Chapter 437

Chapter 437: Censor-in-Chief

As Qin Ruhai spoke, the elderly lady fell silent.

When Ming visited the elderly lady, she indeed hadn’t heard him mention these things. But since Qin Ruhai had said it, it meant this matter was definitely true.

The head of an organization with over eight thousand people under him, and the ability to supervise all officials, is a position others wouldn’t even dare to dream about.

If it were anyone else from the Xu Mansion, the elderly lady would have already gone to the ancestral temple to burn incense, thanking the ancestors for their protection.

But now, the elderly lady felt a bit uneasy inside.

This wasn’t because the elderly lady had any issues with Ming.

Even though the relationship between the Xu Mansion and Ming was relatively average, Ming was still a child of the Xu family.

And the Xu Mansion had never done anything overly bad to Ming.

Over the years, the Xu Mansion had always tried to get closer to Ming and treated his mother well. The bond between them had somewhat healed.

So, no matter how much power Ming had, there was no reason for him to harm the Xu Mansion.

In fact, the connections the Xu Mansion had built over the years could even become part of his support network.

Still, the elderly lady thought that His Majesty had given too much.

So much so that it left her feeling somewhat incredulous.

For an ordinary family, it might not be such a big deal.

But the Xu and Qin mansions were already noble families.

Ming had truly become one of His Majesty’s trusted confidants.

Would His Majesty feel that Ming’s power was too great and then take action against the Xu and Qin mansions? The elderly lady believed this possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

But the elderly lady also thought she might be worrying unnecessarily.

After all, the two estates had only produced one Ming who had gained His Majesty’s favor.

Though the Qin and Xu families held high positions, they wielded no real power. They just collected their salaries and never took sides in political disputes.

“Old Patriarch, I wonder if young Ming is in the courtyard,” Qin Ruhai smiled. “The Jinyi Guard has just been established, and many officials need to be appointed. Perhaps some of our younger generation from the Xu and Qin mansions can join.”

“Nonsense!”

The elderly lady slapped the table hard, interrupting Qin Ruhai’s words.

Qin Ruhai was startled and quickly bowed. “If I’ve spoken improperly, please forgive me, Old Patriarch!”

Qin Ruhai had never seen the old patriarch this angry before.

The elderly lady looked at Qin Ruhai and sighed:

“Ruhai, you’re no longer young. You should know the principle of moderation.

His Majesty trusts Ming now, which is why he values him. If Ming pushes a few people from the Xu and Qin mansions into the Jinyi Guard, what kind of precedent does that set?

Is the Jinyi Guard His Majesty’s or ours?”

Qin Ruhai was shocked and quickly replied, “Of course, the Jinyi Guard belongs to His Majesty!”

The elderly lady nodded. “You understand that it belongs to His Majesty, good. Remember this matter well.”

The elderly lady turned to the maidservant beside her and said, “Go tell the master that no one from the Xu and Qin mansions is allowed to ask Ming for official positions!”

“Yes, Elderly Lady.” The maidservant nodded and walked out.

Qin Ruhai dared not continue questioning on this matter and changed the topic: “Old Patriarch, the ancestral worship ceremony is about to begin. Please calm down. It was indeed my fault earlier.”

“Ancestral worship…” The elderly lady thought for a moment. “Who do you think should lead the incense offering this time?” Qin Ruhai hesitated, “Naturally, the Old Patriarch should lead it.”

The elderly lady shook her head: “I’m old. Matters like being blessed by the ancestors should be passed on to the younger generation. This time, let Ming handle the ancestral worship.”

Ming arrived at Wang Yushi’s residence.

After handing over the letter and announcing his name, the gatekeeper, upon learning that the Zhuangyuan Láng was visiting, didn’t dare to show the slightest disrespect and quickly ran inside with the letter.

Not long after, Censor-in-Chief Wang Chong personally came out.

“Hahaha… Who would have thought that my humble place would receive a visit from the Zhuangyuan Láng himself? Truly, it adds glory to my humble abode!”

Wang Chong laughed heartily as he walked out of the gate and bowed to Ming.

“Censor-in-Chief Wang Chong! Paying respects to the Commander.”

“Wang mustn’t do this; it’s the younger one who should pay respects,” Ming hurriedly returned the bow.

“That’s not right. Your position as Commander is much higher than mine,” Wang Chong said.

Ming smiled, “Since I’ve come to see Uncle Wang, it’s not in my official capacity.”

Wang Chong looked at the spirited young man before him and was quite pleased: “Haha, fine. Then, Cousin Xu, come in and sit down. It’s almost noon, so you should try your Aunt’s cooking.”

“That, I must indeed taste,” Ming didn’t hesitate and followed Wang Chong into the mansion.

Compared to the Xu and Qin mansions, Wang Chong’s residence was significantly smaller.

The mansion was divided into the outer yard and inner yard.

The outer yard was used to receive guests, while the inner yard was naturally where the family resided.

Wang Chong didn’t bring Ming to the main hall but directly to the study.

For most officials of the Wu Kingdom, the study was an absolutely private space, and ordinary guests were not allowed into the host’s study.

“Young cousin is truly a hero among the youth. I’ve wanted to visit the Xu Mansion before, but due to busy affairs…” Wang Chong poured Ming a cup of tea.

Ming smiled, “Uncle speaks too modestly. It’s I who should visit you, but I’ve been tied up and couldn’t make it. Please don’t be upset.”

What Wang Chong said about wanting to visit was true, but the excuse of being “busy” was likely false.

Ming knew something about the relationship between this uncle and the Xu Mansion.

To put it simply, this uncle seemed to look down on both the Xu and Qin mansions, considering them parasites wasting national resources.

When Lady Wang married into the Xu family, this uncle strongly opposed it, but in the end, Lady Wang’s father agreed.

Factually speaking, this uncle’s view wasn’t entirely wrong.

The masters of the Xu and Qin mansions basically did nothing substantial. If there was any contribution, it was to the entertainment industry of the Wu Kingdom, particularly the Qinglou sector, where they made significant economic contributions.

“Hahaha, Young cousin, I hear you’ve been traveling. Seems like you’ve learned a lot about navigating the political world.”

As he spoke, Wang Chong opened a drawer, took out a memorial, lightly tapped it, and handed it to Ming with both hands.

Ming accepted the memorial, puzzled, “Uncle, what is this?”

Wang Chong smirked, “A memorial of impeachment against you.”