NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54: Is He Here to Cause Trouble for the Mighty Marquis?
Cai Xianggao was feeling quite excited at this moment.
He realized that visiting the Mighty Marquis’s estate might not be a suicidal mission after all.
Wei Wentong, once the number one constable of Jiangnan and a martial arts prodigy!
Niu Jinxi, a border army general who had achieved legendary battlefield feats!
And then there was the old man.
Although he claimed to be an ordinary person, Cai Xianggao didn’t believe him.
His instincts told him that the old man was also an extraordinary figure.
It seemed their lineup wasn’t just marching to their deaths against the Mighty Marquis’s estate. This was good news. Who would have thought that the forgotten Supervision Institute still housed such remarkable individuals?
Cai Xianggao felt the need to share this with Ye Ning to lift his spirits as well.
However, Ye Ning wasn’t interested.
“We’ll talk later,” he said, waving his hand dismissively.
Ye Ning assumed Cai Xianggao was trying to persuade him to turn back.
What a joke! They had come this far, and now he was expected to retreat?
He wasn’t listening. He was determined not to let anything else derail his path.
Ye Ning’s determination was unwavering, leaving Cai Xianggao frustrated as his attempts to speak were repeatedly rebuffed.
“Forget it. Ye Ning will find out soon enough,” Cai Xianggao thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Ji Mingyue had been keeping an eye on Ye Ning.
When news reached the palace that Ye Ning was leading the Supervision Institute on some errand, it was brought by none other than Liu Jin.
“He’s making a move?” Ji Mingyue set down the memorial she was reading, a look of puzzlement crossing her face.
What could he possibly be up to?
She had relegated him to the Supervision Institute, a place so remote and insignificant that it was laughable to think he could stir up any trouble.
The Supervision Institute had long been abandoned and had no capacity for real action, so she wasn’t too concerned.
After finishing her reading, she leisurely took out a mirror.
“Where is he now?” Ji Mingyue asked.
“He should be on Taiping Street,” Liu Jin replied.
Ji Mingyue nodded slightly and brushed her hand over the mirror.
A clear image appeared, like a live broadcast, showing the crowds, the houses by the road, and finally, Ye Ning and his entourage.
Clad in white robes, wearing only his official hat, Ye Ning stood out conspicuously.
“What’s with that outfit?” Ji Mingyue chuckled.
She was still relaxed at this point.
Stretching out her hand, Liu Jin perceptively handed her a fruit plate.
She picked a plump grape and popped it into her mouth, asking casually, “Where does this street lead?”
“Taiping Street is mostly home to nobles,” Liu Jin answered after some thought.
Nobles? What sort of nobles? Princes, dukes, marquises, and earls—those with titles.
Ji Mingyue’s grape paused halfway to her mouth, her brows furrowing slightly. “What’s he doing there?”
A sense of unease began to creep in. Liu Jin, unable to provide an answer, could only glance at the mirror and silently pray for Ye Ning. “Oh, Master Ye, what big thing are you planning this time? Please don’t be here to stir up trouble…”
Under their watchful eyes, Ye Ning and his group stopped in front of a grand residence.
“The Mighty Marquis’s estate!” Ji Mingyue saw the plaque and felt her unease explode into full-blown anxiety.
She stood up abruptly.
“What’s he doing at the Mighty Marquis’s estate?” Ji Mingyue’s mind was filled with contempt for the Marquis.
Granted a hereditary marquisate for his ancestors’ military achievements, the current Marquis had grown arrogant, flaunting his power and disrespecting the royal authority, all under the protective umbrella of his daughter’s connections in the influential Qunyu Pavilion.
Ji Mingyue had long wanted to get rid of him but knew she had to bide her time for the sake of the greater plan.
A minor nuisance like the Marquis would be easy to squash once her plans succeeded.
If her plans failed and the Great Zhou dynasty fell, then what was the point in dealing with the Marquis?
Thus, Ji Mingyue had tolerated his insolence to lull the sect into thinking she was a spineless ruler.
Why was Ye Ning, of all people, targeting the Mighty Marquis now?
Ji Mingyue knew the Marquis had grown immensely bold and wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate if provoked.
She prayed that Ye Ning wasn’t there to stir up trouble.
However, the image in the mirror showed Ye Ning giving her no such respite.
“Is this the Mighty Marquis’s estate?” Ye Ning stood before the imposing red door, noting the gilded knocker and the high steps designed to flaunt the family’s status.
“Go, knock on the door,” he ordered.
Cai Xianggao, looking around nervously, mustered his courage and knocked on the door.
A defiant-looking servant opened it slightly. “Who are you?”
Cai Xianggao smiled and began, “Could you please inform the Marquis that we—”
Before he could finish, Ye Ning pushed him aside.
What were we here for? Not a family visit, surely!
Ye Ning stepped up and kicked the door open with a loud bang.
“Supervision Institute, here to make arrests! All irrelevant personnel, make way!” Ye Ning shouted, veins bulging in his neck.