feng came over and bowed to Nangong Rui, then slipped in and closed the door.

Wei Ling was still drinking with Qiao Er in the private room.

Although Qiao Er was an orphan and later lived in the city, he was unexpectedly talkative and knowledgeable.

This made Wei Ling look at him with a new respect.

"Have you read any books?" Wei Ling asked.

"I have never been to a proper private school." Qiao Er said with a smile, "In the past, there were old beggars who could read and write. I would help them beg for food, and they would teach me a little."

Wei Ling nodded.

As expected, when Mangcheng was at its most chaotic, many scholars lost their families and many became beggars.

So it’s not surprising that Qiao Er can learn something.

However, in such a chaotic world, it was not easy to survive. He was still a child at that time, but he not only survived, but also learned knowledge with his own ability. This is really not something that ordinary people can do.

Seeing Su Jixiang coming in, Wei Ling stood up and said, "I'm sorry to bother Mr. Qiao today. My husband and I will go back first."

"Won't you sit for a while?" Qiao Er also stood up quickly.

"No, thank you." Wei Ling waved his hand, held Su Jixiang's hand, smiled at Qiao Er and walked out.

Qiao Er couldn't force Wei Ling to stay, so he could only hurry over to see him off.

After Wei Ling and Su Jixiang got on the carriage, Wei Ling breathed a sigh of relief, "Madam, did you see Nangong Rui just now?"

"Yeah." Su Jixiang nodded.

When she and Wei Ling left the gambling house, she quietly instructed Wei Feng, who came with them, to follow Nangong Rui.

She guessed that Nangong Rui might be touched by the three questions she asked, so she asked Wei Feng to go over and find out secretly.

Although Wei Ling saw it, he did not stop it.

He also needs people on his hands.

Nangong Rui may have problems of one kind or another, but the bottom line is, Nangong Rui will not betray him.

He doesn't know what path he will take in the future, so he always needs to have trustworthy people around him.

Su Jixiang relayed to Wei Ling what he and Nangong Rui had said, as well as what Wei Feng had heard while lurking outside Nangong Rui's house.

After hearing this, Wei Ling patted the back of Su Jixiang's hand and said, "I'm sorry, Madam. This time it's my fault."

"What have you done wrong?" Su Jixiang said with a smile, "But since Nangong Rui's family has committed such a big mistake, how are you going to deal with them?"

"Send them to forced labor! Ten years of hard labor, and confiscate all their property!" Wei Ling became serious. "Fortunately, the food they exchanged didn't go to the bad guys, otherwise I would have killed them all. Even Nangong Rui would not be spared easily."

"Aren't you afraid that Nangong Rui will become disloyal to you because of this?" Su Jixiang asked.

"I won't doubt a person once I use him." Wei Ling said, "Others may doubt him, but Nangong Rui won't. I can be sure of that."