The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Qi Zhen felt relieved upon hearing that the Duke agreed, and his demeanor became noticeably more relaxed.

He was genuinely worried that his mother’s favoritism would lead to bringing in people who would only cause trouble and act as spies, rather than earnestly performing their duties, thus unsettling the household. If that happened, it would indeed be problematic for him.

Now that the Duke had agreed, it was certain that those being arranged would be truly useful.

The father and son returned to the Duke Mansion, and headed straight to the main courtyard. As they stepped inside, they heard laughter, and the two of them briefly paused their steps. The people working in the courtyard were already announcing loudly that the Lord had returned.

The laughter inside the room immediately fell silent.

Upon entering the room, the Duke saw two people he hadn’t seen for nearly a year — his second son and Mrs. Liao — and couldn’t help but slightly furrow his firm expression.

Not even a year had passed, so why had they returned already?

The Duke looked at his wife, his gaze filled with questioning and a hint of coldness.

Mrs. Qi shrank a little and gave her second son, Qi Rui, a look. The latter, pulling his wife with him, knelt down before the Duke with a thud.

"Father, this unfilial son has returned. I promise to behave and study diligently. I beg you to allow me to serve by your side," Qi Rui pleaded earnestly.

Mrs. Liao also expressed her earnest intentions and pulled her son down to kneel: "Zhang’er, bow to your grandfather and greet him."

The young child, seeing the Duke’s stern face, turned pale with fear, knelt down to kowtow, and stammered as he called him grandfather.

Seeing this, the Duke was even more displeased. He had originally prevented Mrs. Liao from marrying this particular Mrs. Liao. Look at how the child had been raised, lacking even a bit of masculinity; just seeing him made his little face go pale and his words incomplete. How could he achieve great things in the future?

He said nothing, just sat there with a stern face, his entire demeanor exuding a suppressive authority that left the people kneeling on the ground sweating on their foreheads and shivering with fear.

Everyone was afraid, but Mrs. Qi forced a smile and chided, "My Lord, the children are all kneeling; it’s about enough. Look at how frightened they are."

The Duke gave her a cold glance: "Almost thirty and still called children? Isn’t it shameful to say such things?"

Mrs. Qi’s smile froze a bit, feeling a little unsteady, she looked to her second son and gave him a signal.

Qi Zhen then said, "Father, second brother and the others have returned; we’re one family, let’s stand and talk, shall we?"

The Duke snorted, finally allowing them to rise, and questioned, "When I sent you away, I told you to cultivate yourselves back home for a year. Now, not even a year has passed, so why are you back? Is it because your father has aged and my words no longer hold weight, or because you rely on someone’s support and dismiss my words?"

The implication of his words was clear.

Who was supporting them was self-evident.

Mrs. Qi’s face turned from green to white, showing some embarrassment, but she had to brace herself and said, "I sent for them to come back. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the mansion used to be lively, but this year it feels unusually quiet, so I called them back. Besides, the third son and his family are about to leave for Jiangnan, and it would be an opportunity for everyone to gather together as a family. After all, once they leave, who knows when the family will be able to reunite again."

As she spoke, she wiped the corners of her reddening eyes with a handkerchief.

Qi Zhen timely offered a step down: "Father, mother has a point. Once my wife and I leave, there will be even fewer people here. Second brother has returned just in time, and he can fulfill his filial duties and serve you both."

The Duke’s expression softened slightly, but looking at his second son, who resembled a quail, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment.