Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket-Chapter 433 - 402: Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness
The old lady sat gracefully on the central rosewood chair, wearing a simple velvet embroidered jacket and a skirt of fine patterned silk on the lower half, draped with a brocaded fur-trimmed cloak, indicating her aversion to cold.
Su Jingchen, under the introduction of Cui Huaixin, paid respects to that old lady.
Cui Huaixin instructed him to address that old lady as Madame Kou.
Combined with the golden plaque outside that read "Loyal and Righteous Marquis Mansion," Su Jingchen knew this Madame Kou should be the mother of Loyal Marquis Kou Maonian.
Why call her the mother of the Loyal Marquis?
Firstly, if she were the wife of Loyal Marquis, Cui Huaixin would have addressed her as the Marquis’s wife, not Madame Kou.
Secondly, the wife of Loyal Marquis would not be so old.
By logic, someone as prestigious as the Loyal Marquis, closely tied with the royal family, should reside in the Capital, but is instead in Huizhou because the Loyal Marquis title he holds is merely honorary with no real power.
Kou Maonian’s heroic deed in saving the Emperor during his youth is well-known throughout Great Liang, and Su Jingchen also heard from Zhao Zhiyun about the Loyal Marquis getting hit by a poisoned arrow on the battlefield while saving the Emperor.
Later, due to the rapid spread of the toxin, making it uncontrollable, the Emperor ordered to amputate the legs to save Kou Maonian’s life.
Kou Maonian, once a mighty military general, thus became a legless man bedridden.
In gratitude for Kou Maonian’s sacrifice, the Emperor awarded him the title of Loyal Marquis and promised his descendants could unconditionally inherit this title for three generations.
Though Kou Maonian was crippled and couldn’t serve the court, he was one of the Emperor’s most trusted people and thus a target for various Princes seeking alliances.
Kou Maonian didn’t want to get involved in court disputes or the battles for the throne among Princes, so he requested to live in his hometown in Huizhou, far from political strife.
However, though Kou Maonian chose peace in Huizhou, he couldn’t escape fate. He unexpectedly died from a severe cold.
You might think the current Loyal Marquis is Kou Maonian’s son, right?
No, the current Loyal Marquis is Kou Maonian’s grandson, Kou Siyu.
Kou Siyu’s father was shorter-lived than his grandfather, having served as the Loyal Marquis for only twenty years, dying at the age of forty-nine.
Therefore, the current Loyal Marquis is quite young, only twenty years old this year.
After completing the formalities with Madame Kou, Su Jingchen stood aside, subjecting himself to her scrutiny from head to toe.
Finally, after carefully examining Su Jingchen, Madame Kou asked, "In which year were you born? How old are you this year?"
Su Jingchen answered each question out of politeness.
Madame Kou smiled warmly, "I met your mother before she got married. I didn’t expect this old woman to still be alive while she has passed away many years ago.
Ah, what a pity about your mother; she was quite a remarkable woman!
I heard from your uncle that you’re studying at Yin Academy in Luocheng? You aspire for scholarly exams, which is indeed wonderful.
I was acquainted with your mother and once wanted to recognize her as my daughter, but could never realize that wish. Seeing you today, I genuinely like you... Would you be willing to be my god-grandson?"
Su Jingchen had no intention of gaining another grandmother for no reason, especially since he never heard his mother mention any relation with the Kou Family.
Showing such unsolicited kindness must be suspicious.
Su Jingchen tactfully declined Madame Kou’s ’kind offer’.
"That was just the first time; the second time was when my uncle deceived me by pretending to be gravely ill, just to arrange a marriage for me."
"Could the arranged match have been a girl from the Kou family?" Yu Xiaolian seemed to have grasped a hint.
Su Jingchen nodded, "Indeed, it was a girl from a Kou family branch, there were two, claiming I could choose between them, and they also wanted me to stay in Huizhou Academy instead of returning to Luocheng.
From that point, I knew their true intentions.
Simply because the only heir from the Kou Family was incapable academically and lacking martial prowess, while the Emperor’s courtesy towards their Marquis title was already at its last generation, leading Kou Family to set their sights on me.
Though I refused repeatedly, they hadn’t abandoned their hope!"
Su Jingchen spoke with apparent coldness, making Yu Xiaolian feel the surrounding temperature drop by several degrees.
"I don’t understand, since they are certain you’re a Kou Family descendant, why don’t they openly acknowledge you? Why create such a fuss?" Yu Xiaolian asked.
Su Jingchen scoffed coldly, "That’s because they are uncertain if I am qualified to be part of the Kou Family. If I succeed in the Autumn Examination on my first attempt, the Kou Family will openly welcome me back because I would bring them glory. Ha... They’re waiting, and so am I!"
But the outcome certainly won’t be as they expected; Su Jingchen would never willingly be a filial and virtuous descendant of the Kou Family.
"Ah, so that’s their plan!"
Their calculations seem sound indeed!
No wonder they hadn’t considered reaching out to Su Jingchen over the past decade, but now want him back, knowing he topped the Linzhou examination and recognizing him as a promising talent, prompting them to want him back.
If Su Jingchen were just an ordinary scholar, unremarkable and average, the Kou Family probably wouldn’t even bother with him; indeed, the Kou Family is quite opportunistic.
Interestingly, these three generations of the Marquis title change hands as if in a game, lasting only a few decades, yet three have held the Marquis position.
Meaning, if Kou Siyu proves to be worthless, unable to accomplish significant feats, the Loyal and Righteous Marquis Mansion will cease to exist after Kou Siyu, and the Kou Family will become ordinary civilians, having no title equals no glory, and no free salaries. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Yu Xiaolian touched her chin, referring to Kou Siyu, who was documented in the story aligning himself with Prince Cheng Jun Tingzhang during the internal conflicts among Princes.
After Jun Yian seized the throne, none of his opposing brothers met a good end, with Kou Siyu’s aspiring banner falling, the Kou Family naturally met its downfall.
Yu Xiaolian shared the faint recollections of these plot developments with Su Jingchen.
Su Jingchen laughed, "Lian’er, Prince Jin is unlikely to rise to a higher position!"
"Huh?" Yu Xiaolian was quite shocked.
No matter how the plot twists, she never imagined the main storyline would change!
"What do you mean by that?"
Su Jingchen’s eyes glimmered, "Some things I can’t tell you now; the less you know, the better."
Yu Xiaolian frowned, "Could it be you favor Jun Tingye?"
Su Jingchen mysteriously shook his head, "Not him!"
"It must be Jun Mobai, right?" Yu Xiaolian suddenly realized she overlooked Jun Mobai, the male lead in the story.
