The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Xu Wan nodded with her eyes closed, "Yes, yes, you're proud and you're right."

It was all for Zong Wenxiu, not because she was being reasonable.

Zong Wenxiu had walked so far with her just to invite her to drink two bowls of pear juice.

Xu Wan rolled her eyes internally, but on the surface, she remained as graceful and elegant as ever.

"But seriously, if the match hadn't ended just now, how would you have handled the trouble?" She was referring to the situation where the princess's team had four against two.

Zong Jincheng exploded at the slightest provocation, shouting loudly, "You're bringing it up again! I haven't forgiven you yet! You always side with others and teach them how to deal with me. So what if it was four against two? She can add people, and so can I! Do you think my brothers are all useless?"

The little rascal was fuming, but his solution was crystal clear.

Xu Wan raised an eyebrow in praise, "Not bad. Even when you're this angry, you can still come up with a solution. You really have a talent for being an official."

Zong Jincheng: "..."

The anger he had just felt suddenly dissipated, and the corners of his mouth even twitched upward uncontrollably.

The little demon lord said proudly, "Hmph, at least you have some sense to recognize my talents. Let me tell you, being an official is just the tip of the iceberg. I have talent in everything I do!"

Xu Wan: "..." You're really full of yourself.

Zong Wenxiu chuckled beside them, "Auntie may seem like she's helping the princess, but she's actually training you. You didn't listen to my explanation earlier, so you missed the truth."

Zong Jincheng looked at him suspiciously.

Is that true? She was helping Princess Zhao Rong for his sake?

Then why didn't she help him deal with the princess?

Oh, right, it must be because he's too strong and the princess is too weak. If she had helped him any more, Princess Zhao Rong might have been so angry she'd jump into a river.

At this moment, Zong Jincheng finally realized that Zhao Rong was a princess and a girl.

He glanced at Xu Wan, who still looked as calm and indifferent as ever, seemingly unconcerned about whether he had misunderstood her.

Hmph, if she doesn't care, then he doesn't want her to care either. Zong Jincheng snorted, crossed his arms, and turned his head away from her.

What a child.

Xu Wan silently criticized him in her mind before letting it go.

When they arrived at the Marquis Manor, the servants had already prepared hot water and clean clothes, leading the two young masters to bathe.

Xu Wan returned to her courtyard and had just sat down when she noticed a letter on the table.

"Who sent this?" she asked Cui Zhi.

Cui Zhi shook her head, "I just returned with you, so I’ll have to ask the maids who stayed behind."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Alright, go ask," Xu Wan said, then went over to open the letter.

She first looked at the signature at the end—it was from the Crown Princess.

"Huh?"

Wasn't the Crown Princess traveling with the Crown Prince?

How did she find the time to write to her?

"Dear Xu Wan, a month ago, I heard your advice from Zhao Rong, and His Highness and I found it very reasonable, so we decided to travel together. In truth, His Highness had been confined to his sickbed for a long time, and his mood was even gloomier than mine. This trip has brought us both great joy. We had almost given up hope, but unexpectedly, we are now expecting a child. The royal physician has confirmed the pregnancy and advised me not to announce it for the first three months. But you are our benefactor, and I wanted to share this news with you first. I’ve written this letter to express my gratitude."

After reading the letter, Xu Wan couldn't help but smile.

The Eastern Palace had good news.

"I really did help the Crown Princess."

She turned the letter over, making sure there was nothing else written, then crumpled it into a ball.

Cui Zhi came back in and said, "Madam, the maids said it was delivered by someone from the Eastern Palace. They didn’t leave any message, just dropped it off and left."

Xu Wan smiled and replied, "I understand. Go light a candle for me."

"Yes."

As the candle flame flickered, she burned the letter, ensuring no one else would see it.

The first three months of pregnancy are the most delicate, and given the Crown Princess's caution, she probably hadn’t even told Zhao Rong.

Cui Zhi, who had seen her burn the letter, was startled at first, but then she thought it might involve some secret and calmed down.

After the letter was completely burned, Xu Wan asked, "How’s my sister doing lately?"

Cui Zhi couldn’t help but laugh as she replied, "She’s currently locked in a battle of wits with Madam Liu of Duke Jin's Manor. Chen Yunyu wants to bring his courtesan mistress into the manor under a new identity, but Xu Lian'er refuses unless she’s given control of the household. However, Madam Liu has held the reins of power for many years and has several legitimate sons under her. She’s not about to hand over control to Xu Lian'er, a newlywed, so they’re still at a stalemate."

Xu Wan sighed, "Is the household key really that important? Madam Liu fights for it, Xu Lian'er fights for it, and now she’s even willing to accept being sisters with a courtesan..."

Xu Wan seemed to recall something, her fingers tightening. If she had married into Duke Jin's Manor, she might have preferred divorce over tolerating that courtesan mistress.

Cui Zhi thought for a moment and said, "I think it’s quite important. In the capital, all newly married women face the issue of power transfer. Some families are reasonable and hand over control once the new wife gives birth to a legitimate son. Others are more power-hungry and only relinquish control when the new wife becomes a mother-in-law. Either way, it’s very difficult for Xu Lian'er to gain control so soon after her marriage."

In contrast, Xu Wan's acquisition of power had been surprisingly smooth.

She wondered how the old Marquis and his wife had decided to hand over control after just one meeting with her.

Xu Wan exhaled deeply, "Let them fight then. I just want some peace."

"Yes, we’ll just watch the show."

The two children, refreshed after their baths, went to have lunch. At the table, the little demon lord vividly described to Pan Hongzhi and Zhao Yin how he had dominated the football field earlier that day.

Pan Hongzhi, the newly minted actor, immediately led the applause, praising him with genuine enthusiasm, "Well done! As expected of Jincheng. You’re amazing at everything!"

Zhao Yin: "..."

Your acting is so convincing I can’t tell if it’s real or not.

The little demon lord proudly puffed up, boasting, "I’m good at a lot of things. Next time, I’ll take you to see me race horses. It’s even more impressive than football!"

"Jincheng ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍is a jack of all trades!"

"Of course!"

The little demon lord lost himself in the endless praise, and Pan Hongzhi took the opportunity to recite a few poems about horse racing. That’s when Jincheng realized that many famous people also loved horse racing.

Truly, great minds share the same interests!

After lunch, Zong Jincheng dragged Zong Wenxiu to the study, with Zhao Yin and Pan Hongzhi in tow, searching for historical anecdotes and poems related to horse racing and football. They aimed to feed his passion with knowledge while it was still fresh.

After being immersed in learning, the little demon lord felt even more powerful. He raised his head, clenched his fist, and declared seriously, "Next time, I’ll write an essay about football. Football isn’t just a physical sport—it’s a mental one, a test of intelligence and strategy. Only a genius like me can fully embody the spirit of football!"