Near noon, a four-wheeled carriage, protected by a dozen guards, stopped at the gate of Qin Mansion.
Yin Hu, who was guarding the door, saw Li Tai, who was wearing a blue python robe, getting out of the carriage and holding his belly, and quickly said to the boy beside him:
"Hurry and inform the young master that the King of Yue and Deputy Ma are here."
"yes."
After saying that, the boy quickly ran towards the front yard.
...
A few moments,
The maid Dongxue knocked on the door of the living room.
Everyone who was chatting in the hall couldn't help but stop talking when they heard the noise.
Qin Ming waved his hand towards Xiao Changxi and said:
"You guys talk first, I'll go out and take a look."
After saying that, Qin Ming got up and walked to the door of the living room.
"Dongxue? Is something wrong?"
Dongxue gave Qin Ming blessings and said:
"Sir, His Royal Highness the King of Yue and Deputy Director Ma have come to visit the residence. They are already heading towards the front yard."
Qin Ming frowned when he heard this, looked at the sun, and said to Dongxue:
"Xueer, you take them to the restaurant first, I will go there later."
"Yes, sir."
After saying that, Dongxue turned and left.
Qin Ming closed the door again and turned around to see Xiao Changxi and others standing up.
Qin Ming smiled slightly and explained to everyone:
"The King of Yue and Ma Zhou are here. They are probably here for the afternoon bidding."
Xiao Changxi's heart tightened when she heard this. She glanced at her brother with some reluctance and said:
"Brother..."
Xiao Chong did not expect that Li Shimin's son would come back at this juncture.
Even though he felt extremely reluctant to give up, he still shook his head towards Xiao Changxi.
"Xi'er, elder brother has been here for a long time, it's time to go back."
After finishing speaking, Xiao Chong turned towards Qin Ming and said seriously:
"Over the years, this elder brother failed to protect Xi'er, which caused her to suffer a lot."
"Treat her well from now on."
Qin Ming nodded and said:
"That's for sure, uncle, please rest assured."
Xiao Chong nodded slightly, then pointed to the plain-looking maid behind him and said:
"Her name is Mei Niang and she is from the Xiao family. Xi'er has grown up with her. From now on, let her stay in the house and serve Xi'er and Zijun."
"As an elder brother, I hope you won't refuse to express your concern for my sister."
Xiao Chong said, and glanced at Xiao Changxi intentionally or unintentionally.
Xiao Changxi was obviously stunned when she heard what her brother said.
She turned around and took a serious look at the maid named Mei Niang for the first time.
Sensing Xiao Changxi's eyes, Xiao Meiniang nodded slightly towards Xiao Changxi with a gentle smile.
Xiao Changxi's body trembled when she saw this, and a complicated look flashed in her eyes.
At this moment, Qin Ming smiled slightly and said to Xiao Chong:
"Even if it's what my uncle wants, Ming naturally doesn't dare to refuse."
"However, my uncle finally came here once, so he has to eat before leaving, right?"
Xiao Chong frowned when he heard this and said:
"You should know that with my current status, I am not suitable to stay in your house for a long time."
Qin Ming nodded, smiled lightly and said:
"Ming, I know it, but I know better in my heart. The world is now dominated by the Li family. Thinking about the relationship between my uncle and Xi'er, your majesty has already guessed it."
"Instead of being secretive and arousing others' suspicion, it is better for us to get along with each other in an open and honest manner."
"Besides, uncle, you don't want to be trapped in a house for the rest of your life, right?"
As soon as Qin Ming said this, everyone in the room was stunned.
After hearing Qin Ming's words, Xiao Changxi couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, and looked at Yang Zijun with a hint of worry.
Sensing Xiao Changxi's uneasiness, Qin Ming walked up to Xiao Changxi, took her cold little hand, and said:
"Don't worry, I'll be with you and everything will be fine."
When Xiao Chong and Xiao Meiniang heard this, their eyes couldn't help but condense.
After a while,
After Qin Ming sent Xiao Chong and others into Qingxin Courtyard, he turned around and came to the restaurant.
Qin Ming saw at a glance, Li Tai, who was sitting at the table eating haphazardly, and Ma Zhou, who was pacing back and forth in the restaurant.
"Artai, King Bin."
Ma Zhou looked happy when he heard this, walked quickly to Qin Ming, bowed and saluted:
“Student Ma Zhou, I’ve met Mr.
Li Tai, who was at the table, also stood up and said:
"Brother Ming, you are finally here. I almost sent someone to call you."
Qin Ming smiled and helped Ma Zhou up, pulling him to sit down on the chair.
"There were guests at the house just now, so it took a little time."
"How are the preparations for the bidding going? How many companies had signed up before you came?"
Li Tai grinned and said to Ma Zhou:
"Deputy Director Ma, please quickly hand over the list to the Director for review."
Ma Zhou, who was full of joy, nodded, took out a booklet from his sleeve, and handed it to Qin Ming with both hands.
"Sir, please take a look."
Qin Ming took the booklet, opened the first page, and immediately saw the dense family names and the list of people participating in the bid.
"Taiyuan Wang family, Qinghe Cui family, Jingzhao Wei family, Jingzhao Du family, Hedong Liu family..."
"Well, it's pretty much what I expected."
"As expected, all these famous families participated."
Ma Yiyi changed his decadence from the day before and said with a smile:
"This is all based on Mr.'s plan. If time were not too tight, there would definitely be more families who want to participate in today's bidding meeting."
Qin Ming put down the booklet in his hand and said with a smile:
"This is the first time our Roads and Bridges Department has held a bidding conference. It is enough to have so many families participating."
"When the bidding meeting is completed, as is the routine of the Roads and Bridges Department, everything will be easier to handle."
Ma Zhou was convinced of this.
Li Tai, who was on the side, suddenly interrupted and asked:
"Brother Ming, the bidding meeting will begin in two hours. Can you tell me now what the treasures being auctioned are?"
Qin Ming smiled and shook his head and said:
"If I say it now, it would be meaningless."
"Anyway, I guarantee you, those treasures will definitely blow up the entire audience."
Li Tai has become accustomed to Qin Ming's new words that pop up from time to time.
Hearing what he said, Li Tai looked forward to the auction even more.
Seeing that Qin Ming was so tight-lipped, Li Tai didn't ask any more questions.
He picked up a piece of pastry, threw it into his mouth, and chewed it.
Qin Ming smiled and said to Li Tai:
"By the way, Artest, will your Majesty attend the auction this afternoon?"
Li Tai thought for a while and said:
"My father has been doing sand table deductions in the Ganlu Hall recently. It is unlikely that he will participate."
Qin Ming nodded when he heard this and said:
"That's fine."
At this moment, Xiao Qingwan walked into the restaurant.
"Sir, the ingredients and toppings for the hot pot are all ready. Do you want to start serving the food now?"
Qin Ming nodded and said:
"Let's serve."
"The dishes from Qingxinyuan will also be sent over. You can stay there to eat after that."
"Yes, sir."
After saying that, Wan'er gave Qin Ming a blessing and walked out of the room.
.......
