The regent is determined to get the daughter of a minor official.

Xu Keke started to worry about Dingdang again.

Dingdang: "What does it matter? I have never thought about getting married. If you don't mind, I will stay with you for the rest of my life."

"It will last a lifetime!"

Xu Ke smiled and picked up Dingdang's clothes and scissors on the bed.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's think about how to modify this dress so that you can wear it more comfortably."

As he said that, he cut a big hole on the back of the clothes.

"Take a look at this, wouldn't it be better? It just allows your back to be exposed. I call this a backless dress."

Dingdang tilted her head to look, then smiled and nodded.

"My lady is really smart. Why didn't I think of it?"

Xu Keke patted Dingdang's head gently.

"You should take better care of yourself. Don't rush into things like last night."

"Miss, even if we both rush in together, we won't be able to defeat him. He has a weapon in his hand!"

As the two were talking, there was suddenly a noise outside.

Xu Ke frowned slightly.

"Ding-dang, just lie still. I'm going to see what's going on outside.

Dingdang nodded obediently.

Xu Keke came out of the compartment and Xiaohong and Xiaolan came to greet him.

"Miss, it's okay, the guards that Madam hired from the Xie family are here.

Butler Liu plans to arrange for them to stay in the guest rooms in the front yard, and they will patrol inside and outside our mansion day and night."

Xu Ke nodded thoughtfully.

"That's good too. With the guards here, the mansion can feel more at ease."

Xiaolan continued.

"Miss, let's go back to the room."

You can refuse the request.

"Wait a minute, I want to go to the front yard to check on the guards."

After saying that, he took Xiaohong and Xiaolan to the front yard.

When we arrived at the front yard, we saw a group of strong guards standing there in an orderly manner, and Butler Liu was giving them instructions.

Xu Ke stepped forward and Butler Liu bowed hurriedly.

"Second Miss, what do you want to tell me?"

Xu Ke looked at these guards and said.

"Butler Liu, you must arrange their duties properly and not neglect them."

Butler Liu replied, "Don't worry, Second Miss. I will make sure everything is arranged."

Xu Ke walked back and forth in front of the dozen or so guards and stopped in front of a man.

"What's your name and what do you do in the Xie family?"

The man straightened his back and answered loudly.

"In reply to the Second Miss, my name is Xie Qi, and I am a servant in the Xie family mansion. I grew up in the Xie family mansion.

I've done all kinds of work, and since the master saw that I had good skills, he arranged for me to come here and work as a security guard for a month."

Xu Ke nodded and asked the same question to another man next to him.

"What's your name and what do you do in the Xie family?"

The man replied:

"My name is Xie Shisan. I've worked for the Xie family for ten years, working on the ship.

I had some family matters and couldn't come on board this time, so the master arranged for me to come over because he saw that I was tall and strong."

After hearing this, Xu Ke nodded slightly and continued to pace in front of the guards and observe.

Finally, she stopped, turned around and said to Butler Liu:

"Butler Liu, since you were invited back by my mother to look after the house, you must be prudent and proper.

They are all men and are not allowed in the backyard unless it is an emergency."

Butler Liu nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry, young lady. I will never let them affect your reputation."

Xu Keke was finally satisfied and walked towards the backyard gracefully, fanning herself with a round fan.

"Well, let's go back!"

Xiaohong and Xiaolan followed Xu Keke back. On the way, Xiaohong couldn't help but say.

"Miss, you are so worried because it is for the safety of everyone in the mansion."

Xu Keke sighed softly and did not answer.

She was not worried about the safety of the mansion. Such a big thing happened last night, and Chu Musheng would definitely strengthen his protection.

Where does her confidence come from?

Ha ha ha.

Didn't the Regent promise to protect her and her family and friends?

She went to see those guards for a purpose. In the original owner's memory, before the incident happened to the Xie family, Shen Qingfeng had frequent contacts with a long-term worker of the Xie family.

Xu Keke guessed that the accident of the Xie family merchant ship was caused by the collusion between Shen Qingfeng and the farmhand.

Coincidentally, she actually saw that man among the group of guards today.

The original owner married Shen Qingfeng. Perhaps because of nepotism, Shen Qingfeng got to know that treacherous servant.

Now that he and Shen Qingfeng would not be together, it must be difficult for Shen Qingfeng to get acquainted with this servant.

But——it’s really worrying that the Xie family has such a disaster!

Although Xu Keke had found the servant, he didn't know how to help the Xie family eliminate this hidden danger.

You can't just point your finger at the farmhand and get angry.

"You will betray the Xie family in the future, so die!"

If the farmhand says that his words are just empty talk, you have to provide evidence.

I am speechless.

Xu Keke returned to the room while thinking about it. Dingdang, who was lying on the bed, asked hurriedly:

"Miss, what happened in the front yard?"

Xu Keke sat down on the chair and drank some tea.

"They are the guards sent by the Xie Mansion. Except for one of them, the others seem to be reliable. I hope we can be safe and sound for the next month."

Dingdong: “…?”

……

Duke Ning's Mansion.

Prince Consort Ning Xuzhi has not yet recovered from the pain of losing his son.

Today, a servant came to report that the princess's mansion was blocked.

Ning Xuzhi is twenty-three years old this year. He has a handsome face but looks a little haggard.

His eyes were bloodshot and his eye sockets were sunken, obviously suffering from the pain of losing his son.

He was tall and slender, and wore a plain robe, but his elegant temperament could not be concealed.

But at this moment, his brows were furrowed, his face full of anxiety and confusion.

His steps were hurried with a slight stagger, and his former composure was gone.

When I arrived at the main hall of the Duke's Mansion, I saw Duke Ning sitting alone in the main seat.

Duke Ningguo was about fifty years old, and time had left deep marks on his face. His eyebrows were thick and slightly raised, revealing an air of majesty.

A few strands of silver hair mixed in with his still black hair, adding a bit of vicissitudes of life.

He stood straight, and although he was no longer young, one could still see the heroic figure he had when he galloped across the battlefield in the past.

At this moment, Duke Ningguo had a solemn expression on his face, was in a bad mood, and looked very old.

He had been fighting on the battlefield for many years, his three daughters had already married, and he already had two sons at home.

The eldest son legitimately inherited the title of the Crown Prince of the Duke's Mansion and followed him in his campaigns. In the end, he died on the battlefield without leaving any offspring.

The old Duke and his wife were kindhearted and could not bear to see their eldest daughter-in-law become a widow for their eldest son at such a young age, so they let her return to her parents' home and marry on her own.

The second son was a literary man, proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting. He also aspired to serve the court. The Duke even wanted him to inherit both houses.

Unexpectedly, he was favored by Princess Jianning at a poetry meeting, and she insisted on asking the late emperor to grant him a marriage.

If he married the princess, his official career would be cut short, and he would not be able to take care of his eldest son's family.

The old Duke also admitted it.

What was the result?

The second son had been married to Princess Jianning for five years but had no children, and it seemed that there was no successor to the Ningguo Mansion.

The Duke's wife has taken in several concubines for the old Duke over the years.

However, because the old Duke had been seriously injured on the battlefield, he was unable to have a child in his old age, let alone have sex.

The Duke's wife tried every possible way and finally begged her second son to return to the Duke's Mansion. She had private sex with the maid who had served him since childhood once or twice.

The maidservant was very good and became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy this year.

This made the Duke and his wife very happy. The two old people finally had hope.

The Duke even lost all his pride and planned to announce to the public that the child was his own son born in his old age and his darling.

He wanted to petition the Regent to confer the title of Crown Prince on this baby boy.